Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/13083855.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Graphic_Depictions_Of_Violence, Underage
  Category:
      F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi
  Fandom:
      Descendants_(Disney_Movies), The_Isle_of_the_Lost_Series_-_Melissa_de_la
      Cruz
  Relationship:
      Evie/Jay/Mal/Carlos_de_Vil, Ben/Carlos_de_Vil, Gil/Carlos_de_Vil, Jay/
      Carlos_de_Vil, Harry_Hook/Carlos_de_Vil, Gil/Harry_Hook, Ben/Evie/Jay/
      Mal/Carlos_de_Vil, Ben/Evie/Jay/Mal/Carlos/Gil
  Character:
      Carlos_de_Vil, Jay_(Disney), Mal_(Disney), Evie_(Disney), Gil_(Disney:
      Descendants), Ben_(Disney:_Descendants)
  Additional Tags:
      Angst_with_a_Happy_Ending, Polyamory, Violence, Implied/Referenced
      Underage_Prostitution, Child_Abuse, Panic_Attacks
  Series:
      Part 2 of Monday's_Child_Series
  Stats:
      Published: 2017-12-21 Updated: 2018-03-16 Chapters: 14/? Words: 34165
****** Thursday's Child ******
by taytayloulou, Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Summary
     You can take the boy out of the Isle, but the Isle stays with you
     even across the sea and the path of forgiveness is paved with
     heartbreak and six teenagers just trying to get by.
     (This is the sequel to Wednesday's Child)
Notes
     I told you there'd be a sequel!!!!!!!!!!!!
     That's it that's all I've got haha. This isn't edited cause I rushed
     to post it at work sooooo hopefully it's not bad.
***** Chapter 1 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Everything in Auradon was brighter.
The lights, the paint on the wall, even the tiles on the floor of the small,
sterile room he sat in seemed so much brighter than anything he had been
witness to on the Isle. The air smelled fresher, felt lighter even inside where
it was circulated through an artificial system, and Carlos de Vil had never
felt anything so wonderful in his entire fifteen years of existence. Ben had
promised a better life for him in Auradon, and in the three days he had been
stuck in the small private hospital room after their arrival from the Isle he
had to conclude that the king hadn’t been lying. Gil sat in the hallway next to
his room, the two connected by a large observation window that allowed the two
teens to wave at each other while the doctors and nurses examined the teen,
assuring he wasn’t alone even if he wasn’t allowed contact with anyone but the
doctors who had spent the better part of the past two and a half days taking
blood and giving physical examinations to all five newcomers from the Isle.
Uma, Harry, Gil and Dizzy had been released the day before, Harry and Uma
heading off to Atlantica to meet with Ariel and Eric with with promise to
contact them as soon as possible to update them on their new school at Carlos’
insistence while Dizzy had been swept away by Evie to meet her aunt. Gil had
refused to leave the hospital at his discharge, wary of leaving Carlos alone
with so many strange adults, and Ben had arranged for the older teen to be
allowed to stay as long as he remained out of the doctors way as they continued
to look over Carlos.
He had already learned that he was severely underweight and undersized for his
age- something he hadn’t needed a medical professional to alert him to- and
that he had two ribs that were fractured still from earlier in the week. The
doctors made him nervous; too many unknown adults with needles, requesting he
sit this way or remove this article of clothing, something he absolutely
refused to do for the two nurses that had been assigned to his care. It had
taken almost four hours for him to agree to having the cut on his head looked
at, and though the doctor had praised him for barely wincing as he stitched him
up, he felt no gratitude towards the man who had also talked about him to the
king as though he wasn’t sitting in the same room as them.
He was suppose to be waiting for his blood tests to come back; Ben and the
doctor had stepped out of the room to talk, and Carlos found his anxiety
getting the better of him as he waited for the man to return with more
information about his body. Gil stood with his face pressed to the window,
making faces at Carlos in an attempt to get him to smile, and Carlos couldn’t
help but give a small chuckle as Gil attempted to make a face like a blowfish
against the glass. The others had been granted a shower upon arrival at the
hospital, and Carlos eagerly awaited the approval to be taken to the showers
himself, tired of the dirt and grunge staining his skin from the auction three
days before. He’d been allowed a quick sponge bath, but it hadn’t been enough
to remove the layer of grime coating him from when his mother had thrown him to
the ground off the stage, and he wanted to be clean.
“Carlos, I’m Dr. Joshua Sweet, a doctor here at the hospital. Ben’s informed me
that you’ve had a pretty rough time, and I was hoping we could discuss some of
your injuries to your body?” Carlos shrank back against the wall he had been
leaning against as a large, dark skinned man entered the room, approaching his
bed as Carlos’ eyes darted towards the window where Ben had moved to stand with
Gil.
“What are you a specialist for? They wouldn’t have switched doctors on me
without my needing some sort of specialist.” The teen spoke matter-of-factly,
eyes trailing back to the doctor as he pulled up a seat next to the bed. Sweet
offered Carlos a smile, shifting his chair back a fraction to give the boy more
space between them as he began to talk.
“Well, I’m technically a surgeon and abuse specialist, but I’ve got a degree in
several different fields. You’re a very sharp boy, not many people would think
that a switch in doctors meant a need for a specialist. Doctor Wilson, the man
who was here earlier, felt that you might be more comfortable talking to me
than talking to him about your injuries.” Sweet gestured to Carlos’ neck, and
the teen reached up to gingerly touch where he knew dark, mottled bruises and
deep cuts stained his skin under stark white bandages. “I’d like to talk to you
about the abuse you’ve suffered, too, if that’s alright.” Carlos frowned,
letting his fingers drop to his collar as he took in the open expression on the
man’s face. The previous doctor had been off putting for him- he reminded him
too much of Jasper in his mannerisms and it had made him incredibly
uncomfortable and anxious, forcing him to change out of his familiar clothes
into a hospital gown even when Carlos had stated that he didn’t feel
comfortable with it. Sweet seemed to be less intrusive, more willing to work
with him to get answers but less likely to try and force a subject, and he knew
that Ben wouldn’t allow him to be released from the hospital without talking to
at least one of the doctors about his scattered scars and bruises.
“I guess that’s alright.” He stated, drawing his knees to his chest as he
rested his chin on them gingerly. “What do you want to know?” Sweet held up a
clipboard, offering it to Carlos along with a pen.
“We’re just going to talk, Carlos. You can even take these and make notes that
you think are important for me to know, if you want, but I just want to get to
know you. Is that alright?” Carlos nodded, taking the items to tuck between his
stomach and his legs before returning to his previous position, wide brown eyes
on the man before him. “Let’s start with something easy. Can you tell me your
full name, your parents names, your age and any important medical information
that might be good for me to know?” Carlos frowned, debating if it was truly
important for the man to know any of the information he was asking, before
giving a small sigh.
“Carlos Oscar de Vil. My moms name is Cruella de Vil. My father’s name was
Jonathan, or at least that’s what my mom’s minions have told me his name was
though I’m pretty sure they were lying to me. I just turned fifteen about a
week and a half ago, though I’m not actually sure when my birthday is? I know i
was born this month. I know it was fifteen years ago. I don’t know the
day...Aunt Grimhilde says no one knew I was born until one day mom showed up
with me in the market. I’m...not sure what sort of medical information is
important for you to know?” Sweet leant back in his seat, attempting to be as
non-intrusive into Carlos’ personal space as possible, and the teen couldn’t
help but appreciate the effort.
“Do you know your blood type or any allergies you have?” Carlos shook his head,
and Sweet gave a nod. “Do you want to tell me what happened with your neck,
Carlos?” Carlos reached for his throat again, frowning as he let his fingers
trace along the bandage.
“Didn’t they tell you what happened?” He asked, perturbed that the doctor
wasn’t as informed as he’d previously appeared. Sweet chuckled, not moving in
his seat, and nodded.
“They did, but I’d like to hear it from you. Sometimes people leave out
important details when they’re just an observer.” Carlos tilted his head to the
side, giving a small nod as he thought back to what had happened back on the
Isle.
“My mom put a choke chain on me.” Sweet gave a nod, remaining silent as he
waited for Carlos to continue speaking, and the teen frowned some as his
fingers brushed along the bandage around his throat, picking at the tape
holding it in place. “Mom use to kick the shit out of me a lot. The chain
thing...that was new, but it’s not the worse thing she’s ever done.” He flashed
a look at the man, trying to judge what the doctor was thinking. “I’m sure
you’ve seen the medical reports. I have a lot of scars, burns and cuts and
whatever other shit she felt was good punishment for my existing. I know you’ve
seen the reports.” He let his gaze drop some, fingers curling into the blanket
he had draped over his lap as he took a slow, steadying breath. “I’m not
stupid. I know you’ve seen the reports, I know you know what my mom’s done to
me. Do I really have to talk about it?” There was a soft hum, and Carlos jumped
slightly as a large hand moved to tap the bed beside his leg.
“If you really don’t want to talk about it right now, I won’t make you. But I
am going to suggest you talk to someone at some point, you understand that
don’t you?” Carlos nodded, averting his gaze to the side as Sweet leant back in
his seat, and the doctor gave a sigh. “I know you’re a bright boy, Carlos. So
I’m not going to sugar coat anything or treat you like a child when it comes to
your medical information. You’ve had a lot of what some would consider major
trauma, but you’ve healed from a lot of it surprisingly well. I’m honestly most
concerned about the effects of your mother’s abuse on you, but you’ve already
agreed to therapy as a term to your being here in Auradon. Your neck will heal
in time, and there’s some creams we can give you to lessen the scars that you
have. I know that Dr. Wilson spoke to you about your leg- did he discuss the
options available for recovery?” Carlos gave a nod, chewing on his lower lip as
he shifted slightly on the cot.
“Uh, he said I could either do physio at the school or I could opt for surgery
to repair the tendon damage, which is more risky. I didn’t think that an injury
that old could be fixed though…” He glanced up, curious. “Is the medical system
here really that efficient?” Sweet chuckled, giving a nod as he gestured to the
room around them.
“We have a lot more available to us here than you do on the Isle. King Benjamin
and I have discussed the idea of bringing more modern medicine to the residents
of the Isle, but it’s a process we have to work up to with the council. But we
can certainly fix the damage done to your leg, yes.” Carlos gave a small smile,
and Sweet moved to stand. “From the looks of it, your blood works come back
mostly clear- your white blood count is a little low, but otherwise you look
about as healthy as can be expected. You’re free to leave.” Carlos sat up
properly, eyes wide at the news, and Sweet chuckled as the teen shoved the
blanket off of himself, getting to his feet. “I imagine you might want some
real clothing…” Carlos stilled, glancing around the room and frowning when he
realized his own clothes were nowhere to be seen.
“Where are my clothes?” He asked, one hand moving to keep the opening in the
back of his hospital gown closed as he turned to look at the bedside table.
“They were filthy, so Ben took them to get cleaned. I believe Evie sent over
some things for you to wear in the meantime, though, so you won’t have to wear
that gown out of the hospital don’t worry.” The doctor held out a simple black
and white striped t-shirt and a pair of black, red and white shorts, along with
some underpants and socks. “Your jacket’s with Gil out in the hallway, if you
want to go change in the bathroom.” Carlos nodded, taking the clothes and
edging his way around to the bathroom, closing the door behind him to quickly
rid himself of the paper thin cloth gown before hurriedly pulling on the
clothing Evie had sent for him. They clothes were too big- Evie had
overestimated his size, clearly going off what she remembered as opposed to
what he actually weighed now. The shorts hung low on his hips and the shirt was
almost a full size too big, but it was better than nothing and he was sure Ben
would allow him to get his own clothing back before they went to the school.
Exiting the room, he was pleased to note that Sweet hadn’t moved; the man
seemed to realize that Carlos didn’t trust him, and Carlos couldn’t help but
appreciate the fact that the doctor wasn’t trying to use his size to intimidate
him like so many other adults seemed to.
“Will I be able to see you when I come back for my other appointments?” The
question was stated flatly, little emotion escaping the teen as he moved to
place the gown into the laundry bin near the bathroom door. He then proceeded
to tidy the few small things around the room as he waited for a response, his
hands needing to move as he straightened the vase of flowers on the nightside
table before moving to make the cot properly. He could feel Sweet’s eyes
following him around the room, and he had to resist the urge to lash out and
yell at the man to stop watching him as he tucked the blanket under the thin
mattress.
“Would you like to see me when you come back?” Carlos gave a nod, not looking
up, and Sweet hummed. “I can arrange for you to see me if you like. I have an
opening in two weeks for a check up for you to see how you’re doing, does that
sound alright? You can give me your decision on what you want to do about your
leg then.” Carlos nodded again, straightening out and tucking his hands into
his pockets to keep himself from fidgeting.
“I’d like that.” Sweet nodded, and moved slowly to stand up from his seat,
careful to not move to fast. Carlos appreciated the gesture, though he didn’t
feel ill at ease around the man; he’d had plenty of opportunity to attack him
so far and hadn’t, and Carlos couldn’t help but think that with Ben and Gil
staring into the room he wouldn’t either.
“Alright. I’ll see you then; Ben will keep track of your appointments here for
now until you’ve settled if that’s alright with you. He also as the
prescriptions for your creams and some antibiotics and painkillers to help with
your throat.” Carlos gave a shrug, and Sweet extended a hand to him, causing
the teen to stare at it awkwardly. “It was a pleasure meeting you, Carlos.”
Carlos hesitantly reached out to shake the man’s hand before retracting his own
back quickly, and Sweet gave him a nod before leaving the room, leaving the
door open for him. Gil was quick to enter the room, bounding to Carlos’ side to
look him over.
“Are you okay? They wouldn’t tell me anything about you but they’re letting you
go so that means you’re okay right.” Gil’s words were tinged with worry, and
Carlos gave him a gentle smile as he took the jacket that the blond held out to
him.
“I’m alright. I mean, for the most part. They gave me some stuff to take to
feel better I guess, so they’re letting me out...were you okay? Did they say
there was anything wrong with you?” He took a moment to check Gil over; the
older teen looked fine, if not a little worried, but one could never be too
sure.
“Oh yeah, I’m okay! Uh, they said I had high cholesterol? And I have to go on a
special diet to fix it, but other then that I’m all good. Ben says we’re going
to the school, are you ready to go?” Carlos nodded, casting a look at Ben who
remained standing in the doorway, seemingly unwilling to intrude.
“Yeah, I’m ready. Let’s get this show on the road, your highness.” Ben rolled
his eyes, gesturing for the two to follow him out of the room before falling
into step beside Carlos, Gil practically clinging to the youngest’s side.
“I did ask you to call me Ben, Carlos. None of that your highness shit.” Carlos
grinned; Ben had shown to be a sort of enigma- the picture perfect prince by
day, but with a dark streak that Carlos appreciated whenever the older teen
came to the hospital to visit him.
“But it’s so fun to see you get flustered, your majesty.” he teased, and Ben
snorted as he lead them down to the elevator that would take them to the main
lobby. Carlos hesitated at the small, enclosed box as the doors opened, and Ben
paused before switching his step to open the door beside the elevator, leading
them to the stairs instead without calling attention to it.
“It’s rude. It might even be treason of some kind, I haven’t looked it up yet.”
Carlos snickered, and Gil grinned at the sound of the younger teen’s mirth.
“Are you ready to start your new life at Auradon Prep?” Carlos shrugged, and
Ben offered him a soft smile. “I’ll be there the whole time while you get use
to it, and so will Gil. So will the others...they can’t wait to see you,
Carlos.” The mention of his old friends caused him to slow slightly, and Ben
frowned as he pushed the door to the lobby open, allowing the two other teens
to exit first. “You know you can’t avoid them forever, Carlos...they’re sorry
and they want to make it up to you.” Carlos sighed- it was an argument they’d
had twice over during his stay in the hospital, and he was beginning to get
tired of it.
“I said I would consider it, Ben. Please don’t push me on it.” Ben sighed, but
nodded, and the three started towards the limo that was awaiting them. Ben held
the door open for them once they arrived, and Carlos and Gil slid into the
vehicle before Ben joined them, the three sitting in silence as the car began.
After a moment, Carlos heaved a heavy sigh, leaning against Gil and casting a
look at Ben, taking in the serious look on the teen’s face. “I’ll give it a
shot...if you stop harassing me about it. And don’t expect miracles.” Ben
nodded, a smile sneaking across his lips, and Carlos wrinkled his nose as he
turned his attention to the road outside the window, watching as green grass
and tall, healthy trees sped by.
It was time to start his new life...and he was more than ready.
***** Chapter 2 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Chapter Notes
     So this chapter and the next one are gunna be a bit smaller because
     they’re sort of setting up the scene in Auradon Prep/ hello yes it’s
     the holidays and my household is a hot mess.
Auradon Prep was more like a castle than any school Carlos had ever been to,
though his knowledge of schools extended as far as Dragon Hall and the
courtyard of Serpent Prep. The school itself was huge, with brown bricks and
long halls with deep coloured wood and expensive looking wallpaper that seemed
to go on forever, and as Ben lead him down the hallway of the dormitory wing he
couldn’t help but take in the massive difference in architecture between the
school and...well, any building on the Isle.
“The building is almost three hundred years old, it use to be my fathers
castle, back before Auradon was formed. He donated the building when the school
was formed and he and my mother moved to the castle we live in now.” Ben had
been rambling about the history of the school since the three had arrived
several minutes previous, and though the information was certainly useful to
know, Carlos couldn’t help but notice the almost nervous behaviour of the king.
“It’s a fancy school, Ben. Very...Auradonian. But what I’d like to know-“ he
sidled in front of the older teen, pressing his hands firmly to Ben’s chest to
still him as he looked up through his lashes at the king, “-is why your anxiety
seems to be getting worse the closer we get to our supposed destination of my
new room.” Ben’s cheeks flushed as Carlos pressed his fingertips slowly along
the line of buttons down the front of the crisp white shirt the king wore,
blinking seemingly too large eyes at him as Ben’s eyes widened slightly as
Carlos’ fingers stopped on his stomach, his hands moving to grasp Carlos’
smaller ones with a frown.
“You don’t have to do that to get information from me, Carlos. You just have to
ask.” Carlos frowned, letting his hands drop slightly, catching the gentle way
Ben slowly released his hands. The older teen intrigued him- soft in a way that
felt too vulnerable for a monarch, but with a hardness that sat with Carlos
from the kings behavior on the Isle. “I just remembered that I forgot to tell
you about your room situation.” Carlos tilted his head as he watched Ben
struggle with what he wanted to tell him, picking up the look the king gave the
quiet pirate beside him.
“Gil.” Gil’s attention immediately turned to Carlos, the larger teen turning
fully to face him as Carlos gave him an encouraging smile, “who am I rooming
with?” Gil blinked before glancing at Ben, licking his lips before tucking his
hands in his pockets nervously.
“Me, C.” Carlos jumped slightly at the sudden voice behind him, spinning on his
heel with a fist raised before realizing that the teen behind him wasn’t about
to attack.
“And me, we’re both rooming with Jay!” Gil was quick to interject, stepping
between Carlos and Jay as the ex thief exited their dorm room. Carlos let his
gaze fall on Jay, who stood with his shoulder against the wall, muscular arms
crossed over his chest as he smiled nervously at the trio.
“Is that okay?” Ben asked softly from beside him, one hand moving almost
unconsciously to rest on the small of Carlos’ back as he studied him. Carlos’
eyes flickered from Jay to Ben, noting the tension that both boys carried as he
considered the information. He assumed that Ben had made the decision to place
him with Jay- it seemed like the sort of ploy the hopelessly optimistic king
would set in motion to ‘start the healing process’ or some other ridiculous
notion, and while he was hesitant to share a room with one of the people who
had left him behind, the fact that Gil would also be sharing a room with him
helped soothe his anxiety.
“It’ll have to be, I imagine.” He muttered, lips tilting downward as he gave a
small shrug, brushing past Jay to gaze into the room the older teen had exited
from. The room was massive; easily as large as the parlour in Hell Hall, it fit
three beds in a line against the far wall, three desks between the beds and a
couch and television set up along the wall to his left. To his right was a door
that appeared to lead to a bathroom, and between the entertainment area and the
beds three closets were situated along the wall. “This whole room is for us?”
He asked, slightly awed at the sheer size of the room, his gaze falling on the
bed closest to the closets that had his duffel bag on it. “I get a real bed?”
Ben and Jay exchanged a silent look behind his back as he made his way to the
bed, the three older teens watching him as he pressed his hand into the soft
mattress, eyes wide. His hand sank into the cushioned top, a tightness building
in his chest as he realized he would never have to sleep on the floor, or in
the same bed as Jafar or Gaston, again.
“I know it’s not the same as having your own room but you guys getting enrolled
sort of happened last minute and FG thought a familiar face might help.” Jay’s
voice was soft as he moved to sit on the bed next to Carlos’, watching the
younger teen as he ran his hands over the thick comforter draped over the bed.
Carlos couldn’t help but notice the way Jay’s eyes moved over him as he shifted
to sit on the bed, as though the older teen couldn’t believe that Carlos was
sitting before him, like he was scared to look away in case Carlos vanished.
Part of him enjoyed the fact that Jay seemed almost afraid to reach out for
him- the other boy had hurt him, deeper than anything the adults in their lives
had, and Carlos wasn’t ready to forgive him yet.
“It’s better than a fur closet.” He stated, glancing around the room again to
avoid the intense looks being exchanged by Ben and Jay, the odd intimacy of the
looks causing a sting in his chest.
“We could make a Fort bed like we did on the ship, C, these beds are totally
big enough.” Carlos glanced at Gil, taking in the cheerful grin, and couldn’t
help but be selfishly glad the other teen had decided to stay in Auradon
instead of heading to Atlantica with Uma and Harry.
“We could, Yeah.” Gil beamed, and Carlos turned his attention to Ben and Jay
once more. “I think I’d like to get settled alone, please.” Cruella had beaten
Yes sirs and pleases into him, her own form of obedience training that had
stuck with him from before he could even remember, ands fourteen years of
walking on eggshells and learning to please people had stuck with him,
ingrained into his very soul.
“Of course, Carlos. Jay, we should go find Mal and Evie before dinner.” Jay
cast a look at Carlos, chewing the corner of his lip as the younger teen stared
blankly at him, before nodding to Ben, moving to stand before pausing a moment,
staring down at Carlos.
“I’ll be back in a few hours...could we maybe talk then?” Carlos gave a small
shrug, and Jay sighed before turning to leave the room, Ben following behind
him. As the door clicked closed, Carlos allowed himself to flop back onto the.
Ed with a whine, Gil moving to climb onto the plush mattress beside him,
careful to keep his distance in case Carlos needed it.
“I would have been happier without sharing a room with him.” Gil frowned,
leaning over Carlos to place a hand beside the smaller teens hop on the bed,
his blond hair falling into his face as he gave Carlos a look at his words.
“C’mon C, you’re smart enough to know they wouldn’t jump at a chance to force
you to forgive them.” Carlos sighed, reaching to brush Gil’s hair back behind
his ear, and a small smile curled the younger teens lips.
“And someone was smart enough to realize I wouldn’t stay in this room without
you. I wonder who that was.” Brushing his fingertips along Gil’s strong
jawline, Carlos slid his fingers back to curl around the older teens neck,
pulling him down into a gentle kiss. Gil hummed, sliding his hand to grasp
Carlos’ hip as he tilted his head into the kiss, before pulling away with a
soft sigh, eyes roaming over Carlos’ face before he shifted to lay on his side,
his arm looping around the smaller teens stomach to pull him against him.
“I didn’t want to be separated from you so I put up a fuss. Said I needed you
cause I’m too dumb to know where my own room was.” Carlos snorted, pressing
himself back into the familiar warmth of Gil as he shook his head slightly.
“One of these days, someone other than me is going to realize you aren’t as
dumb as you play yourself up to be, young Gilbert.” Gil snickered, digging his
fingers into Carlos’ side as he pressed his nose against his neck, careful of
the bandage hiding the damage Cruella had done with the choke chain..
“Why did he even call me that, Jafar’s so weird.” Carlos snorted, grasping
Gil’s hand to prevent him from tickling him more.
“Jafar was all sorts of fucked up, Gil. The whole Isle was. And Auradon is
suppose to be better but let’s face it, their entire social structure is
inherently flawed, as is their judicial system. I’m not holding out for utopia
here.” Gil frowned, and Carlos pat the arm around him lightly. “But we’ll have
food. Warm beds. And we’re far away from our parents.” Gil hummed, tightening
his arm some.
“You don’t think they can get off the Isle, do you?” Gil asked, and Carlos
frowned. The likelihood of their parents being smart enough to figure out how
to break the barrier was minuscule at best, and there was little hope of them
getting off the Isle by physically leaving.
“I doubt they’d be capable of it, Gil. We’re safe here, I think.” His thoughts
travelled to Jay, Mal and Evie and his frown deepened, mind rolling around
their betrayal and subsequent rescue of him. “From our parents, at least.” Gil
nodded, and Carlos gave a sigh, curling his fingers into the comforter under
him.
“You tired, C?” Gil’s voice was soft, warm breath against his neck a comfort as
Carlos let his eyes close for a moment. Being at the hospital had been
exhausting; though there was little more to do than sleep between tests, he had
found it difficult with so many strange adults constantly in and out of his
room.
“I could nap.” He murmured, earning a soft chuckle from the older boy as Gil
reached to tuck a pillow under their heads. Once they were settled comfortably,
Gil placed a soft kiss to Carlos’ temple before giving a hum.
“Then nap, Carlos. I got you.” Carlos smiled, curling into the warmth and
comfort of the other boy as he allowed himself to drift off for a nap that he,
Frankly, felt he deserved.
He’d need all his energy to deal with Jay, anyways.
***** Chapter 3 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Chapter Notes
     Ugh I’m not really happy with this chapter so I’m apologizing in
     advance, holidays got me like bluh.
The room was dark when Carlos finally opened his eyes, a soft glow from the
muted television the only source of light in the room as brown eyes peeked out
of the pile of blankets he found himself in. He glanced towards the couch,
blinking sleep from his eyes as he caught sight of Gil and Jay in what appeared
to be a heated, whispered argument. Yawning, he pushed himself up from the
blankets, catching the two older boy’s attention as he stretched his arms above
his head.
“What are you guys fighting about?” He asked, words loud in the quiet of the
room. The two exchanged a look, and Gil moved to sit on the end of the bed as
Jay made his way to sit across from Carlos’ on Gil’s.
“I thought you could come have dinner with Mal, Evie, Ben and I.” Jay stated,
glancing from Carlos’ face to glare slightly at Gil. “Just us. The others are
waiting at Lumière’s for us.” Carlos frowned, shifting to push himself up the
bed to lean against the headboard.
“That feels a little bit unfair to me. Gil comes or I don’t.” Jay frowned,
leaning to reach towards Carlos some, and Carlos held up his hand to keep him
from getting too close. “Please don’t.” Jay stilled, eyes widening as Gil
reached to push him back away from Carlos with a scowl.
“I’m not gunna hurt you, C. I swear I’m not. I just...I missed touching you,
being close with you while we were here.” Jay’s words were spoken as a plea,
though he remained seated back away from the younger teen as Carlos reached to
press his fingers to the bandage on his neck, his face almost expressionless.
“You need to really not, buddy.” Gil stated, eyes flickering from Jay to Carlos
as he pressed a hand to Jay’s chest. “If Carlos doesn’t want you touchin’ him,
you don’t touch him.” Jay frowned, giving Gil a look as Carlos let his hand
drop into his lap, edging away from both teens.
“Either both of us go to dinner or I don’t go at all.” Carlos reiterated, voice
steadier than he felt, and he shied away from Gil some, suddenly uncomfortable
with the proximity of both boys. “You missed me so much but you never sent for
me, Jay. What am I supposed to feel about that? Take my condition, or eat
supper by yourself.” Pushing himself off the bed, he moved into the bathroom,
closing and locking the door as a wave of anxiety washed over him. Leaning
against the door, he took a few deep breaths as he closed his eyes, listening
to the murmur of conversation through the heavy wood. The words were too
muffled for him to hear, and he moved to the sink to turn the water on,
splashing his face a few times. He wasn’t ready to face the others. Wasn’t
ready to forgive them, wasn’t ready to not forgive them. He felt conflicted, as
though the idea of forgiving them was complicated beyond comprehension.
Grabbing a towel he wiped his face dry, leaning on the counter with a sigh
before looking at himself in the mirror. Pale, bruise mottled skin with too
many freckles met his sight, dark bags under his eyes from too little sleep and
bright white bandage like a collar around his throat, announcing his mother’s
abuse for the world to see.
Auradon was suppose to be a new start. Ben had told him that it would be hard
in the beginning, that things were different than on the Isle, but the hardest
part was not letting Jay back in. He knew he wouldn't be able to turn down the
dinner invitation - he had promised to at least try, and he was a man of his
word- but having Gil with him would help ease the tension he could already feel
tugging at his shoulders. Giving a disgruntled sigh, he realized he would have
to change out of the clothing he had worn from the hospital if he didn’t want
to look like some sort of lost boy in the too big clothing Evie had provided
for him. He rubbed his hands over his face before turning off the tap and
drying his hands. Pushing the bathroom door open, he made his way back to his
bed, barely glancing at the other two teens as he pulled his duffel onto the
bed, digging through it. He frowned as he pulled out a shirt, holding it up to
take a sniff.
“Is that Harry’s shirt?” Gil asked, laying back on the bed to flick the bottom
hem of the black and red striped, long sleeved shirt. Carlos nodded, dropping
the shirt onto Gil’s face before reaching to pull his off, huffing as he
dropped it onto the ground next to his bed. He avoided looking towards Jay at
the sharp breath the other boy took, instead picking up the shirt to pull on.
Harry’s shirt was still too big on him, but it was familiar in a way the shirt
Evie had sent to the hospital for him hadn’t been.
“It fit’s better.” He mumbled, turning his attention back to his bag to debate
changing into his own shorts.
“I thought the one Evie made you looked nice.” Jay offered from where he had
sprawled out on his own bed. Carlos tossed him a look before shoving the duffel
to the foot of his bed, deciding that the shorts were fine for the time being.
“I look nice in anything I wear.” He stated flatly, bitterness creeping into
his tone as he continued. “I look even nicer out of clothes, though. At least
you dad seemed to think so.” A heavy silence fell over the room, and after a
moment Carlos turned to stare at Jay. “So dinner?” Jay gaped at him, pushing
himself up from his pillow in a rush as Carlos turned to start towards the
door.
“Hey, no, wait. Can we just talk about this please?” Carlos paused as he
reached for the handle of the door, biting the inside of his cheek to keep from
lashing out at the other boy.
“No, we can’t. You want me to go to dinner? I’m going. Don’t ask me to discuss
this right now because I’m trying to give you a chance, Jay, I really am but
you aren’t exactly on my list of top ten people at this moment.” Letting his
hand drop to the doorknob, he opened the door, stepping out into the hallway as
the two older teens scrambled behind him to follow.
“C, wait up!” Gil fell into step with him quickly, worried look on his face as
Jay trailed just behind them, Carlos heading towards the stairs as he shoved
his hands into his pockets, a scowl on his face.
“The only reason I’m here is so we aren’t back there, Gil. Let’s just get
through dinner. Alright?” Gil gave a small nod, and the two fell into silence,
both thinking about Carlos’ words.
-=-=-
Lumière’s wasn’t very full for dinner time on a weeknight, and as Carlos
spotted Ben casually conversing with the namesake of the restaurant as Mal and
Evie smiled watching from their seats he couldn’t help but wonder if strings
had been pulled for their nearly isolated table. Frowning as they were lead to
the table, he took a moment to watch the two VKs sitting with the king. Evie
looked as picturesque as always, a carefree smile gracing her lips as she leant
to say something to Mal, the shorter girl laughing as she brushed a strand of
hair behind her ear. They looked...right. Like all the years of running and
fighting and abuse had been erased, and though Carlos knew there was no way it
could be true he still felt a stab of wanting at how serene the two looked. He
jumped slightly as a heavy hand landed on his back, and he turned his head to
glance at Gil.
“It’s just dinner.” Gil’s voice was low, the hand on Carlos’ back guiding him
towards the table as Jay moved ahead of them, stopping to say something to Ben
before pulling out the seat next to Mal to sit in. “Think of it like Lady
Tremaine’s dinners.” Carlos wrinkled his nose, but allowed Gil to guide him to
the table as Ben turned to offer them a wide smile.
“Carlos, Gil. Thank you for joining us for supper.” The king gestured towards
the table, moving to pull out the two chairs across from the girls for Carlos
and Gil to sit in. “How have the two of you been settling in? You look a bit
more rested, Carlos.” Carlos gave a shrug, pulling his chair to the table as
Gil settled next to him.
“I took a nap. Thank you for the dinner invitation. Mal, Evie.” He nodded to
the two girls, and Evie gave him a soft smile.
“You’re welcome, Carlos. Did you like the outfit I sent with Ben when he picked
you up?” She looked hopeful, and Carlos had to look down at the place setting
in front of him to avoid her gaze.
“They were a bit too big.” He stated, a bit awkward as he traced around the
gold cloth placemat. “But they were nice? Uh. Thank you.” Glancing up, he
winced as he noted how pleased she seemed.
“Oh! I’ll have to get your new measurements, I was going off of the ones I
had.” Carlos frowned, and beside him Gil cleared his throat.
“A lot of things change in six months.” Carlos glanced at the blond, noting the
white knuckled grip the older teen had on his menu as he stared at the four
other teens seated around the table. Flashing a carefree smile, one practiced
on both Jafar and Gaston, Carlos reached to wrap a hand around Gil’s, pulling
the menu from him and squeezing his fingers lightly.
“We came here to eat, didn’t we?” His eyes flickered to Ben, catching the kings
attention and giving the menu a nod. Ben glanced at the others, noting the sag
in Evie’s shoulder and the stony stare Mal had fixed Gil with.
“Yes! The food here is fantastic, if there’s anything on the menu you’re unsure
of just let me know and I’ll explain it.” Carlos nodded, opening the menu to
glance through it. His eyes widened slightly as he noted that most of the menu
was in French, casting a glance at Gil who seemed surprised as well.
“This menu’s in French.” Ben looked up, blinking wide eyes at Carlos’ words.
Beside Ben, Mal gave a little snicker, covering her mouth as the group looked
at her.
“Well...Yes, of course it is. This restaurant only serves French food.” Carlos
and Gaston shared a look, both thinking back on the rants they had often sat
through whenever Gaston had fallen into a discussion about food. Two sets of
eyes immediately scanned the menu, and Carlos gave a hum as he pointed
something out to Gil.
“Man I want the grey stuff again, that stuffs delicious.” Jay stated to the
waiter, folding his menu to hand to the man.
“Could I have the fancy grilled cheese?” Mal asked, handing over her menu as
well with a sheepish smile. Evie rolled her eyes, handing in her menu as well.
“The Chicken Alfredo, please. And honestly Mal, you order it every time, you
should learn the name.” Mal gave a shrug, and the waiter turned his attention
to the three remaining teens.
“I’ll have the boeuf ragout, please. Carlos, Gil? Do you know what you want or
need help ordering?” Both boys nodded, pointing to the same spot on the menu as
they both stated their order at the same time.
“Hachis Parmentier.” The waiter nodded, taking their menus to go to the
kitchen, and Gil grinned at the four teens staring at them.
“My dad always kept telling us that there was only one food worth eating if you
were going to have anything besides straight deer steak was Hachis Parmentier.”
Gil gave a shrug, and Carlos leant on the table, chin rested on his hands as he
watched the surprised looks on the other teens faces.
“Nous parlons francais aussi, tu sais.” Ben gave a snort as Mal frowned, and
Gil chuckled as Jay groaned.
“I forgot you speak French, C, fuck.” Carlos couldn’t help but smirk at the
slight blush that crossed Jay’s cheeks, leaning forward slightly to raise a
brow at the older teen.
“Ton père est un voleur? Parce qu’il a volé les étoiles du ciel pour les mettre
dans tes yeux.” Jay gave him a confused look as Ben and Gil burst into
laughter, and Carlos coughed as the waiter returned with a tray full of water
glasses.
“What did you say?” Mal asked, and Carlos tilted his head to bat his lashes at
her as a glass was placed before him on the table.
“Is your dad a thief? Because he stole the stars from the sky to put them in
your eyes.” Jay paled slightly at the curt way Carlos said the line, and the
table fell into an awkward silence for a moment before Ben cleared his throat,
drawing everyone’s attention to him.
“So uh...how about those Knights, huh?”
***** Chapter 4 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Chapter Notes
     This chapter is also a little shorter than usual but I didn’t want
     too many action scenes in one go....the next chapter will be longer I
     promise!
Dinner had gone as well as Carlos could have expected- nearly two hours of
awkward conversation layered with strained apologies had set Carlos on edge for
the rest of the meal, and the youngest of the group had fallen into an anxious
silence right up to his return to their room. He had pushed his way past Jay
and Gil as soon as the ex thief had opened their door, making his way to his
bed to open his duffel bag and pull out his notebook and flashlight before
going to the closet, pulling the door open to peer inside. The space inside not
taken up by Jay’s sports equipment was just large enough for him to squeeze
into, and he’d be able to tuck himself back behind the hanging clothes easily
enough.
“I need to be alone.” He stated, slipping into the space and pulling the door
closed firmly behind him before either of the older teens could react,
unwilling to look at them as he pushed himself back into the furthest corner
possible. He could hear the muffled conversation through the door, half
whispers about privacy and rights and other things that he blocked out after
several moments, unwilling to listen to the two older teens argue. Flicking on
the flashlight he tucked it into a pile of blankets, adjusting it to shine in
his lap as he opened the book, popping the pen free of the coil binding and
flipping to the last page he had been working on. Schematics were sketched out
across the paper, diagrams of robotics he had dreamt up on the Isle looking
more realistic now that he potentially had access to good, proper material. He
had spent hours curled up in his treehouse, or on the Revenge, or some days
even curled against Jafar’s pillow drawing up plans, the soft noise of his pen
against the paper enough to distract him from the hell that was his life. He
had hoped that leaving the Isle would fix his need for a hiding spot, for a
quick getaway through his notebook, but here he was on the border of a panic
attack, hiding in an enclosed space and trying not to hyperventilate at the
thought of leaving.
He turned to a new page in his book, frowning as he wrote ‘Mal’ across the top
of the page. Drawing a line vertically down the middle of the page, he bit his
lip as he wrote ‘protected me before she left the Isle’ on the left side. On
the right side he scribbled ‘left me alone on Isle for six months’ as well as
‘almost hit me.’ He licked his lips as he added ‘use to help me with chores’
and ‘got me parts often’ to the left, before ‘came back to Isle-not for me’
joined the list to the right. ‘Wants to make it up to me’ was added to the
left, and after a moment he scribbled the words ‘Verdict: Undecided’ across the
bottom of the page. He did the same for both Evie and Jay, adding things
specific to each with the same verdict scrawled across the bottoms of the page,
and sighed as he rested his pen against the page. As much as he had missed the
others, he couldn’t help but be frustrated at them for just wanting to pretend
that things could ever return to how they had been before the others had left.
He was mad that it had taken as long as it had to get him out of his mother’s
reach, and while he knew he should place some of the blame on Ben for not
having sent for him as well, he knew that logically the king had no way of
knowing about his situation when he had summoned the others to Auradon. A large
portion of the Isle hadn’t even been aware of his existence before he had been
placed in Mal and Jay’s weird science class three years previous, so he
couldn’t fault the king in not noticing a child whose mother had never sent a
notice of birth out over the Isle. He could, though, be angry that the king had
ripped his family from him with one fancily embossed letter. He could be upset
that the older teen had played the part of a sympathetic ear while he had been
dating -and of course Carlos had figured it out, from the intimate-but-casual
touches and ridiculous grins at each other when they thought no one was
watching- three of the four people Carlos cared about most in the world. It
felt worse than a betrayal; it felt as though the others had replaced him with
someone infinitely superior, and it hurt like nothing his mother could have
possibly thought to do to him.
“Carlos? Are you in there?” Evie’s voice was muffled through the door, and
Carlos frowned as he pressed his back flush to the wall behind him.
“C, we know you’re in there. Jay said you went in there as soon as you guys got
back.” Mal sounded slightly annoyed, and Carlos closed his notebook to pull his
knees to his chest, reaching to turn off the flashlight before clasping it to
his chest.
“Go away.” There was a moment of silence outside of the door before it was
pulled open, and Carlos barely had time to throw an arm up as Mal reached in,
grasping his arm to pull him out of the closet.
“You can’t just hide in the closet, Carlos. If there’s a problem you need to
talk to us about it.” Carlos tensed as he was pulled to stand between the two
girls, his mind flashing back to his mother’s hand wrapped around his upper arm
dragging him from whatever hiding place he’d managed to find, pulling him out
only to hit him. His breath caught in his throat as both Evie and Mal stared at
him, and he twisted his arm to shove Mal away from him, hard.
“Evils sake, Carlos, what the hell?” Mal’s startled cry pulled him back to the
present, drawing his attention to the girl as she rubbed her shoulder, Evie
standing with her hand on Mal’s back as she stared at Carlos in confusion.
“Don’t...don’t touch me.” Mal opened her mouth to respond and he backed away
from her, wrapping an arm around his stomach. “I said go away, why doesn’t
anyone fucking listen to me when I say go away?” He could feel the tightness in
his chest that signified the beginning of a panic attack; the way his breaths
caught before he could fully draw them in, the way his skin buzzed with
anticipation for the next blow, it sent him straight back to the Isle. “I need-
I just-“ he was going to start hyperventilating, and wild eyes looked around
the room before focusing on the girls. Mal had begun to reach out for him
again, and he took a step back, hitting the wall. He was trapped, and being
trapped meant getting hurt, getting touched and groped and he didn’t want that
to be his life anymore, had come to Auradon to esca-
“Carlos, stop! You’re hurting Mal!” Carlos’ eyes widened as he came back to
himself, one hand holding Mal’s arm behind her back as he pinned her to the
wall, breathing hard. He immediately released her, stepping away with wide eyes
as he attempted to calm himself.
“I just wanted to be alone.” Evie moved to Mal’s side, checking her over as the
fae girl rolled her shoulder with a frown. “No one ever-Why won’t any of you
listen to me, you never listen to me, even on the Isle no one listened to me.”
He glanced frantically around the room, noting that the girls had managed to
efficiently block him in by standing directly in his way to the door. While he
could shove past them, he didn’t actively want to harm them- not to mention
Mal’s magic worked in Auradon, a thought that terrified him. Darting to his
left, he made a beeline to the window between his and Gil’s beds, shoving it
open to pull himself up onto the sill instead.
“Carlos, what are you doing? You’re going to get hurt!” Mal’s voice was
distraught, and Carlos peered out the window at the slanted rooftop extending
away from the window with a small frown, quickly calculating the angle he had
to walk on to keep from falling. Scrambling out the window to twin yells of
shock, he drew a sharp breath as he slid a little before his foot caught on a
shingle, giving him a chance to find his footing before he began to trek along
the edge of the roof near the gutter where the slope wasn’t quite as steep.
“Carlos! Come back inside, you’re going to fall!” Evie’s cry was almost enough
to cause him to glance back, and he teetered slightly before re-adjusting
himself, moving swiftly towards the opposite end of the roof. He noticed a few
larger trees towards the far corner of the building, tall enough to reach from
the roof, and started towards them, unwilling to return to the room with the
two girls. He passed several windows, darting past them in an attempt to avoid
the gaze of the student’s’ inside, and as he approached the tree closest he
gave a small sigh of relief as he realized one of the branches extended
directly above the edge of the roof. Hoisting himself up into the tree, he
slowly made his way down, leaping between some of the more spaced out branches
with an agility born from racing along roofs and escaping the confining halls
of his mother’s manor. He dropped gracefully from the lowest of the branches,
startling a girl with dark hair in a blue dress, before darting off away from
the building, hoping that Mal and Evie were still occupied with the window he’d
escaped from. Darting past a group of students, he ducked under a railing to
jump down the side of a small stairwell, using the wall for balance as he
landed at the foot of the stairs. Taking a moment to glance around, he spotted
a wide field that seemed to be sectioned off, probably for some sort of sport
like Tourney, that lead to a wooded area. He took off towards the woods, his
feet carrying him past the bleachers and over the well manicured astroturf,
past the small group of girls in uniform who seemed to be practicing some sort
of acrobats. Turning onto the tree lined path, he headed into the woods,
allowing himself to slow some to avoid tripping over a tree root or rock. It
took several minutes for him to feel safe enough to slow to a stop, leaning
against a tree and taking a few deep inhales in an attempt to catch his breath.
He probably shouldn’t have run like that.
He knew that he shouldn’t have, but Mal had startled him by dragging him out of
his comfort zone of the closet. Had scared him, frankly, when she had grabbed
him and pulled. He had asked her not to touch him and yet she had still reached
for him, hadn’t listened and he had attacked her without even thinking…so he
had run, slipped out of their grasps in a manner that had served him well many
times with his mother or even Gaston. He didn’t regret running away; didn’t
feel bad for the distraught look both girls had given him as he ducked out of
the room away from them. He couldn’t bring himself to- they had left him,
abandoned him to the mercy of his mother and the Isle, and even if they hadn’t
meant to, he couldn’t quite bring himself to forgive them. There had been no
attempt at contact him; he had checked with every goblin working the docks,
with Jafar, Grimhilde and Maleficent, even. None of the others had even tried
to reach out to him since leaving the Isle, and it had hurt.
Finally catching his breath fully, he stood properly and surveyed the area he
had stopped in. Tall, leafy trees towered around him, the dirt path he had
followed clearly defined in the underlying flora as though the grass had been
deliberately planted to make the path. He wandered a bit further into the
woods, shoving his hands into his pockets as he walked, and after a few moments
a sound met his ear. Pausing, he frowned as he tried to pinpoint where the
rustling sound he heard was coming from, and as a sharp, loud bark sounded from
behind him, he stilled. His eyes widened as he tried to determine where the
bark had originated from, his head frantically swinging back and forth as he
searched for the animal the sound had come from. Part of him cursed the fact
that he had left the relative safety of his dorm room, his mind flashing back
to every horror story he’d been told, every interaction he’d ever had with
Hades dog Cerberus or any of the strays roaming the Isle.
Somewhere around him was a dog, and he was terrified.
***** Chapter 5 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Chapter Notes
     Warning: there’s a sex scene at the end of the chapter, not super
     explicit but it’s there. If you don’t want to see it, stop reading
     when the boys get to the dorm room!
“Carlos went out the window.”
Both Jay and Gil looked up from the table they sat at, identical frowns written
across their faces as Mal and Evie burst into the mostly empty cafeteria. Gil
leant back in his seat as the girls reached their table, taking in the anxious
concern on Evie’s face before turning to face Mal, guilt clear in her
expression. His frown deepened into a scowl as he pushed himself up from the
table, towering over the purple haired girl menacingly.
“What did you do?” Mal’s eyes widened as she took a step away from the blond,
glancing at Evie before Gil snapped his fingers in her face, irritation clear.
“What did you do to Carlos, Mal? He was fine when we left him, you said you
just wanted to talk to him.” Jay frowned, moving to stand and putting a hand on
Gil’s shoulder to pull him away from Mal.
“He was hiding in the closet when we left, Gil. I don’t think that could be
considered fine.” Gil shot a heated glare at the other boy, and Jay dropped his
hand before moving to step between Gil and the girls.
“I only pulled him out of the closet, that’s all! We couldn’t have a
conversation through the door, Gil.” Mal’s words were spoken in a huff, and Gil
paled slightly as she placed her hands on her hips.
“You didn't like...physically pull him out of the closet, did you?” Mal’s brows
furrowed, and Gil ran a hand over his face, frustrated. “Did you or did you not
physically remove Carlos from the closet?” Mal nodded, opening her mouth to say
something, and Gil glared as he cut her off. “Did he say not to touch him? Did
he tell you to leave him alone?”
“He told us to go away.” Evie stated, voice small as she stared hard at a spot
on the table. “He told Mal not to touch him when she pulled him out of the
closet, and he pinned her to the wall when she reached for him but...I don’t
understand, he always just wanted to be around us back on the Isle.” Gil made a
noise of frustration, turning in a circle before raising his arms up, his hands
tangling in his hair.
“That was six months ago. You can’t just grab him, or pull him places. Cruella
use to pull him out of his hiding places and put a choke chain on him whenever
he tried to hide from her the first few months you were gone, what do you think
he’s going to think about when you do it? My dad-“ he spat the words bitterly,
then glanced at Jay, “- my dad and your dad use to force him, and he. You could
hear him the first few times, screaming no until his throat was raw, asking
them not to, and no one stopped it. I couldn’t stop it.” He closed his eyes,
taking a few deep breaths through his nose in an attempt to keep calm at the
memory of the first night his father had gotten Carlos. “But I can stop it
here. When Carlos says no, you stop whatever it is you’re doing to make him say
no.” He opened his eyes, fixing the trio with a heavy look. “You don’t keep
touching him. You don’t corner him. You don’t grab him, like...I’m surprised he
didn’t stab you, he stabbed Harry the first time he grabbed him.” Rubbing his
face, he gave a sad little groan. “He’s not the same kid you left on the Isle,
okay? You can’t just treat him like you use to and expect things to get better.
Because it won’t.” The group fell silent for a minute, awkward and guilty,
before Gil gave a little huff, turning away from the group. “Look, I don't care
why you guys didn’t send for him when you said you would, or why you seem to
think no means sure, go ahead and continue touching me. What’s important right
now is he ran off and I’m going to go find him.”
“Who made you the authority on how we interact with Carlos?” Mal hissed,
reaching to prevent Gil from leaving the library as Evie narrowed her eyes.
“We’ve been friends with him a hell of a lot longer than you have, what gives
you the right to tell us anything about how we behave with him?” Gil’s
expression darkened, and he moved to stand over Mal, not quite pressed to her
front.
“I’m the guy who spent the past six months trying to fix the mess you three
made leaving him behind. I’m the one who had to convince my dad that forcing
him to stay tied to the bed until my dad was happy with how he preformed
sexually was a bad idea. I’m the one who checked on him when your dad-“ he shot
Jay a look, “-kept him locked inside for entire weekends. I, me, just me, am
the one who found him after his mother tried to drown him in the stupid fucking
bathtub in the backyard she use to force him to wash in. That’s what gives me
the right.” He practically snarled at the girl before turning to storm off,
leaving the three teens to stare wide eyed at the door as it swung shut behind
him, his anger still hanging heavy in the air.
-=-=-
He could hear the creature somewhere below him, barking at the base of the tree
he had scaled as soon as a small bundle of fur had come bounding through the
trees towards him. He had tried yelling at it, shaking the branches in an
attempt to scare the beast away with little success. He clung to the branch he
sat on, keeping a watchful eye on the dog under him as he tried to calculate
the safest route of escape. His mother’s stories of the things dog could do to
a human body sat heavy with him, tales of sharp teeth rending flesh from bone,
of large paws pinning little boys down to eat them or mount them depending on
the creatures mood. Logically he knew that odds were high that his mother had
lied to him at least in part, but the few interactions he’d had with the dogs
running loose on the Isle had ended in scars and trauma, in Cerberus’ large
body pinning him to the floor as his snarling maws snapped at him, his mother’s
deep laugh penetrating the haze of fear that had frozen him in place as the
adults gathered in his parlour had watched and bet on his survival. It didn’t
matter that the dog below him was barely bigger than a cat- it still had fangs,
could still attack him.
“Go away!” He shouted, eyes never leaving the animal as he shifted closer to
the trunk of the tree. He could feel the tightness in his chest that heralded a
panic attack; the second in less than an hour, clawing at his constraint and
making him want to curl up and cry or scream or just let the dog kill him and
end his misery. The dog started to bark again, jumping in an attempt to get at
him, and he scrambled to pull himself up another branch, hands shaking as he
tried not to look down. His foot slipped as he tried to pull himself upwards,
losing his grip on the branch and slipping back some before grabbing at the
branch he had been sitting on previous, clinging to it and kicking his feet in
an attempt to keep the animal away.
“No no nononono.” He whimpered as the dogs next jump nearly hit his foot, his
breathing coming in large gasps as he struggled to keep from hyperventilating.
He should have stay at the school, should have run to the cafeteria or the
library, should have gone anywhere but outside where there was even the remote
possibility of dogs. He was going to die, alone in the woods, ripped to pieces
by a dog just big enough to be turned into a pair of earmuffs. Gil would be all
alone, with Harry and Uma in the middle of the ocean- the thought made him
panic more, and he squeezed his eyes shut tight, mind racing as he tried to
calm himself. “Hydrogen, lithium, beryllium….beryllium….”
“Carlos?” His eyes shot open as a voice called out his name, his gaze falling
on the two teens standing under him. Gil looked concerned, his arms
outstretched under Carlos as though to catch the smaller teen. Beside him, Ben
stood holding onto the dog, a frown on his face as he looked up at him.
“Get rid of it.” Carlos’ voice was small as he glanced between the two older
teens, his eyes settling on the dog struggling in the kings arms.
“The dog?” Ben asked, confusion audible as he glanced from Carlos to the dog.
Gil turned to Ben, gesturing for him to take the dog away frantically as Carlos
let out another whimper.
“He’s terrified of dogs, Ben.” Ben’s eyes widened, and his grip on the dog
tightened. “Take the dog away please.” Ben nodded, turning quickly to take the
dog back towards the school. Gil turned back to Carlos, extending his arms
again towards the smaller teen. “Ben’s taking the dog away, C. It’s okay,
you’re ok, I promise. Drop and I’ll catch you.” It took a moment for Carlos to
let go of the branch, dropping into Gil’s arms and trusting the blond to catch
him.
“It came out of nowhere.” He murmured, pressing his face into Gil’s shoulder as
the larger teen shifted his arms, turning to head back to the dorms.
“What were you even doing in the woods, Carlos?” Gil’s tone was soft, careful
not to throw Carlos back into another panic attack with the question. Carlos
made a noise against Gil's shoulder, tightening the arm he had wrapped around
Gil’s neck fractionally.
“Ran away from the dorms. Mal grabbed me, I just...ran.” Gil made a sound
almost like a growl, and Carlos gave his chest a pat. “I’m okay. I’m okay, Gil.
She didn’t hurt me but I might have hurt her? I think I lashed out when she
wouldn’t leave me alone...I hope Ben doesn’t send us back because of it.” He
fell silent as they exited the woods, fingers curled into the fabric of Gil’s
shirt as they started across the field.
“I already told her off for grabbing you. She shouldn’t have touched you. Jay’s
gone to the girl’s so it’ll just be you and me in the room okay?” Carlos tapped
his shoulder as they reached the bleachers and Gil paused.
“Let me down, I can walk.” Gil let him down, eyes widening some as Carlos
hesitated a moment before slipping his hand into Gil’s, squeezing his fingers
some. “Thank you for coming to my rescue, Gil. I’m really glad you decided to
stay here in Auradon with me instead of going to the Academy with the others.”
Gil shot him an almost shy smile, and Carlos grinned at him. They walked in
silence, their joined hands swinging between them as Carlos let himself calm
down some. “I’m a little embarrassed that you guys found me up a tree. Did the
two of you come looking for me together?” Gil shook his head, frowning slightly
as they entered the main courtyard of the school. Several students took up the
benches scattered throughout, several staring as they walked past.
“No. I knew you’d probably take off towards the woods if you were startled
enough to jump out the window, so that’s where I decided to start. I guess Ben
was looking for the school’s mascot, that dog? He goes into the woods a lot I
guess.” Carlos gave a small shudder at the mention of the dog, and Gil squeezed
his hand. “Now that we know about him we can avoid him, yeah?” Carlos nodded as
Gil pushed open the door leading into the back entryway of the school, allowing
the older teen to guide him up the stairs to the area of the building that
housed the dorms. As they reached their dorm room, Carlos gave a small smile at
the way Gil entered the room first to see if anyone was waiting for them before
waving him in, immediately closing the door behind them before leading Carlos
to the middle bed, sitting down and giving his hand a tug. Carlos moved to
stand between Gil’s legs, letting go of his hand to cup his face and tilt it
upward, pressing a firm kiss to the older teens lips. Gil leant into the kiss
before pulling away with a small frown. Carlos smiled as he pressed closer to
him, letting his hands slide down to rest on either side of Gil’s neck as he
pressed a line of kisses along his jaw.
“I’m doing this because I want to, Gil. If you don’t want me to, just say no
okay?” Gil nodded, eyes wide was Carlos beamed before pushing him to slide back
some, crawling onto the bed between his legs and leaning to kiss him again as
one hand slid down his chest to stroke across his stomach, dipping just under
the other boy’s waistband teasingly. Gil gave a groan, shifting up on his
elbows as Carlos broke the kiss to watch the younger teen slide down his body,
fingers skilled in detailed repairs deftly undoing his pants to tug them down
enough to expose the blonds half hard cock. Carlos took a moment to glance up
at Gil, grinning at the dazed look the older teen had before shifting to take
him into his mouth, one hand gripping Gil’s hip to keep him in place as he gave
a small hum. Gil groaned, letting his head fall back as Carlos began to
carefully bob his head, his thumb kneading into the hollow of the older teens
hip as he focused on pleasing him. Gil’s fingers curled into the fabric of the
comforter under them to keep from reaching out to grasp Carlos by the hair,
moaning lowly as Carlos curled his tongue skillfully around his shaft as the
hand not holding Gil still wrapped around the base, moving in time with each
bob.
“Ngggh, Carlos, shit.” The blond hissed, hips bucking slightly against Carlos’
grip as the younger teen gave a half hum, half chuckle. “M’not gunna last long
if you keep that up.” Carlos slowed his rhythm some, squeezing his hand
slightly as he pulled back slightly, lips teasing over soft flesh as he gave
Gil a moment to settle. Both tensed as behind Carlos the door swung open, and
Carlos shifted quickly to cover Gil’s body with his own, cheeks flushed red.
“Hey guys the girls wanted t-oh, shit.“
***** Chapter 6 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Jay spun on his heel, turning to close the door as he covered his eyes, cheeks
flushing brilliantly as he made a distressed noise. “What the hell, guys,
seriously?” Carlos duck his head in embarrassment, shifting as he tugged Gil’s
pants back up with an apologetic look to the blond. Gil groaned, sitting up
properly before guiding Carlos to sit in the vee of his legs, noting with a
small frown the nervous way the younger teen stared at Jay as though expecting
punishment. Jay dropped his hand once he was sure Gil was properly dressed
again, his cheeks still red as he refused to meet either’s eyes.
“You said you were spending the night in the girls room. How were we suppose to
know that meant coming back to the dorm at any possible time?” Gil pouted as he
crossed his arms over his chest, and Jay shot him a frustrated look before his
gaze slid to Carlos who had sank down to kneel facing the bed, stock still,
back ramrod straight and silent with his hands folded neatly in his lap. A
familiar pose that struck a chord deep in Jay as he took a step towards the
younger teen, recognizing his father's handy work almost immediately.
“Carlos?” He ignored Gil’s question as he slowly approached Carlos, frowning as
the smaller teen flinched at his name. “You didn’t do anything wrong, C. I was
just surprised. Maybe a little...uh. It’s okay. Seriously.” Carlos shifted
slightly and Jay stilled, stunned by the blank stare that greeted him, long
fingers curling into fists as Jay struggled not to reach out towards him. Gil
moved to slowly sink down beside Carlos, letting out a curse as he took in the
blank stare.
“Hey, come on back to us Carlos. Jafar’s not here, your mom’s not gunna punish
you for not finishing. I’m not gunna punish you either. You’re okay.” There was
a moment of silence before Carlos took a shuddering breath and nodded firmly,
blinking several times.
“I’m sorry, C.” Jay’s apology was heartfelt, and the smaller teen glanced up at
him with a tilt of his head.
“It’s okay. I was just…startled. Is...you were saying something when you came
in?” Jay froze before nodding, running a hand through his hair as he flashed
the two an awkward smile.
“Yeah. The, uh, the girls feel really bad about what happened earlier. I sat
them down and talked to them about how it’s not cool of Mal to have done that,
and how we…we don’t have the right to treat you like we’re friends right now,
because we hurt you and it’s your choice when and if you let us back in. Evie
wants to know if you want to sit with her in some of your classes that you
share tomorrow, but she’ll understand if you aren’t okay with that yet. And Mal
feels really, really shitty dude. She says she’ll let you decide when you guys
can talk again and that she’s really sorry.” Carlos gave a slow nod, thinking
over Jay’s words carefully. Evie hadn’t grabbed him, which made her cornering
him slightly more forgivable; he could probably agree to sitting with her in a
class or two as long as she couldn’t trap him easily. Mal, he wanted to keep as
far from as possible for the time being- he didn’t appreciate being grabbed,
didn’t like that she hadn’t even tried to talk to him through the door first.
Jay had no offenses past leaving him on the Isle, and seemed willing to be nice
to Gil; he would at least get no more cold shoulders since he seemed capable of
realizing he’d done wrong.
“I’ll sit with Evie.” He stated, shifting where he sat at the tingle of
numbness beginning to creep up his left foot from the way he was sitting. “In
at least one class. Mal…” he frowned some, bringing his knees to his chest to
rest his chin on, looking up at Jay thoughtfully. “I don’t really want her
anywhere near me right now, after earlier.” Jay frowned slightly, but nodded as
Gil reached to offer the younger teen a hand up. Carlos took it, lacing their
fingers together before pulling himself up from the floor.
“So are you guys...together?” Jay asked, watching them as Carlos dropped onto
the bed beside the blond, their hands still entwined as the two exchanged a
look.
“I’m here for Carlos. If he wants to date people, he will. We have an
arrangement.” Gil stated, firmly. Carlos nodded, giving Gil a fond look before
turning his attention to Jay.
“You remember arrangements, don’t you?” He tilted his head, quirking a brow as
Jay’s cheeks flushed slightly.
“Of course I do. But we don’t need arrangements here, guys. You can date,
if...that’s what you want to do. No one will punish you for it like back on the
Isle.” Carlos hummed, taking Jay’s words at value as Gil nodded beside him.
“Yes, well I suppose you’d be an expert on dating, what with your two
girlfriends and his royal highness.” Jay gaped at Carlos’ comment, and the
younger teen snorted as he shifted to lay back on the mattress. “Jay. Come on,
I know you, Evie and Mal better than almost anyone, did you really think I’d
miss it? I’m a little insulted.” He raised his arms up, letting out a sigh
before letting his arms drop, one to his chest and the other across his eyes.
“You’re clearly happier here than you ever were on the Isle.” The ‘than you
were with me’ hung silently between them, heavy and painful as Jay took a
hesitant step towards the bed, the look on his face near heartbreak at the
brokenness in the younger teens tone.
“Carlos…” Carlos shook his head, pushing himself up after a moment, flashing a
wide, forced grin.
“So there’s a t.v in here!” Jay paused at Carlos’ outburst, glancing at the
television in confusion as Carlos got up from the bed to make his way to the
small entertainment area of the room, ignoring the look Jay and Gil exchanged.
“Yeah? We have pretty much every channel known to man, plus Netpixi, this movie
thing that has any movie you could every want on it…” Jay’s tone was perplexed
as he followed Carlos, tossing Gil a confused look over his shoulder. The blond
shrugged, equally confused by the sudden topic change, and moved to follow the
other two teens.
“We should watch a movie.” Carlos stated firmly, going to the television to
look it over. “I haven’t been able to watch a movie without having to try to
piece together film, I want to see what a full movie looks like.” Jay gave a
small shrug, moving past Carlos to get a movie set up while Gil and Carlos made
themselves comfortable on the couch, Gil at the far left while Carlos took the
middle, settling in comfortably as Jay tossed him a controller, moving to turn
the lights down some before joining the two boys on the couch.
“There’s a really good sci-fi movie I think you’d like, C. As soon as I say it
I thought of you. It should be in the recently viewed, s’called Serenity.”
Carlos nodded, pulling up the movie to read the synopsis before giving a hum of
contentment, pressing play as they settled in to watch.
-=-=-
Jay awoke with a start, the sensation of a warm body pressing against his back
pulling him from his dreamless sleep. He blinked, confused, and half rolled to
look at who had invaded his bed, less surprised than he should have been to
find Carlos curled up beside him. He shifted to lay on his back, staring at the
shadows cast across the ceiling as he felt Carlos shift closer, pressing along
his side and murmuring against his shoulder. He frowned, unable to make out the
words for a moment before tilting his head to a better angle to hear the
younger teen.
“I’ll be good, my Sultan.” Jay stilled at the words, eyes widening as Carlos
curled his hands into the fabric of his sleep shirt, tugging slightly. “Please
let me wear the shirt tonight.” Frowning, Jay slowly rolled to face the smaller
body, taking in the worried look on the teens still slumbering face.
“What shirt, Carlos?” He asked, unsure if the boy was just dreaming or, as he
suspected, sleepwalking. Carlos whined, shifting his weight fully against Jay’s
front with a practiced ease that made Jay bite back a small moan at the contact
between them.
“The cobra shirt, my Sultan. The one from Jay’s things.” His stomach clenched
at the mention of his belongings, knowing fully which shirt Carlos meant,
recalling nights where Cruella had practically ruined the young boy, nights Jay
couldn’t stay with him and the only comfort he could take was in Jay’s shirt
wrapped around him like armour. He shifted some, allowing Carlos to curl closer
as he thought over Carlos’ statement. From the sounds of it, the younger teen
had frequently had been in bed with Jafar during the six months they’d been
apart; Jay hadn’t considered that his father might have used items that were
his to reward Carlos for being good. Mal had confided to both Evie and himself
that Carlos had been wearing one of Jay’s shirts when she’d first gotten back
to the Isle, and Jay couldn’t help but wonder exactly how many of his item’s
he’d find in Carlos’ duffel bag if he went through it. “I miss him so much.
I’ll be good, I’ll be so good, please…” The sudden sharp pain in his chest hurt
worse than any knife wound he’d gotten on the Isle, and Jay curled around the
smaller body, holding him close as he made soothing noises.
“He’s right here, Carlos. I’m right here, I’m here.” He pressed his face
against the top of Carlos’ head, burying his nose in the younger teens hair as
he pulled him close. He had been so focused while they were in Auradon on doing
good and missing Carlos that he hadn’t thought about how much it must have hurt
the other boy to be away from them, how alone and scared the teen must have
been. “I’m so sorry. Fuck, I’m so, so sorry, C. I’m sorry.” His apologies fell
into soft murmurs as Carlos’ hands curled into the back of Jay’s shirt, the
younger teen making a sound of confusion after a moment.
“Gil?” Carlos’ voice was almost a whisper, his face pressed to Jays chest, and
Jay took a deep breath as he realized Carlos must be awake.
“No, it’s Jay.” The body against his went rigid, and Jay immediately released
his hold on him, letting the teen move away if he chose to. Carlos shifted to
put some space between them, though not as much as Jay had anticipated.
“Oh.” The word was breathed out in a huff of warm air against Jay’s cheek,
Carlos frowning slightly as he glanced over to his own bed. “What am I doing in
your bed?” Jay cleared his throat, his gaze travelling over Carlos’ face a
moment before speaking.
‘I don’t know. I woke up with you in my bed, talking like I...uh.” He hesitated
a moment, clearing his throat again. “Like I was my dad.” The look Carlos fixed
him with was a mixture of exhaustion and humiliation, and Jay shifted a
fraction closer, not wanting to startle the other teen. “You were...Hey, we
don’t have to talk about it, dude. Not if you don’t want to.” Silence fell
between them, before a tentative hand reached out to grasp the fabric just over
Jay’s heart.
“Can I stay here right now?” Carlos whispered, eyes closed as he shifted
slightly closer to Jay. “I don’t wanna talk about it but I...you...I waited six
months, missing this. Please?” Carlos’ question ended in a slight whine, and
Jay held up his arm in open invitation, unwilling to jinx the fact that Carlos
wanted to lay with him.
“Of course you can, dude. For as long as you want. Your choice.” Carlos nodded,
the smallest movement of his head before shifting forward to curl against Jay’s
chest again, allowing the older teen to wrap his arms around him and pull him
flush to his chest. They lay in silence, Jay’s fingers tracing circles over
Carlos back as the younger teens breathing evened out some. When Carlos began
speaking, it startled Jay slightly, but he remained silent as the other teen
spoke, his words barely loud enough to hear in the dark.
“I missed you the most. I missed Mal and Evie but I missed you the most. I
missed the way you’d smile when I did something dumb and how you’d make sure no
one came at me in school. Why’d you leave me there, Jay? Why’d you leave me
with her?” His fingers curled tighter, his voice hitching slightly as he
continued to speak. “Why’d you let her do that to me, do any of that to me?”
The words were cut off by a sob, and Jay gathered him closer, hands trying to
sooth along his back, to rub away the pain in the other boy’s voice. “I’m a
good boy. They kept saying I’m a good boy, I did what they wanted, but no one
ever stopped. I just wanted everyone to stop.” He buried his face in Jay’s
chest, giving a shudder. “Where were you?” Jay squeezed his eyes shut, taking a
shaking breath at Carlos’ words. There was no proper way to apologize for what
had happened, to minimize the damage done in the six months they’d been gone.
No words to sooth the pain and suffering the younger teen had endured, to take
away 180 days worth of misery.
“I’m so sorry. I’m...I hate myself, I was an idiot and if you never forgive me
I’ll understand but god, C, I’m so so sorry. I’m here now. It’s not enough, I’m
not enough to fix this but I need to try. Please let me try.” Carlos hiccuped,
giving a small nod as his fingers clenched against Jay’s chest, and Jay pressed
his cheek to Carlos’ hair as he felt the other teen begin to relax, his
sniffling slowing to a deep, steady breathing as exhaustion took over and the
younger teen slipped into slumber. Jay shifted them, pulling his blanket up
over them the best he could before pressing his lips to Carlos’ forehead,
taking a deep breath before closing his eyes to let himself be lulled to sleep
by Carlos’ breathing.
“I’m gunna make things right, Carlos. I swear.”
***** Chapter 7 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Chapter Notes
     *Brittney Spears’ Whoops I Did It Again plays muffled in the
     distance*
Carlos was too warm, something wrapped around his waist holding him flush to a
wall of firm heat. Giving a small groan he shifted, wrinkling his nose as the
thing around his waist tightened slightly at his movement. Opening his eyes, it
took a moment for him to realize where he was, and he pushed himself up on his
elbows as he frowned in confusion before letting out a soft huff at the sight
that greeted him.
“This definitely isn’t where I fell asleep last night.” He stated, reaching to
shake the shoulder his face had been pressed into. “Hey. Wake up.” There was a
groan, and the arm around his waist tightened more, dragging him flush to the
body next to him once more. “This is not-“ he gave one muscular arm a sharp
prod, “-where I went to sleep.” A face pressed into his neck and he gave a
disgruntled grunt, pushing the older teen away.
“You were in his bed. I brought you to mine.” Carlos rolled his eyes, shifting
to sit-up properly as he stretched his arms above his head and glanced around.
The room was still fairly dark-though due to the hour or the heavy curtains
pulled over the windows, Carlos didn’t know. On the bed next to them, Jay slept
in a nest of blankets, one arm flung carelessly over his eyes as he snorted
quietly.
“You brought me to yours.” His voice was flat, and Gil sat up, suddenly alert.
“Without waking me up or asking.” Silence fell over them, and from his bed Jay
gave a snort, rolling onto his side.
“I’m sorry, C. I didn’t even think...I shouldn’t have done that.” Carlos gave a
curt nod, rubbing his arm as he glanced towards the clock on Jay’s desk. The
numbers read 5:54am, and he made a face at the early hour.
“I’m going to take a shower I think.” Gil gave a small nod, a worried look on
his face as Carlos slipped off the bed to move towards where he had placed his
duffel bag on the floor. “You can probably catch another half an hour or so of
sleep while I’m getting ready, Gil.” Gil gave a small shrug, leaning back
against the headboard as he watched Carlos rifle through his bag.
“Are you mad at me?” The blonde asked, tilting his head slightly as Carlos
pulled some clean shorts and a red, black and white patchwork shirt from the
bag. Carlos frowned, turning to study Gil a moment before sighing.
“I’m not mad at you Gil. I’d just prefer that I don’t get manhandled in my
sleep. You know how much I hated it when your dad would do it.” Gil nodded,
ducking his head in shame as Carlos moved to walk past his bed, pausing to
place a hand on Gil’s shoulder, squeezing lightly. “I’m not mad, Gil. I
promise.” Gil nodded, and Carlos gestured towards the head of the bed with a
smile. “Try to get some more sleep, dude. I’ll wake you up when I get out of
the shower.” Gil nodded, laying back down, and Carlos slipped into the
bathroom, turning on the light and blinking in the sudden brightness. The room
was large enough to host a toilet, sink, counter, bathtub and separate shower
while still managing to be somewhat compact. There was one small linen closet
tucked to the far left corner, along with a small window between the toilet and
the bathtub that looked just big enough for him to squeeze through should he
need a quick escape.
“This is...nice.” He murmured to himself, placing his clothes onto the counter
before stripping down, folding his dirty clothing to place on the counter as
well. He leant over the counter to peer at himself in the mirror, squinting as
he let his gaze travel over the image of his own face. He reached to poke his
cheeks, pinching the skin along his jaw before tracing his index finger along
the line of freckles crossing his left cheek, the line broken by a thin white
scar just under his eye. His fingers moved to another scar, just barely visible
above his lip, tracing the line of it before moving his fingers to peel back
the tape holding the bandage in place around his neck. He dropped the bandage
into the garbage, turning his attention back to his neck. Tilting his head up
and bracing himself on the counter with one hand as he leant forward he brushed
his fingers over the dark mottled bruises circling his throat, pressing against
the scabs that had begun to grow over the cuts. It looked...awful. He frowned,
following the line of the bruise carefully, before pressing his nails into one
of the cuts. He watched as beads of blood welled up before dragging his fingers
downward, smearing the blood down his throat as his frown deepened.
“Stop that.” He muttered to himself, pressing his fingers against the bleeding
spot as he realized what he was doing. “God, what’s wrong with you.” He shook
his head, pressing both hands to the counter and taking a deep breath before
turning to go to the shower, turning the knob to turn the water on before
slipping into the tub. He inspected the knob, realizing that the hot water
seemed to actually work and turning it up with a pleased sigh. There was a
heavy knock on the door, which creaked open slightly as Carlos peeked nervously
out from behind the curtain.
“Hey, Uh...I really have to piss, Carlos. Is it okay if I….I won’t flush I
swear.” Carlos’ brow furrowed some as Jay poked his head into the room, and he
gave a nod before ducking back into the shower. “Thanks C. I never would have
made it to Ben’s dorm.” Carlos hummed, picking up a bar of soap to carefully
inspect before beginning to wash his body.
“It’s fine. This is still more privacy than I had on the Isle.” The water
drowned out most of the sounds from the other side of the curtain, and Carlos
ignored the feeling in his stomach at Jay being so close while he was
showering.
“Did you want me to show you guys where your classes are today?” Carlos paused
momentarily at the question, thinking it over as he washed his hair, marvelling
at how hot the water remained even as he stood under it for minutes at a time.
“Ben’s taking us to our classes today.” He stated as he rinsed out his hair,
letting his head fall back and wincing slightly at the sting of the hot water
against the open cut on his neck. He let the water wash over him, breathing
slowly through his nose. “If you want to walk with us, I won’t argue.” Reaching
to turn off the tap, he gave himself a shake to get some of the water off of
him before stepping out of the shower.
“Whoa, hey I’m almost done dude wait a sec.” Jay’s shifted in embarrassment,
and Carlos snorted as he brushed past the older teen, giving him a nudge as he
opened the bathroom door.
“It’s not like I haven’t seen it before, Jay.” Exiting into the room, he made
his way to his bed, rooting through his duffel bag as the toilet flushed in the
bathroom behind him. “Hey, can you bring out my clothes and a towel?” His
request was met with a grunt, and he glanced towards the door as Jay came out,
the requested items in hand as he tried to avoid looking at the younger teen.
“Did someone get shy living in Auradon?” Carlos teased, almost cruelly as he
reached to take the towel, patting himself dry and pulling on his boxers. “You
never cared about my being naked around you before.” Jay groaned, moving to lay
down on his bed to mutter something into his pillow. “Excuse me?” Tilting his
head, Carlos moved to pull the pillow from Jay’s face, scowling at him. “I’m
sorry, does my body offend you, Jadir?” Jay huffed, snatching the pillow back
and making a face at Carlos as he clutched it to his chest.
“No, your body doesn’t offend me, Carlos. I just….shit, okay, you’re attractive
and I’m a healthy teenage boy, please put some clothes on.” Carlos blinked at
the not-quite confession, a sly smirk pulling at his lips as he put a knee up
onto the bed.
“I’m attractive?” He asked, one hand moving to press into the mattress beside
Jay’s hip as he leant over him. “You really think so?” He hated the edge of
self consciousness in his voice, the way the words from Jay made him feel
almost...shy, again. Jay frowned, reaching to cup Carlos’ face.
“Dude. Have you looked in a mirror lately? Yeah, I really think you’re
attractive. I’d have to be deaf dumb and blind not to.” He swallowed nervously
as Gil began to stir next to them, letting his hand drop as Carlos swung a leg
over his waist, pinning him to the bed and placing his hands on Jay’s chest,
leaning forward to run his hands along tanned arms to raise them up above the
older teens head, his face above Jay’s.
“I’ve wanted you for awhile now, Jay.” He shifted against him, eyes half lidded
but gaze sharp. “ Since before you left me on the Isle to rot.” He hissed the
words and Jay’s eyes widened as Carlos slid off him, moving to put his clothes
on as Gil groaned, rolling onto his stomach. “Get your ass up, Gilbert. We’re
gunna miss breakfast.” Gil sat up, rubbing his eyes as he gave a yawn, and Jay
slowly got up, a pained look on his face. “Well come on. Five minutes, Gil.
Let’s move it.” Gil gave a sleepy ‘aye aye Captain’ as he rose from the bed,
stooping slightly to place a kiss on Carlos’ cheek before disappearing into the
bathroom with a change of clothes. Jay watched the awkward, hesitant movements
of the younger boy as he put together his and Gil’s bags and bit his bottom
lip, conflicted as to what to do.
“I wanted you too, C. I’ve always wanted you, I think.” The words were softly
spoken as Jay pushed himself from his bed, moving to gather his own things.
“Why’d you think I let Mal tell me to help you with her Howler? I don’t do
barge runs for party supplies.” Silence fell over the room, broken only by Gil
pushing the door to the bathroom open to exit the room.
“Here’s your things, Gil.” Carlos held out the bundle of books to the blond
before turning to study Jay a moment. “Breakfast, Jay?” Jay nodded, and Carlos
turned his attention back to his own books, Jay just catching the small twitch
of a smile on the younger teens lips.
It was a start, at least.
-=-=-
“We have a deal, then?”
The air was thick with tension in the small, darkened room; two dirty glasses
half full of mediocre, watered down whiskey sitting between the three men
seated around the small table. Through the door, the noise of the tavern was
muffled as the man who had spoken leant across the table to pick up the map
that had been spread out on the table.
“It seems like a fair enough deal. How do you plan on breaking the barrier to
get through?” The man with the map smirked, tapping his finger on the harbour
that docked the goblin barges three times, drawing attention to it.
“I don’t. The barges come through a section on the barrier using some sort of
Auradon magic. Only the barges can go through- we’ve tried bringing ships
through and the barrier prevents it.” The was a thud against the door, three
sets of eyes glancing over before the tallest of the group turn back to the
map.
“And you’re implying we...what, steal a barge, Hook? I’m a hunter, not a
thief.” Hook snorted, dragging his hook along the scarred wood of the table as
he nodded towards Jafar.
“You taught that spawn of yours to steal, didn’t you?” Jafar nodded, frowning
slightly as Hook gave a shrug, reaching to push that map towards the ex-viser.
“I’m sure a little heist is within your skill set then. It was certainly within
his.” Jafar huffed, taking a glance at the map before crossing his arms over
his chest defiantly.
“And if we get caught? We all know the punishment for trying to escape the
Isle, Hook.” The pirate gave a hum, reaching into his coats inner pocket to
withdraw something, tossing it onto the table with a smirk. Two sets of eyes
focused of the red and black leather collar, and Hook raised a brow.
“Then I guess you’d better ask yourselves if the little mutt is worth the
risk.” The two men exchanged a look, Gaston settling back in his chair as Jafar
reached to pick up the collar, fingering the dog shaped tag attached to it
before glancing up at the pirate.
“How did you…” Hook shrugged, and Jafar frowned slightly, tilting the collar.
“Will it actually work outside of the barrier?” Leaning forward, Hook’s lips
curled into a smirk as he tapped his hook on the corner of the map.
“They tossed it here with her, didn’t they? Had to be scared of something.”
Jafar gave a slow nod, rubbing the leather of the collar with his thumb as he
turned his attention to the map.
“I suppose you’d better get me the schedules for the barges then, yes?”
***** Chapter 8 *****
Classes were very different in Auradon, in comparison to Dragon Hall back on
the Isle. Something about the more structured learning environment struck with
Carlos- there were rewards for doing well, besides being shoved into lockers.
Teachers enjoyed when you knew the answer to things; on the Isle, the only
teacher who had ever given him praise had been Yen Sid, and though the old
magician had never been sparing with his compliments, Carlos had always
wondered if it was just the older man’s way of bringing some of Auradon onto
the Isle. The classrooms were more organized, with text books that weren’t
missing pages, desks that weren’t the remains of broken tables cobbled together
to fit properly. The rooms were bright, well lit and clean, and the students
were engaged in the lessons the teachers brought forth.
Carlos, despite his reservations for Auradon on a whole, loved it.
The first few classes of the day had been clearly designed for the Isle
children who had been brought over; Remedial Goodness 101, for example, had
clearly been created to gain an understanding on just how like their parents
the VK’s were, asking questions that were incredibly offensive if anyone really
looked at them. Carlos had answered Fairy Godmother’s questions with a quick
efficiency, amused at how pleased the woman seemed as he gave her the proper
answers. Gil had a bit more trouble with the questions at first, though he had
caught on quickly to the pattern of answers once Carlos had pointed him in the
right direction with his own answers. After that had been several lessons that
Carlos had thought to be ridiculous- Safety Rules for the Internet sat high on
the list, while Life Skills Without Magic seemed like basic common sense to the
teen. Now he sat at a table in the cafeteria, Gil to one side and Jay on his
other as he set his tray of food down before him. He hadn’t taken much- while
Gil had been ecstatic to see the rows of food laid out for them, he had been
careful not to take too much, remembering nights of eating as much as he could
and getting sick, unused to the food in his stomach- and what he had taken had
been well calculated for what he could eat and still take with him, hidden in
the folds of his clothes, for later in the day. Both Jay and Evie had tried to
assure him that there would always be food available, but the habit of sneaking
his food was a hard one to quit and frankly he wasn’t sure how much he trusted
either’s word. Ben and Mal sat along the opposite side of the table, deep in
discussion as Evie wrote furiously in a notebook, a chemistry text open in
front of her. Jay and Gil sat discussing the possibility of Gil trying out for
Tourney, and a few other students sat along their table as well.
“Are you not hungry, Carlos?” Startled at suddenly being addressed, Carlos
dropped his fork against his plate as he looked at the boy sitting across from
him, frowning slightly at the question. He hadn’t thought anyone had been
paying particular attention to him, and to be directly addressed surprised him.
Glancing down at this plate, which held a few small samples of several of the
plates that had been laid out on the table for students to pick from, he
furrowed his brow in confusion at the question. His plate was small, certainly,
but he had picked more food than he was use to eating- small amounts of each
different food to try as he wasn’t sure which would make him ill or not.
“I don’t eat much.” He muttered, poking his fork into something that looked
like it might be beef and holding it up to inspect. The boy adjusted his
glasses as he looked over Carlos’ plate, and the younger teen couldn’t help but
feel like he was being judged.
“At least you’re having a try at everything! When these three got here, they
only stuck to food they recognized at first. It took forever for us to convince
them to try new things!” Carlos’ frown deepened some, and he took a careful
bite of the beef, paying close attention to if he felt funny as he chewed.
“I don’t know what will make me sick here. All of your food looks weird, and
there’s more types of food. I have to try a bit of everything to make sure that
I can eat it. Process of elimination….” He shrugged, finishing the few bites of
beef before prodding at something that looked like the rotted vegetable gumbo
Dr. Facilier would sometimes bring into school, but a much more vibrant red.
Sniffing it, he sneezed, blinking several times before wrinkling his nose at
the smell. Taking a bite, he made a face at the strong, spicy flavor, before
pushing it aside to poke at something that had a similar smell to Ursula’s
shop. “Excuse me, what’s this?” He glanced at the boy, a little put off at the
calculating stare that the bespeckled teen had fixed him with, before spearing
his fork through a part of the food item to hold it up. “I’ve never had this
before.” The boy chuckled, pointing at the bite with his fork.
“It’s tilapia. It’s really healthy for you, and totally delicious.” Carlos gave
it a careful sniff, a bit wary of the item. It smelled like the fish served in
Ursula’s shop- one of the items that caused him to be sick often.
“Is it fish?” He asked, curiously. The boy exchanged a look with the chinese
girl sitting next to him before giving a nod, his look softening as though
Carlos’ question was some manner of heartbreaking.
“Yeah, it’s fish. Straight from the harbour in Charmington, I think. Do you
like fish? We eat it a lot here, it’s suppose to be really good for your
brain...or at least that’s Mrs. Potts reasoning for why we have it so much
here.” Carlos immediately put his fork down, pushing the plate away from him.
He hadn’t know that the breaded and battered item was fish- it hadn’t been
listed as seafood, and he hadn’t been able to smell it properly with all the
other items on the table as well.
“I can’t eat that. Or anything it’s touched. Am…” he glanced down the table, to
Ben, before looking over his shoulder towards the food again, “Am I allowed to
get a new plate? I can’t eat anything that’s touched the fish.” Uma had been
the one to realize that everytime Carlos ate the fish Ursula served at her shop
he became violently ill- she had stated that it must have been him, since every
other person who ate the fish (freshly caught daily, the sign above the serving
counter boasted) seemed fine. The other teen gave a nod, reaching to pick up
the plate and pull it further from Carlos with a small, worried frown.
“Are you allergic to fish?” Carlos tilted his head slightly, unsure of how to
respond. He didn’t know what the word meant; he assumed it meant that he
couldn’t eat the fish, in context to the conversation, and gave a small nod.
“If that means I get sick when I eat it, sure.” The teen nodded, and Carlos
shifted to push out his seat. Standing, he drew the attention of the table- all
eyes shot towards him at the sharp movement, and he immediately felt awkward at
the sudden attention. He hated when people stared- Jafar had stared at him
often, when he cooked or cleaned or was helping around the store, he’d feel the
man’s eyes following him everywhere. Gaston was even worse, with his obsessive
need to look over every part of him, to touch and feel all the marred spots
across his skin as though he could erase them, make him perfect. His mother had
often inspected his body growing up, had counted the freckles strewn against
his skin and with a click of her tongue dismissed him as too spotty, too
chubby, too short. He backed away, turning to head towards the table as he felt
the eyes follow him, and picked up a new plate to place a few baby carrots and
something that looked brown and like the old pucks that use to make their way
across to the Isle. Returning to the table, he settled back in his seat, aware
of the gazes on him as he picked up the puck-like item to give it a sniff.
“That’s chocolate, dude. You’re gunna love it.” Jay’s voice came from his left,
and he tilted his head to regard the older teen a moment before taking a bite,
eyes widening at the sweetness of the chocolate. He took another bite, humming
happily as a salty, nutty taste joined the chocolate, and proceeded to stuff
the entire thing into his mouth with a soft moan.
“So good.” He murmured, sucking some of the chocolate from his fingers as he
glanced around the table at the silence that had fallen. Jay and Gil were
focused on him, both staring intently at his mouth as he licked his fingertips.
Mal sat silently beside Ben, both watching him silently for a moment before
returning to their own conversation, and Evie offered him a grin as she reached
towards him, hesitating a moment before swiping her thumb against the corner of
his mouth.
“You’re getting almost as much of it on your mouth as in it, Carlos.” She
teased, and he couldn’t help the small smile at her as she wiped her thumb off
on her napkin. “Are you enjoying your classes?” Carlos nodded, picking up one
of his carrots to take a bite, chewing thoughtfully before responding.
“Yeah. There’s so much more structure here, and all of the text books are up to
date and complete. It’s amazing. Not to mention the technology available to the
students is amazing. But that Remedial Goodness class….it’s sort of a joke,
isn’t it?” Evie snorted, covering his mouth with her hand as she gave a nod.
“Oh, my evil, yes. I thought the same thing when we first got here, it’s all a
little obnoxious, isn’t it?” Carlos nodded, and Evie pushed a strand of her
hair back, shifting in her seat some. “I asked Doug about it-that’s Doug, he’s
in our Chemistry class- he said that Fairy Godmother wasn’t sure what to expect
from us when we came over, so they devised a class to basically….hmm.” Carlos
snorted, resting his chin in his hand as he took another bite of carrot,
talking as he chewed.
“Find out how evil you were?” Evie nodded, and Carlos hummed as he reached for
his glass of water. His elbow hit Jay’s glass, tipping it over onto the older
teens plate, and he stilled, arm still raised as Jay let out a yelp at the
liquid spreading over his plate. “Shit. Shit, I’m sorry, I’m sorry.” He
snatched up his napkin, his mind racing to the last time he had knocked over a
glass at the dinner table- his mother had been furious, the wine he’d
accidentally knocked over spreading over the dirty white tablecloth like blood
on tile, staining it and causing his mother to fall into a hysterics as she
lashed out at him. He had tried to scrub the wine out of the cloth, his mother
screeching at him as he did his best to lessen the damage done, but it hadn’t
been enough. He placed the napkin over the slowly spreading water, patting it
frantically as he tried to control his breathing, Jay reaching to help him
after a moment.
“Hey, it’s alright. It’s just water, Carlos. No harm done.” Ben’s voice was
soft as a strong hand wrapped around Carlos’ hand; he hadn’t even noticed the
king moving, let alone coming around the table to stand beside him. Ben took
the napkin from his hands, and Jay gently pulled him away from the table with a
small frown.
“Sorry. Sorry I just…” Jay gave a half shrug, moving to squeeze the younger
teens shoulder lightly as the bell rang to signify the end of the lunch period.
“I get it, dude. It’s alright. You want me to show you where your next class
is?” Carlos gave a small shrug, and Evie slipped between them to place a hand
carefully on Carlos’ arm.
“It’s alright, he can walk with me. You and Gil both have Basic Chivalry right
now, you should take him.” Jay glanced at Gil before nodding, squeezing Carlos’
shoulder again before turning to head off towards his class. Carlos watched the
two boys leave before turning back to Evie, staring at her as she gave him a
soft smile. “Is that okay?” He shrugged, leaning to take his books from where
he had set them beside his chair when he’d joined the table at the start of the
period.
“Yeah. It’s okay. I said I’d sit with you, right?” Evie beamed at him, and the
two started off towards their class, Carlos letting the older girl ramble about
where they were in Chemistry as they walked.
A little hiccup, a little embarrassment...at least he had made it through the
meal unharmed. And that was what mattered in the end.
***** Chapter 9 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Chapter Summary
     This chapter and the next one are sort of fillers, so they're going
     to be a little shorter, sorry!
“It’s a webcam, Carlos. You use it to see people who want to video chat with
you on the computer.” Carlos shot Fairy Godmother a look, frowning at the
almost condescending tone of voice the woman had as she addressed him. He hated
it, how the adults in Auradon expected him to just know things he had never had
access to before coming across the water from the Isle. How they looked down on
the Isle kids for not automatically knowing what to do in situations they had
never found themselves in- as though the thought of a learning curve had never
crossed their minds when it came to things that were readily available in
Auradon.
“Yes, I can understand the concept.” He kept his tone in check, gaze travelling
from the woman to the television set up at the front of the Remedial Goodness
101 class. The screen was black, a small red flashing in the upper left hand
corner showing that it was waiting to connect, and he settled in one of the
chair’s provided as Gil glanced between the t.v and Fairy Godmother.
“Harry and Uma are going to be on the t.v?” The blond asked, moving to sit in
the chair next to Carlos as Fairy Godmother pressed a button on the laptop
hooked up to the t.v. The woman nodded, the screen changing to what looked like
another, nautical themed classroom, Harry and Uma’s faces taking up most of the
screen. “Hey! Hey guys! Can you hear me!” Harry grinned, and Uma rolled her
eyes as she rested her chin on her hand.
“Yes, Gil, we can hear you. Hi.” Carlos was amused to see that the two teens
seemed to be wearing some sort of white and navy uniform; Harry seemed to have
altered his to be sleeveless, while Uma had pinned several seashells to the
collar of hers. “Are you two alright?” She cast a glance between them, eyes
narrowing slightly as she took in the way Carlos leant towards Gil some. “No
trouble with the preppies?” Carlos shrugged, and Gil flashed them a grin.
“No, not really. Classes are sort of la-er. They’re different from back home,
but the people have pretty much been avoiding us?” Carlos nodded, agreeing with
Gil's words, and Harry shifted to put his face closer to the camera on their
end of the call.
“Missing my night time cuddles yet, lads?” Harry’s gaze moved from Carlos to
Gil, brow raised as he crossed his arms over his chest. Carlos gave a small nod
of his head, and Gil followed suit as he shifted to rest an arm on the back of
Carlos’ chair.
“A bit. Adjusting to Auradon has been...difficult. But we’re okay for the most
part. Only a few waves.” Harry nodded at Carlos’ words, understanding the
meaning behind the code- Carlos had been having nightmares, but nothing he and
Gil couldn’t handle. “How’s the academy? I like your uniforms, very handsome.”
Carlos smirked as Harry made a face, and Uma huffed a sigh as her companion
shifted back in his seat, clearly agitated.
“I hate this bloody uniform. Had to take off the sleeves, I hated them so
much.” Carlos snickered, and Uma rolled her eyes as she gave Harry a shove.
“He ripped them off in the middle of class, oh my evil. I legitimately can’t
take him anywheres, Pup, why didn’t you come with us? You’re the only one who
can give him impulse control.” Carlos snorted, shaking his head with a small
smile as he shifted to press back against Gil’s arm. It was nice to see the
other two pirates- ex-pirates now, he supposed, eyeing their uniforms with
amusement.
“Harry, you need sleeves while you’re in the navy. I hear there’s a ban on open
weapon carrying on Prince Eric’s ships, and you’d never get away with those
guns.” Carlos could barely keep from laughing as he spoke, and Uma made a
disgruntled noise as she threw her arms up, barely missing Harry as he burst
into laughter.
“Gods, I miss the two of you. Seriously, why didn’t you come with us?” Harry’s
mirthful tone lessened as he frowned at the screen, and Carlos gave a soft sigh
as he shrugged. He missed Uma and Harry, but he had no desire to spend his life
at sea, and as far as he knew neither did Gil.
“I’m not that great on the water, Harry. You know that. Besides, it’s not so
bad here.” He offered a half smile, and Harry’s frown deepened as he shifted in
his seat.
“You’re not looking so great, though, Pup. Mal and her minions haven’t been
giving you trouble, right?” Uma’s tone was just shy of concerned, and Carlos
couldn’t help but appreciate the softness that seemed to have settled around
her as she watched them on the t.v in their classroom.
“Just been hard to sleep, it’s fine. I’m fine. Gil’s going to join the Tourney
team, did anyone mention that yet?” Two sets of eyes darted to the side of the
screen Carlos assumed Gil was on, and the blond slipped slightly in his seat at
the sudden attention.
“It was just an idea, I don’t know if I’m gunna actually do it.” Gil’s voice
was quiet as he shifted in his seat, eyes moving to the floor as his cheeks
flushed slightly. Carlos frowned, reaching to touch Gils arm lightly to gain
the older boys attention.
“Hey, no, it’s a good idea. Gives you something to do that’s active. And you
can tackle Jay a lot, that’s a thing in Tourney right? Tackling?” Gil chuckled,
and Carlos pat his arm lightly before turning his attention to the television
once more. “How are the two of you liking your classes so far?” Uma shifted to
lean back in her seat, and Harry rolled his eyes as he let out a groan.
“Boring. They’re treating us like we’ve never been on a ship before and it’s
awful, Pup. Plus, do you guys have to go to these Remedial Goodness classes?
They’re bullshit! Like I don’t know how to say please and thank you. My
father’s an Eton educated man, you think he didn’t teach us basic manners?”
Carlos cast a glance at Fairy Godmother, who seemed oddly surprised at the
information, before tilting his head to wrinkle his nose at Harry’s
frustration.
“Yeah, but you also are prone to throwing fits and ripping off the sleeves of
your uniform. I could see why they’d think you need the refresher.” His tone
was teasing, and Harry stuck his tongue out at the younger teen before Carlos
offered a genuine smile. “No fights? You’re behaving?” Harry nodded, and Uma
gave a small huff as she waved her hand.
“Yes, mom, we’re being good. You’re seriously the worst villain in existence,
are you going to be checking up on us daily? Making sure we hand in our
homework on time?” Carlos rolled his eyes, and Uma grinned, leaning forward and
placing a hand on her cheek.
“Someone has to keep you ingrates in line.” Gil chuckled beside him, and Carlos
shot the blond a shy smile. “But seriously, I’m...really proud of you guys for
not wasting this opportunity. You’ll let us know if anything goes tits up,
right?” Fairy Godmother cleared her throat at his words, and Carlos rolled his
eyes- he hadn’t even really swore.
“Yeah, Pup. We know we need to not mess this up. It’s too good a gig, right?
Prince Eric said he could see us making ships crew in less than a year, and
then we’ll be at sea instead of in the school.” Uma’s eyes lit up at the
mention of being on a ship, and Carlos’ smile softened as he took in how good
the once-captain looked.
“I’m really happy for you guys. I’m glad you’re settling in well.” The two ex-
pirates exchanged a look as as Carlos let his gaze fall to the table the t.v
sat on, and above his head Gil shot Uma and Harry a complicated look, eyes
darting from Carlos to Fairy Godmother and back.
“Have you uh. Seen Cruella yet?” Uma’s words were hesitant, almost as though
she didn’t want to ask, and Carlos shook his head as his hands moved to curl
into fists in his lap.
“No. And I don’t really want to, either. Would you want to see Ursula again?”
Uma’s cheeks flushed, and Carlos glanced up, biting his lip at the look on the
older girl’s face.
“Uma...sorry. I just really have no desire to see her after what happened.” Uma
nodded, and Fairy Godmother cleared her throat again to gain their attention.
“I’m sorry, but it’s almost the end of class. Benjamin has had a laptop with a
web camera sent to your room, and Uma and Harry you should have one as well.
You’ll be able to keep in contact now, but it’s time to say goodbyes.” Carlos
nodded, and Gil shifted in his seat, a sad look on his face.
“I miss you guys.” Harry’s expression dropped as he reached out towards the
screen, and Gil followed suit to touch Harry’s hand on the screen. “Like, a
lot. I wish you could be here with us.” Beside Gil, Carlos sat in silence, his
eyes focusing on a spot on the floor as Harry and Uma tried to placate the
blond. Once they had all said their goodbyes, Fairy Godmother turned off the
t.v, offering a smile to the two teens.
“Now, I know it’s been a trying morning, but I’m very proud of you boys for
behaving so well. Don’t forget that should you ever need anything you can come
to me, as headmistress of the school it’s my responsibility to make sure you
have what you need. Alright?” The two nodded, and outside the classroom the
bell rang, signalling the end of class. Gil lead the way out into the hall,
pausing after a moment to turn to Carlos, frowning at the sullen look on the
boys face. Glancing around, he reached to pull Carlos into a stairwell,
steering him under it to avoid the students travelling to class and placing a
hand on the younger teen’s shoulder.
“C? What’s wrong?” Carlos gave a small half shrug, and Gil’s frown deepened as
he dropped his bag to the ground to duck slightly in an attempt to catch
Carlos’ eyes. “Hey. None of that, tell me what’s wrong.” Carlos heaved a sigh,
glancing up through his lashes at Gil before reaching to rub his hand over his
face tiredly.
“Do you regret that you stayed here with me?” He asked, voice small as his hand
dropped to his side and he shifted his weight nervously. Gil’s brows furrowed
in confusion, and Carlos hurried to continue speaking. “Instead of going with
Uma and Harry. Do you regret sticking around here to deal with my craziness?”
Gil’s expression softened as he pulled Carlos to him, wrapping his arms around
him carefully as he rested his cheek on the shorter teen’s head.
“What? No, I don’t regret anything, C. You need me here. And I need to be here
with you. Yeah, I miss Harry and Uma. I miss them a lot.” Carlos winced, and
Gil tightened his arms around him. “But I’d miss you more, Carlos. The thought
of leaving you here and having someone like Jay or Evie or even Ben be the one
to comfort you is really shitty. I’m not going anywhere you aren’t. Okay?”
Carlos placed a hand on Gil’s chest, curling his fingers into the fabric of the
older teen’s shirt as he gave a small nod, pressing his face into Gil’s
shoulder.
“Okay.” Gil hummed, and Carlos pulled back slightly, leaning to press a firm
kiss to Gil’s lips as he clutched the taller teen’s shoulders. Gil leant into
the kiss, relaxing into it as he placed his hands on Carlos’ waist before
pulling back some to break it.
“I’m serious, C. You’re sort of stuck with me now.” Carlos smiled, shifting up
on his toes to press their foreheads together as he gave a small, somewhat
content sight.
“I know. I just worry that you’d be happier with the others…” Gil frowned,
pressing another kiss to Carlos’ lips before giving his jaw a light nip.
“No way. I’m happiest here with you. Besides, we can always go visit Harry and
Uma right?” Carlos gave a small laugh, shaking his head as Gil beamed.
“You’re so smart, Gil. Of course we can.” Gil’s grin grew at the laugh, and
Carlos reached to pat the older teen’s cheek lightly before pulling away. “We
should head to class. I imagine Mal and Ben are waiting for us to arrive…” His
smile fell some, and Gil stepped back to tilt his face up slightly, kissing his
nose.
“We’ll get through this class, and then we get to go back to the dorm. It’ll be
alright.” Carlos nodded, and Gil bent to grab his bag, reaching to take Carlos’
hand to lead them towards the classroom.
***** Chapter 10 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Chapter Notes
     Sorry this chapter took forever guys, my wife's been sick and now my
     cat is sick and it's been crazy hectic at work TAT I'm getting back
     on track though!
“Did they seem...weird to you, Harry?”
Harry glanced over at Uma from where he’d settled into his seat for their
Nautical Cartography lesson, taking in the sharp frown gracing the girl’s lips
as she set her text book down none too gently on the wooden tabletop. He
thought back on the video call they had just had- Gil had seemed excited to see
them in the beginning, his excitement turning to longing the longer they
talked, and Carlos hadn’t seemed any better than the last time they’d seen him-
quiet and a bit twitchy.
“They were both sort of off, yeah. You don’t think something happened that they
aren’t telling us, do you?” Uma frowned, seating herself at her desk to pull
out her notebook before turning to face Harry as a few other student’s entered
the room.
“Like what? You don’t think someone’s hurting them, do you?” Harry shrugged,
though his expression remained concerned as he settled into his own seat behind
Uma.
“Hurting them, making their time difficult at school, its not like we haven't
had our share of idiots, Uma. Auradon isnt the bright light of acceptance
everyone tried to make it out to be on the way over here.” Uma’s brows furrowed
at the comment, and Harry let out a huff. “And Gilly boy wouldn’t recognize
someone tormenting him half the time, and Pup is…” he trailed off with a frown,
fixing his gaze on his hands folding on the desk before him. They’d taken his
hook upon arrival at the hospital they had been brought to upon exiting the
Isle, his hand feeling oddly light without the familiar weight of the steel
prosthetic, and the doctors had ignored his requests for its return. “He
doesn’t know how to protect himself proper from adults, does he?” Uma nodded,
tilting her head slightly to the side as she considered Harry’s words.
“They haven’t got a chance by themselves, do they. We should have insisted they
come with us, they’re hopeless alone.” Harry nodded enthusiastically, tapping
his fingers against the desktop as Uma shifted to turn towards him more.
“We need to rescue them.” Uma gave him a look, and he raised a brow. “Crew
doesn’t abandon crew, Uma. They need us. Neither of them can rightly function
without us.” Uma nodded slowly, the words seemingly common sense to the sea
witch as she considered Harry’s suggestion.
“We’re going to need a ship. I’ve never raided a port before, I’m not sure what
we’ll need for that…” the two fell into silence for several minutes,
contemplating the idea as a few more students filed into the classroom around
them. Uma opened her notebook, picking up her pen and pressing it to the page
as she tried to think of a way to obtain a ship, glancing up as Harry spoke
softly behind her.
“I have an idea...but it involves my da.”
-=-=-
Carlos’ bag sat on the floor beside his desk, his school books tucked inside as
he tapped a rhythm out on the table top, listing slightly to the side as he
gave a yawn. Jay and Gil had gone down to the tourney field after classes had
let out for the day, leaving Carlos alone to get through the homework that had
been assigned for the day. They had invited him along, but the prospect of
sitting on the bleachers while the two did whatever sports related activities
they had planned hadn’t appealed to him, and he had waved them off as he’d
settled at his desk. Twenty minutes later, a neat pile of completed homework
had been placed into his notebook, and his attention had shifted to looking
around the room. It was surprisingly tidy, for having three teenage boys living
in it- especially since he knew that both Jay and Gil were fairly messy people
when it came to their living arrangements. He suspected that a lot of the
sudden change in cleanliness came from rooming with him- his obsessive need to
ensure that everything was perfectly tidy, least his mother punish him, had
followed him across the ocean to Auradon and he was sure the others had
noticed.
He hadn’t really thought about his mother consciously since the second vehicle
had taken her beyond the school on the day they had all left the Isle, not
until Uma had brought her up during their call. He hadn’t bothered to ask Ben
where Cruella was since leaving the hospital, hadn’t wanted the knowledge of
her whereabouts on his mind, but now that Uma had brought her absence to his
attention it was as though she’d opened up a flood gate of curiosity. He knew
that Ben had taken her to some sort of hospital, but the king hadn’t stated
where that was- if it was close to the school, if she was miles away from him.
The part of him that had lived in fear of his mother for his entire life
worried that she would manage to escape wherever she had been taken to, though
he knew that logically Ben wouldn’t have brought her off of the Isle if he had
no way to contain and monitor her in Auradon. He pressed his fingertips hard
into the pliable finish on the desk, giving a small shiver as his mind wandered
to other people who could no longer hurt him. A small part of him wondered what
Jafar and Gaston were doing; if they had moved on to another small, scared boy
now that he was gone, if anyone else had caught their interest. He hoped not-
he wouldn’t wish their attention on anyone, and...well.
A small part of him wanted that attention for himself. As something he had
earned through the months of putting up with them, of being the good, obedient
boy they had often claimed he was. It made him sick, the way he craved even the
smallest amount of that attention still. He knew it was wrong, that his mother
had conditioned him to need approval from adults from a young age, but he
couldn’t help the curl of want that settled within him whenever he was around
someone older than him.
“Carlos?” His eyes darted towards the dorm room door as it opened, his mouth
dry at the sudden intrusion as though Mal could hear his thoughts and had come
to punish him. The girl poked her head into the room hesitantly, brows furrowed
as she spotted him at his desk, having caught his wide eyed stare at the center
of the table top. “I was wondering if we could talk, maybe?” Carlos’ eyes
darted from Mal to the window, before taking a slow breath and giving a nod.
The intrusion wasn’t welcome, and Mal still made him incredibly nervous after
the arm grabbing incident, but he felt that he at least owed it to her to hear
her out since she had made an effort to give him space all day.
“Sure, Mal. Uh...come on in, I guess?” He glanced around, making sure none of
his exits were blocked- the bathroom door was open, as well as the closest
window to him, so he gestured for Mal to pull up a chair to the desk beside
him, cautious but willing to let her sit near him. She did so without
hesitation, grabbing the chair from Jay’s desk to drag to Carlos’ before
settling into it, picking at her hands nervously. “What did you want to talk
about?” Silence settled over them for a moment as Mal gathered herself, and
Carlos jumped slightly as she reached out to rest a hand lightly on his.
“I just wanted to apologize. For...for everything. For the other day, with the
closet. But also for...for not coming back for you sooner. For not realizing
that you needed us. For...not for forgetting, we never completely forgot you
Carlos. I want...no I need, I need you to know that. We thought about you every
day, we had Ben working on getting you over from the Isle, but things because
so crazy...it’s not an excuse. It’s not. And I know I said we had forgotten on
the Isle but we really didn’t, not really. We were trying to get you over here.
I need you to know that. And you don’t have to forgive me, but I’d really like
to make things right with you. You’re...you’re so important to me, Carlos. And
you’re getting closer to Jay and Evie again and I want that, I want you to want
that with me, to want to let me in even if it’s just a little bit. I know we
fucked up- that I fucked up, oh boy did I fuck up but I know that. And you
always said that it’s the intent to recognize something that has to change that
counts, right? This is me, recognizing that I need to change. That we, this,
us? It needs to change. I don’t want you to be scared of me anymore. I never
wanted you to be scared of me ever again, Carlos. You...you have to know that,
please.” Her words were pleading, the expression on her face pained, and though
he winced at the quick, harried way she spoke them he had to take her words at
face value. He knew he had nothing that she could want- he’d come from the Isle
with nothing, just a few articles of clothing. She seemed to be honest in her
want to make things right with him, and though his chest still ached at her
having left him to begin with, a large part of him wanted to forgive her the
way he had Jay and Evie. Not fully; the three had a lot of work to do to earn
his forgiveness fully, but he would be worse than his mother if he didn’t
acknowledge that Mal was trying.
“I...Mal. I know you’re trying. And I...I want to be able to forgive you, so
much. I know why you left, and I know I shouldn’t blame you for not coming
back, but it hurt. It hurt so much that you all just...left me there, you have
to know it hurt me. It’s going to take time before I can forgive you. But…” he
licked his lips, turning his hand in hers to squeeze her palm, his gaze
softening slightly as he spoke, “I’m willing to let you work on earning it.
If...that’s something worth trying.” He didn’t want to say if he was worth
trying for- worried she’d say no, that it would be too much work, not worth it.
Mal’s lips tilted into a smile, her eyes widening at the utterance as she
nodded enthusiastically at him.
“I-yes of course that’s something I want to work towards, yes, thank you so
much Carlos.” He offered her a shy smile, and was startled when she started to
sniffle, tears welling in her eyes as she stared at him. “I’m sorry, I just, I
wasn’t sure you’d ever forgive me and I just...I’m just so incredibly happy
right now.” Carlos blinked as Mal reached to wipe her eyes with her free hand,
unsure as to what he should do in the situation they found themselves. He
ackwardly pat her hand, frowning some as she gave a little hiccup, and cleared
his throat after a moment.
“You’re welcome?” Mal laughed, shaking her head some as a knock sounded at the
door. Both teens looked up as Evie poked her head in, and Carlos’ lip twitched
slightly as she grinned at the sight that greeted her. “Hey, Evie. Did you need
something?” Evie shook her head, slipping into the room and brushing a strand
of her hair behind her ear nervously as she glanced between the two.
“No, I just thought I’d come check on the two of you...is everything okay?”
Carlos nodded, gesturing for her to join them, and Evie made her way into the
room to stand next to Mal’s chair, placing a hand on the other girls’ shoulder
as she smiled at the two.
“Carlos and I are going to work on my earning his forgiveness, E.” Mal’s words
were spoken as though revealing a secret, and Evie tilted her head to glance at
Carlos, smiling at his nod.
“Well that’s good, Mal. Oh! Carlos, I wanted to see if you had any interest in
coming to watch a movie in Ben’s room with a group of us? It’s just a small
group of people, Doug and Lonnie and Ben, probably Mal-” Mal nodded beside her,
“- and I think Jay is asking Gil if he wants to come too. Chad might be there,
I’m not sure since he’s Doug’s roommate, and I think Jane said she was going to
come. Does that sound like something you might want to do?” Carlos thought on
it a moment, hesitant at the thought of so many people that he barely knew in
one room. He knew Auradon was suppose to be a fresh start, that the people were
supposed to be kinder and he was suppose to be safer, but he worried
regardless. The thought that Gil, and to a lesser extent Jay, would be there
helped, and he gave a small nod as he shifted back in his seat, releasing Mal’s
hand to flex his fingers some.
“Yeah, that would be okay I guess. When are you guys doing it?” Evie glanced at
the clock on the wall, giving a little hum as one hand moved to pet idly at
Mal’s hair.
“At seven, so in about two hours. Is that enough time? Ben said he’s going to
have popcorn sent up to his room, but we can go to the kitchens and grab some
junk food to have while we’re watching movies too. I think the boys picked out
some sort of action movie, but I’m not sure.” Carlos nodded, thinking on
anything he had to do before seven.
“No, I’m alright. I might take a short nap before then? I’m sort of tired.” He
glanced towards the door, hoping the girls would take the hint that he wanted
to be alone, and Evie nodded, offering him a small smile as she tugged Mal up
from her seat.
“No worries, Carlos. It’s probably been a really long day for you, I remember
how exhausting everything was when we first got here. We’ll let you sleep some,
and Jay can show you and Gil to Ben’s room later tonight, sound good?” Carlos
nodded, giving the girls a wave as they moved to leave, and once the two had
disappeared out the door her let out a long sigh as he rubbed his face with his
hands. Auradon was exhausting, and the effort involved with Mal and the other’s
wanting his forgiveness was equally so, the pressure on him building every time
the trio spoke to him. It was easier with Jay than it was with Mal- it had
always been easier with Jay, from the first time the group had interacted as a
whole, and even more so with Evie, who had been his first friend besides the
tentative friendship he held with his cousin. He pushed back his chair,
stretching his arms above his head as he turned to make his way to Gil’s bed,
crawling onto the plush mattress to bury his face into the blond’s pillow,
soothed by the lingering scent of the other teen. Being good was hard;
forgiving people felt impossible, even if he wanted to just let the past go.
Everything was exhausting, and he just wanted the world to stop for a bit so he
could catch his bearings.
He fell asleep wondering if leaving the Isle had brought more trouble than he
had anticipated.
***** Chapter 11 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Chapter Notes
     I swear this story isnt just gaylos guys.
He couldn’t move.
Something was holding him down, keeping him trapped, and his eyes were closed
so tight they hurt. His arms were pulled tight above him, and somewhere near
him he could hear the movement of a body larger than his own. He was caught
between needing to breathe and not wanting to draw attention to himself, his
chest aching at the lack of air as he tried to move.
“Now now, my treasure. None of that.” He stilled, his entire body ridgid at the
familiar voice above him, and he couldn’t quell the shivers that ran down his
body as a firm, heavy hand landed on his chest.
“Please, no.” It was a whimper, small and scared as the hand pressed harder- he
had gotten away from this, hadn’t he? He’d escaped, the man shouldn’t be there.
The man shouldn’t be there, touching him, holding him down.
“No? You know better than that, Carlos. You don’t say no to me.” The hand
moved, sliding over his chest and down his stomach, and Carlos cried out,
struggling against the touch as he tried to free his hands, to kick out his
legs, pleading to be released.
“Stop that.” His mother’s voice, sharper than any knife that had ever pierced
his skin, and he stilled, terrified of angering her by disobeying. The hand
brushed along his chest, moving to press tight to his throat, and the fear of
strangulation warred with his fear of his mother, forcing him to still under
the man’s touch as he tried to control his breathing.
“Carlos.” He had to escape. He had to escape, to get away from his mother and
the men who hurt him, and his struggles redoubled as hands grabbed his arms,
his chest, his legs.
“Carlos.” He lashed out, letting out a yell as a hand grabbed his hands and
pinned them to his chest, trapping them there as the voice became more
persistent. “Carlos, it’s just a nightmare. You need to wake up.” He gasped,
his eyes opening at the words, and found himself laying on his side, strong
arms wrapped around him keeping his arms trapped against his chest as a soft
voice spoke in his ear. “You’re okay. They aren’t here, you’re okay.” He felt
the fight leave him almost immediately at the familiar voice, his body shaking
as he squeezed his eyes shut, trying not to cry.
It was just a dream. A terrible nightmare, but a dream nonetheless, and he
wasn’t trapped on the Isle still, wasn’t with his mother or Jafar.
“If I let you go, are you going to stay calm?” Giving a half nod, Carlos
relaxed slightly as the arms around him loosened, and he turned to press his
face into the broad chest he had been pressed against, letting out a single
muffled sob before he attempted to get himself under control. “C? Are...is this
okay then?” He nodded his head, fingers curling into the fabric of the other
boys shirt as he hiccupped.
“S’okay Jay. Thanks for waking me up.” Warm hands soothed along his spine, not
holding him in place but offering protection without being intrusive. Jay gave
a hum, the two laying in silence for a long moment before Carlos pulled away
slightly, wiping his face with the back of his hand.
“Do you wanna talk about it?” Carlos frowned, sniffling some as he wiggled
himself closer to the warmth of the older teen, taking a moment to revel in the
familiarity of the moment- too many nights, back before Ben’s declaration, had
been spent curled up together in the treehouse or in the warehouse.
“S’just a nightmare. My mom was there...and Jafar.” Jay stiffened slightly
before letting out a slow breath, the hand on Carlos’ back rubbing slow circles
on his back as from somewhere behind them, a soft whine sounded. Turning
slightly, Carlos spotted Gil standing awkwardly to the left of the bed; a
concerned look on his face as he hovered near them. Gesturing for the blond to
join them with a small nod, Gil climbed onto the bed to lay at Carlos’ back,
one heavy arm draping over both Carlos and Jay as Gil pressed his face to the
youngests hair.
“You were yellin, C. It musta been a bad one.” Carlos nodded, pressing back
against Gil in a reassuring manner before Jay shifted so Carlos could rest
against his chest, Gil curled as close as he could.
“Hey, we don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. And if you’re not up
to a movie at Ben’s we can just stay in. Today was a lot of stuff in one and no
one will judge you for needing to settle into things.” Carlos frowned slightly
at Jay’s words; while he appreciated the sentiment, he didn’t want to stay in
the dorm room when things got to be too much.
“That would feel too much like letting them win if I do that. I want to go to
the movie.” Jay nodded, and Gil squeezed the arm wrapped around him with a soft
hum.
“If it gets too much we can always leave. Its not like Bens dorm room is in
another building.” He paused a moment, frowning. “It's not, right?” Jay
snorted, shaking his head, and Gil grinned. “See? It’ll all be good.” Carlos
nodded, the trio falling silent for a moment before Carlos began speaking
again.
“I dreamt I was back on the Isle. At least I think I was...Jafar was there. I
couldn’t move at all, I couldn’t see...but someone was touching me and my mom
was talking to me.” He shuddered, and two sets of arms curled around him
protectively, as though trying to protect him from the memory of his dream.
“Jafar never tied me down. Gaston did, once in the beginning...I didn’t like
it.” Thick fingers pet through his hair, and he couldn’t tell who they belonged
to.
“You screamed so much for him to untie you that you lost your voice the whole
next day. I remember that.” Gil’s voice was soft, and Jay made a discontent
sound as Carlos nodded.
“At least Jafar usually...like, left me alone most of the time I was with him.
He’d make me dance for him and clean, but he’d let me read for hours
sometimes.” He almost whispered the words, and after a moment he shook himself,
trying to move past the memories the dream had pulled up. “I know what they all
did to us was wrong and that it takes time to recover from systematic abuse but
I just want to be better now. I'm tired of nightmares.” He sat up, rubbing his
face before hefting a large sigh as he glanced at the clock. “Let me go was my
face and we can go to Ben’s room.” Gil and Jay nodded, though Jay shot a
concerned look his way as Carlos slid from the bed to go to the bathroom.
Pausing in the doorway he frowned, turning to fix Jay with a firm look as he
offered a half smile.
“Im fine Jay, seriously. It's just a bad dream. They can’t hurt me anymore.”
-=-=-
The barges were better secured than Hook had anticipated.
He hadn’t counted on the boy prince of Auradon doubling the security in
response to the embargo being lifted; new, better trained guards came in with
every shipment of supplies making it difficult to get anywheres near the ships
whenever they docked. He had tried several times with little luck- the guards
were bringing the items off the barges themselves, boxes of food and
necessities that were slowly becoming the norm for the people of the Isle.
“You said you knew how to get a ship, Hook. Failure is not a good look on you.”
The pirate captain rolled his eyes at the words as they drifted to him from
behind the beaded curtain separating Jafar’s junk shop from the rest of the
man’s home. He had returned to the other man’s home to inform him of the issue
with their plan, and Jafar had been unimpressed; spitting something in Arabic
before disappearing into the back through the curtain.
“There’s nearly twelve guards per barge, Jafar. We’d never get onto the ship,
let alone be able to get it out of here without being caught. You’re going to
have to give up on your ridiculous dream of having the boy back. Can’t you find
a nice replacement? He couldn’t have been that special, any warm hole should
do. The boy was a little simple, was he not?.” Something came flying from
behind the curtain and he ducked, quick reflexes saving him from the butchers
knife Jafar had thrown.
“You will not speak of him in that vulgar manner, Hook. That boy could have
single handedly gotten us all off of this hell hole had he been given a proper
chance, and he was the one true treasure on this rotted ghost of an island.”
Hook raised a brow, reaching to pull the knife from where it had embedded
itself in the wall near him to place it on the counter, shifting to glance
through the curtain curiously. Jafar paced the small space of the living room
area, stroking his beard as he mumbled to himself.
“Was he really as smart as the kids said he was?” Jafar shifted his attention
to Hook, raising a brow before moving to stand before him, arms crossed over
his chest.
“He is smarter than anyone on this Isle ever gave him credit for. Not just for
building things from the scraps he finds, but because for all Cruella has
tortured and abused the boy, he escaped. He managed to convince those traitors
to take not only him but your son and his little pack of wharf rats with them.
He turned Gaston and I into blathering idiots at the thought of not being able
to possess him. The boy wasn’t simply smart, Hook.” The man shifted some, a
harried look on his face as he gestured, continuing to speak. “He broke the
barrier with something he created to get television stations, with parts he
snuck around in the middle of the night to find.” Hook fixed him with a look
for a long moment, taking in the man’s words and carefully examining them.
“Jafar...just how long have you been stalking the de Vil boy?” Jafar scowled,
waving the question off momentarily as he moved to pick up a red and black
shirt from the floor beside his arm chair.
“I first noticed him last year. Jay started to bing him over after the barrier
opened- the children went to retrieve Maleficent’s sceptre from the Forbidden
Fortress on the Isle of Doomed and it made them want to spend time together or
some other nonsense- and well. He was so polite and shy. Nothing like the
little fae monster Jay spent all his time with at all. Knew to say yes sir and
do as he was asked, and even you should be able to admit the boy is a looker,
even if he’s not your sort.” Hook hemmed, giving a half shrug of agreement
before Jafar continued. “He caught my interest. I’d see him in the market and
have to follow him, see what he was doing. He’s graceful as any royal, yet
stronger than his slim physique would lead one to believe. Quick to make
himself seem invisible, as well. I’d often visit Hell Hall in hopes that he’d
be there, talking to him while Cruella was distracted with any number of
trinkets I’d bring her.” Hook hummed, his interest captured at the imagery
Jafar spun while talking about the teen. He could see how the boy could capture
someone’s interest, he supposed, but still didn’t see the appeal of Jafar and
Gaston’s obsession with him.
“A little bit of a stalker, aren’t you? Regardless, the barges aren’t going to
be the way to get to him. We won’t be getting through those guards any time
soon, even with LeGume’s bulk. So think of another way.” Jafar frowned,
twisting the fabric of the shirt in his fingers as he contemplated the man’s
words. “I’ve a video call from Harry to attend to, but you know where to find
me.” He gave a half wave as he turned to leave, one careless glance back
revealing Jafar having sunk into the chair as he continued to twist the shirt
in his hands. Shaking his head, Hook took off out of the shop, heading to his
home in hopes of having a few minutes to figure out the strange video
contraption that had been sent to him from Auradon once Harry had disappeared.
Perhaps his son could shed some light on the mystery of the de Vil boy.
***** Chapter 12 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Ben’s bedroom was huge; larger still than the bedroom Carlos shared with Gil
and Jay, and he couldn’t help but be impressed at the privacy offered to the
king while he finished his schooling at Auradon Prep. Frankly, Carlos had never
really understood the idea behind letting a soft, naive sixteen year old ascend
the throne when King Adam was still, quite honestly, in his prime. It made no
sense; what sort of practice could Ben possibly have in diplomacy, in running a
country, when just before the others had left the Isle they had broadcast the
teen’s sixteenth birthday party, showing the then king-to-be as the teenager he
truly was. He appreciated Ben’s attempt to fix things on the Isle; Ben had made
sure to let Carlos know what he was sending to the Isle to ensure he forgot
nothing that was needed, but he’d had to ask so many questions about basic
needs that Carlos had been concerned.
It was no wonder Maleficent had been so adamant about the trio obtaining the
wand and setting the Isle free if Ben and his father were this uneducated in
important things like basic human survival.
Though Ben had, and was willing to ask for, help. King Adam’s inefficiency when
dealing with the Isle was on course to being fixed thanks to Ben, and though it
was a long way off from everything being alright Carlos knew to give credit
where it was due. Glancing at the teen seated on the couch beside him, Carlos
couldn’t help but wonder what Ben would do for the people of the Isle next.
“So I don’t know much about this movie except that it’s a romantic comedy?
Lonnie wanted a horror movie but Jane can’t do horror, and Evie veto’d action
after last time…” Carlos raised a brow, and Ben gave a sheepish grin. “Jay and
I got a little too riled up after the last one.” From Ben’s other side, the
small quiet girl who had sank into the cushions at Carlos and Gil’s arrival
spoke up.
“They broke a table. My mother was furious.” Ben chuckled, and the girl offered
a shy smile to Carlos. “I’m Jane, by the way. I’m not sure if anyone told you
who, um, I was.“ Carlos offered a half smile to her, noting that she seemed far
more nervous around him than any of the others had. He took in the large blue
eyes and round almost cherubic face, placing the familiar features with the
remembrance of her name being mentioned in Remedial Goodness once or twice
before.
“Fairy Godmother’s daughter, right? I’m Carlos, and that’s Gil. It’s nice to
meet you.” Something about her made him nervous; the way she watched him as
though he was some sort of feral creature, waiting to attack her even with the
king seated between them, made his skin crawl in a way it hadn’t since the
first time one of the younger kids on the Isle had seen him injure someone in
defense- as though he would hurt them for no reason. He shifted a bit further
towards the opposite end of the couch, wary of making the girl scared enough to
potentially ask her mother to send him back to the Isle to keep her safe.
“It’s...er. Lovely to meet you.” Carlos’ smile dipped slightly at her
hesitance, and he gave a nod before Ben cut in, noting the tension between
them.
“Have you had popcorn yet, Carlos? Dizzy loves it, I hope she gets back from
her Aunts in time to join us.” Carlos frowned at the question, confused for a
moment before realizing Ben meant the bowl situated in his lap full of some
sort of warm air popped corn kernel. Shaking his head, he took the offered
handful that Ben held out to pop one into his mouth, letting out a pleased
noise at the surprising taste.
“That’s good!” He stated, earning a wide grin from Ben and a polite smile from
Jane. “Gil, come try this.” Gil immediately abandoned Jay in moving the chairs
around to go to Carlos, giving the popcorn a curious look as Carlos held up a
piece for him to try. Leaning down to let the younger teen pop the piece into
his mouth, Gil’s eyes widened as he hummed happily.
“Oh! It’s really good!” Carlos chuckled, patting Gil’s cheek lightly before
nodding for him to rejoin Jay, and Ben grinned widely as he offered the entire
bowl to Carlos.
“There's a few bowls floating around here, why don’t you take this one?” Carlos
nodded, taking the bowl to place it in his lap as he turned his gaze to Gil and
Jay. They appeared to be moving the chairs all out of the way to make a
clearing in the middle of the floor, and near Ben’s bed Mal and Evie were
gathering pillows and blankets. Giving them a curious look, he turned his
attention back to Ben and raised a brow. “We usually make a big...nest, I
guess, in the middle of the floor when we have movie night. Jane, Chad, Doug
and Lonnie usually take over the couches and then Mal, Evie, Jay and myself lay
on the floor. You’re welcome to join us on the floor or we can pull some seats
over for you and Gil if you want.” Carlos nodded, watching as Mal dumped her
pile of blankets onto the floor before moving to start making a nest for them
to lay in. Evie’s multitude of pillows- and really, who needed twelve pillows?-
joined them, and the two girls worked on creating a comfortable little nest
before settling into it, Jay moving to sit beside Evie as the blue haired girl
found herself with Mal’s head in her lap.
“I’ll sit wherever Gil wants to, it’s fine.” Ben nodded, moving to slide from
the couch to sit beside Jay as Lonnie and Doug pulled the curtains closed to
darken the room, Chad turning on the t.v as he collapsed on the couch beside
Jane, taking up most of the cushions by lounging out.
“Chad, sit up or the others can’t join us. “ Jane scolded, as Carlos pushed
himself from the couch to stand beside it, unsure as to where he should sit. He
had no intention of joining the four on the couch; from the looks of it, Chad
and Lonnie spread themselves across Jane and Doug in an attempt to take over
the couch, causing a quiet bickering between the four. He was hesitant to join
the others on the floor, either, which left him standing awkwardly.
“Here, C, I’ll get us chairs. One or two?” Gil’s voice startled him from beside
him, and he turned to look at the blond a moment while he thought on the
question.
“Two.” Gil nodded, dragging two chairs close enough to see the large television
before gesturing for Carlos to pick one. Seating himself in the one furthest
from the group, he settled into the cushion with a soft sigh, already a bit
overwhelmed. He glanced over as Gil leant towards him, giving him a curious
look as the blond offered him a smile.
“We don’t have to stay for the whole movie if you don’t want to.” Carlos smiled
at that, reaching to squeeze Gil’s hand before shifting to curl up in his
chair, letting his gaze settle on the pile of people curled up together on the
ground. He wondered when they had all gotten together- on the Isle, he and the
others had been close, bordering something dangerously close to a relationship,
and he wondered what had been the tipping point once the others had left. Had
it been the fear of a new place? Comfort in familiar people? Or had it been
because he was gone, had he been the one holding them back? The first two
options were completely viable and not unheard of. The last...even the thought
of the last sent a twinge of pain through him, the same pain he felt whenever
Jay made an inside joke with Mal and Evie and Ben. The same pain that settled
over him whenever Evie gave him a pitying look or Mal hesitated to reach near
him. The pain that reminded him that they had moved on and left him behind, had
all but replaced him with Ben. He wanted to hate Ben, hate the king for taking
his friends, for leaving him behind, for fitting in seemingly effortlessly in
the dynamics of the three Isler’s turn Auradonian. He wanted to despise the
seemingly always optimistic teen but...he couldn’t bring himself to. Ben had,
after all, gotten them all off the Isle; he was trying to help.
His eyes trailed across the group to land on Evie, his lips quirking upwards
slightly at the sight of the girl who had once been his best friend. She looked
healthier, lighter and full of energy with an undeniable happiness hanging over
her that made her shine. He had always suspected that Evie would easily fit
into the sparkling world of Auradon, and he was pleased to see he was right. He
couldn’t bring himself to begrudge her finding her place, but the hurt that had
settled over him the past six months wasn’t so easily shaken. Beside her, Mal
lay with her head in the blue haired girls lap, muttering things too quiet for
Carlos to hear from his spot on his chair. Mal certainly had an air of ease
about her in Auradon that she hadn’t had on the Isle, no doubt the pressure of
punishment from her mother lessened while the woman was still trapped on the
Isle. She had been overwhelmed with a different sort of pressure, of being
under Aurdon’s watchful eye for being publicly with the King, but even that had
seemed to lessen since their return from the Isle. She had a softness to her
now that suited her, and while it still bothered him that she had thought she
could simply waltz back into his life as though nothing happened, he could
acknowledge that she was making an effort.
“Turn off the lights, Ben.” Chad’s request was more of a whine, and Carlos
couldn't help but roll his eyes as Ben clapped his hands twice, the lights
automatically dimming. Carlos let his eyes adjust to the sudden darkness before
he turned his attention to where Jay sat between Ben and Evie, his back pressed
against the arm of the couch behind him as he flicked pieces of popcorn at Doug
and Chad on the couch. He had forgiven Jay in what felt like a ridiculously
small amount of time compared to the others, though he had always felt
something...different, he supposed, for Jay. Even before they were friends,
when Maleficent had sent them off to retrieve her staff, he had felt
differently about Jay than he had anyone else. Even with all of Jay’s teasing
and tormenting while they had been at Dragon Hall, Carlos had noticed the
almost gentle way Jay handled his belongings before shoving him into a locker.
It had felt natural to wake up in Jay’s arm after his nightmare earlier, as
natural as waking up with Gil felt, and he knew that there was no possible way
he’d be able to remain upset with Jay any longer, especially knowing just what
sort of perverse things Jafar could do. He could understand wanting to escape
that fully, and it made it harder to be mad at the older boy for leaving.
“Did I miss the movie?” Carlos’ eyes shot to the door of the bedroom to where
Dizzy had peeked her head in, watching as Ben gestured her into the room with a
smile, inviting her to join them. She scurried in, pausing between where Evie
sat with the others and where Carlos’ chair sat, giving the older boy a curious
look before glancing down at Evie, clearly conflicted. Carlos offered her a
small smile, patting the empty section of his seat, and Dizzy grinned before
wiggling her way onto the chair with him. “Carlos! I haven’t see you since we
came over, are you okay? Everyone's been saying you’re recovering and I
shouldn’t bug you but I wanted to know, I should have slipped away from Auntie
Ella’s to come to see you!” Carlos gave a slight wince at Dizzy’s nickname for
her aunt, the words identical to what both his cousins called his mother
whenever they were around.
“Im okay, Diz. I wouldn't have wanted you to get into trouble by sneaking off
just to see me, and besides I’ve been sleeping a lot lately so odds are you’d
have just sat around watching me sleep. How are you settling into Auradon?”
They kept their voices low as the movie played, and Dizzy gave him a wide grin
as she shifted slight to press against his side.
“Oh it’s just like I always imagined it would be, Carlos! My aunt’s a real
princess and my cousin’s a prince and Auntie Ella’s going to get Anthony
brought over! It’s amazing here, the food is so good and everything’s so
clean!” Carlos couldn’t help but chuckle at her enthusiasm, and Dizzy watched
him for a moment before reaching to grasp his arm, giving him a soft look. “I
feel a lot better knowing you’re okay, though. When the pirates kidnapped you
and Ben...I was really scared they’d hurt you.” Carlos felt a twinge of guilt
at that; he hadn’t meant to scare Dizzy with their plan, but it had happened.
“I knew they were going to do it, Dizzy. I...we were trying to do a good thing
in a bad way. And in the end my dumb plan didn’t even work.” Dizzy frowned,
watching Carlos for a moment before shaking her head with a soft snort.
“Well if it was your plan and it didn’t work someone must have messed it up.
You’re plans always work.” Carlos chuckled at her seemingly absolute faith in
his planning abilities, and beside him Gil looked over, curiously. “Either way,
I'm really glad you’re okay and here.” Carlos reached to ruffle Dizzy’s hair,
offering her a soft smile.
“I’m glad you’re here too, Diz. Now why don’t we watch this movie and see if
Auradon’s idea of romance is as ridiculous as I think it is?” Dizzy beamed,
nodded and taking the popcorn offered to her as they returned their focus on
the movie.
-=-=-
“Harry, my boy. How are you doing then? Settling in okay?” The words were
simple pleasantries and they both knew it; Harry had summoned his father to a
video call for a specific reason, and Hook was interested in knowing what that
reason was.
“Settling fine, Da. They haven’t let us actually onto a ship yet so I’m not
entirely sure what they hope to accomplish but here we are. How are you and the
girls? I’ve petitioned for them to get sent here.” Hook nodded, stroking his
chin lightly as he considered Harry’s question a moment.
“The girls are fine. C.J’s already been accepted to go to Auradon, and Harriet
will be heading your way soon. I’m handling things here, including the mess
that deVil boy left.” Harry’s lips turned down into a frown, and Hook chuckled
as he leant back in his seat, taking a moment to really look over his son. The
kids hadn't been gone long at all, but already Harry looked stronger and
healthier than he did on the Isle. He had certainly been upset to learn that
his only son had taken off to Auradon without so much as a goodbye, but he
appreciated that Harry was a man after his own intentions, going wherever the
wind pulled his sail.
“I know we left a bit of a mess, but Da c’mon. You’ve spoken with Jafar and
Gaston, haven’t you? That shite wasn’t okay.” Hook hummed, completely in
agreeance to his son’s assessment of the situation.
“No, no I agree completely Harry. The boy had to leave the Isle, there was no
doubt about that. I’ve recently gained further disturbing information in
regards to Jafar’s absolute obsession with the lad and frankly the further he
is from those two the better I think. Remember, my boy; there’s a difference
between being what those on land consider a villain and what would be
considered a monster, and Cruella, Jafar and Gaston have passed that line years
ago. Jafar’s been watching the deVil boy longer than anyone would have
anticipated.” Harry frowned, his hands curling on the desk before him (and Hook
noticed the lack of ever present hook in his son’s hand) as he tried to take a
moment to cool down. Hook had always been just shy of concerned about his son’s
anger issues; Harry had been an even tempered babe before his mother’s passing
-scurvy, and hadn’t that been a sting of irony- as as he grew so had his
irrational quick temper and occasional downright rage. He was pleased to see
his son attempting some sort of anger management, and waited patiently for
Harry to speak his mind.
“Pup’s had an awful lot to deal with before joining the crew. Uma and I want to
make things better for the crew, for Pup and Gilly boy.” Hook noticed the
visible slump of his son’s shoulders at the mention of the two other teens who
had often spent days during the past six months in and out of both his home and
the tackle shop, and he wondered where the two were. Uma he had assumed would
most likely be in the girls dormitory as he had to assume co-ed dorms were not
the norm for a herd of hormonal teenagers as they had been while he’d attended
college, but the other two had no reason not to be in Harry’s room with him
considering how the three had stuck together the past few months.
“Where are your little shadows? I thought I’d at least see Gil with you, son.”
Harry’s expression darkened some, and Hook watched the swell of anger roll over
his son as he struggled to find his words.
“They sent them to Auradon Prep. And I don't think they’re alright, Pup looks
the same as he did on the Isle and Gil’s got this sad kicked dog look to him.
Uma and I want to rescue them.”
And there it was. The entire reason his son had sent for a computer to be set
up in their living room, the reason his second eldest had reached out to him.
His son needed help planning a daring rescue, one that most likely had to be
dealt with delicately if they wanted to be able to stay in Auradon. Leaning
forward in his seat he gave his son a wide grin, gold incisor glinting in the
light as he gave a small nod.
“Then I suppose you’ll be wanting your old man’s help. Go on, tell me what
you’ve gotten so far and dear old da will see what he can do.” Harry grinned,
barely a hint of the manic child within, and Hook settled back in his chair as
he began to take mental notes on Harry’s plan.
After all, what sort of parent would he be if he didn’t help his son with his
little rescue project?
***** Chapter 13 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
Chapter Notes
     This is like the slowest moving plot line ever and Im sorry TAT It's
     a struggle because I have to keep reminding myself that this isn't
     just a Gaylos fic lol
     Also we post without editing like men in this household!
“It’s completely unfair that you’re monopolizing his time, Jay. When he’s not
in classes he’s either at his therapy sessions or he’s with you and Gil. How is
he ever going to move forward with Mal and I if he’s never with us?” Evie’s
voice was clear through the door, though Carlos wondered if she intended for
him to hear her or if she assumed he was at his physiotherapy session instead
of sitting at his desk with Gil, tutoring the boy in Algebra. He supposed she
probably thought he was at the hospital; his appointment had been rescheduled
for later in the day, an emergency surgery having called Dr. Sweet away and
causing his appointment to be pushed forward four hours as he refused to deal
with any other doctor.
“I’m not doing whatever that means, E, I’m just trying to be there for him. You
know, like we weren’t for six months? I can’t help it if we’re roommates and
that makes us able to spend more time together. Besides, you’ve got a bunch of
classes with him, why don’t you just ask him to do something with you guys?”
Evie’s response was too quiet for Carlos to hear, and as he began to write out
practice questions for Gil to work on he let his mind wander. Evie might have
had a point; in the week after the movie night in Ben’s room, he had spent far
more time with Jay and Gil than he had with the girls. Truthfully, he was still
nervous around Mal after the grabbing incident- he knew she meant him no harm,
but he also knew Mal’s temperament could switch as quickly as his own mothers
and it made him nervous after all of the time they’d been apart, the trust
they’d built between them that she wouldn’t lash out at him gone.
Evie was a different matter altogether. He knew Evie would never hurt him
physically, that the girl didn’t have a violent bone in her body, but he had
put all of his trust in her to the point that he would have, at the point of
her leaving the Isle, considered her his best friend. He knew he couldn’t blame
her for leaving, blame any of them for leaving when he knew how terrible things
on the Isle were, but he couldn’t bring himself to fully forgive her for
seemingly forgetting about him. He knew that they had their reasons; he and Jay
often had hushed conversations in the middle of the night when Carlos couldn’t
sleep about it, and while somewhere inside of him he had forgiven them at least
somewhat, it still hurt. She had been his first friend, the first person to
show him kindness, and her leaving had felt like someone ripping off a limb.
“I try to. He’s always busy, or he just stares at me like he doesn’t know what
to do with the invitation, and then I feel like I’ve offended him in some way.
I just want to be with him and have him know how sorry I am…I just want him to
forgive me.” Jay gave a sigh, as heavy as the silence that fell between them,
and Carlos took the moment to glance over the work Gil had done on his practice
sheet, giving him an encouraging smile as the blond looked up at him.
“When he forgives you is up to him, E. But we both know that the more you push
with him, the less he wants to do with you- you have to let him come to you.
Stop trying to force it. I’ll ask him about doing something with you, but I’m
not gunna force him or guilt him into it okay?” Their conversation fell into
murmurs, and Carlos let his attention refocus on Gil as he slid the now
finished sheet towards him.
“You know you don’t have to forgive them.” Carlos gave Gil a look, tapping the
pen he held against the table for a moment.
“It’s rude to eavesdrop, Gil.” There was no heat behind the statement and Gil
wrinkled his nose as Carlos gave a sigh, shaking his head slightly. “Jay’s been
putting in actual effort to make things right Gil. And Evie and Mal are trying,
and I know that the right thing to do is forgive them but...it’s harder to
forgive them than it is to forgive Jay. I don’t know why.” A frown pulled at
his lips, and Gil hummed, reaching to close his book.
“Because you were never close to Mal, not really. Not like you were the other
two. Anyone could see it when they were still on the Isle. And Evie was your
best friend, right? It must have hurt a lot when she left and never came back.
I don’t blame you for having a hard time forgiving her. And we all know you’ve
had a soft spot for Jay since you met him, C.” He teased the last bit, causing
Carlos to roll his eyes before he began to mark the worksheet with small
precise ticks.
“Everyone keeps telling me I should forgive them though. It’s not like they
asked specifically for me to get left behind, and they were busy when they got
here, things were crazy...but like. Okay. So I’m supposed to forgive them,
because it’s the right thing to do. But I don’t feel ready to yet and wouldn’t
the right thing to do be leaving me alone if I’m not ready for that?” Each tick
came a little faster as Carlos began to glare at the paper, his fingers
tightening on the pen in his hand as he continued. “I’m getting really tired of
everyone telling me when I should be ready to do things. I thought I left that
behind on the Isle. All the doctors think I should be ready to let them do
surgery on my leg to fix the muscle damage from the bear trap but I’ve been
living with it for almost ten years, it’s not like it’s hindering me. And Fairy
Godmother and Ben say I shouldn’t avoid other students anymore, that I should
be ready to mingle and make friends but…” he frowned as his pen ripped through
the paper slightly, and Gil reached out to still his hand, curling his fingers
around Carlos’ own and squeezing gently.
“But you’re not ready for that yet. They can’t force you to make friends, or do
anything you don’t want to here Carlos. That’s the whole point of Auradon
right?” Carlos shook his head, grabbing Gil’s hand to pull it towards him to
kiss his knuckles before closing his eyes as he tried to release the sudden
ball of anxiety in his chest.
“They could send me back. Or worse; they could send you back, Gil. Us being
here is determined on our behavior and growth, and if we don’t perform to their
liking they can deem us un-savable and send us back.” Gil frowned, though
before he could respond the dorm door opened to a confused Jay who glanced at
the clock.
“Hey, guys. I thought you had physio, C? Did something happen?” Carlos gave a
small shrug as Gil squeezed his hand, and Jay closed the door behind him with a
small sigh. “I guess you must have heard me and Eve’s, huh? Sorry about that.”
Carlos gave another shrug, and Jay frowned, making his way to the desk to lean
against it. “You know it’s not really your fault she’s upset right? She just
has a lot a guilt about what happened and she’s not going to forgive herself
unless you forgive her first. If you decide to, which is totally up to you?”
Carlos took a moment to study Jay, who rubbed his neck sheepishly under the
scrutiny.
“You know, you’ve been incredibly understanding in all this. It’s...weird.” Jay
snorted as Carlos leant back in his seat, brow raised as the older teen gave a
half shrug, crossing his arms over his chest.
“I mean, I probably would have been a lot like Evie about this if Coach didn’t
have me going to therapy...he was worried about impulse control issues when I
joined the team, and I gotta admit it’s definitely helped. We uh. Talk about
you and what happened a lot. My therapists been really good at helping me look
at things from other people’s point of view. And...I can get why you’d not
wanna forgive us, cause from where you’re standing it totally looks like we
just abandoned you.” He fell silent, his gaze heavy before he gave a half
hearted shrug. “And we want to make it better but it’s not up to us to decide
when you’re ready to. No one should be trying to make you do things if you
aren’t ready for them, C.” Carlos continued to study him a moment before
reaching to curl his fingers in the fabric of Jay’s shirt with the hand not
holding Gil’s before pulling him close enough to rest his forehead against the
older teens stomach.
“Thank you.” He murmured, shivering slightly as a warm hand pressed lightly to
the back of his neck as his fingers curled into the older boys shirt tighter.
“I don’t get why it’s so much easier to forgive you. You all left, and you’re
all making an effort to try and make it better between us, but I’d really
rather watch movies with you and Gil here in the dorm than do any of the things
Mal and Evie want to do.” Jay hummed, his fingers moving along Carlos’ neck to
scratch lightly over his scalp, making the younger teen tilt his head into the
sensation with a pleased noise.
“I don’t know, dude. But I’m pretty thankful that you’re willing to forgive me
at all. And I’m really happy you decided to stay, Gil.” Beside them, the blond
looked up, a surprised expression on his face. “Dude. I like you. You’re cool
and pretty fun to hang out with. And you make Carlos happy so...I want us to be
good. Yeah?” Gil nodded, and Carlos gave a little huff, turning his face
slightly to press his nose into the firm expanse of Jay’s stomach.
“God your abs are just...so very there, aren’t they.” Carlos murmured, causing
Jay to snort as Gil snickered beside him.
“I mean they are attached to the rest of my body, yeah. Do you have to go to
physio still?” Carlos nodded, pulling his face from Jay’s stomach with a sigh
as he glanced towards the clock.
“Yeah, I should head out in a few minutes. Sweet had an emergency surgery come
up, so my appointment got pushed back. “ He pushed himself from his seat,
stretching as he turned to look for his jacket as Gil began to tidy up his
homework from the desk.
“Do you want me to go down and wait for your drive with you?” Jay asked as
Carlos tugged his coat free from under the pile of pillows he’d found it under
before pulling it on. Glancing at Jay, Carlos smiled before moving to stand
before him, giving him a look for a long moment before reaching to cup his face
between his hands, offering him a soft smile.
“No, it’s okay. Maybe you can take Gil to do something while I’m gone?” Jay
nodded, and Carlos hesitated a moment before shifting up on his toes, pressing
his lips to Jay’s sweetly before pulling away to go to the door, his cheeks
flushing. “And maybe you can let Evie know that if she wants to do something
with me, I want to see the gardens Ben mentioned when we first got to the
school? And I never turn down food.” Jay nodded, a slightly dazed look on his
face as Carlos moved to press a kiss to Gil’s forehead before disappearing out
the door to head down to where the car to take him to the hospital was waiting.
Jay moved to sit on his bed, reaching to touch his lips almost awed as Gil gave
a chuckle from where he sat putting his books away into his bookbag.
“He’s been having less nightmares whenever he’s slept in your bed, so I’m going
to let this...this, happen. But I need you to know that I’m not going away,
either.” Gil’s voice was firm as he moved to put his bag near his bed, moving
to sit on the cushiony mattress as he faced Jay with a serious look on his
face. “You need to consider what you want with him really hard, okay? If you’re
already with Mal and Evie and the king I want you to really think about what
you’re doing with him, Jay. You guys already hurt him so bad, and with
everything our dads have done to him...I just want him to be happy, because
he’s the only person to make me feel like I’m more than I am, you know? And I’m
not going to let you or anyone else hurt him again.” They sat in silence for a
long moment as Jay contemplated Gil’s words, before he tilted his head,
watching the other teen curiously.
“You’re in love with him, aren’t you?” Gil wrinkled his nose, turning to lay on
his bed as he pulled a pillow onto his chest to wrap his arms around.
“Everyone keeps sayin’ that like it’s some big huge secret they’re just
figuring out. I followed him here, didn’t I? I left my crew. Of course I’m in
love with him.” He scowled at the ceiling before turning to look at Jay,
studying him a minute before letting out a small huff. “But he’s always going
to have loved you first. And he’s always going to love you, I think. More than
me, more than the girls or Harry or anyone who could ever capture even an ounce
of his attention. Because there’s something about you that makes people pay
attention, yeah, but there’s also...it’s like…” He made a noise of frustration,
trying to piece the words together. “The last time he had a nightmare back on
the Isle, right before you guys came back, he woke up screaming your name,
crying for you to help him. You’d been gone six months and you’d hurt him so
bad but he still dreamt about you. I can’t...I can’t compete with that.”
Silence fell over the room, draping over them like a heavy blanket before Jay
cleared his throat, causing Gil to glance over at him.
“He loves you, too. At least as far as I can tell. He’s so...gentle with you.
I’ve never seen him like that with anyone. So don’t...don’t sell yourself short
dude. And I know you aren’t going anywheres, I sort of...I don’t want you to.
Not just because you make Carlos happy, but because you deserve to be happy
too. I want you here, and I like that we’re getting along. I like you. And if
things between Carlos and I get more serious, I know you’re still gunna be here
too. I think we should just let things work themselves out, to be honest. Don’t
push anything, just...let shit happen. Can we do that?” Gil nodded, and Jay
flashed him a grin as he nodded towards the t.v. “Good. You wanna kill some
zombies?” Gil grinned, pushing himself up to stand against before heading
towards the couch, tossing a smirk at the other teen.
“Dude. I was born ready!”
***** Chapter 14 *****
Chapter by Turntechgodliness_(AmberzillaRex)
The door wasn’t anything to be intimidated by. Solid oak with a dark stain, it
sat heavy in its door frame, a sturdy barrier to the room within. It hadn’t
taken much to find it; the naval academy was laid out in almost a grid that was
easily navigated once you knew your way around, and as former residents of the
Isle and quick studies, both Uma and Harry had the layout pretty much
memorized. The door lead into what acted as a reception area for the students
who were sent onto ships- the ancient gentleman who worked the desk providing
them with their assignments and keeping track of which ships were docked in
port at all times with the large book the rarely left his sight. The book was
their goal; the book would lend them the information they’d need to steal a
ship to rescue their friends.
“Harry, we’re going to get caught. Let’s just wait til morning and request
leave to visit them, I’m tired and this plan is ridiculous.” Uma’s tone was
quietly unimpressed as they stood outside the door, and Harry turned to look at
his captain with a frown.
“Are you going soft on me then, Captain? I thought we decided that the only way
we can be sure they’re okay is to go get them? Da even made a plan for us.” His
frown deepened as Uma’s expression darkened some, the smaller girl reaching to
curl a fist in Harry’s shirt to pull his face level with her.
“You’re an idiot and I regret letting you even consider your dads stupid plan.
He just wants you to get him off the Isle Harry. If we steal a boat, the
Admiral will court martial us right back to the Isle. Then the rest of our crew
will never get brought over. Neither will your sisters. We’re not doing this.”
Harry hesitated, his hand hovering over the handle of the door as his brow
furrowed at her words. “Not to mention the books probably not even there since
Grimsby has it practically sewn to him.” Silence settled between them as Uma
waited for a response, her frown deepening as Harry’s hand remained just above
the handle. “Gil and Pup would be disappointed in you.” It was a low blow, but
enough to make Harry’s hand drop and for the boy to turn to her, brows furrowed
in anger.
“Well what would you have us do? Sit around and wait for them to allow us to go
make sure Gil and Carlos are okay? Who knows how long that could take, and who
knows how quickly Mal and her cronies are going to try to sweep in on them?
Trying to claim them again? They’re ours, not theirs!” His voice rose with the
proclamation, and Uma clamped a hand over his mouth with a sharp look as she
glanced down the hall.
“Shut it, Harry, or we’re going to get caught. They’re probably fine, I doubt
king goodie twoshoes would let anything happen to them, okay? We need to be
smart about this. If we try to steal a ship and get caught, they’re going to
send us back. And what if they don’t catch us and we get to Auradon Prep and
Gil and Carlos are fine and don’t need to be rescued? We’d have shit the bed
then, the academy wouldn’t have us back.” Harry’s expression sank, and Uma’s
softened some. “I’m sure if we explain the situation, Prince Eric will
understand. He’s been...really nice about everything.” Harry let out a huff,
but allowed Uma to steer him back towards the dorms.
“Alright. But if he says no, I’m looking into other options.”
-=-=-
“The gardens expand for almost the entire length of the sciences building. I
think Ben said that the botany club is responsible for it?” Carlos watched as
Evie twirled a daisy in her fingers, taking in her relaxed posture as she leant
against one of the tall oak trees in the small clearing the three had settled
in. Mal lay across the blanket spread out under them, tossing an apple back and
forth between her hands as she lay with her head in Evie’s lap. Carlos’
attention drifted from the two girls to the lush greenery surrounding them, a
small frown colouring his expression as Evie continued to explain the garden
around them. “There’s a vegetable garden at the opposite end from us that the
agriculture club maintains, which is pretty cool. Anyone can grab something
fresh from there if they want. It’s all really-”
“-awful. People in Auradon get as much fresh food as they want, whole gardens
that are just for fun while we starved on the Isle. How are you not outraged
about it?” Carlos’ tone was curt as he cut Evie off, his brows furrowed as he
stared at the food spread out around them on the blanket. “Our parents are
villains. We know that. But that doesn’t excuse non-livable conditions. Even
prisons had three meals a day, before Adam created Auradon. Doesn’t he know
children are starving? Doesn’t he care?” Evie and Mal exchanged a look as Mal
sat up, both turning to face Carlos properly.
“He’s been made aware of the situation on the Isle since we came over, yeah.
And Ben’s trying to make it better, but that stuff takes time, Carlos.” Carlos
fell silent for a moment, picking at the grass beside the blanket where he sat
as he took in Mal’s words, carefully rolling them over in his mind.
“In six months, the only thing that’s changed is that the Isle gets even less
food than before. There’s been no improvements. There’s been nothing but an
embargo and a lot of angry, frustrated adults taking their shit out on kids.”
Mal sighed, and Carlos shot her a look. “People are starving. Kids are dying
because they can’t get enough to eat. The only reason I didn’t starve was
because Jafar and Gaston gave me food.” He dropped his gaze some, frustrated at
the admittance. “Can’t have the energy to fuck if your starving, I guess.” Both
Mal and Evie winced, and he shrugged. “Not to mention the soil is so beyond
destroyed that there’s no way anyone can plant anything or grow their own food.
There’s barely any animal’s left on the island so you can’t hunt anything. All
we ever get is leftover trash and it’s inhuman. We deserve to be able to eat.”
Mal shot Evie a look before reaching out to lightly touch Carlos’ arm, concern
washing over her as she watched the way Carlos curled into himself some as he
ranted.
“Ben’s trying to fix things, I promise. But you don’t...Carlos, you aren’t
there any more. You’re not on the Isle. You won’t starve here in Auradon, I
promise. You’re okay here.” Carlos stared at the hand on his arm, biting his
lip as he let the words settle over him.
“Yeah, but for how long? How long are the adults here going to let me stay? I’m
not like you, Mal. I’m not like Evie, or Jay, I’m not going to be able to just
settle in and be okay, like nothing ever happened. Because guess what? I’m not
okay. I’m really not okay and people have to accept that because all of the
therapy in the world isn’t going to change the fact that I’m not okay right
now. You guys keep talking about how things take time, things take time, but
you all expect me to just be better already and it doesn’t work like that. It
can’t work like that when I wake up in the middle of the night and mistake Jay
for Jafar. When Gil tilts his head a certain way, says something in just the
wrong tone and all I can see is Gaston. When I can still feel my mothers
fingers around my throat, hear her laugh in my ears and choke on the scent of
her cigarette smoke. You keep saying you want to fix us, but what you don’t
want to admit is that you really just want to fix me. “ Silence settled over
them as Carlos brought his knees to his chest, sitting heavy over them before
Evie gave a soft sigh.
“We expect too much from you, and that’s not fair. I admit that we’ve been
trying to treat you like the Carlos we knew before we came to Auradon and
that’s unfair of us. I’m sorry we-no, I’m sorry I didn’t try to see that you’ve
changed since then. Six months is a long time, and you’ve been through too much
for us to expect you to be the same. I’m sorry, Carlos.” Carlos glanced up at
Evie, giving her a small nod before tilting his head to look at Mal as she
cleared her throat nervously.
“I never expected you to just be okay, C. I was just so...mad at myself. Mad
that we left you there and mad about what Cruella did and what Gaston and Jafar
did and just...I was mad and that’s not an excuse. It’s not. I wanted you to be
okay so that I wouldn’t have to be mad, and that’s not okay. I should never
have tried to drag you out of that closed, C, and if I ever do or say something
that makes you uncomfortable or upsets you please tell me. I wanted to get back
to where we were before we left, but I realize now that’s not going to happen
because none of us are the people we were six months ago.” Twisting the corner
of the blanket between her fingers, Mal gave Carlos a hopeful look. He chewed
the inside of his cheek, thinking over her words.
“I want to work through all this. I really do. I know you guys are trying to
make amends and I want to be able to forgive you. And I’m willing to...forgive
the closet incident since you’ve apologized for it.” Mal’s smile grew, and
Carlos hesitated before reaching out to slip his hand into Mal’s.
“Thank you. That’s all I can really ask.” Mal’s voice was soft as she laced
their fingers together, and Evie shifted to slowly lean against Carlos’ side,
laying her head on his shoulder with a soft smile.
“I’m really happy you’re here, C.” Carlos smiled, tilting his face upwards to
look towards at the blue, sunny sky above them.
“Me too. Even after everything...I missed you guys a lot. Don’t get me wrong,
Uma’s crew took me in and I’m incredibly grateful they did. I adore Gil, and I
care for Uma and Harry, even if I’m still mad at Uma for the shit she pulled
right before Jasper grabbed me on the Isle. But they never replaced you guys,
or how I felt about you.” The trio sat in silence a moment, Evie reaching to
curl her fingers around the wrist of the hand holding Mal’s as Carlos took a
slow, steadying breath.
“We love you, Carlos. I want you to know that. And if I have to spend every day
from now until forever proving how much we love you and how sorry we are, I
will. I promise.” Carlos hummed slightly at Evie’s words, a small part of him
pleased at the promise even as a thought crossed his mind.
“What’s Ben going to think about that?” He asked, genuinely curious. Evie
pulled back slightly with a half formed frown, brows furrowed almost delicately
at the question, and Mal snorted.
“Ben already knows how we feel about you, Carlos. He’s known since before I
went back to the Isle and he understands that no matter what how we feel isn’t
going to change. It doesn’t bother him.” Carlos frowned, his fingers flexing
slightly in Mal’s grasp as he considered the information.
“I’m not sure how I feel about this. Obviously I care about the two of you and
Jay, even after everything. But I also care a lot about Gil. I’m not going to
just abandon him because the three of you want to try something. And I don’t
know where Ben fits in to all of this. It’s...pretty confusing to be honest.
And I’m more physically comfortable with Jay, but I want to hold hands with the
two of you too.” He chewed his lower lip, letting out a soft sigh as Evie
reached to brush his hair out of his eyes.
“We’re not going to push or rush you, C. I promise. If you only ever want to
hold hands with us we aren’t going to be mad. We’re lucky you’re even letting
us back into your life at this point and I for one will take whatever you’re
willing to give. Okay?” Carlos tilted his head slightly to look at Evie before
giving her a small smile, nodding. “And if having you with us means you’re
still with Gil too, we’ll work it out.” Mal nodded enthusiastically, squeezing
his hand.
“Whatever you’re comfortable with, Carlos. Besides, I think Jay and Gil already
formed some sort of bond over you and Tourney so good luck getting rid of Jay.”
Carlos chuckled, andMal beamed at him.
“Now I packed an entire picnic- why aren’t we eating?”
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