It was hard for Jay to watch Carlos and Jane. He wasn't entirely sure why. Well, that's not entirely true. Jay definitely knew he liked Carlos but he still wasn't sure how much he liked him. It was unlike Jay to focus so much on these things and it always ended up giving him either a headache or a heart-ache. However, the past few months at Auradon Prep had changed him. Who he was on the Isle is so far gone from the person he was now. Where there once was no team in I, suddenly there was no I in team. Jay realised he now cared more for those around him, particularly the fellow VKs who had joined him on his new adventures in Auradon.
He had initially treated Carlos as a younger brother, fighting over blankets and pushing him away when Carlos was scared and jumped into his arms. However, sharing a room and most of their classes and extra-curricular activities had changed his perspective. The mess that was Ben's coronation and both show-downs with Uma had only cemented their bond. Jay found himself caring for another person more so than he ever had before. The fact it was another boy never worried Jay in the slightest. Back on the isle people didn't really date, it was mostly just action and it never really mattered to anyone what gender the other person was.
It hurt Jay that first time Carlos asked him how he could possibly ask Jane to go with him to the Royal Cotillion as his date. At the time Jay had pretended to be aloof and joked it away, but he secretly hoped Carlos would never have the courage. That was the real reason he hadn't asked anyone formally as his date. He had hoped it would just be him and Carlos without dates so they would 'have' to stick together. Still, Carlos seemed happy with Jane and all that mattered to Jay at that moment was Carlos' happiness. Jay's false façade almost melted away when he saw how scared Carlos was when Uma's tentacles lashed the boat. He had never seen Carlos so frightened except once back on the isle.
Jay was returning from a rather successful visit to the market when he heard someone whimpering like a hurt puppy. Normally Jay would just move on, this was the isle of the lost after all. It could have just been some street urchin trying to trick him so he could steal from him. But Jay noticed Carlos' distinctive faux-Dalmatian jacket sleeve as Carlos slumped around the corner. When Jay finally kneeled in front of Carlos he saw how bad it really was. He was barely conscious and looked brutalised. His face was covered in bruises and his shoulder looked like it had been ripped from its socket. Jay knew only Cruella could have done such a thing and lived up to her name so brilliantly. Occasionally Carlos would turn up to school with unexplained scrapes and bruises but never something this horrible.
He scooped the whimpering boy into his arms and hurried off to find Evie. She was good with healing these sorts of things, or at least concealing the bruises until they had cleared. There was no magic on the isle so there was no quick fix to these things. As Jay was on his way to Evie Carlos seemed to curl into Jay's warm chest. It was then that those feelings for Carlos began to develop. It broke Jay's heart to see his friend look so dead inside. For days Jay watched over Carlos as he slowly healed. Jay brought him homework and made sure he ate and drank the few times he managed to stay awake long enough. Cruella didn't seem to really care that Carlos was hurt, all she was worried about was how her clothes would be cleaned. She couldn't possibly go out looking dirty like some common street rat. Jay had never realised before how hard it was for Carlos. No one on the island ever had it easy but at least they weren't treated so terribly. From that day on Jay paid closer attention to Carlos and the people he interacted with. He didn't think he could bear seeing Carlos like that ever again.
But now all the unpleasantness with Maleficent and Uma's crew was far behind them and they could finally attempt to fit in at Auradon Prep and make a good example for the new kids coming across from the isle. Jay was happy to see Carlos and Jane together but he'd be lying if he didn't admit that the tiniest part of him wanted them to break up. Preferably sooner rather than later. At any rate, he wasn't going to be the one to break them up or contribute to it in anyway. Carlos had had enough sadness in his life, Jay couldn't bear to be the reason behind more.
Jay remained stoic as he watched Jane and Carlos study late into the night, the occasional giggle rising from the two of them every now and then. When they went out on dates it was Jay who looked after Dude and made sure he was fine. He had to be careful with that mutt now that it could talk. The damn thing never seemed to know when to shut up. Jay had revealed some pretty intense feelings to Dude before and he prayed, a strange concept for him, that Dude never revealed to Carlos how Jay really felt towards him.
Jay began to catch up with Lonnie, Evie and Mal a lot more now. He was even growing to like Dizzy, Drizella's daughter and Lady Tremaine's granddaughter, who Evie had convinced Ben to bring across from the Isle. Evie was right, Dizzy did not belong on that island. It was a wonder how someone with so much light could come from a home of so much wickedness. But then again, Cinderella managed it. Dizzy was also very well versed with emotions and what others were feeling. Apparently she had learned to read emotions so she knew when to stay away from her guardians. Dizzy knew something was wrong with Jay but she was wise enough not to say anything to anyone else. Though it must have been pretty obvious. At least Evie had given away her magic mirror to the Museum of Cultural History so she couldn't use that every ten seconds to work out what was going on.
One day, Carlos returned from one of his dates with Jane and his eyes were red as though he had been crying. Jay immediately went to comfort the poor boy, his heart broke for him. Still, there was a tiny part of Jay that was slightly happy. Maybe if they broke up there could still be a chance for him. Maybe…
To be continued. Be good Auradon, someone's watching ;)