I don't own any of the recognizable places or characters. This story is part of a series that is called Descendants A-Z and is cross posted (always under "IvyNyx").
Halloween in Auradon was a major event. The occupants enjoyed dressing up as all manner of bad and evil characters. Handing out candy, hosting balls and pulling harmless pranks was all part of their night.
The Isle kids had never participated in Halloween like this before. For them it was always stay inside lest you get killed, literately. Evie had been indispensable in helping them design and make their costumes. All of them were being secretive even to each other. There was a masquerade ball the night before Halloween and the villain kids couldn't wait.
Mal lead their merry band of misfits. She'd dressed as a genie, in her traditional purple of course. Evie had on a cheerleader costume that she'd decked out in blood, fake to become a zombie cheerleader. Jay had declared the entire holiday stupid, but dressed up to appease the girls. He was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, an electric guitar slung over his back. He wasn't going to tell anyone he could actually play, everyone just assumed it was a prop to his rock star costume. Carlos was everyone's favorite, he'd been looking online and found some styles he liked, Evie helped him out.
He'd spent longer than he wanted to think about lining his eyes with black eyeliner. His nails were black as well. His arms had what felt like a thousand thin plastic bracelets on each one. He had on a skin tight black t-shirt that had two bones crossed on the back. His pants were baggy shorts with some chains hanging off of them. His feet had his usual high tops on.
"What the hell are you, ghost of Halloween past?" Jay teased, trying not to physically drool over his friend.
"No clue what he is, but if the two of you stand too close for too long there will be girls standing in puddles and guys with uncomfortably tight pants." Mal said with a smirk.
Carlos blushed and Jay grinned, "looks like you're stuck with me tonight" and dropped his arm around Carlos shoulders.
"Carlos, when'd you pierce your lip?" Evie interrupted them, curiosity killing her.
"About an hour ago, Mal had a spell for it." Carlos smiled making the light glint off the small metal ring.
"Well, shall we go show these brats how evil does it?" Mal said walking up to the ballroom doors.
"Hell yes!" three voices answered her.
Inside the kids were mingling, trying to find their costumed friends, ten minutes after they got there Fairy Godmother took the stage dressed as a black cat. "To open our dance we will have a traditional dance for the couples of the room. Then as tradition goes, I will bibbity, boppity, back off and let you kids have your fun."
The Isle kids smiled, Ben had warned them about the first dance, it let the news papers have a story to talk about. Mal and Ben opened the dance before other couples filled the floor in a waltz. Evie and Doug followed them out, Jay and Carlos kept the wall company. Their relationship was even more confusing in Auradon that it had been on the Isle. On the Isle they weren't more than friends because it just wasn't allowed. Here though, they were both scared, right now they were passing it off as old habits dying hard, but both knew that excuse wouldn't last the rest of their lives.
As the couples danced flash bulbs went off and cameras recorded. The song ended, the couples stopped, waiting for the next part.
"With the formal dance over, I'd like to ask all adults to please leave the room." Fairy Godmother said, waiting while a small chunk of the room left. "Now, in the last twenty years we have never had a problem with the ball, I expect that tradition to continue. Once I close the doors behind me the DJ will take over. Enjoy your evening, and please brush your teeth before bed, cavities are not a fun thing!" With that she walked out of the room, to thunderous applause.
"Okay guys! This is my third time doing this dance, so you'll have to let me know if I'm getting to old for it!" A young lady at the DJ booth yelled out, not bothering with her mic. "Our first song is for a group of Isle kids, but I think our Auradon kids will love it too!" Cheers met her proclamation as a loud thumping beat came out of the speakers. Mal felt her jaw drop, this sounded like Isle music. A minute later she realized it was, the DJ was playing a Rotten Apples song.
"Dude, I have to be hearing things." Carlos said looking at Jay.
"If you are, we all are." Jay said looking out at Mal and Evie who had dropped any hope of formal dance and were swaying their hips to the beat.
"Come on!" Carlos said grabbing Jays hand, Jay laughed and went along. With in seconds Mal and Evie had joined them, drawing all eyes to them. The four danced like they did on the Isle, flips included. By the end of the song they'd forgotten they even had an audience, Ben and Doug stood by watching them.
"I see you guys can be normal!" Chad yelled as the song ended.
"Dude fuck off!" Ben yelled back, walking up to Mal. "You are amazing, I had no idea you guys could dance. Never mind the music, I know I've never heard that before."
"Yeah, we dance. That was a band called The Rotten Apples. Lead singer is Carlos's cousin." Mal said talking over the music, her hips already moving to the beat of the new song. Jay and Carlos had vanished back to the wall while Doug and Evie danced a short way away.
"You okay?" Jay asked, it had been three songs and Carlos was still staring at the dance floor, he looked like he was a million miles away.
"Wha-, Yeah, I'm good. Just thinking about Diego." Carlos told him.
Jay wrapped his arm back around the pale boy, he knew Carlos was close to his cousin, he hadn't given the older De Vil boy a thought since they'd left though. "miss him?" Jay asked.
"A lot. Worry about him too." Carlos admitted.
Jay squeezed him, "I'm sure he's okay, why don't we grab some food." Jay said hoping to distract him.
"Sounds good, Halloween should mean a mountain of candy"
"That you need to share with the rest of us" Jay laughed. "What are you anyway? You said no to the ghost of Halloween past but didn't answer me.
"It's a style called goth, not any particular character."
As they walked up to the table their jaws fell to the floor. There were three tables, the first held food. The second held candy and desserts, but the third left them wondering what kind of trick this was.
"Lonnie!" Jay called over spotting the girl who had dressed up as a red dragon.
"What's up guys?" she greeted walking to them.
"Am I seeing things on that last table?"
"Nope, tradition and all that. When King Adam was here one of his friends spiked the party, it went on in secret for years, about ten years ago though they added alcohol officially. They keep telling us it's bad and they don't condone it, but my mom said they do it this way so we drink safe stuff instead of something brewed in a dorm. The sober kids watch out for the drunk ones, it's a good time."
"So you're telling me the adults of Auradon condone teenage drinking at least one night of the year?" Carlos clarified in disbelief.
"I don't know about condone, but they sure do help out! Besides, if we want to drink we can get alcohol anytime. We're teens, it's one of our many talents" Lonnie winked.
"Man, pinch me. I have to be dreaming. We're in Auradon and we can drink?" Jay said.
"That's what the lady said." Carlos said.
"You guys drank on the Isle?" Lonnie asked
"Like fish, our fruit was half fermented when we got it." Carlos laughed.
"Well then I suggest you go make Mal's night, she hasn't see this yet." Lonnie laughed.
Carlos let out the whistle they used on the Isle, mildly surprised when Evie and Mal looked over. He waved them over and watched them drag Ben and Doug to them.
"Look, alcohol, provided for us!" Jay said pointing at the far table.
"No fucking way!" Mal said
"Oh, yeah my dad does that, had a friend that brewed his own to spike parties, after a few years he made it part of the tradition." Ben told his girlfriend.
Evie didn't say a word just grabbed a cup and drained it, tossing the paper into a garbage can. Her smile said it all. They rest of them drained a cup before taking another to sip on. Jay and Carlos went back against the wall, staying near the table.
"Hey C, can I do something, before I drink enough to blame the alcohol?"
"I'm guessing I'm involved, since you're asking. Knock yourself out." Carlos told him, assuming he'd be dragged to the dance floor. His heart stopped when Jay leaned down to kiss him. They'd kissed a few times on the Isle, but not since they'd left.
"Seriously you still manage to taste like chocolate. I like the lip ring though." Jay smiled at the smaller boy.
Carlos could feel people looking at them, not to mention the gasp that he was pretty sure belonged to Lonnie.
"I'm always chocolate flavored" Carlos smirked. "didn't think we'd keep this up in Auradon."
"Me either, but it feels like a good idea" Jay said.
"That was hot!" Lonnie said from her spot farther down the wall. Jay laughed while Carlos blushed. "you two a thing?"
Carlos glanced at Jay before answering, "Friends, with a damn good benefit package" Carlos told her.
Jay laughed, "That is one way to phrase it."
The next morning Carlos woke up before Jay. He got up and pulled on his clothes, he had to thank Evie again, despite all the fuss of Halloween Evie had made him four more outfits like his Halloween one. He went into the bathroom and put on the eyeliner again. He paused for a minute before adding black lipstick. Evie's own creation that would not come off until you applied a gloss like substance. He smiled at his reflection, the dark makeup made him look ten times paler than he really was, which was impressive.
He laid on the couch and flipped on the video game, he was kind enough to keep the volume down. Jay woke up much later in the morning. As usual he made a bee line for the bathroom while paying less than no attention to his surroundings. He stopped in the bathroom door to stretch, "morning Pup" he greeted finally looking over at the other boy. Jay felt his mouth go dry, Carlos was dressed a lot like he had the night before, only better. "Damn you look good today" Jay said.
Carlos paused his game and let one eyebrow raise, "you saying I don't look good other days?"
"Dude, don't make me think this early" Jay whined before sitting on the edge of the couch. His hand trailed out to poke at Carlos's lip ring. Carlos let him wiggle it around for a few seconds before he let his tongue darted out to flick against the digit.
"Got something else you could lick" Jay offered with a smirk.
"Nah I'm good" Carlos smirked back at him, "small parts being a choking hazard and all" Carlos grinned thinking of the warning signs that were everywhere in Auradon. Jay laughed at his friends pathetic joke before adding, "I was thinking my dick not yours".
Carlos let out a mock growl before pulling Jay so he laid under the larger boy. Jay took the hint and kissed him, silently hoping he didn't end up with matching black lips.
"Damn I missed this" Carlos said when Jay pulled back.
"Me too, how the hell are your lips still perfectly painted?" Jay asked tipping his head like a curious puppy.
"Evie special. Gotta apply a special mix before it'll come off." Carlos said, then laughed as he watched Jay's mind go into the gutter.
"So since the world won't let us lounge here all day and I have the fashion sense of a blind man, why don't you go pick me an outfit" Jay said while rolling to the floor so the other boy could get up.
"I guess I could, after all I'd hate to have your crappy dressing skills detract from my look." Carlos got up, being careful to kick Jay in the ribs just so before he walked away to dig in the other boys dresser.
Jay admired his ass while Carlos dug in the bottom drawers of things Jay didn't wear. He came up with a pair of acid wash jeans before going to his own dresser to find a shirt. He had a bunch of Rotten Apples shirts left from the Isle, after a few minutes of rooting he found one that was way too big on him and threw it on Jay's bed with the pants.
"There, pyramid stud belt and your boots. Oh and don't even think about wearing that fucking hat!" Carlos said.
Jay huffed and got off the floor. He grabbed the specified accessories and marched off to the bathroom.
Carlos flopped on the couch and counted to ten after the bathroom door shut, "As fun as it'd be to see you in nothing but a belt and boots, I don't think Auradon is quite ready for that". He called to the other boy, laughing as a now shirtless Jay walked back to his bed and grabbed the pile of clothes.
Twenty minutes later they Jay and Carlos, Mal and Ben as well as Evie and Doug were sitting under an old oak tree each with a cup of coffee.
"So what's with the new looks?"
"I liked it a lot, so I'm running with it for a while, Jay just didn't want to pick clothes today so I got to do it" Carlos said with a smile.
"You should dress him everyday, Audrey actually tripped down the stairs earlier because she was too busy staring at him." Ben smiled
"Well Babe, you're back to dressing yourself" Carlos said.
"Aww, looking won't hurt anyone" Jay said, then dropped his voice to whisper in Carlos's ear, "besides she's a few inches short of my type". Carlos nearly spit out his coffee.
"I thought your type was living" he said when he gained control of his laughter.
"It was, some freckled wanna be vampire changed it." Jay said with a shrug.
"Oh god are you two going to start your mushy crap here too?" Mal said pretending to puke into her lap.
"Nah, we suck at mushy. I do plan on making use of the lock on our door though" Carlos said with a grin. It was Evie's turn to spit out her coffee, Carlos never made sexual jokes.
"I guess Jay is rubbing off on you" Mal said trying to look innocent.
"Not since the Isle, but ya never know what the day will bring"
"I like the new Carlos"
"Not new, I didn't change I just stopped hiding the real me."
"Yeah the real you doesn't have black lips"
"Sure I do, you just can't see them. How else would I have captured Jay's soul." Carlos said while looking up through his lashes trying to seem innocent once again.
Mal coughed on her coffee before laughing, Ben got the joke next, then Jay and Evie started to chuckle.
"I don't get it" Doug said.
"You want innocent lessons, take 'em from him" Mal said while Evie whispered to Doug "he's saying he sucked Jay's soul out through his dick!"