Chapter 2 – Getting Friendly, Then Getting Friendlier

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Chad blinked to awareness slowly, the fight for coherency a monstrous thing he almost lost, only managed to force his way through with his desperation, a strong desire to see if the last thing he remembered was actually true. Aziz. Lonnie – rescuing him from the castle. Bright lights and the taste of sweet air before the darkness claimed him again. He needed to know what happened.

But first, he needed to wake up.

That time when Chad opened his eyes, it was to a completely foreign room – stone walls without windows that would have made him think dungeon were it not for the obviously homey feel. Rugs and paintings, flowers and knickknacks scattered across the bookshelves. It was designed for comfort while allowing maximum protection, which shifted Chad's deduction from dungeon to safe room. He was in a royal bolthole, which meant he was likely among friends. His grandfather certainly wouldn't have cared enough to move him to such a nice location, especially after an escape attempt.

The bed he was on was cozy, with soft sheets and padded quilts made more for comfort than function, and belatedly he realized there was a hand carding through his hair. The hand belonged to an arm that hooked over the edge of the mattress, its owner seemingly settled on the floor, leaning against Chad's bed for balance.

Chad… did not recognize the top of that head. There was a dark bandana and pale skin, and none of those added up to a person he knew. It was… concerning.

He tried to keep still, but basic functions were something the poison had stolen from him, so a gentle tilt of his head turned into a gross spasm that easily jolted the mystery human's hand.

Curious brown eyes popped over the edge of the mattress. "Hey, you're awake!"

"Yep." Chad managed a grin as the unidentified teenager leveraged himself up to his knees, allowing his full face to be seen. "And you're a stranger."

"I'm Gil!" the teen allowed cheerfully. "And you're Chad!"

"That's me." Because there was no point in denying that much. "…do you know where we are, Gil?"

"Nope!" He didn't seem bothered by this either. "It's some safe place set up by that prince guy- but I um- lost track of where we were going, so…" He dropped off with a frown. "Apparently, there are a lot of people mad at you. Which seems weird, since you're stuck in bed and all."

"I'm a very talented individual." As well as a very confused one. "Do you know where that 'prince guy' is?"

And the others. The others would be nice.

Gil's face melted into an expression of apology. "No, man. Sorry. They're um- off fixing the kingdom, or something? Anyway, me, Uma, and Harry are supposed to guard you- well, we're also here for 'our own protection' because the prince guy wanted to bring over more Isle kid but apparently everyone's mad, or something? So we get to not be on the Isle but we have to stay here, so…" He shrugged. "We're supposed to take turns watching you, but Uma and Harry prefer to explore the property, so it's just me!"

"Okay." That was… a lot of information from what seemed to be an unreliable source.

"I'm Gaston's son, by the way," Gil added, still cheerful. Chad would think it was a façade were it not for the fact that Gil seemed a thousand percent committed to his dopey grins. "And Uma's Ursula's daughter, and Harry's Captain Hook's son. We're pirates!"

The second two, Chad could understand that occupation for, but Gaston was a hunter, which seemed to have little to do with boats.

Whatever, Chad knew better than most that you had to do what was necessary to get by.

"I suppose this is a poor alternative to a ship."

"Maybe." Gil shrugged again. "But the food's good and there's hot water and beds, so I'm cool with it. Uma misses the ocean though."

"What about Harry?" Chad asked, because what else did he have to do?

The others were out there, fighting some grand political fight without him because he was as useful as a sack of potatoes, and here Chad was barely managing the energy for a conversation. Pathetic.

"Harry misses whatever Uma misses," Gil said, as though this were a healthy and reasonable response. "I think he's mad, though. We were supposed to be free out here but we're really not. Just um- 'tools' or political… prawns?"

"Pawns," Chad corrected. "Smaller pieces in a bigger puzzle."

"Oh." Gil blinked. "Yeah, that makes sense. Anyway, Harry's real mad about it."

"He has every right to be," Chad said, because it was true. "You all do. What happened before- what's happening now, it's not fair. And for whatever it's worth, I'm sorry you guys are stuck here."

Gil blinked in surprise, like he hadn't expected that response. "Aw, thanks man. I don't think that will help Harry, but it is nice." He looked down at the bed, started fiddling with the streets. "You're the first one to try and see it from our point of view. Even Mal and the others just sort of ignored us." He slumped forward. "Is that why people are mad at you? Because you're cool?"

"It's mostly because I'm a little shit," Chad replied, grinning at the way Gil laughed. "And um… the future king likes me, so if someone doesn't like the him, they could hurt me to get to him."

"Oh, sort of like when the rival gangs attack me to get to Uma?" Gil said, casually creating an example that was easier for him to understand while also revealing the mild horrors he had suffered on the Isle. "That makes sense."

"Unfortunately," Chad agreed.

Gil considered the floor for a moment. "Um… Evie said you were smart."

"Kind of," Chad said, because even he only thought that was partially true.

"Could you…" Gil frowned. "We're supposed to be working on these like- worksheets and stuff while we're guarding you only um- I'm not all that great at reading."

"I could help with that," Chad said before Gil would have to ask, because if Chad had learned anything from Jay and Mal, it was that asking for help didn't come naturally to the VKs. "As it would seem my schedule is open."

A beat, and then Gil laughed, finally getting the joke. "You're funny," he said, grabbing some workbooks he must have abandoned on the floor and sidling in beside Chad, helping him sit up against a mountain of pillows. "And um- I'm not that smart, so sorry in advance."

"Everyone starts somewhere, Gil," Chad said, watching thick fingers open to the first set of worksheets. "We weren't all born knowing everything. We had to work to get there, just like you are now."

"Huh." Gil tilted his head. "I never thought of that."

"It kind of puts things in perspective," Chad agreed, and with that, they got to learning.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Gil wasn't dumb, but it was obvious he wasn't accustomed to a learning environment. At the very least, he wasn't accustomed to a school learning environment – clearly he knew things, but those things had likely been taught with hands-on experience. Because of this, it made sitting still in one place and focusing difficult, likely because he'd never had to do it, so Chad got creative.

Which was what led to him teaching Gil the alphabet in sign language, giving him something to do with his hands that made him feel productive and fun, all the while reinforcing the fundamentals.

"And I can use this to talk to people without using my mouth?" Gil asked again, furrowing his brows in concentration when Chad pointed to the letter 'R' before responding with the appropriate sign.

"Yep," Chad huffed. Even writing and pointing took a lot out of him. "There's a whole language you can learn for your hands. I can help teach you that too, after we get done with reading."

"And you- you really think I could learn to read?" Gil asked, tongue poking out the side of his mouth as he signed the letter 'K'. "Like- it's not hopeless?"

"No one's hopeless, Gil." Chad kept his tone even and supportive, though inside he wanted to rage at the thought of Gil – obviously sweet and kind of dopey – being brought up with that mindset. "Some people are better at some things than others, but that is not the mark of how good we are as a whole. Like," he elaborated when he noticed he'd sort of lost Gil. "What's something you're good at?"

"Oh, I'm really strong!" Gil chirped, fumbling with his fingers for a moment before finding the sign for 'B'. "And um- I'm really good at doing the same thing for a long time."

"Okay, so you're patient and you've got good stamina," Chad said. "Not everyone can do that. Not everyone's strong. That doesn't make them hopeless at like, getting in shape; it just means that they don't have the aptitude for it like you do. So-" He pointed to another letter, smiling as Gil gave him the sign for 'E'. "Just because you're not used to doing this, doesn't mean you can't learn. And even if you don't get very good at it, it doesn't mean you're dumb. It just means you're good at other things."

"Wow." Gil blinked, staring down at his hands. "I never thought of it like that. I just thought I was stupid."

"Well, you're not." Chad managed to keep a tight leash on his anger. "Stupid people wouldn't want to learn how to read anyway."

"And I do!" Gil chirped, looking excited by the prospect. "So I can't be dumb. Thanks, Chad!"

"You're welcome." Chad grinned, because even if he wasn't being of any real use to Auradon as a whole, then at least he was able to help Gil, and that was far from nothing. "Okay, now I think you're ready to learn the song."

"There's a song?" Gil asked, and his excitement was so infectious even Chad had to grin.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"We'll work on writing basics tomorrow," Chad said, yawning against his shoulder. "Sorry. With the poison everything's all…"

Gil perked up. "Where you poisoned?" He narrowed his eyes to really look at Chad. "You don't look like you're dying."

"It's more debilitating than injuring." At Gil's blank look, he elaborated, "It was designed more to um… keep me in bed than it was to kill me. To like, inconvenience me."

"That's weird," Gil said, blunt as always.

"Trust me, if you really don't like someone, you don't put them out of their misery quickly, you annoy them over long periods of time." Which was the nicest way of phrasing being held hostage and simultaneously blackmailed.

"Noted." Gil blinked. "Oh! I'm supposed to try and get you to eat something if you wake up though. Sorry." He looked a little bashful. "I was supposed to do that earlier."

Chad grinned. "It's fine, don't worry about it. I can probably eat."

Gil looked startled by this easy acceptance, but he shifted into a familiar grin nonetheless. "Okay, I'll be right back!"

He scrambled out the door in a flurry of movement, likely eager to please, and Chad smiled. If this was just another trick by his grandfather, it was an elaborate one, and Gil was a good actor. Granted, Chad would have preferred if the others had given Gil some kind of code word so Chad could actually know he was safe, but as it was, he just had to trust.

Eventually, Gil returned with a triumphant grin, a bowl of mixed berries clutched between his hands with a hunk of bread balancing on the edge.

"The food here is really awesome," Gil explained as he settled down next to Chad. "Which you probably know already but like- there's a bunch of food here that we don't really know how to cook but these-" He gestured to the berries. "Are great! So I thought you could eat those." He frowned down at Chad's hands. "Are you gonna be able to grab them?"

"Um…" Chad frowned, made a careful attempt to navigate his shaky hand into the bowl. He fumbled for a strawberry, internally hating himself, but Gil's fingers wrapped around his own before he could make an actual mess of things.

"It's okay, dude," Gil said softly. "Your body's not working really well right now, but you're smart! And my body's fine but I'm still working on my brain – so like, we can work together." And with that, he plucked up the selected strawberry and offered it to Chad, letting him eat it from his fingers.

Chad took it carefully, and the blueberry that followed that. There wasn't any strange aftertaste, no hints of sabotage under Gil's cheerful stare, which dimmed Chad's paranoia as the meal went on. Honestly, it felt closer to what Ben had done for him long ago, to Jay and Doug who liked to feed Chad, take care of him, and it was difficult not to flush because Gil seemed so pleased by such a small thing.

"This is nice," Gil said once they started on the bread hunk. "You didn't even bite me."

"Why would I bite the literal hand that was feeding me?" Chad asked around a mouthful of bread, to hell with royal manners. He was in a safehouse.

"For fun?" Gil offered. "I don't know, people do that kind of stuff to me for a laugh."

"I'm not going to do that," Chad said, knew Gil might take his word for it but knew he could back up the claim with his behavior. "We're friends, Gil. And friends don't hurt each other if they can help it."

Gil blinked. "We're friends? But you're like-" He dropped his voice to a low whisper, despite the fact that they were the only two in the immediate vicinity. "A prince."

"Yes," Chad agreed. "And you're like- nice."

"I am?" Gil considered this, and then his face fell. "Knew it."

"There's nothing wrong with being nice, Gil. You're not on the Isle anymore; you can be whatever you want to be."

"It's just kind of weird, you know?" Gil shrugged, not quite looking at Chad. "People are all mad 'cuz our parents were villains, so I thought we were supposed to be villains, only Mal and the others didn't do that at all."

"That's because you're not your parents, Gil," Chad said. "And whoever judges you on the crimes of your father is in the wrong, not you. You're good."

"Weird," Gil repeated, but he seemed better with it. He frowned at the empty bowl. "We should probably get you washed up before bed, right?"

"That's um-" Chad flushed. "Not necessary-"

"No, there's lots of hot water here," Gil said, already striding across the room into what seemed to be an ensuite bath. "There's a tub and another thing that I don't know how to use yet, so we'll just stick with a bath!"

"I'm really fine, Gil!" Chad tried in vain to stop the other teen, though he was cut off by the sounds of running water. The majority of his bathing seemed to be taken care of when he was unconscious back when he was first taken hostage, which had kept Chad partially-free of the feeling of stranger's hands on him. Granted, Gil wasn't a stranger, but Chad had really only known him for about three hours, and wasn't super keen on getting bathed by someone he didn't know.

But he didn't seem to have much choice in the matter, because of the stupid poison and the stupid safehouse and the stupid boyfriends and girlfriends who couldn't spare just one of them to be with Chad, because Auradon's future was more important than Chad's comfort. And he knew that, he did, but it still stung.

"Hello," Gil chirped when he strolled back into the room, steam wafting behind him. "Come on, upsy-daisy."

Gil hadn't lied about being strong- he picked Chad as though he weighed nothing, effortlessly carrying him into the bathroom before setting him on a chaise lounge – horribly impractical and likely Ben's handiwork – before crouching down to begin tugging off Chad's socks.

"I've never given anyone a bath before," Gil said with a sort of confidence that came from the oblivious. "We usually like- spot wash back on the Isle, but you're a prince so you should definitely have something better." He shifted up, sliding the hem of Chad's long sleeve shirt up his torso before gingerly trying to work it over his head. "I tested the water; it should be fine."

With a visible focus, Gil folded Chad's shirt into a lopsided square, setting it into an open hamper with his socks. "Carlos also left this bubble stuff? It's awesome. I might have used it."

"Bubble stuff should be enjoyed by all," Chad offered as sagely as he could while half-dressed, Gil pouring some of Evie's solution into the filling tub before he turned back to Chad. "So no worries."

"You're really nice." Gil's brows furrowed with concentration as he guided Chad's sweatpants down his legs. "And really cute. Which isn't a surprise because you're a prince."

"Not all princes are necessarily cute," Chad said. "But thank you."

"You're welcome," Gil chirped, seeming delighted by the comment. "You're really polite too. It's weird, but nice. I like it."

"You're doing me a favor," Chad said as Gil used the same amount of concentration folding his pants as he had the other clothes. "It would be rude of me not to express my appreciation."

"Even though I'm-" Gil motioned to himself.

"You haven't committed any crimes in Auradon, Gil." As far as Chad knew. "Which means you're entitled to the same respect as anyone else."

Gil looked at him, his expression lost but hopeful. "I don't think anyone's respected me before."

"Maybe they've never said it, but I'm sure they have." Chad hoped. Hoped sincerely even if he knew how easily it could not be true.

Gil seemed to take that for what it was worth with a smile. "Yeah, maybe. I hadn't thought of that." With that, his fingers curled around the waist of Chad's boxer-briefs, a pale flush dusting his cheeks. "Um- I can close my eyes. It might be hard for me to get you into bath-"

"It's fine, Gil." Even if Chad felt uncertain before, they may as well commit to it. "You're helping me. Just um- know that I'm spoken for."

"What's that mean?" Gil asked, staring at Chad's face as he eased the underwear off his legs.

"Like, um- I'm dating some people."

"Dating," Gil repeated, disregarding naked Chad as he chucked the underwear and sweatpants into the hamper. "I've heard of that. It's like- that's almost marriage, right?"

"Yeah." That was a close equivalent. "It's the thing you do before marriage to see if you want to, you know, get married."

"Harry and Uma have something like that," Gil said, which further sealed the deal that he wasn't a plant because he likely wouldn't have given that information away so easily. He picked Chad up – naked Chad – and lowered him into the tub carefully, shutting off the water so it was up to Chad's chest. "They don't call it that, but they like- like each other."

"Does that um- make you sad?"

It seemed to, as little as Gil expressed negative emotions.

The other teen shrugged, picking up a washcloth and lathering it with soap. "I'm happy they're happy. They're my friends, even if I'm just like- their second mate."

"That's a good attitude to have," Chad said quietly, trying to keep himself relaxed as Gil started clumsily cleaning his chest.

It was an odd process of trial and error, Gil almost upending Chad under the water a few times when his strength got the better of them, lifting Chad's leg enthusiastically to wash it and almost drowning Chad in the tub. Still, they managed to get through it mostly without incident, Gil rubbing carefully at Chad's stomach.

"It's weird," Gil said, mindless of the fact that his clothes were soaked from his efforts. "Most people are ticklish here."

"It's the poison." Chad shrugged. Or, tried to. "It dulls my nerve endings so I can't really feel stuff that well."

"What?" Gil blinked. "Even-"

His hand drifted lower, settled meaningfully between Chad's legs before scrubbing gently at that territory.

Chad flushed. "Yeah, I can't-" He didn't know what to say, didn't know if this counted as cheating or cleaning. "I can't really feel it."

"That's awful." Gil seemed genuinely upset by this. "That's like- a natural, healthy- a good thing," he settled on when it seemed he had no other words. "And it's because of the poison?"

"Yeah." Chad had long come to terms with it; it wasn't like he had been eager to get things on while he'd been trapped in his grandfather's clutches. "It's okay, Gil. Eventually I'll get the antidote and things will be fine."

Gil didn't seem to hear him. "Maybe Uma could help you," he muttered. His hand was also still between Chad's legs, but it was like he'd forgotten about it. "She has magic now that she's outside the Ilse. If I ask, maybe she could-" He withdrew suddenly, rising to his feet. "I'll be right back!"

"Gil!" Chad tried to reach for him but was too slow, could only stare as the other teen's large frame disappeared out the door, dripping water as he went.

Okay, so that was not how Chad had wanted that to go. Now he was stuck naked in a bathtub and there was little he could do about it, his limbs still feeling too uncooperative to even think about climbing out of the tub. Just his luck.

He spent his time writing a mental letter of complaint to Doug, because he deserved it the least and always found Chad's whining endearing for some reason, while trying to make a plan for what should happen should Gil forget about him. And then another plan for if he actually returned. Clearly, Chad needed to be careful with what he said, but he didn't know Gil well enough to realize what could set him off yet. Chad had the feeling he would be in for a fun series of trial and error before he got that on lockdown.

He was just finishing up a mock letter of complaint to Carlos for being so thoughtful about the dumb bubbles without being here to capitalize on them when Gil finally returned. That part was good. The part that was less good was that he seemed to have tracked down his friend Uma, who watched over the scene with a mixture of surprise and amusement.

"This is Chad!" Gil chirped, waving an exciting hand at him. "And he's been poisoned!"

"Hi." Chad managed a shaky wave, grateful for the bubbles that hid his aforementioned lack of clothing. "Sorry we couldn't meet under better circumstances."

"I don't know," Uma drawled, raking her eyes over his body suggestively before crossing to the side of the tub. "These circumstances seem pretty fine to me."

"Chad is 'spoken for'," Gil offered brightly, resuming his old position crouched next to the tub. "That means he's dating someone. But yeah, he's real pretty."

"Thank you, Gil," Chad said, because he was polite.

"So," Uma began, crossing her arms in a defensive measure she would likely deny. "How does it feel to depend on Isle trash for your wellbeing?"

"Firstly, none of you are trash," Chad corrected. "And there was a reason I was kidnapped and poisoned in the first place, and it wasn't because I agreed with the old policies."

"A revolutionist, huh?" Uma drawled, seeming unimpressed. "Don't seem like a very good one."

"Every plan has hiccups," Chad replied. "They can do what they want to me but the majority of my policy changes are already in motion."

He had managed that much before he had been taken. It was his one consolation.

"I don't know what that means," Gil said, slipping back into the conversation. "But, Chad's been teaching me how to read, and-" He signed a few letters. "Do that. Those are letters."

"Has he?" Uma said, taking a moment to reassess Chad. "You were supposed to get me as soon as he woke up."

"Oh." Gil blinked. "I forgot. But I got you now, because-" He plunged his hand into the water and palmed Chad's groin. "The poison messed with his ability to feel stuff, like this, and I thought you could help him."

"I'm actually fine," Chad muttered, trying to will away his flush. "There's more to life than um- exploring carnal pleasures."

"He talks so fancy," Gil whispered, moving his hand slowly. Chad couldn't really feel it, but he knew it was there and that was- something.

He and Ben would be having words after this.

"I don't know," Uma hummed. "You are teaching Gil how to read."

"And the alphabet song!" Gil chirped. "It's awesome."

"I think," Uma said, carding her fingers through Chad's hair. "That deserves a bit of a reward."

"I don't think you'll be able to help me." Though he longed for that to be true. "It requires a specific antidote to reverse the affects. It's one of the reasons they were able to hold me hostage for so long."

"Maybe," Uma allowed. Her fingers curled against a shell necklace hanging around her neck. "But I can do some pretty good things with water. Gil, baby, step back."

Gil obeyed her without question, eyes trained on Uma as the shell between her hands seemed to glow. For a moment there was nothing, and then Chad felt it- a sort of warmth, a relentless curling pressing between his legs that his body seemed to respond to on instinct, thighs spreading wide and hips shifting forward eagerly as he revisited a pleasure he had long abandoned.

"U-Uma," he gasped, head falling back against the edge of the tub. "I, um-"

"I might not be able to cure you," she said, continuing to pet his hair. "But I can do this."

"And we're not touching you, so it's not cheating," Gil decided, watching the magic seem to glow and swirl around Chad's shaking form.

"I um- can't argue with that but-" Fuck it had been what felt like forever, and Chad was already so close to the edge. "Y-you don't have to-"

"Consider it a treat for both of us," Uma mused, doing something that made the water pulse between Chad's legs.

"Fuck," he hissed, biting on his lip to keep a moan from spilling out. "Uma-"

"What's my name?" she said quietly, nails scratching into his scalp hard enough for him to feel it. "Come on, your highness."

"Uma," he gasped. "Uma, I'm-"

He fell apart quickly, body twitching spastically against the tub while pleasure ripped through his body. It was weird to feel something so distinctly after feeling nothing for so long, and Chad found himself crooning from the effort, quiet moans spilling from his throat while the water teased what was left of him into a pliant, boneless mess.

"Wow," Gil breathed, crouching low so that he and Chad were at eye-level. "Never thought I'd see a prince do that."

"N-no reason why you shouldn't," Chad managed between gasps, trying to steady his breathing. "I'm not that much- different from you. Had about as much say in who I was born to as you did."

Uma's fingers tightened in his hair. "Which is, to say, none."

"Exactly," Chad breathed. "My mother was a maid. King Aladdin and King Eugene were both thieves. It doesn't really matter where you came from, it matters what you do."

"And you believe that?" Uma asked, lessening her grip slightly.

"I would be a poor prince if I didn't."

"See?" Gil grinned. "Fancy."

"Yeah," Uma agreed. "Guess I can see why Mal kept you around."

"She also thinks I'm funny." Chad grinned, because he missed Mal, missed her pouting and her ferocity and her charge to take control. "I am sorry though, that you three are stuck here. And-" He flushed. "Thank you, for that. Though it um- wasn't necessary."

Uma hummed. "I'll be the judge of that."

"She's a good judge," Gil whispered, and Chad didn't doubt Gil's belief in that.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Uma didn't leave when Gil finally drained the tub, helping the muscular teen pat Chad dry and slip him into a new pair of clothes that must have been Jay's, soft and little too big, done in familiar red and gold tones. Uma seemed to pull the water from Gil's garments but he still changed into fresh clothes without leaving the room, seeming oblivious to their presence and Uma's appreciative stare. Much like the other VKs, Gil was underweight and muscular, though he seemed to sport significantly less scars. Chad wondered if that was because of Uma's protection.

"Bedtime!" Gil chanted as he tucked Chad back into the sheets. He unfolded one of Evie's quilts from the bottom of the bed, and Chad had to fight not to get melancholy, missing the fair princess with a might he couldn't express, missing all of them and their thoughtfulness. He hoped that the separation was as painful for them as it was for him, though part of him worried that it wasn't, that he was more invested than they were, that they'd realized they could function well without him.

It was horrible. He hated it.

"You okay there, slick?" Uma asked this with a measured sort of detachment Jay had used once upon a time, when he didn't want his concern to be obvious so he hid it under a thirst for gossip or knowledge.

"Yeah, I'm fine," Chad muttered, letting his hands curl into the blankets. "I just miss them."

"I get it," Gil chirped, flopping next to him on the bed. "I'd miss Harry and Uma if they weren't here."

"Thanks, Gilly." Uma allowed a small grin to tug at her lips as she threaded a hand through his messy hair. "We'd miss you too. Now, go get something to eat."

"But Uma-"

"Now, Gil." She left no room for arguments. "You've been working all afternoon, get some food before you pass out."

"Okay, captain." He offered her a clumsy salute before leaving, giving Chad one last grin before he disappeared down the stairs.

"I thought you'd be more of a prat," Uma declared once it was the two of them. "But I guess Mal wouldn't put up with you if you weren't alright."

"I try to do what I can." Because that was all Chad could do. "I'm um- probably not going to stay awake much longer, but later – if it's okay with you – could I run some potential Ilse reformation policies by you? I've got a lot of programs in place for transitioning minors and petty criminals off of the Ilse, but I'd like some feedback to see if they're actually any good."

Uma blinked at him, like she hadn't been expecting this. "Yeah, I can do that. Gotta make sure you Auradon schmucks don't mess everything up."

"I'd appreciate it." Chad yawned, settling back against the pillows. "We need to do better."

"I think," Uma said as things began to get dark, her fingers carding through his hair. "-you already are."

-:-:-:-:-:-

Endnotes:

Introducing… pirates! Hooray ;D

So, you might be able to tell but like, my most favorite character in all of Descendants is Gil, the human embodiment of a Golden Retriever. That guy's the best.

I realize there's a spectacularly blurred line as to whether this constitutes as cheating or dub-con but Chad has… had a heck of a time, so getting to feel something after having nothing for so long offers him a bit of comfort to ease his anxieties. Not that this was entirely Uma's intent, I'm sure.

Until next time