Chapter 10 – Nothing I Couldn't Do
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"A ball!" Ben said, breaking the most fundamental library rule in his own library by shouting out this seemingly important news. "Guys, we're going to host a midsummer ball!"
Gil blinked up from his sketchbook, not entirely sure how this applied to them. "…yay?"
"Ah," Doug mused. "We'll be sure to stay in your room, then."
"Movie night?" Jane offered. And then paused. "Do you need our help getting things ready?"
At that, Gil perked up. "I'm great at moving things!"
Ben considered them all with an expression that may have been despairing were he one to contemplate such things. "Um- maybe? I'll check with Cogsworth."
"Please do," Gil said, parroting one of his favorite phrases he had learned from Mrs. Potts. "I'd like to help you guys as much as you've helped me." Even if that would be an impossible debt to pay.
Ben's expression melted into something a little more fond. "I'll see what I can do."
-:-:-:-:-:-
"It's a masquerade ball," Ben explained over dinner, looking especially proud of himself. "Everyone's going to wear masks!"
"That's… kind of a weird theme," Jane said, and Gil was so proud of her for openly stating a not-entirely-positive opinion that he could have just burst. "Don't you usually do that sort of thing in the fall?"
"Yeah, well." Ben blinked, like he hadn't expected to be called out on that. "That's what makes it so unexpected." He stared at his food for a moment, then turned to Doug and Gil. "What do you guys think?"
"I mean, if people haven't gotten their mask yet, they'll probably just use the one they got last year," Gil offered.
"Sounds kind of sweaty to me," Doug said. "But I'm not really up-to-date on royal functions."
Ben's face shifted into something unreadable, though Gil got the strong feeling that he might be pouting for some reason.
Like, not everyone could win every time, even young-Ben needed to learn that. Young Ben and his weird fixation on masks.
-:-:-:-:-:-
Gil spent the day of the masquerade running around the ballroom, climbing up and down ladders to help string up garlands and draperies and all kinds of fancy things. Cogsworth seemed to approve of his enthusiasm to carry whatever he needed, whenever he needed it, and by the time Gil was done with setup, he was happy to collapse into the shower and change into pajamas for their super comfy movie night.
He was out of the shower, trying to recreate some hairstyle from a magazine on Jane after the young fairy's shy insistence that it couldn't be done (Uma had allowed him to help braid her hair for years, and now he got to put that knowledge to the test), when Ben sort of derailed things.
The prince was doing that thing where he looked nervous even though he shouldn't, because years of etiquette classes should have trained him out of the habit, so like, that made him even more nervous. "Okay, so this might be overstepping some boundaries-"
"Dude." Gil looked up from where he was braiding Jane's hair, careful not to tug too hard on the silky tresses. "You literally share your bed with us. I'm pretty sure you'd give us the shirt off your back if we looked even slightly cold. You are like, due for overstepping boundaries. Or you don't have to worry about it. Either way."
Gil had started just above Jane's left eye and was twisting the strands into a French braid across the top of her head, sort of like her signature hairband. The rest of it he would tuck into a small bun at the base of her neck, assuming he could figure out how to do it. Dizzy made it seem easy enough.
"Still..." Ben flushed. "I was thinking since it is a masquerade ball maybe you guys could join us in the ballroom? I've um- already gotten you outfits, if you'd like to come."
"Was that the overstepping part?" Gil asked. Beneath his fingers Jane seemed to forget how to breathe, then discovered it very quickly to make an effort to quietly hyperventilate. "You getting us clothes?"
"I um-" Ben paused, which was how Gil knew he'd hit the nail on the head. "Yes. Not that there's anything wrong with your clothes-"
"You just want us to blend in." Gil waved him off. "Relax, we get it. Doug?" The other teen blinked out of his reverie, because he'd frozen up around the time Ben had started mentioning the ball. "Are you interested?"
Doug considered his options. "For scientific reasons, it could be an interesting experience."
"Yes," Gil mused. "Can't forget about science. Jane?"
"There will be royalty there," she hissed.
"Don't you go to school with princesses?" Gil had thought that was a whole thing at Auradon Prep.
"With princesses, not their parents. And besides, they mostly ignore me."
Because they were dumb.
"Well, now you can see them in their natural habitat without them knowing you're there," Gil chirped, finishing up her braid. It looked worthy of ball shenanigans. Uma would be proud. "Ben already got us fancy clothes, what's the harm?"
Jane chewed on her pink lip and in the reflection of the mirror, and Gil could see Ben's gaze zero in on that action. "I suppose when you put it like that…"
"Ben," Gil offered the prince a wink. "Looks like you've overstepped yourself into a party."
It was a throwaway comment at best, but Ben still seemed to preen under it, his face splitting in a grin that could have glowed as powerfully as Gil's stupid hair. "Oh. Okay, then. I'll just-" He scrambled into his closet, reemerging seconds later with a couple of garment bags. "The tailors made them special, so everything should fit okay."
"I feel like you might have been planning to overstep for longer than you've let on," Doug noted, a smirk tugging at his lips.
Ben's cheeks flushed. "…maybe."
"Come on," Gil finished off Jane's bun and made grabby hands at the bags. "I wanna see Jane's dress. Is it blue? I'm hoping it's blue."
"It's blue," Ben confirmed with a laugh. "To um… bring out her eyes."
"And because it's her favorite color," Gil continued, and he must have learned that from old-Jane because the young one looked at him in surprise before taking her dress bag.
What, like that was supposed to be a secret?
"Let's see these party clothes," Gil cheered. "They're not um- too fancy though, are they?"
-:-:-:-:-:-
"This is very fancy," Jane said, modelling her new dress in front of the full-length mirror, looking like she wanted to start hyperventilating again.
"Yeah, it's awesome," Gil said, trying to get Jane to see that she was totally rocking that ballgown. It was a pretty light blue made out of a fluttery material that had a V sort of neck and no sleeves. That in itself would have been cool, but Ben had also gotten his tailors to sew these delicate looking jeweled butterflies along the bodice and around the waist, scattering down the skirt as well, as though Jane had been wandering through a butterfly garden and made a bunch of new friends. The skirt puffed out as all good ballgowns should, and the resulting product was dramatic and very fitting for someone of Jane's elegance.
"I don't think I can wear this." Jane seemed torn, so it was more likely that she thought she shouldn't wear it.
"You're already wearing it," Doug noted. "And you look very lovely."
Doug seemed calm and collected now, but even he had been bashful when he had first looked at his own clothes. The suit Ben had gotten him had black, satin pants that came with a matching vest cut so low you could see his shirt, which was a vibrant sort of dark purple that closed up with shiny black buttons. The coat itself was a purple velvet, though the lapels were black, and of course Ben had gotten Doug a bowtie to go with it, making the bookworm seem sleek and chic and definitely Evie-approved.
"What he said," Gil chirped. "And if you're worried about your mom finding out, you're gonna be wearing a mask anyway! So she won't. It's all good."
"But what about the rest of it?" Jane motioned towards the accessories Ben had left for her on the side table, a variety of pale pinks and blues that matched Jane's signature color pallet. "The gloves are okay but the rest looks… expensive."
"Trust me, it is," Doug said, showing off his dwarven gem knowledge. "Maybe put them on last?"
Gil scrunched his nose. "It's just jewelry." A bracelet and a pair of earrings. Sure, they were both very shiny, the bracelet positively dripping with pink crystals, but the two earrings were just large teardrop shaped stones, one pink and one blue. "Ben got them 'cuz he thought you'd like them."
It seemed like a Ben thing to do. The crown prince had already left them to see to what he called 'royal family' duties, leaving the rest of them to get ready on their own. Thankfully, Doug was there, because there were a few pieces of Gil's outfit he did not understand the purpose of.
Jane ducked her head, a flush spreading across the bridge of her nose. "Ben forgets I'm not a princess."
"Sure you are." Gil had met enough princesses to know that Jane was strong enough to be one and then some. "You're a princess of books and of fairies and being really good at croquet." She was as skilled at it as she was vicious and Gil loved that about her a lot. "You're our princess."
Jane could rule a kingdom, if she wanted to. She wouldn't, because she'd rather back up Ben and Mal, support their dreams by taking care of the detail work, but she could do it if she had the desire, which made her a princess in Gil's book. She was certainly more deserving of royalty than Gil was.
"Yeah, Jane," Doug said quietly, an uncharacteristic amount of care in his tone. "You're our princess."
And it didn't even sound that cliché.
She seemed to bask under the glow of their attention, her gaze drifting from Doug to Gil in the reflection of the mirror before moving on with a curt nod, sliding the long silky light blue gloves up her forearms. "Okay. Okay, I'll- I'll wear it. Them." She looked at Gil in the reflection of the mirror. "You should finish getting ready, Flynn."
"Yeah, um…" So it was totally hypocritical of Gil to give Jane a pep talk about how she could rock her dress and then immediately feel awkward and out of place by his own suit but Gil wasn't that great a person anyway so here he was. "I think Ben has mistaken me for someone who does not spill food all over themselves." Which was like, one of Gil's hidden talents, unfortunately. "I'll just… dig through his closet for literally any other color suit."
Jane and Doug turned on him in eerie synchronization, twin looks of 'Oh, hell no' on their faces.
"Guys," Gil whined, because he was not above whining. "It's so… white."
White pants and a white shirt and a white vest and coat that had gold embroidery down the sides. There was a white neck-thing that wasn't a tie and white buttons and a white belt and what Gil was pretty sure was a diamond broach lined with gold and he was going to ruin it in like two seconds.
It was also way too fancy for Gil in every way it could be fancy, and why the hell had Ben thought this was a good idea?
At least the shoes were black. That was something.
"Ben got it for you," Jane said, turning her bewitching doe eyes on him. "Made it for you especially, because he thought you'd like it."
Curse her ability to use Gil's own arguments against him.
"You're good enough to wear it, Flynn," Doug cut in evenly, and Gil had to fight back a flinch because maybe that had been ringing through his head – it was too fancy and he wasn't fancy, was born in dirt and rotten wood and he didn't want to feel like a fraud even though he had every day, ever since they'd stumbled into Corona.
He wished they'd never gone there.
"…Flynn?" Jane's gloved hands took Gil's calloused ones between them, her tone concerned and it wasn't fair that Gil might be secret royalty but Jane wasn't, because Jane was delicate but fierce and true.
"I'll um… need help with the neck thing," Gil decided, grabbing up his garment bag. "Be right back."
He ducked into the bathroom before either of them could do something nice like comfort him.
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In the light of the bathroom, none of the clothes got less white or intimidating but at least Gil had privacy as he shrugged out his old clothes – nice, Auradon commissioned things because Queen Belle had gone on a shopping spree on Gil's behalf even though he'd insisted three pairs of clothes were more than enough (he'd lived with less, honestly). Gil flushed when he realized Ben had even gotten him underwear, though he assumed the beige material was so it um- wouldn't show through the stupid white pants. Gil avoided his reflection in the mirror as he got dressed, hands lingering on his bandana when he finished with the shirt and vest.
He tugged it off carefully, tucking the material into his suit jacket's inner pocket for later. Ben had been apologetic about the restrictions on headwear for the ball, but he'd come up with a compromise, he promised, before responsibility had whisked him away.
For lack of anything else to do, Gil twisted his hair back into a French braid, keeping it tucked close to his scalp, and then shrugged on the fancy embroidered jacket. He fiddled around with the collar a bit before he realized there was a white hood attached to it and- that was just for Gil, he knew. There was no way that was standard fancy clothes fashion, Ben had designed that just for Gil, so he could continue to hide one of his least favorite features.
He tied the mask on – white with gold metal tendrils that surrounded the eyes and curved around the outside – before pulling the hood over his hair, stepping back to finally look at his reflection.
The person he saw didn't seem much like him, which actually worked out since his presence was supposed to be a secret anyway.
It was good. This was good.
By the time he walked back into the bedroom, Jane and Doug had their masks on too. Jane's was, of course, a pale pink, covered in a lacey sort of material with a large feather and flower attached to the right side. Doug's mask was more subdued, a dark gray with silver swirls under the eyes.
They both froze when Gil entered the room.
"…Flynn," Jane's voice was quiet, and Gil was glad she had decided to wear the jewelry after all because the pink and blue earrings did her justice – the pink twist of a bracelet shimmered as brightly as Jane did under the lights of the room. "You…"
"Don't know how to put this on." Gil held up the neck thing. "Doug?"
That startled the other teen from whatever had been distracting him. "Yeah. Yeah, I can-"
His fingers were gentle around Gil's neck, and it was weird – letting someone this close to him that wasn't Uma or Harry or even Jay, and as much as Gil trusted Doug, trusted him like the rudder on a ship, it was odd to see him so close, looking uncertain when just about everything Doug did was handled with confidence.
"There," he said eventually, stepping back to admire his work. "You're ready."
"Then let's get this ball on the roll." Gil plastered on a grin, trying to swallow his nerves and likely failing miserably. "Jane, would you do us the honors?"
Jane perked up at the implication, then ducked her head. "Um… yes. Yes, I will."
With that, both of them offered her an arm which she took graciously, her smile spreading wide and bright. None of them may know what to do at an actual ball, but at least they'd look good.
As one, they started down the hallway, never looking back.
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Of course, Ben managed to intercept them before they even made it to the public hallways, and all of them pretended to not hear the others' simultaneous sighs of relief.
"Hey, guys." Ben was in full royal prince mode, his hands tucked behind his back, shoulders squared and head held high, because otherwise Gil was pretty sure he'd be gushing over Jane's dress, or the snappy flare of Doug's bowtie. "I'm glad you were able to make it. Would you please follow me?"
Compared to the rest of them, Ben's suit was – well, of course very snappy – but not nearly as flashy. His pants were a blue and white sort of plaid that came with a matching vest, double-breasted with white, shiny buttons. His shirt was white, but his coat and tie were the strong blue of Auradon. His mask was entirely gold, and flared up at the sides like the wings of an eagle, wrought from metal so delicate Doug could probably lose an evening studying it.
"Most of the guests have already made it, so we should be able to get in without anyone noticing."
If people were able to ignore Jane's Cinderella fantasy Gil would applaud them, but he understood Ben's inability to recognize the situation he had created with their outfits. Dressed like this, it would be easy to pass for royalty – attractive royalty – and only the minor hindrance of the masquerade part of the ball would keep people from falling all over themselves to get to Jane and Doug.
Fortunately, Gil was there to take care of them. And not eat. Eating was not going to happen in this suit.
They drew to a stop near a set of double doors, and Gil could hear the hustle and bustle of people beyond them.
Ben cleared his throat. "Jane," he said carefully, like he was about to make some kind of royal proclamation. "May I escort you in?"
"I-" Pink lips pinched together, but still, Jane moved forward, gracefully accepting Ben's arm. "Yes. Okay."
"Doug?" Gil offered his elbow to the other teen, the suggestive wag of his brows lost behind the mask. "May I escort you in?"
"Only because you asked first," Doug laughed. "Otherwise it'd be the other way around."
"Promise?" Gil winked, and that wasn't lost behind the mask.
Ben cleared his throat again. "This way."
-:-:-:-:-:-
Gil managed to forget that he hadn't attended a ball since Jay's disastrous hero celebration up until the moment they entered the ballroom, and at that point it took everything he had to keep the smile on his face nice and relaxed. His chest felt tight, but Doug's arm was a grounding presence, not unlike Harry's when Gil had to face down Gaston out in the markets.
No one here knew him, though. He wasn't a hero and there weren't going to be any announcements. He was just another fly on the wall who seemed really jazzed about the color white, and that was the reason people were staring at them – that or Ben and Jane's power couple walk, because they looked so pretty it kind of hurt.
"So much for nobody noticing," Doug murmured, his smile seeming a little forced as he shrunk close to Gil. "Maybe we should have given them a five-minute head start."
"It'll be fine." Gil had to believe that or else he was going to lose it and Ben didn't deserve to be seen with crazy people who sprinted out into the gardens like their shoes were on fire. "People are already dancing. Look, there's Queen Belle."
And also King Adam, but honestly, Gil liked the queen more (sometimes he was afraid that was something Gaston had engrained in him, but then he had to remind himself how Ben looked like her when he laughed and how he loved books and how so much of the prince was attributed to this wonderful lady). The queen was modeling an updated version of her wedding gown – gold gathered tiers that would have made Evie shiver with envy that was finished with a matching gold mask. She caught their eye after scanning her son and Jane and offered them a small wave that Gil eagerly returned. He wasn't sure if that was polite or not, but honestly, who cared.
He didn't realize until he was pulling his hand down that the interaction had only made people more interested in them, and it was with a swallow that Gil tugged Doug deeper into the crowds, following in Ben and Jane's wake.
"Do you remember where all the trap doors are?" Gil whispered, offering a bright grin to anyone who looked their way. Which was a lot.
"Yeah." Doug nodded.
"Tell me about them."
"But you know-"
"I forgot," Gil lied. "Tell me about them."
By the time Ben had settled them into a comfortable space between two pillars, Doug seemed to have relaxed. Recounting the information had done a lot to calm his nerves because it was something he knew, and Gil nodded along at the appropriate moments, even though this was actually something he remembered perfectly.
"Thanks," Doug murmured when they settled in.
Gil didn't feign confusion, choosing to squeeze his arm instead. It was the little things.
Jane drifted closer to them. "They're staring at us."
"Because we're very good looking," Gil decided. "Or because of Ben."
"It's the first option," Ben assured. "Sorry guys, I didn't think I'd draw all this focus to you."
"Because you underestimated how good looking we are," Doug deadpanned, getting back to his normal state of wit.
"No." Ben ducked his head, then straightened when he realized how un-princely it was. "That's not something I could underestimate, I think."
Awwww, Ben was so nice. Gil understood why he'd freaked Mal out at first.
The music – which was being performed by a live band of fancy string instruments – shifted into a familiar beat, the rising and falling of a consistent crescendo until Gil realized it was that same dance he and Jay had learned in Auroria, when Princess Audrey had gotten bored and decided to drag her 'community service' into the dancehall.
Gil wasn't sure how he felt about Princess Audrey, but she'd squeezed his arms a lot until Jay had started demanding more of her attention, because despite being a natural at everything else in the world, he seemed to struggle with waltzing. It had been a weird, but somewhat ego-boosting afternoon for Gil, who'd finally been slightly better at something for once.
"Hey, I know this one!" Gil's gaze scanned over the crowd and yes- it was the same dance, a familiar 1-2-3, 1-2-3 that had the couples spinning in lazy circles. "Would anyone like to dance?"
"Um." Jane and Doug both looked panicked, which – right, they were book people, Gil should have thought of that.
"Never mind," he rushed to say. "I think I see the snack table just over-"
"I'll dance with you." Ben seemed so certain when he said it, even though Gil knew it was a pity move. Still, his smile was kind, and he held out a hand to Gil as though he would lead him to the dancefloor. Which, Gil realized with a flush, he was actually going to do.
"Jane?" Doug asked, holding out his arm. "May I have this dance?"
"I think that'd be nice," she decided, and then the four of them were on the move, crowds of glittering people parting just for them.
"You can lead," Gil said as they got settled. After the first lesson in Auroria he had taken to learning both sides of the dance, because Audrey had been a firm taskmaster that had gotten fed up with his 'pitiful attempts at leading' and taken over the operation herself.
Learning both sides gave Gil the opportunity to dance with Jay at the formal functions Ben sent them to, which probably wasn't the point but Gil had exactly one guaranteed friend at all those things and he was going to stick with him as much as possible.
Ben took it all in stride, didn't so much as blink when he pulled Gil close to him, then set them off around the dancefloor.
It was fun – it had always been fun, but before it had been fun in the way that most people were still wary around VKs and dancing seemed to make people warm up to them. Like if they were capable of having fun, of mastering harmless things, then maybe they weren't really all that rotten after all.
Here, no one knew him as the son of Gaston, and the stares they earned were different and intense and Gil blocked them out because Ben seemed happy and so perfectly regal it hurt. It was like Gil was the only person in the room, the only one that mattered, and it filled him with a warmth he had stifle ruthlessly, like throwing water on a roaring fire, because there was so little place for it.
The dance ended too soon, with Ben breaking off in a gentle bow that Gil remembered to copy, his throat feeling tight and warm all at once.
"Excuse me." A girl with a head of fierce red curls down to her waist drew near to them, her voice accented like Harry's. "May I have this dance?"
"Sure." Gil stepped away, "Of course, I'll just let you guys-"
"Och," she tutted. "I meant with ye, mate."
Gil felt himself flush down to his toes. "Oh- sure! Right."
Beside them, Ben was grinning embarrassingly wide. "I'll leave you guys to it, then."
He was reveling in this; Gil just knew he was.
"So uh-" Gil cleared his throat. "Do you want to lead, or shall I?"
The redhead perked up. "I think I'd like to lead."
Gil smiled. "I thought you'd might."
He spent that dance offering the princess (Merida's daughter of equally terrifying determination) pointers on how best to lead, coaching her through the trickier bits until she was the one bowing at the end, Gil offering her an exaggerated courtesy.
"Now you can ask another lady to dance," he huffed, grin widening under her giddy little giggle. "Like Jane. See-" He motioned towards where Jane and Doug were taking a break on the side of the dancefloor. "She's very shy but also super nice and I'm biased but you'd like her."
She gave him a grin that was more feral than polite, reminiscent of Harry, and Gil ached all over again. "I think ye might be on to somethin' there, mucker." And with that, she disappeared into the crowd, Gil wondering if what he had just done was a good or bad thing.
He was still standing there when the music changed, and this time he recognized the melody faster, a speedier rhythm tugging at his heels. "Hey, a polka!"
"You know how to polka?" A smaller redhead seemed to almost materialize next to Gil, clad in gown familiar to Arendelle, the skirt a culmination of many different sections.
"Yeah, it's fun." Gil had to look down because she was at least a head shorter than him – probably younger by a few years, too. But she seemed happy and free, which made her instantly likeable. "I mean, it's not as fun as the stompy dance-"
"I love the stompy dance!" She was practically vibrating in place in an effort to contain her excitement, which Gil related to on a personal level. "Do you want to polka with me?"
"Heck yes, I do." Gil made a move to initiate the little bow thing that seemed mandatory before all dances but was immediately whisked away when the redhead latched onto his hands and started whirling them around the ballroom. It only took Gil a few seconds to keep up, and before long they were both gasping and laughing.
"This is so fun!" she cheered when Gil guided her through a couple spins. "Usually no one else knows how to polka and I get stuck with my dad because my brother is dumb and hates dancing. I mean- Prince Ben knows how to polka, but he always ends up with my mom anyway, which makes my dad all pouty and the worst dance partner ever but you're so good!"
"Thank you!" Gil couldn't agree more, this was fun. "I had a good teacher."
They hadn't been to Arendelle yet, but it shared a lot of cultural similarities to Hanover. Evie and Doug had actually taught Gil how to polka at the post fashion show reception, the event taking a more traditional turn that hadn't seemed expected but was definitely a lot of fun.
"Well, I'm claiming you for the next polka," she decided when the music finally drew to a halt. "You're awesome."
"Is he now?" It took Gil a few seconds to place the voice because he hadn't had much contact with Chad Charming – most of his understanding of the guy came from Harry and Carlos' complaining, though Ben seemed to like him. Or, claimed he was 'harmless enough'. This Chad, though, was dressed to the nines in a light blue suit, a regal cape settled on his shoulders that managed to look as charming as his namesake instead of horribly stupid. "I'd like to see that for myself."
The small princess (Gil really needed to start learning names) scrunched her nose. "If that's how you ask people to dance you really need to work on it." She turned to Gil as Chad tried to swallow down some sputters. "I'll see you for the next polka, okay? And don't get dragged out by my brother because that means he's a hypocrite and I have dibs."
"I don't know who your brother is, but I'll try," Gil offered, earning another giggle. She left them with a twirl of her skirt, happily skipping into the crowd. The music changed back to a waltz, which Gil was fine with, because it gave him a chance to catch his breath after all that vigorous polka-ing. "So did you actually want to dance or were you just being nosy?"
"I- what? The first option," Chad eventually settled on.
Gil shrugged. "Cool. I'll follow."
For whatever reason, that seemed to give Chad some of his confidence back, his chest puffing up as he took Gil into his arms. Gil attempted to find something wrong with his form, he really did, he felt like he owed it to Harry and Carlos to at least try, but Chad's waltzing game was strong, and he managed to effortlessly weave them through the crowds as though they were dancing on air.
"You know," he began when he had sufficiently gathered his bearings. "My parents met at a ball."
"I think everyone knows that." Even Gil knew that, and he grew up on the Isle, where the villains hated the heroes' side of the story. "Wait, was that a pickup line? She was totally right man; you need to work on those."
"What?" Under his mask, Chad's cheeks got all red. He was still unfairly attractive though. Ugh. "What is wrong with you? I'm very charming."
"Charming people don't usually have to explain their charming…ness." He was pretty sure that was one of the rules. "But you are super good looking, if that makes you feel better. Like, ten out of ten."
Chad pressed his lips together as he mulled that over. "Yeah, that does make me feel better." His confidence returned. "It's even nicer when the compliment is given from an exquisite creature such as yourself."
"See, that's charming." Gil should become a life coach, or something.
Chad deflated again. "I suppose you get told that all the time."
"Oh…" Gil felt his cheeks get hot. "No. Actually, you're the first."
"What?" Chad's gaze narrowed behind his mask. "That's impossible. Are you sure you haven't been locked away by some evil step-family member?"
"I think I'd remember if I had." Gil played off his shudder, the truth of it ringing too close to Gaston and possible-maybe kidnappings or whatever. "I'm definitely not gonna turn into a pumpkin at midnight."
"The carriage turned into a pumpkin," Chad said. His eyes got kind of hazy. "There were seeds everywhere."
"Wow. That sounds…" Oh, who was Gil kidding, he didn't know how to end that sentence. "Good for the environment?"
"But bad for the hair," Chad huffed. This was… quite a ride they were going on. He blinked, and Gil could see his focus shifting, certainly felt it when Chad drew him closer, angled his mouth inches from Gil's ear. "Do you mean to say that no one has ever called you ravishing? That your eyes sparkle like the finest jewels, that your lips…" His gaze fell to them purposefully, and Gil could feel his hunger. "You are grace incarnate. Light incarnate, shining and brilliant for all to see."
Gil shuddered, couldn't fight it because Chad seemed so – intense – and it was weird, because Carlos hated him so much, Jay dismissing him as harmless but he was so pretty and for whatever reason he thought Gil was pretty too, and the guy was shallow enough that he probably meant it.
Chad's voice dropped to a low caress. "Where has our good prince been hiding you?"
"In his room, mostly," Gil replied because he was flustered, which only got worse when he realized what he'd said exactly.
Chad laughed. It was a sexy laugh. Almost like Jay or Harry's sexy laugh. Ughhhhhh. "I'd like to hide you in my room," he said, and that was too genuine to ever sound possibly corny.
What the hell, Chad wanted to jump his bones.
Because he didn't know. He didn't know anything.
"Hello, Chad!" Jane appeared beside them as the dance drew to a close like some kind of radiant super hero. "Let's Bibbidi Bobbidi dance!"
"What?" Chad frowned. "Who are-?"
With uncharacteristic force (at least, uncharacteristic for this Jane), the young fairy dragged Chad off onto the dancefloor, leaving Gil flustered and alone. This lasted for all of two seconds before Doug appeared by his side, gripping his elbow gently.
"Are you okay?"
"Never um… better." Gil managed a smile even though he still felt shaken up inside. It was like the few times Ben had given him a 'reward' for doing a good job, showering Gil with compliments that made his bones turn to jelly. Gil hadn't expected it from anyone else, and it left him at a loss. "Dance with me?"
Doug drew him into his arms with an amount of care that made the skittish feeling in Gil's chest grow tenfold, like he was a delicate thing, that he needed to be handled gently. "I'd be honored."
Gil took their dance to settle into his skin, listening to Doug recount the number of envious royals who had stared after Jane and Ben's own difficulties being dragged around the floor by an enthusiastic Princess Anna, Queen Elsa deciding to join them for once with Prince Kristoff staring at their feet.
By the time their dance was over Gil's heart had steadied again, and he wanted to ask Doug for another if he could spare it, even though such things were reserved for Evie or Jay, even if the other teen didn't know it yet.
So Gil considered it fortunate when the tune shifted into something entirely unique, an upbeat rhythm from the city of Agrabah. "Oh hey, it's the-" He shifted his palms face up like he was holding a tray and started pumping his arms intermittently. "Do you know this one?"
"Can't say I do," Doug admitted, offering a sorry grin. "I've done more dancing in the past thirty minutes than I have my whole life."
"You know our dance?" The new voice interrupted before Gil could reply, and he turned to find himself greeted with what had to be Agrabah's princess, decked in pinks and oranges and jewelry that jangled with each step.
"Yeah, it's fun." It had been difficult to learn, but once Gil caught the hang of it, he and Jay had danced for hours. "Hard, but fun."
A smile broke out across her face. "As most good things are. May I have this dance?"
Gil turned to Doug, but the other teen waved him off. "Go, I'll watch."
"In that case…" He bowed to the princess. "I would be delighted."
He noticed this time that there were less people on the dancefloor now that the music had changed, though Gil wasn't surprised. The dances of Agrabah were intricate and didn't have a tendency to repeat, which meant you had to be really familiar with them to successfully make it through a song.
The princess was an excellent partner, and it was nice to have a dance that didn't require as much contact. Agrabah dances mostly involved moving around each other in pretty patterns, which gave Gil some breathing room as he focused on the hand movements.
"You're quite good," the princess said as they passed each other. "Where did you study?"
"I uh- learned it from a friend," Gil admitted. "To help pass the time." And to keep him from going insane – Jay had been worried about their Agrabah visit, even if that worry seemed entirely unwarranted in the end.
"Do you learn many dances to 'pass the time'?" The princess quirked a brow at him. "You seem very well versed."
Gil blushed. "Dancing's fun, and universal. Even if you don't speak the same language, people can connect to each other through dance. Same goes for music."
"Spoken like a true gentleman of the court," the princess mused.
"I'm not nearly that important." Panic hummed in his stomach at the thought of it. "I just- travel a lot."
"And what do you see?" It seemed like a genuine question, not a coy tease like Gil would have expected. "In your travels."
"Plants, mostly." Greenery, beautiful and thriving and alive. "Trees and flowers. I've been lucky enough to experience many different cultures, but it's nice to know that at the base of it we all want the same things."
"And what is that?"
"You know." Gil shrugged. "Just- our own little corner of the earth with the people we care about. A purpose to work towards and the means to live in peace." Food and shelter. Security and love. "Little things."
"Not fortune?" She asked. "Or fame? Power?"
"There's no point to those if you don't have anyone to share them with." It'd be a hollow victory in the end, because all the power in the world couldn't buy you love, and no one was strong enough to forge on without someone who genuinely cared for them. It was why, Gil suspected, so many villains seemed irreparably broken. "I mean if you have them, great, but like- use them responsibly."
"You're pretty wise for a traveler," she hummed. "Well dressed, too."
"Not my handiwork, I assure you," Gil laughed. "This is the last color I would have picked. There are so many snacks I cannot eat."
This startled a laugh from the princess. "I know what you mean. I feel like I can never eat at these things. We always end up feasting on late night snacks in the kitchen when we get home."
"Midnight only makes cookies taste better," Gil offered sagely. "And you can quote me on that."
"So I shall, wise traveler." She grinned, curtsying as the music started to fade. "And whose name shall I be quoting?"
Gil did not freak out. "Someone very mysterious, I'm sure."
And with that, he turned to find another partner. Who was standing nose-to-nose with him. Or, nose-to-chest.
"Me again!" The Arendelle princess chirped. "I requested another polka. Get your dancing shoes ready."
"Excuse you," Gil laughed. "They stayed ready to keep from getting ready."
"Ugh," the small princess cried as though his words physically pained her. "Who are you, my dad? Wait, don't answer that." She grabbed his hands. "Just start dancing."
-:-:-:-:-:-
Endnotes:
Real talk, Jane probably doesn't have enough hair for a side French braid but I exercised some creative liberties for aesthetic purposes.
For now and forever, anytime Doug wants to do something, he will gladly use the excuse of science ;)
The colors of Flynn Rider, according to the Tangled animated series, are white and gold. Thus, shoving Gil in gold and white felt appropriate and was totally planned and not at all an accidental happenstance I get to play off as Ben being a booknerd ;D
Yep, this is back when I actually got reference pictures for everything, so I decided to link the inspiration I used for their ball clothes. Unfortunately, the links to Gil's suit and mask and Doug's mask no longer work, so you'll have to use your imagination for that ;P
Apparently I picked out a suit for Chad? Even back then, I knew he was important, lol. a href=" . " rel="nofollow"This/a is what it looks like.
This was also my first take at Chad, which heavily relied on his canon version and not any of the ones I made to make him more tolerable. Yes, it pains me too.
Look at me being all creative and not naming any of the random royal children that popped up in this chapter. This was before I threw in the towel and named the lot of them during 'Practice Makes Perfect Mistakes'. In this version, Fairuza and Aziz are fraternal twins, so they're the same age instead of Fairuza being younger than him, which is how I usually have her.
The Agrabah dance I legit took straight from the new movie.
Until next time ^_^