Gil stood at the door of Evie's for Hearts yet again. This time he was alone, without Harry by his side. He didn't really mind, he actually wanted to be alone with Jay. Last night the strange letter forced him to change all of his plans and Gil didn't even had the chance to talk to Jay. Gil's thoughts got interrupted, when the door got opened and Jay suddenly stood in front of him. Gil noticed he started to smile, glad to see Jay smiled back to him.
"What's up?" Jay greeted first. He frowned a little when Gil didn't immediately respond. Somehow he could see the fear and insecurity in Gil's eyes, even though Gil still smiled warmly at him.
"I'm okay," Gil answered. Jay stepped aside, freeing the doorway.
"Come in," Jay said. "You actually look like a mess." Gil chuckled a bit and stepped inside. He lifted Jay's chin and softly pressed a kiss on his mouth.
He indeed couldn't sleep at all last night. Concerned about Harry and how Jay would react when he learned about the kiss they shared. Worrying about Harry's sisters and about his own brother's as well. Thinking about the letter, wondering if his dad actually thought about him. In the end Gil had left his hammock, quietly walking past his sleeping crew mates. He had only stopped for a moment to look down at a sleeping Harry, before he climbed on deck. Up there he had listened to the sounds of the ship. The soft creaks and squeaks all around him, while the salty sea wind blew on his face. It tend to calm him down a bit.
But Gil could finally feel a huge weight falling off his shoulders when Jay wrapped his arms around him and returned the kiss. Gil slowly broke the kiss, but instead of walking inside the house he held Jay even closer. He let his head rest on Jay's shoulder and took a deep breath.
"I need to tell you something," Gil mumbled in Jay's hair. Gil could hear Jay's chuckle softly close to his ear.
"Last time you said that it turned out you were plotting against us with your dad," Jay softly replied.
Gil lifted his head up, so he could look Jay in the eye, making sure he would hear him. "Well, it's not that bad. But you're not going to like it."
Somehow Jay still smiled at him, but he also took a step backwards. "Come on," he said while he gestured with his head to come inside.
"I bet it has something to do with Harry," Jay said when they entered the living room.
"It does," Gil confessed. He was ready to rip of the bandage, before he saw both Carlos and Dude on the couch. Dude immediately jumped off and ran towards Gil with wagging tail, greeting him happily. Gil bend down, petting the dog.
"So what is it?" Jay asked impatiently. Carlos silently watched, already noticing something was off.
"Well, Harry has been acting strange lately," Gil started. He kept focusing on the dog, not making eye contact with Jay.
"Isn't Harry your weird friend who's always acting strange?" Dude asked straight up. Jay chuckled in response of the dog, but Gil wasn't sure if Jay sounded annoyed or actually amused.
"No, I mean it," Gil said, breathing in before he continued. "He kissed me again yesterday." Gil breathed out and looked over at Jay again. Just as Gil thought he obviously didn't like it.
"That's still happening?" Jay said fierce. "I thought he had his own girlfriend."
"Apparently they broke up," Gil said quietly as he stood up.
Carlos gestured towards Dude and the dog silently walked towards him. He hoped the dog would stay out of it, while he picked him up and removed themselves from the room. Jay stared at them while they left, taking his turn in avoiding eye contact.
"Look, I'm sorry," Gil said. "But Harry is not himself lately."
"So that makes it alright and I should just accept this?" Jay said, sending his angry glare towards Gil.
"No, that's not what I meant," Gil tried to explain. "He just has a lot to deal with."
"I don't care, he has to keep his hands off you."
Gil wasn't sure how to reply and just nodded silently. He didn't want to keep secrets from Jay anymore, so he had to tell him. But Gil knew he should've done it differently. Maybe thought about it for a moment, explained what actually happened first.
"Please don't be mad," Gil softly pleaded after a while.
"I'm not mad at you, I'm mad at him," Jay replied. Gil could understand, but Jay despising Harry felt just as bad as Jay being mad at him.
"You know it means nothing. Not to him and not to me," Gil said.
"I don't care!" Jay repeated himself. "Harry is not stupid, he knows what he's doing. Filthy bastard! I'm going to bash his skull in!"
Jay could see the hurt and fear in Gil's eyes, even though he tried his best to hide it. Gil still stood tall, nodding in agreement, as he was taught. Jay forced himself to calm down and walked up towards Gil. He grabbed both his hands and looked into his light brown eyes.
"I'll be gone to sword training now," he said calmly, even though Gil could still hear him hissing through his teeth. "I'll see you there." Jay pressed a small kiss on Gil's lips, before he walked right passed him and left the room.
Gil felt lost when he stood there in a living room he had been in just once before. Still unsure what to do he just looked up at the ceiling.
"Don't worry," Carlos said as he reappeared in the room. "Jay is not going to beat Harry up with his tourney stick. He just needs time to blow off some steam." Gil smiled relieved when he saw he wasn't alone anymore.
"It's my fault, really," Gil confessed to Carlos. "I've known for a while Harry is not doing well. I should've done something about if before it got worse."
"Want to explain what happened?" Carlos asked when he walked over, still carrying Dude in his arms.
"He just changed a lot after Uma disappeared, that's all," Gil shrugged it off. "I hoped he would be his normal self again after she returned, but he honestly got worse. Last night I saw him sleeping in one of the hammocks with the rest of the crew. He shouldn't be there. He should be in the captain's quarters, together with Uma."
Carlos thought for a moment, while he studied Gil's face. He could see the worry and sadness in his eyes. Gil really cared about Harry, that much was clear.
"I know it's not my place, but can I ask you something?" Gil said, looking up at Carlos.
"Man, you can ask for anything," Dude responded for Carlos, but the black-white haired boy just smiled in agreement.
Gil ruffled the little dog over his head, before he looked up at Carlos again. "If they find Harriet or CJ, you know Harry's sisters, could you please make sure they won't turn them in?"
"You know that's not my place to decided," Carlos answered truthfully.
"Yea, I know. And I know especially CJ costs you a lot of trouble in the past…," Gil was quiet for a few seconds, still softly petting the dog. "Please?"
Carlos sighed, understanding Gil couldn't give him any reassuring that the Hook sisters weren't planning anything bad. Carlos still nodded, not able to say no to the pleading eyes.
"I will keep an eye out for them," Carlos promised. Gil looked up again, a grateful smile slowly appearing on his face. Carlos smiled back at him. No words were needed for Gil to show his gratitude.
"Should I follow Jay now?" Gil asked, pointing at the door in which Jay had left.
"I should give it a little more time," Carlos advised him. "But knowing Jay he won't be mad for long."
"Yea, I hope the training will put his mind of things," Gil said to him. "I'll be going now. Thank you for your help." Gil gave the dog a last soft scratch underneath the chin before he walked away. He turned back to Carlos again and Carlos could see a mix of sadness and amusement in his eyes.
"Jay and Harry are actually a lot alike, you know," Gil said. "They both tend to leave when they need you the most."
...
Gil indeed found Jay in the training hall. They were not alone, since a lot of the Swords and Shields team members also practiced in the room. The sound of swords clashing together or blocked by a wooden shield filled the air. All the boys were fully focused, since it wasn't just practice this time, but also preparation of war.
"Focus! Starting from tomorrow the new warriors need to learn these basics within three days." Gil could hear Lonnie drilling the men while he entered the room.
Jay quickly looked up at him for a moment, before he focused on the training again. Gil quietly watched, since he didn't want to interrupt. The group was smaller than usual, since a few off the guys left Auradon with their family to go somewhere safe. Lonnie was still determined to gather as many soldiers as she could.
Lonnie turned towards the newcomer in the room, but smiled when she recognized Gil. Jay on the other hand didn't pay much attention to him, so Gil decided to sit down and watched them for a moment. He knew he had to train the new recruits as well, when he would be back at the ship. Many young refugees from the Isle joined the pirate crew. Firstly because they had nowhere else to go and secondly because they wanted to fight for Auradon, earning their place in this new world.
"Look at that, Jay invited his little boyfriend." Gil looked up since he heard Jay's name and looked at the guy who was introduced to him as Chad a week earlier.
"Yes, I was talking about you," Chad continued to Gil when he noticed the boy looked back at him. "Thanks to your dad all the women left Auradon. You probably want us all to turn into your kind. But no, I don't think so."
"My kind?" Clear confusion was written on Gil's face. "You mean being a pirate?" Lonnie was quick to jump in and turned towards Chad and the other guys slacking off.
"Back in formation," she said clear and Chad knew she wouldn't tolerate any protest. He gave her a little smirk before he grabbed his sword tight again and took his position with the rest of his teammates. Lonnie nodded pleased before she turned towards Gil.
"Don't mind him," she said to him. She was glad to still see the questioning frown on Gil's face, showing he really didn't understand what Chad was referring to.
"Is he still giving you a hard time?" Gil asked her, causing Lonnie to smile up to him.
"You're really sweet, you know that," Lonnie said to him. His frown turned into a smile. Lonnie sat beside him, making a little note inside her head that she should complement him more often.
"I can handle him," she continued. "I'm actually one of the few women left in Auradon, but Chad finally starts to realize I'm more than capable to lead this group. Even into battle if I have to."
"Uma and Mal are also still here," Gil said to her.
"Exactly, we show guys like Chad what we're made off." Lonnie said confident. "So you don't need to worry about me. I'm honestly more concerned about Jay. You guys are in an argument or something?"
"Nah, we're alright," Gil answered. "Just had to tell him some bad news, that's all."
"Hopefully nothing too bad," Lonnie continued. "Chad has been on his nerves for a while now."
Gil looked back up at her. "So you do have a problem with him," he concluded.
"Well, don't worry about it. He's just really frustrating. Nothing more," Lonnie reassured him. Gil looked up when he saw how Jay finally made his way towards him. He still didn't smile at him like he used to, but Gil decided to still smile brightly back at him.
"They're finally getting the hang of it," Jay said to Lonnie. Lonnie nodded as she watched her men again, trying to master a counter that would not leave their own flanks open.
"They still have to practice a lot," Lonnie said to Jay. "I hope the kids from the Isle won't take so long. They won't be ready in time if they do." She then stood up and walked back towards the rest of the men. "Ten minute break. Catch your breath before we continue."
Jay grabbed himself a bottle of water and sat down on the bench next to Gil. A little unsure Gil moved closer to Jay. Jay quickly glanced over to him, before he took another sip of his water. Jay could feel Chad staring at them again. He didn't even try to be discreet when he nudged one of the other guys and softly spoke to him while pointing towards them.
Jay could see how some of the other guys chuckled in response. Jay closed his water bottle with a little too much force. He also noticed Gil staring at him worryingly. He didn't even slightly pay attention to the other guys across the room, but tried to find a way to reach towards Jay again.
"You know… there really is nothing going on between me and Harry," Gil said softly to Jay. Jay sighed annoyed in response, immediately making Gil realize he made the wrong approach.
"Please don't tell me you came over here to talk about Harry again," Jay said to him.
Gil quickly shook his head. "Just wanted to make sure you're okay. I don't want you to be mad at me."
"I told you, I'm not mad at you," Jay replied, finally looking over at Gil. Gil just slightly nodded. Jay's voice still sounded angry, but Gil knew from experience that pointing this out would not make things better.
They sat in silence for a moment. Gil finally paid some attention to Chad and the other guys, silently laughing with each other. It reminded him a bit of Jonas and Gonzo, even though his crew mates were much worse most of the time. Jay however was obviously bothered by it, trying hard to ignore it, while he pretended to tighten his armour.
"Chad is giving you problems?" Gil asked, breaking the silence between them. Jay looked up at him again. "Lonnie said he was," Gil clarified when Jay didn't immediately respond.
"It's alright," Jay answered. "Chad is just provoking me, glad he finally found something on me. It's been like this since I kissed you on the tourney field." Gil tried to read him, but all he could see was the same angry look on his face.
"You don't regret it, do you?" Gil softly asked, scared for the answer. He was relieved to see a mischievous smirk appearing on Jay's face.
"Not at all," Jay said warmly to Gil. "At least it's out of the open now and it didn't become some kind of dark rumour."
"I'm glad," Gil said, while he smiled slightly at him.
Jay just slightly moved the corners of his mouth upwards. He also quickly looked away, secretly hoping Gil would do the same. He didn't want the guys to see they stared intensely at each other, giving them another reason to laugh.
"Let's grab something from the vending machine, before Lonnie comes back," Jay said. Gil nodded to him and they both stood up. Jay tried to avoid eye contact when he walked passed the others, but still held his head high up, faking the confidence on his face.
"So I guess you two are not only gay, but together you're also Gay," Chad commented laughing.
Jay clenched his fist in the pockets of his jacket, suppressing the urge to hit the guy. There wasn't much that Jay missed from the Isle of the Lost, but sometimes he wished he could resolve some issues like they did over there. Just beat each other up and be done with it afterwards.
"I don't get it."
Jay turned around immediately, shocked to see Gil stopped to respond on Chad.
"You just said gay twice," Gil continued to Chad. He didn't even look mad, just utterly confused.
"Can you believe this guy?" Chad said to no one in particular before turning towards Gil. "It's a ship name." Gil looked possible even more confused,
"Oh shit," Jay whispered to himself, causing Gil to send his questioning glare towards him. "How did I not realize this before?"
"What?"
Jay stared back at Gil before he glanced over at the other guys. They didn't even try to hide their grins and some even chuckled out loud. Jay looked back at Gil, the only one present who had no clue what was going on. He didn't seem bothered in the slightest that the other guys were laughing, just trying hard to understand what everybody was talking about.
"It's just two names combined," Jay decided to explain. He tried to gesture to keep walking, hoping he could make the situation less painful if they just walked away. Gil still stood there, still with the same confused frown on his face.
"You remember the necklace Carlos made for Jane?" Jay continued, glad to finally see some recognition on Gil's face.
"Yes, Jane showed it to me," Gil answered.
"Well, it's their two names combined. It some weird relationship thing they do here in Auradon," Jay said. "When you put Jane and Carlos together you get Jarlos, but when you put our names together…" Jay went quiet again, hoping he gave enough information for Gil to figure it out. A sudden realization appeared on Gil's face.
"Oh," Gil said, finally enlightened. Jay could hear some guys chuckle again, Chad of course the loudest. He took a few steps backwards, hoping they could finally leave since the matter was solved.
"So do we need to wear a necklace with the word Gay on it?" Gil asked, and somehow he sounded dead serious. Jay stared at him in disbelief for a few seconds. Gil then turned to Chad, hoping to find some answer there.
"I definitely would," Chad answered mockingly.
"No," Jay said, quickly stepping forwards before Chad would put some weird ideas in Gil's head. Jay was relieved to see Gil looked back at him. "That really isn't necessary." Jay wanted to reach for Gil's hand, hoping he could drag Gil and himself away from this moment. But the intruding glances of the other guys stopped him.
"You know," Gil slowly said. He took a step closer to Jay, once more ignoring all the other present. Jay saw a certain twinkle in his eyes and a confident grin on his face, an expression Gil usually only got when he planned some mischief. "What if you wore a necklace with Gil on it and I wear a necklace with your name."
Jay frowned back at him, not even sure anymore if Gil was serious or not.
"No," Jay still said. "No, it's just… no."
"How about Forever Gay?" Gil said even more enthusiastic.
"Absolutely not," Jay answered. He noticed how a slight smile appeared on his face. Gil's excitement worked contagious on him.
"Now I have it! Gay Forever."
Jay narrowed his eyes, acting as if he was considering it. "Best one yet, still a no."
"I would go for Gay Together," William, son of Snow White and a teammate of the tourney team, said. Gil turned towards him, as if the sudden voice reminded him the others were still there. He smiled at the suggestion and nodded to the black haired guy.
"I like that one," Gil said, turning towards Jay again. The others were laughing again, but this time around they were laughing with Gil instead of laughing at him. Jay raised his eyebrows towards him, slowly reaching for his hand again.
"You know what," Jay said to Gil, moving closer with a grin on his face. "You can wear whatever you want, but I'm not going to."
"You know, it doesn't have to be a necklace," another teammate, who Jay recognized as Tyrone, said. "My girlfriend got us matching bracelets before she left. At first I didn't really like them, but now I'm really glad. I have something that always reminds me of her, even though she's far gone now."
He rolled up his sleeve and showed everybody the simple green bracelet he was wearing round his wrist. The other teammates bend over, taking a look at the accessory.
"Man, that's so neat. Now I wish I had one too," one of them cried out.
"Don't judge me, but I have something similar with my little sister." Tyrone looked over when another teammate pulled out a keychain to which hang one side of a broken heart. "My sister hast the other half. She said the family wouldn't be complete until we'll be together again."
"No judgement at all. We all miss our family," Tyrone said. He then turned towards Gil and Jay again, a gentle smile on his face. "You two are lucky you're still together. I still think you should get yourself some matching bracelets."
Jay quickly grabbed Gil's hand, holding it tightly. "We don't need it. Neither of us is leaving," Jay simply responded. He then noticed the pleading glare Gil gave as Jay turned to look into those bright hazel eyes.
"I still want them," Gil confessed,
"I would still go for the Gay Together necklace," William suddenly shouted, causing the guys to laugh again.
Jay didn't pay much attention to them anymore and still looked at his boyfriend. He could still see a flicker of mischief in those hazel eyes, while Gil secretly squeezed in Jay's hand. For a moment Jay believed Gil planned it all. Playing along with the rest of the group, beating Chad in his own game. Jay leaned against Gil, finally feeling like he was part of the team again, while he proudly held Gil's hand in front of them.
Lonnie walked back in the room, but looked up in surprise when she saw Gil and Jay, hand in hand, talking and laughing with the other teammates. Even Chad slowly warmed up to the situation, even though he was quiet for the moment. Lonnie nodded pleased. She had no idea what kind of miracle had passed, but she would not complain as long as the team was united again.