Jay was alone in his room, multiple study books laid open before him on his desk. Just a few more months before graduating. He hadn't spent much time on studying though, just enjoying his summer holiday. Unlike Evie, who had been preparing for months already, aiming to get the highest grades of the class. Jay just wanted to pass, earn that piece of paper and continue with his life. He still had to study to make that happen, though. He couldn't really concentrate on his work at all. He sat on his chair, spinning it around, wondering what Gil was doing at the moment. Probably doing stuff with Harry on the ship. The question was what kind of stuff were they actual doing on that ship.
"Hi Jay!" Jay nearly got a heart attack when Carlos suddenly came bashing through the door. He was for once without his dog.
"Could you just knock next time?" Jay asked, his voice already sounded annoyed.
"I could, but what's the fun in that?" Carlos answered, causing Jay to sigh. "Are you busy?"
"Yes, I'm studying."
"Studying?" Carlos repeated, while raising his eyebrows. "What you're doing is what I call; staring at the wall with your text books open. It's not studying."
Jay smirked at that, knowing Carlos was right. He slammed his books shut, turning towards Carlos. "Should we just play a game or something? I'll get us a pizza."
"Actually, that's not why I'm here," Carlos said slowly. He closed the bedroom door, suddenly a serious expression on his face. "I know it can't be easy for you. We all have a lot on our minds, like graduating and what to do with our lives after that. Mal has her wedding and ruling a kingdom. And of course, Evie has her business with Doug. And then there is me, so happy I finally have a girlfriend for the first time in my life."
Jay nodded slowly, trying to look interested in the words Carlos was saying. "Your point?"
"Look," Carlos continued. He went to sit on the bed, turning Jay's chair so he would be facing him. "I don't want you to feel like you're alone in this. I want you to know that you can talk to us whenever you want to."
Jay snorted and rolled his eyes a bit. "Yea, thanks. I'm not much of a talker." Jay wanted to turn his chair around again, but Carlos quickly grabbed his arm.
"I'm serious," Carlos said, releasing the chair of his grip again. "It's nice to get things of your chest every once in a while. Even for you."
Jay rolled his eyes again, but the look on his face already got a little softer.
"So, you and Gil," Carlos continued with a smirk.
"So that's what this is all about," Jay said, crossing his arms in front of his chest.
"Well, you've been really mysterious about it."
Jay quickly turned his head away, trying to hide the grin that slowly grew on his face. Carlos decided to use a different approach, realizing it still wasn't easy for Jay.
"You know nobody would think less of you when they knew," Carlos carefully continued.
"Falling for one of the pirates. A guy on top of that," Jay softly said to himself. He then turned back to Carlos. "I feel like some treacherous fool."
"You're the one dating a VK," Carlos replied without any signs of mockery. "I would say that would make you the only one who didn't betray our roots."
Jay slightly laughed. "That's actually true. Remember when we all figured out Mal had fallen for Ben for real?"
"Exactly! Now that was a shocker," Carlos laughed together with Jay.
"Still," Jay said after a while. "It feels so surreal. Me and Gil being… Well… You know…"
"Boyfriends?" Carlos filled in. The slight smile on Jay's face confirmed it.
"It sounds weird, right?"
"Not at all," Carlos answered without hesitation. "You know, in the beginning I also thought it was weird to call Jane my girlfriend. We had been friends for a while before that, so I wasn't sure how to handle things. But I promise, it's actually really easy to get used to."
Jay smiled again. Carlos sighed relieved. He wasn't sure if it was smart to force Jay to talk about his feelings, but so far it seemed to be working. Jay already loosen up a bit, leaning backwards on his chair, uncrossing his arms.
"I'm just wondering how I'm going to tell my dad," Jay said, looking up at the ceiling.
"Don't worry about your dad. How about Gil's dad?"
"That's easy. Not telling him at all," Jay answered, for once not joking at all.
Carlos still responded with a chuckle, understanding why Jay would be so resolute. The LeGume family wasn't really known on the Isle for their understanding nature.
"Did you hear anything from your dad yet?" Carlos asked curious.
Jay already shook his head. "Last time I visited the Isle he still refused to cross the bridge. Still being paranoid and complaining he loses costumers for his shop. I told him he could actually get more goods here in Auradon. But you know my dad, he never listens. You?"
Carlos sighed hurtful. "Haven't heard from my mom so far. Even when I'm on the Isle I try to avoid her. I actually don't feel like meeting her again. I don't want her to go near Jane, absolutely not near Dude at all."
"You're scared she might do something?" Jay asked softly. Carlos slowly nodded, trying to swallow the lump that suddenly appeared in his throat. Jay sat upright again, bending towards Carlos and softly putting a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder. "Don't be. You're much stronger than you used to be. You have nothing to fear from her anymore."
A slight smile appeared on Carlos's face, but Jay could see he was still trying to hide his fear.
"You think I can protect Dude if I need to?" Tears appeared in his eyes. Just the thought of his mother hurting his best friend had been breaking his heart.
Jay squeezed in his shoulder, no doubt to be seen on his face. "I know you can. Besides, I know everyone in Auradon would protect him. I mean, we all love Dude!"
Carlos smiled again, taking a deep breath as Jay leaned back in his chair.
"Thanks," Carlos said, feeling a little better. "See! Told you talking isn't so bad." Jay smiled back at him.
"It looks like you needed it more than I did," Jay said jokingly. He then sighed softly. "But yea, it's not so bad."
Carlos smiled to him again, glad Jay felt comfortable enough to admit it. "So next time something is bottling up in you, you just come to me, okay?"
Jay sighed again, but this time he held his breath a little longer. He looked away again, frowning worriedly and slightly gritting his teeth together.
"Oh no, what is it?" Carlos asked alarmed.
"They're hiding something from us," Jay spitted out.
Carlos raised his eyebrows "Who are they?"
"The pirates! They're hiding something from us."
"Okay, so what are they hiding?"
"I don't know. I just know they're hiding something."
Carlos slowly nodded, thinking about the information Jay just gave him.
"Gil told me himself," Jay continued. "He told me that he wanted to say something to me, but he wasn't allowed to tell. And when I followed those three into the gardens I heard Harry yelling to Gil. Something about not telling me about I don't know what. Damn, if I just hid behind that tree I would've known."
"And you were not planning to tell us," Carlos slowly said, connecting all of the dots.
"Look," Jay softly responded. "I don't know what it is. Maybe it's something really small, like anchoring their ship in some different place just to annoy Mal."
"But what if it's not?" Jay sighed as Carlos asked the question that had him in conflict the entire day.
"I just have to trust that Gil will tell me if it's something incredibly stupid, like planning to overtake Auradon," Jay answered.
Carlos was quiet for a moment, thinking it all over. "We need to tell Mal and Evie," Carlos concluded after a while. "They need to know."
"They don't!" Jay immediately responded. "I'm not going to risk Gil being send back to Isle."
"Mal won't do that. She said so herself."
"Yea, because she doesn't believe the pirates are a threat anymore. But what if she does so again? Mal lied to us before. Like that time when she went to the Isle without telling us. Or keeping from us that they decided to keep the barrier up for good."
"Jay, you're putting entire Auradon in danger," Carlos said, raising his voice a little.
"We don't know that," Jay immediately replied. "We don't know what the pirates are up to."
Carlos sighed, thinking it over once more. He still shook his head.
"I am not going to risk losing Gil. So please, not a word about this to anybody."
Carlos noticed the pleading look in Jay's eyes. A slight smile appeared on his face, when he placed his hand on Jay's shoulder.
"You should be glad that Dude isn't here," Carlos said jokingly. "He would've told the others within seconds."
"Thanks bro," Jay responded relieved, also placing his hand on Carlos's shoulder. Carlos smiled back at his best friend. He trusted Jay and Jay trusted Gil. They would probably be laughing at this within a few days. At the meanwhile Jay stared out of his window and saw the moon high up in the sky. It was almost a full moon, which lit up the night sky.
Jay wondered once more what Gil was up to, not knowing Gil was looking up at the same moon, thinking about Jay. Around him the other pirates where dancing and cheering again. Gil had a strong urge to join them, but he had to concentrate first. He looked back at the drawing he had made of the castle. He tried to draw the castle entrance as accurate as possible, with its huge wooden doors and all the stone walls. How many walls where there again?
"I don't know," Gil sighed to himself. He added a few more pencil strikes, trying to make his drawing a little bit better.
Suddenly the piece of paper got snapped out of his hands and Gil looked up in surprise. Of course it was Jonas, the only other crew member of the Lost Revenge who could match with Gil's strength. He stood before Gil with a smirk on his face, wearing a long red coat and his black braid hanging over his shoulder.
"What is this?" Jonas smirked. He didn't even look at the drawing, but just swung it around in front of Gil's face.
"That's my drawing. Can I have it back?" Gil reached out his hand to grab the piece of paper, but wasn't surprised to see Jonas pulled it back.
"If you want it, come and get it," Jonas said with a challenging smirk on his face. Gil didn't respond, still holding his hand up in the hope Jonas would just give it back to him.
"Are you not going to fight, Gil?" Two hands pushed Gil in the back. Gil didn't have to look back to know who it was. He recognized Gonzo's voice, the guy who was always tackling along in Jonas's schemes.
"Guys, come on," Gil tried with a smile. "I really need that back."
Gonzo pushed him again, laughing loudly while doing so. He went to stand besides Jonas, who was still waving the piece of paper around.
"I still don't understand why we have someone so unwilling to fight on our ship," Jonas joked and Gonzo laughed at it. Then Jonas dropped the drawing and Gil saw it slowly falling on the ground. Gil bend forwards, reaching for the paper. Just before he could grab it, Jonas quickly put his foot on it, almost stepping on Gil's finger. Gil quickly pulling his hand back caused both guys to laugh.
"If I raise my foot, do you think he will be stupid enough to make a second attempt?" Jonas asked to Gonzo. Gonzo replied with just more laughter.
Gil tried to think of a right reply, but then looked up relieved when he noticed Harry making his way towards them. It didn't take long before both Jonas and Gonzo noticed him too. With one sharp look and a little movement of his head he send the two pirates away. He then looked down at Gil who took the chance to grab his drawing and quickly stood up.
"Uma and I would have a word with you," Harry said to Gil.
Gil simply nodded, checking the damage done to his drawing. For the second time it got snatched out of his hands when Harry decided to take a look at it. He kept turning the paper in his hands, tilting his head a little bit.
"Which side is up exactly?" He said looking at Gil again. Gil carefully turned it for him, but Harry still looked at the drawing with a confused frown on his face.
"Jonas kind of messed it up by stepping on it," Gil defended himself. Harry nodded, raising his eyes up a little bit.
"You know we can just find some photos of the castle online now," Harry said while giving the drawing back to Gil. A deep frown appeared on Gil's forehead. He had no idea what Harry was talking about.
"I'll explain later," Harry said. "Right now we have more urgent things to discuss." Harry gave a little nod towards the door to Uma's cabin. Gil quickly walked behind him.
"Finally, what took you guys so long?" Uma complained from behind her desk.
"Is something wrong?" Gil asked, ignoring Uma's question. Uma sighed and tried to restrain herself a little. She didn't want to snap at Gil, knowing he already had an eventful day.
"You know why we're here in Auradon, right?" Uma asked directly, but kindly, to Gil.
"Yea, of course. We're here to repair the ship," Gil immediately answered. "You said it yourself. In Auradon we have all the materials we need to repair it. Materials we don't have on the Isle." Harry had to smile at the proud look on Gil's face, happy with himself that he knew the answer.
"And do you know why we repair the ship?" Uma asked next. Pride disappeared on Gil's face as he had to think about it.
"So we can sail the ship again?" He guessed hopefully.
"So we can finally leave this place and go wherever we want to go," Uma explained. Gil quickly nodded in agreement. "We can finally roam free and see the world beyond the Isle. So repairing the ship is actually really important. So important that we need all the crew members to invest some time in it."
Gil send a quick glance towards Harry. He sat on a chair, playing with his hook and enjoying the show. He wasn't planning to save Gil out of this.
"Gil!" Uma sounded strict again, making sure Gil had his eyes on her again. "Stop randomly disappearing. I see you tomorrow morning."
Uma turned her attention to the papers that laid on her desk. Gil didn't move and still stood in front of her. He had an unsure look on his face, while his eyes were rapidly glancing through the room. He seemed unaware of the piece of paper which slowly got crunched in his hands. Harry narrowed his eyes, knowing there was something wrong.
"You can go," Uma said, quickly looking up. She didn't notice the despair Gil was in.
"Why should we actually leave this place?" Gil suddenly asked.
"Excuse me?" Uma said confused, forgetting the paperwork on her desk. Harry just sighed annoyed. He had been afraid something like this would happen.
"They've got everything here," Gil continued. "Trees, flowers, cell phones, fresh food, butterflies. Why should we ever want to leave all that behind?"
"We are not going back to the Isle," Harry responded. "We're going to travel the entire world. I thought that was exactly what you wanted." Harry held his hook firmly in his hand, sitting straight up and fixing his eyes on Gil.
Gil wasn't sure how to respond. He definitely wanted to see the world beyond Auradon. He had been wondering what it all looked like and couldn't wait to see if his imaginations were close to the real scenery. But somehow he couldn't imagine exploring the world without Jay anymore.
"If we plant some kind of tree on the ship, would you come with us?" Uma joked, but Gil barely responded. Uma then faced Harry, who again sat in the chair playing with his hook. It seemed like he already gave up convincing Gil.
"This isn't about some tree, is it?" Uma guessed when she had been reading her two boys for a moment. "Or about fresh fruit, or whatever. This is about Jay, isn't it?" Gil let himself fall against the wooden wall of the cabin, feeling a bit of pain when his head hit the wall as well.
"I told you guys this morning that I had to tell you something," Gil said, giving his captain an apologetic glance. A smile already appeared on Uma's face, understand what this was about. Harry was clearly less pleased with it, staring at some point on the floor.
"So," he said, finally putting his hook away. "If we're going to plant a tree on the ship and I will tie Jay to that tree, than you will come with us."
A little chuckle escaped Gil. "Probably," he joked back.
Harry got a slight smile as well, glad his little joke made Gil more at ease. Harry finally looked up. Gil had changed since Uma left the Isle, but since the barrier was taken down he changed even more. Maybe one day he would even be standing up for himself. Gil smiled back at his friend, feeling a lot better with the situation. He had been scared they would be mad, knowing Harry didn't like Jay that much. But at the moment Harry smiled back at him. Not with the confident smirk he usually had, but with a rather warm expression.
"All good and well," Uma said, breaking the silence. "But I don't want any hostages on my ship. Those only bring headaches and problems."
"Agree," Harry said, jumping up and breaking his eye-fucking with Gil. "But we are talking about Gil's new boyfriend now," Harry responded. "At least…" Harry turned back towards Gil. His smirk was back. Gil didn't mind anymore, realizing Harry meant well.
"He kissed me this morning." His eyes sparkled while thinking back on it. "In the castle I mean. We wanted to go to the meeting, but he took me to this room and kissed me. I never felt like that before. It was amazing." Gil paused for a moment, not sure if he should subscribe it differently.
"Kissing Jay was indeed amazing," Harry responded, unwillingly reminding himself about the time he still held Jay in his arms. He quickly left his daydream, realizing both Uma and Gil looked at him confused.
"Jay told me that kissing you was just fine," Gil responded.
"What the…?" Uma immediately send her confused glance towards Gil.
Harry tilted his head slightly, responding with a mischievous smile. "You know from experience that's not true."
"Okay, that's enough!" Uma quickly stood up, not wanting to continue the topic any further. The smirk on Harry's face and the look in his eyes let her know he was insulted.
"Gil," she continued, focusing her attention on him again. "I'm happy for you. And I'm serious, I really am. But still, quit running off and disappearing every day." Gil looked straight back at her. He quickly nodded, letting her know he got the message.
Uma showed him a warm smile, causing Gil to smile back at her. She wasn't able to be too strict to him, not after she received such delighted news. Uma stood up and walked towards Gil, putting him in an embrace. Gil immediately wrapped both his strong arms around her and held her tightly, forgetting the crumbled drawing in his hand entirely.
Harry looked at the two from a distance, not sure how to respond. Honestly, he wasn't happy about it. Not at all. But he couldn't find the words to say this in a subtle way. He saw Gil looking up to him, stretching one arm towards him, while still holding Uma with the other. Harry was still hesitant when he walked up towards Gil, but then let himself fall into his embrace. Harry buried his face in Gil's neck, already feeling a little bit better. He would never admit it out loud, but feeling Gil's arm around his shoulder always made him feel stronger. This time he also had Uma close to him, as Harry softly laid one arm around her shoulder as well. She didn't just make him feel stronger. She made him feel as if he could take over the world.
Gil slowly loosened his grip from both his friends and took a step back.
"Thanks guys," Gil said softly. "I won't be slacking off again. I'll see you tomorrow morning."
Uma gave him a meaningful smile. Seeing Gil so happy and carefree as he had been the last few days secretly warmed her heart. She couldn't be really mad at him, but she should never forget she was the captain of this ship.
"We'll see you tomorrow. Have a good night's rest," Uma greeted him of. Gil nodded one more time before he walked out of the cabin, crumbling the piece of paper in his hand even more.
Uma still smiled as she looked up at Harry, who clearly wasn't as pleased as she was. He seemed worried and angry at the same time, clenching his teeth and with tears in his eyes.
"Are you okay?" She asked softly touching his arm.
"Why does it have to be Jay?" Harry muffled, trying hard not to yell. "Of all the thousands of possible love interests for him, why did it have to be Jay?" Uma raised her eyebrows towards him.
"I don't understand why you have such a problem with him," Uma said confused.
"Jay will leave him in a heartbeat when he hears about Gaston's plan," Harry tried to explain. "Gil is probably too foolish to think about it, but he can't have both. He cannot have Jay and stay loyal to Gaston. If he tries, they will both turn their back on him." Uma calmly shrugged, comforting rubbing his shoulder.
"Then maybe we should reconsider our decision," Uma suggested. Harry immediately nodded, understanding what Uma referenced to.
Gil sighed when he was back outside, breathing in the fresh evening air. It felt like a lot of weight had fallen from his shoulders. He realized there was still one problem left. Gil opened his hand and looked down at the crumbled piece of paper in it. Probably just a few more days before his dad would demand for the information he wanted, which meant just a few more days with Jay. Gil tried to flatten the drawing and looked at it for a moment. He had to admit he didn't even know himself which side was up. Without hesitation Gil teared it up and let the little pieces fall on the deck. He should try to make a new drawing for his dad, but he rather just stared up at the moon, silently wishing he and Jay would soon watch the bright evening sky together.
This ended up to be a pretty long chapter. It took me a little longer to write, so I didn't upload last weekend. I apologize for it. Hopefully this chapter makes it up for it.
As always thank you all for reading and supporting the story.
