AN: Prompt used was: "You didn't think it was that bad? Are you looking at it?!"
Hope you enjoy!
Even after Carlos got together with Jane, he still referred to Doug and Evie for being the epitome of a stable couple. He and Jane were the youngest, so he acknowledged they had a lot of fun moments, but they have yet to deal with 'challenging' issues and fight through it like Mal adjusting to Ben's royal status or Evie starting and growing her business with Doug's help.
Definitely 'stability' wise, Doug and Evie won by a landslide even if they were slow in progressing their relationship.
Doug was one of the most level-headed individuals he's ever encountered, and Carlos respected how the half-dwarf balanced his intelligence with empathy. That must have been the reason why, he mused, he never encountered Doug and Evie enter into a fight that wasn't resolved quickly or that escalated out of proportion.
The young de Vil boy comfortably sat on the floor of Evie's design studio, typing away at his laptop. He looked up from his screen and eyed Evie as she sketched draft after draft of clothing, bundling up a piece of paper every now and then when she wasn't satisfied.
They've been friends for a long time now and, with Doug playing a role in it, Carlos acknowledged Auradon looked much better on the blue-haired girl.
Evie was now unafraid to voice her opinions, show her intelligence, use her skills to be a self-sustaining woman, and display her care and affection for everyone around her.
Carlos' eyes strayed to the girl's left leg, currently wrapped in multiple layers of bandages he placed himself.
Today, however, Evie seemed to have reverted back to her Isle persona after sustaining a lengthy stab wound on her leg. She refused to see a doctor, and in an unlike Auradon-Evie way, insisted they come straight home despite the open wound.
He wondered what was taking Doug so long to get here. Carlos thought this was the kind of injury you rush to your true love's side.
Evie sighed, crumpling up another sketch and tossing it on the floor. She'll clean up later. She turned to her companion. "What do you want for dinner? I need a break."
He furrowed his brows at the question. "Why don't we order in? You need to rest that leg." Since she didn't want to go to the hospital, he used his own knowledge back from his Isle days to wrap her wound up.
She shook her head. "I'm hiding from people until this," she gestured to her bandages, "goes away. Or at least until I can walk without raising suspicion." She was sure it would leave a nasty scar that would take a while to go away without magic. Leggings would have to be a staple until she could ask Mal to spell her leg back to normal.
He blinked at her. "That could take weeks…" It also wasn't feasible to 'hide' because they all lived here with her, except for Uma and her gang, Ben, Lonnie, Jane… Was she planning on hiding from her boyfriend too?
"Then it's a good thing I always stock up for at least a month." She braced her hands on her work table and forced herself to stand, favoring her injured leg.
"Where's Doug?" Carlos shot up from the floor and pushed her back down to sit. "Does he know about this?"
"Of course not." She scoffed. "I told him I'll stay in the Isle for a while."
"Why not?!" Was she really going to be like Mal on this one?
"Because!" She winced when she hit her injured leg against the chair. "What do you think people will say if they find out someone from the Isle did this to me? The Isle Rehabilitation program could be delayed…" her brown eyes strayed to the windows, remembering Mal's previous predicament, "or shut down."
"Carlos," she called his attention with a stern frown. If anyone was going to understand how she felt, it was a fellow VK. "This could cause a larger problem than it is. AKs don't know the half of what we went through."
"You don't think Doug should at least know about this? I already agreed to not go to the doctor."
"If it was a minor slash, I might have. Not this. It might be too much for him." Her leg almost got cut off today, had she not moved at the last minute. They call that 'lucky' since the leg is intact never mind the large wound, but Auradon residents might not agree.
Right. He conceded. Evie wasn't just an Auradon girl, she was tough as nails as all children from the Isle are.
While any princess would balk or faint at the size of her injury, Evie soldiered on and made sure to not cause a scene to ensure the kids from the Isle got their chance at a better life. "At least don't walk on that thing." He pointed at her leg. "Wait until Jay gets home and we can figure out our living arrangements until then."
Since Mal wasn't due back home anytime soon, and Evie refused to do any kind of magic on herself, they truly had to return to their Isle way of coping with injuries: by weathering it out.
/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/
The next day, Jay was redressing Evie's leg. "How long was that blade anyway?" He whistled, inspecting the deep cut. "At least it's stopped bleeding. Finally."
"Honestly?" Evie took a deep breath when the air hit her split skin. "I thought it would go through and through."
"Carlos told me it was a stab." He shook his head, continuing to wrap her calf up. "That's a slice." It ran the whole length of her calf, which meant the assailant punctured her skin then pulled the weapon down to create that deep and long of a gash. He admired how brave she was being, considering their limited medical supplies and her undoubtedly significant level of pain.
He reminded himself to replenish their medical supplies before he returned tonight.
She sighed when Jay finally propped her leg down on the couch, her temporary living quarters while her leg heals. "Thanks, Jay. I'll see you later." He had tourney practice to prepare for professional tryouts, as Carlos had classes, so she didn't want to keep him for longer than necessary.
"What if Doug asks about you?" It was inevitable if they bump into each other on campus.
She nestled her head deeper in the couch pillows. "I told him my trip in the Isle will take longer. Signal sucks there." She hated lying to him, but she couldn't have him see her like this. He might not be able to take it.
"Oh, yeah." He offered his hand to her, palm up.
She rolled her eyes, digging into her pocket. "Sheesh." She handed Jay her wallet.
/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/
"Celia! Hey, wait up!"
The young VK's eyes widened as she pretended not to hear Doug. She quickened her pace and sought refuge in the nearest girl's restroom. "Phew." She slumped against the door as she slammed it shut.
"Doug?" whispered a voice.
Celia saw Dizzy perched on one of the vanity counters. She nodded at her friend. "You too, huh?" She made a mental note to charge Evie for all her trouble. All this running around was akin to her stay back on the Isle and she didn't sign up for it… without pay.
Dizzy jumped down from the counter and sat next to her. "What do we do now?"
She removed her tarot cards from her bag and shuffled them. She picked a card out and groaned when she flipped it over.
"What?" asked Dizzy.
"We wait until nightfall."
/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/
Mal sighed as she apologized to Ben for the nth time since their limo ride started back to Auradon City. She didn't mean to cut their trip short, but who would have thought she'd be allergic to a particular kind of shrimp? Aren't all shrimp the same?
To save their hosts the embarrassment and to have time to rearrange the rest of the trip, Ben decided to return home even after Mal spelled herself back to normal.
"It's no one's fault and certainly isn't yours." Ben chuckled and shook his head. "It's a great way to know what you're allergic to."
She groaned, slapping her forehead with her palm. "Uma would drop dead laughing the moment she hears about this."
Doug smiled at the couple when they exited the limo. The footmen gathered Ben's luggage and carried them inside the Beast's castle. His friend told him about their trip getting cut short, so he decided to say hello. "Welcome back!"
Ben patted him on the back and Mal looked over his shoulder. "Where are the others?"
He shrugged. "I've been calling them but no one is picking up. They must be busy since Carlos and Evie's trip to the Isle got extended." He frowned. They've been 'busy' a lot recently, though. It wasn't even exam season, yet Jay or Dizzy weren't picking up their phones even if they didn't go to the Isle with Evie.
Mal furrowed her brows. She didn't know her friends' trip was extended. "Well, Jay and the kids should still be home." She turned back to the limo. "Come on, I'm beat."
/-/ /-/ /-/ /-/
"Shrimp, really?" laughed Doug as Mal opened the door of Evie's cottage.
"Special shrimp," she corrected, determined to know what it was soon. She refused to believe she was allergic to all kinds of shrimp.
She, Ben, and Doug stepped through the threshold and saw there was light in the living room. "Home!" she called out. "Jay? Celia?"
Evie jerked on the couch, inadvertently hitting her injured leg against the armrest. "M!" She hissed in pain as she sat up. Her face blanched at the sight of her shocked boyfriend.
"Evie?"
"Doug!" Her eyes widened and her mouth dropped open.
"Heeeey, E…" ventured Mal, confusion etched on her face as she crept further into the living room, the two other newcomers close behind her. Her green eyes immediately spotted Evie's slightly bloodied bandages.
"You're back so soon," squeaked Evie.
"I thought you were still on the Isle," was Mal's reply, eyes darting to and fro her best friend's face and her injury.
"I texted you!" she hissed. She specifically told Mal not to bring anyone when she came home.
"Oops." She hasn't checked her phone, fearing her allergic reaction has somehow leaked to the media despite Ben assuring her it wouldn't.
Thundering footsteps echoed in the cottage and soon Carlos' white hair glistened in the light. "I heard…" he paused when he saw the person they've been avoiding the past few days, "Mal." Oh no.
"What's going on?" asked the half-dwarf, directing his question at his girlfriend. His lips formed a thin line and he stood rigid beside Mal, glowering down on the injured girl.
Ben clamped his hand on his fiancee's arm and guided her out of the living room and into the kitchen. He knew Doug and he knew that face, even if it rarely appeared. It was best to stay clear until he sorted it out. The King gestured for Carlos to follow them out.
Evie stuck her nose in the air, even as she felt something liquid seep further and further out of her bandages. She either hit her leg harder than she thought she did or she was overdue for a change of wrappings. "Hi," she smiled up at him.
He swallowed the lump in his throat as his eyes tracked her slightly messy hair, a testament to how long she's been lying down, and her propped up leg (which was bandaged and spotted with blood). He scouted the space around her and saw the first aid kit ready on the coffee table.
Without saying a greeting in return, he turned his back and left. For a time that stretched longer than Evie liked, the only sounds that could be heard were running water and the turning of a tap presumably from the common bathroom near the living room.
When he returned in her line of sight, Doug silently knelt on the floor and started to unwrap her leg.
Evie sat up straighter on the couch and moved her leg so that he could have better access.
He remained quiet, focused on unwrapping the bandages around her calf and careful not to hit her unnecessarily. Those 'life lessons' with his uncle Doc for two summers would have to be put to use now.
Her fingers dug into the couch. He wasn't even looking at her. Goblins. This was the first time she's seen him like this. He was clearly angry but he wasn't voicing his opinions to her like usual.
He set aside the used bandages, pausing only at the sight of her laceration before continuing with his task of cleaning her wound.
Evie's toes unconsciously curled when he dabbed the antiseptic a little too roughly. "Say something, please," she murmured, placing a hand on his tense shoulder.
He sat back on his heels, his gaze finally meeting hers. "When did this happen?"
She chewed on her bottom lip. "A few days ago."
Doug nodded, his face continuing to be a blank slate that it unnerved Evie. "It isn't profusely bleeding, but don't jerk it around." He focused his attention on her calf once more, careful to slide excess antiseptic off her skin without touching the gash itself.
She gripped the couch cushions beside her tighter. He was taking this differently than she expected. While her wound was indeed no longer profusely bleeding, it was a sight to behold with the skin still open and very much red.
"And you returned back from the Isle since then?"
She closed her eyes as if bracing for a punch. "Yes."
"You didn't go see a doctor for… this?" He moved her foot to rest on the coffee table, opting not to replace her bandages yet.
Is he mad because I didn't see a doctor or because I didn't tell him? Evie hung her head low and peeked at him through her eyelashes. Or both? "I didn't think it was that bad?" she offered, trying to channel her inner Jay - all charm and excuses to escape the harsh truth.
He shot to his feet and glowered down at her. "You didn't think it was that bad?! Are you looking at it?!"
She winced, as did the three eavesdroppers in the kitchen. "To be fair, this kind of thing is, um, normal?"
"Normal? I suppose whoever did that to you was only trying to say hello?!"
"Well, kids are given weapons instead of rattles back there…" she mumbled.
"Evie! Why didn't you tell me?"
Her shoulders shook at his scolding. "I'm sorry," she whispered. She finally realized his anger was due to her hiding this from him disguised as exasperation at her lack of professional medical attention. Lying, keeping secrets, and trying to weasel a way out were exactly the things she used to scold Mal for.
He exhaled through his nose, then reached out to touch her shoulder.
She stared up at him, her brown gaze pleading with him to understand.
"You got it from the Isle, huh?" His voice lowered to its normal volume and usual calmness.
"Yes." She sighed. "I didn't want it to be a big deal, you know, what with the Isle residents still trying to adapt to the Auradon way." She reached for his hand. "I was afraid. I'm so sorry, Doug."
He bent at the waist and kissed her on the forehead. "Just… please…" She did what she had to do, and he accepted that she would always have those Isle kid instincts deeply embedded in her being. "You let me know next time, though I certainly hope there won't be a 'next time'."
"Mm." He took this better than I thought he would. She shouldn't underestimate her true love.
"Mal," he called out, knowing they were eavesdropping, "will you please do the honors? I think she's learned her lesson."
Carlos smiled to himself as they shuffled back into the living room. The couple truly did sort arguments out as fast as Jay could run.
After they gathered by Doug's side, it was the first time Mal and Ben saw the extent of the injury.
Ben blanched. "What - "
"Why did you wait for me, E? This is exactly what hospitals are for."
"No, they ask too many questions. The Isle Reh -"
Ben slumped, the color completely drained from his face. Carlos stepped forward and caught him by the shoulders. "Hey!"
Evie hissed in pain when the air from their movements hit her leg.
Doug shifted one of Ben's arms over his shoulders to assist Carlos. They settled the unconscious king down on the floor, a good distance away from Evie.
Mal knelt near his head and tapped his cheek. "Out cold."
Carlos clutched his stomach, a laugh escaping his lips. Mal and Evie soon followed suit.
Doug furrowed his brows. "Come on, guys…" Was this really the time to laugh? Evie's wound was still exposed and open while Ben fainted for who-knows-what reason.
"That, my love," said the blue-haired beauty, barely able to contain her giggles, "That was how I thought you'd react."
