"Guys! Hi!"
Looking up, Evie watched as the strangest princess she'd met practically danced her way around other students, lunch tray in hand. Behind her, Flynn balanced his own lunch as well as both their bags.
As they reached their table, Rapunzel smiled. "Can we join you?"
"Sure," Mal nodded with a gesture to the open seats. "Grab a spot."
"Thank you!"
Jay moved his and Carlos's bags out of the way to give the new arrivals room at the table. It was odd to watch as Rapunzel and Flynn took their seats. Neither Lonnie or Doug had insisted on sitting with them during their first week on campus. Either they weren't brave enough to ask or they were letting the pack adjust. Even if they had asked, Mal would've said no. And yet she was allowing the sun-bright, bare-foot, princess to join after knowing her for only two days.
Not that Evie had any complaints. Rapunzel had been nothing but genuine with them from the start and Evie suspected the other woman didn't know how to hide her thoughts. While Flynn was more guarded, he hadn't shown any signs of deception when talking to them either.
"I'm so excited to have friends to sit with!" Rapunzel beamed as she handed Pascal a berry. At "friends", Evie exchanged looks with Carlos, Mal arched an eyebrow, and Jay leaned forward a little. Catching their reactions, Flynn gave them a knowing smile and wink that said, "Go with it." "Eugene and I haven't gotten to know anyone yet and you guys need friends the most."
"Besides," Flynn added with a vague gesture of his fork. "Everyone else here is so stuffy." When Jay and Mal smirked, he continued. "Pompous. Boring. Normal. I've got more."
"Be nice, Eugene," Rapunzel said, elbowing him. "They're perfectly normal, and still potential friends. They just aren't ready yet."
"I'll cheer for you from here, Blondie."
"What do you mean normal?" Evie asked as she watched the two exchange fond smiles.
Tapping her chin with a finger, Rapunzel considered. "Well, none of them lived lives like we did, you know. None of us had 'normal' lives. It makes us different, unique."
"Which means you want to be friends," Mal said, eyebrow still raised.
"Of course!" she nodded, smiling widely. "Well I'd want to be your friend anyway! After eighteen years of living in a tower, I want to experience the world." Without looking up from his plate, Flynn angled himself out of the way of her arms as she spread them wide. "I want to hear your stories, learn about your dreams, share secrets." Green eyes glittering, Rapunzel leaned forward, almost bouncing in her seat. "Like when Eugene and I went to The Snuggly Duckling. I made so many interesting friends. And you guys are just like them! They needed friends just like I did."
Evie couldn't decide how she felt about that. There was something naive about the other princess, but there was more to her words at the same time. People made the world and if you couldn't experience something directly, you could learn about it through people who had. Watch the way they interacted with the world and what instincts they had. If anyone other than Rapunzel had said it, Evie would've immediately redirected the conversation and later told the others to keep their distance. But she was starting to like Rapunzel and the chances of her trying to learn their weaknesses were slim to none.
"The Snuggly Duckling?" Carlos repeated.
"A tavern of 'ruffians' and 'thugs' I took her to when trying to ditch her," Flynn replied. "They became best friends with her in less than five minutes."
"You became friends with murderers and thieves and now you want to be friends with villains?" Jay laughed, shaking his head. "How messed up was that tower?"
Something in Flynn's expression darkened and it was suddenly a little easier to see how similar he was to them. "Messed up," Flynn muttered. Carlos slid closer to Mal.
With a bright smile, Rapunzel ignored him and shook her head. "No, I want to be best friends with you."
For a long moment, none of them knew how to respond. Them? Them? An isolated life really had messed with her head if she wanted the four of them to be her friends. A taboo relationship on the Isle. On the Isle there were packs, enemies, lovers, masters or mistresses, and minions. There were no friends.
"You're probably going to regret that," Mal told Rapunzel before choosing a strawberry.
"I don't think I will. But thank you for worrying," Rapunzel replied.
"So now that we're friends," Evie smiled, wanting to redirect the conversation before it became…became too personal, "would you like me to make you a dress?"
Lighting up, Rapunzel nodded. "I'd love that!"
"Perfect," Evie replied. "Come up with a few ideas you might like and we can go over them later."
"Thank you, Evie. I can't wait!"
"What are friends for?" Evie laughed. As she spoke, Pascal wandered over to Carlos, giving him wide, pleading eyes until he gave the tiny creature a grape.
What were friends for?
Auradon embraced the idea of friends, encouraged it. If they'd ever tried that on the Isle, at least one of them would be dead. It was nothing but a weakness. A target for someone who wanted to hurt you. Their pack was always careful not to show how deeply they cared about each other. They played it off as being possessive–which they were–, as being annoyed that someone would mess with a person they found useful, that someone would try to steal away a minion. Were they friends? Was that the name for what they felt?
"Pascal," Rapunzel scolded. "Don't beg food off Carlos."
"I don't mind," Carlos told her, eyes wide and bright as Pascal crawled into his palm. Careful, not wanting to scare the chameleon, Carlos lifted him and ran a finger along the green scales. "Really."
"Pascal can be really picky about who he's willing to interact with," Rapunzel said. Flynn snorted before nimbly dodging Rapunzel's attempt to elbow him. "He must like you."
A faint blush darkened Carlos's cheeks and he ducked his head, still petting Pascal.
Carlos had always been hers. Was he her first friend? Did friendships actually exist on the Isle? Being in Auradon…it was dangerous. If she wasn't careful, she'd make a mistake and her pack would pay the price. With a small shake of her head, Evie shoved the thoughts away. It didn't matter. They were a pack. They looked out for each other. Packs were acceptable. Safe. That was that.
"Be careful. That frog isn't as innocent as he seems," Flynn told Carlos. And then made a snatch for Pascal when the chameleon launched its tongue into his ear.
To Evie's surprise, Mal started laughing. "Perfect. He'll fit right in." What Mal didn't say was that Carlos wasn't nearly as innocent as he seemed either. The two were a match made in hell.
"Blondie, maybe we should reconsider being friends with this group," Flynn stage-whispered with a smirk.
With a smirk of her own, Mal leaned forward, tilting her head playfully. "Oh it's too late now. You offered a gang alliance to a half fae. There's no going back now."
"I don't remember you agreeing," Flynn retorted.
"Her letting you stay at our table counts," Jay told him. "Give it up, man. Once Mal decides something, no one is changing her mind."
"Neither does Rapunzel," Flynn sighed. But his light brown eyes glittered. "This could be a very interesting 'alliance'."
Evie watched as Rapunzel laughed and began asking Jay about Basic Training while Carlos listened and fed Pascal, Mal and Flynn exchanging barbs. This could be a very interesting alliance.