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Looking back, Jay knows they made a mistake.
Planning to arrive at the docks before sunrise wasn’t a bad idea, per se. They had to try to be first to get their hands on Auradon’s after-Christmas spoils. There’s no better haul, especially when it comes to the heaps on heaps of food that are piled in it, all better quality than the usual, barely edible waste that’s dumped on the isle the rest of the year. This is all clearly party-level shit, with random herbs and plants lying all over it for garnish, along with the occasional gold and fancy dinner plate or serving tray. It was considered the feast of the year for any and every Isle-goer.
And Jay, Carlos, Evie, and Mal were all on track to arrive for the shipment early as hell. Half of the Isle was still sleeping, and they were going to have their pick of the delivery. That’s a win, for sure.
But maybe cutting through pirate territory wasn’t their best plan of action. Though it’s undoubtedly the fastest way to get to the docks, it’s always guarded. Uma doesn’t let even a second pass without someone from her crew keeping a lookout on every corner. Ignoring an easy route to opt for what they thought would be the fastest was the start of their downfall and ultimately the reason they’re being chased right now.
It didn’t take long for Jonas to spot them just outside an alley, and his shouts alerted most of the crew, including Gil, and of course, Harry, who never turns down a chance for a chase. Especially when it’s Mal’s group.
Harry looks crazed in the dulled orange haze of the early morning sunrise. He’s cackling like a wildman and swinging his sword every which way, forcing Gil and Jonas to dodge its blade as they try to keep chase next to him. And between Harry’s ruckus, Evie’s wails, and Carlos’ screams, the commotion they’re making is enough to wake up the rest of the Isle before they even reach the docks.
It’s not like this is new, though. Truthfully, this type of interaction is pretty much standard practice anytime they risk an encounter with the pirates. And it could have easily ended like all the others, with little to no bodily harm and leaving them plenty of time to collect when the shipment arrived. So, Jay really had no reason to worry. Yet.
It’s when Mal decides to cut across a frozen portion of the water, a move Jay’s sure she thought would be the best way to quickly shake the pirates off their tail, that it all goes terribly wrong.
They’re not paying attention to the strength of the ice. But Jay realizes that far too late to do anything about it. He feels the solid surface giving way under his feet as he runs, and when his heel breaks through for a moment he falters, stumbling himself closer to land as his feet scramble for purchase on ground that can hold him. When he finally steadies himself on a piece of rocky shore, his eyes are already frantically searching the ice.
He sees Evie immediately, less than a foot away from him. She’s already sprawled onto her stomach to spread out her weight, and Jay can easily grab her by the hand and slide her back in. She gives him a grateful, weak half-smile as her fingers grasp tightly to the exposed earth.
When Jay’s head shoots back up, he breathes a sigh of relief at the sight of Mal’s body arcing in the air, landing just a few feet ahead on frozen ground.
He’s about to smile as he makes a final scan with his eyes, until he finally catches sight of Carlos…and his heart drops.
It’s only a split second before Carlos disappears under the surface. Jay doesn’t even hear the ice break, but he’s gone and there’s a hole where he was standing. And Jay is already running.
His heart is thrumming so loud in his ears that he can’t make out the sounds around him. There’s a dull ringing that he can only assume is Evie screaming, but he only hears it for a moment before his body is disappearing in the shock-ice-cold of the frozen water beneath them. His body almost forgets how to move once it’s submerged in the frigid temperatures, but he forces himself to kick his way down, his arms pushing away debris and tiny ice chunks as he goes.
He knows Carlos sank like a stone. He’s never learned to swim. He’s never had to, like most of the kids that are trapped on an island with little to no access to the surrounding waters.
Jay’s grateful now that he decided to teach himself so he could gain better access to trinkets or cargo lost in the water. It was a bonus trick he thought he could use on occasion, to be able to grab extra bits for Jafar and the shop. It’s come in handy quite a few times, but never more so than in this moment.
He’s been under for a good minute now. His legs are starting to fail and his lungs feel like they could burst. He keeps his lips pressed as tightly as he can, flailing out his arms everywhere to feel for anything he could grab onto. The water is so murky he can barely see in front of his face.
He knows that finding Carlos might be a one-in-a-million shot, but there’s no way he’s giving up. He’d rather die down in the dirty depths of this disease-ridden water than even entertain the thought of never making Carlos smile again. Or hearing his laugh, which always starts off soft, but builds in heartiness the harder Jay works for it. Or looking into the deepest, darkest most soulful brown eyes he’s ever seen, that could take his breath away every time if he let them.
Maybe I should have let them, Jay thinks now, since his breath is almost gone anyway. Colors are swirling behind his eyelids, and he’s feeling faint. He knows this might be his last chance, so he gives his legs one last hard kick, stretching his arms out as far as they’ll go in front of him.
And he’s rewarded with a thick sleeve. He’d know that leather anywhere, with thick buckles at the wrist to keep them tight, and an extra loop inside to hold Carlos’ switchblade.
Jay almost shrieks with joy, but fights the urge to avoid swallowing in water before he can get Carlos to the surface. Once he’s sure he has a fully supported grip on his sleeve, Jay starts to pull them upward with all the strength he still has left.
It’s a slow trek, hindered additionally by the fact that Jay’s heart feels ready to give out. His body’s moving on instinct now, his one free hand digging through the chunky ice water while his legs kick at a steady pace. It seems like an eternity, but when his fingers break through to frigid air he exhales a deep sigh of relief, and tugs a now wriggling Carlos up to the surface.
The boy in his arms sputters and gasps immediately, and Jay is so elated he just wants to give him the most crushing hug, to feel his heart and breath alive and close to his chest.
But before he can do anything Carlos is ripped from his arms. His eyes follow his body as he starts to slide away on his stomach, Evie gripping him tightly by the wrists. Jay’s only focus is on them until he starts to feel a tug under his own arms. He’s too shocked to process what’s happening, and then he’s being dragged out of the hole in the ice. But he recognizes Mal’s grumbling tone right away.
“Fuck, you idiot! I wish you gave us a chance to help you. Thank evil you’re ok!”
She groans when she finally slumps them both back onto the shore, panting heavily. She slings Jay next to her, and he grunts when he rolls onto the dirt, his wet strings of hair tangling into the rocks and sand. He couldn’t care less though, he’s already pushing himself onto his hands and flicking hair out of his face, his eyes frantically searching the shore.
He spots Carlos just a few feet in front of him, sprawled across Evie’s lap. He can see his chest rising and falling heavily, sucking in deep breaths while Evie pushes the damp curls out of his face.
Jay exhales, his body physically relaxing at the sight of Carlos breathing. He barely hears Mal’s muttered, “You’re welcome!” before he starts to shuffle across the ice to them, still on his hands and knees.
“Jay!” Evie scolds, her eyes wide. “We need to get you both warm! What are you doing?!”
Jay ignores her, instead reaching for Carlos. It only takes him a few seconds to lift him out of her lap and into his arms, his neck and the backs of his knees cradled softly between Jay’s elbows.
His muscles protest a bit, and he groans at the resistance when he tries to straighten himself. The movement shocks Carlos to full consciousness, and he gasps and wraps his arms around Jay’s neck for support.
“J-Jay? What’s…what, are you d-doing?” Carlos head whips around, spotting Evie and then Mal, both motionless and gawking at them.
“Are…where…”
Before Carlos can finish his thought, Jay squeezes him tightly, pressing him as close to his body as he can, and suddenly breaks off into a full sprint. Carlos yelps, tightening his grip and gaping in surprise as the girls quickly disappear from his view.
“Jay! Put. Me. Down! I can walk!”
Jay just shakes his head and continues to run with Carlos tucked into him firmly.
“No, can do, ‘Los,” he tells him, turning the corner towards their hideout. “You need to be somewhere where we can warm you up. Don’t worry, Mal’ll figure it out and bring Evie with her. They’ll be fine.”
He glances down at Carlos for a brief moment, breaking into a smile when he sees brown eyes looking back at him.
“Just, relax. Ok? I’m gonna take care of you.”
-----
Carlos is groggy when he finally wakes up.
Slowly, he props himself up on his elbows, blinking at the soft, filmy light that’s filtering in through the window. Just next to it, Mal is sitting at the table, poking at something with a butter knife. And beside her, Evie is flopped across the same table, sleeping soundly. They both look…surprisingly dry. Wearing new, dry clothes and combing through their wet hair makes them look…clean, and fresh. As if their morning ordeal had never even happened.
And Carlos is surprised at how warm and dry he feels, too. He doesn’t remember changing out of his wet clothes. Actually, he doesn’t remember much after Jay brought him back to the hideout and demanded he stay put on the couch for the rest of the day. As much as Carlos wanted to voice his protest, his body wouldn’t allow for it. He passed out almost immediately once his head hit the cushions.
“Pup!”
Carlos is jostled from his thoughts when Mal approaches, hastily plopping herself on the couch and instantly launching into a thorough examination. Carlos grunts, pushing at her chest when he squeezes her chin and pulls him toward her, peering into his eyes and using her free hand to pluck up his eyelids.
“Mal, back off already!” He pushes against her chest again, and this time she falls back a little and releases his chin. Still, she’s quick to lean in again, one hand pressing on his knee to lift her gaze, her eyes continuing to skim appraisingly over his eyes and face.
“I’m fine. I swear,” he tries to reassure her. He places his hand over hers on his knee, but pulls back a little when he encounters something fluffy and soft, like animal fur.
Fur??
His head drops to his lap, completely unable to hide his shocked expression. There’s a literal fur on him! He starts to scoot himself away, careful not to touch it, until Mal’s arm shoots out and grips his wrist. She’s shaking her head furiously and tries to pull him back in.
“No! Carlos, it’s fake! Not real! Look-” she brushes her hand along the fur, then sweeps open his palm and brings it down to the blanket. It’s…bushy. And a little scratchy. It’s soft enough to mimic fur, but Carlos has seen enough of the real thing to feel confident that this…this isn’t it.
“It’s a fake fur blanket. Jay found it today at the docks.”
Carlos is still smoothing his fingers on the blanket, but Mal’s words make his ears perk up. He looks at her, furrowing his brow.
“The…docks?”
“Yeah! He went back. You know, after he knew you were-” she gestures a Carlos. “-well…ok.”
Carlos bites his lip, watching Mal’s weak smile, the hint of concern still in her eyes. He smiles at her, letting his hand rest back on hers.
“And I am, Mal. I’m ok,” he asserts, nodding at her and gently squeezing her hand.
Mal grins then, sitting up properly and offering another quick smile before casting a glance over her shoulder at Evie, who’s still sleeping.
“Oy! Princess!” She shrills suddenly, and chuckles a little when Evie’s whole body jerks and her head shoots up, eyes wide with surprise. “Pup’s awake, finally. Get your ass over here.”
Evie turns to Carlos, relaxing into a smile when she sees him sitting up and looking at her.
“Oh Carlos! Thank evil.” She moves quickly over to the couch, perching lightly on the edge of it, right next to Carlos’ hip. “How are you feeling?”
He shrugs and tilts his head to crack his neck, shaking out his arms and legs and giving his body a quick once-over.
“Fine, I think,” he says finally, giving Evie a warm smile. “I can’t believe I’m so…dry. And not cold at all. This blanket is amazing.”
Evie brightens, grabbing the blanket in her hand and stroking it between her fingers.
“Isn’t it? Jay did such an amazing job today. He got so many things! I can’t even believe it. Especially since he-“
She stops herself, biting on her finger and glancing away quickly. When she looks back, she forces herself to relax, giving Carlos a comforting smile.
“You know, since we got a late start today. And he insisted on going by himself. He wouldn’t even take Mal with him!”
“Stubborn bastard,” Mal mutters behind her, and Evie throws back a hand and pats her leg.
“Well, it all turned out fine, didn’t it? And he got some great food, too! Carlos, you have to see!”
Evie pops up then with an excited giggle, bouncing back to the table and grabbing a box sitting there.
“Look at this!” She shoves a cup into his hand.
Carlos frowns. It’s filled with a brown, mucky goo that doesn’t look appealing at all. But when Evie steadies it with her head and peels back the lid, a pleasant, sugary aroma fills his nostrils.
“It’s a pudding,” Evie explains. “I don’t know the flavor, Carlos, but it’s SO good. You’re going to love it! Just, try it!”
He perks a brow curiously, dipping a pinky into the cup to carefully scoop the smallest bit of the goo onto the pad of his finger. When it reaches his lips, he takes a tentative sniff before stealing a tiny lick with the tip of his tongue.
But even that little taste invades his mouth with a delicious sweetness. It’s sugary, smooshy, and possibly the most amazing thing he’s ever tasted. He’s quick to shovel more and more into his mouth, forgoing his finger and choosing to use his whole hand instead. His mouth is full and his fingers are absolutely coated with pudding when he hears someone clearing their throat loudly.
“Um, ‘Los?”
His eyes shoot up, and Carlos sees Jay, standing in the doorway with the quirk of a smile on his lips.
“So, I take it that means you’re feeling better?”
Carlos nods emphatically, smooshing pudding through his cheeks and doing his best to swallow it all down. He licks his fingers clean, wiping any remnants on his shorts as Jay approaches, his eyes focused only on Carlos until he’s standing right in front him. He barely notices as Mal grabs Evie’s arm to pull her away until the girl almost smacks into him.
But by the time Evie scoots away, shooting him an awkward smile and mumbled apology, he’s already back to watching Carlos intently. So much so that the boy can’t help but flush a little under Jay’s stare.
“Um, you’ve got…” Jay points at Carlos’ mouth, then ducks down to cup Carlos’ cheek in his hand. His thumb brushes his mouth gently, and Carlos’ eyes flutter at the tender touch.
Jay pulls away suddenly, and Carlos’ eyes blink back open to see him sucking the same finger into his mouth.
“Y-you had some pudding, there,” Jay makes a circle gesture at Carlos’ mouth, and the boy flusters instantly, wiping at his face with the back of his sleeve. But Jay grabs his hand to stop him.
“It’s ok. You’re good,” he says with a grin. He pulls back again and lets his hand drop. He just stands there for a significant beat, hovering over Carlos, as if wants to say, or ask, something.
Carlos smiles warmly and pats the couch next to him, a wordless invitation to which Jay immediately complies, sitting himself close enough so that they’re just barely touching.
“You-did you, change my clothes?” Carlos asks. “I just…I woke up so warm, and dry.”
“Yeah, I did! Eves helped me. Good thing we keep some stuff here at the hideout, right? I was afraid you’d freeze if we didn’t get you into something dry fast. I mean, I would have run to your house too if I had to, but it was easier-”
Jay stops when Carlos covers Jay’s hand with his own.
“I know you would. Thank you.”
Jay beams proudly, then looks down at Carlos’ hand. He turns his own to catch it, wrapping Carlos’ in his and moving to intertwine their fingers.
“I found this blanket, too, cause I wanted to keep you warm. It’s nice, isn’t it?” He touches the blanket and smiles to himself.
“And the food? I knew you’d like that pudding, but you’ve got to try the other stuff! There’s this cranberry sauce stuff that looks like jell-o but it’s actually pretty good. And I found some good loaves of bread too! And I got a shit ton of other cans of stuff. It was a pretty good haul, I think.”
“Yeah, that sounds great,” Carlos admits. His smile falters though, and he lets out a deep sigh. “I’m glad you were able to get all this stuff, even though I was a dumbass and almost drowned.”
Jay squeezes his hand tightly and purses his lips into a tight frown. “No! Don’t say that!” He blurts, shaking his head furiously. “That was NOT your fault. That could have been any of us. I almost fell through the ice too, right before you did! That was a stupid thing for us to do.”
Carlos’ lip trembles, and Jay reaches for him, pulling him close against his chest.
“Look, I’m just glad you’re ok. That’s all that matters to me. To Eves and Mal, too. Fuck, that was scary Pup.”
He strokes Carlos’s cheek, and then hooks his fingers under his chin to tip his head up to meet his eyes.
“I thought for a sec I might…lose you.”
He places a soft kiss to Carlos’ lips, which he quickly melts into, hooking a hand around Jay’s neck to pull him in for another. And another. After a prolonged minute, Jay starts to push Carlos down to the couch, but he’s stopped by loud grunts of protest behind him.
Carlos chuckles, his face turning red as he glances at Mal and Evie over Jay’s shoulder, sitting at the table just a few feet from him. He’s quick to plant his hands and push himself back upright, despite Jay’s disappointed groans.
“Look, we’re all glad Pup’s ok, Jay-Jay, but that doesn’t mean I’m down for some live porn viewing, ok?” Mal teases, laughing and lurching away when Evie swats her arm. “What?! You want to see it?”
“Don’t be vulgar,” Evie hisses. “But you don’t have to be mean, either. We’re just, all happy that Carlos is safe, that’s all.”
“Yeah Mal,” Jay tuts. “At least Evie’s ok with me showing Carlos how happy I am. Cockblocker.”
He sticks his tongue out at Mal’s fake gags, but smiles triumphantly when Evie finally yanks her up to drag her out the door. When the door shuts behind them, he turns back to Carlos with a winning smile and a wink.
“Now Jay…” Carlos starts, putting a hand to his chest. But instead of diving back in, Jay just clasps Carlos’ hand there, and starts to rub it softly with his thumb.
“It’s fine, you know I like fucking with Mal. You know we don’t have to do anything. But-”
His eyes trail down to Carlos’ lips, focusing on them for a moment before meeting his eyes again.
“Can you just, do one thing for me?”
“Of course,” Carlos replies instantly. “Anything.”
Jay smiles at that, his thumb still moving mindlessly across Carlos’ skin.
“Just, promise me you won’t die, ok? I can put up with a lot of shit on this island, but not that. I can deal with fucking anything but that.”
Carlos breaks into a wide smile, choking back a laugh of surprise. He can’t stop himself from leaning back in then, and pressing a firm kiss to Jay’s lips.
“How about, I promise to do everything in my power not to die, ok? But only if you promise me, too.”
Jay grins, and pulls Carlos in closer by his elbow until their foreheads are touching.
“You’ve got yourself a deal, Pup.”