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descendantsgiftexchange · 3 months

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I Won't Let Go

Happy Holidays @bucket-barnes! I'm your Descendants Secret Santa. I did my best for a little Harry hallucination holiday angst for you. I hope you like it!

Harry is dealing with past trauma in Auradon during Christmas, and Uma and Gil are there to get him through it. Just a little fluff and angst for the holidays ❤❄

AO3

Uma’s hand tightens on the doorknob. Her eyes are tilted downward, following her own movement as if in a trance. She’s trying so hard to focus on the dinged-gold gleam of the metal rather than the words being spoken to her.

“Uma? You get what I’m saying, right? It’s for his own good. T-to, help him, I guess? I just…I want to keep him safe.”

Her chest feels tight, and the next breath she sucks in is borderline painful. But she plasters on the most genuine-looking smile she can muster, looking Ben in the eye with her chest puffed in fake bravado.

“Of course, Ben,” she coos, brushing her hand along his arm in a reassuring way. “If there’s anyone here that knows what’s best for us, it’s you. If you think Harry needs this, I’m in.”

Ben flashes her a grin, the most white and straight and perfect one she’s ever seen still, despite being surrounded by them now in a world of prim princes and princesses. There’s a sadness in his eyes, though. Uma feels like she’s been recognizing it more often. Whenever Ben has to acknowledge how the Isle has made their lives different, she sees it. And she finds she can really appreciate that about Ben in this moment. Neither of them wants to do this, but they both care enough about Harry to know it needs to be done.

“So, you really want to be in there, with him? I’d hate to keep you confined, too.” Ben’s chewing his lip, his brow furrowed with worry. “Once I lock the door it has to stay that way. The clock’s going to start ticking down the minutes to the parade in about…10 minutes?” He tells her with a brief glance to his watch. “And then the bells go off for a full minute after that. I think Harry’s going to need the full night to recover. After what happened at that Tourney game, I can’t risk it. The gash on Jay’s leg isn’t even fully healed yet.”

Uma winces at the thought. That wasn’t the first time they realized the Tourney bell could set Harry off, but it was definitely the worst. He had lunged at Jay simply because the boy was closest to the direction of the sound, so he got the brunt of Harry’s swing. Jay hadn’t stood a chance.

She shook her head sternly. “I’m not leaving him alone, Ben. He needs me.”

And I need him. The thought goes unsaid, but the tiny smile quirking at the end of Ben’s lips makes his understanding clear. With a gentlemanly wave of his hand, he grants Uma’s entrance through Harry’s door.

There’s no hesitation in Uma’s step. She charges through the door with the same determination and confidence she always has when she’s coming to see Harry. Like she wants to be here. Because she does.

In this moment, there’s nowhere else she’d rather be.

The second he meets her eyes, Harry’s smile gleams so bright. Warm and all-encompassing, reaching all the way to the crinkles of his ocean-blue eyes.

He always smiles that way when he sees her, Uma knows that. Because she always feels that same familiar heat pool in her belly when he does it, like she’s the only thing he ever needs to see again. The only thing he wants in his life, forever.

“Love, you’re back!” Harry proclaims, his arms already outstretched for her. He waits patiently that way, his wide grin unwavering until Uma’s in his arms, her tangle of braids spilling into his face as he envelops her.

“I was hopin’ ye weren’t gonna make me spend Christmas Eve without ya,” he said, voice muffled into the side of her neck. She shakes her head vigorously at that, making him chuckle.

“Don’t be a dolt, Harry. You know that would never happen.” She pulls back to smack him on the chest, the gesture missing all its animosity as she couldn’t fight the smile off her face. Harry ducks into her space, looking up into her eyes with a teasing smirk on his lips.

“A dolt, am I? But I’m your dolt, so what does that make you?”

“Well-“

“CAP’N! HARRY!”

Uma’s eyes whip to the door when Gil comes bounding in, practically toppling over Ben as he tries to open the door. She swallows a snort at the comical way the blond boy rolls over the king’s arm, flipping into a somersault and jumping up to his feet in an almost graceful flop. He flashes a toothy grin when he’s finally standing in front of them, panting audibly as he tries to offer a little bow for them.

Harry bursts out a laugh at that, picking up Uma in his arms to bow them both in return, eliciting a giggle from her while she clings desperately to his neck. Harry stands up quickly though when a loud cough erupts from the doorway.

“Eh, well…I guess Gil…we’ll see you in the morning too?” Ben stammers slowly, his smile halfway curling in an uncomfortable way. “Just, you all have a good night. And Merry Christmas!”

Ben waves as he closes the door, barely nodding an acknowledgment at the way Harry waves wildly back, almost dropping Uma to the ground as he does so. She lands on her feet though, brushing herself off quickly so she can jump on Gil and hug him tightly.

“Gil, what are you doing here?” Uma demands, smiling easily when he hugs her close. He’s sighing happily, and she lets it happen for a few moments before pulling back to look at him.

“Really, you should be out, enjoying the holiday stuff! You don’t need to be stuck inside.”

Gil’s brows knit together as he stares at Uma, clearly dumbfounded.

“Why would I want to do that when you an’ Harry are in here? That stuff doesn’t matter if I don’t have you guys! You know I love you, don’t you Ums?”

Uma bites her lip at that, holding her breath to fight down the swell of tears that’s starting to build.

“Yeah, Gil. Yeah. I know.” She smiles at him, turning to stand beside him to throw an arm over his shoulders.

“And you love our first mate too, right? We both do,” she adds with a wink, relishing in the way Harry beams back at them.

“Course!” Gil agrees, quickly jumping on Harry. They fall back on the bed in a hug, Harry nearly bellowing with laughter as Gil squeezes him tight, tickling his neck when he buries his nose there.

“I was bummed when Ben told me you guys couldn’t come out of this room, so I made him lock me in too,” Gil added in his muffled voice. He lifted his head to look at Harry, his expression changing to confusion when he sees the smile unexpectedly slip from Harry’s face.

“Locked…in?” Harry repeats. “So we can’t get out?” He glances at Uma. “What’s he talkin’ about?”

Uma huffs, but forces a smile back on her face. As much as she loves Gil, sometimes he could really stand to have some sense knocked into him.

“It’s nothing!” She waves it away, walking up to Harry to grab him by the forearms. “I wanted to have a nice Christmas, just us. I told Ben not to let anyone bother us, ok? I’m sick of all bells and lights and singing and that…eggnog crap that tastes like spoiled milk with cake mix thrown in.”

She emphasizes her last comment with a fake gag, forcing a slight chuckle out of Harry. She throws a quick glance over Harry’s shoulder to Gil, who’s just staring at her, eyes blank and confused. She tries to give him a little wink, but she’s sure it’s not enough for him to understand what she’s doing. Still, she tips her head their way, indicating for Gil to join them, and her shoulders relax when he simply shrugs and follows her.

“Can we snuggle Harry? I just need some time with my boys. This winter weather is shit. I’d like nothing more than to lay in bed and maybe watch a movie on the laptop.” She grabs Gil and yanks them both to stand beside her.

“‘Pirates of the Caribbean’?” She adds, pouting her lips hopefully.

Harry grins instantly. “Oh Cap’n, you always know how to get me to do yer biddin’.”

She smiles brightly, pushing Harry back towards the bed. As he crawls into place, Uma is quick to pull Gil close to her.

“Clock ticking’s about to start,” she mumbles quietly, eyes still on Harry. “Make sure you have both arms around Harry as soon as we lay down, got it? The next 10 minutes are gonna be real tough on him. And us.”

She looks up briefly to Gil, relief flooding her chest when his eyes widen in recognition. He nods and scrambles quickly onto the bed, prompting another cackle from Harry when he leaps on top of him, wrapping his arms and legs around him and locking them together on the bed.

Uma manages a shaky laugh at the sight, her eyes darting quickly around the room for a second. She spots Harry’s hook on a high shelf, where Ben had made him set it when they arrived in Auradon. His sword is mounted in a case on the wall, out of commission.

She sighs in relief and crawls her way onto the bed, carefully positioning herself on the other side of Harry. He’s still laughing, and she offers a loving smile as she lays her head on his shoulder, placing a hand over his and Gil’s on his chest. Her grip tightens as the clock ticks its first, and she’s fast to swing her other arm behind Harry’s shoulder, holding firmly as his eyes bulge at the sound.

Harry’s face quickly twists from fear to anger as his fists begin to clench. Uma plants a small kiss to his shoulder before closing her eyes and bracing herself.

“Love you Harry,” she whispers softly, before the silence of the room is lost to a heart-wrenching scream.

#gifts 2023 #fic

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descendantsgiftexchange · 3 months

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Just a little weirdness

written for @descendantsgiftexchange for @telli1206 . hope you had a lovely holiday, and sorry for the wait!

Carlos liked to think that he knew Jay pretty well.

He knew that for all the bravado and swagger he performed, Jay was actually quiet and subtle. The brashness present sometimes was just an act, a learned defense thanks to the island's environment and living with Jafar. It was a tactic Jay used to hide the soft edges of himself, to mask how reflective and astute he could be.

Not to say that he wasn't confident. Jay's confidence didn't need to be showboated or faked or bolstered. Jay's confidence simply was.

Carlos knew the flirting was a front as well, just another method of getting people to let their guard down or to relax around him, because in reality, Jay was rarely free with his touches. He leaned into people's spaces, sure, made them think he was comfortable near them, but he rarely actually touched. And if someone touched him, he'd find a way to distance himself with the person none the wiser.

Not to say that Jay never touched anyone. He was more free around Mal, Evie, and Carlos than he was with anyone else, leaning against them or wrapping an arm around their shoulders. The four of them were islanders, had been around each other longer than anyone else in Auradon, so of course it was easier for Jay to be openly tactile with them.

Carlos liked to think that he knew Jay pretty well.

He'd even go as far as to think he knew Jay the best.

So he had it on good authority that Jay was acting strange.

He just had no idea why.

It was subtle at first.

Fitting, as that was Jay's way when it came to something important.

It was subtle, the way Jay grew quieter, just little moments, gone as quick as they began. But then those little moments grew. Gone was the flashiness, replaced by something akin to introspection.

And when his quietness settled, Jay's flirting began disappearing as well. He smiled, was still attentive, but he no longer leaned in, no longer gave anyone looks, and he definitely found ways to dodge touches altogether.

The changes drove Carlos crazy, both the fact that they were happening at all and the fact that Jay hadn't come talk to him about any of it.

They were pretty open with each other.

And yet.

And yet Jay didn't come to him.

And that made Carlos sick.

What if something terrible was happening to Jay? What if it was something no one could help with?

He'd been debating with himself for the last two days, worrying over whether he should just confront Jay himself, and he'd seen less and less of Jay, so much so that Carlos had taken to just hanging around Mal whenever she took the time to fill several pages of her notebook with sketches.

"Jay's acting weird," Carlos finally said when he couldn't hold it in any longer.

"As opposed to?" Mal asked, not even looking up from her notebook.

"As opposed to himself," Carlos said. He made a face. "Well, the himself he puts on for other people."

Mal glanced up at him. "Have you slept?"

Carlos rolled his eyes. "This isn't about me."

"Uh huh," Mal drawled, her focus back on her notebook, "and you're here instead of talking to Jay because…?"

Carlos sighed. "Maybe I was hoping his oldest friend could offer some insight."

Nodding, Mal said, "Reasonable. But this oldest friend of his hasn't noticed anything off."

"How could you not! It's practically in your face."

Mal put down her pencil and closed her notebook, causing Carlos to sit straighter. She eyed him, gaze not exactly critical but not exactly soft either, and she leaned back in her chair.

They sat in silence for a few moments longer than Carlos liked.

"Why are you paying so close attention to Jay?"

Carlos blinked, unprepared for the question, unprepared for the unusual seriousness in Mal's features.

Why are all his friends acting so weird?

Mal quirked an eyebrow, waiting.

Giving himself a minute shake, Carlos said, "He's my friend. It's natural to notice when he's acting weird."

Letting out a small huff, Mal said, "Seems to me you're thinking too much." She opened her notebook again. "If something was going on, Jay would tell you about it." She resumed her sketching.

"Would he?" Carlos asked quietly, and that was the other thing eating at him. What if Jay didn't trust him with whatever was going on?

"Well, he definitely wouldn't come to me; he knows I'll just call him an idiot. Don't think he'd go to Evie, either. I love her, but she likes to get too involved with things."

Carlos refrained from snorting.

"Which leaves you," Mal finished as she shaded in whatever she was drawing. "Unless you think he'd go to someone else."

Carlos blinked.

He hadn't thought that Jay would go to someone outside of their little circle if he had any problems, and the more he thought about it, the more he was sure Jay wouldn't. If Jay didn't feel comfortable being tactile with someone, it should stand to reason he wouldn't feel comfortable confiding in them either.

"Just go talk to Jay," Mal said through a huff. "You overthinking things is giving me a headache."

"Ha ha," Carlos deadpanned, but he did get up to leave.

He had been debating with himself, and it seemed that Mal was the final push he needed.

Not that he'd tell her that.

—

Carlos had been on his way to talk to Jay.

In fact, he had found Jay and had been about to call out to him.

Until he noticed that Jay was talking to Ben.

Until he noticed that Ben had his hand on Jay's shoulder.

Until he noticed that Jay had actually leaned into Ben, the both of them smiling.

Carlos had been on his way to talk to Jay.

But then he'd felt so sick that he had to retreat to his room, unable to get what he'd witnessed out of his head.

—

Carlos felt like an idiot.

How could he have missed something so obvious?

The reason Jay had been acting so weird was because he had a crush on Ben.

It made total sense, the quietness and introspection and no longer being flirty and open.

He could even understand why Jay hadn't come to him about his little situation. Carlos didn't have a good track record when it came to dating advice; he didn't really have much of a record at all.

Still, he'd be lying if he said he wasn't a little hurt that Jay hadn't trusted him enough to talk about it.

Maybe Ben doesn't want anyone to know about them, Carlos thought, knowing it was both irrational and ridiculous to think, and yet that was the only explanation he could think of for Jay not talking about it to anyone.

And so Carlos got it in his head that he needed to confront Ben.

He needed to make sure Jay was being treated well, after all.

"You've been hanging around Jay a lot," Carlos said as casually as he could when he found Ben alone.

Ben raised an eyebrow. "Technically, I think Jay's the one who's been hanging around me."

Trying not to frown, Carlos shrugged. "Still, you've been spending a lot of time with each other lately." He paused, realizing that he didn't really have a game plan for this conversation.

"Yes, and?" Ben prompted, curious.

"Because you're dating, right?" Carlos blurted out, freezing when Ben stared at him with wide eyes.

Then Ben laughed.

"Hey, you could do worse than Jay," Carlos said, offended on Jay's behalf.

"No doubt," Ben said, amusement still plain on his features, "but we're not dating."

Oh crap, had Jay not asked him out yet, did I just blow things for him, Carlos thought, growing sicker by the moment.

"Carlos," Ben said, pulling him out of his mental spiral. "Can you go stand under the great oak behind the library?"

"Why?"

"Trust me, all the answers are there."

Carlos could only nod, trusting Ben despite everything, and abruptly left, following the instruction.

—

Ben had said all the answers would be there, but so far, Carlos had no idea what he was doing, standing there under the great oak like a fool.

"Carlos."

Carlos jumped, blinking at Jay. "Jay," he said lamely, searching Jay's face.

Jay merely stared at him a few, long seconds before he sighed. "First you tell Mal I'm weird, and then ask Ben if he's dating me?"

Embarrassment warming his cheeks, Carlos huffed. "Well, yeah, I guess, but they weren't supposed to tell you."

Jay snorted. "Actually, they weren't supposed to tell you."

Carlos blinked. "Tell me what?"

"The reason I'm weird," Jay said, quirking an eyebrow at Carlos, and he smiled as Carlos squirmed. "I've been acting weird because I've been trying to figure out how to tell you how I feel about you."

Carlos blinked. He blinked again. And a third time. And then Jay's words clicked in his head. "Wait, you like me?"

The changes in Jay were because of him? The one Jay liked was him? Jay went to Ben for advice because of him?

"You know," Jay began, smile soft even as his eyes gleamed, "for someone so smart, you sure are dumb sometimes."

Carlos opened his mouth to argue because, one, he was definitely not dumb, he just overthought things sometimes, and two, Jay apparently had the ability to make his rationality jump out the window, so he couldn't really be blamed for his line of thinking.

Before he could form any words, though, Jay pulled him closer and kissed him.

Carlos liked to think that he knew Jay pretty well.

But that didn't mean Jay couldn't surprise him.

#gifts 2023 #fic

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descendantsgiftexchange · 3 months

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Wonders all around you

written for @descendantsgiftexchange for @fifthnormani . hope you had a lovely holiday, and sorry for the wait!

Jay stared at his rucksack, going over his mental checklist to see what he had missed.

He hadn't expected Gil to actually agree to a trip, but now that it was happening, Jay figured why not. Gil definitely wanted to experience the wonders of Auradon, and Jay could use a breather after a busy year.

"So," Mal drawled as she came up beside him, "all set for the honeymoon?"

Rolling his eyes, Jay said, "For the last time, it isn't a honeymoon."

"It's totally a honeymoon," she practically sing-songed, "you're doing exactly what Ben and me are doing. In fact, you're doing it for longer."

Because a king can't exactly be away for longer, Jay thought, knowing that they both knew that. "Except the whole marriage thing," he said instead, questioning why he was even entertaining the conversation yet again.

"Don't sweat the small stuff."

"Oh, so now marriage is small stuff?"

"You decided to take a gap year to travel the world with Gil, how is that not like a whirlwind marriage?"

Jay sighed. "Do I need to throw you out?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, am I distracting you from something important?"

"Nah, you're just being annoying, as usual."

She swatted his shoulder. "Rude, I am a delight."

Raising an eyebrow to hide his amusement, he said, "That's not the word I'd use."

Mal gasped, moving her hand to her chest in mock-shock. "How dare you, sir! Just for that I'm leaving." She made a show of huffing as she stomped toward the door.

"Oh no, what will I do now," Jay said, deadpan, focused once more on his rucksack.

"Just for that, I won't give you any romantic advice," she warned as she crossed the doorway, her hand on the doorknob, as if she was waiting for the perfect time to slam it shut.

Her threat pulled a laugh out from him, despite himself. "As if I'd ever ask you for that."

Mal opened her mouth but paused. She blinked. "You know what, that's fair," she said, but a grin formed as she began to close the door. "But I'll take that as admission that you need some. Bye, Jay, have fun!" The rush of her words were punctuated by the door clicking closed.

Jay stared at the door.

He then sighed.

Mal's really harping on this, he thought, wondering why she was so fixated on the idea. Though, in the grand scheme of things, he supposed it wouldn't hurt anything if he just let her continue thinking the trip had a deeper meaning than just an excuse to go exploring.

After all, he'd been in Auradon for some time now, but he hadn't actually seen anything. Why shouldn't he take the opportunity that Gil had presented?

Never mind that it had been his own idea.

Sighing again, Jay continued packing, trying not to let Mal's words get under his skin.

—

They hadn't been on their hike long, their pace leisurely if excited, when Gil stopped short, a gasp leaving him.

"The leaves are different colors!" Gil said, practically bouncing on the heels of his feet.

Jay blinked, and he looked around. "Yeah, the colors change with the season. We're in Fall now."

"Amazing," Gil said, voice soft as he stared out at the different trees. "Do they become, like, every color?"

Jay opened his mouth, but he paused, glancing from the different types of trees to the awe on Gil's face. "You know what, I don't know," he said, truthful and unashamed. He hadn't been outside in forests all that often, and he certainly hadn't been everywhere.

Maybe trees could be every color.

"I wanna see every color possible," Gil said, eyes gleaming as he continued staring, determination now dancing across his features, mixing with his excitement so much that he almost glowed.

"We'll keep our eyes open," Jay said even as his gaze stayed on Gil.

Even when he first arrived in Auradon, he hadn't been half as excited as Gil currently was.

When Gil turned to smile at him, Jay found himself smiling back.

—

They had decided to each keep a journal of their findings — the different colored leaves, types of animals, flowers, plants, rocks, anything and everything new and interesting — so Jay was writing about a funky type of mushroom when Gil grabbed his wrist.

Alarmed, Jay looked up, and his nerves braced for a threat until he took in the astonishment on Gil's face. Blinking, he followed Gil's gaze until he landed on a blue-gray and white bird perched on a tree's upper branch.

Brow creasing, Jay asked, "Gil?"

"Shh!" Gil squeezed Jay's wrist briefly. "I think—" He gasped as the bird spread its wings and took to the sky.

The both of them watched the bird fly for as long as they could before it disappeared completely in the foliage.

"That was an actual bird," Gil said at length, tone soft even as he squeezed Jay's wrist again, "and it was actually flying!"

A small laugh left Jay, unbidden. "Yeah, man. I think it was a hawk," he said, but the longer he watched Gil stare after the bird, the more he realized that the island had very little birds, let alone ones healthy enough to actually fly. "Maybe we'll see more. Like an owl or something."

"An owl?" Gil asked as he finally tore his eyes away from the canopy.

"Yeah, but they probably come out after dark."

"Dude, why are we sleeping after dark instead of exploring more!"

"Because we want to stay alive, dude," Jay reminded him.

Gil pouted. "Fine."

Amused, Jay said, "Maybe one night we can just chill outside our tents by the fire. See if we can see anything."

Instantly, Gil brightened. He pulled Jay close — and it was then that Jay realized that Gil had never released his wrist — and said, "Deal!"

Jay collided with Gil with a small grunt, the one arm hug a little awkward because Gil still held his wrist, but Jay simply let Gil manhandle him as he said, "Deal."

Gil hadn't released him right away, but when he did, he was smiling wide.

Despite the chill in the air, Jay felt warm.

—

"It's getting colder," Gil said one day after he had climbed up and down yet another tree.

"Yeah," Jay agreed absently, focusing on building a fire; the sun would be setting soon, and they hadn't properly set up camp yet.

"And it's usually even colder at night," Gil continued, playing with the bit of bark in his hands.

"Yup," Jay agreed again as he got up, satisfied with the fire enough that he decided to start on pitching up their tents.

"So why don't we just sleep together?"

Jay nearly tripped over his own two feet as he spread one of the footprints down on the ground. He stood straight, staring at Gil. "What?"

"I mean," Gil began, tilting his head to the side, "why use two tents when one is big enough for both of us?"

"Ah," Jay said lamely, and he glanced down at the tent he was currently setting up and then glanced at the other still packed away. They weren't huge tents, but one could definitely fit the both of them; though, it wouldn't be roomy. "I guess that's fine," he said when he realized Gil was still waiting on his answer.

"And we'll be warmer!" Gil said triumphantly.

"Seeing as we'll nearly be on top of each other, definitely," Jay said, amused, as he continued setting up.

"That's fine," Gil said pleasantly, sitting by the fire and watching Jay work. "I like to cuddle anyway."

Feeling himself grow warm, Jay did his best to focus on the task at hand. "Lucky me…" His cheeks grew warmer as Gil laughed.

Luckily for him, Gil busied himself with his journal, so Jay was able to pitch up the tent and ready the inside without any more distractions. Even dinner came and went without anything remarkable happening.

It was only as they cleaned up to get ready for bed that Jay began to grow nervous. Which was silly. What did he have to be nervous about?

He stretched lightly, trying to calm himself, and as he did, he found himself looking up at the night sky. For a moment, he forgot himself, taken by the vastness above and the multitude of stars. He remembered the first time he saw stars in Auradon; they had taken his breath away then as they did now.

Had they taken Gil's breath away yet?

"Jay, what're you— whoa!"

Jay blinked.

Gil had knocked into him, and they had both tumbled to the ground, Gil on his back and Jay on top of him, with Gil's hands on Jay's hips to steady him as Jay braced his hands on either side of Gil's head. They stared at each other.

Before Jay could say anything, Gil's breath hitched, a glint to his eyes. "Beautiful…"

Jay blinked again, his stomach fluttering before he remembered the stars above him. He tried to will away the warmth he had felt. "The stars?" he guessed lamely.

Gil blinked, his gaze flickering past Jay for a few seconds before settling back on him. "Yeah, they're pretty, but I meant you."

Jay stared, heart skipping a beat. "Me?"

With a soft smile settling on his lips, Gil nodded. "Yeah, you." And with that, he leaned up and placed a chaste kiss to Jay's lips.

And though it was chaste, it sent a spark through Jay, and he found himself leaning into the kiss.

Well, crap. Mal had been right.

He was so not looking forward to her gloating.

Still, as Gil pulled back, looking up at him with that soft smile, Jay figured he could endure Mal's smugness.

Gil was worth it.

#gifts 2024 #fic

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descendantsgiftexchange · 4 months

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is anyone available to do a final pinch hit?

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descendantsgiftexchange · 4 months

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my colors are yours (just a bit lighter)

I'm sorry this is a bit late but I hope it's enjoyable still. But here's your gift, @auradon-bore-a-don (for @descendantsgiftexchange )

There’s something isolating about being a third, about being the one left out of the loop. Audrey had known this feeling for years. It started when two sets of handwriting appeared along her arms. A triad soulmate pairing was seen as wrong, as a misalignment. When it became clear that the others were from the Isle, well of course they couldn’t be her soulmates.

Time went on. Audrey never wrote on her arms. Never even showed them. That wasn’t particularly unusual for royals of course, so she had an excuse. But when Ben showed his and it clearly wasn’t her handwriting. Well. There isn’t much to say.

It had become increasingly obvious that her soulmates knew each other, that they were in love with each other. Declarations of love covered her arms. Flowering words of devotion were as common as air. It was due to said words that she recognized her first soulmate.

Uma’s arms were bare in her dress. Her love clear as she spoke of being invited over for the betterment of the Isle, her pretty lies caught Audrey’s attention even over the radio where she first heard her. She had been truly entranced by the smooth voice. It was only when Chad showed her the video that she knew.

Harry was obvious. If his constant bare arms didn’t tell her then his unwavering love for Uma did. He sought her out like a turtle to the sea, an instinct that never steered him wrong. She wondered what it would feel like to be loved like that. To be loved and treasured above all else. To have someone’s undying loyalty.

But alas, she knew she could never have it. It wasn’t her place to be loved. She was a prize, a pawn, a royal. Nothing more. Nothing less. So she avoided them. Never attending any VK events or diplomatic meetings which might hold them. She hardly even reached out to any of her friends, if you could even call them that anymore, out of fear that either of the two would be near. If she was so drawn, so curious, from just videos who knows what she would do when she met them. No, it was far safer for her to stay away.

This policy worked until Ben forced her hand, if she didn’t attend this event she would be ostracized from high society, seen as untrustworthy and forever outcast from her old friends. So attend she did.

It was a darling holiday party, supposedly it was a gala but party suited the event much better. The VKs made sure of that. Drinks, noise, and laughter abound through the hall. Joy and playfulness echoed in the space, tangible in every breath. She was so distracted she hadn’t noticed until it was too late that she was bumping into someone.

Audrey had been stepping out of a conversation when she had stepped directly into one Gil LeGume’s way.

Bump and Splash.

“Woah, You good?”

“Does it look like I’m good? Oh this is going to stain and ruin everything.”

“Here let me help get that jacket off.”

“No, I don’t need your help.” Audrey protested, but the damage had already been done. Her jacket had fallen off her upper arm, showing words that Gil knew in a heartbeat.

“Well hey, those are Uma and Harry’s words.”

Ben, who had seen the initial bump and was making his way over, stopped in his tracks. ‘It couldn’t be, could it?’ Getting over himself, he finished making his way over to the pair who were now arguing over whether or not to go meet and show Uma. It was only due to his presence that Audrey gave in.

Uma met Audrey with distrust in her eyes. Harry even more so. It was weeks later before they learned enough of why she hid, before they trusted her. A few months before they welcomed her into their relationship. It wasn’t a fairytale ending, they had disagreements and fights, but who said soulmates had to be perfect. They just had to be right. And they were.

#gifts 2023 #fanfic

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descendantsgiftexchange · 4 months

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A lil gift for @blogoffunstuff (I’m pretty sure that’s how it’s spelled) for @descendantsgiftexchange

A Jarlos playlist for you, my love

Merry Christmas

#gifts 2023 #playlists

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descendantsgiftexchange · 4 months

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Snowfall

Pairing: Ben/Jay

WC: 800+

A/N: Happy holidays @benjaycaptain from your @descendantsgiftexchange gifter! I hope you enjoy this little fic, it's unbetad so please forgive any tenses or Grammer errors (I'll come back and fix them when I have extra time). Sorry it's not longer, it was an interesting challenge doing Ben/Jay as I've never written them before so I hope they are in character!

Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! 🎉

“You coming out or what?”

Jay didn’t turn around as Ben straightened in the doorway. Realizing he’d been caught, Ben closed the door to the tower behind him. Jay didn’t even flinch at the sound and Ben took that as a good sign. Ben cleared his throat. “Didn’t want to startle you.”

“I don’t bite,” Jay shot Ben a smirk over his shoulder. “Unless you ask.”

Ben felt himself blush and cleared his throat, “Right…” He thought back to the time of one of his first fittings in Evie’s dorm. In his rush to get to his appointment on time, he entered without knocking which resulted in Evie throwing him roughly against the wall with her fabric scissors pressed against his neck. His hand came to rub the small scar it left as she pulled away. After that, he learned quickly to make his presence known when entering a room. He decided to change the subject. “Don’t you think that’s a little dangerous?”

Jay was sitting on the stone wall of the castle tower, his feet dangling over the edge. Jay glanced down at the multi-story drop below and shrugged. “I’m fine, I’ve done worse things before.”

“Whatever you say, man.” Ben didn’t doubt his statement. After hearing some of the many, many stories of what he’d done on the Isle, Ben was sure he’d done worse. It didn’t stop him from worrying though. “I’d still feel better with your feet on the ground, though.”

Jay turned his body around, one leg resting on the inside of the tower while the other was bent and placed on top of the tower wall. His arms wrapped around the perched leg. “Please, I’ll be fine. Nothing to worry about.”

Ben gave him a skeptical look.

“But,” Jay sighed, letting the word drag out. “If it would make you feel better, I’ll get down.”

As Jay pushed himself off of the wall, he moved across the small space toward Ben. After getting a few steps toward him, his foot came down on a patch of ice neither of them knew was there. His eyes went wide as he started to fall backwards.

“Jay!” Ben gasped out, his adrenaline kicked in and in a few strides he was close enough to Jay to grab him, stopping his fall.

“Oh my- are you ok?!” Ben gasped, still not letting him go. He looked Jay over, rambling frantically. “I didn’t even notice that ice! I knew it was snowing but I didn’t think- I have to get the staff to salt up-”

Ben cut himself off once his eyes met Jay’s. They were incredibly close. Close enough for Ben to see the individual eyelashes on Jay’s face. Ben felt his face flush again, something that was becoming increasingly frequent around Jay, and dropped his hands from Jay’s body. “Uh,” Ben gulped before clearing his throat. “Anyway, I’m glad your alright.” Ben pointed his thumb at the door behind him, taking a step back. “Uh, I really- I should be getting back now, so-”

“W-wait,” Jay said, grabbing Ben’s hand and stopping him before he could pull away. Ben’s face felt like it was on fire, but he couldn’t help noticing how flustered Jay was. If Ben didn’t know any better, he’d say Jay was blushing as well. Jay cleared his throat, “Don’t go. Uh, you never said why you came up here.”

Ben racked his brain, trying to think of anything besides how warm Jay’s hand felt in his. “O-Oh! Uh, right. I actually heard it was snowing. S-so I came up here to watch the snow before my next meeting.” It was true, Ben always loved watching the snow and this tower, one of the highest in the castle, had the best view.

Jay nodded his head and looked over his shoulder then back to Ben. “If you still have the time, wanna watch the snow together?”

Ben smiles and feels himself blushing more. “Yeah, sure. I’d love to.”

Jay’s face breaks out into a large grin as he pulls Ben carefully over the patch of ice. The stare out at the view of the snow covered gardens below in a comfortable silence.

The snow started getting heavier as time went on, but neither of them really noticed. Their hands were still connected, at some point entwining their fingers together as well.

#gifts 2023 #fanfic

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descendantsgiftexchange · 4 months

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reminder, if we have not reblogged your gift, please send us a message via dm with a link to your post! and if you have not received a gift, please send us a message as well!

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descendantsgiftexchange · 4 months

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That warm, little feeling

written for @descendantsgiftexchange for @truth-from-lies-in-fiction. sorry it's late, but here's a little mal/evie ficlet. hope you had a lovely holiday!

Evie sat at the nook in her bay window, gazing out into the courtyard, watching the wind dance between the bushes. Half of the trees no longer had green on them, and the wonder of the season's changes still captivated her.

This wouldn't be the first winter she spent in Auradon, but it would be the first one since she and Mal got together, since they quit their slow and clumsy song and dance around each other, since they stopped letting their caution and doubt get the better of them.

She sighed, both rueful that it took them so long and giddy that it happened at all.

Still, it would be the first Christmas that they would share together, and Evie didn't know how to proceed.

Thus, she sat at the nook in her bay window, gazing out into the courtyard as she tapped out odd rhythms on her notebook with her pencil's eraser.

While she wanted to make the holiday special, Evie couldn't rely on her normal flair; Mal wasn't one to fare well when put in the spotlight or at the receiving end of a grand gesture, and the last thing Evie wanted to do on a date was to make Mal so uncomfortable that they couldn't enjoy themselves.

She had to find something meaningful yet simple. Unfortunately, Evie's mind like to turn things grander than they needed to be, and it was difficult to turn that part of her brain off.

Which brought her to her bay window nook, getting lost at nature's wonder.

"Evie?"

Evie blinked, turning to the voice that interrupted her very productive brainstorming session.

"What's got you all frowny faced?" Jay said as he sat opposite her, gaze flickering over her notebook. He blinked, undoubtedly reading the title of the list she made. "Christmas Date Wonderland?" he read aloud, skeptical.

"Help me out," Evie pleaded, scratching out the entire list — not that there was much there to begin with.

Jay raised an eyebrow. "You want me to help plan out a date?"

"Not just a date, an appropriate Christmas gift as well! I'm desperate," she said as she tore out the page, crumpling it for good measure.

"Thanks," Jay said dryly, propping his chin on his hand as he leaned on the table. "Why don't you go ask Ben or Lonnie or someone?"

As if I hadn't considered that, she thought as she flicked the paper toward him. "I can't approach this with an Auradon perspective!"

"Good point…" Jay conceded, wincing a fraction. "Why don't you just, I don't know, do whatever you'd like?"

Evie bit her lip, head in her hands. "Because what I like tends to veer into Auradon territory." She glanced at him, feeling shy for no particular reason. "And I want to make this special for Mal."

Jay remained silent for a moment, fiddling with the crumpled up paper, rolling it to and fro lazily, and his eyes never left Evie, gaze soft but still intent. After taking a little breath, he finally said, "I think you're overthinking it."

A huff escaped her before she could help it. "Have you met me?"

The corner of his lips twitching upward, Jay nodded. "Yeah, which is why I'm saying out loud, to your face, that you're overthinking things. Just breathe."

Blinking, Evie nodded. She closed her eyes and took several breaths, slow and even, and the nerves that had been buzzing throughout her gradually settled. When she opened her eyes, she found Jay smiling at her.

"Feel better?" he asked, his smile telling Evie he didn't need to hear her answer.

She answered anyway. "Yeah," she breathed out, lighter. "Thanks, Jay. I'll think of something, but I won't let it get to me again."

Jay nodded, a huff of amusement leaving him as he got up. "Yeah, I'll believe that when I see it. C'mon, princess, let's make some brownies or some shit to take your mind off things; do you some good."

Shaking her head, Evie followed Jay's lead, knowing that despite his cavalier attitude he was right about these things more often than he wasn't.

Besides, baking might let her come up with some ideas.

If Jay didn't completely distract her, of course.

———

Evie did her best not to pace as she waited for Mal to arrive.

She had made a simple, three course meal, had only set up a single candle between their place settings, had put nothing out that was overly romantic or flamboyant.

The only things she set out were a single red tulip placed upon Mal's plate and the plainly wrapped box placed on the edge of the table.

It was quiet, it was quaint, it was intimate, and Evie hoped Mal would like it.

"Something on your mind?"

Evie jumped, spinning around to face Mal, her surprise melting into affection as she took in Mal's soft, near smirk of a smile.

"When did you get here?" Evie asked as Mal moved to her side.

"A bit ago," Mal answered, leaning in to kiss her cheek. Her eyes flickered to the table, and her smile got softer. "A gift to go with the meal?"

"In a way," Evie said, heart fluttering as she saw Mal's gaze shift from the table's contents to Evie herself. "Do you want to sit?"

"Sure," Mal said, drawing out the word a fraction, and she reached over to pick up the tulip. "Maybe not here, though."

Confused, Evie opened her mouth, but her words stalled as Mal brought the tulip to her lips.

"My princess," Mal began, a glint to her eyes, "will you close your eyes for me?"

Heart skipping a beat, Evie tried to subtly swallow before she spoke. "Is this so you can prank me or something?" She said, tone teasing even as she complied with the request.

Mal let out a snort. "Nah, that's later. For now, just take my hand and follow me."

A thrill sparked up her spine when Mal gently took her hand, tugging slightly, not forcing but waiting for Evie to move, letting the decision to follow rest squarely at her feet.

And so Evie took a step forward.

There was a thin static in the air, gentle and short, just long enough for Evie to realize that Mal had performed magic as she led Evie away from the dining table, and a giddiness settled over her at what Mal had planned.

It was a short trek that took them outside, and Evie's intrigue only increased.

Mal led her out a little farther before stopping, and that thin static returned. "Okay. Open your eyes."

As she opened her eyes, Evie's breath hitched.

Fresh snow blanketed everything in her courtyard except her garden table and chairs, and the white of the snow sparkled almost silver due to several floating, faintly glowing orbs of warm light. The garden table, which sat pristine as if on a spring day, had a bouquet of pink and white roses and tulips in its center.

Mal stood by the table, the dinner Evie had prepared floating beside her into the warming trays next to the table, and all the while, Mal held the single tulip that Evie had given her close to her chest.

"Mal…" Evie breathed out, not quite able to actually use words yet.

"Merry Christmas," Mal said, her eyes firmly trained on Evie's face. "Do you want your gift now or after dinner?"

Her heart skipped another beat. "This isn't it?" she asked lamely.

An amused smile gracing her lips, Mal shook her head. "No, this is the lead up." She led Evie to the table, pulling out her chair so she could sit. "Besides, if you open yours, I can open mine." She produced the plainly wrapped box as she, too, sat.

A hiccup of a laugh escaped her as Evie took note of the thin box wrapped in silver leaning on the vase of flowers in the middle of the table. "For me?" she asked, just to make sure, as she reached for it.

"No one else but you," Mal said in reply, and though the softness was still in her features, a nervousness began to appear in her edges.

Willing her hands steady, Evie carefully opened the gift, peeling off the wrapping and removing the lid of the box, and a golden chained necklace lay before her, its golden, oval pendant covered in purple scales.

Evie stared, her fingers ghosting over the scales, the familiar static of Mal's magic faint but very much present.

"So that I can always be with you and protect you," Mal said, soft, hesitant, but filled with affection.

The amount of effort, the amount of focus on her magic, the extravagance and the romance… "Thank you," Evie whispered, bringing the pendant close to her chest, practically hugging it.

Mal smiled, and her gaze focused on the box in her own hands.

As Mal opened it, Evie held what little breath she possessed.

Mal held up a plain, golden tiara, expression puzzled before her eyebrows rose, the recognition alighting her face as she glanced from the tiara to Evie. "This is—"

"My first tiara," Evie confirmed with a small smile, clutching the pendant tighter a fraction.

It was poorly made, by the standards of their current day wardrobe and accessories, but it was real gold, and it had represented status and a title that Maleficent had hated. Once upon a time, Mal had been tasked with stealing it, with showing through brute force that Evie was nothing in Maleficent's eyes, that she wasn't worth Mal's attention outside of the meager treasure.

And now it was in Mal's hands, to do with what she liked.

"This was all you had," Mal said quietly. "You guarded it so fiercely."

"Yes," Evie said as she squeezed the pendant briefly before donning it, "and I don't need to anymore."

A smile slowly formed on Mal's lips. "I'll do my best to guard it well." She leaned in, smiling wider as Evie mirrored her movement, and pressed a chaste kiss to Evie's lips. "Merry Christmas, Evie."

Heart aflutter, her cheeks warm with delight, Evie simply kissed Mal again. Merry Christmas, indeed.

#gifts 2023 #fanfic

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descendantsgiftexchange · 4 months

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happy holidays @one-hundred-small-pineapples !! i was your secret gifter for @descendantsgiftexchange :) you mentioned evie being one of your favourite characters so i made this. i hope you like it !! <3

#gifts 2023 #edits

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descendantsgiftexchange · 4 months

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#gifts 2023 #edits

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descendantsgiftexchange · 4 months

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we have reblogged all the gifts we saw! please send us your gift if you have posted it and we haven't reblogged it; tumblr's tagging system can be finicky sometimes! if you haven't received your gift at this point, please feel free to dm us!

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descendantsgiftexchange · 4 months

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Written for @descendantsworldbuilding for @descendantsgiftexchange ! Enjoy <3 AO3

"I don't think this is such a good idea."

Uma tramps up the hillside, the frosty grass crunching underneath her feet. The wind seems to get colder and colder as she and Harry traverse closer to the forest.

"We're just going on the edge," she calls back to her not-quite-officially-first-mate (after all, you need a ship to have a first mate, and all Uma has right now is Murphy's dinghy, which he uses every day but Tuesday to fish, so it's not much use). "And we'll get a bush."

Harry frowns. "But it was a tree on the TV," he says. "But okay. If you say so, captain."

The two slip and slide down the muddy hill, down to the creepy forest. Uma hasn't gone here before. She's explored every corner of the Isle, from Scar's "Pridelands" to every nook of the dock. Here it is a mystery.

But she's not here to explore--she's here to get a bush for a Christmas tree.

The Isle doesn't celebrate Christmas. Why would they? All that nonsense about being good and nice--Uma had thought it was hilarious. Nevertheless, commercials from Auradon played on the small TV at the Chip Shoppe. Both Uma and Harry had seen how Gil's eyes had lit up when he saw the decorated tree, complete with candles (fire hazard, Harry had pointed out, which was rich coming from a Hook of all people. But maybe he meant it like a good thing.) and glittery glass balls.

Since Gil is not-quite-but-technically-her-second-mate, Uma decided she would give Gil a Christmas tree. Or bush.

Uma takes the knife she smuggled from the kitchen and glances around, looking for an appropriately sized bush. The two children remain at the edge of the forest, unwilling to go much further.

"I heard Madam Mim lives down here," Harry says, picking up a stick and swinging it experimentally around.

"Uh-huh," Uma says.

"Come here, Harry, I found it," she says, pointing to a scraggly, thorny bush that was appropriately sized for them to carry around without looking too weird.

"That doesn't look like the tree we saw on TV."

"They don't grow here," Uma says. Indeed, the only trees that grew on the Isle were bare and black and thorny. They had once been green, the older kids always said. Uma never believed them.

"Not even the trees like us," Harry says.

"It's missing something," Harry says. They managed to lug the bush without getting too many thorns in their hands, and without Gil spotting them. It is meant to be a surprise, after all.

"Yeah, those glass balls," Uma says. Where could she find something similar...? Glass balls themselves wouldn't be here, on the Isle, but if she found colourful glass of some sort that she could string onto the prickly branches...

"And those candles!" Harry has that fire-loving look in his eye.

"No," Uma sighs. A thought strikes her. "Hey, Frollo has those fancy glass windows in his church, right?" The windows of the church itself are boarded up, but Uma is fairly the old bastard has some fancy glass somewhere. Harriet says he does, she remembers when he hadn't boarded up the windows, and Uma doubts he would've gotten rid of them entirely.

Harry glances at her. "I'll get the bat," he says, immediately catching onto what she's suggesting. The bat, of course, being the weapon of choice when going anywhere near Frollo.

Uma and Harry, who is now armed with a bat he had to wrestle away from CJ, walk towards the church, which is really just a stone building with a fancy entrance. The only reason why Frollo hasn't been ransacked is because of his stupid guards who hunt down anyone and anything. Loyal like dogs, is what Ursula had said. Was being loyal like a dog a bad thing? Well, Frollo's guards were a nuisance anyway.

They walk through the streets of the Isle, the wind still cold and nipping at their bare hands and faces. Luckily for Uma, she won't have to deal with Mal, because Frollo's church is just bordering on Mad Maddy's territory, and Mal has made an enemy of the Mim, so Uma is safe--as safe as she can be, that is. Mad Maddy and Uma are on decent terms, but Uma doesn't trust Maddy as far as she can throw her.

"No guards today," Harry says happily, when the stone church comes into view.

"Good," Uma says. Guards would have just been an obstacle to overcome, but she wouldn't have let them stop her. She is determined to get this for Gil.

Harry stands guard while Uma climbs up onto the window ledge and kicks down the wooden boards, rotting and poorly placed. Almost like a child put them up. Oh well, all the better for Uma, it just means it's easier for her to get through.

She lifts Harry into the empty, musty church, immediately muffling a sneeze. It is completely empty, devoid of life. There's one pew--either because there weren't enough when Frollo initially claimed this building as his or he just expects everyone to stand--and some sort of table up at the front, with a little cross nailed onto the wall, and a door leading to another part of the building. Uma doesn't see any stained glass here.

"What do we do if we don't find any?"

"I bet the Tremaines have some," Uma says in response. And if not the Tremaines, then Ginny Gothel. And if not her, then...Uma could figure something out. Maybe she could die some pieces of fabric.It didn't matter, she would make this tree for Gil.

They head down the hallway, peering into the rooms for these stained glass windows. There's a room with a cot--does Frollo sleep here? Uma wishes she had brought some rotting fish--and a room filled with--

Stained glass windows!

Uma gestures Harry over and they head into the room, Harry swinging around his bat to smash them into decent sized chunks. They're harder to smash than they look, and it takes them a good few minutes to get the pieces into a decent size.

"Uma?"

Uma kicks aside some boring shards of yellow glass and looks up at Harry. "What?" she asks. Harry simply points, and Uma turns, and there's a girl dressed in a drab grey dress, dark eyes comically wide as she witnesses Uma and Harry destroying the glass. Uma and the girl look at each other for a few seconds, Uma wondering if she'll ever start talking.

The girl clears her throat, and summons a righteous look of anger on her face. "Why are you desecrating the art of this church?" she demands, her voice hoarse. Uma tilts her head.

"We're celebrating Christmas," she says haughtily, fully aware she has been caught at the scene of her crime by who Uma assumes is Frollo's child. She pities the woman who had to bear this kid, and put up with Frollo of all people, who is definitely worse than ninety percent of the Isle.

The girl sputters. "By destroying things?!" she demands. "By destroying the visage of the blessed saints?!"

"We're decorating our tree," Harry says, holding up a bag with multicolored glass shards.

The two begin to stroll out casually, their mission complete. Uma steals a glance at the girl, who's mouth is opening and closing like a dying fish, following after them, like a scolding schoolteacher.

Finally, she gathers her words. "The tree isn't--that's not Christmas! Christmas is about out Lord and Saviour Jesus--"

Uma and Harry close the heavy wooden door to the church, cutting of the girl's voice.

"That was weird," Harry says.

"Yeah," Uma agrees. "Next stop, the Tremaines."

"...Hey, Uma," Harry says. "Who's Jesus?"

Uma shrugs. Probably someone from Auradon.

The Tremaines are closed, but Uma doesn't care and marches straight in. Harry is slightly reluctant to go in, perhaps worried he might see his sister and Anthony...ahem, passionately intertwined. But the only ones there are Diana and Dizzy Tremaine.

"Can't you all read the sign?" Diana asks, not glancing up from the mess of craft materials she and her sister have dragged out.

"No," Harry says. "I'm illiterate." He drops the bag of glass onto the table. "Can you make some ornaments out of these?"

"Where'd you get this?" Diana opens the bag and peers inside. She whistles in surprise. "You got your hands on some stained glass. Is the barge in town or something?"

"No," Uma shakes her head. The barge won't come until the spring, she knows. They already received their autumn-winter garbage drop off. "We got this from Frollo."

"He gave it to you?" Diana blinks. "He must have been in a really good mood. Christmas spirit, maybe."

"No, we stole them," Uma says, narrowing her eyes. As if she'd ever make a deal with Frollo. "Can you make them into ornaments or not?"

"What's in it for me?" Diana crosses her arms. Dizzy is still completely absorbed in gluing together two pieces of gold chains. Harry is eyeing the pile next to her, perhaps an idea brewing.

In the end, Diana takes all the green and purple coloured bits of glass, citing she wants them for earrings, which leaves the two pirates with the red, the white, and the blue. It's fine, but Uma wishes she still had the green. It is, after all, supposed to be a Christmas tree, and green is a Christmas colour. At least Diana did a good job of smoothing down the edges of the glass so that Uma doesn't cut her fingers every time she handles them.

And, just as Uma thought, Harry bartered with Dizzy to get some of those gold chains to string around the bush. It wasn't a fair deal, but hey, Dizzy is four, she would be fine.

Having secured the decorations, their next stop is Big Murphy's dinghy (which is Uma's on Tuesdays), where the teen is getting ready to go fish before it gets too cold. "Hey, Murphy," Uma says. "Can we get some fishing twine?"

Murphy peers at them, then the stuff they're holding in their hands, and then back to them. "Why?" he asks suspiciously.

"Why do you want to know?" Harry says.

Murphy raises an eyebrow. "I don't know, you look like you're up to no good."

"We're," Uma glances around, searching for Gil. She can't see him, but she lowers her voice anyway. "We're making a Christmas tree for Gil. We need the twine to hang up the decorations."

Murphy doesn't look very convinced, so Uma decides she'll throw in a deal to sweeten it.

"If you give us one roll of twine," Uma says. "You get free meals at the Shoppe for a weak." Ursula would make her do double shifts for a month for this deal, but it would definitely be worth it.

Murphy blinks at her sudden generosity. "Three meals a day?"

"One."

"Two," Murphy counters.

"Deal."

He hands over the twine. "Have fun," he says.

"Ursula's gonna kill you for that deal," Harry say.

"Yeah, and?" Uma retorts. "Let's go decorate the tree."

#gifts 2023 #fanfic

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descendantsgiftexchange · 4 months

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It's the holiday season!! Which means it's time for gift giving!! Here ya go @shellyseashell it's a fic!! (For @descendantsgiftexchange)

the violence in the pouring rain

The ships were dark, everyone hunkered down in the hulls. There weren't enough places inland for them all, so on the ships they stayed. Even the ones who did have a place to stay elsewhere stayed, down with the ship and all that nonsense.

The storm was hitting full force now. The end must only be a day or two away with how long they had been under siege. There had been no warning for this storm for once. Just a drop then a sudden rush of water. They barely had any time to change the sails before everything went to hell.

Harry paced around the room, itching to leave and check on the others. Uma just watched, knowing she couldn’t calm him for once. The storm had left everyone on edge, but it was effecting these two in particular harder, Uma with the knowledge that the ship hadn’t been ready to leave port and thus will have many more damages than usual, and Harry with the knowledge that both The Shattered Hope and the Jolly Roger were able to leave port and ride out the storm in open sea. If those ships went down, they couldn’t save them; The Lost Revenge would go down as well if they tried.

So there they waited in the captain’s cabin, watching over the deck and sails. Preferring to dwindle down Uma’s personal stash of food rather than take the trek to the mess hall and take food from the crew’s mouths. It has been three days now. They shouldn’t have very much longer to wait out. Right?

Claudine sat restless, stuck on a boat that wasn't her own, locked in a room for days now. She couldn’t even relieve her boredom in her normal ways, not with Marya across the room. The bleeding scratches hidden on her legs were the only thing keeping her sane. She pressed her fingers into the marks, sending a flare of pain through her body. A slight hiss escaped her lips, yet her shoulders relaxed.

Marya’s head snapped towards her, concern lacing her eyes. She looked over her, before moving towards Claudine, the string in her hands all but forgotten. Sitting beside her, close but never touching, she started to ramble. On and on, Marya talked about anything and everything; she talked about patients and Sammy and people in general before switching into Russian and talking about who knows what. This continued on for what felt like forever, but it did keep Claudine’s mind off the storm, off the isolation. The words kept going, kept calming, until a series of knocks came. Foods here.

Harriet stood on the deck, the crashing waves, pouring rain, and severe rocking barely phasing her. Drinking straight from the bottle, she watched everything. Her ship and how it was taking the storm. Her fathers ship and how far worse it was doing. The Isle and all the water it was taking. It was all under her eyes, all for her to consume. She takes another drink before walking back to her cabin.

They had left her. Went back to their cages. Far far away from her. It’s not like she needed them here. All of their complaining and posturing would’ve been a nightmare. She didn’t need Anthony’s cold hands or his hypocritical concern. She didn’t need Ginny’s weight on her or her dramatic sighs. No. She didn’t need them at all. All she needed was her ship, which need to survive this god forbidden storm. (If Claudine stayed alive long enough for her to force the burden once more onto Uma, that would be a plus.)

#gift 2023 #fanfic

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