Chapter Text
The weather on the Isle was great. Not that Gerard loves the sun much, but it was usually easier to steal in the sun. More people outside, easier to hide in the crowd, pretend you're checking something, then hide it into your sleeve. Also, if someone owned a pocket mirror, they could easily use it while running from someone who is chasing them, blinding them with a bright stream of light. If there was one more reason to like the sun, it would be that the paint dries faster while it's hot. Not that his art was really appreciated, anyway. People usually hated it. Not because it was ugly, but because nobody really wanted to have their wall vandalized by a mean teenager who felt unstoppable.
Ryan appreciated the sun, too. With more people outside, it was much easier to extort money for card or palm readings. Effortless income. More clients meant more money, and more money meant that he wouldn't have to hear his father's nagging when he came back home. Only advantages.
Pete? Pete simply loved the sun and had every right to, because there was not much to enjoy on the Isle of the Lost. There was no amazing Auradonian architecture - rather ugly, gray, dilapidated tenement houses. There were no pretty floral views - the closest thing to that definition seemed to be the disguisting algae along the shore, which could not be crossed. There were no beautiful, breathtaking castles where a noble king would live, but there was a lunatic two blocks away who claimed he had once been king but had been illegally deposed. That must've counted for something, Pete thought. What's more, Pete had a very nice day. He endured a long, tiring conversation with Lady Tremaine (who hated the boy with all her heart, that is if she had one), then he fought the stupid octopus-leg, because, obviously, Pete doesn't believe in the "ignore him" bullshit, and then scammed Jafar out of ten bucks. A succesful day.
None of them expected to have this day ruined by some pompous prince from Auradon.
Because this story, like any other, begins with a boy and his impossible dream.
Prince François Anthony Adam II, who hated his name with a passion, has always felt an extraordinary injustice. He had one goal since childhood: to end the blatant inequality taking place in Auradon. As soon as he turned twelve, he promised himself he would do just that. Five years later, he was certain it had to be so. And that was his first order.
He did his research, thoroughly. The kingdom council only allowed him to take three people to Auradon (and even then, on a trial basis - they still didn't trust him). This was problematic, and he hesitated for a long time, but ultimately, the most controversial solution won out. They argued with him for a long time. They tried to convince him it was a terrible idea, that it wouldn't work, that Frank would be disappointed, that he should choose, well... less complicated cases to begin with. Frank disagreed; there were no less complicated cases on the Isle, and the three teenagers he chose were suffering for the sins of others.
Sometime shortly before eleven, Ryan felt a hand on his shoulder, pulling him around the corner of one of the buildings. It was Pete. Of course it was Pete. But what was interesting was that this time he looked... panicked? Weird. Maybe he'd done something stupid.
"Pack up your business and let's get out of here. Dad came out of the Underworld and is talking to some royal guards. Either he's lost his mind, or this is something serious." He peered around the wall, keeping a watchful eye on the situation. True, Hades usually stayed at home and despised the royal guards. Now they were talking as if they were striking a good deal.
Everything would have been fine if he hadn't noticed them. Pete cursed under his breath, and Ryan began quickly collecting cards from the ground. They ran to the old bridge (which wasn't really a bridge, because bridges usually cross deeper water, and this one was at most an ankle-deep stream), expecting Gerard to be there. And indeed, there he was, spray painting on the old cement.
Long Live Evil.
Obviously, though, they ended up at Gerard's place, sat on the couch like they were children again, looking up at they parents.
"Auradon," Gerard repeated, still incredulous at what he'd heard. Fucking Auradon.
"They want you there. Some kind of resocialization project or something," Facilier hissed, sipping his tea. He didn't like it much either. Ryan scoffed.
"That's strange, because even here, hardly anyone wants us." His father shot him a warning look, but the boy wasn't as concerned as he should have been.
"You're missing the point!" Pete stood up, unable to bear the tense silence and the fact that their parents were looking at them like they were lab rats. "The question is, why do YOU want us to go?"
Ryan just nodded, muttering something about it being inhumane. Their friend's mother cupped Pete's face in her hands and started talking to him like he was a preschooler. It was terrifying.
"Because you, dear children, have responsibilities to the Isle. Get to Auradon, get my spellbook, find Mal, capture Fairy Godmother's wand, and open the barrier." Maleficent stroked his hair and pushed him back onto the couch.
Gerard couldn't stand it anymore.
"We're not going anywhere! We're not having cutesy breakfasts with stuck-up princes! THIS is our home! We have our lives, our friends! We can't just-"
"They have dogs in Auradon. I'm not going anywhere." Gerard placed his hand on Ryan's shoulder, as if echoing his words. They weren't going anywhere.
"And Bert would miss Gerard too much." Pete shrugged, half-serious, half-nagging. The other boy froze, then stood up and started packing.
"LET'S GO!"
Apparently, that was the key point. Pete laughed and got hit with a boot.
They didn't have much to pack. It wasn't like they didn't have any belongings, but they hadn't considered staying in Auradon permanently. It was torture - the very thought made them sick. That evening, they were supposed to arrive in a wealthy city, a huge school where half the students were princes and princesses, and the other half were the rich children of other prudes. A place where neither of them fit in.
They loaded their bags into the limo (they tried very hard to pretend they weren't impressed by the car), said goodbye to their parents (very briefly, the royal guards were a little sad to see them), and went inside.
If any of them had predicted Auradon would be awful, then 'awful' was a huge understatement in this case.
It was beautiful, true - the architecture was better (the buildings didn't look like they were about to collapse), it was much cleaner, and the people looked neater too. Unlike the three teenagers from the Isle, who looked like they'd been dragged through a sewer.
It was hard to tell whose gaze was the most bothersome. Perhaps the king and queen, trying to pretend everything was okay. Perhaps the Fairy Godmother, whose attempt to make the three teenagers fit in was even more difficult, or perhaps Prince Frank himself, who still harbored too much hope that his plan was a good one.
It was tragic.
Everything was awkward, and no matter how hard they tried, it was clear no one fully trusted them. It's no wonder - the Isle kids have such a reputation. They get into fights, they steal, and they destroy. Not far from the truth, if you think about it.
The royal couple greeted them as politely as possible, introducing their son by his full name, but he grimaced and quickly corrected them.
"Nice castle, Your Highness," Gerard muttered with a slight sneer.
"For you, it's Frank," the boy smoothed his hair. "The point is to make you feel at home."
Pete laughed softly and patted him firmly on the shoulder.
"Believe me, you don't want us to feel at home."
Ryan just snorted, because, in fact, Pete had a point. The prince laughed too, clearly prepared for this turn of events.
"I'm glad you're here."
He smiled and walked away, waiting for them to follow him. They took one last look at the castle, and then they did follow. He showed them around for about an hour, and only then did he leave them alone. Gerard collapsed onto the bed and muttered something incredibly grumpy under his breath.
"He's into you," Ryan said, flopping onto his own bed. Damn, how comfortable...
Gerard gave him the finger.
"Seriously," he continued. "He kept staring at you the whole time he was talking to us. It was so obnoxious, I thought I'd puke."
"If he's actually into me, damn, I feel sorry for him..."
They lay there for a moment, then Gerard sat up.
"But that's a good idea, actually. If I could pull it off... A prince is a pretty good way to get a wand..."
Pete, who had been watching this exchange the entire time, laughed.
"So, you want to pull the Prince by, what? Pretty eyes? Because I'm not sure your personality will let you get this far, you know..."
He got a pillow in the face for that, which only made him laugh harder.
But Gerard was serious about it. A relationship with Frank would mean new opportunities, and he desperately needed them right then. This way, he could gain the trust of the royal couple and Fairy Godmother, and maybe even other important people. Besides, Frank wasn't so bad after all, at least not in appearance. He might be an annoying, entitled brat, but Gerard wouldn't see a relationship with him as a punishment. And that was pretty important.
He smiled to himself and lay back down, staring at the ceiling and thinking it all over again.
"See you at the museum tonight."