𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐌𝐘 ⎢ ❝ For who could ever learn to love a beast. ❞
❝ Anthony, I will forever be a beast in everyone's eyes and if you think that I can change, I think you're wrong. ❞
❝ I don't want you to change, I don't need you t...
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❝We're your family, too. We've been through a lot. Together. We're not stopping that now, okay?❞
{THIRD PERSON POV}
All of them made it to Auradon from what felt like a long, awkward car drive.
"I'll get these back to the gym," Lonnie told Jay as the group walked in the courtyard.
"Thanks," Jay told the daughter of Mulan.
"See you later," Lonnie said before walking away.
"Ben, there you are," Jane said as she walked over to Ben, "The Cotillion is tonight. Come here," Jane showed him the surprise for Mal, "Look, this is the stained glass for Mal. Isn't it beautiful? She's gonna love it."
Ben turned to Mal, who was standing there, lost in thought, "Do you want to cancel?" Ben asked Mal, quietly but Jane heard him.
"Um," Jane said, awkwardly, "You know, I can come back-"
"No, no, no," Ben cut off Jane, "No, no. Now's fine," Ben said before turning to Mal, "Do whatever you need to do," Ben told Mal before walking off with Jane.
"Hey, take all the time and space to do whatever you need to do, okay?" Anthony told George, "I'll see you at cotillion, chéri."
George nodded with a weak smile, "Okay, amour." Anthony nodded before following Ben and Jane.
Evie walked over to George and Mal and grabbed both of their arms.
"We need to talk," Evie told George and Mal.
"Yeah," George and Mal said before they started to walk away but someone stopped them.
"No," Carlos said, causing the three to turn to look at him.
"No?" Evie asked, confused.
"You guys are always going off in a huddle, whispering your 'girl talk' stuff or whatever," Carlos told them, quoting the words girl talk with his hand, "Jay and I are tired of it."
"I'm not," Jay told the girls and George.
"We're your family, too," Carlos told the girls and George, softly, "We've been through a lot. Together. We're not stopping that now, okay?" Carlos continued as George and the girls nodded, "Everyone sit," Carlos ordered. They all looked at him, weirdly before sitting down on the grass. They looked at Carlos, waiting for him to start the 'girl talk', "I don't know how to start girl talk," Carlos admitted before looking at Jay.
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"What up?" Jay asked, also unsure how to start the conversation, causing Evie to laugh a little.
"Um, well," Mal started, "I'm a mess. I'm such a mess," Mal nervously chuckled as George and Evie rubbed her shoulder, "I mean, six months ago I was, you know, stealing candies from babies and now everybody wants me to this Lady of the Court and I have no idea how to keep up the act," Mal's voice cracked a little at the end.
"I guess, I can come upon that," George started with nervous chuckle, "I mean, six months ago I had this 'bad boy' image and now everyone expects me to be this adviser that helps the Lady of the court and to be honest, I don't think I can handle the pressure anymore," George's voice cracked a little at the end, "I mean, it wasn't bad on the Isle, considering that you don't need to impress anyone but your parents and now, it's like almost every single person is counting on me and like I said, I can't handle that type of pressure, anymore."
"Then don't," Carlos told the two like it was simply.
"See, this was dumb," Jay said as he started to stand up but Evie stopped him.
"Maybe it wasn't," Evie told Jay, causing him to sit back down, "We're always going to be the kids from the Isle. I tried to forget, I really tried but those are our roots and we all did what we had to do to survive. But it made us who we are and we are never going to be like anyone else here and that's okay. That's okay."
"And we can't fake it," Jay said, softly.
"Yeah, I mean, especially without my spell book," Mal mentioned.
"Mal, George, if Ben or Anthony don't love the real you, then they're not the one," Carlos advised George and Mal.
"I like that," Evie said.
"Give them a chance," Jay told George and Mal.
"I'm going to make some changes to your suit and dress," Evie told George and Mal, "And if you're up for it, only it you're up for it, it'll be waiting for you," Evie hugged Mal and George before she stood up with Carlos and Jay. Mal let out a breath before standing up, leaving George with his thoughts. Carlos looked back at George for a second before going to sit in front of him.
"Come to Cotillion tonight, alright?" Carlos told George, softly, "If Anthony isn't smart enough to love you and you can't stand another day. I'll drive you back tomorrow myself, okay?" Carlos smiled at George causing George to smile back.
"Ok," George said, quietly. He petted Dude's head, who Carlos was carrying, causing Carlos to laugh as they shared a smile before Carlos stood up and walked away. George sighed softly as Mal, who was walking around Auradon, also sighed softly.
"If only I knew what my heart was telling me. Don't know what I'm feeling. Is this just a dream?" George and Mal sang softly, "Ah oh, yeah If only I could read the signs in front of me I could find the way to who I'm meant to be, Ah oh, if only, If only."
"What am I gonna do?" George and Mal mumbled to themselves.
─ 👑🍺 ─
Anthony and Ben both sat in Ben's office in silence, waiting for the other to say something, anything. They sat next to each other on the couch, shoulders touching.
"So..." Ben said in the tense silence.
Anthony let out a shaky sigh as he played the rings on his finger, especially fiddling with the one he gave George, "Um, well, I don't know what to do, I mean, I know what I said was wrong to him and I tried to fix it by going to him but he just... didn't want me. And, I don't know if it's because of what I said or the pressure or both... I feel like I failed him," Ben wrapped an arm around Anthony's shoulder as Anthony laid his head on Ben's shoulder, "I just, just, have no idea what I'm gonna do."
Ben sighed, softly as he grasped one of Anthony's hands, "Listen, we're the sons of Beast and Belle, one would say that they have the best love story and just because we're their sons, doesn't mean we could have that perfect love story. Everyone is gonna have very different love stories that will come when they're in high school or college or even when they're 50, they're gonna get their love story sooner or later. We're always gonna be pressured to these high standards and George had every right to do what he did because he didn't know what to do with that kind of pressure, so he did something right yet wrong but doesn't mean he also wasn't wrong with you. You said mean things but you still tried for him and tried to save your relationship," Ben sat up so now he and Anthony sat face-to-face as he held Anthony's hands, "Come to cotillion tonight and if George doesn't smart enough to love and you can't stand another day, I'll make sure you don't have anything on your schedule for the next week, maybe even month."
Anthony pouted, slightly, sniffling as tears gazed in his eyes, "You're the best big brother, you know that?"
Ben smiled as he pulled Anthony into a hug, "I know." They hugged each other, tightly in silence before... "You're the best little brother, you know that?" He said, softly.
Anthony smiled, softly, as he buried his face into Ben's neck, "I know."
