Disney gay ships

The golden brush: JayxCarlos

"My mom is going to kill me..." Carlos whispered hoarsely under his breath.

"Why? What happened?" Jay asked casually.

"Her favorite brush is missing. She uses it to groom her coat. Well, actually I use it to groom her coat for her. But that doesn't matter. What matters is it's missing and I know I put it back," Carlos muttered. "I know it. I had to of. I always put it back..." His voice trailed off.

Jay reached out slowly to place his hand on the little boys shoulder. At his touch, Carlos flinched back.

"Wow, dude. Take it easy. It can't be THAT big of a deal. Just use another brush. She'll never know since she doesn't actually use it, right?" Jay said, lightening the air around them that had suddenly grown heavy with the weight of his friend's words.

"Maybe...I don't know. She's really picky about what I use for certain things. This brush has gold in it and she thinks it's the only brush worthy to touch her baby...you know, the little-stuffed dog she wears around her neck?"

"Yeah yeah, that thing creeps me out," Jay shuddered. "Maybe your mom pawned it for money. Since you say it has gold in it, that's what I would have done."

"No you don't understand, this is her favorite brush. She would never get rid of it. I mean, it just doesn't add up. I just don't know-"

"CARLOS!!! CARLOS GET DOWN HERE!"

"Oh no! She knows! Jay! You gotta go! Now, man!" Carlos jumped to his feet, pulling on Jay's arm and shoving him towards the open window in the small room.

"All right, all right I'm going!" Jay sprang through the opening, sliding down the roof and leaping onto the house next door.

Carlos shut his window with a loud bang, which made the latch miss its catch. The window opened back up just enough to let out the horrors from inside.

"CARLOS!!"

"I'm coming, Mother! I'm coming!"

Jay, curious now as to why Carlos was so shaken by the missing brush, jumped back across towards the open bedroom window. He scrambled inside, pulling the latch closed. Looking around the small room, he decided to hide under the bed jammed into the corner.

"WHERE IS IT?!" Cruella screeched. A loud smack echoed throughout the now deadly quiet house, followed by a soft whimper.

"I put it back, I swear," Carlos whined.

Another smack. Then another. The next blow sounded more like a punch as there was a loud cracking sound and then a loud thud.

Jay's heart was hammering in his ears. He felt like all of the blood had drained from his body. He couldn't move. He was paralyzed by fear and the fact that his muscles were so cramped being confined in that small of a space.

Heels clicked downstairs as Cruella walked around.

"MAYBE THAT WILL TEACH YOU TO NOT MISPLACE MY THINGS, DOG!" Cruella screamed. Jay heard the door open and then slam shut and her heels echoed off into the distance.

He counted to ten before he decided it was safe to leave his hiding spot. Racing down the stairs, he found Carlos curled up on the floor in a small ball, sobbing. As tears stung his eyes, Jay carefully picked up the smaller boy in his arms. He cradled his head, holding him close as he ascended the stairs. Gently, he laid Carlos down on his bed.

"Carlos...I'm so sorry...I had no idea..." Jay trailed off, taking in the fresh cuts and bruises on the freckled face he knew so well.

"It's okay, Jay. Thank you for coming to my rescue," a small smile ghosted across his lips for a second before disappearing in a mask of pain. "Besides, it's not your fault."

"Actually," Jay stammered. "It is."

Carlos, looking up at him in confusion, raised a perfect eyebrow in question.

In answer, Jay reached into his hidden pocket inside his leather vest and pulled out the brush Carlos received a beating for losing.

"I'm so sorry...I didn't know your mom was like that...I mean I know we all have it rough, but I never imagined..." he trailed off as he saw new tears of betrayal in Carlos's eyes.

"Jay...how.." Carlos gulped back the pain of just talking, using one of his small hands to gently caress his jaw where a huge welt was forming.

"Look I know I will never truly be able to make this up to you," Jay sobbed, tears streaming down his face. "But I will do anything for you. You name it, it's yours. I never meant for you to get hurt...it looked like an old relic you barely touched because it is so worn. I thought no one would miss it. And then you started freaking out about it and I thought 'oh how bad could it be?' And now I see that it is really bad and your life is just full of pain and I wish I could put a stop to it...I am so sorry Carlos...I'll do anything..anything to make it up to you."

Through his tears, he saw a small ray of hope in those sad, brown eyes.

"Steal me something?" Carlos asked weakly.

"Anything. You name it, and it's yours," Jay said, running a hand through his long, dark hair.

"Your heart," Carlos whispered, a soft smile tugging gently at the corners of his lips.

"My-my heart?" Jay breathed, a wave of goosebumps rolling down his entire body.

"I was mad and hurt that you took the brush, Jay," Carlos croaked out. "But this also gave me the opportunity to tell you my darkest secret and also find out that you care about me. The way-" He gasped, clutching his jaw against the onslaught of pain from talking.

"Carlos I have always cared for you, I just thought you felt differently," Jay replied, tenderly brushing his white hair to get him to focus on something else.

Another smile ghosted across the small boy's lips. A smile that Jay hoped he could keep there forever.