A Crack in the Mask

Not All Changes Are Bad

Notes:

Hey Descendants,

We're back for another week of updates, so happy Monday.

-Dark-

(See the end of the chapter for questions.)

Back in the boys' room...

Where the fuck was he? And why wasn't he answering any of his damn texts? It had been four hours. Carlos' session had been moved to tomorrow and she'd moved him into her room for the night. She'd already cast a sound-proofing spell. She was ready for whatever Jay came through the door with.

She frowns as the tip of her pencil breaks for the seventh time. She growls as she throws it down on the sketch of Deez reading over one of her tablets.

Damn it. She groans as she lets her back hit Jay's mattress. Seriously, where the fuck was he?

Had he hauled off and punched David?

He had been pretty on edge lately. They both had. She rolls her bottom lip between her teeth. Jay had been so volatile lately. She holds a hand over her eyes. He hadn't gotten himself sent back to the isle, had he? She grabs a pillow and holds it to her face, muffling her screams at the mere thought. She curls around the pillow as her screams morph into wails.

She couldn't lose someone else.

She couldn't lose Jay.

"Mal?"

"Jay!" Mal sits up in relief as she drops the pillow. She rolls off the bed, her feet already running as she launches herself at him before she can think to stop. Her arms wrap around him, hugging him to her.

Jay sighs deeply before he wraps his arms around her in return, hugging her tightly, "Sorry." He whispers thickly.

Mal hugs him tighter. "Good." She ducks her head into his shoulder when the wall begins to blur. "We were all worried about you, asshole." She reprimands.

"I didn't know those could be more than an hour." Jay cups the back of her head as he rests his chin on her head, "And I had to go see the Baymax again."

Oh no! He hadn't actually done something that stupid, right? He wouldn't lose his shit enough to hurt a hero. Right? She blinks away her tears; she tilts her head up to study him, not acknowledging the fact she was still hadn't released him. "You didn't punch him, did you?"

Jay's lips twitch into a small smile, "No, I didn't punch him." He, seemingly absent-mindedly, rubs her back, "It was an-" He takes a deep breath as he tilts his head to the side, "interesting meeting."

Her shoulders drop as her muscles finally relax and she lets out a deep exhale. "Thank you." She squeezes him, "It must've been." He was with his counselor for four hours? Seriously? The whole time? Evie's session had lasted just over an hour, and then her session had run over an hour and a half. At the time she thought they'd taken up to much extra time, but a four-hour session?

She frowns as she looks for the bags under his eyes she knew had to be there. She couldn't imagine how exhausted he must be. She'd wanted to collapse after walking out of Nani's room.

"I-" Jay furrows his brow before he guides his hands to her shoulders, "We're doing things differently here," He says, and it would have sounded like a statement until he followed it with, "right?"

"That was Deez's dream wasn't it?" Mal admits with a shrug, "For us to be able to be ourselves?"

"But do we want this?" Jay questions without being able to make eye contact, "Because I-" He moves his hand, as if to rub the back of his neck, but pauses mid-action, "I think I do. But if we're going to change our minds, I need to know before I- I mean I don't know if I can take David's help and then go back to the way I was before."