Carlos had been hoping that Cruella wouldn't be well... extra cruel when they went to visit but that hope hadn't really panned out. He's most embarrassed and feeling guilty that he'd brought any of that experience to Jane.
He doesn't let go of her hand at all as they get back to Auradon.
"Sure," he says and he tries to smile in his typical way but it falls a little flat.
For all that Cruella was cruel- Jane didn't feel personally attacked by the situation at all. All her worry was for Carlos. Especially when that smile falls flat as it does. She links her fingers with his and tries her best to smile back at him.
"That home you have for lost boys and girls over there?" she begins gently. "I think we can set up something like that over here, too. Help them transition from the Isle over here, I think my mom would be glad to help with that..."
Something, anything, to lighten the mood right now. She wants to talk to him about his mom, but that's a conversation they should hold off on until they're back at the dorms.
Carlos squeezes her hand lightly. He'll bounce back. He always does but it'd been kind of nice for him living in a bubble away from Cruella. Where a lot of the kids missed their parents or their parents weren't so bad, he'd have been glad to not really be able to see her again at least in person.
"You think that'd work?" Carlos asked after a moment, thinking about the idea. It'd probably be a good idea if it could work.
She actually knows it would work- between the two of them and her mother, they could make sure of it. Things were going to be rough for a lot of them now that the barriers were down, but if they could help with that...
Carlos smiles and he squeezes her hand again as they keep moving in the direction of her dorm. It's a really good idea. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it but Jane was way smarter than him anyway.
There wasn't much she could do about his mother and all that she was- but if she was able to help him create something that would do more good for the Isle kids, she wanted to help.
Thankfully, it's an easy enough trek to her dorm, and they're there sooner instead of later. There is, of course, the question of where to sit... Instead of fretting over it, she tugs him over to her bed so they can cuddle. "Carlos..."
She finally whispers his name, not eager to broach the subject on her mind, but- "Is she always like that?"
Carlos is hardly thinking about it as she pulls him to the bed. He leans against her because it felt like the right thing to do. He can almost imagine all the questions that she must have after meeting his mother. His mother who definitely has zero redeeming qualities.
"Sometimes she's worse?" he's trying to joke but it doesn't work because it's true.
Jane breathes out a small "oh"- what does she even say to that? It absolutely wrecks her to know that. As he leans against her, it only feels natural for her to wrap her arms around him and hold him close.
She buries her face in his hair on the top of his head, closes her eyes and mumbles: "I'm so sorry."
All she wants is to protect him from anything like that in the future- though she knows that's not possible. And if nothing else, she really wants him to know how much she cares about him.
Carlos feels guilty for even trying to make a joke out of it because now Jane knows that much more horrible-ness exists in the world and he'd honestly rather shield her from it. But part of him can't help but want to be honest with her because he needs her. It's selfish.
"You don't need to say that..." Carlos murmured, because it's not like it's her fault or there's anything that anyone could honestly do. Even if the Isle hadn't been so horrible his mother would have still been Cruella.
"No, I don't-" she starts quietly. "But... I still am."
Jane runs her fingers through his hair a little, face still buried. Going back home couldn't have been easy. She knows this, even more-so now. "I know I can't do much, Carlos... But if I can, I want to."
Carlos doesn't know what to say just then. It's just a bit strange for Jane to have really seen all that she saw and he really thinks he should have shielded her from it but then maybe she would have never really understood a big part of who Carlos is.
"That's all that matters," he said, relaxing a little as her fingers move through his hair.
Feeling him relax, Jane continued to run her fingers through his hair. The little things that mattered, like small physical comforts and the offer of emotional availability. She could do that. She could be there for him however he needed.
She nudged her way to press a soft kiss against his temple before taking a deep breath and just letting the quiet take a moment to calm them. "I'm always here for you."
A quiet reassurance, but firm nonetheless. "No matter what."
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He doesn't let go of her hand at all as they get back to Auradon.
"Sure," he says and he tries to smile in his typical way but it falls a little flat.
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"That home you have for lost boys and girls over there?" she begins gently. "I think we can set up something like that over here, too. Help them transition from the Isle over here, I think my mom would be glad to help with that..."
Something, anything, to lighten the mood right now. She wants to talk to him about his mom, but that's a conversation they should hold off on until they're back at the dorms.
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"You think that'd work?" Carlos asked after a moment, thinking about the idea. It'd probably be a good idea if it could work.
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She actually knows it would work- between the two of them and her mother, they could make sure of it. Things were going to be rough for a lot of them now that the barriers were down, but if they could help with that...
"We can brainstorm some ideas, maybe?"
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Carlos smiles and he squeezes her hand again as they keep moving in the direction of her dorm. It's a really good idea. He didn't know why he hadn't thought of it but Jane was way smarter than him anyway.
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Thankfully, it's an easy enough trek to her dorm, and they're there sooner instead of later. There is, of course, the question of where to sit... Instead of fretting over it, she tugs him over to her bed so they can cuddle. "Carlos..."
She finally whispers his name, not eager to broach the subject on her mind, but- "Is she always like that?"
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"Sometimes she's worse?" he's trying to joke but it doesn't work because it's true.
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She buries her face in his hair on the top of his head, closes her eyes and mumbles: "I'm so sorry."
All she wants is to protect him from anything like that in the future- though she knows that's not possible. And if nothing else, she really wants him to know how much she cares about him.
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"You don't need to say that..." Carlos murmured, because it's not like it's her fault or there's anything that anyone could honestly do. Even if the Isle hadn't been so horrible his mother would have still been Cruella.
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Jane runs her fingers through his hair a little, face still buried. Going back home couldn't have been easy. She knows this, even more-so now. "I know I can't do much, Carlos... But if I can, I want to."
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"That's all that matters," he said, relaxing a little as her fingers move through his hair.
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She nudged her way to press a soft kiss against his temple before taking a deep breath and just letting the quiet take a moment to calm them. "I'm always here for you."
A quiet reassurance, but firm nonetheless. "No matter what."