FISHERMAN.

worry furrowed his brows and he really hoped for fae’s sake that graves would just forget about it all. the guy had plenty of other connections, even if her abilities were rare he had other options that could get the same jobs done. “whatever he asks you to do... just do it.” aster wish he could be braver for her sake but graves was a cruel man. if she didn’t give in to him the repercussions would be gruesome at the very least. “i know you don’t want to hurt anyone but it won’t be worth it to risk yourself or your family.”

“Oh, cool.” Aster remembers a recent awkward encounter with the King and he has no desire to repeat it anytime soon. “Uh not really, well, more of my old friends are getting in touch.” He had been wracked with guilt and so anxious at the idea of seeing people from the Isle but things had so far gone smoother than he ever imagined.

the name made him swallow heavily, the reaction too immediate for him to pretend everything would be okay. “ oh... did he do anything to you? ” she was here in front of him, looking unharmed as far as he could tell. knowing the oldest gothel’s reputation, it was unlikely he had just let her go after seeing her banshee abilities.

        Aster had known Gil at first only through Harry but then the son of Gaston often protected him and his brother for no reason other than because he was just that kind of guy. That was why he thought highly of Gil’s opinion and he never held ill will towards LeFou despite what his own father said. “ Everyone has to do what they can to survive the Isle,” he mumbled, soft brown eyes finally at peace.

The younger nodded, hanging onto her hand like he used to hang onto his brother. It was more comforting than he imagined as he tried to keep blinking, letting his eyes flush out as much as they could naturally. “I’ve never liked spicy stuff,” he responded to her story with a small smile, trying to ignore the pain.

        The boy winced, guilt casting his gaze down as he blinked away the last of the stinging pain. “ I’m not angry... ” he spoke softly, grabbing another paper towel to dry his damp features. “ Gil, he um... he spoke highly of you. ”

“fired because of cookies,” he repeated with a chuckle. listening, he shook his head in amusement as he finished the second cookie. he knew how hard it must have been for ivy to resist stealing anything. stealing, so long as it was from someone that could afford to lose, aster never saw the harm in it. “Fresh food, it was weird to get used to it at first.” He was beyond grateful when he got to taste cake for the first time but it all felt so unbelievable and sometimes, it still felt that way even after five years of living in Auradon.

This all felt very awkward to Aster and he had no idea if it was his anxiety talking or not. “It has been.” It certainly helped him fill out his previously lanky frame, not exponentially but at least no one could call him scrawny anymore. “ He’s good. Um, thanks to phones we’ve learned to be apart for a bit.” When they first arrived, the twins cried if they had to be separated and neither cared if anyone thought it was weird.

Listening to her explanation, it made sense why a weapon or tool like that could be useful in a land that preferred mercy over bloodshed. “ It was an accident, ” he explained, knowing how her temper could be. Not that he considered her a hot head but he knew she was much more willing to express her feelings than he was. That led to the question why were they friends but it came with no simple answer. They just were and Aster appreciated their bond.

Aster flinched when he first felt her touch but he relaxed as he realized she just wanted a better look at his eyes. Tears were starting to well up, burning and washing away the pain at the same time which was an odd sensation in itself. “Milk?” He questioned with uncertainty lacing his tone.  However, he was no doctor so he was willing to go along with whatever she said if it would help.

A soft smiled graced his lips as she agreed with him and he slowed his drinking pace, noticing that he was coming very close to the bottom of the cup. “ No harder than usual. Just long, ” he explained simply. “ What’ve you been doing lately? ” He asked since it had been a few days since they hung out.

      Again, he follows instructions, noticing that the other man never answered his question. Shit. Did he recognize him as one of the twin sons of Mr. Smee? How many enemies had his father and Hook made since the barrier closed? Anxiety was starting to build but he focused on washing out his eyes, finally able to squint them open after a few minutes. “ Oh... ” He blinked at the other man, finally recognizing him as Gaston’s sidekick.

         “ You’re from the Isle ? ” Not a priority at the moment but the surprise distracted him somewhat from the pain. The smee boy was nervous about meeting old friends and acquaintances from the Isle, wondering if they would resent him for choosing to stay in Auradon even though despite what had been said, he was not given much of a choice because of his age. “ Oh, okay. ” He did as he was told, wondering if the other was some sort of doctor or nurse, but he couldn’t recall any medical professionals on the Isle. None that you would actually want to be treated by anyways.

         The young male shook his head, trying not to rub at his eyes but the pain was persistently awful. Call him crazy but a knife wound might be preferable to this because at least he knew how to patch up one of those. Not recognizing the voice, a lot of voices from his past had faded from his memory, he nodded, reaching out to accept help from the kind stranger. “ Thank you --- I know it was an accident but this really sucks, ” he admitted, trying to blink his eyes as instructed.