Blinding Light

(Saturday Afternoon, July 27th)

When they reach the table Carlos, Aziz, and Sultan Aladdin sit, Mal pulls out a chair, and Ben feels his way to take his seat. "Noon a little too early for you?" Aziz smiles.

Ben squints, "It's less funny, when you know that I went to sleep when you woke up."

"Good," he counters. "You got eight hours in, then."

Ben frowns, "More like five. I sleeped at seven."

"Slept," Carlos corrects.

"Tais-toi."

"Make me," Carlos counters in French.

Ben sighs, before he scratches his forehead and reaches for the water; however, when he finds the glass, it tips. Water floods the table, but his mother stops it with a cloth napkin. She refills the glass, takes his hand, and guides it to the water, "Here."

After he takes a drink, Aziz asks, "Is there something wrong with your eyes?"

Ben narrows his eyes at him, "Sorry. I couldn't see the glass of water on the white table with all the white light pouring down from the sun."

"Forgive him," Adam dismisses. "He hasn't eaten yet."

"This seems kind of serious," Aladdin concerns. "If he can't see—"

"Here," Charming hands Ben a pair of sunglasses, before he sternly eyes Adam. He warns in French, "If you break these ones, I'm calling Emergency Services."

"Is that really necessary?" Belle intrudes.

Charming's eyes widen at her, "You're purposely disabling your child and leaving them prone to injury. So, yes, it's very necessary."

After he leaves, Ben puts on his sunglasses, wets his lips, and faces Aladdin and Aziz, "I have this little thing, where I don't need a lot of light to see. So, if there's a lot of light, I kind of can't, really."

"You couldn't just bring your own sunglasses?" Aziz asks.

Ben takes a moment, "I was in a, um, hurry."

"Are you sure you can do a speech," Mal worries. "It's not like your English is great."

"You're doing a lot better," Aladdin reassures.

Ben smiles his thanks, before he turns back to Mal, "I don't need to know English to speak it. I have the whole thing…" His eyes shift, "I got it." before he gets an odd feeling and looks over at Charming's table. He notices Chad's upset expression, before he races from the table. Ben stands to go after him, but then he feels a hand on his shoulder. He turns and sees Charming, "What's going on?"

He takes a moment, "Chad's just worried about how long you will be here with us." Ben nods, and he questions, "May I speak with you?"

"Of course," Ben nods, before he glances back at the table, he and Charming walk to a secluded area, and they face each other.

"I need you to know," Charming starts, "that our last conversation, I was less upset with you and more with your parents. If they took care of you as they should and set a good example, then things like what happened could be avoided." Ben nods in understanding. "That being said, I'd like you to be honest with me about your feelings for Chad."

He unsurely smiles, "I don't have feelings for Chad."

"Look." He sympathizes, "I understand that it must be hard admitting to having thoughts about illegal behavior, but I think you know you can trust me."

Ben bites his lip, "I guess I do have a hard time imagining my life without him in it, and I always had this stupid idea that we could somehow rule the country together." He solemnly laughs, "Not that any of this will matter when I'm dead."

"Even if you only live three more years," Charming counters, "it will." Ben glances down, and he informs, "If you do take the sodomy law to the council, you can count on my vote to repeal it."

Ben's mouth gapes, "Chad didn't think you would."

"I'll say you probably need to work on recognizing consent and accepting no as an answer," he acknowledges, "but you've done that with girls too. If you become fond of a guy who's okay with the attention, I don't want you—or anyone—to have to get in trouble for that."

Ben partly smiles, "That means a lot."

"You said you knew three people in the same position?" he inquires.

"Uh, yeah," Ben uneasily starts, before he scratches the back of his head.

"I just want to know," Charming requestions, "is it just the kids from the Isle or did someone else open up to you?"

"It's not just Mal and them." Ben hesitates, "It's another royal, but I can't say who."

"But if it's another royal, then you could get another vote."

"It won't make a difference," he dismisses. "We might get Eric's and Athena's vote, because they have a family member who had a forbidden relationship; however, I don't see Phillip or Aladdin repealing it, just because it would go against their strong religious beliefs. Rapunzel is a lawyer, so I'm sure she will point out why the law was necessary in the first place. Florian's family might be just open-minded enough to repeal it, but I don't see a community of people who've just lived through a genocide encouraging homosexuality."

"But it's not really encouraging it, is it," Charming challenges, "if people are enacting in the behavior regardless?"

"You know the dwarves make a community vote before making any big decisions," Ben reminds him, "and if we don't warn them, their answer will to be not to do anything."

"You still have half the vote." He opinionates, "If you make a good speech beforehand, they'll be on your side."

"They're not going to change their minds just because they think I'm homosexually inclined or whatever," Ben cringes.

"They didn't report you when you and Chad kissed at your birthday party."

"That was different," he defends. "It—" He sighs, "They thought it was staged."

Charming quiets, "Ben. I don't want anything bad to happen to you."

His frown deepens, "I have to tell you… I hope you don't mind, but last time I was hospitalized, I changed my emergency contact to you."

"You know I'll always make time for you," he reassures, "but what about your parents?"

"My mother is still my second contact." Ben frowns, "I just didn't want them to call my father first." before he starts to shake. "When my father is contacted, no one is allowed to even know I'm there." His voice crackles, "And I don't want to die alone."

"It's okay." Charming places a hand on his shoulder, "That won't…" before his brows furrow and he lets out a breath. Ben feels his shoulder get pitched and steps back. "Ben."

"Not today. Okay?" he negotiates.

"When did this start again?" he concerns.

Ben shakes his head, "Sometime between when I broke up with Mal, Chad broke up with me, and I got into that fight with father, probably."

"It's okay," he frowns. "We'll get through this."

"Get through this?" Ben huffs. "I don't even know who I am. I'm just some doll—or action figure—that my parents get to dress up to play the part. And the people who actually treat me like a person and see a part of who I really am, they want nothing to do with me."

"I know it might seem that way, but it isn't true," Charming counters. "And as far as figuring yourself out, there's a lot of adults who still haven't done that. You're not alone."

Ben eyes down, "I feel alone."

"You have me," he disproves. "You can tell me anything, and I will help you."

"Not anything."

"Anything," Charming firmly repeats, before he releases a breath. "Ben. You've been like a second son to me. I don't care how crazy you think something is. You can tell me." Ben shifts his stance, and he assumes, "Does the informalness make you uncomfortable?"

"No," he uneasily answers. "You've always been there for me. It's nice."

Charming takes a moment, "It's the word, isn't it?"

"Which word?"

"When people talk about their son," Charming explains, "they talk about the sports they play or which field of science they're studying, but those aren't things that have interested you very much."

"I liked playing tourney," Ben denies. "I just didn't like the environment."

"Too masculine?"

Ben awkwardly smiles, "They were accusing me of juicing because of how strong I am." He folds his arms, and glances down as he wets his lips, "Well."

"When can we talk about this?" Charming sadly expresses.

"There's nothing to talk about," he rejects.

"I know why you're not eating," he seriously remarks.

Ben's mouth gapes, as his heart races, "Really? Because, I don't."

"I think you do," Charming evenly comments.

"I think you need to check on your real son," Ben's eyes widen. "You know, the one probably crying in the bathroom over his terminally ill best friend."

He nods, "You're clearly not ready to talk about this again."

"Because there's no reason to," Ben sternly says. "We've already had this conversation. I'm done with it."

Charming steps back, but after he leaves, Ben turns to see Doug walking up to him. He takes a deep breath, and when he reaches him, Ben's brows raise, "I don't have the time for this right now."

When he brushes by, Doug follows him, "We need to talk."

Ben strains a grin, "Everyone just wants to talk. It's lovely."

"I saw your interview." Ben halts, turns back to him, and Doug pushes his glasses up, "Whatever made things awkward for you, I don't want it to be, so we need to talk."

Ben lets out a breath and rubs his forehead, "Do you have a question?"

"Chad thought the blood meant something."

"I wasn't thinking about that with you." Ben slowly states, "If you remember, I blacked out one of those times. It wasn't about…" He eyes up, "Closeness."

"Then why do you feel awkward?" he asks.

"Because," Ben's eyes widen, before he looks away.

"Because why?" he quietly questions.

"You said you would be there whenever I need you," he stresses.

"And I will be, because I know you would never ask for help."

"What if I don't need help?" He worries, "Blood is all I think about. What if I say I need it, just because I want it? I don't want to hurt you for no reason."

"Ben," Doug frowns, "if it's all you're thinking about, there probably is a reason."

"And what's that?" Ben challenges.

He pauses, "How's your eating?"

Ben straightens, "As fine as ever."

Doug nods, "That's what I thought."

He falters, "What does that mean?"

"I don't plan on changing roommates." Doug smiles, "So, your eating issues, your soda addiction, and everything else, I have all year to get you to let me help you with it."

"Last time I checked," Ben defends, "it's normal to snack while studying, and soda tends to be a drink with snacks." He frowns at him, "These things aren't problems."

"I'm just saying I'll be there the next time you break down and admit it is." Ben doesn't speak, and Doug continues, "I should find Evie, see if she still wants people to think we're dating and all that."

"Yeah. Um." Ben questions, "What is up with you two?"

He readjusts his glasses, "Well, last year guys thought if they harassed her—cornered her, you know—then she'd suddenly like them."

"So, you're making them think she isn't single," Ben concludes.

"I'm making them think she isn't interested in girls anymore," Doug corrects, "so that they don't see her as some prize to win." Ben nods, and he comments, "See you later."