Chapter 4 – At the Ball
-:-:-
The Enchanted Lake was just as beautiful as Chad remembered it.
Which was a stupid thought. The area was enchanted, it always looked the same, even in the winter and fall. The place was timeless, unyielding, which was what made it such a desirable retreat for the young royals that knew about it.
"A lake," Harry grumbled as they walked down the stone path that led to the lake ruins. "That was the big important thing ye needed to get to?"
"It's enchanted," Chad said, deftly unloading everything from his pockets into his backpack until he was down to his swim trunks and sun shirt. "The water removes all spell effects."
"What, like potions and shit?" Harry drawled as they strolled to the edge of the water. "Curses and enchantments and all that?"
"Yeah." Chad stared down at the beautiful, clear water. He was on the last step just before the dais met the lake.
"Ye been cursed, or something?" Harry asked, and Chad struggled to place if he was asking out of curiosity or boredom.
It was just the two of them at the lake, unfortunately. Uma had to part ways with them, returning to Auradon to check on her crew and the Isle kids getting settled in the apartment buildings. She also had to go the Guard Station to review the reported crimes against all VKs, which Ben had given her authority to do as one of the Isle refugees' biggest advocates. Because she'd been seen in public with Harry the day before, she needed Gil to accompany her on her rounds to maintain a united front, though part of Chad suspected she'd shoved Harry in Chad's direction in a misplaced attempt to get them to bond.
"No," Chad was forced to say, regardless of the truth of the matter.
He'd been hoping the travel through time would change things, but apparently it hadn't. Perhaps there was something to study there on the effects of curses fixating on the soul rather than the physical body, though Chad wasn't sure there would ever be an ethical way to research such a thing.
There was an awkward pause. "Do ye want to get in?"
"No," Chad repeated.
He was standing there on the edge of the water, willing his body to take that last step forward, to slip and fall into the lake's embrace. He wasn't even trembling, couldn't fight because that had been drained from him, the will to do so. He had just enough to get this far but couldn't allow himself any further.
Harry let out an annoyed huff. "You're such a finicky piece of shit. Put on all that shit just so ye can stare at some fucking water." He let out a soft growl. "I sure as shit didn't come out here for ye not to swim," he snapped, and then he was shoving Chad, a hard push that propelled him straight into the water.
It was like an explosion went off in Chad's brain.
All the parts of him that had been shuttered off, the rules and compulsions that he hadn't been able to fight melted away, dripping off him like water. Finally, Chad felt like he could breathe again, could move without struggling to navigate the tricky web that had been rendered in his mind without his permission. When Chad managed to push himself up above the water, he was gasping, breath coming in ugly heaves and eyes hot because he was sobbing, he was crying because he was so fucking relieved. He was free.
"Prince?" A curse, and then Harry stumbled into the water, his hand curling around Chad's wrist until he dragged the blond back up onto the dais. "What the hell's wrong with ye now?"
"N-Nothing," Chad gasped. "You fixed it. I couldn't- I wanted to, but I couldn't-"
Even through the blur of tears, Chad could see Harry staring at him, the pirate slowly putting the pieces together.
"Did someone fucking curse ye?" he snapped. "Made it so ye couldn't break it?"
"I wanted to, but I couldn't," Chad sobbed. "I tried so hard, Harry."
"I don't fucking doubt it," Harry grumbled, and then Chad found himself pulled forward and down, until he all but collapsed in Harry's lap, the first mate holding him close for some reason. "Did the princess do this to ye?"
"No," Chad croaked. "But the closet- it was so dark – I couldn't hear and I couldn't see and it was so hard to breathe-"
"Fucking hell," Harry growled, but then he was tucking Chad's head under his chin, holding him close despite the fact that he was soaked through. "I'm sorry, blondie. Ye only joined her so ye could try to stop her, didn't ye?"
"It didn't work," Chad gasped, even though they all knew that much. "I started training myself after that, so I could be useful."
"You're plenty fucking useful," Harry muttered. "Ye took care of Gilly – stayed with him and let him win ye stuff even when ye wanted to run away. That's fucking useful, and nothing your grandpa says makes that less true."
Chad could only shake, because he'd only known the pirates two days and they already figured him out so much faster than Mal and the others had. Granted, he would fix that, would have to fix that, but-
Would the curse still be broken, if he went back? Would the cure be attached to his soul the same way the curse had? He already knew he couldn't get himself in the water, he-
He'd think about it later.
For now, he'd focus on minimizing the fallout from this timeline, in the instance that it really did become his final option.
It probably wouldn't, but if it did…
He'd figure it out.
-:-:-
They wasted some time there, Chad blubbering against Harry's shoulder and the first mate bearing the weight of this stupidity with an uncharacteristic solemnity. By the time they got back to Auradon – Chad hiding his car in a different location – it was maybe an hour before the second day of festivities was set to begin. Chad glamoured himself and his clothes under Harry's interested eye before they retreated to the pirate's apartment, where Uma and Gil were already waiting.
"Great," Uma said upon catching sight of them, her finger hooking into the collar of Chad's shirt before he found himself unceremoniously dragged to what could only be her room. "Okay, I've got some things that will work on you, and I have generously charmed some pants so that they'll fit."
"I am not wearing your pants," Chad said, feeling dumb at the mere thought of it. "Even charmed they'd be um- tight."
"You act like that's not incentive," Uma said, and that was how Chad found himself completely dressed in Uma's clothing, his boots and mask charmed to match the rest of his woefully dumb outfit.
"Wow, you look pretty," Gil said, a light flush coloring his cheeks. "Like um- super pretty."
"Like you're taunting the rest of the fucking world, Uma," Harry growled. "This will make them think you're fucking him for sure."
"This will make them think I own him," Uma said, her tone hard. "Which is the fucking point, Harry. I'm making a statement, and you'd better buck the fuck up, because they're going to expect you to be nice to him."
"I don't have to stay with you long," Chad offered, fidgeting uncomfortably in the wake of their standoff. "I wasn't out much yesterday, and I'm pretty sure everyone knows Lance is skittish."
"You'll stay as long as you want," Uma snapped, though she was still glaring at Harry. "And that is a damn order."
None of them argued after that.
The others changed, and then they walked to the festivities together, Chad falling into his default position by Gil's side, who eagerly grabbed his hand.
"They're hosting a ball at the castle tonight," Uma drawled. "Open to everybody. Originally, we weren't going – that shit's a little too fancy for me-" Which would explain why they hadn't been there last time. "But if we want Lance to be as seen by as many people as possible, that's the best place to do it."
"For the record, this is stupid," Harry grumbled, storming ahead of them.
"I think this makes it more believable," Gil whispered to Uma after a pause. "Everyone knows Harry would get mad by someone new catching your attention."
"Yeah, I think you're right," Uma muttered. "Wish he'd be less of a shit about it though."
"It wouldn't be Harry if he did that," Gil offered sagely, and none of them could really argue that point.
Despite knowing what to expect, Chad wasn't comforted by the sight of the grand ballroom. Until very recently, Auradon Castle had been his home. He'd known it before, at least enough to sneak in and out to get necessary paperwork across Ben's desk, but now he knew it as a safe retreat, a place of hope, and knew it would never be that way for him again.
He'd cry, but he had no tears for it.
Now there was only his growing anxiety, and the certain knowledge that despite there being hordes of people in costume already lingering around, their group was definitely getting some stares.
Chad tried not to huddle into Gil's side, though he desperately wanted to.
This was stupid. Even stupider than last time, and that had been impressively dumb.
"It's okay," Gil murmured, ducking his head close and wrapping an arm around Chad's waist, as was becoming their customary stance. "They're just staring because we're really pretty."
"You're pretty," Harry hissed as Uma guided them into a corner. "I'm handsome."
"Hear that, Lance?" Gil chirped. "Harry thinks we're pretty."
The first mate sputtered. "Not ye, I meant Uma."
"Sure you did, Harry," Uma soothed, giving his cheek a comforting pat. "Alright, I guess we should do some dancing – show off and then reward ourselves with food."
"Whatever," Harry growled. "May I have this dance, Captain?"
"Gotta take Lance out for a spin," Uma said, cutting him down with an effortless toss of her hair. "But Gilly could use a partner."
Harry tensed. "I'm not dancing with-"
"It will be fun, Harry!" Gil cheered, and then he was dragging Harry into the crowd, the first mate unable to fight off Gil's immense strength.
"Idiot," Uma sighed, shaking her head in amusement before she slid her hand into Chad's, tugging him towards an uncrowded area of the dancefloor. "You actually know how to do this shit, right?"
"Right," Chad said, falling into proper ballroom form out of habit. A beat, and then Uma fell in step with him.
"You'll have to guide me," she said. "Don't do so much fancy dancing on the Isle."
"That's fair," Chad hummed. "I'm happy to help, Captain."
"Finally," she muttered, and they were off.
Uma was a fast learner. Chad wasn't surprised, most of the Isle refugees were, especially those of greater note, those with reputations they had to back up. It was a fundamental requirement for their survival to be adaptive, so it didn't take long for Uma to fall into the swing of things, spinning around as gracefully as any princess.
"Relax," Uma murmured to him when the first song was winding down. "This is a party; you're supposed to be enjoying it."
"They're staring," Chad whispered, making a conscious effort to ease the tension in his shoulders and mostly failing.
Uma quirked a brow at him. "Thought you'd be used to that."
Chad was, but not like this. Not when he felt so raw. Before, Lance had been an escape to be his true self instead of the Chad Charmingpersona, but now he was intimately aware of how much his true self didn't measure up. It made him desperate to hide it, which wasn't conducive to Uma's attempts at publicly claiming him.
Uma sighed. "They're staring 'cuz we're fucking hot, and you're good at this."
Chad was pretty sure he blushed down to his toes, certainly flushed hard enough for the heat to spill down to his chest in a telling show of bashfulness. "Don't say that."
"That we're good at this?" Uma pressed. "Or that you look good in ladies' clothing?"
She knew damn well he was referring to the second point.
"I look stupid," he murmured, ducking his head.
Uma's hand slid up his shoulder, landing at the base of his skull until she could forcibly turn his head, making him stare at her. "I know you don't have a lot of reason to trust me, but I wouldn't have let you leave the apartment if you looked stupid. You look hot and you should own it, and not in that fake way where you pretend to be an asshole."
It wasn't the first time he'd been complimented on his looks. That had, before the masquerade (the first time) been one of his more publicly celebrated redeeming qualities. It was agreed by the majority that Chad was hot, and he played that up because that was expected of him, and he knew Lance wasn't that much different from himself. His partners had always thought he was cute or handsome or sexy, he wasn't sure why he was having a problem with it now.
Maybe he felt like he didn't deserve it. He didn't know.
"Lance," Uma said, her hand sliding back down to his shoulder. "I know this is intimidating, considering how your first day went. I know you're not used to letting people in, but we do have your back. At the very least, Gil and I do, and Harry will soon too."
Chad thought of the way Harry had shoved him in the lake, the way the first mate had held him without complaint while Chad cried himself into a numb stupor, and knew that for all his growling, Harry was already there for him in the way that counted.
Which was sort of terrifying, because Chad had barely interacted with these people. It shouldn't be happening this fast. He didn't understand it.
"Thank you, captain," Chad murmured, not daring to raise his voice. He didn't feel stable enough for it.
Uma looked like she was about to say something else, but then the song began to wind down, drawing them to an obligatory halt as they bowed and curtseyed.
"I suppose we should look for the boys," Uma muttered. "Give Harry a break from Gil's exuberance before he starts sporting a semi."
"Does he do that?" Chad asked as Uma tugged them through the crowd.
The captain rolled her eyes, a fond smile on her lips. "Only all the fucking time, and then he's unbearable for the rest of the day, which makes Gil sad because he thinks it's his fault." She sighed. "If Harry would get the fuck over himself, our lives would be a lot easier, but he's been raised to keep everyone at arm's length, so we're taking it one day at a time."
"I don't think Harry would appreciate you telling me this," Chad said, unsure of how he felt when faced with such undeserved candor.
Uma shrugged. "Figured turnabout was fair play. We already know your dirty secrets; I may as well share ours."
Out of a sense of comradery that Chad really didn't deserve. What did he do, aside from suffer abuse in Auradon?
"Is… is it true Ben likes you?" Chad asked, desperate for a change of subject.
Uma drew them to a halt, shooting him a curious look. "It a problem if he does?"
"No." Chad shook his head. "Not with me, obviously."
Mal would probably have a few things to say about it, but if Ben liked Uma, it seemed unlikely that Mal didn't know. Then again, Chad hadn't known, and he'd been dating the king too.
Sometimes he couldn't help but marvel at the depths of his obliviousness.
"You sure?" Uma pressed. "Not interested in Benny boy yourself?"
Chad jerked, shaking his head in awkward movements. "No, definitely not."
"Would it be a problem if you were?" Uma challenged, because she didn't understand the idea of restraint, because she never really held back.
"Not for my grandpa, if that's why you're asking."
"So it'd just lead to inevitable heartache for you," Uma mused. "You should try being yourself around him."
She should try minding her own damn business, but Chad was pretty sure Uma didn't understand the meaning of the concept, though any rebuttal on his part became entirely moot when their little huddle was broken into with a politely cleared throat.
They turned, the two of them clustered near a column, to see none other than Jay (of course) with Evie hanging off his arm, looking as refined and elegant as always.
"Uma," Evie greeted, her lips pulled back in a pleasant smile. "We didn't think you would make it."
"Probably won't stay long," Uma admitted with a lazy shrug. "But we thought Lance should get a taste of the high life."
"And that must be you." Evie's polite grin slid over to Chad. "Hi, I'm Evie."
"Hi," Chad said lamely, returning her handshake as detachedly polite as possible. He tried not to look at Jay much, who seemed stoic rather than his usual default of flirtatious cheer. "I'm um- sorry again, for yesterday. It wasn't a good day."
"You were attacked, right?" Evie replied before Jay had a chance to. Evie knew, meaning that Carlos had run a search for him and hit paydirt in the report Chad had filed at the Guard Station yesterday. "I'm so sorry that happened."
"It was hardly your fault, your highness," Chad murmured. "But I appreciate the sentiment."
"You don't have to apologize," Jay blurted suddenly. "That- that wasn't your fault. Or, it's… it's okay to have low days, out here." He paused, seeming to sway with indecision. "I um- went to check on my dad this morning-"
"Jay," Evie cut in, an admonishment, because he was talking about something he shouldn't.
Jay continued, unheeded. "Just to- I don't know," he admitted. "But um- We discovered that-"
"If we're doing this, we're doing it somewhere private," Evie murmured, and then she was detaching herself from Jay and deftly hooking her arm through Chad's, guiding them out of the ballroom and towards the more private hallways. He knew without looking that Jay was following with Uma, and their escorts got them past the guards and deeper into the castle until Evie brought them to a private sitting room.
Not her favorite one, with a view of the garden and Belle's Harbor. This was the one she used because it gave her the most strategic advantage. It had the most secret passageways leading off of it to allow for stealthy retreats, there were no windows, and she and Mal had already enchanted it to provide the utmost privacy. This was the sitting room Evie used when she meant business.
"What is it, princess?" Uma drawled, slipping her hand into Chad's and leaning into his side in an effort to ground him. "What happened?"
Jay didn't pull any punches. "My dad escaped the Isle," he said, cutting straight to the point. "During his transfer to the new max security prison, he traded himself out with a magic clone. If I hadn't checked on him, I don't think anyone would have noticed," Jay admitted. "It functioned well enough to get through his prison routine."
"You don't seem surprised," Evie noted, her gaze on Chad.
The prince didn't say anything, too busy trying to hold himself together under an expression of neutrality. He already knew Jafar had escaped somehow. Already suspected when it had occurred, as little as the information helped him.
Jay shifted, and when Chad turned his gaze to him, the Agraben looked entirely apologetic. "Please, if you know something-"
"I don't," Chad said, forcing his voice to work for that much. "I'm sorry. If I did, I would tell you, I promise I would tell you, but I don't."
The room fell into an unhappy silence after that, none of them seeming truly settled.
"Are you tracking him down?" Uma asked. "Do you have a task force for that?"
"Mal's putting one together on the downlow," Jay said. "We're trying not to draw too much attention though, with the festivities."
"Yeah," Uma drawled. "That'd be a good way to spread mass panic." She cocked her head to the side, thoughtful. "Any reason you haven't asked me yet?"
Jay's cheeks heated in a flush Chad really wished would stop being lovely. "We were getting there," he said. "We needed to see your reaction based on-"
"Based on my connection to Lance," Uma deduced. "You wanted to make sure I wouldn't set a murderous vendetta against him."
"It wouldn't be unfair," Jay offered, and that in itself wasn't fair, that Jay would have to say such a thing about his own father. "But we want clear heads to track him."
"And you'll have it," Uma said. "So send me an invite or whatever, I don't want an evil sorcerer running around anymore than you do."
"Lance," Evie said, her voice gentle. "Could you tell us what Jafar did?"
It made Chad shake, just thinking about it. Made him want to curl into a small ball even though it was over, even though it was done.
He ended up shaking his head, despite knowing this could only help them. It was good that they were getting on top of the situation now, months before Jafar would actually become active. It made it more likely that they would stop him from ever recreating his plans.
"Black sands," Chad murmured, not really looking at any of them.
"What?" Jay said, seeming to hang on Chad's every word. "Like Mozenrath?"
Chad didn't say anything, even though he knew full well what tool Jafar had used for his new rise to power, his Snake Staff safely hidden away in the Central Auradon Vault.
"Yeah, I think that's enough," Uma said, pushing herself slightly in front of Chad.
Jay startled, like he'd forgotten Uma was there. "I um- we enchanted a protection ring," Jay offered, fumbling for his pocket. "If my dad shows up again-"
"I'll take care of Lance," Uma interrupted, dragging him back towards the door. "That work for everyone here? Cool, let's hit the road."
"Uma-" Jay tried to protest, but Evie stopped him.
"Thank you for your time, Uma, Lance," Evie said, walking back with them, Jay following a few steps behind her. "We really appreciate it."
"Considering the fact that you didn't want us to know about this at all, I kind of doubt that," Uma said, keeping herself between Chad and the others. "But thanks for the sentiment, I guess."
They didn't say anything all the way back to the ballroom, Chad's heart feeling tight in his chest. It was a relief for once to be brought back into the crowds, Uma paying no heed to the others as she cut a path to Gil and Harry, who were lingering near the wall. They'd likely caught onto the fact that Uma and Chad had been pulled aside and were waiting for further instructions. This, of course, made Harry particularly grumpy, though that seemed to lessen somewhat when Chad and Uma approached.
"Ye got news, I hope," Harry grumbled, saying nothing when Uma nudged Chad safely between the other two teens. "Or did they decide to finally hit on ye?"
"The first option, you shit," Uma said, smacking Harry's bicep. "I'll update you guys later, but for the moment, we still have to look like we're having a good time." Her gaze shifted over to Chad. "Do you think you can do that?"
"He hasn't done it all night," Harry grumbled, but he was shifting uneasily, likely thinking of Chad's breakdown at the lake. "This is fucking stupid. Let's just take some pictures, pretend we're having a good time, and let Freddy and that Lonnie chick spread them around for us. Then we can just go home and avoid all this bullshit. No one will know how long we stay anyway."
"Mal's crew would," Uma said, making Harry sigh dramatically. "You know they would. Paranoid fucks will probably watch the security footage since Jay's fixated on half of our crew."
Chad frowned, wondering which half she was referring to, and how he had missed it before.
Ultimately, he dismissed it as pointless. "I'll be okay," he said. "Let's just dance some more and enjoy free food and hang out in the garden until the fireworks. It'll be fine." He wrapped his arm around Gil's. "We can dance together now, right?"
Uma looked them over, as though assessing Chad's very soul, then sighed. "Sure, knock yourselves out, but we're meeting back here in two songs, okay? We'll go from there."
"Fine by me," Harry said, offering his arm to Uma.
This time she took it like a queen accepting her due, a brilliant smile on her lips as Harry guided her out into the crowd.
Gil slipped his hand into Chad's, giving it a light squeeze to help him feel grounded. "It will be okay," he said. "We will dance, and I can tell you about how red Harry got when we were dancing together."
That made a grin pull at Chad's lips. "I imagine very."
"Oh yeah," Gil hummed, leading Chad towards the dancefloor. "As red as his coat."
Yeah, that was probably a very pretty sight. Chad almost wished he had been there to see it.
It would have been better than what he'd been doing, at any rate.
-:-:-
They ended up spending a few hours on the dancefloor, trading out partners between them.
They didn't get anywhere near Mal and Ben, whose attention was claimed entirely by the upper nobility who were happy to hog them. Chad tried not to pay attention to the way the others would occasionally butt in, stealing Mal and Ben for a dance to give them a break – a friendly enough action to those who didn't understand the true nature of their relationship. He couldn't help but catch a flash Jay dancing with Mal, the Agraben's expression troubled and Mal looking not much better.
By unspoken proclamation, Chad only danced with Gil and Uma (and, eventually, Harry). It likely had to do with the fact that he was wearing Uma's clothing, but no one seemed keen on asking Lance out for a spin, which was good enough for Chad.
That did not, however, seem to extend to the rest of Uma's crew. More than once, Jane ended up dragging a blushing Harry around the dancefloor, the first mate pretending to be flirtatious when he was obviously dazzled by Jane's effortless charm. Gil ended up dancing with Evie, and Uma took a spin with Carlos and Doug, the latter seeming just as goofy as always.
It almost hurt to see how easily they slotted together. Mal had often spoken of Uma and the others being their friends, though Chad had rarely interacted with them. He hadn't thought much of it, though he'd never seen them like this, never seen Harry blushing or Evie laughing at Gil's jokes or Uma rolling her eyes at some smart comment Carlos had made.
It made him feel uneasy. Made him wonder what else he'd missed in his seemingly perfect life.
"They're so pretty," Gil mused when it was just him and Chad hanging out by the wall, Uma leading Jane around the dancefloor while Harry was effortlessly maneuvered by a wickedly smirking Evie. "On the Isle we had to hate them, but out here we can be friends, and that's pretty cool."
"Do you prefer that?" Chad asked, trying to make small talk while he reclaimed some kind of equilibrium.
"Oh yeah," Gil said without a moment's hesitation. "We couldn't really do friends on the Isle either, so like, just having that is cool, and having more super talented and awesome friends to add to that is even better." He shifted closer to Chad. "Doug even traded numbers with me, so he could send me music suggestions because they have so much of that here. And Evie promised to send me pictures of her pretty dresses and Jane said I could come to her dance recital because she's taking hip hop or something, and that was on my own. They weren't even asking Uma and I got an invite by pity extension, they told me specifically."
"That's really cool, Gil," Chad said, genuinely meaning it. At the very least, the others seemed to be making a determined bid to extend their hand in friendship, something that hadn't happened last time around. Maybe the pirates hadn't been receptive? Uma had planned to avoid the ball, after all, Chad was the one who had changed that.
Gil lit up like a Yule tree. "It is, isn't it? I like this. I like watching them dance with Harry and Uma and I like being with you and I wish we could do this forever."
It was Gil, so Chad didn't doubt that he meant it.
"Want to go for another dance?" Gil continued. "It looks like Uma's finally taking pity on Harry-"
"Something that guy needs a lot of, right?" a voice drawled, and Chad desperately hoped he had mistaken the tone but no, it was Mal, Ben walking perfectly in step with her, the king and future queen of Auradon lingering on the outskirts of their own party just so they could talk to two people who were essentially nobodies.
"Mal!" Gil chirped, smiling wide. "You look super pretty!"
"Thank you." Mal's pretty lips kicked up in a smirk. "Back at ya, Slick."
"Aw, thanks," Gil said, literally digging his toe into marble floor. "Lance is definitely prettier, though. This is Lance, by the way," Gil continued, motioning towards Chad like Mal and Ben didn't know exactly who he was.
They didn't go in without that kind of information. They wouldn't have come over here without one of the others giving a briefing on the situation, on Lance.
"Hi," Chad said, offering an awkward wave. "It's a pleasure to meet you, your majesty." He turned to Mal. "You're um- ladyship."
"The pleasure's ours," Ben said, his voice kind. "Are you new to Uma's crew?"
"She just claimed him!" Gil cheered. "He was a slave before this and wasn't let outside, which made Uma mad, so she claimed him."
Immediately, Ben's face shuttered off into a look of neutrality that he latched onto when he was struggling to process something particularly horrific. The worst part was, Gil wasn't even wrong. Chad was essentially a slave to his grandfather, though he was offered more freedom to manage his own rebellions, which he would be taking advantage of now more than ever.
"It wasn't that bad," Chad offered. "This is a very nice festival, your majesty. Thank you for hosting it."
Ben opened his mouth, likely to apologize, but Mal elbowed him in the side in a silent bid to keep cool.
"It was our pleasure," Mal said, her smile gentle. "We actually came over to ask you guys to dance. Would you be up for a spin around the floor?" She offered her hand out to Gil who froze, seeming in awe that he would be offered such a thing from Mal, who he thought was so amazing.
He shot a hopeful look to Chad, knowing Uma's rule about not getting separated, and Chad immediately knew he had to toss it to the wind.
"That would be nice," Chad said, accepting Ben's hand.
Ben, the king. Ben, who had only danced with nobility or his partners so far that night. Now he was slumming it with Chad who hadn't even touched him the first time around. Despite having already experienced this, it was like Chad didn't know anything at all.
"Super nice!" Gil chirped, lighting up with excitement. "You'll have to lead, though."
"If you insist," Mal hummed, and then they were off, yet another adorable combination gracing the dancefloor with their presence.
"That was really nice of you," Ben murmured as he guided Chad out to a different section of the floor, drawing the prince into his arms. The king kept him at a respectable distance, his hold the height of refinement, and Chad reciprocated on reflex, falling into the traditional girl position.
"I'm not sure what you're talking about," Chad said, trying to clear the stupid lump that seemed stuck in his throat.
"You didn't want to dance," Ben said, making Chad tense with surprise. "But you accepted so Gil wouldn't feel bad."
"It's Gil," Chad said, choosing not to directly confirm Ben's deduction. "He deserves nice things."
"He's lucky to have a friend like you," Ben said, and Chad couldn't help it. He turned to look at the king, breaking dance etiquette, and was caught in the warm gaze that had broken him apart before with an unfair kind of ease. "How did you meet?"
Chad swallowed, looking away again, trying to escape the weight of Ben's stare. "I think you already know how we met."
Ben chuckled, a reflexive thing for when he was found out. "I wanted to hear it from you."
"It's not very exciting." Chad tried to hold onto the conversation, everything else coming far too easily. He'd danced with Ben plenty of times before – whether jokingly or for practice or as lovers. Despite his efforts, it wasn't hard to fall into a predictable rhythm with Ben, though he really should try to avoid it in order to keep from giving himself away.
Ben let out a small hum, like they would agree to disagree for that moment. "You're very good at this."
Chad felt his cheeks flush, knew it was from more than just exertion, knew that Ben could see it despite his aqua mask. "I watched the people yesterday," he said. "I um, practiced, though I didn't think I'd get to use it."
He caught Ben nodding in his peripherals once more. "Was that before or after you jumped off Uma's balcony?"
Chad drew to a halt, and Ben followed him, seeming unconcerned with the stares they were gaining. "You watched the apartment?"
Ben gave him an apologetic look. "Jay was concerned and we all like the pirates so we thought-"
"That you'd violate their privacy?"
It wasn't a surprise, exactly, they'd tried to do as much before when they were hunting down Lance, Chad was just surprised by how forward Ben was being about it.
"It was after we discovered that security breach," Ben said, holding Chad's gaze carefully. A pointed look, and he pulled them back into a slow pattern, allowing Chad time to process things. "Jay was worried for your safety." A beat, then- "You run very fast. They lost you between buildings."
That was enough to allow Chad to properly relax.
"Thank you," he said. "It was a matter of necessity."
"They scared you," Ben pressed, easing Chad straight into the new song, ignoring those attempting to get his attention.
"I needed to get home," Chad said. "I missed my curfew."
Ben tensed. "Is there a problem when you miss your curfew?"
"Not anymore," Chad said, playing the part of a person who had just been claimed. "I wasn't running from Uma."
"You were running to something," Ben corrected. "Someone." His sharp gaze found Chad's again. "Who?"
Chad held his focus for a few seconds before he inevitably looked away. "You're highly invested in a nobody, your majesty."
"You're not nobody, Lance," Ben said like it was easy. "Everyone deserves to have their story heard."
"Not necessarily," Chad hummed, thinking about all the skeevy politicians in Sardinia that made his life substantially harder than it needed to be.
He was pretty sure Ben was staring him down in his peripherals, though as long as Chad didn't check, he'd never know for sure.
"I'd like for us to be friends," Ben said out of the blue, and Chad would stumble, but it was such a perfectly Ben thing to say that he couldn't even laugh at it.
"Don't be ridiculous," Chad murmured, staring down at the floor. "You're a king."
"Which generally means I can be friends with whoever I want," Ben easily countered. "And I'd like to be friends with you."
"I can't say I return the sentiment," Chad said, trying desperately to put any kind of distance between them. How had he managed to fuck this up? He wasn't even trying. Should he try to be awful?
"Why?" Ben pressed, never one to let things go. "Because you don't think you deserve it?"
Chad flinched despite himself, and he knew he didn't imagine the frustrated rumble Ben let out in response.
"Please don't push this," Chad asked, knowing when all else failed, manners generally worked on Ben. The establishment of some kind of boundary usually kept him in check as dictated by his position as king. He couldn't look like he was abusing his position. "Please."
As though to spit in the face of everything Chad thought he knew, Ben growled. "No," he huffed. "Uma's not the only one who sees something in you, and I'm not letting you go-"
"What?" Chad snapped. "Are you going to dress me in your clothes too?"
"Would you like that?" Ben asked without missing a beat.
Chad would, of course he would. Chad loved wearing his partners' clothes. He loved it almost as much as he loved making clothes for them. It made him feel claimed, made him feel trusted, because they'd willingly handed over their garments and said nothing about his potential to ruin them.
So of course Chad blushed, because that would be the least convenient thing for him, though he tried to duck his head away, to keep his face turned to minimize Ben's exposure to his stupid lack of chill.
"I think," Ben said when the song was beginning to wind down. "That I would like that."
"Then you're stupid," Chad muttered, glaring at the ground. "Because you don't know me."
At that point, he needed to break away, give a polite bow and go find the others, but he couldn't do that if Ben didn't let go of his hands. It wouldn't do for him to struggle with the king, but Ben shouldn't be putting him in the position where that might be necessary, unless… unless he knew Chad realized they couldn't make a scene.
Chad risked a glance at the king, caught that stupid assessing stare that he had once loved so very much.
"I think there are others that would like to dance with you," Chad murmured, trying to maintain some sort of calm.
"They can wait," Ben said, didn't even hesitate. "Lance-"
"Everything okay over here?" And that was Uma – blessed, wonderful Uma sliding into their conversation with a bored look, successfully cutting off a line of high society ladies that had been bidding for Ben's attention.
"Everything's great," Chad lied, taking a tentative step back. "I-"
He swayed, hit by a sudden swell of lightheadedness, reminding him that it had been a while since he'd last eaten, and he'd definitely had at least one breakdown since the last time he hydrated.
Shit.
Ben – being the perfect gentleman that he was – caught Chad's elbow, using it as an excuse to step closer. "Are you okay?"
"Just- tired." Chad shook his head, willing away the stubborn ringing in his ears.
"You haven't eaten anything, have you?" Uma deduced with a frustrated look. "Come on, let's hit the buffet."
"I'll do you one better," Ben said, somehow wrapping an arm around Chad's shoulders without it seeming the least bit weird even though it undoubtedly was. "We have a room set aside for breaks when things get to be too much – you guys can relax there."
The side eye Uma gave Ben was mighty, and frankly worthy of a generous amount of applause.
"I'll make sure Harry and Gil are brought back too," Ben continued, completely ignoring her obvious suspicion.
"So long as there's food," Uma muttered, hooking her arm through Chad's elbow. "And you stop making Lance uneasy."
Ben tensed. "That wasn't my intention."
"Doesn't mean it didn't happen, Benjamin," Uma countered, entirely unimpressed with the king of Auradon, and Ben-
From what little Chad could risk seeing, the king seemed thrilled by this, delighted even. Maybe the behavior reminded him of Mal, or…
Or he did like Uma. He liked her a lot.
Which made Chad wonder how exactly he had come to fit in all this.
-:-:-
Endnotes:
I'm sure we're all surprised to learn that Ben has no chill.
Thanks for the feedback, everyone! The support this story is receiving is a large comfort and while, at the moment, it greatly follows its predecessor, I promise that things will be going off the rails soon enough ;)
Story notes:
Mozenrath is an antagonist from the Aladdin Animated Series, he is a sorcerer said to have rivaled Jafar in skill and intellect. He used a gauntlet to channel his powers, so I thought it would be believable for Jafar to track down the gauntlet in the Land of Black Sands (where Mozenrath ruled) to become more powerful.
Ben from across the room: I am going to be so smooth and savvy with my new potential friend, it is going to be amazing.
Ben five minutes later: proceeds to do none of these things.
Honestly, it's amazing that Mal and Belle let him out of the house ;)
Until next time