Chapter 3 – Reluctant Bonding

-:-:-

For whatever reason, Doug had been hoping for another fluke. He figured Aziz and Lonnie were naturally curious individuals who had needed to satisfy their thirst for knowledge. Now that this had been accomplished, there was no reason for them to join Chad and Doug's daily lunches.

Only they did, always walking in on Ben's heels, and unlike the Auradon prince, Lonnie had no issue demanding Doug and Chad's numbers so she could ask where they were eating that day, because she was a lady who thrived on efficiency and direct communication.

"Oh wow," Chad said when they cuddled in bed together. "I think we have more friends, Doug. Do you think they're our friends? They seem friendly."

"They're our friends," Doug assured him, running a hand through Chad's loose curls, likely imagining the way the blond shivered.

To be accurate, they were Chad's friends, because Doug knew he wasn't bringing a lot to the table. Not like Chad, who was the table and the entire room that surrounded it.

"Oh wow," Chad repeated, seeming determined to glue himself to Doug's side, like he knew it would slowly kill the dwarf-kin. "You're still my most favorite though. You're my favorite and I love you very much."

"I love you too," Doug said, his heart pounding in his throat, and maybe Chad let out a small happy sound and maybe he didn't, but he definitely used Doug's chest as a pillow, so take that, Ben.

Doug had worried that it would be a strained adjustment, because while Chad was doing better, he could still be shy sometimes. Fortunately, Aziz and Lonnie were the epitome of laidback and nonjudgmental, making them supportive and understanding cheerleaders for Chad. Lonnie absolutely loved his connection to animals, and sometimes she would usurp Ben's position next to Chad so she could pet them too.

They never questioned Doug's seat, that was some kind of unspoken rule that Doug was glad for, because he'd be really embarrassed to have to wrestle one of them for his spot. Like, he'd do it, he'd just be embarrassed by how easily he would destroy them, that was all. This was really for their own benefit.

Doug found he wasn't as upset by the change as he feared he would be. One of his greatest pleasures was seeing Chad happy, and the others made Chad unquestionably pleased. He was always happy to discuss animals and clothing with Lonnie, eager to answer any questions she might have about the pieces he wore, the braids they wove in their hair.

"This marks me as a dwarf friend," Chad said, fingering the braid just over his ear. "And this marks me as a friend to Doug's family in specific." He touched another braid that was above that one. "They don't usually give them out to humans, but they made an exception for me."

An exception that made him incredibly happy.

Chad also liked hearing about Aziz's adventures, the other prince eager to spin tales while they took a break to feed the animals, which led to them spread out on their stomachs together one day as Chad eased a rune-enhanced sweater onto one of Pip's squirrel friends while the rest of them looked on.

"Seriously," Lonnie said, almost exasperated. "How did no one know about you guys? You're adorable."

She was always kind enough to include Doug in that but she really meant Chad, not that Doug blamed her.

Chad was, without question, quite adorable.

Doug tried not to think about Chad's conversations with Ben all that much. They just about always ended up talking about books, and even when Chad peeled off to feed the animals of the day, the brunette and Doug would inevitably get sucked into some conversation about an obscure tome while Lonnie looked on with confusion.

"What?" Doug asked finally, a probe, not a snap, even if he felt a bit on edge.

"Nothing," Lonnie said, her cheeks flushing dark. "Sorry, just- it's hard to think you're Dopey's son sometimes."

"The dopishness was more in regards to his awkward handling of social situations," Doug explained. "My birth dad's the Head Scribe of Erebor, and a master of scribework as well."

Doug had always come from smart stock; they just had the misfortune of getting a misleading reputation out in Auradon proper.

"Ah," Lonnie said, flush darkening. "Sorry."

Doug offered her a gentle smile. "It's okay, I know you didn't mean any harm."

"Still," Lonnie muttered. "It's dipshit assumptions like that which make Auradon worse."

"Give yourself a break," Ben soothed. "You made a mistake, learn from it."

"Mistakes are the groundwork for personal growth," Doug offered sagely. "At least to the wise."

"What I'm getting is that you think I'm smart," Lonnie replied with a wink.

"Well, you're certainly not a dope," Doug countered with a wink of his own, making the lot of them devolve into giggles.

And then, of course, there were the moments where Chad accidentally suggested policy changes that Ben took entirely to heart, and Doug wasn't sure what he was trying to prove or even if he was trying to prove something, because usually Chad had good ideas. He said they should fix the fencing team qualifications, and Ben had a petition appealing to the schoolboard drafted and completed in two days. Chad mentioned his concern about the lack of bird feeders around campus come wintertime, and bam, suddenly there were birdfeeders all over campus.

Chad wondered if there were children trapped on the Isle of the Lost – a subject he had covered in his social studies class that morning – and the lot of them trailed off into contemplative silence.

"I mean…" Ben began, all of them looking out onto the Auradon Prep pond, as though one body of water could be substituted for another. "Probably not. It's- we don't send kids over there."

"I know," Chad said, a blush staining his cheeks, seeming embarrased that Ben thought he considered otherwise. "I just meant like, what if the criminals had kids? Or are they kept apart so that can't happen?"

For a long moment, no one said anything.

Ben cleared his throat. "I'll ask my dad," he decided. "But I bet anything the answer's no."

The following Monday, Ben joined them with a look of preoccupied worry.

"So," Aziz said, cutting straight to the point. "There are kids on the Isle of the Lost."

"Apparently they're allowed to run free there!" Ben gushed, seeming unable to help himself now that Aziz had gotten him started. "There's no kind of regulation. Apparently, kids die during Barge Day all the time, getting attacked as they try to get supplies to survive, and he just lets it happen."

"Oh, Ben," Chad said, huddling closer to Doug's side in a bid for comfort. "That's awful. We should do something about it."

"Like what?" Lonnie asked, genuinely curious.

"Like, you know," Chad said. "Get all the kids off. And then make it so they can't have any more kids that can get trapped in prison islands they definitely shouldn't live on."

"Um." Ben shifted uneasily. "Some of those kids would be around our age. They've lived their whole lives around villains."

"So?" Chad pressed. "They're not villains. And if they are, it doesn't matter, they deserve the right to live here until they actually commit a crime, and even if they do that, they'd go to juvie, not the Isle of the Lost." Chad paused, as if realizing he was being assertive, and shrank against Doug's side. "I mean- just- that's what I think."

"As always, you resonate kindness," Ben offered, his expression full of fondness, making Chad flush horribly before he turned his attention to Skrills, who was perched on his shoulder that day.

"Chad's right," Lonnie cut in. "You should do something about that. Maybe you could make it part of your first decree."

Ben perked up. "That's not a bad idea."

-:-:-

It was likely a natural progression that had Ben sucking up to Doug.

Ben was by no means stupid. He knew Doug was one of the most important people in Chad's life. He knew Chad held Doug's opinion in very high esteem. He knew Chad was more of a social follower than a leader by nature, and the person he most often deferred to was Doug, meaning if Ben wanted to achieve any progress on the Chad-front, he would have to get in good with his roommate.

Tactically speaking, it was the best possible option for him.

That didn't make it less grating.

Doug knew, on a distant level, that Ben was not a fake person. He wasn't being nice to Doug out of pity, he genuinely seemed to enjoy Doug's company, there was just the added importance of getting an in with the guy he was attracted to that made their interactions all the more pivotal. Doug thought it was stupid, but he thought lots of things were stupid. Aside from Chad, he wasn't the best at making friends. He knew his parents despaired over this, but it was hard when Doug was so afraid that they might be taken away from him, that they might see whatever lurked underneath his skin that made his mother hate him so much, because there had to be something.

Chad, of course, was the exception to almost every rule.

Ben was not.

But boy, was Ben trying to be.

"Hey," Ben would say, leaning against the locker next to Doug's as the dwarf-kin traded out books, knowing full well the prince could have been a few halls over with Chad right now, but instead he was with Doug for some reason. "I read this awesome new exposé on the evolution of Fae Magic. Here-" He pressed a shiny hardback into Doug's hands. "Let me know what you think about it."

And because he knew Doug was interested in the mystic arts and had a love for hard-to-access books, he knew Doug was going to read it, was going to devour it, and then they'd have to talk about it, which wouldn't be awful if Ben wasn't so damn charming.

Doug really hated him sometimes. For about three seconds, and then Ben would be kind and Doug would wonder how long it would take the other teen to realize Doug wasn't worth talking to.

Sometimes he wondered when Chad would figure out the same thing. No amount of handmade jewelry would save him then.

"So?" Ben would prompt a week later, somehow knowing the exact moment Doug had finished devouring the exposé and wrangling the musician into a nearby café where he would ply Doug with hot chocolate and croissants, and for the life of him, Doug couldn't figure out how he'd gotten there, or if he'd paid for his food. He was pretty sure he hadn't. "What are your feelings on the bigotries surrounding Dark Fae?"

And of course Doug had a thing or a million to say about that, which led him to being properly sidetracked while Ben patiently listened to his rant, chiming in with thoughtful tidbits every once and a while that made Doug both hate and like him more. They were very conflicting afternoons, made worse when Ben would lead them back to the counter to get to-go hot chocolate and baked goods for Chad, because he deserved to spoil his dinner every now and then, and then Doug would realize that Chad had been alone the entire time while he'd been babbling to Ben of all fucking people.

Except the blond hadn't been, because Aziz had invited him over for a study session that the hot chocolate had inadvertently acted as a reward for, making Chad light up as he graciously doted Doug with praise, when the entire stupid idea had been Ben's in the first place.

Later, Doug would take Chad to that same café himself, because like hell was Doug going to get something that Chad didn't, and Chad delighted in designing a new set of coats while Doug worked on his calligraphy, the two of them sharing a plate of lemon madeleines while they sipped at their respective teas.

There was never a wrong time for tea.

"Hey, Doug," Ben would greet as they strolled out of their last honors class for the day. "You've got a little…"

He reached forward, Doug confused as to where his end goal would be until – in seemingly slow motion – Ben's hand descended upon Doug's loose hair, carding gently through the strands as he attempted to remove something – a piece of lint or leaf or it really didn't matter, because Ben was touching his hair, that was Doug's hair.

"Got it!" Ben chirped, pulling back to reveal a small ball of dandelion fuzz that he flicked away accordingly.

Doug's face felt unbearably hot. He wasn't sure why though, because he didn't feel embarrassed. He wasn't sure how he felt aside from flustered. He knew he should be angry, that he should inform Ben of the cultural differences between dwarves and humans in regard to their hair, but he found he liked the feel of the prince's fingers sliding through his locks, which made Doug wonder what the hell that was about.

Doug already had his One. That was what dwarves had. They had one love and they were called their One and that was it. He had Chad. He couldn't have more. It was called a One for a reason. You only had one of them.

"Sorry," Ben offered when he noticed Doug's flustered look. "I know how you like to keep your hair in order."

"No worries," Doug said, hiking his backpack higher on his shoulder. "Thank you."

Ben, who was used to grumpy Doug more often than not, brightened up with a look of pleasure that they could have a normal, civil interaction for once. "You're welcome," he said, bumping shoulders with Doug companionably. "Come on, the others are waiting for us back in my suite. Chad finally managed to guide Lonnie through making plum scones and Aziz wants to celebrate."

"Okay," Doug said, because that was acceptable, enjoying the fruits of Chad's labor was always acceptable.

The interaction was an odd one, but Doug chalked it up to a fluke. After all, Ben hadn't gone out of his way to touch Doug's hair before, there was no reason he would do it again.

And yet, he did.

It seemed like after that, Ben was always finding stuff in Doug's hair, and he never seemed to hesitate after Doug had let the first instance slide. He couldn't know, of course, how intimate the action was for dwarves, not when humans were so casual with their own hair. Ben couldn't know it was a private thing reserved for family or lovers. He couldn't know the way Doug's heart seemed to stutter when he brushed past the shell of Doug's ear as he retrieved whatever wayward plant or debris that had found its way into Doug's hair, though he had to notice how it always left Doug flushed and unbalanced.

Still, Doug never said no, never told him to stop.

He wasn't sure why, either. He didn't know what was wrong with him. Dwarves had a propensity towards hoarding, and while Doug had never felt the call to jewels, hoarding people seemed… it was too much, obviously. Simply unacceptable.

And yet, he said nothing.

He said nothing when he and Ben were caught in a freak rainstorm on their way back towards the dorms on a different day. Dwarves were built to live underground, so the trials above it were something Doug struggled through. He couldn't see through the torrent of rain, so Ben had been guiding them, his hand firm on Doug's wrist until at last they reached the shelter of the dormitory. He didn't decrease his pace when they got there, though, and Doug – whose glasses were still muddled with raindrops, who was still blinking water out of his eyes – didn't think to question him, didn't realize where they were going until they were in the sitting room of Ben's private suite.

"Come on," Ben said, tugging Doug straight into his bedroom, his bathroom. Doug was in Ben's bathroom. He didn't know why it was weird, it just was. "I've got some spare clothes you can borrow while your stuff dries. I can have dinner brought to us as well – no point in braving the rain again."

"Okay," Doug said, so grateful for the opportunity to dry off his glasses that he didn't register Ben's plan until a few seconds later.

By that point, Ben was talking again, the other prince already stripping off his soaked blazer and leaving it in a neat pile folded on his counter. "Chad's at Fairy Godmother's tonight, right? Maybe you and I can get some studying done then. I'll admit, I'm a little worried about our History test on Friday."

"No you're not," Doug said on reflex. "You already have all those facts memorized."

"The essay portion, though," Ben said, his cheeks flushed with lingering exertion from their run. "I'm worried about that. Maybe we should look up some mock prompts to work on those."

Doug made a face at him. "Your writing is solid," he reminded Ben, as they'd peer reviewed each other's reports many a time. "Just have confidence in your abilities and you'll be fine."

"Aw, thanks Doug," Ben said, too close to Chad's usual gushing. "That means a lot, coming from you."

As though Doug was a writing wizard.

Yes, he was apprenticed to the Scribe's guild back home and he'd had basic formatting and composition drilled into his brain by his biological father for years, but that didn't make him a master.

It would take him a long time to get there.

"Flatterer," Doug grumbled, working off his own wet tunic.

"I only speak the truth," Ben hummed as he shucked off his loafers. "Do you need help undoing your braids?"

At that, Doug froze, because loose hair was one thing, but his braids were an entirely different matter. To allow Ben to touch those so casually, with so little regard – for him to undo them was dangerously close to weaving them in himself, and he would definitely end up touching Doug's beads-

This was a temptation; Ben was tempting him on purpose. Doug had only allowed Chad just recently to touch his hair, and that was so the blond would allow him to return the favor in kind. He couldn't just let Ben-

"Okay," Doug said, his voice feeling tight.

He was half-human, this was fine. Ben didn't know, and if Doug made a big deal of it now, all the other times he'd let Ben mess with his hair would become all the more suspect.

For whatever reason, Ben brightened up at this prospect. He offered Doug a broad grin when he reached forward, not hesitating to undo the clasp on Doug's first hair bead, setting it on the counter before he carefully worked to undo Doug's first braid. Doug knew he likely looked like an idiot standing frozen, his cheeks flushed as Ben undid his braids one at a time. It felt like the sweetest kind of torture, Ben staring at his hair with a supreme look of concentration, his bottom lip tucked between his teeth at some moments, his tongue sticking out of the corner of his mouth at others.

"There," Ben said, when the last braid had been undone. "Here, let me just…"

And then he started brushing Doug's hair, untangling it in careful movements even though dwarves possessed tough scalps, and this was practically sex, practically a marriage proposal and Ben had no idea because he was just being helpful and Doug was just being a weird asshole.

"There," Ben repeated when he was done, smiling at Doug in the reflection of the mirror as his damp hair fell around his shoulders in a familiar shield. Ben didn't hesitate to reach up, curling a lock of it between his fingers before he offered Doug another grin. "It looks nice down too."

"Thanks, Ben," Doug said, watching those fingers slowly release his hair. "Yours does too. I mean-"

"I know what you mean," Ben laughed, squeezing his shoulders. "And from you, I take that as a compliment."

This was a dangerous thing, Doug knew that. He couldn't get attached to Ben, not when he already had Chad who was kind and wonderful and sweet. Doug had everything he could possibly need, this was just- it wouldn't happen again.

And just like that, he doomed himself.

-:-:-

Ben seemed to find reasons to touch his hair all the time after that. At first it had just been to help Doug, but now he would tug on Doug's braids (fondly, in jest, but still touching them) or comb his fingers through Doug's loose locks or tuck what stray hairs there were behind Doug's ears, always accidentally brushing against Doug's skin until his face felt warm enough to burn.

It wasn't even the last time Ben undid his braids, because midterms were coming up which somehow equated to more study sessions together – Chad working with Lonnie and Aziz since they shared more classes. If Ben noticed Doug was getting worked up, they'd break for tea, or he'd brush Doug's hair, undoing his braids in careful motions and coaxing Doug's head into his lap so he could scratch at his scalp.

It was, Doug felt, something that could only end in calamity, and yet he couldn't stop it.

Well, he could. He easily could, it wouldn't be hard, just-

He was greedy.

In the end, it was only as meaningful as he allowed it to be, and this was Ben, so…

It didn't mean anything.

Obviously.

-:-:-

Doug wasn't sure what had stirred him to coherence, but something had probed at his senses until he was awake, blinking into the soft light of early dawn. At first he thought attacker, because it was too bright for Chad to be suffering from a nightmare, but then he heard the blond release a soft sound from beside him, one that wasn't inspired by fear or sorrow.

"Ah," Chad panted, clinging tight to Doug's side as he rutted that swelling hardness between his legs against Doug's thigh. "D-Doug."

Doug shivered, trying not to pull Chad closer, even if that was the only thing he wanted to do. This wasn't the first time Chad had woken him with a sex dream – it wasn't even the first time the blond had called his name. Doug suspected it had to do with the blanket of safety Doug offered him, or maybe the distinctiveness of his scent filling Chad's nose, flooding the blond's subconscious with thoughts of him while Chad's body followed the very familiar and understandable route of working through his hormones in a natural way.

"Doug," Chad whined, grinding his hips more pointedly against him. "P-Please…"

He trailed off with a moan, tossing his head with unease before he collapsed against Doug's chest.

It was flattering to know that even though they had extended their friend group, Doug was still allowed the place of honor in Chad's wet dreams. That was nice.

"Doug," Chad's tone was strangled, eyelashes fluttering against his cheek and pink lips parting with a breathy moan. "Oh, Doug – you're so-"

More moans, before Chad's fingers tightened in the fabric of Doug's sleep shirt. Searching for something to ground him.

Doug was tempted to drop the arm he had wrapped around Chad's waist, tempted to cup the firm globes of the rear that kept shifting under his fingers as the blond sought out more contact. He wouldn't, of course. He shouldn't even be doing this much. If he was braver, he would wake Chad when it came to such things, but the potential embarrassment and long-lasting ramifications it would have on their relationship – well, it was easier to simply pretend it never happened. It wasn't like Chad ever remembered it.

"Oh," Chad whimpered, that hardness pulsing in the confines of his clothes. Doug could feel him get wet, could smell it – Chad's scent unmistakable. "Doug, Doug…"

He trailed off, slowing down, and Doug didn't realize anything was wrong until Chad's head tilted back, his gaze seeming to gain more clarity.

"…Doug?" That time he was awake, or at least, getting closer to it, something he seemed to achieve more abruptly when Chad realized his erection was still very much pressing against Doug's thigh.

Immediately, Chad adopted a look of horror.

"It's okay," Doug urged, rubbing a soothing hand on Chad's back. "This is perfectly naturally."

"I'm about to come against your thigh," Chad said, face flushed with a certain misery. "Oh, sweet Light – did I say anything? I was just moaning, right? I didn't actually-"

"Chad," Doug interrupted before he could start spiraling. "It's perfectly natural. And I'm honored-"

"Oh no," Chad moaned, trying to pull back and flushing when he inadvertently ground against Doug again, causing a small whimper to spill from his lips. "You hate me, I know you hate me-"

"I love you," Doug repeated, would swear to the end of time, and then he was pressing Chad onto his back, pulling back the covers so he could actually get a view of Chad flushed and wanting and straining against his clothes. "And I am honored to be the focus of your attention." He bent low, burying his head in the curve of Chad's neck and reveling in the way the blond's fingers instantly buried in his loose locks, holding Doug close on reflex as a shiver went through his body. "May I help you feel good?"

"You don't have to do that," Chad gasped, though his hips pulsed upward in a needy rut. "I can- I'll just beat one out in the bathroom."

"You can if that is what you'd prefer," Doug allowed, letting one of his hands curl around Chad's hips. It felt so perfect in his hand. "But I'd also like to make you feel good if you're up for it."

"Please," Chad gasped, all of his reserve seeming to be gone. "I'm sorry."

"You don't have to apologize for this," Doug rumbled, caressing the outside of Chad's thigh before he shifted to palm between the blond's legs, reveling in the heat he found there, the way Chad vibrated in his hand.

"Doug!" Chad crooned, fingers tightening in the musician's hair. "Oh, Doug. Doug, Doug, please-"

"Could I touch you directly?" Doug asked, too greedy, too fast, and while he could satisfy himself like this, groping Chad through the fabric of his clothing and reveling in the sweet sounds it earned him, he wanted more, wanted to taste.

Chad's response was to take Doug's hand and press it against the warm skin of his stomach, giving him a meaningful look as he bit at his bottom lip.

Doug didn't need much more encouragement than that. It was nothing to push down Chad's pants and underwear, easy to wrap his fingers around that steadily dripping length and give him a proper pump

"Doug!" Chad keened, rutting into his fingers. "Doug, Doug- it feels so- so-"

"You feel so good, Ghivashel," Doug panted. "Are you close?"

"Yes," Chad panted. "Could- could we-?"

"What, Chad?" Doug asked, his heart pounding in his chest. "What do you need?"

"Kiss me?" Chad asked, all soft and sweet and hopeful, and Doug had been yearning for the words too long to ever think of denying them.

It took little to lean forward, to capture the lips he had stared at for so long – though he was gentle, careful with Chad since this was his first, Doug knew it was his first, and they were sharing this while he had the chance to make his One feel so very good.

"Doug!" Chad croaked, release ripping through him like a momentous thing.

Doug reveled in the feel of him falling apart, in the hot bursts of slick that stained Chad's shirt, the way he felt in Doug's hand as he continued to pump him through it, Chad letting out small desperate 'oh's all the while.

When it was over, Chad looked up at him, gaze half-lidded, seemingly dazed as Doug simply drank the vision of him in, beautiful curls splayed out behind him almost like a halo.

"What?" Chad asked, flushing dark when Doug's gaze raked over him. "Is it the mess? It's the mess, isn't it-"

"No," Doug interrupted, throat thick with emotion as he gave Chad's flushed length a tentative stroke that left him gasping, eyes fluttering shut as he savored the sensation of Doug's hand on him, calloused fingers shifting against the oversensitive flesh of his weeping head. "You look pretty."

"Doug," Chad whined, though he didn't protest when Doug pushed his dirty shirt up his torso, letting it gather beneath his armpits so Doug could get a look at defined abs that quivered under his attention. "You don't have to say that."

"I'm not," Doug pledged, going for broke because he was already there and feeling Chad out in his entirety, shifting low to toy with his sack, his inner thighs. "This is natural."

"It um- is?" Chad asked, seeming so very hopeful.

"Of course," Doug said, running his fingers through blond pubic hair, making Chad shudder. He knew, distantly, that he should move forward, instigate a proper courtship with Chad. It was the right moment, an organic transition, but his amad's words echoed in Doug's head. It was an old conversation that had only intensified over the years. He could not be Chad's one and only. He could not hoard him, and even if Chad had acquired a few more friends this year, there hadn't been enough time for them blond to truly bond with them, for him to believe they were going to stay.

In truth, Doug likely shouldn't have done this, but there was so very little he could deny Chad.

"Even…" Chad chewed on his bottom lip again, seeming to lean in to every brush of Doug's hands. "Even the kissing part?"

Doug felt his cheeks flood with heat. "Especially that," he decided. "It's natural to explore these kinds of things with people you trust. Like I said before, I'm honored that you trust me."

"And…" Chad's throat bobbed in a swallow. "You trust me too?"

Doug was sure to keep his gaze pinned to Chad's. "Without question."

"Oh." Chad shivered, the confirmation working over him like a physical thing. "Can we do this again, then?" Chad asked, and Doug filled with pride that his One would be brave enough to ask for what he wanted, filled with joy that what he wanted was Doug.

Take that, Ben.

"Yes," Doug said, voice gravely as he ignored the hint of warning at the back of his mind, communicated in a voice that sounded distinctly like his amad. He knew this was a dangerous thing, but he couldn't make good decisions all the time. He wasn't perfect.

"Oh," Chad repeated, running his tongue along his lips as though savoring the taste of Doug.

It was a heady thing.

"In um- that case," Chad continued, looking Doug over. "Could I help you?"

The mere suggestion had Doug biting at his lip, heat spilling down his neck as he pulsed painfully within the confines of his clothes.

"Only if you want," Doug said, managing that much restraint. "You don't have to-"

"Want to," Chad said, and then he might have pushed Doug onto his back, tripping slightly over the clothes still bunched around his thighs, and maybe that had him collapsing against Doug's chest, blushing furiously as he tried to straighten himself out. "S-Sorry," he stuttered, flushing red as he yanked at the clothing, his weight pinning the fabric beneath him, holding it in place so it didn't move against his tugs.

Doug lost himself to the sight of it as he struggled, gaze shifting helplessly to the mirror across the room and catching a view of Chad's backside that one of his hands moving to cup that tan skin.

"Doug," Chad said, tone wounded and surprised, flushing a dark color.

"Sorry," Doug said, immediately removing his hand. "I won't do that again-"

"No, just-" Chad shook his head, struggling to explain himself. "I um- I didn't know we could um- touch there."

Doug paused, alight with the possibilities. "That's natural too."

"Oh." The blond blinked down at him with wide eyes. "But… I hear in the halls sometimes, princes make fun of guys that do um- butt stuff."

"Don't listen to those idiots," Doug advised. "What we do in the privacy of our dorm room is no one else's business. They're just brainwashed bigots, like Audrey."

"Oh." Chad took a moment to process this, then ducked his head. "Then um- I liked that, so you can- I mean, if you want-"

"I want," Doug said, and then because he had zero restraint, he shifted both hands to palm the globe of Chad's rear, making the prince flush darkly when Doug gave him a tentative squeeze.

"That's so weird," Chad whispered, his face hot. "But nice? I don't know how to describe it."

"You don't need to," Doug said, deciding to sit up and urging Chad forward with one arm, the other deftly ridding the blond of his pants and underwear.

"Doug," Chad whined as the dwarf-kin urged Chad into his lap, letting the blond straddle his legs as they were pressed chest-to-chest, Chad seeming flushed but pleased by the exchange as he wrapped his arms around Doug's shoulders. "I'm supposed to be making you feel good."

"This does make me feel good," Doug said as he continued to cup and squeeze Chad's rear, watching the blond's responses so he could revisit the areas he seemed to most appreciate. "Making you feel good is one of my greatest gifts."

"Doug," Chad moaned into the curve of his neck, semi-aroused length pressing against Doug's stomach like a promise. "Can um- could you go between-?"

"Gladly," Doug said, because he knew Chad would feel too embarrassed to voice the full question, his heart racing as he reached over and snagged the lotion of his bedside table before he allowed one of his hands to curl in between Chad's cheeks, tentatively brushing against that neglected flesh until his fingers brushed against that twitching ring of muscle.

"Doug!" Chad thrashed against him, pulsing hard against his stomach. "Can you-? Are you allowed to um-?"

"Yes, I am," Doug assured him, shifting his hand to give Chad's hip a comforting squeeze. "But I won't if you don't want to. We could go back to what we were doing before."

"I might have liked that, though," Chad whispered, his lips brushing at the skin just about the collar of Doug's shirt like a taunt.

"Then that is what I shall do," Doug said, keeping his voice steady somehow. "And it will be perfectly normal, and I will be perfectly happy to do it."

"You're too good to me," Chad panted as Doug squeezed some of the lotion out onto his hand, warming it up with a few rubs of his fingers before he delved back between Chad's cheeks and started massaging his entrance with a confidence that was entirely faked.

Doug had read about this when he realized Chad was his One, the musician desperate to get a solid understanding of how best to pleasure his love. Dwarves held no particular preference for gender so much as they did personality, which meant Doug hadn't been inclined to look up such things before. Now he had a firm frame of mental reference without any experience in actually executing such things, and his heart pounded at the thought of finally being allowed to pleasure Chad the way that he desired to be.

"Ah- ah," Chad panted against his neck, hips rutting forward reflexively to grind against Doug's stomach.

He kept twitching against Doug's finger, fluttering and gasping, letting out a wrecked sound when Doug began to slowly breach the tip of one finger into Chad's warmth.

"Doug," he croaked, practically wounded, continuing to twitch and spasm around Doug's finger. "It feels- wow, that's- wow."

"I'm glad you're enjoying this," Doug said as he allowed a moment for Chad to adjust before working his finger back and forth, slowly probing deeper.

"Doug," Chad groaned when Doug had worked himself up to the first knuckle and curled pointedly. "D-Deeper, please. I think- I think it needs to be-"

"I'll go deeper," Doug promised, but not before applying another layer of lotion, ensuring he was well lubricated before he tried again, diving more into Chad's heat.

Chad shuddered against him. "That's it, Doug- just like that-"

"Just like this," Doug murmured, starting up a steady pace of pumping his finger in and out. The stimulation seemed to work for Chad who was fully hard now, making a wet spot against Doug's shirt and clutching onto his finger with a reflexive determination.

It didn't take much for Doug to be fucking the blond with one finger in earnest, but Chad seemed to live for it, becoming somewhat incoherent as he moaned into Doug's neck.

"I'm gonna- Doug," Chad crooned, high and needy. "I'm gonna come again."

"Then come again," Doug offered, and that seemed to be all the encouragement Chad needed, the blond falling apart when Doug shoved his finger deep one last time. He clutched onto him, twitched as Chad unloaded onto his shirt, slightly weaker than before.

That was- that was brilliant, that was amazing, part of him had been inside Chad but more importantly, he had pleasured the blond, he'd made him happy.

"Doug," Chad whined against his neck as the musician pumped him through the aftershocks. "I made us dirty."

"That's okay," Doug said, ducking his head so he could capture Chad's lips, earning a happy gasp in return. "We'll just have to clean up together then."

And Doug hadn't been entirely sure what he meant by that, but somehow he and Chad ended up sharing a shower together, and Chad – flushed and shy but so very determined – pressed Doug against the wall, jerking him off with fumbled movements as he pressed kisses to Doug's shoulders, his throat, his lips.

Their clothes they left to soak but that moment Doug appreciated forever, because he got to see Chad in all his glory, got to wash his hair and put in his braids, the blond reciprocating for Doug in turn, and while it was entirely improper by dwarven standards, practically a marriage proposal, for Doug, it felt right.

And Chad was happy, which was all that really mattered in the end.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

Surely, nothing can go wrong when not adequately expressing your emotions. Suggesting otherwise would just be cRaZY ;D

Story notes:

Ghivashel – Treasure of all Treasures.

Until next time :)