Chapter 7 – Moving into School

-:-:-

The rest of the summer seemed to fly by after that. Eventually Chad had to make a trip back to Sardinia Castle just to pack up his necessities for school, though he was accompanied by a private guard selected by Captain Anozie himself. Both Ben and Queen Snow helped him pack up despite Chad insisting that it wasn't necessary (he'd done this enough times alone that he was somewhat of a master at it), but his assurances seemed to land on deaf ears.

His father didn't seem to want Chad anywhere near his grandfather's private spaces in the castle, didn't want him to go anywhere unaccompanied, but thankfully Chad was able to achieve fifteen minutes in his study by himself. It seemed like Queen Snow wasn't aware of the secret passageways that ran through the castle, otherwise she probably wouldn't have left him alone. It was simple work to access the secret lever that had one of the bookcases shift into a door, and from there, Chad was able to run down to his grandfather's study, which seemed to have been ransacked, but not entirely. Chad was still able to locate the hidden storage area the man had back in his universe.

Chad unloaded any paperwork of note onto his grandfather's desk and blinked at the small refrigerator hiding at the bottom of the alcove, combing through it and blinking at a selection of blood bags all marked with Chad's name.

Well, he supposed that answered the question of where he'd get enough blood to re-write the book.

Chad filched what bags he could and re-hid the storage area before sprinting back up to his study, hiding the blood bags in an insulated picnic basket he had for some reason (he suspected the answer was Audrey) before he finished packing away the rest of his things. Later, he would have to find a rarely used refrigeration unit in Auradon Castle to hide the bags again. He already arranged for a small fridge to be delivered to his suite at Auradon Prep, so it was really just the transition period he'd have to worry about. That was a future problem though, for now he had to focus on maintaining the peace between Ben and Queen Snow.

The problem was that Ben, despite being dapper and smart and kind, was still a bit on edge around those he considered to be new people. In his grief, he hadn't built up the best reputation as a controlled induvial, and as such was not treated with the kindness he deserved. As wary as he was of others, they were wary of him, making for the occasional tense standoff.

Still, Queen Snow seemed to get that Ben cared a great deal for Chad, and Chad cared for him, so she accepted the brunette into her life with a kind smile, something that Ben slowly but surely warmed up to.

"I know it's weird," Chad admitted when they were on the car ride back to Auradon, Chad still riding the confused high of Queen Snow's hugs and thoughtful assurances. "I'm not used to having a mom and suddenly I've had one for years, so that's an adjustment."

Ben tensed, his brows furrowed as he tugged Chad closer to his side. "Did your dad not remarry where you're from?"

"Oh, no," Chad sighed. "He was too depressed, I think."

Honestly, Chad was surprised he had the strength to rule, but Chad was beginning to suspect that might be his grandfather's handiwork more than it was his dad's.

That was a depressing thing he'd have to look into later.

"I'm sorry," Ben said, his voice low, sad. "I know that's rough."

"If um- you don't mind me asking," Chad began, chewing at his lip in thought. "Why didn't your dad remarry? He's a really great guy."

"I think people were afraid of the beast," Ben admitted, voice sounding bitter. "All these rumors started circulating after my mother died, and then I was, you know, a wreck, and no one really wanted to marry into that."

"Ben," Chad said, turning so he could properly hug the other prince. "You weren't a wreck, you were hurting. You're allowed to hurt."

"Just-" Ben swallowed hard. "I guess we didn't realize how much my mother added to our control, but she tempered us, you know? Reminded us how to be gentle and calm. And my dad- he had decades with her to hold onto those teachings, but I was still growing, and I wanted my mom." He sighed. "I know I didn't make things easier on anyone."

"Your dad doesn't begrudge you for that, Ben," Chad said, getting to the heart of the issue. "He never would. He loves you."

"I know," Ben said, squeezing his eyes shut in a bid to fight off tears. "I was just- I was so mad." He shuddered, nuzzling Chad's hair. "We used to be best friends, you know? Before my mom died. And when she was gone, you helped keep me grounded. They said- they thought that every beast needed a beauty, I guess, and your family was worried about you getting dragged down by my issues so they separated us and I just- as horrible as it had been, with you it was manageable, and when you were gone, I was just mad at everything."

"Ben…"

"I proved them right," Ben said. "Because I thought they were right. I thought I was nothing but the wild beast they said I was, and I didn't want to make things harder on you, so I just- I kept to myself." He ducked his head, somewhat bashful. "I was an embarrassment to my station."

"My grandfather's an embarrassment to his station," Chad urged, turning to face Ben. "Not you. Never you. You were lost and hurting, but you've helped me so much these past few weeks. You helped because you cared, and that proves how good a prince you are."

Ben screwed his face into an unhappy look, like he didn't quite agree with Chad, which of course prompted Chad to crawl into his lap, facing the other prince so he couldn't ignore Chad.

"Ben," Chad said, cupping the brunette's face between his hands. "Let it go. You told me to let that past stuff go, and now I'm telling you to do the same. We can only move forward now."

"Unfair," Ben said, his cheeks flushing beneath Chad's fingers. "Using my own words against me."

"They were good words," Chad admitted with a flush. "I'm here for you, Ben. This isn't just a one-way street."

"Trust me," Ben rumbled, his eyes fluttering shut as his hands curled around Chad's hips. "This feels anything but one way."

"Good," Chad said, feeling pleased and flattered. "I'm glad."

A bump in the road had them jolting – not much, but enough for Ben to grind up against Chad and reveal- oh, he was, yes, very aroused.

"Sorry," Ben hissed, his cheeks flooded with humiliation. "I know you were just being nice."

"Hey, I get it," Chad assured him, embarrassed gaze torn between Ben's face and his um- crotch. "I am also young and hormonal, it's cool."

Chad had literally gotten worked up by just naked cuddling with Ben in the bathtub, he wasn't sure why the other prince was all torn up now.

He shot a look behind him, confirming that the dark divider between them and the driver was still firmly up before he shifted his focus back to Ben.

"Do you want help?" he asked, because Ben never hesitated to assist him.

The brunette balked. "What?"

"I could help you," Chad said, sliding off Ben's lap, onto the floor.

"We'd make a mess," Ben hissed, flush darkening when Chad urged his legs wider. "Chad."

"I'll just use my mouth," Chad assured him, considering the bulge of Ben's crotch. "It um- shouldn't be hard, right? Jay said it wasn't hard."

Ben let out a wounded sound. "You want to use your mouth?"

"I mean, if you don't mind," Chad said. "It's supposed to be good? I don't know, no one's ever done it to me before."

The guys on the Tourney team seemed to think it was the bee's knees though, so maybe that was worth looking into.

"Light, Chad," Ben moaned, palming himself. "You don't have to- d-don't offer this kind of stuff."

"I wouldn't if I didn't want to."

It'd be a lie to say he hadn't been interested in trying, he'd just never had anyone to experiment with before. And now there was Ben, and Chad probably shouldn't be taking advantage of him like this, but if he seemed eager… it would still be okay, right? Ben would still end up with Mal in the end, this couldn't really harm them.

"So," Chad spoke up, clearing his throat. "Um- may I?"

"Please," Ben moaned, pressing a hand to his mouth at the needy sound, but Chad paid him no mind. The blond made short work of opening up Ben's slacks, pausing long enough to fondle him through the material of his underwear before he pushed those out of the way too. Ben let out a positively sinful sound when Chad got him fully exposed, his wet length wavering in the air, and Chad lost a moment just kind of staring at it.

It was pretty sizeable and flushed. Chad had never looked at it up close, and he maybe lost a few seconds doing just that, angling Ben with his hands so he could get a clear view.

"Chad," Ben whined, pulsing in his fingers. "I'm not that interesting."

"Sorry," Chad said, feeling his cheeks flush. "I um- I just wanted-"

"You don't have to apologize," Ben croaked, whimpering when Chad leaned forward and gave his length a tentative lick.

It was salty, and warm. And that small contact was enough to leave Ben crooning desperately, his length twitching in a delicious sway that pulled Chad into action. He took his time lavishing the tip of Ben's length, tracing his tongue along warm flesh and lapping up the new beads of slick that he seemed to coax out. All the while, Ben's length trembled between his fingers, giving the occasional twitch as Ben rutted into his attentions.

"Chad," Ben croaked. "Chad."

The words spurred Chad forward, had him taking the very end of Ben's length into his mouth so he could give it a tentative suck. The action left Ben keening, left him rutting up once until Chad had to sputter backwards, surprised by the intrusion.

"Sorry," Ben moaned, seeming hopelessly embarrassed. "That was so- and then I-"

"Chill, Ben," Chad urged, then threw himself back into the thick of things.

Accompanied by Ben's delightful chanting, this really did seem like the nicest thing ever, and it was enough to get Chad hard himself, the blond straining against his underwear while Ben pulsed in his mouth.

"Chad, Chad, Chad," Ben crooned, legs shaking as Chad teased the rest of him with his hands. "Oh, Chad."

Yeah, that was- that was very nice. No wonder Mal got all predatory when it looked like she and Ben were going to retreat for sexy times.

"I'm gonna-" Ben tried to warn when Chad was getting especially slurpy. "I'm gonna come."

Chad's only response was to reach low and give Ben's sack a tentative squeeze that seemed to really do things for him because a moment later, he was falling apart in Chad's mouth and- okay, maybe he wasn't entirely prepared for the um- force of it, or the amount, or the taste, but Chad swallowed it as best he could, knowing that Ben's composure depended on Chad keeping the mess minimal. He kept going until he was pretty sure Ben didn't have anything left, the blond rubbing his tongue carefully along that flushed slit until there were no more dribbles of slick to lap up.

"Fuck," Ben said when he finally pulled away. "That was- fuck."

"Glad you liked it," Chad said with a grin, tucking Ben bashfully back into his clothes. "Feel better?"

"I feel amazing," Ben admitted. "I kind of want to return the favor, though."

"Ben," Chad said, entirely scandalized by the prospect. "You can't- that'd be my- you know."

"Chad, you literally just had my dick in your mouth," Ben said, unembarrassed to be crass now. "And you're the prince of Sardinia."

"Well, you're the king of Auradon," Chad hissed. "And I can't ask you to do that. You should reserve that for like, important people."

"You are important," Ben growled before dragging Chad up into his lap, one hand sneaking between Chad's legs to give his interest a light tap. "Do you think I missed this?"

"Sorry," Chad whimpered when he responded prominently to the nothing contact. "I didn't mean to."

"Light," Ben growled, burying his face in the curve of Chad's neck. "You don't have to apologize for that. Never for that. I'm honored."

"Aw, Ben." He only said that because he didn't know he had options yet, but he would, and Chad- he just didn't want Ben to realize he was taking advantage of him, was all.

"Now," Ben continued. "Unless you have an actual objection like say- how you don't want a blowjob right now – then I'm going to go ahead and return the favor."

"I just- I don't want you to feel obligated-"

"I assure you, I do not," Ben rumbled. "Now, trust me."

"Okay," Chad said, because he didn't really have an argument for that and he was interested and Ben was interested so just- well, he tried for Mal's sake. He supposed it wouldn't do much harm to enjoy what he had in the moment, after all, what was some sexy times between friends? For all Chad knew, the other students at Auradon Prep did this all the time.

He nodded, and Ben took that as a cue to move on, unzipping Chad's pants in definite movements. Chad gasped when Ben spread him out on the bench seat, the brunette shifting determinately between his legs as he mouthed at Chad's underwear. freeing Chad from his clothes until he stood tall and true. For a guy that was definitely going to marry a girl, Ben was very good at um- this. He took more in than Chad had managed, eager to lick and suck and swallow until Chad was surrounded by a warm heat that left him gasping terribly.

"Ben," he crooned, one hand tangled in the brunette's locks. "Ben, Ben."

Yeah, he understood the mindless chanting now, but to be fair it was a heady thing having Ben ravish him like this, the other prince's hands seemingly everywhere Chad needed them to be to tease him into a proper state of ecstasy.

Chad was pretty sure he fell apart faster than Ben because the brunette kept letting out these rumbles that vibrated him down to his core, delicious things that left Chad pulsing slick that Ben greedily drank up. He thought nothing of swallowing Chad's release, stubbornly sucking on him until Chad was limp and crooning, that warm tongue running over him several times just to ensure he was properly clean.

"You taste good," Ben rumbled when he was finished, lips flushed when he pulled off of Chad, looking dangerously sinful in a way Chad couldn't hold onto. "Thanks for letting me do that."

"Ben," Chad merely croaked, the other prince huffing out a laugh as he tucked Chad back into his clothes. "B-Ben, I-"

"Come here," Ben said, pulling Chad back into his lap, letting him cuddle close, like he hadn't already given Chad everything. "I think we could both use a nap."

"Just until we get back," Chad murmured, his eyelids feeling heavy. "Then it's um- back to work."

"I know," Ben murmured, a fond smile tugging at his lips. "I'd never stop you from your duties. I just want to be there to help however I can."

"You're always a help," Chad yawned, letting his head settle against Ben's shoulder. "I just want to make you proud."

"Then you've succeeded," he heard Ben rumble just before he drifted away, and it was with a certain contentedness that Chad found his sleep, feeling closer to whole than he'd been in a long time.

-:-:-

They moved into the suite that used to be Ben's a few days before school started so they could get through check in and orientation and all the red tape necessities that came with attending a school that hosted a majority of the future rulers of Auradon. While it was thoughtful for King Adam to offer Chad his own private suite despite not being the future king of Auradon, Chad still felt awkward moving into what he had come to know as distinctly Ben's space.

"You don't have to feel weird about this," Ben said as he helped Chad unpack his wardrobe, preening at the host of Auradon blue and yellow that had made its way into Chad's closet. "I'm pretty sure my dad designed this suite specifically to guilt your dad into letting you attend Auradon Prep. It would have looked like a slight for him to ignore such a gift of esteem. And besides, it's not like I need a huge suite anyway – I have enough space on my own, since no one wants to be the crazy guy's roommate."

"You're not crazy," Chad snapped, pulling Ben into a tight hug the same way he always did when the other prince was hard on himself. "You were hurt. Grieving. Not crazy."

"Yeah, that didn't make me have less nightmares," Ben pointed out, and Chad had sort of forgotten about those because Ben had been sleeping soundly ever since Chad had come to stay with him. "Or from breaking things. Having fits. It's fine now, obviously," Ben rushed to explain when he saw Chad's expression crumble. "Just- it's not exactly a surprise that no one wants to be my roommate."

"So what, you have a dorm room all to yourself?" Chad asked, confused and aching on Ben's behalf. He'd been kind of hoping that maybe Ben had gotten Doug as his roommate – like he'd taken Chad's spot, and then Chad would have an excuse to chill with Doug again – but this was so much worse.

Ben shrugged with a forced sort of casualness that made Chad's chest hurt. "Pretty much."

"Well, that's dumb," Chad said somewhat lamely. "You should just move into my extra room."

Ben's cheeks seemed to color in embarrassment, but Chad wasn't sure why. "Fairy Godmother would probably object to two boyfriends rooming together."

"Unofficially room with me then," Chad said. "We'll move some of your stuff into your dorm room for the sake of appearances and then the rest of your stuff can be in here and we'll just keep doing what we were doing. I mean, until you don't want to do it anymore."

Because again, Ben would soon be dating Mal, and then Chad would have to figure out another solution for his Audrey problem.

Well, he assumed her arrest might solve that well enough.

"I want to," Ben burst immediately upon the completion of Chad's statement. "That would- I like that plan. Let's do that plan."

"Groovy," Chad said, wagging his eyebrows at Ben in a suggestive manner that always made the other prince laugh.

To maintain their cover, they worked together to 'unpack' Ben's bags in his assigned dorm room, which thankfully wasn't far. While Chad was maintaining a low profile on social media in the wake of his grandfather's arrest, Ben snagged a few photos of them working together and posted them as proof of the unpacking. The rest of Ben's things had remained in Chad's room, and they were in the process of returning to it when they received company from a curious looking Aziz.

"Hey, guys," the Agraben said, fidgeting lightly as he tried, and failed, to be subtle with how he looked Ben over. "So uh- you doing okay?"

"As I can be, all things considered," Chad offered with a grin, trying to ignore the way Ben tensed beside him. "Sorry for hogging your mom."

That earned a startled blink from Aziz before the prince let out a bright laugh. "Hey, no worries. We all understand how duty comes first." His gaze drifted over to Ben again, though this time he made no attempts at subtlety. "I like your new look, Florian."

Ben froze for all of a moment before he seemed to forcibly relax, one of his arms rising to hook around Chad's neck and tug the blond close against his side. "Thank you," he purred for some reason. "Chad helped me figure it out."

"He's overselling my contributions," Chad assured Aziz, feeling his cheeks heat with a flush. "It was a team effort."

"It paid off," Aziz murmured, not at all assuming his usual confident brogue. "You look um- very good."

"Aw, thanks Aziz," Chad chirped, because Ben was being all weird again and he wasn't sure how the other prince would respond. "You do too."

It was a compliment Chad had given his form of Aziz maybe a hundred times before when the Agraben had asked for the Tourney teams' opinion on his latest outfit, or if he was presentable post-practice. As such, Chad didn't think much of it.

He didn't realize that maybe it wasn't a thing this Chad had done with Aziz until a furious blush claimed the other prince's features, seeming to spill down his neck in a bashful manner Chad had literally never seen on the other teen before.

"Thanks," Aziz said, his voice seeming to crack slightly as he ran a distracted hand through his hair. "I um- I- thanks." Wow, flustered Aziz was so weird. Now Chad finally got what Lonnie was talking about. "I'll admit I was surprised when I heard you guys started dating. I didn't realize you were bi."

Oh, right. Chad had never been open about that back in his own world either. Mostly because he couldn't be.

Chad ignored Ben's newest onslaught of tension to wrap a supportive arm around the brunette's waist, giving his hip a squeeze even as he focused on the Agraben prince. "It's more like I'm indifferent in regards to sex," he explained, feeling his cheeks heat slightly. "I care more about personality than anything else. Everything beyond that is a bonus."

Aziz's blush seemed to darken. "Right. I um- right." He ran another distracted hand through his hair. "I also wanted to offer my condolences about the whole…"

"Brainwashing thing?" Chad offered. "Not your fault, but I do appreciate the consideration."

Aziz's face fell, still seeming unhappy with this. "It's just- I feel like I should have noticed something."

"You weren't the only one fooled," Chad said. "My grandfather did a really good job with the conditioning. You shouldn't feel guilty about that."

"But we're friends," Aziz said, like that explained everything.

Which Chad would have countered, only Ben let out a low rumbled, "And just friends."

Which- yeah, that needed to be addressed.

Chad sighed, turning to hook his finger into the collar of Ben's shirt and drag him down to Chad's level so he could cup Ben's face between his hands. "Ben," he said when he was sure he had the brunette's attention. "You are still my most favorite no matter what – so please chill. You're going to have to share me with other people, but that doesn't mean you are not my boo."

He'd heard Mal refer to Ben like that once, and maybe Chad had wanted to test it out himself, only Audrey got mad when Chad imitated anything the Isle kids did so he hadn't gotten the opportunity to use it and if he was going to undo the world anyway…

He may as well get a chance to call Ben his boo.

In a second, Ben melted, shifting down to nuzzle the curve of Chad's neck. "You and your logic."

"Yes, it's very frustrating," Chad hummed in agreement, carding his hand through Ben's soft hair before turning his attention back to Aziz. "Again, you shouldn't feel guilty for something the entirety of Auradon-"

"Sardinia," Ben corrected.

"Sardinia," Chad said. "-missed. No matter how good of friends we are."

"Oh," Aziz said, seeming slightly embarrassed by the way Ben and Chad were shamelessly cuddling together. "Well, I'm um- I'm here for you if you need me. For anything, I mean."

Ben let out a low grumbled sound at that for some reason, but Chad just tapped the side of his head in a chiding fashion until he stopped.

"Thanks, Aziz," Chad chirped. "I appreciate it."

"I suppose I'll let you two get back to unpacking," Aziz said, shooting another flushed look at the two of them before he made a hasty retreat.

"Why didn't he just strip your clothes off if he was going eye fuck you so much?" Ben growled as soon as they were alone.

"Ben," Chad hissed, feeling embarrassed. "It was you he was staring at, dummy. You growled at him and he got all- you know-"

"Aroused?" Ben offered. "Yeah, I could smell it." That was not a thing Chad knew Ben could do. "But that was for you."

"It was not."

"Was so."

"Was-"

"I don't think we're going to come to an agreement on this one," Ben said. "So why don't we finish unpacking before retreating to your suite?"

"It's your suite," Chad sniffed. "I'm just borrowing it. And you can't be like that with everyone. They'll never realize what a sweet, thoughtful, lovely person you are if you spend all your time growling at them. They need to see what I see."

"Sorry," Ben offered, and to his credit, he seemed genuinely apologetic. "I know I have to share you, I'm just afraid that if I do, you'll realize how not worth it I am."

"Ben," Chad gasped, shifting to cup the other prince's face between his hands again. "You're literally one of the best people I know. You're the prince of Auradon. You're the one that got the VKs off the Isle and guided us into a new age of peace and prosperity."

"I didn't actually do any of that," Ben said somewhat miserably. "Some alternate me did."

"Which means you are capable of all that and then some," Chad insisted. "I know how amazing you are, and I promise I will never forget that. Do you need me to hash that out in writing? Do you want to record a few more videos? Because I will give you whatever you need to feel supported and comfortable. You are my boo, and I care about you."

"Chad," Ben rumbled, his eyes fluttering shut with a flush. "You indulge me too much."

"I indulge you just enough," Chad huffed.

"Could you indulge me onto that bed?" Ben offered with a quirk of his head. "Please? Aziz's interest has um- kindled my appetite."

That was the nicest way of saying the Agraben's supposed-horniness had spread, but whatever, Chad was all for fancy talk.

"Sure thing, boo," Chad said, just to get another delighted flush from Ben, which was all the warning he had before Ben scooped him up and deposited him onto the bed with a laugh.

"Sure, yuck it up," Ben grumbled, nuzzling at Chad's throat. "Wait 'til I come up with obnoxious pet names for you."

"I can't wait," Chad giggled, and maybe he was being a little too honest there but, well, it was a temporary world. He could enjoy the temporary indulgences that came with it.

That seemed fair enough.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

Aziz, totally unprepared for sexy-dapper Ben who's now dating his crush Chad: I will never hear the end of this from Lonnie.

And indeed he will not ;)

Until next time :)