Chapter 8 – The VKs

-:-:-

They had a week to get into the swing of things, a week before the VKs would arrive and get assimilated into Auradon Prep. Like last time, they hadn't wanted Mal and the others to get lost in the rush of back-to-school jitters, so they waited for things to settle down a bit first. For the clubs and sports teams to start up, for the Freshmen to get a feel for the school, for everyone to find their rhythm before they went about adding transfer students into the mix.

Chad's week was strange. As a prince, he was used to garnering a certain about of attention, but being a relatively unimportant prince who hadn't been allowed to interact with any of his peers outside of school didn't make him that high in the demand. The guys on the Tourney team liked him because he was good and didn't showboat, and Ben seemed to like him out of obligation (such was the way of things with neighboring kingdoms), but it wasn't like anyone went out of their way to strike up a conversation with Chad Charming unless they needed a laugh.

That was not such the case in this world. No, in this world Chad was Ben, and therefore everyone had a comforting word or bright greeting or kind smile for him. Everyone wanted to sit near him in all his classes – most of which were Honors, and for whatever reason his brain seemed to know the material, latching onto it and absorbing it with little issue – and part of Chad feared that was the remnants of some kind of conditioning and part of Chad wondered if that was just how smart he could be with a little support from home and either way, it was kind of overwhelming.

"Is this what it's like to be you?" Chad whispered when he and Ben finally reunited to head off-campus to fulfill their bowling credit. Turned out when you the prince of everything, Fairy Godmother was more than willing to indulge requests for unconventional school sports. "This is bananas. Literally everyone wants to talk to me."

Ben offered him an amused smile. "It's because you're very likeable," he reminded Chad, as though the blond was at risk of forgetting, and he wasn't, but that didn't mean he necessarily agreed. "You're kind and hardworking and now you're a survivor. Of course they want to talk to you, and that's disregarding those sucking up to get ancillary council positions in the United Sardinian government." Chad blinked, because now that Ben mentioned it, Chad vaguely remembered Mal complaining about people doing the same thing to Ben. "Probably because they know they can't inherit in their own kingdoms – extra princes or a duke's second daughter, stuff like that. Most are genuine, but there will always be some with alternative motives."

It made Chad glad that he had every intention of changing the world back to what it had been, because he knew he didn't have the disposition to handle such things. He was too much of a people pleaser. The mere prospect of friends was overwhelming. It made him grateful that his bowling period had been slotted just before lunch, which allowed him and Ben to each off-campus in the relative privacy of a café that was used to catering to a specific clientele, which allowed them a private room and blessed, blessed quiet after fifty minutes of unsuccessful bowling.

"We could have been worse," Ben said as he offered Chad a breadstick, which Chad couldn't really disagree with.

Breakfast, they still had in the dining hall, just before retreating to class. It was easier, though, because breakfast had longer hours, and there were those that went before their early morning workouts and those that clambered late behind, half-asleep and unable to bear their surroundings any thought. Granted, they still received some amount of company at their table by way of Aziz and Ruby, the princess of Corona, as well as Lonnie.

Ben didn't seem to know if he liked this development, but he usually relaxed after Chad started holding his hand, so it was fine.

Audrey was distinctly absent the first week of school. Publicly, her parents stated that they wanted her to seek more specialized home studies to help with her management of Auroria and Ulstead, but in reality, Audrey was on house-arrest for her minor complicity in Chad's brainwashing. While she hadn't been entirely aware of the situation, the duke had informed her of Chad's triggers, even though he hadn't phrased them as such. She'd said that the phrase acted more as a 'reminder' for Chad to behave, that she hadn't realized the extent of the damage, and since they couldn't really prove otherwise, she'd been saved from being formerly incarcerated in the juvenile detention system.

It worked out, though. Now he didn't have to deal with Audrey trying to get back together with him.

Of course, other people still tried to flirt with him, despite the fact that Chad was very much dating Ben and could be frequently seen holding his hand, or cuddling against his side, or having Ben's chin hooked over his shoulder. Chad was beginning to realize why Audrey had been so territorial with Ben back in the real world, because some people really didn't give a shit about boundaries.

"Future king of everything," Ben reminded him, squeezing his hand after the brunette and Aziz had worked together to shoo some hopeful classmate away. "It really isn't a surprise."

"He's also super nice," Aziz pointed out with a flush, averting his gaze from Ben's the way he did every time the brunette looked at him.

"And hot," Lonnie added, grinning unapologetically at Ben's responding growl.

It was nice to know that whatever reality they were in that Lonnie would dependably play with fire.

It was also fortunate that Chad could have dinner delivered to his suite, and if he ordered enough for two people, no one ever really said anything about it.

"You don't have to shut yourself in on my account," Ben said when they dug into their food. "I'm getting better about the sharing thing."

"This is more for my benefit than yours," Chad admitted. "I'm not used to putting on a show for so many people all the time. Besides, this allows me to get back to my work faster."

Because even if he wasn't getting coronated after all, the council was still allowing him to contribute to the refugee social programs, along with the emergency rescue plans they were pushing through to get all minors off the Isle.

He paused when he noticed Ben aiming a grin at him, something wide that radiated fondness. "What?"

"Just being amazed by you, is all," Ben offered simply, like that didn't mean the world to Chad. "I love how dedicated you are to your people."

"They're our people, Ben," Chad pointed out with a flush. "And I'm just-"

"You're not just anything," Ben said, more than familiar with Chad's insistence that he was only doing what the brunette would do if given the opportunity. "Don't undersell yourself. Even if you're following a model some version of me made before, you're the one putting the work in now."

"You're helping me, though," Chad pointed out weakly.

"And if given the opportunity, I know you would have helped out the old me," Ben said, relentless. "Now please feel just a little bit proud of yourself, or I will be forced to call Sultana Jasmine, and she'll have a thing or eighteen to say about it."

"Ben," Chad whined, but the brunette wouldn't budge, so Chad was forced to give in with a sigh.

He guessed it didn't feel entirely misplaced. Ben was right, he was doing the work for this world, even if it hadn't originally been his idea.

He supposed that was worth being proud about.

-:-:-

Despite the change in location, they maintained some rituals they'd started during Chad's stay at Auradon Castle.

For example, Ben still shared his bed every night, still allowed Chad to use him as a pillow, or sometimes he'd curl around Chad's back like a sort of protective barrier and Chad would be grateful that Ben couldn't see his blush because his butt was definitely against Ben's groin and that was embarrassing for some reason.

The still had their usual morning activities. Chad tried to insist that they didn't need them because he didn't want to risk putting Ben behind schedule, but the brunette was insistent that Chad should be allowed to feel good, and that their alarm allowed for plenty of time to get frisky, so long as Chad was interested.

And Chad was always interested.

It ended with Chad pinned against the mattress more often than not, Ben alternating between pumping their bared lengths together (which seemed incredibly vulgar because that was Ben's dick touching his and that was not a thing that should happen but it was and Ben wanted it to happen) and sucking Chad off. The first time that happened post limo ride, Chad had been entirely flustered, because Ben had taken his time to nuzzle down Chad's chest before mouthing at him through the fabric of his underwear.

"Ben," Chad groaned when the brunette urged his legs wide. "B-Ben, what if I- you know?"

"Know what?" Ben hummed as he dragged Chad's underwear down, gaze shifting into something celebratory when Chad's length was exposed to him.

He was going to make Chad spell it out. "What if I pee?" he hissed, feeling embarrassed.

"What about it?" Ben countered, like that wasn't fucking- "Chad, we do morning stuff all the time, we haven't had any issues yet."

"But there wasn't a risk of me, you know, in your mouth before," Chad insisted, wishing he didn't twitch at the warm breath brushing against him.

Ben's gaze narrowed thoughtfully. "Okay," he said. "We'll save blowjobs for after school."

"Ben," Chad whined, but Ben was already working his way back up Chad's torso, easing himself out of his clothes so he could rut them together again in lovely familiarity.

Chad frequently worried that he was taking advantage of this version of Ben, but anytime he tried to raise a concern, the other prince wouldn't hear him out. He simply didn't have the same reservations Chad did. At the very least, Chad had gotten him to promise that if Ben had any sort of romantic interest in someone else, he wouldn't feel obligated to humor Chad anymore (even if Chad hadn't phrased it that way, that was what was happening).

"I promise this is perfectly willing," Ben would say when he'd drag Chad into another bubble bath at night when he insisted the blond was getting too tense. "You aren't monopolizing me or taking advantage of me. We're both young and hormonal and trust each other – that's a gift."

"It is," Chad agreed as he settled in Ben's lap, where he always seemed to be. "I just don't want you to think I expect it for us to cuddle or hangout."

"Chad, we're boyfriends," Ben reminded him with a light tease. "Fake or not, this sort of stuff is kind of expected with the territory, as long as we're comfortable."

Chad let out a small laugh at the amused tone of Ben's voice. "Right. I forget that sometimes."

"I don't," Ben rumbled in that especially dark way of his, the one that was almost beast but like, in a hormonal way rather than an angry one. "How are you feeling?" he asked, running a hand up the outside of Chad's thigh as though he didn't know full well that Chad was already very much aroused, the same way he always got when they shared a bath because his brain was stupid. "Are you tense?"

"Yes," Chad sighed, blushing bashfully.

"Would you like me to relieve you, your highness?" Ben asked, his voice teasing.

"Yes."

"Okay," Ben cheered, wrapping a hand around Chad's length and giving it a tentative pump.

"Ben," Chad moaned, throwing his head back against the brunette's shoulder in a gasp as his hips rutted into Ben's attention. "Ben, please."

"It's my pleasure," Ben hummed before he started to stroke Chad in earnest, sliding his fingers from head to tip and seeming to revel in each twitch and pulse he earned.

"You don't have to keep doing that," Chad said when he shifted onto his knees before Ben in the shower, letting his hands curl around thin hips he would have never expected to touch

"Chad," Ben groaned. "We literally just had a conversation about that. Believe it or not, I like making you feel good. As you can see, it also makes me feel good, but you don't have to feel obligated to reciprocate-"

"But um- what if I want to?" Chad asked. "I know I shouldn't. You're gonna meet someone really special, and you should save yourself for them-"

"They're not here now, are they?" Ben rasped, his length twitching, as though he could feel Chad's breath brushing against it. "Light, Chad. If it happens, it will happen, but you already said you wanted it to be organic…"

"Right," Chad said, remembering the conversation. Ben deserved to fall in love with Mal in a natural progression, not because Chad forced them together. They were such a good couple, he knew it would happen.

"Then stop worrying about the future," Ben said. "I'm honored by your interest in me now."

"Thank you," Chad said, even if he knew he should put up more of a protest. It wasn't like his Ben would ever know, though. And Chad had already done so much with this version of him. "I'm just gonna-"

He was slowly getting better at giving Ben blowjobs. It wasn't a talent Chad had ever thought he'd perfect considering the way his grandfather pushed for him to date princesses, but he enjoyed doing this for Ben. He liked the intimate feel of it, the sounds he could coax from the other prince. The taste and the fullness, the connection- maybe it was gross, but Chad liked being able to bring Ben that kind of ecstasy.

Maybe after he fixed the world he could offer to let Ben use his mouth if he wanted. If Mal was okay with it. Chad wouldn't mind, if only it allowed him this closeness to Ben once more.

"Chad," Ben moaned, his fingers tangling in Chad's curls but never tightening, never forceful, taking what Chad offered and seeming grateful for it. "Chad. Chad."

It was too much to hope for, but still, Chad dreamed, and enjoyed what he was given in the moment.

-:-:-

Eventually they came to the moment Chad had been mildly dreading, because as much as he wanted Ben to take the lead and be done with it, the other prince wasn't in any condition to be the leader Chad knew and respected so much. By process of elimination, Chad was left to take things over, even though he feared for the prospect.

The time had come for the VKs to arrive in Auradon.

"Please don't growl at them," Chad murmured to Ben as they waited in front of Auradon Prep with Fairy Godmother – the band and welcoming committee forgone this time around because Jay had said it put them all on edge last time, and there were already enough new variables as it was. "They're going to be a little rough around the edges and maybe a bit mean, but they're all good people at heart."

"I know," Ben said, giving his hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll remember."

Chad had already gone over what he knew of each of the VKs' profiles with Ben the night before because he needed someone else to have the same understanding as him. He glazed over each of their romantic interests so those could kindle to life without bias, but other than that, everything had been fair game. At least, everything that he knew. It wasn't a lot, and half of it was conjecture based on what he observed, and obviously too much of it was about Jay because Ben had actually started growling after Chad had gone on about the Agraben for like, fifteen minutes.

Jay was his friend, okay? Or just- the guy Chad aspired to have as a friend, if he was a person who had those.

"Don't be nervous," Ben murmured, leaning over to nuzzle Chad's shoulder. "They're going to love you like everyone else does."

"I highly doubt that," Chad said. "They haven't been in a position where loving people is beneficial to them, remember? It won't come easily to them-"

"Figuratively," Ben said. "In time, they will love you. Just believe in yourself."

The thing was, Chad didn't really believe in himself all that much. He believed in Ben's plans and Ben, he believed in the VKs, but believing in himself to facilitate the process seemed like a fool's bet, and Chad lost enough as it was.

"Chad," Ben sighed, likely reading that on Chad's face.

"Just- this is important," Chad said. "I don't think their behavior will stop Sultana Jasmine or your dad from getting the rest of the kids off, but it sets a tone, you know? The easier they're settled, the more at ease the general public will be."

Likewise, if things went off the rails…

Granted, Chad had already gotten a start on a new spell book, but the runes were intricate and foreign, and also a full book, and it took hours just to complete one page. It would probably take Chad at least a year to replicate the work, at least until he figured out how to go faster.

"It will be okay," Ben said, his tone so confident that Chad couldn't help but feel something in his chest relax. "We're together, right? We can handle this."

While Ben didn't seem confident in his own abilities, he seemed to get that Chad believed in him a great deal, and as such, was comforted by even the thought of his presence. It made Chad flush with how easy he was read, but he figured he could be allowed these indulgences with Ben, who knew everything anyway.

"Right," Chad said, squeezing Ben's hand. "Let's do this."

He needed to get his nervous expression done away with so the VKs wouldn't think he was scared of them or something. He was pretty sure Ben hadn't been scared the first time around. He'd probably been super charming and calm.

And now he was only just not a nervous wreck because Chad had spelled his mother away and- okay, now was not the time to dwell on that particular guilt trip.

The limo pulled up sooner than Chad would have liked but he stood his ground, wearing what he hoped wasn't an entirely strained expression as the chauffeur opened the car door. The VKs' belongings were already in route to their rooms, having been collected at a security checkpoint they'd stopped at upon immediately crossing Belle's Harbor. It was where they'd been checked for weapons and items of magical origin – which some had considered overly paranoid until they started recovering ancient artifacts that should definitely go in the royal Sardinian vault.

Unlike last time, Mal was the one who pushed her way out of the limo first, followed shortly by Uma, and then the crews seemed to sort of switch off members who exited, Jay followed by Harry, and then Evie and Gil, leaving Carlos and Dizzy to round up the pack as they split into their distinct groups, Dizzy posed in the middle.

Right. Right. This was the point where Ben had tried to make a speech. Ah, hell.

"Welcome to Auradon Prep," Chad greeted with what he hoped was a completely natural wave of his hand. "I'm Chad, and this is my boyfriend, Ben."

Ben offered them a smile that was maybe a little too much teeth, except Mal and Harry seemed okay with that for whatever reason.

"And I'm Fairy Godmother," the principal spoke up. "Headmistress of Auradon Prep. Your belongings are already being delivered to your assigned rooms, so for now, we thought we'd get started with introductions and a tour, followed by your orientation – which will get you familiarized with the rules of your stay here, and then your placement tests, which will help us know what classes will be best suited for you. Any questions?"

Mal held up a lazy hand, making Uma roll her eyes. "Bathrooms?"

"Right this way," Chad said, motioning them onward.

Man, he hoped Jay stole less stuff this time around. Chad had lost his phone to the Agraben last time, though he hadn't learned of that until much later.

They waited awkwardly outside the bathrooms for the VKs to finish taking care of their business, though not all of them seemed interested in making use of the facilities – Gil in particular lingering outside with an enthusiastic grin.

"Wow, things are so green out here," he chirped, staring outside the broad windows that looked out onto the gardens. "And the buildings aren't falling apart or anything!"

"Thank you," Chad said, not knowing how else to respond. "I believe the Isle infrastructure was created off of magical copies of preexisting buildings out here in Auradon-"

"Sardinia," Ben reminded him.

"-and the process of duplicating them weakened their internal structures?" Chad concluded. "I'm not entirely sure how it works to be honest, but I'm sorry you had to live in those conditions."

Gil just sort of blinked at him. "Thank you, mister prince. Hey, is it true you guys didn't know there were any kids on the Isle?"

"The general public, along with a majority of the reigning Sardinia council, didn't know," Chad said, shooting Ben a look to indicate he could learn. Sometimes. "There're suspicions that your presence was actively concealed from us to prevent public outcry. That's why it took us so long to figure out something was wrong, and the moment we did, we set things in motion to fix the process."

"So you're gonna get the rest of the kids off?"

"In time," Chad said, nodding. "We have to finish setting up housing and social services first. You guys are sort of a symbolic gesture of what's to come, to get the people of Auradon-"

"Sardinia," Ben sighed.

"-used to the idea," Chad finished with a grin, trying to hide his wince.

So maybe he wasn't the best learner after all. No big surprise there.

"Oh," Gil said, squinting his brows in thought. "Neat."

"Um, thank you," Chad said, feeling his cheeks flush.

"I'm Gil, by the way," the blond spoke up. "Son of Gaston."

"Right." That time, Chad definitely flushed. "Right, sorry – I should have asked that."

What was wrong with him.

"Hey, no worries!" Gil cheered. "I forget that stuff all the time."

Chad smiled, feeling part of himself relax, because even though he hadn't interacted with Gil at all back home, the blond had seemed relatively uncomplicated and cheerful – sort of like they were birds of a feather, except people actually liked Gil.

Gil turned his attention onto Ben. "Whose kid are you?"

Ben tensed. "King Adam's."

"Oh." Gil blinked, recognition settling into his features. "Oh. You're the beast's kid."

"King Adam's kid," Chad reminded him gently, giving Ben's hand a squeeze.

"Hey, I'm sorry about your mom," Gil continued, making both of them still in surprise. "My Uncle LeFou said she was a really nice lady, even if he didn't understand her."

"Thank you," Ben said after a moment's hesitation. "I really appreciate that."

"Oh, um- shucks," Gil mumbled, cheeks flaring pink. "I forgot you guys use manners and stuff. Like, the petty criminals do back on the Isle, but you don't- I mean, we're supposed to be evil, I guess."

"Well," Chad said, his throat feeling tight. "Now you have a choice, if you want it."

"I think I do," Gil said, looking thoughtful. "If we're good, can we get the rest of our crew off?"

"The rest of the crew is getting off the Isle regardless of your behavior," Chad said. "That isn't conditional. Though it would be easier to make the transition though if you were um…"

"Good?" Gil offered. "Okay, I'll let captain know."

"Thanks, Gil," Chad said, making the blond flush again. "We appreciate it."

The tour was… fine, Chad guessed. The VKs weren't super talkative (at least, outside of each other), but Chad suspected that had to do with the presence of their rival crews being present. He wanted to stick by Jay as a preventative measure, but he knew that would set Ben off so he stuck near the front, where Ben must have lingered when he was in charge of stuff.

Like, he was there now, but that was because of Chad.

"So," Mal spoke up after Chad had shown them the auditorium. "Weren't you dating a princess or something until very recently?"

"Um- yeah, Princess Audrey," Chad said. "But we broke up."

"Yeah?" Mal hummed, all interrogation-like and not at all a genuine conversation. "And why'd you do that?"

"Because she was a piece of shit," Ben grumbled, his brows furrowed into an unhappy expression.

"Ben," Chad hissed, shooting him an exasperated look.

"What? She is."

"She wasn't… super nice to me," Chad settled on, turning his attention to Mal because Ben was obviously a lost cause. "So we broke up, and now I'm dating Ben." He paused when he realized who he was talking to. "But, you know, nothing's forever, so if he found someone else he wanted to- if something else romantically blossomed for him, I would support that."

Mal gave him an odd look. "What?"

"If he found a happily ever after somewhere else, I mean," Chad said. "I'd support that. Because we're friends. As well as boyfriends."

Wow, this conversation sort of hurt. He wasn't sure why anyone thought he was capable of doing this. He should have just had Aziz greet everyone. Aziz could have done it.

There was also the fact that Aziz found Ben hot apparently, but Chad didn't really blame him. Ben was hot, that wasn't new. Chad just helped him uncover what he already knew to exist.

"…that's noble of you," Evie said after a strained silence.

"Yes," Ben said, looking anywhere but Chad. "Noble."

"Right," Chad said. "So, who wants to see the Tourney field?"

The answer was no one, but they did it anyway.

"Tourney is a little boy's game," Harry muttered, frowning the lines painted on the grass as though they personally offended him.

"I mean, maybe," Chad said with a shrug. "But if you do well in it – or any of the school sports, actually, you could get offered scholarships to attend college. Which means you'd essentially get to go to school for free as long as you play on the school's team. So… that can be fun." He twisted his hands together. "I'm on the Tourney team."

"You are?" Jay asked, perking up in interest. "Think you can show me the ropes?"

He said it all suggestively, making Chad remember that Jay had been super flirtatious with like, pretty much everyone when he'd first come over. Jay had said it was a coping mechanism, which Chad hadn't understood, but he'd nodded along just the same, honored to be shared such intimate knowledge. "Sure," Chad said. "Coach is always happy to have new people try out if you're interested."

"Even if those new people are the son of Jafar?" Mal prompted with a quirk of her brow.

"Jay's not his dad," Chad replied. "None of you are your parents, and you're not going to be held accountable for their crimes anymore. I'm sorry you ever had to in the first place, that shouldn't have happened."

"We're not our parents, huh?" Uma countered, her arms folded across her chest in a resolute motion. "That why you ran us through a security check?"

"That's standard procedure for all students," Chad said, undeterred by her narrowed gaze. "All of our luggage is looked over by security before we can bring it in."

"Usually it's because some enterprising soul tries to smuggle in fireworks or contraband," Ben spoke up, leaning close to Chad's shoulder. "But knives get confiscated too. Those are just part of the rules."

"You left us without weapons," Uma pressed. "How are we supposed to defend ourselves?"

"You're not going to be attacked here," Chad said. "But if you are, there's enough security placed around the school to protect you – same as any other student. That's actually part of your orientation. I know we can't even fathom what you guys have gone through for the sake of survival, but you will be safe here. We'll do everything in our power to keep you protected, because that is your inherent right as a Sardinian citizen."

Cheers to him for finally saying the right kingdom, had to happen at some point.

"You know this whole thing is fishy as hell, right?" Uma said, making Mal's eye twitch. "Kind of convenient for you to suddenly discover the existence of children on the Isle when you're about to be coronated."

"I had a vision," Chad said. "And you're not wrong. It is fishy, because my grandfather worked to actively conceal you guys from the public's eye, but I'm working to fix that now, same as my father."

"Is it true you were brainwashed?" Carlos spoke up, more or less hiding behind Jay.

"Yeah," Chad said, and he didn't even waver like he feared he might. "But King Adam broke the conditioning, so…"

"So no more puppet time for you," Uma said bluntly, making Chad wince. "And your first move was to get us off the Isle?"

"The first move was to fix the damage he caused," Chad said. "Starting with the kids. Then we'll move to the petty criminals whose crimes aren't severe enough to warrant total banishment, and then we'll redo the entire penal system altogether." Like Ben was doing, back home. Had done. "The Isle should have only been a last resort for villains we thought were past the point of redemption, whose crimes were severe. It shouldn't have been our one-and-done answer for anyone committing a crime." He chewed on his lip, because he knew words were cheap, that actions were the only thing that made any sway with the Isle kids. "I've been working on plans for the social programs for the Isle kids – would any of you be interested in looking them over? I want to be sure that their needs are being appropriately met, but without first-hand experience, I'm mostly just guessing."

"Evie can help you," Mal cut in immediately, not one to pass on an opportunity.

"And I can help you too," Uma said, shooting her an unimpressed look. "If you'd be so kind, your highness."

"Just Chad," the blond said, flushing slightly. "And I'd be very appreciative for your assistance."

Mal gave him a sickly-sweet smile that was mostly lies. "Anything we can do to help."

"Great," Chad said, stomach fluttering uneasily. "I um- think it's time for your orientation, now."

"Cool," Harry drawled, rolling his eyes before his focus slid over to Ben with a predatory wink. "Will ye two be joining us?"

"Not for this," Chad said, squeezing Ben's hand. "We'll pick you up for dinner after your placement tests."

"Can I talk to him now?" Dizzy whispered to Evie, and the princess seemed to consider this for a moment before she motioned the young Tremaine on. "Hi!" Dizzy cheered as they started walking back towards the academic buildings. "I don't know if you know who I am-"

"I know exactly who you are," Chad interrupted, cheeks heating awkwardly. "And I've been really looking forward to talking to you, since we're family after all."

"Oh." Dizzy blinked, then lit up like the literal ray of sunshine he knew her to be. "Me too!"

Chad didn't have a close relationship with Dizzy back home, but he was pretty sure that was because Evie had warned her off of him. Here and now though, they could start over, and even if Chad couldn't keep it, he decided to hold onto the small blessing while it was there for him.

So they passed the rest of the walk exchanging small talk, Chad eventually learning about her passion for design and confessing his own skills at sewing before he confirmed that her room came equipped with a sewing machine, and that he'd look into getting some fabric delivered for her usage.

"What colors would you like?" Chad asked. "Or types?"

"Maybe you should just take her to the store," Ben offered, looking amused.

"Oh." Chad blinked because he'd never been inside a fabric store before, he always had to order his stealthily online.

"There's a store?" Dizzy asked, seeming flabbergasted by this prospect.

"Yeah," Chad said, giving her a smile. "I've never been in one, so we could explore it together. It can be an adventure."

Dizzy seemed to flush in happiness. "We should bring Evie too," she urged. "She's an even better designer than I am."

"You undersell yourself," Chad said, because if she'd had any hand in making the colorful outfit she was sporting now, Dizzy was more than talented. "But that's a good idea." He turned his head to look at the others. "Does anyone else sew?"

"Harry does," Uma spoke up, making the first mate flush.

"Just for practical purposes," he grumbled. "I'm not like princess or anything."

"Well, if you wanted to get some fabric for um- practical purposes, you're more than welcome to join us," Chad said. "My treat."

"Why?" Carlos pressed, eyes narrowed. "I mean, Dizzy I get, but why help the rest of them?"

"Because money isn't much good if you don't spread it around," Chad said. "And if I can help out fellow designers – or um- practical sewers," he said, nodding towards Harry. "Then I'd like to."

Because they should have always been able to do this. Because they should have had the chance to be kids instead of fighting all the time.

"You are obnoxiously good," Mal said, and he couldn't tell if that was an insult or not.

"Thank you," Chad said, deciding to take it as a compliment.

All in all, it wasn't the worst first meeting.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

And there we have it, the VKs have arrived!

Story notes:

Ulstead is from the movie 'Maleficent: Mistress of Evil' and is Prince Phillip's kingdom.

Me, running rampant with Chad asking Evie where his phone is in the movie. I think it's safe to say Jay stole it.

Until next time :)