Chapter 13 – The Candidate

-:-:-

There were many theories buzzing around as to why Ben and Chad would consider polyamory – most that ended with Ben being unsatisfying as a boyfriend and Chad pitying him too much to cordially break up with him the way he should, but those reasons were eagerly passed up in favor of the entire population of Auradon Prep taking advantage of a new opportunity. If Chad had been popular before, he was sought out more than ever now. Now, both him and Ben were inundated with flirtatious advances and secret presents, with notes professing love and gifts and shameless brownnosing. Chad had thought Marnie was bad, but now it was like the entire school was comprised of forward go-getters like her, and Chad could only be grateful that Audrey was on house arrest because otherwise she'd be leading the charge.

Now Chad understood why Ben had started dating Audrey in junior high. She was a strong enough presence, as well as a high enough social standing, to sufficiently scare everyone else off.

Here, now, Ben was only just coming into his own and Chad had opened the door for their undoing, however accidentally.

And he had the easy part, Ben was the one suffering a true stream of bullshit. His interactions varied from those trying to win him over to those trying to tear him down for putting Chad in such a position, those saying he was unworthy, and Chad hated very much all of it. It got to the breaking point where Chad was looking over the gifts that had gotten through the security checks, trying to make a list for who would need thank you notes and if this was something he should bother his assistant about and watching Ben grow more morose by the second until he finally broke apart.

"I'm sorry," Chad gasped, tugging on the edges of his knit hat as helpless tears welled in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Ben. I'm so sorry. I was trying to do something nice and I made everything worse." He hunched in on himself pathetically, tears streaming down his face as he gasped wetly into the shelter of his hands. "I always make everything worse. I don't know why I try to help at all."

"Okay, that's bullshit," Uma said in that no-nonsense tone of hers before she took him by the shoulders and ushered him into Ben's lap, who dragged him close with a low rumble. "You making plenty of shit better, blondie. Just look at Jane's hair. Look at the refugee relief programs we've been working on. Don't let the actions of some power grabbing assholes distract you from what you've accomplished."

"But-"

"No," Ben growled, tucking Chad's head under his chin and wrapping firm arms around the blond's waist. "She's right, this isn't your fault, and I won't hear any arguments otherwise."

"You don't have to be nice to me," Chad murmured in French, graciously accepting the handkerchief Ben urged into his hands so he could clean off his face.

"I am being accurate, not nice," Ben countered. "You can't let these people get to you," he said, switching back to Common. "There will always be those who aspire for more, who will see you as an end to a means. You can't let yourself be affected by their desires. Your life is your own, and who you date is none of their damn business."

"Honestly," Mal muttered, fingering some of the wrapped packages with a roll of her eyes. "It's obvious none of them know you. You're not going to date someone who isn't your best friend, and if they weren't trying to be that for you before, they're not going to win you over now."

Chad blinked, startled by Mal's accurate deduction, and then Aziz was talking. "Why are you even bothering with this stuff anyway?" he pressed. "Don't you have assistants? My mom had to get me some to deal with all the insincere overtures I receive back in Agrabah."

"I feel bad for bothering them," Chad admitted, making more than one person sigh.

"Chad," Aziz said, settling beside him and Ben with a thoughtful look. "You don't have to feel bad for letting them do their job. The reason we have assistants in the first place is to lessen the burden on ourselves so we can focus on the things a normal teenager would be occupied with. We're not normal, but we deserve to have some measure of stability."

"Call your assistants," Uma said, folding her arms across her chest. "And have them take all this shit away. They can forge your handwriting for thank you notes or whatever."

"Which takes care of one problem," Evie hummed. "Now to deal with the matter of getting you peace during the school day."

"Maybe things will die down on their own?" Chad offered as he started composing a text to his head assistant.

"Your optimism is appreciated," Evie said, giving him a kind smile. "But misplaced in this instance."

"Evie's right," Mal scoffed, letting a comforting hand settle on Jane's shoulder, who watched the exchange with growing anxiety. "Now that the possibility is out there, people aren't going to stop hounding you until they know they don't have a chance anymore."

"And even that won't stop everyone," Evie said. "Just most of them."

"So what are ye saying?" Harry asked, pacing a path behind Gil. "They need to date someone else?"

"Well…" Evie shrugged. "That would be the most effective way to put an end to things. And they were looking to add someone else anyway."

Ben tensed, and Chad started tearing up again. "I just meant that we were open to it," Chad sniffed, turning a worried gaze onto the brunette prince. "I'm sorry."

"Sweet Evil, Ben," Mal huffed. "We get that you don't think anyone outside of Chad can actually like you, but that's some hot fucking garbage, okay? You are a perfectly likeable human being, now figure that out before you make Chad die of guilt."

"What?" Chad asked, startled by the diatribe.

Mal let out an annoyed huff. "He's getting all defensive because he thinks you're the only one that wants to date him."

"It's true," Ben rumbled, holding Chad close.

"It literally is not."

"Why don't we table that for now?" Evie said, always the reasonable one, trying to cut off the other two before they were lost to a growl stare down. "You don't have to actually date someone new if you're still getting used to the idea. One of us could just fake it."

Chad paused, still trying to process this, but Ben figured it out first. "Fake dating," he said, tone unreadable.

"Exactly," Evie chirped. "We hang out enough as it is. It would be a believable cover."

Oh no. Oh no. Chad was already fake-dating one person. He didn't know how he would operate fake-dating two. What if he got a crush on them as well?

He turned his gaze imploringly to Ben, because if anyone should pick, it was him.

"What?" Ben asked, confused by his attention.

"You should choose," Chad whispered in French.

Ben tensed. "This is stupid-"

"Everyone," Mal interrupted with a roll of her eyes. "Raise your hand if you'd be okay fake-dating Ben and Chad."

Slowly, just about everyone raised their hands, save for Dizzy and Lonnie.

At their quizzical looks, Lonnie simply shrugged. "I know my limitations."

"And that's very healthy of you," Evie informed her before turning her attention back to Ben and Chad. "Now you know your options. Pick with a clear conscious."

"I um- think we need to have a private talk," Chad sniffed, Ben considering this suggestion for a moment before he picked Chad up with a low rumble, walking him into their bedroom without further ado and marching straight on until they were deep in the depths of Chad's closet.

"They're good at eavesdropping," Ben informed him in French.

"Okay, that's um- fair," Chad said, fidgeting when Ben let them curl together on the ground. "Who do you want to fake date? We'd probably have to hold their hands and stuff."

"Just tell me who I was with in the other world," Ben growled. "We'll pick them."

"No," Chad said, because he could learn, given time. "No, you're right, you're a different person. You should pick someone you're comfortable with now."

"But what about you?" Ben asked. "You should be comfortable too."

"I would be fine dating any of them," Chad admitted. "I mean- fake dating, because I know how amazing they all are. Maybe I'd feel a little bad stealing anyone from their potential future couples…"

"The pirates are together," Ben noted. "And Aziz-"

"Likes them," Chad said. "But he's not dating them."

But maybe he wanted to? Chad hadn't known the Agraben was interested in dating dudes, to be honest. He'd always thought Aziz was straight. He'd dated a couple of girls in high school, though Lonnie was the only one he stuck with for a long period of time.

"Okay," Ben said. "I'm gonna tell you what I see now, without your bias, and you're gonna listen."

"I can do that," Chad said, relaxing into Ben's comforting hold as the other prince took over.

"Jane, Doug, and Carlos," Ben said. "They've been hovering around each other, but I think Mal also likes Jane, and maybe Evie."

"What- really?" Chad asked, switching back into Common out of surprise. "That's… are you sure?"

"I talked about it with Uma," Ben admitted. "Though Mal cares strongly for all of her crew, same as Uma cares for hers. It'd be a shame to separate them."

"I mean- but we have to," Chad said, for all that he'd been pushing polyamory, that had mostly been for the pirates' benefit. There hadn't been any big groups dating in the other world. "They don't end up dating each other-"

"In the old world," Ben finished. "But things are different here. You made them different."

"Should we stick to one person?" Chad asked, feeling nervous. "That'd be easiest, right?"

"It seems unfair to isolate one of them," Ben hummed. "To trap them in something fake."

Just like that, a lightbulb went off in Chad's head. "So we don't," he said. "We give them something real to go with the fake so they can enjoy it."

"Why do I get the feeling this has to do with your old world?" Ben sighed.

"Doug and Evie," Chad chirped. "We'll date Doug and Evie. Then they can see each other in a dating atmosphere and fall in love and we will be total bros. It's perfect."

"It doesn't sound perfect," Ben grumbled. "It sounds like a disaster waiting to happen."

"Then who do you want, Ben?" Chad asked. "You could just tell me-"

"I want what I have," Ben growled, hugging Chad closer, filling him with strings of hope Chad really shouldn't strive for. Ben didn't mean it like that, obviously.

"If you dared to let yourself want more," Chad said. "Who would you want? Who gets your blood boiling?"

"Please don't talk about boiling blood," Ben grumbled, his voice edged with the barest hints of a whine. "I take it back, your idea's good."

"Ben," Chad sighed.

"If it's someone I want, I don't want to fake date them," Ben snapped. "It would drive me crazy."

Chad understood what he meant on a personal level.

"So – Doug and Evie?" Chad pressed, mentally offering Mal a quick apology. Hopefully, Doug and Evie would fall together and then naturally break up with Ben and Chad and by that point, Ben might be ready to really date Mal, but until then, at least they could get some headway in helping their friends. "We can say we want two to keep things from being uneven."

"No third wheels," Ben rumbled. "Okay, fine – Doug and Evie, though for the record, they will be confused."

"They shouldn't be," Chad huffed. "Because they are both awesome."

And with Doug out of the way, Carlos and Jane could fall together like they always should have, and yeah, that left Mal on the outs for a bit, but Mal was a strong independent lady. She didn't really need them to get by.

This was all going to work out perfectly. Aziz was with the pirates so Jay would eventually date Lonnie again, and everything was going to be peachy keen.

Ben sighed. "Could I kiss you?" he asked. "I want to get in some last-minute affection before our duo is destroyed."

"Stop being dramatic," Chad pouted, reaching up to cup the other prince's face between his hands. "And of course, dummy."

"Yes," Ben rumbled, licking eagerly at Chad's lips. "I think that sums it up right."

-:-:-

"We figured even numbers would be better," Chad explained when they returned to the others and presented their suggestions for their future fake amorous connections.

Doug, of course, seemed entirely bamboozled by the suggestion, and spent a lot of time flushing a brilliant shade of crimson that Carlos made a point to memorize for whatever reason.

"O…kay," Evie said, this seeming to take even her by surprise.

"Doug and Evie," Uma deadpanned. "Evie, I understand."

"Doug is awesome," Chad said, offended that Uma would suggest otherwise, but then the captain was shooting him an annoyed look like she was offended by his lack of faith, and immediately Chad relaxed.

"I know that," Uma huffed to further demonstrate this point. "We all know that. It just seems like an odd choice. Evie can hold her own, but Doug's shy, and people make fun of him as it is."

"They do?" Chad hadn't known that. "Who? Maybe we can catch them in the act-"

"It's called delegating, blondie," Uma said, waving him off. "We already have it taken care of."

"Oh," Chad said, shoulders slumping before he turned to Doug, who was still flushed dark. "I'm sorry, Doug. I had no idea."

"That's because you think so highly of us that you can't possibly fathom people disagreeing with you," Uma said, making Chad startle. "Also, Doug was embarrassed so we kept it a secret."

"You don't have to be," Chad exclaimed, pulling Doug into a tight hug. "You're great, and anyone that targets you – or any of you – they're the ones that look weak, not you guys."

"That is what we told him," Uma hummed, running a hand through Doug's hair. "But the point is that this could go one of two ways. One, your social standing will offer a shield of protection to Doug, or two – and the more likely alternative…"

"It'll make him a target," Ben finished with a sigh.

"Got it in one," Uma hummed. "Ben already gets a lot of shit and he's a prince."

"Not a popular one," Ben grumbled.

"A prince is still a prince," Uma countered. "You still have authority and a certain amount of protection offered to you. Doug wouldn't have that."

"I didn't think of that," Chad admitted.

"We figured you wouldn't," Aziz offered with a flush. "We um- may have been brainstorming while you guys were in there."

"If you're doing this, you need someone strong enough to hold their own, but with a certain added protection," Uma said. "Evie was actually our prime candidate, but if you want two people, we were thinking the second one could be Gil."

Chad froze, feeling entirely bewildered, because Gil didn't really line up with his vision of a strong personality, even if he was physically strong.

"Everyone likes Gil," Mal spoke up. "People who try not to like him like Gil. Fuck, even we liked Gil and he was on our arch enemy's crew."

"Thank you," Uma chirped, seeming pleased by this designation.

Mal waved her off with a roll of her eyes. "My point is, Gil is inherently likable. No one would question why you want to date him, and if anyone tried to talk shit to him, he literally wouldn't register it."

"I wouldn't!" Gil cheered, smiling wide. "I am bad at interpreting threats. Captain complains about it all the time!"

"That… makes sense," Chad said, twisting his hands together. "But I don't want to steal Gil from you guys."

"You wouldn't be stealing him," Uma insisted. "You'd be borrowing him. He'd still be ours."

"And if you guys are going to keep fooling around together, you'd better do it in private," Mal muttered. "I'm talking ultimate stealth, Uma. If anyone catches wind and think Gil's cheating on them…"

"I know, Poser," Uma muttered, Harry echoing her annoyed look behind her. "We can be sneaky." She turned her attention to Chad. "But more importantly, we can help out our allies."

"And, you know," Aziz spoke up. "Your friends."

"Yeah, whatever, fine," Uma huffed. "You can be our friends too."

"What about Mal?" Chad pressed. "Is she-"

"Fucking yes, their crew can also be our friends, you goody-goody," Uma muttered. "You are insufferably nice sometimes."

"I think his niceness is perfectly sufferable," Evie hummed with a wide grin.

"That's good," Lonnie cackled. "Since he's going to be one of your new boyfriends."

"That won't give you any trouble, will it?" Chad asked Evie. "That you're dating three guys?"

"If it does, I'll handle it," Evie promised, tone firm enough that Chad didn't doubt the woe that laid in wait for any foolish enough to cross her.

"Aw, neat," Gil chirped. "I'm dating people now! Go, me!"

"Fake dating," Ben reminded him with a flush. "But yeah, I- we can celebrate."

"You should do that by planning publicity opportunities," Carlos offered with a flush, huddling close to Doug. "Determine the best way to break news of your upgraded relationship with everyone."

"Oh, that part will be easy," Chad said. "Lonnie, can you take care of it?"

The Imperial City teen offered him a quick solute. "Consider it done."

Sometimes it paid to have a gossipmonger as a friend.

-:-:-

News of Chad's relationship development was out by the next morning, and the series of accompanying selfies posted on Ben and Evie's social media sealed the deal.

"We'll just have to hold hands and stuff in public," Chad said. "Ben and I mostly kiss in private anyway, so we don't have to worry about that."

"But what if I wanted to kiss you?" Gil asked. "Because your lips are really pretty."

Chad felt himself flush, then sighed when Ben started growling. "We'll stick with handholding for now," he decided. "See how things go from there."

It wasn't a huge adjustment. Chad shared honors classes with Evie, so it wasn't hard to escort her to the periods they shared together, wasn't hard to translate their strong friendship into something that could be perceived as flirtatious.

Gil was safe over at Auradon Junior Prep, but they took turns walking him towards the other grounds after Intro to Sardinia and lunch so they could be seen more in the public eye. The others took pictures of them bowling and feeding each other food and reviewing homework together until they had an online presence that believably supported their supposed relationship.

"And you're sure about this?" his father had asked when Chad was making his bi-weekly update. It was still kind of weird to have those, Chad found he liked them a lot. "It's not that I doubt your judgement, or even polyamory itself – you just seem so wonderfully attached to Benjamin that I worry your new partners won't receive the same affection. That's not to say you don't care for them, but it wouldn't do for things to be uneven. Normally I wouldn't say anything – teenagers should be allowed to experiment as you will, but in your position, it is always best to be careful."

"Thanks, dad," Chad said, his chest filling with an uneasiness he couldn't quite define. "I um- I think it's going well, though. We both care for Gil and Evie a lot, and yes, we might have a more inherent bond, and maybe this won't be a long-term thing, but we all sat down and talked about our expectations, so I think we've approached this as responsibly as we could."

"And I am entirely unsurprised by this," his father said, radiating fondness. "Okay, if you're certain this is what you want, I support you one hundred percent, as does your mother."

"And you don't think I'm unstable?" Chad asked, because he wasn't entirely unaware of the news programs that insisted otherwise, that declared his relationship with Ben or his edicts to rescue the children of the Isle or his decision to shave off his hair and indication of his growing instability.

"Don't listen to that idle speculation," his father scoffed. "You're perfectly sound of mind. Everything you've done has been for the betterment of the united kingdoms, and that which wasn't was done for the betterment of people you care about greatly. There will always be those that watch with a critical eye, those trapped in their old ways, stuck with the preconception with how they think royalty should act and scorning those that deviate from it. That doesn't make them right, so please, pay them no mind. You're doing wonderfully, and I'm very proud of you."

"Thanks, dad," Chad said, a great happiness building in his chest. "I really appreciate that."

"And I appreciate you," his father said. "So I suppose we're even."

-:-:-

They went on dates.

It wasn't something Chad had exactly pushed for with Ben, which made him feel a little guilty, but both Mal and Uma felt it was important for Evie and Gil to be seen with them in a romantic setting as frequently as possible, so sometimes Chad would have dinner brought up to his suite for the others and then take his partners out to a fancy restaurant, and instead of using one of the private rooms, they'd dine with the general public so they could be seen. It was always fun, and Chad enjoyed getting Ben and Evie on a topic they both were obviously invested in, leading to the two of them enthusiastically trading facts while Gil and Chad played footsy under the table with fond looks.

"Wow," Gil said when they took turns trading bites of their desserts. "I never thought I'd get to actually date people. And I definitely didn't think I'd get to date smart people who would treat me this nice."

"You deserve it," Chad said, reaching over to squeeze his hand, Ben letting out an appreciative rumble across the table.

There had been some concern at the prospect of the son of King Adam and the son of Gaston being in a relationship together, but Chad was pretty sure those concerns were sufficiently addressed by anyone who saw Ben walking Gil out of the restaurant, his hand firm in the second mate's as he confidently tugged him along, Gil following with a bashful flush that only served to make him look adorable.

"Yeah," Evie sighed, walking arm-in-arm with Chad as they followed them back to the car. "That's a real nice sight."

"And it's ours," Chad said, and maybe he wished for it to be a little more real than it was, but there was no point in dwelling on it when everything was temporary as it was. Despite each page of his book being entirely unique, there was a pattern to it, and once he'd figured out what it was, his writings had increased exponentially. At the rate he was going, he'd be done in a few weeks, maybe a month, and then he'd have to decide how exactly he was going to phrase his new wish. Yes, he could just undo everything, but if he could change the course of fate itself, shouldn't he try to do something bigger? Try to help more, since he'd already sort of fucked up the world.

He had to think over it, but he still had time. And in that time, he'd get to enjoy dating Evie (which he'd always wondered about – what would have happened if he'd just not been a coward and accepted her affection the first time around), dating Ben (who he cared for too much) and dating Gil, who was the epitome of a sweetheart.

Overall, that wasn't a bad turn of events, so maybe Chad shouldn't overthink things and just enjoy the moment while he had it.

After all, it would be gone soon enough.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

Chad over there, confidently making all the hardest choices for himself.

Story notes:

I do believe I have outdone myself. Fake dating piled on top of more fake dating – what nonsense shall we pursue next? ;)

Unfortunately, Lonnie got left out this time around. I'll make up for it in a future fic, but for now, she's designated as Dizzy's bro and spirit guide.

"If it's someone I want, I don't want to fake date them," Ben snapped. "It would drive me crazy." – Bold words, BENJAMIN

Until next time :D