Chapter 22 – Aziz

-:-:-

Chad happened upon Aziz by chance, making use of the camouflage necklace Jay and Evie had made him so he could run out and get a few additional groceries for dinner rather than having them delivered at the last minute. He wanted some fresh air, and it was always nice to enjoy the growing twilight of Auradon, the sky shifting into a beautiful array of pinks and oranges Chad couldn't help but admire as he cut through the park on his way back to the apartment. He hadn't gotten that many groceries, just enough to fill one bag, so he'd taken his time, happily strolling scenic routes before he threw himself into the task of making dinner.

Jay would be a little late that night – Carlos demanding some quality hangout time from Jay post Tourney-camp, so the Agraben would be at Evie's for a little while. Chad had time, and maybe he'd bake some chocolate chip cookies for dessert, Jay always liked those, and Chad found comfort in their familiarity. He could even drop some off with Fairy Godmother the next day, maybe take some to his next meeting with Duchess Belle. There were nothing but benefits.

Chad was in the process of considering whether he should double or triple the batch when he heard the faintest sound of sniffling in the distance, something he would have missed had he not trained himself to pick up such things for the other version of Ben. It was coming from just off the stone path he was on, towards the fork that led into a secluded alcove that had a fountain most couples liked to visit for its romantic atmosphere. The fountain itself was supposed to be a boon from Aphrodite or someone of the like, Chad didn't know, he'd never managed to get Audrey to visit it with him, and he never would ever again.

It hurt less to think about it.

Afraid it was one of the new Isle refugees without someone to lean on, Chad pressed into the alcove, tentatively walking around the length of the fountain to see who was upset.

He didn't expect to see Aziz perched on the far side of the fountain, hunched over with his head in his hands as his body wracked with quiet sobs Chad had only just managed to hear over the sounds of moving water.

"Aziz?" Chad spoke up, moving closer to the other prince. "Are you okay?"

"Chad?" Aziz sniffed, looking up with a distraught expression that quickly shifted into confusion. "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought you were um- someone else."

Chad blinked, then remembered the disguise necklace, which he deactivated with a squeeze of his fingers. "No, you got it right," he said, Aziz staring at him with wide eyes. "Jay made me this so I could get around unbothered."

"Smart dude," Aziz said as Chad set his grocery bag to the side, the blond settling in next to Aziz after a moment's hesitation. "I'm um- I'm okay, though."

"No offense, but you don't look okay," Chad said, passing over a handkerchief that Aziz just sort of blinked at before he managed to accept it. "Do you want me to call someone else? I could get Jay, maybe Lonnie-"

Aziz flinched as though Chad had physically struck him, making Chad's heart lurch in his chest. "Not Lonnie," he gasped, eyes pinching tight. "Not, I can't-"

"Aziz," Chad said, wrapping an arm around the other prince's shoulders on reflex. "What happened?"

"We broke up," Aziz croaked, leaning into Chad's side as fresh tears began to trickle down his cheeks. "She decided to stay in Imperial City for college and she wanted- she thought the long-distance thing would be too hard so she- we just-" He let out a quiet sob that made Chad ache inside.

"I'm so sorry, Aziz," Chad murmured, tucking the other prince close to him. "That's rough."

"I sort of knew it was coming," Aziz gasped. "But I- I'd hoped…"

"That's fair," Chad said, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze. "It's fair to hope that you'll get your happily ever after with the person you love. And it's fair to hurt when that doesn't happen."

"Just-" Aziz shuddered. "She was all – 'It's not like I can be queen of Agrabah anyway' – like she hadn't even considered it."

"Lonnie's always been a free spirit," Chad reminded him. "And she's always been dedicated to her family and Imperial City. That's what you love about her."

"It is," Aziz gasped. "I just wish it didn't hurt this much. I wish I could just- I could not be prince. I could renounce so my sister can take over and follow Lonnie, but even if I went to Imperial City, I think she just wanted a fresh start." He sobbed again. "She didn't want me forever."

"That's her loss," Chad soothed, giving up and dragging Aziz into an awkward sitting hug so the Agraben could cry against his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Aziz. I know how much it hurts when you're in an unbalanced relationship like that. When they don't want you as much as you want them."

"Right," Aziz sniffed. "Audrey- I mean- shit, I shouldn't have said that."

"It's okay," Chad said, squeezing him close. "Audrey and I broke up a while ago. I figured out she wasn't good for me."

"That's good," Aziz said, seeming to mean it. "I'm glad."

"Thank you," Chad said, and they settled into a moment of silence where Aziz seemed to soak up his affection, and maybe it should have been weird because he'd never done anything like this with his own Aziz, but Chad found that the return to normality – or at least something he knew – was comforting. "Want to come back to my apartment?" Chad asked on a whim. "I was about to make dinner. You can come hang out on my couch and mope all you want; I won't judge you."

That startled a wet laugh from Aziz. "Promise?" he sniffed, sounding closer to his usual self. "I um- I think I'd like that. Like to not be alone."

As far as Chad could remember, Aziz had been in Central Auradon that summer to get a jumpstart on some of his college credits, jumping into work rather than heading back to Agrabah under the guise of being productive, but mostly to help Ben out with his proposal to Mal on the king's request. He was fairly certain the Agraben was acting as Ben's best man as well, or at least as one of his groomsmen.

He'd likely been alone in the Agraben summer house, which Chad could relate to on an intimate level.

"Then we'll do that," Chad said, letting go of Aziz long enough to scoop up his grocery bag before taking Aziz's hand in the other, tugging him up from the fountain before heading back towards the major path.

It was late enough that he wasn't really afraid of anyone seeing them, so he didn't worry about reactivating his disguise charm.

"I don't live too far from the park," Chad explained as he guided Aziz through the cultivated woods. "But it is a secret, so keep this to yourself, please."

"Right," Aziz sniffed, staring at their hands with a minor thread of confusion. "Because of the stuff with your grandfather."

"Got it in one," Chad said, ignoring the small flare of anxiety to get them into his building and then, after the discreet security check, up to the penthouse apartment. "Here," he said, herding Aziz over to the couch and tossing a knitted blanket over his lap. "Make yourself at home, I've just got to put these up."

"Okay," Aziz said, staring at the blanket before he tentatively reached down and started pulling off his shoes.

Chad left him to it, putting away the groceries in quick order before pulling out the necessary ingredients for one of the few Agraben things he knew Aziz found to be a comfort. The other prince seemed to catch onto this as Chad set a pot of whole milk onto the stove, watching as Chad started adding spices.

"What are you making?" Aziz asked, the blanket now curled around his shoulders.

"Haldi Doodh," Chad replied. "You mentioned liking it during practice once."

Probably, Chad hoped.

"I- yeah," Aziz said, seeming surprised. "You know how to make it?"

Chad shrugged. "Jay likes it too."

"You make this for Jay?"

"Sure," Chad replied, finishing with the spices and slowly whisking things together while the milk warmed. "We live together, since he decided to attend Auradon University instead of going to Sherwood."

"Oh," Aziz said, taking this information in as he looked over the apartment with new eyes, likely checking for Jay's stuff. "That's… nice."

"I like it," Chad admitted, pausing his work to retrieve a couple of mugs from the cabinet. "It's nice to have the company. Jay had been rooming at Evie's place, but I think he wanted some privacy, so here we are." He offered Aziz a grin, happy he could act as a distraction for the other teen.

"It's very clean," Aziz noted, squinting at the floor as though to check for dust. "Did you have to vet a cleaning service?"

That was what most royals ended up doing, verifying and enforcing confidentiality agreements.

Chad felt his cheeks flush. "No, that's mostly my handiwork," he admitted. "Cleaning helps with my anxiety."

"I- oh," Aziz said, blinking in surprise. "I didn't realize."

"Most don't," Chad said, shrugging. "But it's a lot better now," he said. "And Jay helps so I won't stay up late washing dishes, even though I told him it's fine."

"No, he should be pulling his weight," Aziz said. "That's only fair, Chad. And you you deserve fair."

Chad paused for a moment, not expecting the comment, then bit at his bottom lip to keep from flushing. "Thank you," he said, a little unbalanced. "Hey, I think it's done."

"Thanks," Aziz said, crossing over until he could settle on one of the stools at the breakfast bar, accepting the mug of golden milk with a small grin.

"And your back up," Chad said, sliding an extra mug next to him before serving the last of it to himself. "Anyway, I was thinking of making parmesan tilapia and mushroom risotto for dinner. Does that sound good to you? I can make something else. I could probably throw together some chicken alfredo-"

"No, that sounds good," Aziz said, taking a tentative sip of his milk and grinning at the taste. "I trust you."

"Good," Chad said, feeling contented with the offering, and sure, maybe it was because he'd found Aziz at a low moment and offered him some comfort, but whatever the reason, Chad would take it. "You just relax then; I'll take things from here."

With that, he got to work, enjoying a sip of his own milk before he threw himself into the usual preparations for dinner.

-:-:-

Things were a little awkward at first, since this version of Chad and Aziz weren't really all that close, but eventually they got into the swing of things, trading small talk that became progressively easier while Chad loaded the tilapia in the oven or stirred the risotto, prepping asparagus for roasting with a slight spritz of olive oil.

"You made this?" Aziz asked, motioning to the blanket around his shoulders, both mugs of Haldi Doodh empty beside him.

"Yeah," Chad chirped, offering him a wide grin. "Fairy Godmother taught me how to knit. It's a good way to put restless fingers to work."

"Wow," Aziz said, his awe seeming genuine as he fingered the different patterns. "That's amazing."

"It's not that impressive," Chad assured him. "Maybe a little harder than sewing, but definitely therapeutic."

"You sew?" Aziz asked, seeming surprised when he looked back to Chad.

The blond felt himself flush. "Yeah," he admitted. "My mom sewed, so I taught myself to be closer to her. I'm not that good, but I get the job done."

"That's really cool, man," Aziz said, filling Chad's chest with happiness. "We've been on the Tourney team for years together, but I feel like I didn't know a damn thing about you."

"To be fair, I was trying really hard to be what I thought people wanted," Chad admitted. "I wanted friends, but I was terrified of what would happen if they got close. What if they realized I was awful or something? So I just faked it."

All of it. Every piece of him. He'd been too afraid to do anything else, because his family already didn't talk to him, so there had to be something wrong with him.

"I'm sorry," Aziz said, and to his credit, he seemed to mean it. "I didn't realize."

"That was sort of the point," Chad allowed as he continued stirring the risotto. "Don't worry about it-"

"Hello, sexy!" Jay greeted in that joking way of his, looking high on the satisfaction of an evening with Carlos well-spent. "Sorry I'm late…" He trailed off when he caught Aziz huddled by the breakfast bar.

"Hey, Jay," Chad greeted with a wave of his hand. "I invited Aziz to join us for dinner. Don't worry, he has promised to keep our location a secret."

"Lonnie broke up with me," Aziz explained, and he didn't sound nearly as shaken up about it as he'd been before, though the pain would likely return later. "Chad took pity on me when he found me crying by the fountain."

"Not pity – friendship," Chad corrected with a pout. "I friendshipped you into our apartment." He turned his attention back towards the food. "It always sucks to be sad and alone, so I thought I'd offer."

"Because you're kind," Jay deduced, seeming to get back into action. He set his bag gently on the floor and crossed to the kitchen, wrapping an arm around Chad's waist before pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Sweetheart."

"Flatterer," Chad muttered with a flush. "Would you set the table? The food's almost done."

"I'll help," Aziz volunteered, and the two of them worked together with easy synchronicity, though Jay seemed a bit wary.

The two had always been friends as far as Chad knew, though there had been a slight strain on their relationship post-Cotillion. Jay had dated Lonnie for a bit before they'd broken things off the summer before senior year, and then when Aziz and Lonnie started dating…

Jay said it was fine, but Chad sensed that he'd been a bit hurt by the action, as little as he'd ever say it. Maybe he'd been hoping for more with Lonnie. He certainly seemed to hurt that he was the only one of the Core Four that wasn't in a committed relationship.

Still, the two of them got the table set, and soon Chad was serving them plates and thanking them for the iced tea, the three of them settling around the table. This time Jay sat beside him, the Agraben making use of his ambidexterity to eat with his left hand so he could hold Chad's hand with his right.

It was kind of cute the way he looked for a little reassurance, and Chad was happy to give it to him.

"Holy shit," Aziz said after he'd taken a bite of tilapia. "This is fucking delicious."

"Isn't it?" Jay asked, seeming to preen on Chad's behalf.

"Thanks, Aziz," Chad murmured, his cheeks flaring with warmth. "I'm glad you like it."

"If I buy you groceries, can I join you more often?" Aziz asked, unrepentant. "Because my attempts at making food are pitiful, and my mom will only allow me to order out so much."

"Sure," Chad laughed. "I could also teach you some stuff, if you wanted."

"Your generosity will not be forgotten," Aziz hummed, and it threw Chad a little, the comment taking him back to his other life, where he was commonly known as generous when he was just being decent. Of just doing what Ben would have done.

"It's just friendship, Aziz," Chad said, feeling a bit flustered as he stared down at his plate, and for whatever reason, Jay squeezed his hand, so maybe Chad had done something right after all.

-:-:-

The others insisted on washing the dishes once dinner was finished, so Chad spent that time setting Aziz's shoes by the door and delivering Jay's bag into what had become their room. And then, when he still had time to kill, he went ahead and turned down his room for Aziz's use, in case he ended up spending the night.

He hadn't had time to make chocolate chip cookies, so they ended up in front of the tv with bowls of ice cream as they watched the latest Swords and Shields match, Aziz and Jay talking about the preseason Tourney games that would be taking place shortly.

"You're out of your mind if you think Sardinia has a shot at the finals this year," Aziz muttered around a mouthful of ice cream.

"I don't know," Jay hummed, one arm casually looped around Chad's shoulder, his fingers tangling in Chad's soft curls. "Sardinia has been known to surprise us."

Chad flushed, focusing on his bowl of ice cream. "You don't have to be nice just because I fed you, Jay," he muttered. "I know my kingdom's Tourney team is awful."

This earned a guffaw from Aziz, so overall, Chad considered it a win. Leaning against Jay's side, having another tentative friend present- that was as good as gold to him.

Two matches later, it was unquestionably late and Aziz was getting tenser by the minute.

Because loneliness, you know, it was sort of awful.

"You can stay the night in my room, if you want," Chad said, motioning towards it with his ice cream bowl. "I can bunk with Jay."

As though he did not do that always.

This made both the Agrabens still in surprise, though Chad was more shocked by the tentative look Aziz shot Jay. "Would that be okay?"

Jay paused, then let out a small huff. "Of course," he said. "Let me get you some stuff to sleep in."

"You're free to use any of the toiletries in the bathroom," Chad offered, making Aziz flush for some reason.

"Okay," Aziz said, carding a hand through his hair. "Thank you, I- thanks."

"Don't mention it," Jay said, and Chad had the feeling he meant that literally.

-:-:-

Because of his time with the other Ben and his nightmares, with Carlos and the others, Chad was awake the moment he heard the muffled sounds of sobs carrying through the walls.

Jay, even after years of living in Auradon, still had his own survival mechanisms that had him awake as well, though Chad could tell he was staying still for the prince's benefit.

Chad squinted at the clock, saw it was about three in the morning, and paused to listen once more.

A few moments later, there was another muffled sob, like Aziz was trying desperately to hold it in but just couldn't.

Immediately, Chad was sitting up, shoving the blankets down so he could slip out of bed.

"Chad," Jay began, not seeming to know how to finish the statement.

"He's our friend," Chad whispered. "I know he probably hurt you by dating Lonnie, but that doesn't change the fact that he's a legitimately good guy who's legitimately hurting right now, and if we can help him- I mean, if I can-"

Jay sighed. "Come on," he said, sliding out of bed. "Let's go cuddle him better."

"Thank you," Chad said, pausing to kiss his cheek before they exited the room. "I will give you an awesome blowjob for this later."

"Chad," Jay whined, as though Chad was cruel for tempting him with such things.

"You deserve it," Chad chirped before taking Jay's hand and tugging him back into his bedroom.

Aziz stilled as soon as they opened the door, but Chad ignored this, motioning for Jay to take the far side of the bed as he slipped under the blankets in front of Aziz, who had both hands pressed to his mouth.

"It's okay," Chad soothed, gently tugging those hands away and letting Aziz curl against his chest. "It's okay to hurt. Go ahead and let it out."

"I'm sorry," Aziz croaked as Jay wrapped around his back, the Agraben prince gasping and looking back at him with wide eyes. "Jay, I'm so sorry. I hurt you, I hurt- but I thought- I really thought she was the one."

"I know," Jay sighed, wrapping an arm around Aziz's waist, making the prince's breath hitch. "I know, buddy. I thought the same thing."

Aziz let out a ragged sob. "We're so stupid," he gasped. "She always said she was too young to settle down."

"We're just romantics at heart," Jay said. "We got hopeful. That's on us."

"Which sucks," Aziz sighed. "I have no one to blame but myself."

"You could wait for her to date someone else," Jay offer. "Blame him. That's what I did."

"Jay," Chad hissed, but Aziz let out a startled laugh, so he guessed it was okay.

"That's fair," Aziz muttered. "I shouldn't have- but when she dumped you-"

"Lonnie dumped you?" Chad asked, because he hadn't known that.

Jay tensed for a moment, then sighed. "I was going too fast," he admitted. "All the others- I mean-"

"Yeah," Aziz sniffed, seeming to get it. "They're totally the marry your high school sweetheart type."

"But Lonnie's not," Jay said. "So she broke up with me, even though she told everyone it was mutual."

"And I knew that," Aziz sighed. "But I just thought, you know, maybe she had the wrong Agraben."

"You've been friends with Lonnie for a long time," Chad pointed out, because even Chad had known about the lifetime friendship of the Agraben prince and the generals' daughter.

"So stupid," Aziz repeated. "You're right, I am a hopeless romantic."

"Look, you'll find someone for you one day," Chad said, letting his fingers card through Aziz's hair. "Someone who's an even better fit for you than Lonnie. Or maybe you'll find multiple people and you'll all love each other – whatever happens, just know that this is temporary. That it's okay to hurt now, but it's a temporary hurt."

Both the other teens seemed to freeze, making Chad wonder if he'd misspoke.

"Multiple people?" Aziz echoed, sounding shocked. "What do you mean?"

"You know, like polyamory," Chad said. "Like the pirates."

"What pirates?" Aziz asked, making Chad realize that maybe not everyone knew about the Sea Three.

"You know, Uma and her guys," Chad said. "Gil and Harry? They helped save Auradon."

"The pirates are dating?" Jay asked, seeming gobsmacked by this suggestion.

Enough to send a thread of panic through Chad's chest. "Are they not?"

"I don't know," Jay admitted. "I never really asked. I thought Uma and Harry had something, maybe, but it's hard to tell with people fresh off the Isle."

Because the Isle was a horrible place where people were trained to repress their feelings lest they be used against them.

"Well, whether they're doing it or not doesn't mean you can't," Chad decided. "So just know you have options."

"I have options to date more than one person," Aziz echoed, and at least he seemed more confused now than sad. "Would you do that?"

Chad felt himself flush, and was grateful for the relative darkness that hid it. "I think I'd have enough trouble just getting one person," he admitted. "After Audrey…"

He shuddered, because he'd been so dedicated, so blind, and it was hard to trust himself, difficult when he'd been foolish enough to give himself over to Ben, finding love because it was his first meaningful, positive relationship.

The other two tensed again, but then Aziz was nodding. "I get it," he said, wrapping a tentative arm around Chad's waist. "It's hard to trust it."

"Exactly," Chad sighed. "I want to, and I know one day I will, but right now, I'm- I'm happy finding my way again, I think."

"That's fair," Jay said, making Chad grin with relief.

"And a good idea," Aziz said. "Think I'll try it out myself."

"Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," Jay hummed. "That mediocrity can pay to greatness, I mean."

"Fuck off, Jay," Aziz grumbled, and just like that, things were easy again, the three of them cuddling together until sleep found them once more, for once, blissfully uncomplicated.

-:-:-

Chad woke up with a certain hardness pressing against his thigh, which was not an uncommon occurrence.

Then he opened his eyes and realized the morning wood in question belonged to Aziz rather than Jay, which was distinctly new. Chad should probably pull his hips back then; he'd been enjoying grinding against what he'd thought was Jay's usual muscle.

"Oh hell," Aziz grumbled because he'd woken up around the same time as Chad, his gaze going wide as he looked down at his crotch as though it had betrayed him. "I'm sorry-"

He shifted his hips back and froze, gaze going wide as he looked over his shoulder to Jay, who was also frozen in shock.

Talk about a rock and a hard place.

Chad swallowed down a laugh. "This isn't a big deal, guys," he said, pushing the covers down so he could sit up. "We're all adults, we all get morning wood, it's fine."

"Right," Aziz said, sitting up in flustered movement, continuing to shoot glances down towards the bulge of his groin with growing concern. "But um- usually it goes away by now."

"What, having trouble staying interested, Aziz?" Jay asked, sliding into the shield of smugness he used when he was feeling off balance.

Aziz tensed. "That might have been one of the issues I was having with Lonnie," he admitted. "But I thought it was, you know, a biological problem."

"Maybe you were just looking at the wrong gender," Jay offered.

"Or maybe your body was trying to tell you something," Chad said, shooting Jay an exasperated look. "It doesn't really matter. I'm glad you're feeling back to normal."

"Chad," Aziz whined, twitching in the confines of his clothing and whining again when he realized Chad's gaze had dropped. "Um…"

"Evil, Aziz," Jay muttered. "Just go whack one off in the bathroom."

"Be nice, Jay," Chad tutted. "Maybe he wants help."

Aziz froze. "What?"

"I help you out all the time," Chad continued, making Jay flush. "There's no reason we can't do that for Aziz."

"What?" Aziz gasped staring back at Jay. "You guys- do you-?"

"It's not a big deal," Chad informed him. "But it is private, so we'd appreciate if you kept it to yourself."

"I'd- you'd help me?" Aziz asked, trying hard not to look hopeful.

Behind him, Jay seemed to be the same way and was torn over his indecision, though Chad could see that he was still going strong, so to speak.

"We would," Chad corrected. "Just let us know if we're doing something you don't like." He turned his attention to the other teen. "Jay, lie down."

Jay was too cool to flail, but it looked like he wanted to. "What?"

"Lie down," Chad sighed, pushing on Jay's chest until he got the hint and reclined back against his pillows. "Aziz – pants off."

"Um." Aziz's flush darkened.

"You don't have to do this if you don't want to," Chad said. "But it's kind of nice."

"No, I'll um- I'll just-" Aziz fumbled out of his pants, flushing when he was done.

Chad lost a moment to watch the way his length strained against his boxer briefs, a small damp spot forming on the very tip, before he gathered himself. "Straddle Jay's legs, would you?"

"Chad," Jay said, shooting him a pitiful look.

"Um- like this?" Aziz asked, awkwardly moving into position.

Chad grinned at him. "Perfect." With that, he reached into the nightstand, pulling out the lube Jay had begun to stash there before he hooked his fingers into the waist of Jay's clothes and dragged them down in a swift movement, making both of them gasp.

"Um," Aziz said, and then he was croaking again when Chad tugged his underwear down.

"You both have the same parts," Chad reminded them with a sigh before he lubed up his hand, and then he was reaching between them squirting more lube onto both of them before he took their lengths and pumped them together.

"Fuck," Aziz hissed, dark flush spilling across the bridge of his nose as he twitched against Jay's member. "Jay."

"Just like that, sweetheart," Chad said, grinning at Aziz's response. "He wants to hear how much you like it."

"D-Don't," Aziz gasped. "You can't-"

"Sure can," Chad said, repositioning Aziz so that he was posed over Jay, the two of them forced to look into each other's flushed expressions, bringing them close enough to kiss, if they chose to. "You feel so good in my hands. Both my boys so pretty when they rut together."

That earned rough moans from both of them, Jay's eyes fluttering shut as he shuddered hard against the bed.

"Jay," Aziz whined. "Jay, you feel- oh, Light."

"I-Imagined doing this during Tourney," Jay gasped, making Chad blink. "Except I was um- usually r-rutting you two together."

"Light," Aziz repeated. "Jay. Jay."

"Just like that," Chad coaxed. "Jay, tell Aziz how pretty you think he is."

"Chad," Jay whined, pulsing hard in his hand. "Please-"

"He thinks you're very pretty," Chad informed him. "Stared at your ass all the time."

"Stared at yours too," Aziz gasped, making Chad swallow a giggle. "Always denied it, though."

"Asshole," Jay muttered before taking Aziz's hips in his hands, taking control so he could grind the prince down against him, making Aziz wail. "Like that?"

"Jay," Aziz croaked, twitching hard, the two of them making a mess of clear slick that smeared across Chad's fingers, across their pelvises.

"Don't want guys, my ass," Jay muttered, like he was referencing some kind of earlier conversation Chad didn't know about.

"Just-" Aziz gasped. "There weren't any gay royal couples."

"So much for being adventurous," Jay hissed, moving with enough fervor that Chad's hand was no longer needed, the blond content to watch them go at it. "Sing for me, sweetheart."

"Jay," Aziz whined twitching hard. "I'm gonna-"

"Do it," Jay ordered with a growl. "You're gonna pleasure Chad next. Thank him for his generosity."

"Fuck!" Aziz crooned, head falling back as he fell to pieces, hot bursts of slick unloading onto Jay's chest.

That was when Chad snuck back in, pumping him until Aziz was completely spent before turning his attention to Jay, who let out a low string of curses.

"Chad," Jay croaked when Aziz flopped down beside them, watching with half-lidded eyes as Chad worked Jay over. "Chad. Chad. I- let me touch you."

"I think my baby boy wants to be pleased more," Chad hummed, grinning at the way Jay moaned and twitched. "Do you like it when Aziz watches you? Like how he gets to see you be so pretty?"

"Chad," Jay mewled, biting at his bottom lip when he fell apart, moaning his way through it when Chad pumped him dry.

"Holy shit," Aziz said when Jay was spent. "You like surrendering to Chad?"

"Shut up," Jay muttered, cheeks dusted in a flush. "You do too."

"It's more of a surprise from you," Aziz said.

"Hey," Chad interrupted. "We don't kink shame here."

"Nope," Jay agreed, seeming to gather some of his bearings, at least enough to sneak an arm around Chad's waist and drag the blond into the V of his legs as he sat up. "Now, get to work, Aziz."

"Okay," the Agraben said instead of objecting, and then he was fumbling a hand into Chad's underwear, giving him a cautious squeeze before shoving his clothes out of the way, both Jay and Aziz stopping to admire him for some reason.

"Guys," Chad whined. "I have the same equipment as you."

"Yeah, but yours is a lot prettier," Aziz said, and then he got to work awkwardly giving Chad a handjob.

It wasn't the smoothest thing in the world, making Chad realize that Aziz hadn't likely been with a guy before, but it was enthusiastically delivered, Jay contented to pepper the side of Chad's neck with kisses until he was sucking a mark just under his ear.

"Yes," Aziz said, watching both of them with half-lidded eyes. "Yeah, this is- yeah."

"So articulate," Jay muttered, making Aziz roll his eyes until he leaned forward and planted an awkward kiss on Jay's lips.

Chad giggled until Aziz did the same with him, and it was- it was nice, he decided, it was very-

"Hey," Jay huffed, turning Chad's head so he could kiss him as well. "Sharing is caring."

"It can be fun," Aziz giggled, and this was certainly not the post-breakup morning Chad had experienced, but he was glad Aziz got something better, got laughs and care shared in friendship.

He really did deserve it.

"Ugh," Aziz said when it was over, both he and Jay seeming determined to clean everything off of Chad, caressing and stroking everywhere. "You guys have ruined me."

"Sorry not sorry," Jay muttered under his breath. "So, can we expect you for dinner tonight?"

"Yeah," Aziz laughed. "I think you very much can."

"I'm glad you're feeling better, Aziz," Chad said honestly, and apparently he was feeling so much better that he and Jay felt the need to jerk Chad off again together, trading kisses that slowly but surely became less awkward, though the intensity never dwindled.

So.

That was a nice development.

-:-:-

It seemed that Aziz became a bit of a fixture in their apartment after that. Chad had gotten used to Jay's schedule with Tourney camp on the weekdays lasting until about three, with time spent at Evie's with the others until around dinner time, when he'd return to the penthouse.

Aziz, however, had a student's schedule, which mean he often got back sooner, or visited for breaks between his classes, so often he'd walk in on Chad organizing some function or other, though the blond was always happy for his company.

"Planning parties?" he'd asked once Chad had explained it.

"Among other things," the blond said. "But it's a secret."

"Right," Aziz hummed. "I remember them mentioning something about the new party planner wishing to remain on the downlow. You've left Ben quite intrigued, you know."

Chad made a face, unable to help himself. "Hopefully he'll get distracted by something else soon."

Aziz seemed to take comfort in their presence, so it wasn't long before Chad was fixing up one of the guest rooms for his express usage.

"You can at least keep your clothes and toiletries in here," he explained. "Jay and I usually bunk together, though."

"Makes it easier to have sexy times?" Aziz asked with a shy grin, gaze pointedly aimed elsewhere.

"I guess," Chad said. "We mostly do it because it's nice."

"I can't deny that," Aziz admitted.

After that first night, it wasn't an unfamiliar occurrence for Aziz to climb into their bed, but Jay tried to insist that Chad be in the middle.

"Guys," Chad huffed when they seemed to be having a stare down over this. "We can take turns being in the middle, it's fine."

Aziz flushed. "Maybe we are really looking forward to cuddling you."

Chad filed that away with a grin. "Maybe we like cuddling you too, Aziz," he said. "And we'd enjoy cuddling Jay."

Jay's cheeks darkened, the Agraben chewing on his bottom lip like he was prepared to deny this.

"You don't think so?" Chad said, quirking a brow on him. "I think someone needs a demonstration."

"Chad," Jay whined, seeming to sense what he was getting at, but then Chad was recruiting Aziz to help him strip Jay's clothes off, so it wasn't that big a problem. "Guys," Jay moaned when Chad pulled him into his lap, urged his legs wide like an open invitation that Aziz couldn't tear his gaze away from, the other prince happy to crawl between those legs and run his hands up Jay's thighs, his focus entirely on the wet length stirring to life against Jay's stomach. "Y-You don't have to-"

"You can lick him," Chad offered, smirking into the curve of Jay's shoulder, and it was almost comical how fast Aziz bent down, clumsily licking at Jay's warm flesh until both of them were whimpering.

The end result had Jay falling apart on Aziz's face, who looked absolutely debauched with Jay's release staining his cheeks, clumping in his hair. Jay moaned his embarrassment into the shelter of his hands, though he perked up when Chad started peeling Aziz's pants and underwear down to reveal a mess of his own, entirely unaided by their hands.

"And you thought it was biological?" Jay countered with a huff while Chad got to work licking Aziz clean.

"I was trying very hard for monogamy," Aziz sputtered. "How was I supposed to know it wouldn't work?"

"Trial and error, my friends," Chad said, giving Aziz's hip a few pats. "You have made a mess of your clothes, though, so I think as punishment you'll have to sleep without them."

"Chad," Aziz whimpered, but he didn't fight Jay when the other teen pulled his shirt off, leaving him wonderfully bare.

Chad had been a bit worried about how adding Aziz to their intimate interactions would work, but it seemed to be for not, because the other prince only seemed to make things easier with Jay. Or at least, more playful. There was no question as to whether Jay was comfortable doing things with Chad, the Agraben had made things clear that he was more than willing to subject himself to the blond's hands, but Aziz seemed to make him more… coy? Or at the very least, more assertive.

With Chad, he seemed to spend a lot of time in awe that they were even doing stuff together. With Aziz, he felt like more of an authority, so he didn't hesitate to take charge and leave the other prince moaning.

"And this is what you guys do?" Aziz asked after one of their early morning sessions, all of them panting and loose and happy. "You hang out and cuddle and have sex?"

"Yes," Jay rumbled, carding a hand through Aziz's hair.

"This is fucking awesome," Aziz said, flushing dark. "And you'd let me know if I was getting in the way?"

"You're not," Chad hummed, reaching down to toy with his length. "And I think I need to punish you for considering such a thing."

With that, he bent low to take Aziz into his mouth again, Jay cackling at how quickly the other prince seemed to get worked up.

It wasn't all sex, of course. They also had cuddles and easy kisses and fun times out – the same way Chad had when it was just him and Jay. They'd go enjoy picnics in the private back acres of Evie's immense property or they'd see movies together from the last row. They'd eat in private dining rooms and watch Tourney games piled together on the couch in a comfortable tangle of limbs, and it was nice.

They'd come home and greet Chad with kisses and hugs, they'd pull him away from his work when he was getting buried too deep. They were there for each other when they had nightmares or doubts or concerns for the future. It was something Chad had never been strong enough to hope for, and yet, he had it now.

So that was something.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

Literally no one is ready for hurricane Chad, lol.

Story notes:

Haldi Doodh is a spiced milk drink from India, also known as golden milk because of the added turmeric. Because Agrabah technically has no country of inspiration, I figured it would be okay to borrow the beverage.

Until next time :)