Chapter 30 – Friday Night Board Games

-:-:-

It was a natural progression that had the group visiting Evie's cottage.

Chad had staunchly avoided the place under the excuse of maintaining a low profile, but ever since his new relationship had been exposed to the public that had been deemed a moot point, and with the added focus of Mal and Ben, Chad's greatest detriments had been removed, thus leaving him without an argument when the others wanted to visit the princess for game night.

"Fairy Godmother misses me," Chad offered in a valiant rally, but Uma quirked one brow at him and he knew he was done.

"You're going," she said, unimpressed. "You want to go, and you're going."

"Besides, there's only like, three people there you're uncertain about," Jay offered more consolingly. "The majority is on your side, so just stick with one of us if you feel worried."

"Not that you need to be," Uma said, and then she took the proactive route of helping Chad pick out an outfit because she knew that would settle his nerves. At least, as much as they were ever settled.

Chad knew he was making a big deal for nothing. That Carlos and Jane and Doug weren't invested in him enough to give a shit about his presence. He knew the transfer students Evie had hosted at the beginning of summer were now down to just Dizzy, the other three staying with their families in the new refugee housing, and Dizzy was the epitome of nonjudgmental. They had interacted a little with Evie's encouragement – Dizzy texting Chad pictures of her designs and projects while Chad sent back images of his knitting projects and food he made.

He hadn't picked up sewing again since coming back to this world, and in truth, he didn't know if he could. He'd pass a fabric shop and a blue and yellow fabric would catch his eye, leaving his hands itching to create something for Ben or Duke Adam. He wanted to make gifts for Dizzy and Evie and Gil, for Jane and Fairy Godmother, but it was too much like the Other World. Perhaps that was a hobby he could just let die. He was pretty sure his mother wouldn't mind, not when he had knitting to fill the void.

Still, conversations with Dizzy were… not painful, exactly, but she was warier of him this time around, as she should be, and maybe it hurt not to get her entirely unrestrained enthusiasm and love. He didn't deserve that, he knew that much, and yet, he still longed for it.

By the time Friday – their usual game night – rolled around, Chad was terribly nervous and trying hard not to be, and as a result Ben ended up glued to his side, feeling compelled to offer comfort when one of his mates was hurting. Other Ben had explained it once, or at least something like it, so that was why Chad assumed Ben was nearby.

Which probably didn't do a lot to help Chad maintain a low profile, but whatever, the beginning of game night was easy. They got food and exchanged small talk and unwound from the week, making a pointed effort not to discuss work unless they were ranting about obstinate coworkers.

Chad ended up curled in Ben's lap despite his best efforts, though he couldn't deny that he appreciated the comfort, the two of them sharing a plate of snacks while Carlos caught up with Ben, the young De Ville seeming entirely confused by the exchange but polite enough not to mention it.

"The last Tourney camp wraps up next week, and then the kids will be integrated into schools," Carlos said, nibbling carefully at one of Jane's fruit skewers. "Part of the camps was designed to help get the kids acclimated to a fulltime learning environment, get them more accustomed to structured education and rules and stuff, but I can't help but be worried."

Chad nodded along, because he'd helped designed some of those components that were taught in the later stages of the camps, though he had to admit the design of the camps themselves – with scheduled blocks for different learning segments – was already a good transition tool to get the Isle kids used to the more structured way of Auradon living.

"It's a fair concern," Ben said, nuzzling Chad's shoulder. "We can only trust that we've done everything we can to prepare them, and hope that our teachings hold."

"I know," Carlos sighed, shoulders slumping in exhaustion. Despite helping with a seemingly fun pastime of a sports camp, Carlos' duties had been much more involved that they seemed, especially when he was tasked with helping the Isle kids understand their new rights and privileges. As such, he seemed desperate for a change of subject, so his gaze shifted over to Chad, who'd been quiet for the duration of the conversation. "What have you been up to, Chad?"

"Pardon?" Chad asked, pretending he hadn't been paying full attention when he very much had been.

"Jay says you work from the home, but he never mentioned what you actually did," Carlos elaborated.

Because they were trying to be friendly, and Chad's last great interaction with Carlos had been an accidental interruption of the young De Ville's date, Chad tried to give him a vague answer. "Just some organizing," he said, offering a fond smile. "Duchess Belle was kind enough to give me some busy work until school starts up in the fall."

"What kind of busywork?" Carlos asked, forever relentless once his curiosity was spiked.

Chad shrugged. "Nothing important," he said. "I help her team out with some of the events they've been planning over the summer. Really, I'm more like a personal shopper."

"What do you shop for?" Carlos pressed, and honestly, Chad didn't know why he was so interested.

"I get quotes from different vendors," Chad said. "For food and stuff. Flowers. Things like that."

"If you're working with Duchess Belle's team, do you know who the new event planner is?" Carlos asked, reminding Chad that was, in fact, still something people cared about.

Chad froze, and Ben registered that tension with a stillness of his own. "They'd um- rather keep their identity a secret."

"So you do know," Carlos pressed. "Come on, Chad, you've got to give us the deets-"

"It's you," Ben rumbled, and when Chad looked up to him, it was to see that the king's pupils were dilated again, the brunette wearing a particularly beastly expression he didn't usually dawn in public. "You're the new planner."

"Ben-" Chad began, entirely unsure how he would proceed, but then the king was kissing him, pulling him into deep, needy things that left Chad shivering.

When Ben leaned back, he was rumbling, his forehead pressed against Chad's so he could stare into his eyes. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"It's not a big deal," Chad insisted, feeling his cheeks flush horribly.

"Wait," Carlos spoke up. "You actually think- Ben, there's no way the new planner's Chad."

"I could call my mom right now," Ben rumbled, ducking his head so he could murmur into the curve of Chad's neck. "Confirm it, but I already know it's true."

"Ben," Chad said, shaky and overwhelmed.

"Light, Chad," Ben purred, and from the corner of his eye, Chad could see Carlos shiver. "How could you make me love you more?"

Chad wished he wouldn't say things like that, offer out casual hope so easily, but there it was, resolute and refusing to be ignored.

"I need-" Ben growled, undoing the top buttons of Chad's shirt so he could start sucking new marks against tan skin. "I need you. I need-"

"Ben," Chad gasped. "It's um- game night."

"Fuck game night," Ben growled. "How can I even think of that at a time like this?"

"Hey," and that was Mal's voice, the queen to-be sliding into their group because they'd started gaining attention. "Why are you going all beasty?"

"Chad is the new party planner," Ben rumbled. "He's the one that's pushed for all the additional refugee programs and training sessions."

"What?" Mal asked, her eyes flaring green. "He is?"

"Yes," Ben growled. "I need-"

"We need," Mal hissed, and then she was boxing in Chad's other side, moving to untuck his shirt in sharp movements while sucking a mark just under his jaw. "Share."

"Yes, sorry," Ben panted. "We can-"

"Guys?" Evie's approach was calm and dignified, as though Ben and Mal would feel inclined to mimic her if she just projected a strong enough air of calm.

Which, naturally, did not work.

"They think Chad's the new party planner," Carlos explained, a light blush dusting the bridge of his nose.

"He is," Evie said, making both Ben and Mal freeze.

"You knew?" Mal hissed in a voice that didn't quite seem human.

Evie, never one to back down, merely glared at her in response. "He wanted to keep that private."

"I should bite you," Mal growled, blinking sort of cutely when Evie merely whapped the top of her head with two fingers.

"You should not," Evie said sagely. "Look, if this is happening, you should take it up to one of the guest rooms, okay? There are young eyes present."

Dizzy, Chad's cousin, she was-

"Damn right we are taking this upstairs," Uma snarled, her voice bordering on inhuman as well because at some point, she had shown up. "You didn't think to tell us?"

"Easy," Jay said, wrapping a careful arm around her waist that Uma only glared at him a little for. "You know how shy he is."

"Chad is not shy," Carlos said, somewhat bewildered. "He's the least shy person there is."

"The fact you think that proves how little you know him," Uma spat. "Fine. Fine. But no more secrets."

"And instant ravishment," Mal purred nipping at Chad's throat. "Please."

"Um- okay," Chad said, because he had a feeling this was going to happen one way or another, and that was how he came be carried from the room by Ben, Mal and Uma following hot on his heels.

What followed was… very intense, because Chad had only ever been with Ben when he was feeling more beast than human. He had not done the same with Mal or Uma, and now he had all three of them at the same time, and where he was worried their dominant personalities would conflict with each other, they seemed too determined to properly dote on Chad to consider fighting with each other. They worked in perfect tandem to strip him out of the clothes he and Uma had spent so long picking out, each of them determined to kiss and caress and pet until he was aroused from that alone. Ben wasted no time kissing down his chest, lapping at his length while Mal toyed with his sack and Uma sucked dark marks across his chest, making extra certain to toy with his nipples until they were flushed and swollen.

"Guys," Chad moaned when Ben started swallowing him down, Mal reaching under him with a glowing hand that she expertly nudged between his cheeks, and while Chad had seen her do that in the other world, this was his first time experiencing the surge of magic make his entrance wet and stretched and oh-so sensitive, leaving him crooning helplessly as she started fucking him with her fingers.

Uma swallowed every sound he made, intent to pull him into increasingly filthy kisses while Mal sucked marks against his neck, his shoulders, her fingers finding a certain spot that left Chad crowing, had him twitching horribly into the warmth of Ben's mouth and desperate for more, and she gave it to him.

Chad came twice like that, and while he felt guilty about how little they seemed to be getting from it, he knew from the Other World that these three got just as much from doting as they did receiving.

It was a bit of a relief when Chad was finally eased into a warm bath Uma had run for him, the blond thinking things were over until Uma lowered a glowing hand into the water, making the entire bath seem to stir to life in a swirl of energy that immediately poured into Chad. That was enough to leave him gasping, legs spread wide and head thrown back because he was being pleasured everywhere the water touched. His nipples were tweaked and fondled relentlessly, his length sucked and pumped and toyed with until he let out hopeless mewls. His entrance – still sensitive from Mal's treatment, was teased until he found himself getting fucked once more, and Chad didn't even care for the strangeness of it all because it felt so good, even if it was overwhelming.

"Uma," he croaked as he felt himself fall apart. "Uma, please."

"You need rewards," she purred against his lips, the other two marking up his neck and shoulders. "You are such a thoughtful thing, and we didn't see it."

"Uma!" Chad moaned, her and Mal's combined energies prolonging his stamina past its normal bounds.

He didn't know how long this went on, but eventually he was crying overwhelmed tears, everything oversensitive and too good for too long.

"Can- can we stop?" Chad gasped, and immediately the waters stilled, the three of them ceasing their movements until they were just cuddling him, nosing his shoulder and combing hands through his curls and leaving him deliciously spent.

"We'll talk about this later," Uma declared, pressing a soft kiss to his shoulder. "When we're more human."

"Fuck," Ben groaned, and when Chad looked over, it was to see the groin of his slacks darkened with a telling wetness.

"Yeah, we're not much better, bub," Mal murmured as she fanned herself, aiming a lazy grin at her fiancé.

"I'm teleporting us all back to the apartment so we can get cleaned up," Uma declared. "Though someone should probably stay behind with Chad. I think he's done for the night."

"Sorry," Chad slurred, exhaustion seeming to claim him in full force now that he was settled.

"Yeah, definitely not your fault, sweetums," Mal said, petting his hair. "You did good."

"Can't believe this bullshit," Uma muttered. "You've been working on your damn tablet for weeks and I didn't even know what you were doing." She let out a small huff. "I'm ravishing you with my tentacles later."

Chad tried to swallow his whimper, but based on the small smile tugging at her lips, he was not entirely successful.

"Lots of ravishment," Ben agreed with a rumble. "Dibs on staying with him."

"Like fuck, you are," Mal groused. "You already got him all evening! It's someone else's turn."

"Assholes," Uma huffed. "Jay's going to stay with him, because if one of us stays, the rest of us will be obnoxious dillweeds for the rest of the evening."

"This is true," Mal agreed somewhat sagely. "I'll text him now."

"You should cuddle the others too," Chad offered. "They probably felt a little bad for missing out."

"I will inform them of their future dotings," Ben promised. "When we come home, we will ravish them properly."

"So many pretties," Mal giggled, sharing a high five with Ben.

"Honestly, it's a wonder you two thought you could go on alone," Uma huffed. "You are lucky I like sharing my treasures."

"Yes," Ben rumbled. "We most certainly are."

-:-:-

Jay took his assigned duty as Chad's pillow very seriously, guiding him through a shower that ended with Chad mostly splayed against him, the blond unsteady on his feet. As exhausted as he was, he still demanded a private performance from Jay once the Agraben settled him into bed, because now that they were stationary, he could sense the other teen's unease.

"You don't have to indulge me," Jay said, carding a hand through Chad's hair as he dragged the blanket over him. "Let me just grab my tablet and I can cuddle with you-"

"Jay," Chad interrupted, giving him as firm a look his exhaustion would allow him to muster. "I want to see your dick in your hand, and if you don't hurry up, you'll have to model that pretty set of nipple clamps you got just for Harry."

"Chad," Jay whined, shifting uneasily. "You really don't have to-"

"I'm not so tired that I can't tug on a chain," Chad insisted. "Put those bad boys on right now, I wanna text Harry a picture of what he's missing."

Jay moaned, but rushed to follow Chad's orders, croaking every time Chad tugged on the thin chain that attached the pretty pink clamps to one another.

"Chad," Jay groaned as he pumped himself steadily, his groin a mess of slick after Chad had squirted on a deluge of lubricant that made Jay flush. "Light, I'm so lucky."

"Me too," Chad agreed. "I'm really glad you decided to reconnect with me. And that you wanted to live with me, and you didn't freak out the first time we shared a bed together."

"Like I was um- going to do that," Jay gasped. "Evil, when you shoved my hand between your legs, I thought I was going to lose it then and there."

"Could you show me?" Chad tried to purr, and there was a good chance Jay fell apart not long after, releasing a beautiful sound that Chad would hold onto for weeks to come.

"I can't believe we can have this," Jay murmured after he'd cleaned up, slipping into bed so he could tuck Chad firmly against his side. "Was it like this in the other world?"

"Um- no," Chad said somewhat sleepily, not really focusing on what he was saying. "I mean, there were orgies, but I think Mal was dating you, and Doug wanted to be with Jane and Carlos, so it… I fixed it, though."

"Yeah," Jay said after a pause, his tone unreadable. "You really did."

-:-:-

Chad was awoken sometime later by a grumpy Harry climbing into bed behind him, freshly showered and dark marks littering his jaw – likely Ben's handiwork. "Fuck ye and your dumb pictures," he snapped. "I thought those clamps were for me."

"Sharing is caring, Harry," Chad grumbled, offering the first mate a sleepy smile as he plastered himself to Chad's back. "Did you get excited?"

"Ben sucked him off in the bathroom!" Gil chirped as he crawled in behind Harry, a proud looking Ben standing behind him, meaning Uma had given him and Mal permission to join them for once. She must be in a really good mood, then. "Harry's just embarrassed because he was noisy, but Dizzy had gone to her room by then, so it wasn't as big a deal as he thought it was."

"It's a big deal when it's my presents on the line," Harry sniffed, burying his head against the crook of Chad's shoulder while Uma and Mal herded a mostly out of it Aziz into bed.

"It's okay," Chad yawned. "We can get you a new set, and then you and Jay can show them off together."

Mal let out an appreciative purr that indicated her stance on that suggestion, and there was no missing the slight shiver that went through Harry's body.

"Don't try to sweet talk me now," he muttered.

"Wouldn't dream of it," Chad pledged before he drifted back off to sleep, grateful for the return of his loves, for the completion he hadn't allowed himself before. Somehow, he'd managed to find his way to his own perfect world, and he hadn't even needed a spellbook.

-:-:-

Uma let them sleep in a little so they could have discussions the next morning, which mostly devolved into the others grilling Chad over the extent of his duties, the thought process behind them, making him outline his reasoning out of what Chad initially assumed was doubt in his abilities, but then he realized they were proud, that they wanted details so they could know how much to appreciate him, which was an entirely overwhelming prospect in itself.

"And now I know why you didn't want to plan our wedding," Mal declared as they cleared away breakfast, the half-Fae pausing to press a kiss to Gil's cheek or nip at Aziz's shoulder. "You weren't some older socialite that was like, politely objecting to us getting married, you literally did not have the experience."

"Right," Chad said, allowing her assumptions to stand as truths.

"Well, that's probably for the best now, anyway," Mal decided with a wave of her hand. "Seeing as you're going to be part of the wedding now, and it would be shitty to make you do that much work for your own big day."

Chad froze, because he felt like they were halfway through a conversation that hadn't, in fact, ever occurred, leaving him terribly listless and drifting as he tried to process those words.

"Evil, Poser," Uma spoke up, rolling her eyes. "Is that your way of proposing? You're not even officially dating us yet."

"You think we're going to let you go?" Mal growled, Ben echoing the action with his own rumble. "Fuck no, we're not. You guys balance us in a way we never managed before. We love each other – that isn't a question, and we love each other deeply, but we need people to take care of. People to come home to who can make us slowdown, who can let us be cranky and growly and not run the other way. I will gladly go onto the many reasons why each of you is amazing and why we are lucky to be a part of this, lucky that you even gave us the time of day – but I can say now that no matter what happens, Ben and I are entirely dedicated to you. We can go as slow as you want, date as long as you want, but we will be dedicated to you, and not just to fucking some of you – but every one of you, and if one of you tries to back away, thinking they're being kept out of obligation, Aziz," Mal growled, aiming a fierce stare at the Agraben prince. "Then we will be forced to hunt you down and rectify this gross misconception, because you are ours, and you are wanted."

"Now that's a proposal I can get behind," Uma murmured in the silence that followed, which was enough to leave Mal grinning, her eyes glowing bright. "You got some rings to go along with those fancy words?"

"We do," Ben rumbled, and Mal materialized an assortment of ring boxes from seemingly thin air that the two of them split between them. "We were going to plan something more impressive-"

"I um- think this works better," Jay said, his cheeks flushing dark as he curled around Chad, trying to hide the way his hands were trembling in what was likely disbelief. "Impulsive enthusiasm all the way."

"Before we move forward, we need to be sure everyone's okay with this," Uma said, her gaze trailing over all of them. "It's okay if you need more time, and Poser can tell you well enough how much getting engaged to the fucking king is going to change your life."

"You'll certainly be busier," Mal said. "And people will try to get all up in your business, but it's tolerable when you're together."

"I don't need to think on it," Gil said, shifting his weight nervously. "I'd be really happy to marry you guys."

"Me too," Harry admitted with a dark flush, not quite looking at them.

"Are you guys serious?" Aziz asked, his tone bordering on hysterical, something that made more than one of them uneasy. "Look, I'm all for happily ever afters, but isn't this… it's fast, isn't it? It's fast."

It was moments like this that reminded Chad that Aziz hadn't experimented with guys in a romantic sense before this month, and moving from living with, to dating, to getting engaged was likely a very overwhelming thing for him.

"It's fast," Chad agreed when the others seemed to flounder, detaching himself from Jay so he could comfort Aziz. "And it isn't something we need to do now. It isn't something we need to do ever." Mal let out a fierce growl behind him, but Chad waved her off distractedly, his focus on Aziz. "We'll go at whatever speed is best for us. You don't have to agree with this just because you're afraid we might leave otherwise."

Aziz shuddered, because Chad knew a lot of his recent adaptability had likely been out of that fear, the prince still shaky after Lonnie had dumped him.

"Do you want to go to Agrabah?" Chad asked when Aziz just stared at him with wide eyes. "We could visit your parents, I'm sure they'd love to see you."

"I… yeah," Aziz said, blinking while he processed this. "I think- I think that would be good."

"Okay," Chad said, leaning forward to give him a gentle kiss. "Let's summon Carpet and pack a bag, he should be here by the time we're ready to go."

"You're running?" Harry asked, something sharp and wounded in his voice.

"He's processing," Chad countered. "We each go at our own pace. Some of us need more time than others, but that doesn't mean either is worse off for it."

"Could I come too?" Jay asked, hesitant, and it was Aziz who nodded.

"Of course, Jay," the prince said, giving him a gentle smile. "The more the merrier."

-:-:-

Chad wouldn't say the apartment they left was claimed by a distinct air of somberness, but there certainly seemed to be less celebration when the three of them took off on Carpet for a magic-expedited trip to Agrabah. Uma was certain to get kisses from each of them before they left, prompting Harry and Gil to do the same, and Chad was the one to drag Mal and Ben over so they could join the sendoff as well, both of them looking insecure in a manner Chad hadn't seen on them before.

"It'll be fine," Chad murmured to Ben in French. "Even if we don't get engaged now, Aziz loves you guys. He just needs more time to get over Lonnie, to get used to this."

"I'll miss you," Ben rumbled, looking pained.

"I'll miss you too," Chad replied, stroking Ben's cheek. "You need to take extra special care of Gil and Harry while we're gone, okay? Harry just pretends he's not interested in being cuddled by you, but he wants to be treasured as much as the rest of us. Just keep reminding him how pretty he is, even if he tries to snarl at you."

"I will," Ben pledged, nuzzling his shoulder.

"And remind Gil that Mal definitely wants to dote on him," Chad continued, because the second mate could still be a little self-conscious sometimes. "Give them kisses from us, and other things if you like."

Ben shivered, managing a small grin. "That's a lot of creative freedom you gave us there."

"Is it?" Chad asked, all wide eyed and innocent. "Oh dear, whatever shall you do?"

"Miss you," Ben rumbled, pulling Chad into another tight hug before they finally parted ways.

"What were you saying to Ben?" Jay asked as they took off over the city, aiming to coast high among the clouds.

"That he needed to look after the others while they were gone," Chad said. "And that Harry was only playing hard to get."

"Obviously," Jay muttered, startling laughs from both of the princes.

When the laughs died down, Aziz's expression shifted into something a bit more serious, his hands twisting together nervously. "You don't think I fucked things up, do you?"

"Not at all," Chad rushed to say. "There's nothing wrong with making healthy choices for yourself, and if you need time to think over an important life decision, then that's more than fair."

"Harry seemed mad, though," Aziz said, his cheeks tinged in a sorrowful flush.

"Harry will get over it," Jay said. "Chad's right, if you need more time, you should have it. The only reason Harry and Gil are leaping at the chance to do this – and even Mal and Uma – is because they want to hold onto the guaranteed good things they have in their lives before they can potentially lose them. That's what you had to do on the Isle. But you're right, this is fast, and we're young. Marriage is a long-term commitment, so if you need more time to think about it, you should have it."

"Just- last month I thought I was going to be married to Lonnie," Aziz said. "And now that's never going to happen, and while I'm very happy with what we have, how do you know? How do you know for sure that this is it, that you won't get distracted and want more?"

"Is that your concern, Aziz?" Chad perked up, considering the prince in a new light. "You're worried about being unfaithful?"

Aziz flushed dark. "We're young," he pressed. "Stuff changes from one day to the next. I spent my freshmen year of high school having the biggest crush on Jane with zero ability to ask her out, and then Carlos swooped in and- look, I'm happy for them, but despite all the amazing, wonderful people I have in my life, I still have just- a tiny, itty bitty thing for her."

There was a pause, and then Jay was smiling. "My dude, I get it. I still love the hell out of Evie and Carlos. They're my crew, and I might never have them, but that isn't going to stop me from loving them, and it's not going to stop me from loving you either."

Aziz shivered, and that was enough to prompt Chad into talking. "And I um- I might have a small thing for Doug, and maybe I'll get things for other people, but the important thing is that I know I don't want to live without you guys. I don't want to live someplace you aren't, I don't want to go to bed without you, I don't want to have dinner without you. Even now I miss the others, and we haven't been parted from them all that long. I'm not saying we should just accept their engagement – because no matter how certain Mal and Ben are, we should probably wait until we finish college before we even start considering that – but if we're happy, why should we worry about all the things that could go wrong?"

For a moment, Aziz stared at him with wide eyes, the words seeming to catch the prince by surprise.

And then he was looking down at Carpet, giving it a few gentle tugs. "Carpet, turn around, please."

"We're going back?" Jay asked as the Carpet moved to do just that.

"Chad's right," Aziz said. "I was worried because this was so much so quickly, because it's so intense, but just thought of spending a weekend without the others, without Gil's smiles or Harry complaining or Uma's orders – without Mal's purrs and Ben's growls – I hate it, and that kind of scares me, but…"

"But you're a brave prince," Chad said, leaning over to give his cheek a kiss. "And you're not alone. We can face this together."

"Love is an extension of trust," Jay said, flushing like he'd read it from a book or something, and Chad was beginning to suspect he had. "So your fear is understandable, but they not going anywhere, Aziz. They're not Lonnie."

"You know," Aziz began, a certain gleam in his eyes. "I'm beginning to see that."

-:-:-

They hadn't even been dropped off onto the patio before Ben and Mal came stumbling out of the sliding doors, the two of them cutting a straight line to Aziz as he slid off of Carpet, Ben wasting no time to pick him up in a tight hug before setting him down and turning him so Mal could latch onto him with a small whine.

"I'm sorry," she gushed, nuzzling into his shoulder. "I'm sorry we went too fast, we'll go slower."

"I'm sorry I made you feel bad," Aziz pressed, clinging back to her just as tight. "I just- I needed to think."

"Thoughtful sweetheart," Ben rumbled into his ear. "We shouldn't be surprised."

"I wanna be with you," Aziz said. "With all of you, but I um- I don't want to get engaged until after college."

"Then we shall wait for after college," Mal purred, her eyes flashing green. "So long as we can keep you."

"Guys," Aziz whimpered, shaking in their hold.

"Let's give them some privacy," Chad advised as the two of them started stripping Aziz out of his clothes then and there, claiming the prince's lips in heated kisses while he moaned desperately through it.

When they walked back into the living room, it was to see a grinning Uma watching the exchange with a pleased look. "You got that settled?"

"Mostly," Chad said. "Is it okay if we wait to get engaged?"

"So long as you remind Harry that it's not because his royal highness is ashamed of us or something," Uma said, quirking her head over to where a grumpy Harry was pretending not to watch the show taking place outside on the patio.

"Oh," Chad grinned, cutting a path to Harry and ignoring the pissy glare that was entirely for show. "I can do that."

"Fuck off, blondie," Harry groused. "We don't fucking need-" He cut off with a moan when Chad tweaked his nipples through the soft material of his shirt, going down onto his knees when Chad increased the pressure.

"Hey Uma," Chad asked, pressing a loving kiss to Harry's brow. "Do you know any more sex magic?"

"Depends on what you need," Uma said as she watched the scene unfold.

"Could you make it so that every time I play with Harry's nipples, it's like I'm touching his dick?"

"Blondie," Harry gasped, already terribly hard. "Ye don't have to-"

"Done and done," Uma said with a glowing swirl of her finger, and the following moans Harry released made this entirely worth it.

It was even better when Chad got Harry shirtless and had Gil help him lavish on the first mate's chest, until Uma had to magic his stamina in order for him to keep up, the two of them not so much as considering to drop a hand below Harry's waist.

"Fuck," Harry croaked later when they finally peeled off his pants, the first mate flushing crimson at the sticky mess clinging below.

"Oh good," Chad said just as Ben carried a naked Aziz back inside. "We need your help, Aziz. Could you lick Harry clean?"

"Fuck yes, I can," Aziz slurred, and then he set about doing just that in clumsy, eager movements that left Harry crooning helplessly, Mal and Uma giggling all the while.

"That is one way to reassure someone," Mal preened, eyes still glowing green from her session out on the patio.

"Mates," Ben rumbled helpfully and-

Yeah, that was really all there was to it, wasn't it?

-:-:-

Endnotes:

The way I see it, whether they're engaged or not, get married or not, the important thing is that they're happy with each other. And yes, that includes being open and honest about everything and I promise, we will get there. There's like, three chapters left, it has to happen at some point ;D

Until next time