Chapter 1 – Three's a Crowd

-:-:-

"She's just- so composed," Doug gasped between kisses, the dwarf-kin clinging to Chad with a terrible flush that filled the blond with a certain heat, had him swallowing a Ben-like growl so he could focus on undoing Doug's bowtie and get at that sweet neck real estate. "She seems to just glide, you now? K-Kind of like Audrey does? But nicer-"

Chad cut him off with another deep kiss that left Doug whining, the musician melting into him and for once not protesting his position in Chad's lap, which was exactly where he needed to be at all damn times, as far as Chad was concerned.

"And she's smart," Doug moaned when Chad finally undid the top few buttons of his shirt, pulling Doug's collar wide so he could start sucking fresh bruises against the curve of his neck in that way that drove him wild, even though that seemed to embarrass Doug for some reason, like Chad didn't see it as a plus. Three cheers to dwarven resilience, was all Chad was saying. "She p-pretends not to be, but I um- showed her the library and it was uh- the first time I think I got close to seeing the real- Chad."

"Doug," Chad rumbled back easily, one hand shifting to palm the prominent bulge between Doug's legs because he could only restrain himself for so long. "I promise I'm listening, and I trust you. If you say Princess Evie's the bee's knees then I don't doubt for a second that this is very much the case."

"Oh," Doug whimpered, because Chad's trust did things to him, left him pliant so Chad could do more interesting things like undo Doug's pants and get his hand properly around that thick and pulsing flesh. "She's gonna be in our chemistry class tomorrow, and I um- I know we're usually partners-"

"We can split up for the day," Chad said, even though the very idea burned him, some foreign Isle princess usurping his unknown place in Doug's life. But Chad was Doug's best bro, his roommate, spirit guide, and unofficial boyfriend, and there was very little in the world Chad could deny him if it was within his realm of capability to give. "You can partner up with Evie and show her the ropes. I couldn't think of a better person to do it." He lowered his voice, nipping at that sensitive spot just under Doug's ear until he could feel the dwarf-kin's appreciation twitching in his hand. "I'm sure Ben would appreciate it as much as she does."

"Oh," Doug panted again, his go-to when he was lost and overwhelmed. Chad had a personal life goal of obtaining as many of those frazzled 'ohs' as possible, had some recorded in his phone for the few times he and Doug were separated so he wouldn't have to do without that special indulgence. "You think so?"

"Know so," Chad said, beginning to pump Doug's length at a slow and steady pace.

Doug was what you'd call a grower, and holy fuck did he grow – thank you dwarf genetics, which seemed so virial and hardy. Chad had another goal of growing Doug out of his pants at least once a day, trying to earn those sweet, embarrassed whimpers while Doug shuddered in his arms.

"That's why he chose you to show them around, right?" Chad continued, thumb brushing against the leaking head of Doug's length, making him gasp again.

Doug's mild crush on Ben was something Chad would have despaired over were it not for Audrey and Ben's own sensibilities. Chad had been chasing off Doug's suitors for years (the unfit ones, at least, the ones that thought Doug was an easy mark and wanted to take advantage of him and boy oh boy would that not stand), but Ben had been a tricky situation at first, seeing ashe'd had the audacity to be attracted to Doug back in junior high.

Chad got it – like attracted like, they were both adorable book nerds, this was fair. But Doug had been shy, thinking Ben was out of his league, and Audrey had been Audrey – a determined go-getter much like Chad himself, which was what had landed Ben off the market so fast your damn head could spin. There was also the small comment Chad had dropped during one of his and Ben's sleepovers back when they had such things about how he had a sort of crush on Doug, which had safely activated Ben's bro code, thereby ensuring that he would never actively go after Doug since Chad seemed to want him.

The rest was history.

At least, until Ben had brought over his VKs, which Chad hadn't cared about, until Princess fucking Evelyn had caught Doug's eye, seeming to ensnare his heart in effortless movements. It was a problem Chad was still dealing with, but for now he would use Doug's latent attraction to Ben for his own benefit, Chad intent to rock Doug's world the same way he did every night.

"I um- I think that was because Jane was too s-scared," Doug panted, curling against Chad's chest like he belonged there, because he did. "She would have been better-"

"She would have been good," Chad allowed, because one did not diss their fairy god-people. "But you've got that working, competent charm, Doug. That subtle but alluring steadfastness that sneaks up on you. Like, I'm sure that was what Ben thought when he picked you. This is a big deal – helping with his first decree, and he chose you above all others." He started working Doug's length faster, using his free hand to unbutton Doug's shirt more so he could get access to those pretty pink nipples. "Does that make you feel good?"

"Chad," Doug whined, his hips rutting into the blond's hand. "You know Ben doesn't like me like that."

"It's his loss, really," Chad offered, as was expected of him as Doug's bro. "You're great."

"Um," Doug panted, seeming mostly lost to Chad's attentions. "I feel like this is one-sided, again."

"We're building up your stamina, buddy," Chad reminded him. "And you can always practice on me later if you're worried, right?"

"Thanks," Doug gasped. "You're a um- r-really good friend, Chad."

"I do what I can," Chad said, swooping down to claim Doug's lips once more. Yeah, still the best thing ever. "Now, would you like a visit from Ben?"

"Chad," Doug whimpered, but his voice went to a desperate pitch that very much said yes.

"It's Ben, Doug," Chad said, dropping his voice to mimic Ben's softer, more heartfelt delivery. He wasted no time pinning Doug back against the bed, pressing his shirt wide and pulling his pants and underwear down so he could get a good look at his treat. "And I'm so very grateful for your help. I just couldn't think of who else to turn to and if you don't mind, I'd like to reward you for your services."

"Ben," Doug moaned as Chad kissed his way down that heaving chest. "C-Chad, I mean- you don't- we don't have to keep-"

"If it makes you feel good, it's our secret," Chad chirped as he started to lavish the sensitive skin of Doug's inner thighs. "And I agree with Ben, you need a reward too."

"Fuck," Doug gasped, and then Chad was going down on him, earning the very best of Doug's sounds, the ones that had his legs twitching wide and his cheeks stained in a permanent flush.

So yeah, things were good.

-:-:-

Here was the thing with Doug.

He had low self-esteem.

Chad thought it was bullshit, because the first time he'd seen Doug he'd thought 'that's it, that's the guy I'm going to marry' and suddenly his dad's stubborn insistence that love at first sight was a thing suddenly made sense. Chad was cool with it, though. Sure, he had thought he'd marry a princess one day, but one look at Doug – with his trumpet case and armful of books and oversized glasses and fucking bowtie – and Chad was done, finished before he'd even started, and he had no regrets for this fact. None.

Save one, at least, because while Chad could flirt with the very best of them, Doug had this tendency to not register it.

Audrey made fun of Chad for a full two weeks before he'd switched tactics. If he couldn't be Doug's obvious boyfriend, he'd be his best bro, and from there they would eventually become boyfriends. Friendship made the best stepping stone for long relationships, or so Chad had heard. It was flawless.

And to his credit, it had worked. Doug seemed bashful but receptive to having Chad as a friend. It was obvious he didn't understand why Chad sought him out, but he was glad for the blond's company, thought he was funny and charming (which he fucking was) before he realized Chad was reliable too, and started sharing his delicious, delicious secrets and opinions. Chad thrived on them. Loved them as much as he loved Doug.

It was there that Chad learned the thing he sort of always knew about Doug's natural fear and shyness towards dating. He was afraid he'd be bad at it; afraid no one would want him. Afraid he'd be a terrible kisser and word would get out and everyone would make fun of him. These were trials he was sure Chad didn't have because he was Chad – a prince that was traditionally handsome and a natural athlete – but Doug with his honors classes and marching band and vast array of nerdy sweaters didn't feel the same confidence, even though he absolutely should.

So Chad made what was, in his opinion, a genius suggestion.

He'd help Doug.

Help him build his confidence, help him practice. At first it was just kisses, and not only did Chad get to be Doug's first, he got to compliment him and build his courage and even if Doug was still kind of bashful to this day, he never turned Chad down for kissing practice, which had obviously progressed to other things.

Doug needed to build up his stamina. It was an understandable concern. If he had a boyfriend or girlfriend, he needed to be able to keep his cool until they found their release. Chad helped with that as well, getting his hand on Doug's and yeah, the first time had been short, but that only spurred Chad to up their practice from once a week to once a day.

He was brilliant, was what he was.

They started to practice dating too, when Doug got a little better at the intimate stuff. Not that they broadcasted it, but they would take turns taking each other on dates and practice flirting and getting each other presents, take turns easing each other into what would be expected of them in a relationship until it was their sophomore year of high school and neither one of them was dating anyone else, because they were definitely dating each other even if Doug didn't know it.

They'd get there, was Chad's point. Doug still didn't seem to take any of his flirtations as real, so Chad was just waiting for his roommate to realize he was super awesome on his own. Chad had been planning potential 'fairytale' like scenarios to help with this endeavor. He was confident one of them would work out one of these days.

And then Evie had come to school.

Which presented yet another problem for Chad.

-:-:-

It wasn't like Doug hadn't had crushes over the years. He'd had several, and Chad had always done his 'best' to help him deal with them, all while either running them off or arranging for them to be in romantic relationships with people that weren't Doug. Take Ben, for instance.

He tried to be classy about it, though. If he thought Doug was actually interested in any of his potential suitors, Chad forced himself to step back as much as he didn't want to, because as much as he desired to be the source of Doug's happiness, love was about taking caring for another person's needs as much as your own, which meant sometimes you didn't get to be a part of the picture.

Fortunately, none of these flings had grown into anything substantial, Doug always seeming to shy away or throw them into the friendzone after one study session.

He always came back to Chad though, and for that, the blond was grateful.

But now the problem with Doug being attracted to Evie was that she had a bit of latent protection under Ben. He was the one that brought her over, it was their job as Auradon people to be good, to be welcoming and charming and kind, so Chad couldn't just tell her to step off the territory she hadn't meant to stray into in the first place. There was also the fact that she was entirely unknown. Chad wasn't one of those assholes that assumed the VKs were evil because of their background, but exercising some amount of caution didn't seem unwise. He trusted Doug's judgement, but Doug was also a bit of a hopeless romantic. He tried to see the best in people.

Were she anyone else, Chad could just warn her off, but his hands were tied in that regard.

Which left him with option two – arranging for her to date someone else. Assuming she was interested in dating. Assuming she was attracted to guys (because if she wasn't, Chad's life got a whole lot easier).

All of this required Chad to go forth and acquire information, so he slipped on his vaguest expression as he sat across the table from Doug instead of next to him, letting Evie have his spot so Chad could spy on them while he worked through that day's lab with Lonnie.

"Look at you, learning to share and stuff," Lonnie cackled under her breath while they set up their beakers. "Ben would be so proud."

"I don't know what you're talking about," Chad sniffed. "I always share, because I'm so damn charming."

"Yeah, you are," Lonnie laughed. "Those pants make your butt look awfully charming, bud."

"You think?" Chad drawled, but then he made a show of leaning over so they would tighten against him just so, Lonnie letting out a small round of applause until the teacher drifted towards their station, intent to end any and all shenanigans when they should be focusing on science.

Chad liked shooting shit with Lonnie. She seemed to understand his woes as a frustrated bisexual targeting seemingly oblivious loves. She'd been chipping away at Jane for years. They'd progressed to being roommates, but Jane was too timid to go in for any practice like Doug was. Sometimes they had brunch to lament the oblivious objects of their affections. It was kind of fun.

So flirting with her was a matter of reflex because she was never going to go further than that anyway, prompting her to flirt right back, until they were each doing their best to make the other crack while they carried out their dumb chemistry classwork. Occasionally, Chad would look over to check Doug's progress, which was where he realized a new flaw in his plan because instead of focusing on Doug, who seemed justifiably saddened, Evie was staring dreamily at him.

"Uh oh," Lonnie hummed as they wrapped up their work. "Looks like you've got a problem."

"Curse my charm," Chad muttered, and it was that, over everything else, that finally made Lonnie break into laughter, which was frankly unjustified.

-:-:-

"She has a crush on you," Doug groaned when they returned to their room from their respective practices – Chad with Tourney and Doug with marching band, both of them worn out and sweaty. "Of course she has a crush on you – you're a prince."

Chad knew he didn't mean it like that, knew Doug got more shit than he should for being a non-royal in a school that was rife with them, got even more for being half dwarf when there was obviously nothing wrong with that. Chad himself had shut down a lot of the assholes that tried to target Doug back in the day, but he couldn't be everywhere, even if he could make them regret it after the fact.

"I don't know what I was thinking," Doug complained when Chad tugged him off the bed, dragging the dwarf kin into the bathroom while Doug pouted behind him. "She's a princess. She's pretty and smart and could have just about anyone, she doesn't need- Chad," Doug whined when Chad started tugging him out of his clothes. "We don't need to practice showering together; I'm having a crisis."

"Doug, we always need to practice," Chad said, because he was cutting that bullshit train of thought off right now (if Doug actually wasn't interested, he would say so – Chad had been very firm about that type of communication early on. Doug just liked to play coy, and Chad was all for it). "And second of all, you're not giving yourself a chance. I'm cute, yeah, but once Evie realizes you're dependable and awesome and smart-"

"She'll shove me in the friend zone," Doug whined, something that only worsened when Chad nudged him onto the ottoman so he could tug off his shoes. "Chad."

"Doug," Chad countered, just as exasperated when he finally got to Doug's feet, pausing so he could tickle them until the musician squirmed. "You're looking at this the wrong way."

"Is there another way to look at it?" Doug asked while Chad switched the shower on, his roommate pouting until Chad returned to strip him out of the rest of his clothes. "She wants you."

"And you're my bro, so obviously I'm not going to date her," Chad said, making Doug's shoulders slump with relief. "At least, not without you."

At that, Doug's gaze perked up in interest, his intellectual curiosity sufficiently piqued. "What are you saying?"

"I'm saying," Chad began with a huff, tugging Doug to his feet so he could pull off the musician's pants and underwear in a smooth movement that left Doug flushing. "That you want Evie, right? So I could say 'no thank you, bro code' and all that, or I could sell us as a package deal. If Evie wants me, she'd have to get you. And then-" He guided Doug's hands towards his own clothes, and after a blink Doug started helping him out of them. "After a few dates, Evie will realize that you're the actual catch. I'd be there as your safety net, and after we date for a while, you guys will break up with me and bam, you've got Evie."

Obviously, this was not going to happen. If anything, Chad was going to find a way to use whatever knowledge he acquired from Evie to set her up with someone else, have her break up with them until Chad and Doug were publicly dating each other, just as they always should be.

Doug paused his work, his hand on Chad's underwear like he knew it would wreck the blond. "You'd do that for me?"

"You are my bro, Doug," Chad sighed, shedding his own boxer briefs so he could get Doug inside the damn shower. "Of course I would. What are bros for?"

"Wow," Doug breathed, dumbly following Chad's movements until he was pressed against the wall of the shower, brilliantly flushing when Chad slid his naked body against his. "Chad…"

"I'll talk to her myself," Chad explained as he began licking at the curve of Doug's neck, savoring the salty taste and musk of dwarven sweat. "You don't even have to be there for the hard part – I'll make it all happen, I promise."

"That's- Chad," Doug whined as Chad began pumping their lengths together, the musician already half-hard, growing wonderfully in Chad's hand.

"Yeah, I thought you'd like that," Chad declared before capturing Doug's lips with a relentless sort of determination.

-:-:-

"So I like you," Chad explained as he walked Evie through the private gardens Queen Belle had added to the school to encourage quiet contemplation and an appreciation for nature or whatever. "At least, I like everything Doug's told me about you, and I'd be honored to be allowed the privilege of dating you." He'd learned that catering to Evie's position seemed to fill her with a flushed sort of happiness, likely because no one else at the school did thanks to Audrey. "But Doug and I are sort of a package deal."

At that, Evie drew to a blinking halt, though she recovered wonderfully, her shock schooled into something closer to neutral interest. "How so?"

"We're dating," Chad said, seeing no point in sugar coating it. "I'm sure you've noticed Doug's a sweetheart. He's so sweet and nice and smart and-" He cut himself off before he could babble through his full dissertation on the many positive qualities of Doug Orison. "And honestly, I never considered polyamory, but it's a common thing in dwarf culture. Doug thinks you're pretty special, so if you'd be willing to give us both a shot- I mean, I know it's asking for a lot-"

"No, I think it's great," Evie rushed to assure him, seeming to get with the picture in a way Chad had sort of hoped she wouldn't, indicating that she likely was only after him for his position. "Getting both of you, I mean. I'd be honored to be your girlfriend."

"Outstanding," Chad drawled, offering his arm to her. "How do you feel about a date Friday night, after the Tourney game? We'd need a little time to get cleaned up, but could we take you to dinner? Maybe sit with you at lunch?"

"That would be brilliant," Evie said, and for the first time, Chad saw what Doug meant by the princess hidden behind her mask, because Evie seemed legitimately grateful for this opportunity, legitimately thrilled that they were taking an interest in her. For the first time he saw the dreamer, perhaps one that dared not to exist because of the cruelties of the Isle, and maybe…

Chad wouldn't drop his guard, of course, but if Doug liked her, maybe there really was more to her than just a power grabbing pretty face.

He'd have to wait to find out.

-:-:-

"I love you," Doug exclaimed when Chad gave him the good news, the musician tackling Chad back onto his bed and peppering his face with kisses, tugging at the collar of Chad's shirt in a way he normally wouldn't until he was mouthing at Chad's throat in clumsy, determined shifts. "Thank you, thank you. I didn't think you could pull it off but you did just for me and now Evie's going to date us."

"Yeah, she is," Chad gasped when Doug pawed at his pants, getting them open with awkward, enthusiastic fingers until he could get his hand properly around Chad as a present. "And I'm gonna spend the whole time talking you up, showing you off-"

"Could I ride you?" Doug asked, a question that never failed to make Chad's heart stop. "I prepared myself just in case, just- either way, I wanted- can I ride you?"

"Of course, Doug-o," Chad panted, swallowing a whimper when Doug quickly divested himself of his clothes, making a show of sliding the condom onto Chad before slathering him with lubricant and guiding Chad into his tight heat.

"Fuck, fuck, yes, Chad," Doug moaned, his head thrown back with a pretty flush. "You feel so good."

"You do too, Doug," Chad gasped, curling his hands around Doug's hips so he could really take him on a ride, until Doug was mostly incoherent, babbling praise and thanks as Chad rocked his world.

He'd prepared himself, for Chad. Even if he'd failed- fuck, Chad sort of wished he'd bombed it on purpose if it got him this.

Well, maybe this was an indication of the good things that were to come.

-:-:-

Because Chad was a giver, he let Evie sit between himself and Doug at lunch, even if Mal didn't seem entirely pleased by this development.

"So you guys were dating each other," Carlos pressed with narrowed eyes. "Then why do you flirt with Lonnie all the time?"

"It's a game," Chad said. "We try to make each other break. Lonnie has her own romantic quarries in line."

Chad pointedly looked across the room where Lonnie was complimenting Jane's new curls, the fairy blushing under the attention while Audrey scowled at them, not that Ben seemed to notice it, too pleased that Mal was settling in and doing kind deeds, like she didn't have some kind of underhanded plan there. Chad didn't know what it was, but if he kept dating Evie, he'd probably figure it out. One did not grow up on an island full of criminals and start handing out presents for free for no good reason.

"Oh," Jay said surprisingly enough, seeming to be the only one to get what Chad was implying. "That explains things."

"I'm gonna say this here and now," Mal declared, unable to hold her silence any longer. "I don't care who you are – if you hurt Evie, I will break you."

"All relationships have up and downs," Chad said, because he could see both Doug and Evie tense in his peripherals. "I can't promise we won't ever hurt her, but I can promise that we will never intentionally cause her pain, and in the instance that we ever do make her sad, we'll do our damnedest to rectify the situation, because that is what Evie deserves."

Mal narrowed her eyes at him, clearly still not settled, though part of her seemed to begrudgingly appreciate Chad's honesty. "I'm just saying, if this is a trick-"

"No," Chad interrupted, shaking his head. "I know we haven't had the chance to prove it yet, but we wouldn't do that."

"Evie's special, Mal," Doug spoke up, a furious blush coloring the bridge of his nose. "We know that, and that's um- how we'd like to treat her."

"Okay," Mal allowed after a beat. "Just remember that she's a princess."

"We'll remember," Chad promised, offering Evie a smile that seemed to make her melt. "Doug and I both."

That in turn made his roommate blush, so really, Chad was winning all around.

Sometimes it was good to be him.

-:-:-

"You're pathetic," Audrey informed him when she cornered Chad at his locker before Tourney practice. "Dating Evie just to make Doug happy. I mean, you were already pathetic before, but this- this is just sad, Chadwick."

"Adapting is never sad," Chad murmured, completely undeterred by her accusation. "Adhering to the same strategies, refusing to compromise in the face of obvious change – that's sad, and that's what's inevitably going to drive Ben into Mal's arms."

"You take that back," Audrey hissed, her shoulders tightening with a furious scowl. "Ben would never-"

"Heard he eye-fucked her real good when they first showed up," Chad interrupted. "Heard it from Lonnie, who was thirty feet away." He gave her a moment for that to sink in while he got the books he needed and shut his locker. "Face it, Rose – they've got Beast-Fae magnetism and you've just got a steel will Ben can find elsewhere, in say – maybe the cute new girl?"

"What are you playing at?" Audrey pressed, bypassing her annoyance to get to the point like the practical human she was.

"I'm telling you to adapt, genius," Chad huffed. "Instead of going totally against your boyfriend's big decree, support it. Haven't you ever heard the phrase 'keep your friends close and your enemies closer'? Get your flirt on and make Mal your bff. That way, if she deigns to like Ben back you will not be screwed, because you can just propose to Ben that you both date her." He shoved his books into his backpack and rezipped it with practiced movements. "Bam – you get to keep a close eye on the baddest of the VKs, Mal will either reform or crumble under the force of Ben, and you get to keep that shiny Queen of Auradon crown safely in your future. Everyone wins."

There was a beat before Audrey sighed. "For the record, I fucking hate you," she grumbled, clutching her books closer to her chest.

"You just hate me because I'm right," Chad countered, because they had these kinds of conversations a lot. They had to keep their adorable nerdy boys separated somehow, that shit took coordination. "Now go change your tune. I know you've been avoiding it because you think Mal will laugh you off, but you're a prime source of information for her. She's not going to turn you away. It might be a bit before you're actually friends, but at least you'll have a foot in the door."

"You're insufferable," Audrey informed him simply.

"It's my burden," Chad mused. "Now I've got a sport to dominate. Want me to pass anything on to your boyfriend? I could grope his butt for you."

"Stop doing that," Audrey hissed, safely ensuring that Chad would do that again, because Ben always got so flushed and embarrassed.

"I don't know what you're talking about," Chad said innocently, and the sound of her annoyance was a nice enough sendoff as he went on his merry way.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

Look, sometimes Chad has to make his own fun, you know ;)

If I remember correctly, this prompt was inspired by the coronation sequence in Descendants 1. I was watching some of Paul Becker's behind the scenes footage (for whatever reason, he only has bts stuff for the coronation, but like, at least we got that much) and noticed that when Maleficent freezes everyone, Chad is clinging onto Doug, not Audrey. Realistically, I know it's because those two actors like to goof off together and make people laugh, but it couldn't help but stir my Chad-number-one-Doug-Stan senses and end up with this nonsense. I hope you enjoy it ;)

This story will consist of five chapters of story content. I update once a week, generally on Sundays, but because things have been so crazy lately, I decided to make an effort to update twice a week. So there will be one update on Sunday and one update on Wednesday/Thursday for now :D

Please let me know if I missed anything in the tags. I prefer to ere on the side of caution with these things, but when you've been staring at something for so long, it can be easy for things to slip through the cracks.

Just a heads up – I update the story tags as I go in order to avoid spoilers. So characters, pairings, content warnings – all will be updated in correlation to the appropriate chapter as they are posted. Also, if you see a tag you're worried about, check the forenotes – the more hard-hitting stuff will have more thorough warnings listed there.

Story notes:

So a lot of my dwarven cultural stuff is borrowed from the Lord of the Rings. In my own little fanon, Doug is the son of Ori from the Hobbit, which is why his last name is Orison. Or, in dwarven terms, he's Douglass, son of Ori.

Until next time :)