Chapter 2 – Cool Down

GENERAL WARNING – Dubious Consent in the second scene – All parties are interested and onboard, but there is a distinct lack of communication mostly due to the VKs not understanding those particular boundaries yet.

WARNING – Dubious consent in the 7th (second to last) scene. See endnotes for more details.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad didn't know what was happening.

Which was most of his life, but especially in that moment, he didn't know what was happening.

They had won the Tourney game – mostly thanks to Jay because if Chad was being honest, the rest of the team was only okay – and he'd gone into the stands to celebrate with his girlfriend because that was a thing he could do now. Evie didn't even mind that Chad was sweaty and gross, and Mal seemed to think his appearance was more funny than off-putting, so she'd ruffled his sweaty hair while Evie cooed about what a good job he'd done guarding Carlos, and everything seemed pretty okay.

And then Ben was singing.

Which was not a thing Ben did regularly, Chad was pretty sure.

But there he was, singing his heart out, to um… Chad.

So.

That was a thing.

"Um…" Chad said while Ben was going on about how his love for Chad was ridiculous, which sort of hurt in new and inventive ways. "I don't know what's happening."

Evie, who did not seem at all upset by this turn of events, merely clapped her hands together in time with the song. "I dunno, I think it's kind of sweet."

"But where is it coming from?" Chad asked. "I never talk to Ben. I don't think he understands how love works."

Mal placed a comforting hand on Chad's shoulder. "Just sit back and enjoy the ride, blondie."

He guessed he could sort of appreciate the way the rest of the Tourney team seemed to have broken out into a choreographed dance. Maybe they'd practiced beforehand? Jay and Carlos were even helping.

"Oh, wow," Chad said as Ben began riding the horse mascot that was definitely two dudes in a costume that Chad hoped weren't getting back problems. "They even got the cheerleaders involved."

"Audrey's cheerleaders," Mal cackled, sharing a mirthful look with Evie.

"Are you sure this isn't a prank?" Chad asked when Ben began crowd surfing, which was pretty cool and also an excessive show of faith that he wouldn't get dropped. Chad guessed no one would want to drop the future king of Auradon though, so maybe that faith was well founded.

"Ben seem like a pranking guy to you?" Mal prompted, both brows raised in challenge.

"I dunno," Chad admitted. "I thought not, but that would make more sense than him suddenly being in love with me."

"Maybe it's not sudden," Evie said, cradling Ben's sweaty Tourney jersey in her hands because Chad hadn't known what to do with it.

"Chad Charming," Ben said when he finally got next to them in the stands, smile so wide it was sort of manic. "Will you go to coronation with me?"

"I have a girlfriend, Ben," Chad said, because he didn't know what else he could say. "…and my last name's James."

Chad hated that 'charming' nickname. It was the worst.

Ben's expression fell for a second, but then he recovered. "Right. Obviously, I knew that. I meant to invite both of you."

Chad did not know they were allowed to take two dates to coronation, otherwise he would have definitely asked Mal. She might have even said yes.

"Um…" Chad shared a look with Evie, but she was still smiling. "Do you want to go to coronation with Ben?"

"That could be fun," Evie admitted. "And he went through all that trouble."

Chad supposed she had a point.

"Okay," Chad said, shrugging his shoulders. "We'll go with you."

"Awesome!" Ben cheered, and then he just sort of… crowd surfed away. So.

"I'm gonna go get cleaned up," Chad decided. "And then I'll take you to that diner I told you about?"

"This is acceptable," Mal decided, and Mal was the boss, so that meant it was good. "I want to try these chili cheese fries you told me about."

Chad brightened up. "You'll like them. And they have strawberry milkshakes."

"My thoughtful boy," Evie said, and then she leaned over to kiss Chad on the cheek, making him flush down to his toes because she'd done that in public.

"Hey Audrey!" Mal called, waving the lead cheerleader down. "Still think Chad has no personality?!"

The princess of Auroria didn't deign to respond, merely stomping away in a frustrated huff of someone who must have been recently dumped. There was no way Ben would have done all that without breaking up with her first.

No wonder Audrey had been in such a terrible mood lately.

"Mal," Chad sighed. "Be nice."

"I am nice," Mal sniffed. "I'm so nice, I'm ice."

"Okay, now," Evie said, moving past Chad so she could wrap an arm around Mal's shoulders. "Someone's getting a little high on victory."

"To be fair," Chad said. "Jay and Carlos did a really good job."

"Right." Evie nodded. "Mal's just… really feeling her school spirit, right now."

Mal's only response was to cackle.

Lonnie, who to this point had been entirely silent, seemed to blink out of her surprised stupor. "What just happened?"

"Man," Chad sighed. "I don't know."

So it was just business as usual then.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"Mal, Mal, Mal, Mal, Mal," Chad chanted as he climbed into her window, because he too could be a sneaky snake. He knew the purple-haired teen was alone because Evie was doing a fashion consultation with Princess Ruby for her coronation dress, which meant this was the perfect time for Chad to freak out. "Mal."

"What?" Mal asked, tossing her sketchbook aside and crossing to the window with an annoyed look. "What's wrong?"

"Ben asked us on a date," Chad gasped, the words coming in a rush. "He's going to take me and Evie on a date."

"And?" Mal prompted. "Isn't that to be expected, since he loves you and all that?"

"It's just…" Chad felt himself blushing. "What if- what if he wants us to kiss him? I've never kissed a dude before, is it different than kissing you?"

For a moment, Mal just stared at him, her face perfectly unreadable.

And then she sighed. "Hold on," she said, pulling out the phone Chad had convinced Fairy Godmother to procure for the Isle students, because for whatever reason no one had thought they'd need to communicate with each other or, you know, their friends.

Five minutes later, Jay crawled in through the window. "You texted?" he said, opting for that that weird mock-flirtation he used sometimes, though it dimmed a little when he saw Chad.

"We need your help," Mal said as she closed the window behind him, pulling the curtains shut. "But if you help, it's a secret. As in a between us secret. No one else knows. Not even Carlos or Evie – got it?"

Jay paused, his weird expression traded out for one of thoughtful consideration. "This must be some really heavy shit then."

"Trust me," Mal huffed. "It isn't. Now, are you in or out?"

"You know I'm always in, baby," Jay said, sliding back into his usual easy charisma that had Mal rolling her eyes.

"Whatever," she said. "You're here because Chad needs to know what it's like to kiss a guy, and you have kissed guys before."

"Carlos," Jay corrected. "I have kissed Carlos."

Wow, Chad was learning so much about his new friends. If Jay liked Carlos though, Chad wondered why he flirted with girls so much.

"Who is a guy, last I checked," Mal drawled. "Now get over there and pucker up."

"Um." Chad could feel himself blushing horribly under the weight of Jay's stare. "You uh… don't have to if you don't want to-"

"So you do want to?" Jay pressed, and then he was just sort of prowling, sliding into Chad's personal space before he could really freak out about it.

Chad was used to being close to Mal, who was slight and short and so very pretty. Jay was different, striking in his own way and tall, broad and muscular, about Chad's size, and when he got close it was his hands that fell to Chad's hips, not the other way around.

"If um- you don't mind," Chad stuttered. "I um…"

Apparently, Jay did not need much more of an invitation than that, because in the next moment he was kissing Chad. Which was how Chad learned that kissing a dude was sort of like kissing a girl, only Jay seemed just as determined to claim Chad's lips as Mal was, one hand moving to angle Chad's jaw so the kisses would deepen.

Chad found himself whimpering under the intensity, because Jay kept dragging him closer, until Chad was desperately clinging to him, wanting to absorb all of his affection.

Between one moment and the next, Chad found himself pressed against Evie's bed, and then Jay was easing a hand under his shirt, licking into Chad's mouth with relish.

"Hey," Mal chided, because Mal was still there, Mal was watching. "I said kissing practice, you horndog."

"He's um- going to need to get used to this too," Jay said, licking a stripe against Chad's neck as he continued to pet the blond's stomach. "Seeing how enthusiastic Benjamin is."

"He'd better not," Mal growled, and Chad wasn't sure who she was referring to until the small artist drifted into his line of view again, her eyes glowing a steady green. "Chad, you follow Evie's lead for everything, okay? Don't let Ben push for too much too quickly. Make him work for it."

"I um- I don't think Ben's going to um- want to do this much- Jay-" Chad whined, because the other teen's hand had gone even higher, until he was playing with Chad's nipples.

Chad did not know that was a thing he would like, but apparently it was a thing he very much liked indeed.

"Jadir," Mal growled, her voice dropping into something that didn't sound entirely human. Because she wasn't entirely human.

Jay seemed unconcerned. "Come on," he groaned, pulling away from Chad with a pout. "I have to stare at him in the locker room all the time-"

"He's mine first," Mal hissed. "If anyone's going to play with him-"

"Then do it," Jay said, and that was how Chad found himself getting dragged into Jay's lap, his back against the other teen's chest while Mal stared at him with relish, her gaze just as possessive as Evie said it was.

"Kiss," Mal ordered, easing Chad's shirt up his torso until it bundled under his armpits.

"Gladly," Jay said, and then he was turning Chad's head, angling him so they could trade enthusiastic kisses again while Mal-

She kept pinching and teasing at Chad's nipples, which was distracting. It left him whimpering into Jay's mouth, spilling random gasps despite himself, only Jay didn't seem to mind, the Agraben teen smirking into their kisses while Chad shivered and shook.

There was a half second when Mal's fingers left him, and then then that was her mouth against his chest, sharp teeth nipping at him and her pretty full lips and wicked tongue and-

Chad's brain felt like it was melting, he could scarcely comprehend it, and it was sort of worse that he was painfully aroused now, unable to hide how the pointed attention was affecting him.

"Oh yeah," Jay huffed against Chad's neck, one hand sliding from the blond's hip to undo his pants. "Feeling good, blondie?"

"Y-Yes- Jay." Chad's chest heaved with exertion, his breath coming in short gasps because Jay was easing a hand into his underwear, wrapping it around Chad directly and that was a hand on his dick. There was a hand on his dick and Jay had done it on purpose, was touching-

"Hey," Mal snarled, pulling away from Chad with a feral look. "What did I say?"

"Don't tell me you haven't touched him yet," Jay huffed, pressing kisses against Chad's neck. "You haven't felt this? Because he feels fucking great, let me tell you. Bet he looks great too."

"We'll see about that," Mal snapped, and then she was pushing Chad's clothes out of the way until they were both staring at Chad's genitals like they were anything special.

"Yesss," Jay said, giving Chad a slow pump. "Knew it'd be pretty. Can you imagine rutting him and Carlos together?"

"Focus," Mal hissed, her hand joining the fray, making Chad mewl. He um- he may have wanted Mal to touch him like this for a while but he was a gentleman and gentlemen did not ask for more when they were already receiving a great generosity.

"Yeah, sweetheart," Jay urged into Chad's ear, nipping at his lobe. "Just like that. We want you to paint that pretty sweater."

"Can you feel how hard Jay is?" Mal murmured, her expression almost feral. "Bet he's so wet for you. Can't believe how much he's been begging Evie to share you once I finally gave you the all-clear."

"Mal," Jay groaned, but he also rutted up against Chad, brushing a certain firmness against Chad's butt-

"Even Carlos wants a piece," Mal hummed. "Though he'll never say it."

"M-Mal," Chad huffed, because this was a lot, and he didn't know if they were just doing sexy talk or if she was actually telling the truth and if she was telling the truth, Chad couldn't help but wonder how he'd missed all this.

"Relax, baby," Mal ordered, pulling him into another kiss. "You just focus on feeling good."

Since that was about all Chad could do, he gratefully gave into it.

It was easy to get lost in the overwhelming presence of Jay and Mal, get lost to their attention and their kisses, until he knew he was close to falling apart. They did nothing but encourage him the entire time, Jay continuing to rut up into Chad as he pumped that hand between his legs, groaning in time with Mal's growls, until they hit a noisy, lovely crescendo.

Chad's release didn't catch him off guard, but the way both of them helped him through it did. They didn't seem to mind the mess, in fact Mal seemed to relish it, licking the slick off her fingers with a pleased smirk that had Jay groaning.

"You're killing me, Bertha," Jay whined, giving the oversensitive flesh between Chad's legs a slow pump.

"Such a baby," Mal drawled, her voice thick with amusement. "Hurry up and get that shirt off him. Despite your wishes, we can't actually send him back to his room like that."

"And what a damn shame that is," Jay murmured into Chad's neck.

"Is it?" Evie's voice said, because Evie was there, standing in the entryway of the room with an unreadable expression.

All three of them froze, Chad's breath catching because this was a horrible scene to walk into, especially considering the fact that these practice sessions were supposed to be a secret.

"…shit," Jay said, slumping against Chad's shoulder.

"Whose idea was this?" Evie asked, pushing further into the room with a slow sway of her hips.

"Um…" Chad spoke up. "I-"

"Shut up, it wasn't you," Mal hissed, running a quick hand through her hair. "It was me."

"Yeah," Jay said, didn't even like try to take the blame. "In case you were wondering how Mal built Chad's confidence, it was through kisses."

"Um." Chad felt his blush spread down to his chest. "I… I was worried-"

"And she liked it," Jay continued. "So she didn't want you to know about it."

"Shut up," Mal hissed, shooting Jay a dirty look. "You liked it too."

"So both of you have kissed my boyfriend before I have," Evie summarized, drawing up to the edge of the bed with an unimpressed look. "What's mine might be yours, Mal, but you have to ask first."

"Again," Jay said. "She did not expect to like sweet prince kisses, so she was embarrassed-"

"Fuck off, Jay," Mal spat and that was… Chad was very confused.

Chad decided to speak up, doing his best to keep his composure despite the fact that his genitals were still on display and his sweater was ruined with bursts of his own slick. "I um… was worried about what would happen if Ben wanted to kiss me, because I've never kissed a guy before-"

"And Mal graciously volunteered Jay's services," Evie deduced. "And volunteered her own for what it would be like to kiss a girl, I'm guessing."

Chad nodded slowly.

For a moment, no one said anything.

Then Evie sighed.

"A debt is owed," she declared. "Obviously. But I don't mind sharing, so long as I know about it."

"…sorry," Mal said after a few moments, looking abashed in a way she never did.

It boggled Chad's mind.

"Apology accepted." Evie grinned, and then she was leaning over and-

Oh. She and Mal were kissing. Which was fine, obviously, because Chad had kissed Mal so he couldn't exactly be mad at Evie kissing her and also it um- was a very pretty picture, so…

"Huh," Jay mused, sort of lazily nuzzling Chad's shoulder. "Carlos is going to be mad he missed this."

"Yeah," Mal said when Evie pulled away. "That's something you get to deal with."

"That's something you should do now," Evie advised. "And in the meantime, Mal and Chad are going to give me apology kisses."

"Yes, that is- we can do that," Chad said, feeling a little off-kilter.

As it turned out, with the appropriate amount of practice, kissing Evie wasn't actually scary at all. In fact, he found that he liked it a lot.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"Okay, are you guys ready?" Ben chirped, sort of dancing down the path in front of them, turning periodically to give them a bright smile. "You're going to love this place, Chad. And you too, Evie. It was my very favorite place to visit growing up, because it's so pretty and isolated and special, and you both are special and pretty so this seemed appropriate-"

"Ben," Chad groaned, hiding his face in his hands the way he had every other time the king-to-be had gotten a bit excessive with his compliments. "Seriously, you don't have to butter us up. We both already like you."

"I'm not buttering you up," Ben said, a pout tugging at his lips as though he was wounded by this accusation. "I want to compliment you both because you're amazing."

"Yeah, but…" Chad shifted his weight awkwardly, trying not to stare at the ground because that was unprincely. "You've never done that before." Chad deliberated for a moment, chewing on his bottom lip even though Evie had assured him multiple times that Ben really did like him. "I didn't even know you were attracted to me, or anything. And Audrey-"

"Yeah." Ben winced, sighing heavily. "Dating Audrey made my parents happy, but I couldn't- I can't live like that and I don't want to. And maybe… maybe I've been bottling up the way I feel inside, and it kept building and building until it finally exploded out in a giant song and dance routine."

"With cheerleaders," Evie hummed. "And crowd surfing."

Ben lit up with a brilliant smile, as though grateful that someone had noticed his dedication, when it would have been impossible to even think of ignoring it. "Right! Thank you."

"So…" Chad was still struggling to understand, though that wasn't terribly surprising, because he was kind of dumb. "You've liked me this whole time?"

"Yes!" Ben burst, swooping in to – oh, now he was lifting Chad, spinning him in an exuberant circle. For such a thin guy, he sure was strong. Maybe it was a beast thing coming into play. "I have! And it's been killing me because you kept turning down all those girls."

Chad felt his cheeks heat with embarrassment. "I mean-"

"I know you were insecure now," Ben declared, nuzzling Chad's shoulder sort of like a cat. Like a big, intellectual cat. "But I didn't then, and it was killing me."

"How much?" Evie teased as she coaxed them down the path, Ben gladly taking his cue to slip in between them, wrapping an arm around both Chad and Evie's waists. "How much was it killing you, Ben? Did you ever do anything drastic?"

"Probably," Ben admitted with a flush. "I always lingered after Tourney practice so we could change together, and I kept hoping maybe he'd, you know, check me out like at least once."

"Ben," Chad groaned, hiding his face again. "I couldn't do that; I didn't want to be a weirdo."

Or like, rude. Most people thought he was a weirdo when they got to know him, and he hadn't wanted the other princes to think that. He'd wanted to be cool for like, a moment, and he couldn't do that if he was checking out the other guys that sometimes gave him weird feelings but not because he was looking at them.

"Do you think I'm a weirdo?" Ben asked, his voice filled with a deceptive sort of innocence. "For checking you out?"

"No, of course not." Chad shook his head roughly. "You're Ben-"

"And you're Chad," Evie reminded him gently, and when the two of them looked at him with such concerned gazes, it was easy to make Chad shake, because he was so very unused to it. "Why should Ben get a free pass and not you?"

"Because…" Chad swallowed, feeling small.

Evie pulled to a stop, and then she was moving so that Chad was cradled between her and Ben. "Forget everything Audrey has ever said to you," Evie ordered in a low voice. "You're not needy or weak or bland."

"No," Ben rushed to add. "You're not less, Chad, and you definitely shouldn't be judged more harshly just because you're not me."

Chad felt himself blushing. "It's just-"

"Forget the charming thing," Evie pressed. "You are charming – in your own, quiet way. And checking out guys would not make you less so."

"Though it is sort of sweet that you respect our privacy enough not to do it," Ben said, keeping his grin nice and gentle. "Chad… I'm sorry I've left you alone to flounder all these years. I'm sorry I've been watching from afar when you've been struggling to get by. If I had thought for a second you didn't know how wonderful and sweet you were, I would have spent every day reminding you of it, just so you could know it without a doubt."

"You could still do that," Evie offered, sharing a conspiratorial look with Ben. "It will make him blush."

"He does look very cute when he's blushing," Ben said, leaning in to observe Chad do just that with a grin that could only be considered 'victorious'. "Not that you aren't cute all the time-"

"Ben."

"Chad," the prince interrupted with bright ruthlessness. "Let Evie and I pamper you. We want to."

"And we'll keep reminding you of that every day until you believe it," Evie added with a smirk.

"…it might take a while," Chad admitted, wanting to be honest with them because frankly, it all seemed too good to be true. The one princess who had called his bluff and a prince that had apparently had a crush on Chad this entire time, and not just any prince, but the prince above all princes.

"That's okay," Ben said, squeezing Chad's side. "Good things take time."

And he even said it without irony, which made Chad inclined to think it was true.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"Here it is," Ben said when they arrived at their destination, spreading his arms out wide in a dramatic sort of reveal. "Let me introduce you to the Enchanted Lake!"

"Oh, wow," Evie said, staring at the clear waters with open appreciation. "It's beautiful, Ben."

"And a great swimming spot," Ben said, jogging back to meet them so he could curl himself around their shoulders in another show of stubbornness. "I was thinking we could play in the water some and then maybe have a picnic?"

"Um…" Evie shifted her weight in the first show of uncertainty Chad had seen from her. "I um… don't know how to swim."

"Oh." Ben blinked as though he hadn't expected this, but the barrier seemed to go around most of the water on the Isle, so Chad wasn't sure why. "Chad?"

"I almost drowned in a lake when I was little," Chad admitted with a flush. "I wandered away from my nannies and was trying to… adventure, I guess." That was when he'd been pretty much locked in the library, his minders determined to keep him to less-hazardous pursuits. "…still a bit afraid of them, if I'm being honest."

It was a stupid fear, but most fears were, so.

"Wow," Ben said, seeming to marvel at his own ideas. "I did not think this out at all."

"You could swim," Evie offered. "Chad and I could watch."

"Nah." Ben shook his head, rediscovering his smile. "We'll just picnic and cuddle Chad."

"Yes." Evie grinned. "That sounds like a perfect compromise."

"You two are embarrassing," Chad declared, trying to duck his head and getting intercepted by not one, but two hands – Evie and Ben determined to keep his head high.

"For you," Evie hummed. "Gladly."

"What she said," Ben chirped, and then he was dragging them towards the picnic blanket that was already spread out, explaining all the foods he had packed and complimenting Evie on the shirt she'd made for Chad and everything was strangely good and wonderful for once.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"So?" Mal pounced on them the moment Ben had dropped Chad and Evie off at her dorm room, Jay and Carlos lingering in the background, likely trying to pretend they were there by happenstance and not because they wanted fresh gossip. "How did it go?"

"Well, I think," Chad replied honestly, feeling relieved when Evie shot him a thumbs up. "Ben kissed our hands, but not our lips."

"We cuddled," Evie reported. "But Ben did not get frisky."

"Good boy," Mal said, her eyes shining with approval. "And did you two have fun?"

"Oh, yeah," Chad said, cheeks heating with pleased embarrassment because he was Mal's, because Mal cared about his emotional wellbeing and that was a very nice thing. "Thanks, Mal."

"Yeah," Evie said, wrapping an arm around Chad's waist and pressing a kiss against his cheek. "Thanks, Mal. You're the best for arranging this."

"I thought Ben arranged the date," Chad said, a little confused.

Evie's eyes shined a little brighter, somehow. Or figuratively. It was probably figurative. "Mal made some suggestions," she explained, and then she kissed him on the lips, which-

Yes, still very nice.

"Hey," Jay rumbled from his 'casual' sprawl against the couch. "Am I gonna get a turn, or what?"

"That depends," Evie sniffed, her tone going from fond to cool in under a second. "Is that how you're going to ask?"

From his spot perched on the couch, Carlos stifled an amused laugh, and Jay's shoulders slumped in proper chastisement.

"Of course not, Evie," Jay said, his confident swagger melting into something more gentle when he approached. "May I um… kiss you two?" After a moment, he added, "Please?"

"I dunno," Evie hummed. "Mal?"

Mal made a show of considering this, though even Chad was pretty sure he knew what her answer would be. "If Evie and Chad are okay with it, you may be used for their pleasure."

"I'm good with that," Jay said before he fell to his knees, looking up at them with beseeching eyes. "So, may I…?"

"Um…" Chad shared a look with Evie. "What about Ben?"

The other four froze. Even Carlos, who was mostly hidden by the back of the couch.

"…what?" Evie asked, seeming confused by how they had gotten to this point.

"I mean-" Chad felt his blush darken. "Since we're um- dating him. I mean, he's not- is he our boyfriend? I don't think you're supposed to kiss people you're not dating without like, everyone knowing."

There was a heavy moment of silence that made Chad think that maybe this wasn't the case at all.

And then Jay looked considerate. "Do you think Ben would go for it?"

"I mean…" Mal hummed. "He's going for Evie. That's a foot in the door."

"Chad's the foot in the door," Evie said. "Anything else would be pushing it."

"I'm not-" Chad felt so hot he thought he might pass out. "I'm not saying Ben should um- join us. But he should probably know, right?"

There was a very tense silence, and then Mal sighed.

"Fine," she huffed. "But let me read through my book for a backup plan in case we need to discover a better way to inform him of our arrangement."

"You're so smart, Mal," Chad said, feeling at once both relieved and in awe. "Thanks for looking out for us."

"Stop being sweet," Mal grumbled, but she was blushing which meant Evie was smiling, which in turn made Chad smile because it was indeed a nice blush.

"So what I'm getting from this is that kissing is not happening right now," Jay said, his lips tugging down in a pout.

"Go mack on Carlos if you want it that badly," Mal ordered, detouring from her absent perusal of the room so she could kick his leg. "We all know he's just playing hard to get."

Behind the couch, Carlos sputtered. "I am not."

"Yeah, like you wouldn't have left the moment kissing was mentioned if you weren't interested," Mal said, rolling her eyes. "Stop using that laptop to hide your boner and let Jay suck you off."

"Carlos, you dog," Jay laughed, and then he was jumping over the back of the couch, making the young De Ville startle and then drop off into a very telling moan.

"Um," Chad said, his cheeks pink. "Maybe I'll um- go back to my room."

"I'll come with you," Evie declared, tangling her fingers with his. "We can have our own kissing practice and then I'll interrogate Doug about Hanover."

"Oh." Chad brightened up with a grin, happy with the prospect of a plan. "Yeah, that sounds good."

"Go, my minions," Mal ordered over Carlos' loud whine. "Go forth and harass young Douglass."

"It is a discussion, Mal, not harassment," Chad insisted, tugging his girlfriend out of her dorm room because that was a thing he could do now.

What a life he lived.

"Sure!" Mal offered after him. "If that's what you want to call it!"

Evie's giggles carried them all the way down the hall. "I'm glad Mal decided to claim you."

"Yeah," Chad agreed. "Me too."

-:-:-:-:-:-

"I don't understand," Ben said finally after Mal had explained everything to him, the other prince looking helplessly confused as he visibly reevaluated Chad and the transfer students from their scattered positions around Mal and Evie's room.

"It's simple," Mal said, setting her hands on her hips with a weary sigh. "Jay, Evie, Carlos, and Chad are mine. I claimed them. By Isle standards, it means they are under my protection, but it also means that I am allowed to dote and reward them, and they are allowed to dote and reward each other however they see fit."

"So…" Chad could see Ben really try to struggle through this properly, desperate to get things right. "You've been kissing Chad?"

Mal tensed with an obvious displeasure. "Chad is mine," she reiterated. "I claimed him. That means I look after his wellbeing, both physically and- you know, mentally. And if that involves kissing sometimes, that is our business, because he's part of my crew."

Ben didn't say anything for another long beat, and then he turned to Evie. "You knew about this?"

"Of course," Evie dismissed, even though she definitely hadn't known about it in the beginning. "Mal also claimed me."

"The point is," Mal cut in, a pleased sort of flush spilling across her cheeks – latent pride that she had so many nice things and Chad was one of them. "You're going to have to learn to share. That's all."

Ben considered this, frowning, then turned to Chad. "Is this what you want?"

"Um." Chad was still unaccustomed to having this much focus aimed at him. "I like being Mal's," he said, honestly. "She's the first person to ever claim me. I um… I like being taken care of by her, and I like helping her and…" He ducked his head, feeling bashful. "I also like kissing her. She's the one who taught me how."

At that, Ben let out a small whine. "I would have taught you," he pressed, eyes wide and imploring. "If you'd wanted-"

Chad's blush managed to darken exponentially. "But I didn't know that and I- I like this, what I have with them. And if you're not okay with that, then I'm sorry, but I'm not- I don't want to give that up, even if it's weird and different."

Immediately, Ben's gaze softened, his expression shifting from confusion to one of utter fondness that Chad couldn't predict the reasoning for. "It is different, Chad," Ben admitted, his voice gentle. "But really, it's special, so I'm not surprised by it. Of course you found something as special as you are."

"Ben," Chad groaned, only Evie and Jay intercepted Chad's hands so he couldn't hide how embarrassed he was.

That made Ben perk up in something like satisfaction. "Oh," he said, his eyes glazing over. "Yeah, that's… I'm beginning to see the benefits of this."

"Good," Mal hummed. "So long as we're all in agreement."

"Yes," Ben said, nodding quickly. "Now um- if it's okay with everyone, I would like to kiss Chad and Evie, please."

"Just kissing," Mal said. "And you have to check in with them every step of the way for anything else. And if you even think of taking any of their clothes off-"

"Mal," Chad whined while Evie echoed the sentiment, her tone seemingly more despairing.

"I am the boss," Mal reminded them with a sniff. "These are my rules. Take them or leave them."

"I'll take them," Ben chirped, and then he was shyly guiding Chad and Evie over to the couch, leaning forward to trade chaste kisses, and while it was different from kissing Jay, Chad found that it was still, in fact, quite good.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Kissing Ben was about as good as kissing Jay, except Ben – while being equally intense – was a lot sweeter, enthusiastic but definitely gentle, and always sure to give Chad and Evie the same amount of attention while checking in on them with hopeful eyes.

"You can watch, if you want," Mal offered when Ben would follow Chad back from Tourney practice, the brunette's gaze shifting into one of distinct interest while Jay made out with a whimpering Carlos across the room.

"Is that what you guys generally do?" Ben asked, seeming both intrigued and flushed by this prospect.

"If we're feeling up to it," Mal said. "Usually, we are."

To answer the unspoken question, Jay offered a thumbs up, pulling back to nuzzle Carlos' shoulder until he could provide his own tentative response. Still, it was two green lights at the end of the day, which Ben seemed intrigued by.

"Then um- yes," Ben said, his hand curling around Chad's. "I would like that very much."

He ended up cradling Chad in his lap, trading kisses with him while they watched Jay sneak a hand into Carlos' shorts, jerking the young De Ville off while Mal carded her fingers through black and white curls, Carlos whimpering all the while.

"Oh," Ben said when it was over, his pupils seeming to dilate. "Oh."

"Yeah," Mal said, seeming to puff up with pride. "It's a good show."

And it was obviously one Ben liked because he kept coming back for more, though he was always sure to cuddle Evie or Chad or both of them when Mal allowed it.

"Sorry," the brunette prince offered one day with a flush, seeming embarrassed. "It's not that you aren't enough, because you definitely are, but I see you together and my beast thinks pack and that- it makes me feel settled, is all."

"Aw, Ben," Chad said, his fond grins coming easier as he slowly but surely came to the understanding that he could probably keep this. "We're happy we can help, seeing as you make us feel good too, so…"

"Chad," Ben rumbled before leaning forward and capturing the blond's lips with a pleased sounding growl.

It got to the point where Ben would watch Chad and Evie make out with the others, Mal boxing Evie against the bed or Jay trying to coax Chad and Carlos through something which was always slow and fumbling because they were both awkward bananas, but then Ben would growl and pull Chad into his lap, Jay doing the same with Carlos until the two of them could ease Chad and the young De Ville together, grinning at their flushed expressions.

"Just like that," Ben soothed, cupping Carlos's cheek while he pressed kisses to Chad's neck. "You're doing a great job, sweetheart."

"Fuck," Carlos murmured, shivering into Ben's hand, and then Jay would pile on with compliments like the opportunist he was.

"I have decided to allow you to play with my other claims," Mal declared out of the blue one day, making Ben's gaze go wide. "But you will be careful, Ben, do you understand?"

"I do," Ben said, wearing a grateful expression before he zeroed in on Jay, who tried to play it suave and cool for about three seconds before Ben was working a hand between his legs – and sure, Chad had done that with Ben a few times himself by this point, but it was different to see Jay as the one pinned under Ben's wiry frame, Jay gasping and flushed and eagerly rutting into Ben's hand.

"Yes," Mal declared with a pleased hiss while she wrapped herself around Chad's back, her gaze split between them and where Evie was pleasuring Carlos on the couch. "This is perfect."

"You know," Chad began between gasps, smile pulling wide in a reflexive show of happiness he couldn't contain if he tried. "I can't help but agree."

Mal loosed an appreciative rumble before claiming his lips, and just like every other time they did this, Chad surrendered, feeling something akin to coming home.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Things were going well – Evie was designing them outfits for coronation and Jay had qualified for the Swords and Shields team next semester and Carlos was testing up a full grade now that he had gotten into the groove of Auradon schooling – when Chad came upon an odd sight in Ben's private suite after school one day.

They'd taken to using the brunette prince's space because of the guaranteed privacy it provided – Ben allotted a suite with multiple rooms on his very own floor because of his position, which meant there weren't people tramping through the halls or neighbors they had to worry about hearing their um- enthusiasm, Chad guessed. Sometimes they even slept over, which was definitely against the rules, but Mal decided that they all deserved cuddles, damnit, so she'd teleport them in anyway, and it wasn't like Ben ever had an issue with this – the brunette happy to take turns wrapping around each of them like a dedicated blanket.

It looked like Chad was the first of the others to make it to the suite that evening, except Mal was definitely there with Ben, and she looked… worried?

Chad didn't know what could be worrisome about Ben eating some cupcakes though, unless she was testing out a new recipe. That was generally not a thing Mal did, though.

"Chad!" Mal said, her gaze wide with shock. "Don't you have um- study time with Aziz or something?"

"He had to cancel 'cuz of family stuff," Chad said while Ben stared at his cupcake. "Hey, can I try one?"

Mal just sort of blinked at him, then blinked at Ben. "Um…"

"Sure," Ben chirped half a second later, seeming to startle Mal more. "You'll like them, they're chocolate."

"I- that does sound good," Chad admitted, and maybe they got a little sidetracked from the cupcakes by Ben smearing frosting on Chad's lips and then licking it off, but he allowed Chad to return the favor until they ended up rutting against each other for Mal's viewing pleasure. "Wow," Chad said later when he was sprawled across Ben's chest on the couch, feeling a bit messy, but sated. "Those are some good cupcakes."

"Tell me about it," Ben hummed, running a hand through Chad's curls. And then, in a complete non-sequitur, he added, "You didn't have to give me those cookies, Mal."

Mal, who had been uncharacteristically quiet for the exchange, threw up her hands in annoyance. "Well now I fucking know that."

"I do appreciate the boost though," Ben continued somewhat mysteriously. "Hey, could I um- get some kissing practice of my own?"

At that, Mal let out a chuckle, all the tension seeming to ease from her shoulders. "Sure you can, my insatiable little gremlin," she murmured, moving over until she was crouched beside the two of them. "I'm feeling so generous that I think I'll practice with both of you."

"Aw, Mal," Chad said, grinning wide. "Thank you."

"Fucking thank you, asshole," Mal muttered with a flush. "You're the one that started this."

"And I shall be the one that finishes it," Ben hummed, and then he decided to make good on that pledge then and there, which neither Chad nor Mal really had any problems with.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Endnotes:

And that's all, folks! The deleted scenes will be posted next, and if you're looking for some more Descendants goodness, I'm about to post the first chapter of my next fic, 'An Endless Horizon', shortly. It's a Gil-centric, post Descendants 3 multi-chapter, so if you're looking for some pirate-y goodness, there it is for you! :D

Story notes:

Ruby is the crown princess of Corona, daughter of Rapunzel and Eugene.

Shoutout to Mal's potion coaxing along things that would have naturally progressed anyway ;)

I always thought it was kind of dumb that Ben brought Mal on a date and then went swimming without her. Like, I know it was so she'd have time to sing her ballad, but in real, practical terms, one should not abandon their dates. That's a free tip there ;D

So yes, true love's kiss can break spells and all that, but we're going to go ahead and say that while Ben had a strong appreciation for Chad, maybe even puppy love, he wasn't full-blown committed yet. That's why it took the cupcake to fix that problem.

WARNING – Dubious Consent in the 7th (second to last scene) due to love potion. Ben makes out and watches acts of intimacy while under the effects of the love potion. In this particular instance, it is more like the love potion gave him the liberation he needed to act on impulses he may have otherwise stifled, but the VKs don't know that, so overall you can just skip that one particular scene if you aren't comfortable with such things.

Until next time :)

-:-:-:-:-:-

'Day after day all the prince ever does is practice, practice, practice. Thinking of her and the way that it was - practice, practice, practice.' - 'Practice, Practice, Practice' from The Swan Princess.