Chapter 4 – Final Bows
-:-:-:-:-:-
Jay's window infiltrations became a nightly occurrence, and after the fourth one Chad managed to work up the courage to broach a subject he'd been growing worried about.
"Um, Jay," Chad said after they'd finished making out and Jay was allowing Chad to cuddle against his side on the bed, and it felt really nice but also sort of scary with how nice it was. "If um… if we- hypothetically, are in this for the long haul, then um… you might end up being the queen-equivalent for Sardinia." Chad paused, unable to miss the way Jay tensed underneath his hands. "Are you okay with that?"
"I…" To Jay's credit, he at least thought about it, which made Chad feel better, weird as it was. "I won't be that good at it."
"That's okay," Chad said. "I won't be a good king either."
That made Jay laugh. "I pity Sardinia, then," he said, making Chad's chest feel all tight before he continued with- "Okay," he said. "I'll try, for you. Do you think they'd be cool with me playing professional Tourney for a few years?"
"Would they be okay with you being really cool and talented in public?" Chad asked. "Sure. Just don't get caught in one of those weird sports scandals."
"You also play sports," Jay reminded him. "You don't have to pretend like you have no idea what I'm talking about."
"Hmm… what was that?" Chad asked, and then Jay kissed him, lips tugged up in a smile, and it was good.
-:-:-:-:-:-
Chad pretty much had it made. He had Jay safely confirmed as his essentially-a-queen, he had Jane assure him that they could have a magic baby, and his studies were going better than ever, so maybe he actually would be a good king for Sardinia.
It was sort of overwhelming to have so many things going well for him for once, and he guessed that registered in his mood because Fairy Godmother picked up on it almost immediately.
"How are you doing, Chadwick?" she'd ask, because she cared, because she wanted to know the answer to the question and if Chad's answer was less than okay, then she wasn't upset with him or thought he was whining but genuinely tried to help him through whatever was bugging him at that exact moment, which seemed to be happening less and less as time went on.
"I'm great!" Chad chirped, Jane perking up from where she was working on her schoolwork in the kitchen. She used to do that on-campus with her other friends, but she'd been coming straight to the cottage after school more often than not, and at first Chad had felt guilty about it, but then she had assured him that she wouldn't be doing it if she didn't want to. "I got a B on my report!"
A 'B'. Chad had never scored so high on a written project before. He had just about broken into tears when he saw the grade in the online learning portal.
Immediately, Fairy Godmother brightened up, her smile stretching wide to echo Chad's own. "That's lovely, dear, we should celebrate!"
"Oooh, let's order in!" Jane suggested, and she wasn't even mocking him because she was on the Honor Roll and got A's all the time, but Chad usually got C's and D's because he was dumb, except maybe he wasn't anymore?
And he felt bad about slacking on his extra studies, but it was nice not to get the facts mixed up, and definitely nice to have downtime for once that he could spend with Jay, who had somehow managed to get a recording of Cats and insisted on watching it with Chad so he could spend the entire time complimenting the prince's performance as Rum Tum Tugger.
"Could we um- get Imperial City food?" Chad asked, because his grandfather had never liked him dining on such 'common cuisine', when the food of Lonnie's homeland was anything but.
"Dumplings and chow mein!" Jane cheered. "Maybe we should order ice cream too. Is there a flavor you wanted to try?"
"Um- Doug seems to like Rocky Road," Chad offered, because his former roommate had been all about the stuff, though Chad had never been allowed to procure it himself. "Hey um- if we're celebrating, could I invite Jay?"
Fairy Godmother paused as though surprised by the request, but immediately melted into a smile. "Yes dear, the more the merrier."
Chad had worried for a hot second that Jay might not want to come, had worried that maybe the Agraben preferred for their relationship to remain a secret, but he showed up with the delivery guys bearing a to-go container of warm chocolate chips cookies straight from the dining hall.
"Since we're celebrating," Jay said, a knowing look in his eyes like he'd caught all the times Chad had stared longingly at their cookies, knowing it'd go against his image to dabble in such things.
"You're the best, Jay," Chad said, and the Agraben eagerly leaned down to reciprocate his kiss, which was great until Chad realized that he hadn't really mentioned anything to Fairy Godmother and Jane.
But when he looked back at them, they didn't seem surprised. If anything, Fairy Godmother seemed a bit knowing.
"I have privacy enchantments on the house," she explained as they started unloading the food and piling it onto plates. "They alert me whenever we have visitors."
Which meant…
"I'm not upset," she assured Chad, something she always made sure to do because Chad wasn't great at guessing other people's feelings about him, had a tendency to assume they would be the most negative reactions, but the therapist he'd just started seeing was helping him work through that. "I'm glad you two are comfortable with each other, and I'm happy you have Jay to support you."
"Um…" Jay said, clearly not expecting the good turn of events. "I won't… I promise I'll do my best not to hurt him, Fairy Godmother. I don't- I know my dad's-"
"Not you, sweetheart," Fairy Godmother said with a knowing look. "And you're not him. If Chad trusts you, I trust you. Now please, trust yourself."
Oh, that was- that was a great pep talk.
Chad had come to learn that Fairy Godmother had many of them, and he loved hearing just about all of them.
"I… thanks," Jay said awkwardly, and then all of them gathered around the kitchen table and had a family dinner. Jay regaled them with funny mistakes from Tourney practice and Jane passed on some of her trials from being mascot and Fairy Godmother talked about public incidents from Auradon Junior Prep, because it turned out preteens were just as dramatic as teenagers and it was really nice and fun.
Afterwards, they cuddled on the couch together to watch a movie and eat ice cream and cookies, but not before Fairy Godmother coaxed Chad into calling his father to share the good news with him.
"I um- I got a B," he explained, which seemed kind of pathetic in hindsight. "I… normally I don't um- score that well, because of all of grandpa's extra studies – I mean, that's not an excuse, but now I- I got a B."
Chad's father stared at him for a moment, seeming confused, but then he pushed on. "That's great news, Chad. I'm glad for your success, but I must ask… what are these extra studies you're talking about?"
And that was how they discovered that all that extra work his grandfather had him do was just another 'method of abuse' intended to overwhelm Chad and keep him from performing well, and that was- it was-
"Bad," Jay informed him. "That was bad because your grandfather was a bad man, and he shouldn't have hurt you like that."
"No," Chad agreed, something he had to feel out slowly but surely. "No, he shouldn't have."
It was still something he was working on, but over the sessions he had with his therapist, it was beginning to get easier. At first it had been hard, but then his therapist had suggested that he put Jane or Doug or Jay in his shoes instead. Would they have deserved to get hurt because they wanted to take dance? Would they have deserved mean phone calls because they weren't doing well in school? Even if they were the heir to a kingdom?
The answer was no, and when Chad tried to press that he was an exception to that rule, no one would back him on it.
Because he wasn't.
They didn't deserve to be hurt, and he didn't deserve to be hurt, and that mattered.
-:-:-:-:-:-
"And you're cool with this?" Chad asked, shifting his weight nervously as he regarded his father over video chat. "That I'm um- dating Jay? Jane said she'd give us a magic baby-"
"Even if she didn't," his father interrupted, which he didn't do much because he wanted to listen to what Chad had to say, but would if he needed to make an important point. "I would still support you a hundred percent, Chad. If Jay likes you and supports you and you're happy with him – why, that's all I could ever ask for."
"Oh, I…" Chad trailed off, his throat feeling tight and eyes hot and maybe it was familiar but at least this was in a nice way. "Thanks."
"I love you," his father countered, because you didn't have to thank family for that kind of stuff, and honestly, that was better than a 'you're welcome' any day.
Of course, dating Jay came with rules, which Chad hadn't realized until Fairy Godmother sat them down the day after their celebration.
"If you're doing this," she began. "It's important that you communicate and respect each other. From my observations, you're both new to this, so I want to reiterate how very okay it is for you to be nervous about certain things. You are equals in this, neither better than the other, and you shouldn't do something you don't want to do it or if you don't feel ready for it. If you're not a hundred percent onboard, then it can wait, and that goes for both of you."
"I… thanks, Fairy Godmother," Jay said, looking overwhelmed by her speech.
"It's my pleasure, dear," Fairy Godmother chirped. "Now, I believe it's time for us to have the talk."
Chad had heard rumors of said talk from Doug, but it was slightly more embarrassing to have it delivered by Fairy Godmother, even if she set them off with a box of condoms and a few bottles of lubricant after the fact.
"It's always horrific," Jane informed them when he and Jay had retreated to his bed to cuddle away their shock. "But it's a rite of passage for all families."
"Really?" Chad perked up, because that made it seem a lot better.
"Really," Jane confirmed with a grin. "She wouldn't have given it to you if she didn't care, but she wants you to be safe and comfortable, so she did." She settled down on the floor beside the bed properly, one hand reaching up to comb through Chad's curls. "That's what family does for one another."
"Oh," Chad said, thinking about how much easier it could have been for Fairy Godmother to let them wander blind.
As a mental exercise, he tried to think of all the bad reasons why she could have done this, but even when he did that, he couldn't come up with anything that made any kind of sense. She'd done it purely for their benefit.
"We are family," Jane informed him, not because she thought he was dumb and would forget, but because he hadn't been given that enough in his life. "And I love you very much."
"I love you too, Jane," Chad said, unable to hide the absolute honesty in his tone. "…do you think my dad will make you a princess if I ask?"
Jane flushed dark. "You don't- you don't have to do that, Chad, we would still be family."
"I know," Chad said. "But I think I'd really like it if you were heir with me."
Jay let out a low hum. "That sounds like something that warrants a phone call."
Chad had been nervous, but that time all four of them had crowded around the tablet while Chad explained his reasoning to his father's patient image.
"So um…" Chad shifted. "If that would- would be okay-"
"I love it," his father said, smiling so wide Chad thought his cheeks might hurt. "I can officially claim Fairy Godmother and Jane as family on paper as soon as possible, but when would you like to have the official coronation?"
"In the summer?" Chad hazarded. "After Cotilliion. Then Jane could start junior year as a princess."
"You'd definitely make cheerleader then," Jay whispered, making Jane flush.
"A summer coronation sounds lovely," his father said. "Is that alright with you, Jane?"
"I'd… it's perfect," Jane said, seeming overwhelmed and flushed the way Chad usually was. "But really, you don't have to do this. I'd be happy just being Chad's official family."
"I do not have to," his father agreed, making Chad's stomach sink for a second before he continued with, "But I get to, and that is a privilege I consider entirely more relevant."
"All hail, Princess Jane," Jay cheered, making Jane's blush darken. "Cinders and fairies for life!"
"Yeah," Chad said, his own smile sort of helpless but happy, because his grandfather had hated his parents' fairytale, had hated Fairy Godmother's magic, but it had helped his mother and now it had helped him, and Chad wanted the world to know his appreciation for them. "Cinders and fairies for life."
"Hear, hear," his father said, and this must be what family was like, and if it was, then Chad didn't want anything else as long as he lived.
-:-:-:-:-:-
Chad supposed it was likely inevitable for him to have to see Ben again.
Like, eventually he'd go back to school, and as large as Auradon Prep was, Ben still hung out with the VKs and Jane, and Chad wanted to hang out with the VKs and Jane, so obviously he was going to have to make nice with the dude he'd made cry that one time.
Ben hadn't made any public statements in regards to the mate stuff, though his dad had given one that essentially boiled down to 'back off, it's private – don't bother any parties involved', something that Fairy Godmother had actually stopped and applauded when they heard it on the news station. She, Chad's father, and Ben's parents had done a great job keeping the press at bay in regards to any of the circulating rumors, though most of Auradon seemed to take it at face value that Chad was Ben's mate now.
Fairy Godmother wouldn't let him scroll social media in an effort to get more information because apparently a lot of people weren't saying nice things (what else was new?), but Jay assured Chad that he and Ben and the others were sticking up for him for the few students who were crappy enough to say mean things after the video of his assault had leaked.
Doug felt terrible about that despite it not being his fault. Like, Carlos had even hacked into the Inspectors Office just to trace the source of the leak and managed to collect enough information to anonymously turn it over and get the opportunistic file clerk fired and blacklisted and a tiny bit arrested. Of course, none of that they could mention to anyone because it was technically illegal and violated Carlos' probation (all the Isle kids were on a six month one after swearing to be good at Ben's coronation, after which they'd officially be integrated into Auradon), but Jay had told him about it anyway.
Chad had spent a lot of time amazed that Carlos had risked so much for him, but Jay was the one that had best explained it.
"We know what it's like to hurt," the Agraben said simply. "And none of us want to allow others to get away with that anymore, so if he could help, he wanted to." Jay cleared his throat. "Also, there's um- the fact that you're my boyfriend, so…"
"Does everyone know about that?" Because Chad wasn't ashamed or anything, would shout it from the rooftops himself if he was allowed on social media and had told Jay as much because he didn't want the Agraben to doubt it, but he still didn't know the full goings on of Auradon Prep.
"They know," Jay said, nodding slowly. "At least, the important people do, and Lonnie's been slowly circulating the knowledge so people can have time to adjust to it."
And not be assholes, he didn't say, but Chad heard it loud and clear.
Wow, he had so many friends, and he knew a lot of them did this stuff just because they were decent, but… well, maybe they did it a little bit for him too. He was working on accepting that. It seemed like too much to hope for, but if he had Jay and Jane, maybe he could have that too.
"…Does Ben know?" Chad asked, because that was the truly worrying question.
A pause, and then Jay nodded, his jaw tight. "He knows."
His reaction made Chad's shoulders tense. "He hasn't been um- mean to you, has he?"
"No," Jay said, and that seemed to worry him more. "He hasn't really treated me differently, but Mal confirmed that he knew and believed what was going on, so I… I don't really know what that means."
A few days later, they managed to get down to the bottom of things.
"Chad, sweetheart," Fairy Godmother said while they were cleaning up dinner, Jay joining them, as had become usual. "Ben would like to know if he could speak to you again."
Chad paused to consider this. It had been a couple months since the last time he had seen Ben, a couple months of therapy and regular visits from his dad and dating Jay. A couple months of having a family.
The truth was, he didn't really have anything different to say to Ben than he had last time, but he was in a much better place now to hear the king out, so he guessed he could listen to what he had to say. After all, he and Ben had sort of been friends before this had all gone down anyway.
Chad cleared his throat. "Could Jay join us?"
Both Fairy Godmother and Jay paused with surprise, but then she nodded, like she was making that executive decision. "Yes, I think that will be quite alright."
That was what brought Ben to the cottage living room once more, the king settling into the arm chair while Chad and Jay sat next to each other on the couch.
He looked… Chad wouldn't say better than last time, because Ben still seemed a bit rumpled and exhausted, but at least there weren't awful bags under his eyes, and he was calm in way he'd been back when he'd made his first proclamation, like he was quietly certain of his actions. It was an inner strength Ben couldn't help but reflect on the outside, and where it used to make Chad feel small, now it just made him feel comfortable, because that was the kind of person he'd want to be king of everything anyway.
"So," Ben began quietly, his hands folded together in a picture of composure. "First of all, thank you for agreeing to see me."
"Um… you're welcome," Chad decided, feeling maybe the tiniest bit dumb that this was a thing Ben needed to say in the first place.
And yet, Ben still managed a small, supportive smile, which soothed some of the tension in Chad's chest. "I um- wanted to talk to you about a few things."
"I'm dating Jay," Chad blurted out, because- well, even if Ben knew, maybe he was a little afraid the king would go on about how they were supposed to be together.
Chad wanted to wince, and he was pretty sure Jay might have beside him, but after a confused blink, Ben seemed to revert back to his easy smile.
"Right," the king said. "That was actually what I wanted to talk about." He held a hand up before Chad or Jay could respond. "I wanted to say, before you come back to school, that I support you and I'm happy for you."
And now it was Chad and Jay's turn to be confused.
"You're… not upset?" Chad asked, because Ben had been all tearful and stuff a few months ago, and Chad had felt bad for him, just like, not enough to date him.
"No," Ben said, running a hand through his hair. "No, um- this time apart… it's given me the opportunity to process things."
Ah, so he had realized the error of his ways. Or maybe that his nose had gotten something wrong. That was embarrassing.
"When I last saw you," Ben continued. "That was right after I'd realized who you were to me, and who Taylor wasn't. And then that mess with your grandfather came out and I was- I was so distraught, torn between the pain of you hurting and the joy of finding you that I didn't really give you the time you needed, I didn't realize that you needed space to process stuff too, and I just thought…" He shrugged. "Well, it doesn't matter what I thought then, the point is that I'm sorry for trying to pressure you and adding to your problems when I'd only ever wanted to make them better."
That was actually really sweet, and of course it was because it was Ben, and he was a really sweet guy. That was just in his nature.
"Thank you," Chad said, his throat feeling thick. "I appreciate that."
"I'm glad," Ben said, smiling like he meant it. "And I want you to know that I haven't- nothing that's happened has changed anything, or how I feel, but I talked about it a lot with my parents and I realized that a lot about having a mate – or just having a love – is supporting them. At the end of the day, I just want you to be happy, Chad, and if being with Jay makes you happy, then I support that a hundred percent."
"Oh," Chad said, because that was super nice. Not a surprise, but definitely overwhelming.
"This um- isn't intended to be a guilt trip either," Ben said, though his gaze slid over to Jay as he said this. "But since you are one of the most important people in my life-"
"Why, though?" Chad interrupted, because he'd never gotten an answer to that. At least, not one that made sense.
Ben blinked, but took the prompting for what it was. "You mean, why didn't I notice it sooner," he said, and it wasn't even a question, but Chad nodded nonetheless because both queries felt relevant. "Chad… you were covering up so much of yourself before. None of us knew how much your grandfather forced you to hide. And when I saw you on that stage – when you allowed yourself to be someone else – it was like I was seeing you for the first time, because you were free."
His hand twitched, like maybe he was restraining himself from doing something, but Ben didn't move, the entirety of his focus on Chad.
"You weren't putting up a front to pretend things were okay," Ben said. "You weren't making snide comments to cover up how exhausted you were and you weren't conforming yourself to whatever rules your grandfather gave you – you were just yourself, and I saw that- my beast saw it – and was lucky enough to know there was so much more underneath that, and if you'd give me the chance, I'd like to get to know the real you. As um- a friend, if nothing else."
Chad… guessed that was fair. At least, he had been hiding a lot back then, but that was how his life went. He had to put up a front because if he didn't, his grandfather would be mad at him, and he had to cover up what he really liked or how he actually wanted to be because his grandfather said all those things were um- garbage and unbecoming of an heir to Sardinia.
Chad had spent so long feeling like he wasn't enough, that he could never be enough, but for one short weekend he had gotten to not be himself, and that…
Yeah, it had been liberating, and even though it had led him down a painful road, it had also gotten him a family and support and love, so he couldn't really complain all that much.
"…I'd like that," Chad said, because at the end of the day, he did like Ben. And maybe it was a bad idea to distract him because Ben needed like, a real mate or partner or whatever, but if Ben was happy to just give him friendship, Chad would be happy to take it.
"Great," Ben chirped, brightening up considerably. "And um… I know it's not conventional, but because you're my… well, if there's anything I can do to help, anything at all that would make you happy, I'd like to do that, please, whatever it is."
"Even if it was leaving?" Jay asked, not really looking at either of them.
Ben paused, but he didn't scowl or anything. Instead, he nodded. "I would, if that was what Chad wanted."
That was a lot of power, and frankly it wasn't something Chad thought he deserved, but he wasn't allowed to dwell on that much before Ben was looking at him again.
"And if you wanted me to look after Jay," Ben continued. "I'd do that too."
"You would?" Chad asked, perking up while Jay tensed. "Because I… I get worried about people being mad at him or something, and Fairy Godmother said I'm not going back until next semester, so I can't… I can't be there for them to be mad at instead."
"First of all, that's not going to happen," Ben said as Jay gave Chad a worried look. "And second of all, I would be happy to do that. Like I said, anything you need."
Anything was an awful lot, and Chad knew he shouldn't abuse (or even use) that offer, but…
"Could you save Jay one of those peanut butter brownies at lunchtime?" Chad asked, making Jay startled beside him. "Because they're always out by the time he gets there but they'll let you have two."
"Chad," Jay hissed, his cheeks flushing with heat.
"What?" Chad asked, blinking in confusion. "He asked, and you love those things."
And if Chad could help Jay get them, he wanted to.
For whatever reason, this made Ben laugh. "Yes, I can- I can definitely do that, Chad."
"Great," Chad said, already perking up with happiness.
This could work out. He didn't really want anything for himself, but if he could get nice things for Jay, he wanted to.
Though it made him wonder…
"You're um- not mad at Jay?" Chad asked, because no matter how many times he presented the question to his boyfriend, Jay never really seemed to have an answer.
"No," Ben said, seeming to mean it. "I'll admit, I wasn't really surprised. Jay's always been interested in you."
"Huh," Chad mused while Jay's blush darkened.
"He's also always been provocative," Ben offered, which seemed to make Jay to choke on nothing. "In that he doesn't mind seeking out negative reactions to justify his past abuse."
"Ben," Jay croaked, his tone sounding strangled.
Chad didn't really get it, but in a way, it made sense. When Jay had first climbed through Chad's window to check on him, when he'd asked to see Chad's second injury-
He always sort of picked fights and smirked when he got backlash, but Chad thought he just liked to stir shit up. He hadn't realized that Jay was used to people seeing him as the bad guy, or maybe he thought of himself as a bad guy, so he searched out that kind of attention.
"It's true," Ben said, relentless. "And I'll admit, when I first heard you were dating I… I took a few days off because I was so mad I couldn't think straight, but then I realized it was Jay, and Jay wouldn't go out of his way to hurt you the same way he wouldn't try to hurt Carlos or Evie or Mal – you're too important to him."
To rank that kind of consideration – it was a lot, and yet, Chad knew without even having to look at Jay that it was true.
The transfer students didn't really commit to relationships if they didn't mean them. Cue Evie and Doug's epic goo-goo eyes, and Mal calling things off with Ben after like, two weeks. She'd known it wouldn't work, so she hadn't drawn things out.
"Wow," Chad said, because he'd somehow managed to land a sweet and thoughtful boyfriend who would probably be okay with being his consort one day entirely on accident.
Or just- not, because Jay had literally climbed up to his window just to look after him. He'd caught Chad when he fell.
Part of him wondered if Ben would have done the same, but ultimately, it didn't matter.
"Huh," Chad said, thinking it all over. "You're important to me too, Jay."
"Thank you," Jay said, though he still dragged an embarrassed hand over his face the way he did every time a topic that he considered too mushy was brought up.
"So," Ben said, clearing his throat carefully. "I was um- wondering if it would be okay for me to come down and visit you a few times a week? As a friend? Or maybe we can just email or something – whatever's best for you."
And he seemed to mean it, was the thing. It was hard taking people at their word sometimes because aside from them being somewhat unbelievable, a lot of Chad's past tutors had pressed the importance of not taking things at face value. He was a royal, lots of people were going to tell him what he wanted to hear just to get on his good side. It was why Chad couldn't just date anyone, they had to be approved by his grandfather, only Chad himself had never been good enough to earn that privilege.
There was a lot of stuff Chad was slowly unlearning from the past sixteen years of his life, but Ben… he was a busy guy, and Chad was fairly certain he wouldn't extend the effort to keep up with Chad unless he really wanted to. And maybe there was no speaking to his taste, but Ben was someone he respected, so he should probably respect the words he said as true.
"Okay," Chad said. "You can visit. If it- if you want."
"I do," Ben said, smiling so wide it looked like his cheeks would hurt. "So um- do you want me to go or uh…"
"We were just about to have dessert," Chad offered. "But we need to finish washing the dinner dishes first."
"I can help with that," Ben said, perking up considerably, and that was how they learned that Mrs. Potts had taught him a thing or two about how to clean up a kitchen.
It was kind of bizarre to see the King of Auradon with his sleeves rolled up, armed with a pair of rubber gloves as he attacked the dishes, Jane loading them in the dishwasher and Chad and Jay putting the food into Tupperware, but hey, if that was what Ben wanted to do, Chad could respect it.
They watched some feel-good tv show during desert, Ben and Fairy Godmother taking the armchairs while Chad settled in his usual spot between Jane and Jay, and it wasn't even awkward or the tiniest bit weird, but really, really good.
Chad decided he liked it.
-:-:-:-:-:-
Ben didn't come over often, but he made a point to visit at least once a week – assuming he cleared it with both Fairy Godmother and Chad ahead of time.
It was strange, how he could come in with his shoulders all wound up tight, and then get thrown into dinner preparation or helping Chad study or board game night, and in ten minutes he'd be all relaxed, laughing and smiling like the weight of the united kingdoms wasn't resting on his shoulders.
Chad worried about that – worried about Ben as much as someone like him should be able to. He knew it wasn't really his place, but Ben's job was hard and he was young, and in addition to school he was in council meetings and legislative quorums almost all the time. Like, it used to be that Chad could barely handle being prince of Sardinia (he was doing a lot better now, and he and his dad would review protocol over video chat and his father would beam at him when he got stuff right and encourage him if he got stuff wrong and sometimes he'd mail Chad and Jane and Fairy Godmother presents just because he could until Chad was so happy he could cry).
Chad couldn't imagine the stress of being king, let alone king of everything, so every once and a while when Ben would call late at night, sounding apologetic but tired, Chad didn't turn him away. Either they'd talk on the phone – Ben letting him go on about Jane and Jay's latest triumphs, or the king would come in person and ask if they could walk around the garden.
Ben always kept his hands to himself, kept a certain distance between them, and sometimes Jane would join them and sometimes they'd just sit by the pond and throw rocks in it and Ben would ask Chad to talk about his childhood or his love of dance or anything, and if the stories were sometimes sad, he didn't mind them, offering his own comforting support.
"Thank you, for this," Ben would say every time he had to leave. "I… it's easier when I'm near you. Just- I mean for beast stuff, and friend stuff. In general."
"I'm glad I can help, Ben," Chad would say, and he was slowly getting better on discerning Ben's attempts to not make him feel awkward.
Ben was a thoughtful guy like that.
Of course, like most new developments in his life, Chad worried about how Jay would take things, because as time went on, he found himself growing more attached to the Agraben. Jay was funny and cute but mostly, underneath all that confidence and charm, he was sweet. Like, sugary sweet. He didn't just want to be good, he wanted to be a hero, he wanted to fight for people, and Chad would have been afraid that Jay maybe only liked him because he'd been a damsel, but Jay had already told Chad the reasons he liked him. He had to trust that.
Because Chad's life no longer had to be a guessing game, he decided to tackle the problem head on when he and Jay were reviewing basic sword forms for Swords and Shields next semester. Jay had a lot of natural skill and unfortunately gathered experience, but he needed a little polish – or at least some insight – on how everyone else would be fighting. Chad was pretty sure he was a guarantee for the team, and had been working away at convincing Jay to apply for the open captain position. A lot of the Swords and Shields team also did Tourney, so they already respected Jay. Chad figured between himself, Jane, and Carlos, they could get that form filled out, and then Jay would have another patch to add to his letterman jacket.
"Hey," Chad spoke up about thirty minutes into their practice session, when Jay seemed to be in the zone. "So, um- this Ben stuff-"
Jay jolted, sort of flailing off to the side in a hybrid trip/stumble that left him cursing a quiet retreat back to their water bottles, waving for a time out.
Ever the dutiful boyfriend, Chad followed after him. "Sorry."
"No apologies needed," Jay assured him distractedly before grabbing for his bottle. "I've um- been expecting this conversation."
"Oh." Right, people tended to think that because Jay was a jock he wasn't like, smart, but his dad had been the head strategist of Agrabah for a really long time, and Jay hadn't lost out on that intellect. "Okay, so- does it bother you?"
Jay paused, like he'd expected the conversation but maybe not how Chad would approach it. "I mean… it's Ben. You can't really be mad at Ben." He took a distracted drink of his water. "You can't really compete with him either."
It took Chad a few seconds to put together the pieces. "…I don't want to date Ben, Jay."
"Chad," Jay sighed, dragging a hand over his face. "The only reason you don't want to date Ben is because you don't want to be Consort of Auradon."
"Right," Chad said, then frowned. "I mean, not right, because I also want to date you."
"Because I won't make you consort of anything," Jay countered. "I'm politically nothing."
"You're politically super cool," Chad offered, not sure if he liked this conversation. "Jay, I'm not dating you because you don't have any power, I'm dating you because you're nice and sweet and funny and you're supper supportive of me figuring myself out."
"Right," Jay echoed. "Except Ben can do all those things, except better."
Now Chad was full-on frowning. "I don't like you comparing yourself to Ben."
"Sorry," Jay offered, his shoulders slumping. "Look, it's not like I think you'll fall for Ben on purpose, but if he like, magically came up with an offer where you could be with him and not be consort of Auradon – like, Mal or Audrey or whoever would do that with him while he got to date you – you don't think you'd be a little bit interested?"
"Not really," Chad said. "Because you wouldn't be there, and I want you there and… and you have to trust that," Chad said. "You have to trust me the way I trust you, even though it's hard to believe."
There was a beat where Jay stared at the ground, and then he was sighing, aiming a tired look at Chad. "You had to go and use your healthy therapy stuff on me, didn't you?"
"We deserve it," Chad reminded him, which was enough to coax Jay into a small smile. "Jay, I might be Ben's mate or whatever, but what we have right now – I'm happy with that. That's what I want."
"I just think maybe that you're settling because you're scared," Jay said. "Because um- I'm less complicated than Ben is."
"I think that depends on how you look at it," Chad said, because Jay had his own issues too, which could be considered complicated, but Chad knew that wasn't what Jay meant. "How about this – if I get even the slightest inkling that I um- have a real crush on Ben, I'll tell you about it immediately, and then we can freak out about it and decide what to do together. I will promise that, even though it'll be awkward and scary."
"You're brave," Jay told him, tossing his water bottle to the side so he could pull Chad into a tight hug. "Don't you ever forget that, okay? You're brave, and we're all very proud of you."
"You are also brave, and we are also proud of you," Chad reminded him, and if they cut off practice early in favor of cuddles, well, Chad was pretty sure no one would blame them.
-:-:-:-:-:-
Chad decided not to mention Jay's concerns to Ben. It wasn't like they were best friends or anything, but still, Chad found Ben to be a great source of comfort. Once he got over being afraid of wasting Ben's time, he found Ben's quiet regal bearing to be soothing rather than like, a mockery of all he wasn't. His dad was king of Sardinia and he thought Chad was cool, which was really all that mattered in the end.
So while he didn't mention Jay's stuff particularly, he did find himself accidentally stumbling into a different facet of their relationship during one of their private walks together.
To be fair, Ben had asked.
"What is it?" the king pressed, watching Chad fidget from the corner of his eye. "You seem preoccupied."
"Sorry," Chad said, feeling himself flush dark. "I um- I've been thinking about something, but I'm not sure who to ask for advice yet."
"You could ask me," Ben said softly.
"…it's about Jay," Chad said, shooting Ben an apologetic expression. He didn't like to put the king in an awkward position.
And yet, Ben didn't look put off. "You can talk about Jay," he said. "I'm here for anything you need, Chad. If I can help, I'd like to, and if we get to a topic I don't feel comfortable with, I'll let you know."
"Okay," Chad said, feeling better now that Ben had laid that out. He was pretty good at direct communication, once he realized how much Chad thrived on it. "Um… so uh- you've had girlfriends."
"I have," Ben said, giving a slight nod of confirmation.
"So uh… did you um- make out with them?" Chad asked, wanting to wince because this was a king he was talking, but Ben had chosen to be there, and Chad had to remember that.
That time, it was Ben who flushed dark. "Not um- really," he said. "With Audrey, things were mostly political. And with Mal… well, we were better friends in the end."
"Oh." Chad felt his shoulders slump, because he'd been hoping for a slightly different answer.
"You have making out questions?" Ben asked, his brows furrowed in curiosity.
"No, not really," Chad said, running a hand through his curls. "Jay and I do that just fine. Just um- I was wondering… how do you know when you're ready to do more?"
Ben froze, and to his credit, seemed to give the question the consideration it was due. "You talk about it," he said finally. "It has to be a decision the two of you make together and when you both feel ready, you um- experiment. But it's not… I know all the tv shows and movies and books push for it, but it's not something you guys have to rush into, Chad. Not going past making out wouldn't make your relationship mean less. It's really just about doing what you're happy with. I um… I know a lot of people think that sex is the be-all, end-all expression of love, but that's really not the case – so if either of you want to hold off… well, there's nothing wrong with that."
"Thanks, Ben," Chad said, shooting him a relieved smile. Somehow, Ben always knew just the right thing to ease Chad's anxieties.
It wasn't that Chad didn't want to have sex with Jay, because he did. He was young and hormonal and well, he'd already done it once with Ben, but at the time he'd been pretending to be someone else, which had made him more comfortable with everything.
Now if they did anything, he would have to be unquestionably himself, and that was a little bit scary.
Jay wasn't rushing him or anything, he was always happy to let Chad set the pace, but still, the blond worried.
Chad cleared his throat. "Just… it's a lot, you know? Because once we get to that part, it'll just be me and him, and what if I do something wrong?" He shrugged his shoulders. "I don't want to mess up."
"If it's any consolation," Ben began. "If it's your first time, you're both probably going to be awkward about it. It's an awkwardness you can do together. I mean, the only reason I think I did things even slightly well with us was because I let my beast senses take over."
"Huh," Chad mused, thinking about how hungry Ben had seemed, how in control. "Do you think…"
"What?" Ben asked, perking up.
"No," Chad shook his head. "I probably shouldn't have thought of it."
"Chad-"
"Because you'd probably say yes," Chad said. "And that wouldn't be fair of me. Or – fair to you."
"Chad," Ben repeated. "Contrary to popular belief – you don't consume my every waking thought. You don't consume my capacity for reason. You've never really asked for something unreasonable for me, and the moment you did, you have to trust that I would say no to it."
Ugh, Chad was learning so much about trust nowadays. It was exhausting.
But he supposed Ben had a point.
"I'd have to ask Jay," Chad warned. "But um- if he was cool with it, could you coach me through um- making him feel good?"
Ben paused, his body going horribly tense. And then- "I um- need a moment to think it over," he said before strolling towards the other side of the garden, and Chad let him, because it was important for people to have space when they needed it.
And then Ben was back, almost as though he'd never left.
"Only if Jay's okay with it," Ben said. "And we have very clear guidelines about everything."
"Okay," Chad said, feeling relieved that he hadn't broken Ben's brain or something. "Thank you, Ben."
"You're welcome, Chad," Ben said. "So um… want to play scrabble?"
"Oh, you're on," Chad said, because there was no way he was going to let Ben corner the market on 'whoa' or 'fen' anymore. Oh no, now Ben was going to have to work for his obscure booknerd words.
Chad waited until he and Jay were alone in his room the next day to mention the conversation, and Jay took it about as well as Chad expected, in that he seemed very confused.
"…you want Ben to coach you through pleasing me," Jay said, his cheeks flushing at the mere mention of it. "You know I could do that too, right?"
"Right," Chad said, feeling his own face flood with heat. "Sorry. I don't know where it came from. I just thought about how at ease Ben makes me feel, and just- his beast knows what it's doing, and if he was around, I couldn't mess up and force you to have to lie and pretend something was good if it wasn't."
"I wouldn't do that," Jay pressed.
"And we also don't have to do this," Chad said. "It's just an option."
Jay thought about this, then sighed.
"You don't have to agree to this," Chad cut in before he could talk. "I mean it, Jay."
It turned out that sometimes Jay had low self-esteem like Chad did, and while it was nice to have something to relate to, it always made Chad a little bit saddened to think that his boyfriend didn't understand how amazing he was. Then again, he figured maybe Jay felt the same way, which was just- whoa.
"I know," Jay huffed. "The problem isn't that I don't want to do it, it's that I really want to do it and that… worries me."
Chad paused, because that had not been something he expected. "…do you have a crush on Ben?"
"Like, a tiny one," Jay said, throwing his hands up in the air. "But that just makes me human!"
"Hey, I agree with that," Chad laughed, which confused Jay until Chad was pulling him into a hug, because Jay didn't need to feel bad about such things. "So… you're worried you'll like this-"
"But Ben's only doing it for you," Jay sighed. "Which I don't resent, because you should get nice things, just…"
"You should also get nice things," Chad informed him. "And if you want a king to um- watch you get pleasured, and if that's a thing I can make happen-"
"Oh man," Jay groaned, burying his head against Chad's shoulder.
"It's not something you have to decide now," Chad informed him, meaning every word.
"I made up my mind like, three minutes ago," Jay muttered. "This has just been me dragging things out to be a drama queen."
"Valid concerns, not drama," Chad tutted. "Want to cuddle in bed?"
"Always and forever," Jay murmured, and when he said sweet stuff like that, how could Chad not kiss him?
-:-:-:-:-:-
"Okay," Ben said, settling into Chad's desk chair that they'd pulled up beside the bed. It was sort of comforting that he seemed nervous, but they'd already outlined the color rules and their safe word and all that, so now it was time to dive into the thick of things. "Are you guys ready?"
"Um…" Chad looked down at Jay who was splayed out on his back, Chad curled up beside him on the far side of the bed so Ben could have a clear view of both of them. They were both shirtless – Chad mostly out of solidarity – and Jay seemed flushed and slightly nervous too. "Yeah, I think so."
"Cool," Ben said, nodding to himself. "Um… you can always start with kissing."
"Great, right- that's- yeah," Chad agreed, and then he was leaning over Jay, snagging his lips in a familiar shift, and maybe it was just a bit more exciting because Ben was watching them – something that seemed to make Jay a little less confident than usual, but he still kissed Chad back until they'd established a comfortable rhythm, one that filled Chad with a distinct warmth.
He pulled back when Jay's flush began to spill down his chest, when he caught the sight of a growing interest between Jay's legs.
"So," Chad cleared his throat, getting Ben's attention. "Um, how do I…" He motioned to Jay's crotch.
"Um." Ben seemed to swallow. "Well, you can either push down his cloths or um- slip your hand into his underwear, but you'll have more maneuverability with the first option."
"Okay," Chad said before coaxing Jay to lift his hips up, the Agraben allowing him to pull down his sweatpants and boxer briefs in one movement.
And that was- oh wow, that was Jay's-
This was the first time Chad had seen the um- special area of another dude, and it was um- it was pretty cool, that Jay trusted him with this, and he looked super pretty, all flushed and wet like that.
"Whatever you're thinking," Ben said, the bridge of his nose flushed a dark crimson. "You can tell him that."
"Oh," Chad blinked, because that hadn't really occurred to him. "You're very pretty, Jay. And um- thank you, for trusting me with this."
"Fuck, man," Jay gasped, his length twitching in interest.
Oh, that was- yeah, that was cool. Like, they'd rutted together a few times with their clothes on and that felt pretty good, but this was um- in a whole new dimension.
"Here," Ben said, passing over the lube. "You should…"
"Right," Chad said, squirting some onto his hand and lathering Jay's length as instructed.
Oh wow, oh geeze, he was touching a dude's length. His hand was on another guy's length and the world wasn't burning down and Jay was biting at his bottom lip, rutting his hips hopefully into Chad's hold.
The blond swallowed hard. "What um- do I do now?"
"Do what would feel good on yourself," Ben advised. "Just… you know…"
And Chad did know, but-
Well, his spontaneous thinking wasn't always the best.
"Could you show me?" he asked, giving Ben a hopeful look.
Jay twitched again, the head of his length leaking clear beads of slick. "Chad."
"I mean, I could always figure it out too," Chad rushed to say. "But-"
"Would you be okay with that, Jay?" Ben asked, his hands curling against his knees.
"I… yeah," Jay said, his voice quiet. "Um- green."
"Okay," Ben said, and then his hand was wrapping around Jay. Chad backed off to watch him, and the king worked in careful shifts, teasing Jay nice and slow at first and then gradually speeding up his hand.
"Ben," Jay moaned, his eyes sliding shut as he filled to full arousal in Ben's grip. "Ben."
"I've got you, Jay," Ben murmured, his entire focus on the Agraben. "S-See what I'm doing, Chad?"
"Yeah," Chad said, feeling breathless. "It um- looks really nice."
"It is," Ben assured him. "And you can- if you wanted, you could kiss him too, or maybe suck on his shoulder – bite your teeth in just a little bit, if he's okay with it, then swirl your tongue and suck."
"Okay," Chad said, and that seemed to intensify things for Jay – Chad kissing him a little bit before he moved to the Agraben's shoulder so Jay could have a clear view of Ben pleasuring him.
"Oh evil, Ben," Jay gasped, shuddering hard in Ben's hold. "Ben, I-"
"He's about to come, I think," Ben said, his chest heaving with deep gasps. "Shall I send him over the edge?"
"Please," Chad said, murmuring against Jay's shoulder.
A beat, and then Ben moved his hand with renewed vigor, really rocking Jay's world until his body went tense, back arching and legs spreading as he fell apart with a sharp cry.
Ben didn't seem deterred, happy to pump Jay through the entirety of it, his lithe fingers standing out against Jay's tan skin and he looked so good – both of them did, and Chad… he didn't know what to do with that, except worry that maybe his tiny little crush on Ben had come back too, which was just super inconvenient.
When it was over, Ben spent a long moment staring at Jay's wrecked form, the Agraben spattered with his own release and chest heaving, hair splayed out around his head like a sort of halo.
He stared at the results of his handiwork, seeming lost to both of them, and Jay and Chad waited for the king to come back.
"Oh," Ben said eventually, a distracted, quiet thing. "Oh, I… that makes sense."
"What?" Chad asked, his heart pounding in his chest suddenly because he'd seen that face before, back when he'd been slightly more terrified and overwhelmed with his state in the world. "Is… is Jay your mate?"
Jay tensed, something that worsened when Ben nodded, and Chad would have – he didn't know – cry maybe, but then Ben was talking. "You both are," he said, and then his shoulders were slumping in relief, his entire disposition filling with calm because his beast instincts had told him something and he didn't have to question it.
"Ben…" Jay swallowed, his legs pulling up so he could get a hand on his clothes. "Don't just-"
"No," Ben interrupted, his gaze split between the two of them. "No, I know it now. I… I've never seen you be that vulnerable, Jay, and I've been getting hints of it for weeks now as um- you allowed me to visit, but now I…" He looked at Chad so the blond would know he was being serious. "This makes sense. And it doesn't change anything, I'd still be happy to support both of you in a friendly capacity-"
"Aw, man," Jay groaned, pausing to hide his face in his hands.
"Um." Chad cleared his throat, leaning down next to Jay's ear. "Remember when I said I'd tell you if I got a crush on Ben?"
That had Jay startling out of the shelter of his palms, staring up at Chad with a wide gaze. "You don't- Chad, you don't have to just say that."
"I do not," Chad agreed. "So I'm not. But you're right."
Ben perked up. "What's he right about?"
"About how um- loveable you are," Chad said. "And, if you're willing…" He trailed off with a frown. "Well, I still don't want to be consort of Auradon, and I don't think Jay wants to either, but if you'll date us with those stipulations-"
"Yes," Ben said, his gaze very eager. "I mean- you can think about it-"
"So can you," Chad offered. "You don't just have to-"
"Chad," Ben interrupted. "The best parts of these past few weeks have been my time with you guys. Both of you guys. Getting to do this left me hopelessly torn and hopelessly happy, and I want- if you are willing to have me, I would like to date you."
"Cool," Chad said, and that felt- that was exciting, not terrifying. It was nice. "So um- if we do really end up getting married one day, could we like, include Doug and Evie or something? That way she could be queen of everything and we get to have our friends around."
Ben blinked like he hadn't expected that, but his grin still spread in delight. "Yeah, I'd- if they're game for it, I am."
"Oh fuck, me too," Jay said, looking pleased. "And then I won't have to be consort of anything."
"Just for that, you still have to be consort of Sardinia," Chad huffed. "And Doug can be consort of Central Auradon, and Evie can be queen of everything."
"As she should be," Jay agreed with a hum. "Yeah, I think that could work."
"Marrying my mates and marrying my friends?" Ben asked, seeming so overwhelmed he could practically burst. "I can't think of anything better."
-:-:-:-:-:-
Evie and Doug were, naturally, entirely confused by the proposition.
"Um," Doug said, flushing dark. "So we'd be um… dating all of you?"
"For political reasons," Ben said. "So you don't have to do anything you don't want to-" Because the upper nobility of Auradon seemed to understand political arrangements – like what Ben and Audrey had. "But you would have um- three boyfriends."
"If you want," Chad said. "You'd have to hang out with us more – people would expect that, but um- all of us are okay with being devoted to you smart and talented and nice people so uh… yeah, if you'd take pity on us, that would be cool."
"There would be no pity," Evie informed him, her expression sure. "If we do this, you'd have to understand that. We'd all be equals in this."
"I… okay," Chad said, because that was fair.
He couldn't help but wring his hands together, because he knew that Evie loved Jay and Doug was friends with Ben so really, it was potentially him that was the holdup. Chad hadn't gotten many visitors aside from Jay and Ben, but Doug had dropped by on occasion to help with Chad's tutoring, and he'd been nice enough to bring recordings of the jazz concerts Chad had missed so they could watch them together.
Chad liked watching Doug play, as little as he'd gotten to do it. His grandfather hadn't really liked him interacting with Doug all that much, which had hurt, because Chad thought Doug was pretty great.
Well, he didn't have to do that anymore, but there was a big difference between occasionally hanging out and atually dating someone, even if it was in name only.
Evie narrowed her eyes in thought, Doug fidgeting beside her. "I think this works out," she declared suddenly. "Dwarves are polyamorous by nature, and I know you haven't said anything-" She aimed this at Doug. "Likely out of fear of disappointing me, but I can tell you're not quite… settled."
A furious blush blossomed in Doug's cheeks. "I… they don't actually want to date us, Evie."
"I mean, we could though," Chad offered. "Like, you might not be Ben's mates, but he still loves you a lot. And I um- don't really have anything for you, Evie." He tried to be honest. "But I'm honored to be your friend, and I've always thought Doug was awesome so…"
"You have?" Doug asked, genuinely startled by this.
"Yeah," Chad admitted. "But my grandfather-"
"Is a dick," Jay huffed, which was actually somewhat restrained for him.
"What he said," Chad settled on, because at this point, he could agree with that much.
His grandfather had been a bad man and now he was paying for his crimes, and that was all there was to it.
"And um- I've always thought you were great, Evie," Jay admitted with a flush. "And anyone you pick is great by extension, so…"
"That just leaves me," Ben said. "And honestly, I'm happy when they're happy, and I care for you a lot, so this- it's a comfort. Having more people close that I know I can trust."
Evie shared a look with Doug, who seemed to be flushing darker, then turned back to them with a triumphant grin. "Then we're in," she declared, sticking her hand out. "Here's to the future of Auradon?"
A beat, and then Jay and Doug covered her hand with their own, prompting Chad and Ben to follow when they realized what was up, and on the count of three they all cheered for Auradon – which was goofy and weird and Chad honestly loved it an awful lot.
Just- yeah, more people to love. More people to have as his friends. And maybe things would change going forward, but if they did, he was pretty sure he'd be okay, because at that point he wouldn't be alone, not when he had Jane and Fairy Godmother and his dad.
And honestly, that was more than enough for Chad.
-:-:-:-:-:-
Evie and Fairy Godmother made them sit down to hash out a firm set of rules – things that looked after all of them, that emphasized clear communication and respecting boundaries and trust. Evie actually typed them all out and forwarded them each a copy for their own reference, and Fairy Godmother kept a hold of one physical copy that they all signed indicating their understanding and commitment to the rules, which actually helped more than one of them feel settled.
"Oh wow," Doug said later when he was shyly tucked between Chad and Ben, Evie perched like a queen in a blushing Jay's lap. "I um… thanks, guys."
"Thank you," Chad said, nuzzling Doug's shoulder because the half-dwarf greatly welcomed physical affection and had given them the okay for such things. "With you guys- with the rules and my therapy and stuff – I'm not nearly as afraid to face the future."
"I'm glad," Evie said, smiling because she meant it, because she was the kindest of them all, which Chad found to be substantially more important than beauty.
"Oh, me too," Ben rumbled, looking on all of them with an expression of overwhelmed fondness. "This is- I think this is perfect."
"Or maybe not," Jay hummed. "But it's close enough for me."
Chad couldn't have said it better himself.
-:-:-:-:-:-
It was supposed to be a double date, but somehow their celebratory garden picnic sort of became a tiny powwow, not that Chad could really complain.
In addition to Carlos and Jane, Mal had tagged along with Lonnie and Aziz in tow, the half-Fae completely unapologetic at crashing the party, though at least they came armed with their own blankets and picnic baskets.
"Like I'm gonna miss the fun," she drawled as they started spreading things out, the lot of them passing snacks and treats and bottles of lemonade and juice spritzers among each other.
Over on the patio, Fairy Godmother and Chad's father were having a bit of a more sophisticated gathering, and for some reason Ben's parents were there too, the four adults talking and laughing, and his dad seemed so relaxed and happy that it was almost like he'd never been depressed at all, and while Chad knew his dad still had his struggles, at least he could have these high points too.
They'd had a pretty good video chat before this party had gone down, Chad nervously breaking the news of his expanded relationship to his father while simultaneously asking for some last minute advise. Just- he wanted things to be perfect, was all. This would be his first time seeing Carlos in a while, which wasn't like rejoining the real world, but it was a definite step forward, and Chad was concerned that maybe he'd lose some of the confidence he'd gained while being surrounded by his family and boyfriends.
"What if it goes terribly?" Chad blurted before he could help himself.
"What if it goes well?" his dad countered. "It's easy to get stuck on all the things that might go wrong, but you should try to focus on all the things that could go right too. You could have a great time. You could eat some good food. You could get a few kisses."
"Dad," Chad blushed, hiding his face in his hands to the sound of his father's chuckles.
"Little things could go wrong," the king allowed. "Because in life, sometimes they do, but you'll be with people who care for you very much, so if bad things do happen, it probably won't be as awful as you think."
"And you're okay with this?" Chad asked. "I know it's not conventional…"
It wasn't what the Duke would want.
"I'm happy if you're happy, Chad," the king said. "Because you are my son, and I love you. I meant what I said before. I don't care who you date, and neither does Sardinia. It's no one's business but your own."
"And if-" Chad let his gaze dart to the side even though it was rude, because he needed to know. "-if I um- wanted to take dance again…"
"Then take it," the king said. "And I'll be at every one of your performances."
And at this point, he knew his father meant that.
"Thanks, dad," he whispered, meeting the king's gaze with a smile. "I love you."
"I love you too, Kit," he said, breaking out the pet name he hadn't used since Chad was a toddler. "And if you do end up dancing, try not to lose a shoe, would you?"
That startled a laugh from Chad, one he didn't know he needed until he was tearing up with helpless humor. "I won't," he promised with a sniff. "I'll do the laces real tight."
"That's my boy," the king said, and like so many other times, he seemed so proud he could burst.
And now here they were, soaking up the Auradon sun and allowing it to combat the oncoming cool of winter. Yule would be coming soon, and after that, new years and Chad's return to Auradon Prep. While he worried what that would mean for him, he had a proper support network now, so even if things were intimidating, he knew he wasn't alone.
"If anyone fucks with you," Mal informed him. "Ben and I will growl at them and we will make a note to do something Ben can't know about for the sake of plausible deniability."
Ben let out a gusty sigh from where he was wrapped around both Chad and Jay. "You know saying that much could be potentially incriminating, right?"
"I plausibly deny this," Mal declared with a toss of her hair, earning a round of applause from Lonnie.
"T-Thanks, Mal," Chad said when his giggles had died down. "I um- I really appreciate it. I mean- all you guys," he said turning to look at them. "You've helped me so much through all this stuff, and I can't express how grateful I am for your support."
Because Mal had come for him, with Jay, Mal had helped him get to Medical. Carlos had hacked the Inspectors Office and Doug had turned over the files and Lonnie and Aziz had worked hard to manage the spread of gossip and Jane was his sister and Evie his supporter, and Ben and Jay were his mates. Doug was his mate. Evie was the cool lady willing to put up with them forever – or willing to commit to them because they were equals in this, and he had to remember that.
"Chadwick," Mal said, making sure to meet his gaze head on. "Let me be the one to speak for all of us when I say you motherfucking deserve it, alright? We know a thing or two about struggling against toxic family members trying to shape us into something that didn't fit. That in itself made you crew, but now you make Jay happy, which also makes you crew – the same as Jane does for Carlos or Doug for Evie. You're crew several times over, and that's not something that will ever go away. So uh…" She shrugged. "I'm not good at speeches, but crew is family, so deal with that."
A pause, and then Chad was pretty sure tears were welling in his eyes, because his family had just grown again but in the unquestionably best way, and that was all he really needed.
So he took a bit of a risk and cleared his throat. "I love you too, Mal," he said, smiling when her grin shifted wide.
"Damn straight you do," she huffed, the others breaking into their own smiles. "And we love the shit out of you, Chadwick James." She tilted her bottle of lemonade towards Ben. "Same goes for you, Benjamin drama king Florian."
"I'll take it," Ben declared, happy to nuzzle against Jay's shoulder.
Ben was crew. Chad was crew. They were all crew and it was amazing.
"So," Lonnie cleared her throat, and only at that point did Chad realize that she and Aziz pretty much had Mal flanked, one on each side of her. "If um- Aziz and I would like to get on your crew…"
"Sweet evil," Mal huffed. "Is that your way of asking?"
"It was Aziz's idea," Lonnie offered immediately, causing the prince of Agrabah to shoot her a wounded look with a dark flush.
Mal rolled her eyes, then reached her hands up to cup both of their cheeks. "…I suppose I could claim you."
"Equals, Mal," Evie hummed, slumping happily against Doug whose cheeks were flushed, likely because Chad was doing his best to play footsy with the musician.
"My hoard, Evie," Mal huffed, abandoning her bottle so she could wrap an arm around both of them. "And I will burn any who try to argue this."
"Well," Aziz murmured. "I guess that's one way to determine if you like us or not."
"Babies," Mal huffed, but then she was leaning over and kissing Aziz, Lonnie whining until the half Fae turned to repeat the process and-
Yeah, it was all very good.
"Hey, Ben?" Chad said as everyone broke out into catcalls. "Thanks for using your master key when you really shouldn't have."
"Oh man, I felt terrible about that," Ben admitted in a gush. "Just… not enough not to check up on you."
"I'm glad you did," Chad hummed. "Since it got us here."
"To be fair," Jay spoke up. "We got us here. With a lot of hard work and communication."
"But you gotta admit," Chad said. "My sweet dance moves sort of helped."
"Oh, definitely," Jay agreed, and then he was kissing Chad because he could, until they got catcalls of their own and Ben wasn't even grumbling because he was joining along with them, everyone supportive and happy and overall, glad.
It all began with a missing performance credit.
But it ended with them, and that, Chad decided, was entirely more important.
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Endnotes:
Okay! So I finally managed to update - Fanfiction dot net was having a lot of issues yesterday and most everything I tried ended in errors. If that ever happens, usually Archive of Our Own doesn't have the same problems, so you can see the same updates over there under the same author name.
If you're looking for more Descendants goodness, look for my next Chad two-shot 'Practice, Practice, Practice', which will be posted shortly, assuming I can continue to get the site to cooperate.
Story notes:
In my personal cannon there's a distinction between Central Auradon (i.e. France, where Beauty and the Beast took place) and the United Kingdoms of Auradon, which is a unification of all the different Disney Kingdoms. Ben earned the Central Auradon crown by birth, and the United Auradon crown via a selection committee – just to explain why Doug is the consort for one and Evie the queen of the other.
Also, I know I said it was a spring musical in the first chapter but to make the new timeline work it's now a Fall musical and they have recitals like, every two weeks or something. The point is, I'm not good at timelines, don't look to this for that – just get lost in the story ;)
We're assuming in this world that Evie isn't the heir to Hanover despite me wanting to give that to her always.
Also, this end pairing is a mix of romantic and platonic relationships – because politics! But also because platonic relationships can be just as vital going forth in life, and Evie and Doug are definitely couples' goals and the best of people.
Got to the end and realized, why not, everyone gets a partner! EVERYONE. It's my story and I say fluff for all!
Until next time :)
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'The Rum Tum Tugger is a curious cat, and there isn't any use for you to doubt it. For he will do as he do do, and there's no doing anything about it.' – 'Rum Tum Tugger' from the musical Cats.