Chapter 4 – Fifteen Months Ago
WARNING – Claustrophobia, kidnapping, and punishment – Takes place in the third scene marked '14 Months Ago', see endnotes for more details.
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15 Months Ago
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"I don't think I heard you right," Chad admitted – which was not a thing that he enjoyed doing, seeing as it basically confirmed his stupidity, but he felt that the circumstances necessitated it.
Jay took in his statement with a nod, then said, "You did."
Which – no. That was not right. That was not right at all.
In an attempt to hide his desperate confusion, Chad turned to Mal and Ben, hoping for salvation.
Mal offered him a thumbs up. "Look, it's straight forward. Jay says you need to practice kissing."
"I do not," Chad lied on principle, feeling his cheeks heat in an embarrassed flush.
"But if you did," Ben cut in, diplomatic as ever. "-then we thought we could offer our assistance. It's important to experiment with different partners to achieve the best technique that can be applied to any person you choose."
Chad lost a moment struggling to understand what Ben meant. This was unfair. How could Chad be too dumb for kissing? How had he managed that?
Mal sighed, pretending she was fed up with Ben instead of Chad because she really could be generous sometimes. "What he means is that what works for Jay won't necessarily work for anyone else. That's why you should practice with different people – to give yourself options."
"Oh." Chad blinked. "That makes sense."
And then he flushed because of course that made sense, it was why they had offered in the first place. Though that begged to question-
"Why do you want to help me?" Chad normally wouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth, but Ben was Ben and off limits and Mal was dating Ben so obviously there was a plethora of issues there.
"Because," Mal said, looping a stray curl around her finger. "I know what it's like to want to do your best for someone. I respect that, and since we're friends-" They were friends? Did she mean like, figurative friends? She probably meant figurative friends. "-I thought I would help out. If you wanted to."
"O…kay." Chad still didn't really understand why she wanted to help out, unless Jay had told her Chad was especially bad and she was kind enough to like, try and distribute the load of his shitty kisses between herself and Jay. That was a good friend move.
"Ben would also like to help," she continued, and that was where Chad got lost again.
"Isn't that a thing he should not do?" Chad asked, trying not to be desperate, but still so distinctly confused. "I'm going to be on his council one day."
"But you're not on his council now," Mal clarified, seeming to almost bounce on the balls of her feet. "Now you're just friends."
Figurative friends. "But he's still the king," Chad pointed out. "And a king kissing a prince-"
"Practice kissing," Jay reminded him. "So you can get better! So we can all get better," he added in a show of generosity he really didn't have to extend.
"This doesn't have to do anything with our statuses, Chad," Ben said kindly, though Chad's grandfather would likely disagree, the same way he disagreed with Chad dating Jay. "It's just a couple of friends doing friend-things."
They kept throwing that 'friend' word around. Chad was pretty sure it did not mean what they thought it meant.
But.
"…and it's not because I'm bad?" he asked Jay, deciding to bite the bullet. "Like, if I'm so bad at kissing you want to share the load-"
"No." Jay said it so forcefully that Chad decided it had to be true. The guy looked worried and everything. Worried about hurting Chad's feelings. "No, you're not bad. We just-"
"You help me a lot," Mal cut in with a bright smile. A smile, for Chad. "And now, I'd like to help you."
"We all would," Ben said, so very earnest.
It was no wonder that Chad surrendered, even if the idea of kissing Ben sort of terrified him. "Okay," he finally settled on, confused by their relieved smiles. "We can all practice, but I'm only dating Jay."
"That's fine," Ben said, because he and Mal had obviously never intended to do that with Chad. "Would you like to get started now?"
"Now?" Chad felt himself flush down to his toes. "As in, now-now?"
Was there any other kind of now? Chad could be so stupid, sometimes. He really needed to get his head checked. Obviously, they wanted to get started, Ben had a very busy schedule. This was already community service as it was.
But Mal only grinned at him, likely accustomed to Chad's confusion via Jay. "Yep," she said, pressing a finger against his chest. She kept pressing it until he took a step back, and then another, and then his thighs hit the edge of Ben's bed – the king's bed – and he found himself nudged down into the sitting position.
No sooner had he done that then Mal climbed into his lap, facing him. She was wearing a dress, one that rucked up her thighs as she settled into place, leaving Chad painfully aware of the fact that it was only her panties between herself and him and now was not the time to think about how good she smelled.
Chad could feel the heat of his blush spread down his neck, burning so furiously that he thought he was going to melt, and it only got worse when Mal threaded her fingers gently through Chad's curls.
"You can touch me, you know?" she offered with a grin – but like, a nice one, because she was being generous – and Chad slowly but surely settled his hands on her hips, sending a look to Ben as though to confirm this was still okay.
The king was watching them with an unreadable expression, eyes half-lidded, and Jay had already pulled up a chair, content to watch with an expression of flushed embarrassment, likely bemoaning how all of Chad's practice with him seemed to have flown out the window.
Right. Right. Chad should do him proud, or something.
"Is this okay?" Ben asked. As in Ben, the guy who wasn't even participating.
"Yes?" Chad said, wincing at the question, but Mal only seemed amused, which was one of the best flavors of Mal.
"We're going to have sexy times," Mal informed him. "But we're only going to do what you're comfortable with, okay? So if we need to slow down, just let me know."
Sexy- like, were they going to do more than kissing? Like what he did with Jay?
Oh wow, oh wow – that was both terrifying and something he wanted to do very much, and he shot Ben another look just to make sure Mal hadn't gone like, temporarily crazy or something, but the king only offered him a comforting smile, so obviously he was okay with that.
Oh wow.
Okay, so um- Chad should probably get started, then.
"Um." Chad swallowed. "May I kiss you?"
Mal let out a delighted giggle. "Yes, you may."
Kissing Mal, Chad assumed, would be closer to kissing Audrey than kissing Jay was. He didn't know what to do with that information at the soft press of her lips, found himself almost wanting to whimper into the attention when she began to move against him, coaxing his mouth wider. Things started off easy, gentle, but it didn't take long for Mal to get more enthusiastic, cupping his face between her hands so she could angle him just so, seeming desperate to claim him. It was a heady thing, and Chad wondered if this was how she was like with Ben, if Chad was satisfying her in any way. He wondered if they made a good picture or if he was floundering the way he felt he was. He could only hope things were going well.
She was moving too, shifting her hips in a deliberate press that left him overcome with how close she was, how hot he felt. He knew he was getting turned on, couldn't stop the swell of heat even then he tried to, attempting to keep her back even though she kept pressing close-
At the first shift of her against- against him, Chad moaned, Mal taking that opportunity to slide her tongue into his mouth which should be weird, it was probably weird and he should probably apologize but she was also rocking against him, the firmness between his legs continuing to rut against her panties until he ached.
"S-Sorry," he gasped when she finally pulled away, though that seemed mostly so she could start nibbling at his neck. "Mal-"
"You're good," Mal breathed between licks and sucks. She was just like Jay. "Honestly, I'd be a little offended if you weren't worked up."
Chad could see the other two perk up – in interest or concern, he did not know – likely having just caught on to Chad's predicament.
"S-Still," he groaned, shivering in her hold. "I um- I'm sorry-"
"Here," Mal huffed, grabbing one of Chad's hands and then easing it under her skirt, letting him smooth his hand up her bare thigh and he knew there were scars but she just felt so soft and pretty. And then she kept guiding Chad's hand up even though Jay was gasping in literal surprise, until Chad's fingers grazed against the lace of her panties.
"See?" Mal said, as she casually coaxed his fingers between her legs, until he could feel a sort of dampness spread against the delicate material he really shouldn't be touching. "I'm having a good time too."
"Mal." Chad could feel himself blush darker, consumed by a heat that threatened to kill him. "I can't- I can't touch you there."
"Can't, or don't want to?" Mal asked, seeming curious.
"Shouldn't," Chad corrected.
"Sure, you can," Mal chirped, shuddering into the press of his fingers. "But if you're feeling shy about it- Ben?"
The king seemed to snap out of his daze behind her, straightening with an embarrassed flush. "Yes, Mal?"
"Could you show Chad what to do?" she asked, like that was- that was a thing they could manage when the definitely shouldn't- "He needs practice with this too."
Instead of protesting or asking if Mal was out of her mind, Ben nodded, likely tired of watching Chad fumble with his girlfriend. "Of course, Mal."
Chad felt like his body was being pulled into a relentlessly tight thread when Ben approached, heart threatening to stop beating altogether when the king climbed onto the bed. For whatever reason, he settled behind Chad on his knees, reaching around so that his arm was pressed against Chad's, until their fingers were curled together under Mal's skirt.
"Shit," Jay breathed, letting his head fall back in frustration.
Chad didn't say anything, couldn't say anything when Ben guided Chad's fingers into Mal's panties, until he was touching her directly and good golly, miss molly he was touching the future queen's privates and the king was helping him do it and Chad should be horrified but instead he was just really, really hard. And it didn't help that Ben was pressed against his back in a steady line of contact, that he had an arm wrapped around Chad's waist, close enough that it threatened to brush against Chad's groin, which was something the blond desperately wanted and also knew he couldn't have.
"You doing okay?" Ben asked, and Chad could only nod shakily, because even if he wasn't entirely sure, he knew for certain that he didn't want to stop.
He was rewarded with a low rumble that seemed to echo low from Ben's chest, the brunette nuzzling his curls in an innocent slide of contact Chad couldn't ignore if he tried.
"Like this," Ben coaxed, guiding Chad through the motions until he was caressing against Mal, blushing hotly at the warmth and building wetness. "She'll always want you to go right in, but you've got to build it up for her, make her appreciate the ride."
"Ben," Mal groaned, her hips working into their hands in insistent shifts, trying to urge for more.
"You can kiss her too," Ben said, his lips grazing the curve of Chad's neck where Mal had been biting him earlier, light touches that made Chad shiver. "While you're doing this. She likes that."
Chad moved to follow his suggestion, Mal's kisses more distracted this time, though that allowed them to be softer, Ben's girlfriend whining and moaning against Chad's lips as they moved their fingers just a little bit faster. Chad tried to memorize the movements but it was distracting with Ben also kissing against his neck, getting the delicate spot just under Chad's ear that made him fall into mush.
"Chad," Mal groaned when she had enough, her hands settling on Chad's shoulders. "Ben- please."
"Okay," Ben hummed, seeming amused and fond all in one. "Now you just- like this-"
Chad hardly dared to breathe as Ben coaxed one of his fingers into Mal, and it was an overwhelming thing, to feel her clench around him, so very warm, her hips shifting downward to get more of him inside.
"Now, keep moving them in and out," Ben explained, licking Chad's neck. "Start nice and slow, then speed up – like we did before. When she feels ready, you can add another finger."
Oh, wow- oh, wow- oh, wow. Chad was making Mal feel good. She kept letting out these happy, positive sounds, cheeks tinged in a pretty pink blush that Chad wanted to kiss. It felt good, helping her with Ben to guide him, the king coaching him on speed, his long fingers toying outside her until Mal was cursing, though that was entirely at Ben. She said that Chad was doing a good job, and would reinforce this with the occasional kiss when she was able to hold it together.
Chad found he um- really liked helping her. He really liked how close she was curled against him and the way Ben was pressed against his back and the way Jay was watching them like they were his own personal show. Chad liked all of those things, so despite the fact that no one was um- touching directly between his legs, he found himself getting more and more worked up.
It was to the point of danger, though he tried not to focus on it as he slid another finger into Mal, the purple-haired teen groaning at the slow stretch. She felt so wet and good. Chad wondered what she'd feel like if he'd- not that he ever would, that was Ben's right, if she wanted it, but then Chad was lost on the tangent of Ben doing this. Of Ben stretching her and coaxing those sounds from her until he was finally pressing inside, shivering at the way she tightened around him-
Chad was taken completely off-guard by his release, shuddering when Ben bit at his neck while his hips stuttered, and he was- in his pants, he was making a mess like he had no control and they hadn't even really touched him and no-no-no, he couldn't- not with the king touching him.
Chad shoved his way through it, jaw tightening as he tried to focus on Mal and not the mess in his pants, trying to keep the anxiety of it leaking through his clothes at bay.
Unfortunately, Chad wasn't that great an actor, so it didn't take long for Ben to realize something was wrong, even though Chad did his best to keep making Mal happy, to prove he wasn't a waste.
"Are you okay?" Ben asked, nuzzling just under Chad's ear.
The blond shuddered, grateful that his blush could be attributed to arousal and not embarrassment. "I'm fine. I'm great. Mal, are you-"
"I'm close," Mal groaned. "But you're um- all tense."
"That's- happy tension," Chad lied, squeezing his eyes shut so he wouldn't have to see Mal's accessing gaze. "Let me just-"
"Does it hurt?" Mal asked, and it took Chad a few seconds to realize she might be referring to his previous predicament. "Ben, could you help him out?"
"That won't be necessary," Chad breathed, but then Ben was palming between his legs in a deliberate shift that definitely would have made Chad fall apart if he had not already done so. As it was he trembled through the contact, each of Ben's squeezes feeling especially pointed against his oversensitive flesh, terribly aware of the mess the king was just- spreading around.
"…Chad?" Ben sounded so confused. "I thought you liked this."
He was going to make Chad spell it out to him. Make him admit his failures. It was something his grandfather liked to do.
"I did," Chad said, keeping his gaze fixed anywhere but them. "A um… little too much."
He squeezed his eyes shut again while the weight of that information settled on them, and he could feel the moment they realized it, Mal squeezing around him while Ben tensed.
"Sorry," he whispered, throat feeling tight as a familiar heat built behind his eyes. "Sorry, I'm sorry-"
"Hey, hey." Mal cradled his face between her hands again, tilting their foreheads together so he'd have to look her in the eye. "That just means you enjoyed it, right?" She leaned forward to kiss both of his cheeks, ending with a chaste kiss against his lips. "This is what we're practicing for anyway. It's all good, Chad. You don't have to apologize."
"You don't," Ben insisted, palming Chad's groin with exaggerated care, Chad trembled into it. "Now why don't you finish off Mal and then I'll get you cleaned up."
"Yeah, no," Jay said, and Chad had half a second to panic before the other teen continued with- "As his boyfriend that is my privilege. You can watch."
"Greedy," Mal muttered, and then her mouth was falling open with a groan because Chad had done something right.
Working Mal through her high was an empowering thing – and if they had ended things there he would have been perfectly okay, but then he found himself splayed out on his back while Jay cleaned him with his mouth – thereby inspiring Ben to do the same with Mal, until both blonds were laid out next to each other, moaning at the attentive mouths between their legs.
When it was finally over and Chad had become slightly more coherent, Ben had given Chad a pair of his boxer briefs to keep, forcing Chad to walk back to his dorm room with the certain knowledge that he was wearing Ben's underwear. That their genitals had touched by boxer-association.
None of what happened had been anything Chad expected, but still, it seemed… good? And he was getting better for Audrey, so he guessed it was a win. It seemed close to one.
He decided, in the end, to classify it as one. If only to make things easier for him and his hormones.
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Present Day
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Chad would admit, there were a few hiccups when it came to learning how to use his cat body.
He wasn't used to working with four legs, wasn't accustomed to distributing his weight among them. Eventually he got used to walking, could manage slow prowls and speedy bolts across open spaces, but jumping proved to be an issue.
One he was struggling to correct. Cats could jump. They could jump like little springboards – he'd seen it. They could leap like stupidly majestic beasts and here he was, struggling to get onto an ottoman. It was stupid, but still a problem, and he fortunately had a method for dealing with problems. One that involved breaking the conundrum into smaller pieces, conquering those, and then working himself towards victory.
So he started with small things – low steps, stools, leaps that he was pretty sure he could make. Once he was nailing those jumps with little to no wobbling, he moved onto chairs and benches, perfecting his trajectory until he could spring onto Gil's bed with no problem.
It was bolstered with a confidence from those two achievements that had Chad moving on to his next quest – the dresser, which was about a foot higher than his other targets but still seemingly within his grasp. He just needed to take the leap – literally. He couldn't improve by just staring at it, even though he wished he could.
So Chad coiled his muscles in a familiar fashion and prepared for his launch, trying to take into account the added height. He would be fine; he just needed a little more umph. Just a little more-
Chad may or may not have smashed his face into the top drawer of the dresser. He may or may not have plummeted to the ground with a shake of his head, trying to clear the lingering pain away.
Alright, so that was less than glamorous, but if he tried again-
His planning was interrupted by the sound of helpless laughter, and he turned in time to catch Jay, of all people, laughing at him.
"Oh, wow," Jay laughed, so worked up that tears seemed to be pooling at the corners of his eyes. "I can't believe- you fuckin ate it, you dumb cat. I thought you were supposed to be graceful."
Of course Jay had seen it. Of course he would stand there and laugh at Chad's expense – when did he not? He didn't even know it was Chad and he was still laughing; how could that possibly be fair?
And Chad could stay and face that humiliation, or he could take advantage of his small size and dart into his favorite hiding place – under the bed, curling up near the wall as he tried to ride out the wave of Jay's amusement.
"Holy shit," the teen laughed, voice bordering on hysterical. "That was awesome. I can't wait to tell Harry." No. Don't tell Harry, that guy would tell Uma, and then she'd tell Gil- "Okay…" Jay's voice drifted a little closer, until Chad could see his familiar boots draw into his line of vision, the teen kneeling near the edge of the bed. "Come out, Shadow. I was only messing around."
Seemingly on reflex, Chad let out a low warning growl that he could probably never recreate, curling into a tighter ball.
"Seriously," Jay continued, bending low to stare into the darkness. "Gil's gonna be mad if I scared you into hiding before he got back."
That sounded an awful lot like a him problem.
Chad didn't deign to reply, closing his eyes so the light couldn't reflect off them. He knew with his glossy coat it would be difficult for Jay to find him – and even if the other teen was stupid enough to try and reach with his arm, Chad was safely out of range, so he was fine.
"Shadow," Jay sang, beginning to sound a little frustrated. Good, he deserved it. "Here, kitty-kitty…"
"What are you doing?"
Oh great, it was Mal. As though this wasn't bad enough.
"Shadow's hiding under the bed," Jay sighed. "I'm trying to get him out for Gil."
"Did you do something?" Mal pressed. "He usually doesn't give you shit."
"I'm telling you, this cat doesn't fucking like me," Jay griped. Chad wasn't sure how the other teen had come to this deduction as Chad spent most of his cat-time avoiding Jay. Well, maybe that was why. "He is doing this out of spite."
"Well-earned spite, though," Mal mused, and that was all the conversation they were allowed before Gil's boisterous presence barged into the room.
"Hey, guys!" Gil chirped, his voice carrying under the bed easily. "What are you doing?"
"Jay pissed off your cat," Mal deadpanned. "And now he won't come out."
"I did not," Jay sputtered.
Gil, having experience with Jay, decided to take Mal's word for it. "Jay," he said, sounding the epitome of wounded.
It eased some of the damage done to Chad's pride.
"I didn't piss him off," Jay insisted. "He missed a jump and I laughed at him. Then he got all pissy and darted under the bed."
Somehow, Gil's voice got even more wounded. "Of course he did, you laughed at him."
"The cat can't understand us, Gil," Jay said for what was maybe the hundredth time, but the joke was on him because Chad understood everything.
He also wasn't sure why Jay was arguing with Gil. As far as Chad could tell, part of the reason Gil had been invited to the castle was for the express purpose of allowing Jay a shot at wooing him. Like, Chad wasn't sure why he'd been invited to witness that, but it seemed to be the case. There were two established couples herding their single friends together, and that was well and good and great, Chad guessed, and definitely didn't hurt even a little.
"Shadow's sensitive, Jay," Gil huffed, voice drifting closer so that he must have been crouched down beside Jay, urging him out of the way. "He knows stuff, because he's smart. How would you like it if someone laughed at you for missing a jump?"
"First of all, I wouldn't miss the jump," Jay grumbled. "And he's a cat. Jumping is what cats do."
"Not Shadow," Gil insisted. "I always thought he was shy about it. Maybe he was shy because he wasn't good at it and then you laughed at him."
From an outsider's perspective, everything Gil said seemed like total lunacy, and yet he would forever be the closest to the truth. He was so close that Chad felt his stupid cat breath catch, his tiny heart pounding in his weird chest as Gil carried on.
"Shadow?" Gil called, likely bending low to project his voice under the bed. "Could you come out please? I promise Jay won't laugh at you again."
Jay made a sound of protest. "Gil-"
"I promise," Gil repeated, forever solemn, and Chad was shaken by how easily this was given. Few people extended such a courtesy for Chad, but here he was as a cat, being offered a portion of what he'd always wanted.
It made him want to swallow his pride and drift closer to the sound of that voice, but he knew he had to stand firm. No way was he going out there to deal with Jay's presence. He didn't need that. Or want it. He was staying right where he was, thank you.
Gil waited a few moments, then sighed. Chad didn't open his eyes until he heard the blond's footsteps trailing away, towards the dresser Chad had been trying to jump onto in the first place.
"Oh well," Gil sighed, opening up one of the drawers and rummaging around. "I guess I'll have to eat all this tuna by myself."
Oh. No.
"Gil," Jay tutted. "You can't reward him for being a shithead."
"I can eat whatever I want in my room," Gil sniffed, and that was- that was a distinct sound of unhappiness there, something that indicated that Jay was superbly in the doghouse. "And if I feel like sharing it-" There was the familiar mechanical sounds of a can opener, the smallest hint of fishy aroma blossoming into a full-on tuna attack on Chad's senses. His mouth started to water. "-with my friend, that is my prer- my prer-"
"Prerogative," Mal offered.
"Right!" A few more seconds and that smell overwhelmed Chad, Gil crossing back towards the bed and setting the open can on the floor.
Nertz. It was tuna. Delicious, delicious tuna that wasn't dried cat food and Chad may have not given a particular care about tuna before, but now it was his life's blood. His nectar, he needed nothing else.
And Gil knew that.
Ughhhhhh.
"That is my prerogative," Gil repeated, the word clumsy but endearing on his tongue. "If you don't like that, you can get out."
There was a tense moment where Jay likely recognized his wooing overtures as rapidly dwindling, and then he sighed. "Of course, Gil. I'm sorry."
"Don't apologize to me," Gil sniffed, pressing the can closer to the edge of the bed. "Apologize to Shadow."
There was a tense silence. Chad could practically feel Mal's repressed snickers.
"…I'm sorry, Shadow," Jay offered eventually, even managing to sound partially genuine. "I shouldn't have laughed at you."
"No," Gil agreed. "You should not have." He tapped his fingers against the floor, next to the open tuna can. "Would you come out and eat with me?"
Well, when he asked like that…
Chad surrendered what was left of his pride and slowly moved out of the darkness, crawling out of the bed just enough so he could grab a mouthful of tuna before ducking back under. He stayed near the edge though, in Gil's line of sight, but wanted to keep the protection that the bed offered.
Gil didn't seem upset by this. "Hey, Shadow!" he chirped, scratching Chad behind the ear the way he always did, Chad purring into the contact on reflex. "It's good to see you."
"I think he's happy to see you too," Mal noted, a smile lingering in her voice. When Chad managed to look up at her, she seemed amused, an amusement that only grew when she looked at Jay's put out expression. "Hiya, stud."
"He is just a cat," Jay pointed out, not for the first time, and as though to spite him, Mal folded her legs carefully under her so that she was settled next to Gil, offering Chad careful scratches as well.
As much as Chad tried not to like Mal for what she did to Audrey (and the um- other stuff), he had to admit she gave some pretty good head scratches. It was the nails. Always on point, ha.
"Not just a cat," Mal hummed. "He's Shadow."
"And he understands you," Gil insisted. "He's smart."
"If he understands us, why wouldn't he find a way to talk to us?" Jay pressed, deciding that this would be the hill he died on.
Gil let out a heavy sigh. "You know, sometimes I wouldn't want to talk to you either – so I sort of understand that."
Mal let out a cackle in response to Jay's wounded noise, and Chad settled himself in for a pleasant dinner. Okay, this wasn't so bad. It wasn't perfect, by any means, but it wasn't bad either.
He could hold onto that.
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14 Months Ago
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It was likely inevitable for Chad to have a confrontation with his grandfather, he had just sort of been hoping it would be after Cotillion. It wasn't an unreasonable assumption, the Duke would be busy making appearances and showing Sardinia's support for the new Lady of the Court to-be, Ben's probable-wife, and in addition to that he had Chad's father to keep tabs on. That should have given Chad plenty of time to get his practice, end his fake relationship with Jay and take Audrey, the girl of his dreams, to the fancy party Jane decided to have on a boat for some reason.
Like many of the assumptions Chad had made in his life, he was wrong. As such, he was only partially terrified when he fell asleep in his dorm room only to wake up in the cold under-basement of Sardinia castle, the rooms lined with old, dampened stone that trapped in the perpetual smell of rot.
When Chad woke up he was in cheap, flimsy clothes – things that would be easy to tear off him when the punishment was done because Chad was going to make a mess, was going to sit in his own filth and tears and saliva while he gasped and shook for air.
The box – his box, stood open at the far end of the room – made of a sturdy wood that ached to lay on, something that stifled his screams partially but not enough. The speakers were already set up to play back whatever message his grandfather wanted him to get through his skull, and the Duke stood next to the box, his hands folded behind his back, waiting.
"Chadwick," he said simply, because Chad already knew where he'd gone wrong. "You've made Sardinia look weak, and worse than that, you dared to sully the king."
Chad's pulse picked up. "Ben offered-"
"That's 'his majesty' to you," the Duke cut in with a ruthless scoff, making Chad feel small. "You dare to have such familiarity with the king? You, who may not even be ruler of Sardinia? You, who are nothing, would risk tainting the king with your stupidity, your neediness, your failure?"
Chad was trembling by the time the Duke had finished his speech, because he knew all of it had been correct.
"I'm sorry," Chad whispered. "I wasn't thinking."
"No," the duke agreed. "You never do." He motioned for the guards to grab a hold of Chad, to drag him towards the too-small box. "But you will, now."
Despite the many times this had happened before, Chad couldn't stop himself from begging, from struggling and asking please-please-please because almost anything was better than the box. The chains and the rope and the chair and the closet were all better than the box but they forced him in anyway, contorted and twisted him until they could slam the lid shut, until it was dark and he couldn't move and he had to force himself to breathe even though that might be gone too.
Chad had dared and Chad should not have. Chad had made a mistake but he'd known, and now he was going to suffer the consequences of his actions.
It was the only thing to be done.
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"Hey."
Audrey caught Chad when he was catching his breath between classes. His grandfather had returned him to Auradon Prep Monday morning, which forced Chad to get straight into the thick of things on a mostly empty stomach, feeling listless and dirty and cramped. He wasn't dirty, of course, and he had plenty of open air above him, but he was so, so tired, and so terrified that he might accidentally catch sight of Ben that he thought he was going to throw up what little food he had forced down.
And then there was Jay – kind, patient Jay – who kept trying to check up on Chad and drag him to the nurse's office and carry his books and just- talk too much and be too close and Chad couldn't handle it, had to duck out of class before his 'boyfriend' found him and hide out on the lawn during lunch because if he sat with Ben he was probably going to- Chad didn't know, start crying, or something.
But then Audrey had found him, which generally never happened, which happened less once Chad started dating Jay, and holy shit, maybe the plan was finally working.
"I was thinking," Audrey continued, studying her nails carefully as she stood above Chad's hiding place at the base of a tree. "I'm ready to go on dates again, and I think I'd like to go on dates with you, but-" she sighed wistfully, her gaze going up towards the sky in a muted sort of pain. "-you're spoken for, so I guess that can't happen."
Chad's heart felt like it was going to pound out of his chest, it beat so quickly. "And… and if I wasn't?"
Audrey looked at him, expression startled, and then delighted. For him. "Why Chad, that would be lovely. But are you sure? You and Jay seem to be getting along so well."
"I um… I think he's ready for something new," Chad murmured, even though he wasn't sure which of the many princesses in the school Jay was actually going after. Every time Chad had tried to ask, the other teen had changed the subject.
Chad felt a little bad that he wasn't holding up his side of the deal about Cotillion, but if he did well with Audrey then she would go with him and everything would be the way it was supposed to be. For once, everything would be going Chad's way.
It didn't happen often, which meant he had to take this opportunity while he had it.
"…and I am too," Chad continued, offering Audrey a smile. "I would be honored to take you on a date, Audrey."
"Excellent," the princess chirped, clapping her hands together. "I'll text you the details tonight. And you'll clear up your little – you know – with Jay?"
"Yes, Audrey," Chad promised, forcing a grin he did not entirely feel. He knew he would miss fake-dating Jay, because it was attention and Chad didn't get attention often, but he couldn't draw things out for that alone. And he definitely couldn't talk to Ben anymore, or touch Ben anymore, and since the king was a whole part of… that, Chad needed to rip the band aid off.
And Audrey had given him the perfect reason to do so.
-:-:-:-:-:-
In an effort to honor Jay, Chad decided to climb through the window of his dorm room, having slept through Swords and Shields practice in an effort to regain some of his energy, even if the peace was short lived, Chad waking up with nightmares of tight, enclosed spaces and dark, dark, darkness.
That was what had Chad climbing out his window, stumbling under the early evening sky until he could force his legs to get to Jay's room.
By the time he managed to drag himself up to Jay's window ledge, he could hear his fake boyfriend's worried voice intermixing with Carlos'.
"You can't find anything?" Jay pressed, sounding worried. "All of my calls are going straight to voicemail, and the texts keep getting bounced back."
"Dude," Carlos sighed. "I hate to be the one to tell you this, but I think he blocked your number."
"And Mal's?" Jay said, sounding distinctly unhappy at the prospect of Chad blocking him – which must have been his grandfather's handiwork while he was trapped in his box. "And Ben's?"
"I dunno what you want me to say."
"How about 'I know where he is'." That was Mal's voice, sounding so very on edge, and if Mal was there, maybe Ben was there too, and Chad couldn't be near Ben, he couldn't taint him and he couldn't touch him or look-look-look at him.
"I already told you he's on campus," Carlos huffed. "That's as exact as I can get it. He spent the week in Sardinia Castle and now he's on campus, so…"
"Why is he avoiding us?" Mal growled, frustrated. "Why would he block us?"
"Bigger question – why is he so thin?" Carlos asked. "Don't they feed him in Sardinia?"
"He's always weird about food," Mal grumbled. "Maybe he made himself too anxious to eat. That happens sometimes."
Chad was actually warmed by the fact that she'd noticed that, until he reminded himself that it was actually pathetic and maybe that was why she'd made a note of it.
Still. He just needed to knock on the window. He wouldn't know if Ben was there until he tried, and if the king was, Chad could always push himself back outside. The grass seemed safe.
It was with great trepidation that Chad reached forward, rapping his knuckles on the window pane before he heard everything inside the room stop. There was a beat, and then Jay was throwing the window open, bodily dragging Chad inside before he could get a word in edgewise.
"Chad," he murmured, squeezing him close. "Hey, how are you?"
"Um… fine," Chad lied, tempted to squeeze Jay back but knowing he shouldn't because this was it, it was over.
Also, upon further inspection, Ben wasn't there but Mal was, crowding into their space and throwing her arms around both of them with a steadfast sort of determination.
Carlos lingered on the far side of the room, giving them space, which Chad was grateful for.
"What happened?" Mal hissed, running a hand through his curls even though they weren't practicing, her eyes glowing green. "Did they do some kind of diplomatic thing to your phone that blocked everyone's calls?"
"…maybe?" Chad didn't know, he'd just gotten the phone back that morning. "Hey um… I need to talk to Jay."
"Okay," Mal said, and then she just sort of cuddled in close, letting herself rest against Chad's back because- because anything that could be said to Jay could be said to her, because they were friends.
Chad didn't have that, but he could maybe get that one day with Audrey, get those hugs and easy cuddles that he didn't have to ask for.
"Right." Chad swallowed, hating the way Jay gave him his full attention, like he had anything to say that was important. "I um… need to 'break up' with you."
Both of them froze – tensed, and he could feel it, because they were both so close to him.
"…what?" Jay asked, like he hadn't heard Chad correctly.
Chad cleared his throat. "It um… worked," he explained. "The plan. Audrey totally thinks I'm boyfriend material now-"
"You still want to date Audrey?" Jay asked, like that was never not on the table.
It threw Chad for a moment. "…yes?" he said, confused about the question. "I told you, she's the princess of my dreams-"
"Why, though?" Jay asked, even though they'd had this conversation before, and Chad's answers weren't any different. "She's mean to you."
Chad felt his cheeks heat up. "She was mean to me, because I wasn't boyfriend material, but now-"
"We're nice to you," Jay continued, almost like he hadn't heard Chad.
And this was true, but like, they weren't actually dating. They weren't even really friends. At least Audrey said they had that much. It wasn't a lot, but it was something.
"You are," Chad agreed, because he didn't want them to think he was ungrateful. "You've been very nice to me-"
"But you still want to date her," Jay surmised.
Chad nodded. He'd met Audrey during a very dark time of his life, when he'd been nothing and low, and she'd offered him a hand out of the depression that had threatened to overtake him entirely. He couldn't put into words how much he valued her friendship, or wanted to be able to repay her while knowing he couldn't, or how to explain how much this opportunity meant to him. He could only nod.
"It worked," Chad said simply, because Jay could take comfort in that. "And um… we can't keep practicing forever. Eventually we're going to have to really date people and Audrey wants to really date me so-"
He cut off when the door opened, gaze sliding to it on reflex. His heart seemed to freeze in his chest when he caught sight of Ben's face – first tired, then seemingly happy at catching sight of Chad. But it was Ben. Ben drawing closer and Chad was going to taint him, Chad was going to break him because that was what he did-
There was some shouting – Jay's or Mal's, Chad didn't know, he just knew that between one minute and the next he was stumbling back out onto the lawn, forcing his legs into a desperate sprint even though he was so very tired, running and running until he thought he might be free, until the world could be safe behind him.
It wasn't much of an offering, but it was all Chad had.
-:-:-:-:-:-
Endnotes:
Thank you guys for the reviews! I'm glad you're enjoying the story ^_^
Story notes:
Shoutout to my sweet Princess Bride reference. 'Cuz sometimes you gotta do things for yourself ;D
So I realize that is a quick escalation from the Duke. Originally I had planned to write in more Chad/Ben/Mal/Jay bonding before the Duke cut in, but that well of inspiration ran dry. That's why things seem to have shifted so abruptly, but I promise, those four will have their due eventually :)
WARNING – Claustrophobia, kidnapping, punishment – In the third scene (14 months ago) Chad is kidnapped by his grandfather and punished for his relationship with Jay and his experimentations with Ben and Mal. This punishment will result in Chad getting locked in a box for a week. You can skip this scene entirely if you are not comfortable with such things – the Duke is mostly just revealing the fact that he knows what is going on while being in general the worst person in existence.
If you would like to skip the references to Claustrophobia in specific, look for this line:
Like many of the assumptions Chad had made in his life, he was wrong. As such, he was only partially terrified when he fell asleep in his dorm room only to wake up in the cold under-basement of Sardinia castle, the rooms lined with old, dampened stone that trapped in the perpetual smell of rot.
And jump back in for:
"Chadwick," he said simply, because Chad already knew where he'd gone wrong. "You've made Sardinia look weak, and worse than that, you dared to sully the king."
There is a bit more at the end of the scene, so look for:
"No," the duke agreed. "You never do." He motioned for the guards to grab a hold of Chad, to drag him towards the too-small box. "But you will, now."
You can skip the rest of the scene after that, it's mostly Chad panicking.
WARNING – the first line of the last scene also has references to claustrophobia so you can skip it. The basic gist is that Chad climbs into Jay's dorm room to talk to him.
Until next time