Chapter 9 - Deleted Scenes

Notes: Sometimes my brain goes in spastic directions that don't end up panning out. Here is a collection of extra scenes that didn't make it into the final fic that I thought still might be enjoyable to peruse :)

-:-:-:-:-:-

Short Aziz Aside

Notes: Random idea I had when all the 'practice' dating started up, but I could never really find a good place to shove it in the story.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"Hey, baby," Aziz drawled with a stupid wag of his eyebrows. "Want to practice sex?"

Chad did not bother hiding his annoyance. "We will practice nothing if you're a shit about it."

"Wait- no," the prince huffed. "Come on, I'm not Ben. I actually do want to practice."

"Practice doing it, maybe."

Aziz's grin split his face. "See, you get me."

Unfortunately, this was true.

An additional misfortune was that Chad was horny, so Aziz would have to do.

"Fine," he sighed, and then dragged him to Lonnie's room because it was always sort of fun to terrorize her.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chapter 2 - Original Audrey finds out about 'practice' dating

Notes: This is the original version of the scene, before I realized how much conflict could be provided by Audrey being aware of Chad's attraction to Ben. Naturally, I chose the route that provided more drama, but this was a fun comedic aside.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"What the hell, Chad?!" Audrey was in a fine form of rage, hair perfectly coifed, nails perfectly sharp, and gaze that of a murderous beast prepared to eat the heart of an unsuspecting victim. "You're dating Ben, now?"

"Practice, dating," Chad clarified, because he managed to maintain his oblivious façade mostly by grace of not interacting with Audrey. "Ben wanted to practice and I took pity on him, because I am a good friend."

"Uh, huh." Audrey did not look impressed, though to be fair, Audrey was impressed with very little. "How very generous of you, Chad."

"Look, I didn't ask for this," Chad sputtered, because Audrey could be scary when she put her mind to it.

"Yeah, but you didn't fight it either, did you?"

"Of course not," Chad scoffed. "I know free food when I see it."

"You little shit." Audrey scowled. "Fine. Take me on a practice date."

"Um. No." Not in a million years. "You know who you should ask out? Aziz. He was just talking about how pretty your hair was."

"Funny." She narrowed her eyes. "He just said the same thing about you."

Traitorous whelp. "He must have gotten confused by how shiny your hair is!" Chad offered, because there was no way in hell he was dating Audrey. Not even fake dating Audrey. He had standards and a will to live. "He's real shy. You'll have to ask him again."

"I also grew up with him, Chad." Audrey's eyebrow was doing that twitching thing again. Not good. "I know you two are up to something."

"What?" Chad pressed a hand against his chest in mock offense. "Us? Audrey, you know planning isn't my strong suit."

"I know you don't want me to think planning is your strong suit," Audrey countered. "But I know you're planning something and once I figure out what it is, you'll be sorry!"

"Yeah, sure. Great talk!" he offered her retreating back.

Then he made a beeline for Aziz.

Someone had some explaining to do.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chapter 3 - Second Jay-as-Ben Scene

Notes: I had an idea for Jay to appear a couple times disguised as Ben because he was relentless, but I could never really find a good place to put it in the story that didn't mess with the flow. Below is Jay trying to 'get back at' Chad for how easily he 'dealt' with him in the equipment shed.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"Hey." Jay-as-Ben caught Chad in his room when he had his guard down, Doug expertly manipulated out of the equation by a last-minute invitation to hang out with Carlos and Evie. Chad would have paid more attention to the details but he was still trying to figure out a way to contact Aunt Snow that didn't involve hunting down a warlock (curse the magical interference of Arendell's outer lands) and so far he'd come up with nothing. She was going to be so disappointed in him, though granted, a majority of her ire would be aimed at Ben for not giving her more heads up about Evie's arrival. This annoyance at Ben was something they could bond over, once Chad found a way to call her.

So he'd been exiting the ensuite bathroom (because Chad deserved a nice relaxing bath when dealing with such grievances) clad in his pajamas and ready to start brainstorming again when Jay-disguised-as-Ben crowded him against the door, taking all of two seconds to slide one hand under Chad's shirt and maneuver a thigh between his legs and just- loom very sexily.

"Chad," Jay purred, low and seductive as he began caressing the prince's stomach. "I didn't get a chance to pay you back the other day."

"It was practice." Chad gasped, unable to withstand that look in Ben's eye even if it was Jay because it was so very determined and his leg kept pressing closer. "No repayment is- necessary."

"I don't agree," Jay said, and this was- payback, Chad realized. Because Chad had taken him apart in minutes so his dumb pride was probably on the line and now, he wanted to be in control. "I do like to take care of my people, after all."

"Ben-" Chad's protest was cut off when Jay dragged his hips forward, allowing him to grind against that muscular thigh in a way that had his toes curling. "B-Ben."

"Overwhelmed, Chad?" Jay asked, his hand shifted higher, teasing Chad's pectorals until he was shaking, because it wasn't Ben but his dumb brain kept screaming Ben is touching me. "Do you feel good?"

"S-shut up," Chad hissed, biting down hard on his bottom lip to keep a moan from spilling out. It was stupid, to get worked up this quickly, even with Jay doing his very best to attempt just that.

"Aw, don't be like that," Jay murmured, pressing gentle kisses to Chad's neck, sucking on his throat. "I want you to feel good. I like it when you feel good."

"Ben-" Jay took that abused lip into his mouth and sucked, causing shivers to course through Chad's body, his breaths coming out in weak pants.

"You know what I think?" Jay asked when he pulled back, eyes half-lidded and devilish. "I think you like me, Chad. I think you love me."

Chad shuddered, but didn't response, because the voice was the same but it was Jay using it, not Ben. "Stupid," he muttered, even as Jay urged his hips forward. "Not everyone loves you, dipshit."

"But you love me," Jay pressed, so desperate to see if Mal's love potion had actually worked. "And you know? I think I love you."

"Ben." Chad forced himself to scowl, forced himself not to shiver or whine or drag Jay desperately closer.

"I love you, Chad," Jay repeated, pressing hot kisses along his jaw. "I love you. I love you so much-"

"Shut up, Ben!" Chad shoved the other teen away, knowing he couldn't hold himself together for a moment longer. Drastic measures were required, and before he knew it, a new story was spilling from his tongue. "I already told you I don't want to roleplay! Shit, if you like Mal that much, just ask her out."

"…what?" Jay-as-Ben asked, entirely thrown for a loop, thus allowing Chad to usher him to the door.

"You. Mal. Ask her on a date. Or hell, just hang around her and hope she'll ask you on a date, since you seem to suck at asking people out so much, just stop like, using practice as an excuse not to own up and do something."

With that, he managed to successfully shove Jay out the door he must have picked to get in, pretending his flush was from annoyance and not from minor heartsickness and a stupid reasonable response to intimate physical activity.

"Good luck, Ben," Chad offered, because they were supposed to be friends even if Jay didn't like him much anyway. "Let me know how it goes. Or don't. Your choice."

With that, Chad shut the door, locking it and retreating very quickly to the other side of the room.

He needed another damn shower now.

Figured.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chapter 4 - Original post-punishment scene

Notes: There was an entire sequence of scenes I had in place that I liked well enough, but ultimately decided it clued Ben and the VKs into Chad's personal problems too much to make the ending work. Ultimately, this got cut down and shortened, though you'll notice that I kept some parts of it in the final version.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"Shit." It was Lonnie, clad in Auradon blue and yellow, clutching her first aid kit disguised as a purse. "He really did a number on you this time."

"Let's just say it's not the um- best day to be me," Chad managed through clenched teeth, tilting his face back so she could rub at his tears with a damp washcloth. She must have stopped by her room before coming here.

"Sorry," she murmured, tucking the towel back into her purse and returning with a cold compress to rest against his eyes, trying to cut down on the puffiness before they could swell too much. "I was keeping Mal and Evie distracted, didn't notice your grandfather had left the private boxes until Jane sent me a text."

"Nothing you could have done," Chad said, holding the compress in place with a shaky hand.

"Could have set off the fire alarm," she countered, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.

"Would have only delayed it." Though it could have potentially kept Carlos out of the line of fire, which Chad would now have to be on the look for. "He caught me and Carlos asleep."

"Damnit," Lonnie muttered, raising him into the standing position. "We'll worry about that later. Can you walk?"

"I'll manage." He didn't want to, but he realized he needed to get out of here before Doug or the others came back.

"That dick," Lonnie hissed. "That giant, royal dick."

"I'll say," Chad giggled, and then they made their very slow journey to the door. He handed the compress back to Lonnie at the last possible moment, getting deemed 'good enough' for the security cameras if he kept his head down. If anyone asked, Lonnie had relocated to help 'nurse him back to health', which had the benefit of actually being true.

Lonnie clipped a note to the door before guiding Chad back down the hallway, up an excruciating flight of stairs before the finally made it to Jane and Lonnie's room. By the end of it, most of his weight was on Lonnie, and while she was far from weak, he could tell it was taxing on her.

"Here." Lonnie dumped him onto her bed and made a beeline for the door. "I'm going to get a shit ton of ice, okay? I know you don't like it, but an ice bath's your best option right now."

"Fuck," Chad whimpered into her pillow, willing his mind into a state of disconnect so he'd stop registering how much pain he was in.

"I'll be right back," Lonnie promised, and then she was gone.

He lost track of time after that, but eventually a flushed and sweaty Jane slid into the room, her expression falling into one of concern at the sight of it. "Sorry, Chad," she murmured, getting him a fresh cold compress to distract from the pain. "We should have planned for something like this-"

"It's done," Chad gasped. "No point in ruminating in our failures. Are you-" He swallowed. "Can you get the others to the lake?"

"I don't know," she replied honestly. "I left before regrouping with them." She had wanted to check on Chad. "They're worried."

"They're kind," Chad said. "Kind people worry. It's like, their thing."

"I think Mal and the others would object to that title," Jane murmured, but at least she was smiling now. A small, pitiful thing.

"Yeah well," Chad huffed, managing a strained smile of his own. "They'll learn to deal."

"Look who I found," Lonnie said by way of greeting, pushing a small cart piled with ice bags with a weary Aziz following on her heels. "Jane, could you see if the cameras between our room and the kitchen could have some kind of 'glitch' for the last twenty minutes before you go?"

"Yeah." Jane nodded, looking eager to be given something productive to do. "I've got it."

Chad would ask her to lose his grandfather's visit too, if he didn't know for a fact the Duke had likely already delegated that task himself.

"Come on, bud," Aziz grunted, pulling Chad off the bed. "Into the tub, with you."

"Fuck," Chad groaned, but didn't fight him, helped Aziz disrobe him as best he could as the cold water began filling up the tub.

"Shit, shit, shit-" he hissed in a familiar chant, tears burning at his eyes when the first of the ice was dumped into the water, feeling his core temperature drop and the bitter sting of his aching muscles sing with range. "Fuck."

"I know," Aziz pet his hair distractedly, using his free hand to dump in more ice. "I know, dude. But it's got to be done."

"We have to take him to the doctor," Lonnie muttered. She'd changed out of her preppy dress and into more practical sweatpants, her hands covered in gloves so she could more easily handle the ice.

"No," Chad gasped, tears streaming down his face. "No doctors, Lonnie-"

"Hush," she ordered, tone leaving no room for argument. "He could have left permanent damage, this time. You need to see someone, though obviously we can't just go to the hospital."

"Then where should we go?" Aziz asked. "Any place that sees this is going to want to contact the authorities."

"I know a guy," Lonnie said, indicating she had planned for this inevitability. "An Imperial City doctor working on some kind of research program here in Auradon. He'd be willing to see Chad under the table."

For her, she did not say, but there was a distinct list of benefits that came from being the daughter of Fa Mulan and Lee Shang, and eternal loyalty of any Imperial City citizen was one of them.

"Can we go tonight?" Aziz asked. "After the swelling's gone down?"

"We'll have to," Lonnie said, and then further conversation was interrupted by distinct knocking on the door to the main room. "Stay quiet," Lonnie ordered, as though they would do anything different, and she swiftly exited the bathroom, Aziz locking the door behind her before returning to Chad's side.

A few seconds later, Ben's voice echoed through the door. "Is Chad okay?"

"He's fine, Ben," Lonnie sighed, and if she hadn't just been ordering them around a second prior, Chad wouldn't have known there was a strategic genius behind that put upon sounding teenager. "He's taking a bath right now and then I'll let him pass out on my bed. It's totally good."

"You couldn't have done this in his room?" That was Carlos, sounding on edge in way Chad hadn't heard from him in weeks. "It would have been easier."

"He likes our scented candles," Lonnie said, like 'what could you do?'. "And our pillows. He would have been a baby about it otherwise. It was actually easier to bring him here."

Yes, good plan. Subject them to the possibility of whining Chad.

"Should he be alone?" Ben's stupid voice sounded closer to the door. "What if he passes out?"

"About that," Carlos said, and Chad's stomach would have dropped were Chad actually capable of feeling anything besides the sting of bitter cold. "Chad's not actually sick."

Cue concerned Ben. "What?"

"Someone drugged him," Carlos continued. "He was fine by the time his grandfather showed up, which makes me wonder why he's here now."

"Look, I don't know," Lonnie pressed, ever committed. "Maybe it acted in two waves? He was shaky by the time I got to him."

"Did-" Ben began slowly. "Did his grandfather-?"

"Don't say anything you don't mean, Ben," Jane interrupted quietly, likely huddled by her computer. "If anything happened, Chad would let us know."

"Look, there are all sorts of weird drugs out there," Lonnie said. "And all kinds of crazy people that want to make royals look bad for petty reasons. Chad's illness – or, not illness, whatever – probably has nothing to do with his grandfather. Don't be stupid."

"Really?" Chad wasn't used to Carlos being this talkative, especially over him. "Because his grandfather didn't seem all that happy to see him. Or me."

"That's just how the old school are," Lonnie huffed. "They're all stern, perpetually disappointed. But he loves Chad. Would he have come to his game, otherwise?"

Chad was actually still kind of confused why his grandfather had visited in the first place. It didn't seem like a very 'him' thing to do, especially out of the blue like this. Maybe Audrey had something to do with it, since she seemed so convinced Chad had orchestrated her break up. Which he had, but like, peripherally.

"Chad seemed to think his grandfather would have made him play if he was sick regardless," Carlos pressed. "That doesn't seem very loving to me."

"Again," Lonnie said. "He's old school. But he loves Chad."

He didn't, but it was really nice of Lonnie to pretend he did for the sake of appearances.

"I want to see him," Ben said, which was just- no.

"He's bathing, Ben," Lonnie sighed. "I promise, he's fine. Just give him some time to recover-"

"This is stupid," Carlos huffed. "I'm telling Mal."

"It's not going to change anything," Lonnie said. "Chad's going to be fine-"

"Someone drugged him," Carlos snapped. "Why doesn't anyone care about that?!"

"Because this kind of stuff happens all the time?" Lonnie said, because it was true. "Not everyone likes Chad, Carlos."

"Wait, has something like this happened before?" Ben asked, sounding heartbroken at the thought of it. "Lonnie-"

"Ben," Lonnie sighed. "You're the prince of Auradon. You sort of get the most idyllic picture of all things. Chad doesn't."

"But why?" Carlos pressed. "He's not that much of an asshole. He's not even really an asshole; he just pretends to be one."

Lonnie sighed again. "A lot of people in his kingdom didn't like his mom."

"What?" Chad was honestly confused as to how Ben didn't know that. "But she- the story."

"Yeah," Lonnie agreed. "It's a great story. Not great for politics, but a great story."

There was a pause. "…this is fucked up," Carlos declared.

He wasn't wrong.

"Just go," Lonnie urged. "Go do your lake tradition thing or sleepover in Mal's room. Just- give Chad some space."

"The doctor," Ben said. "At least let me call a doctor-"

"Ben, we've got this," Lonnie said, and that was that, that was the end of it. "Now, go."

"Fine," Carlos snapped, and finally they retreated, leaving Chad to his misery and ice bath, Aziz's fingers gently carding through his hair.

-:-:-:-:-:-

It was dark by the time they snuck down to the nondescript rental Jane had arranged for them, the young fairy keeping an eye on things in Ben's bedroom – where the others had decided to reconvene. Chad had the minor benefit of exhaustion on his side, because while it hurt, it was a pain he had become accustomed to, making their trip through Auradon City all the more manageable.

The building Lonnie brought them to was nondescript and secluded. She strategically parked them away from any security cameras and guided them into the back of the building, meaning she'd staked the place out before.

A night nurse was waiting for them by the door. She locked up behind them before taking them to an examination room, where Lonnie's doctor was waiting for them.

There were- scans. A physical inspection. The doctor commended Lonnie for the ice bath and recommended minimal activity for Chad, declaring there had been no permanent damage – this time – before sending them away with some prescription pain killers and an injection for immediate pain management.

By the time they'd gotten back to the school, Chad was a little out of it. But in like, the best possible way. Which was why he was happy to see Jay melt out of the shadows when they meandered through the parking lot. Well, he meandered, Aziz tried desperately to herd him.

"Jay!" he whispered, grinning with delight at his cool ninja skills. "…you're not wet."

"We didn't go swimming," Jay shot back, frowning at Aziz before taking Chad's other side. "…did you drug him again?"

"Good drugs," Chad whispered. "Consensual drugs."

He heard Aziz sigh. "It's just painkillers."

"Don't sound so-" Chad frowned, unable to remember the words 'put upon' for the life of him. "Whatever. Hi, Jay."

"Hi, Chad." Jay shot him a weird look.

"Why didn't you swim?" This was an important question, Chad was confused why Aziz hadn't asked it yet, there were traditions.

"Because someone decided to get himself drugged," Jay grumbled. "Twice."

"Consensual druggings," Chad reminded him, then blinked. "Wait, did someone else get drugged?" A horrible thought occurred to him. "Did Carlos get drugged?"

"Carlos is fine," Aziz assured him, but Aziz had been with Chad the entire night so what the fuck did he know?

"He's fine," Jay said eventually, when it because obvious Chad did not believe Aziz. "Why wouldn't he be fine?"

"Because the Duke is a tool," Chad muttered, letting his head slump with relief. Keeping it upright was hard. He wanted a nap. And some cuddles.

"That's what he calls his grandfather," Aziz offered, and belatedly Chad wondered where Lonnie was. Oh, probably dealing with the car. What a peach. "Don't take anything he says too seriously," Aziz continued, just wounding Chad's honor while he was right there. "He'll be out of it for a while."

"You should always take me seriously," Chad sniffed. "I'm a serious guy. Super serious. Hey-" He squeezed at Jay's shoulder. "Tell him I'm serious."

"I'm…" Jay did not seem to know what to do, when Chad had already told him what to do. "No?"

"Jay," Chad whined, slumping into his space. Oh, this was a good idea. Jay was all muscley. And not a traitor like Aziz. "Come on. I'd do it for you." Wait. "No, I wouldn't. Never mind. You're only serious when you're brooding."

Jay sputtered. "I don't- brood."

"That's what you want us to think," Chad drawled, swaying as they dragged him up the stairs. "You want everyone to think you don't care so you smirk and steal things and flirt with everyone-"

"Ignore him," Aziz pressed. "Chad, shut up."

"But," Chad continued, because he had things to say. "Deep down you care a lot and that-"

"Hey look," Aziz cheered. "It's your room. You can go to sleep soon."

"Can I?" Chad blinked. "I think I'm- I'm really tired."

"That's because you are," Aziz hummed, and then there was this sort of weird tussle thing that ended with him hissing, "Jay."

"What?" the thief said all totally brooding like.

"We passed the room."

"Did we?"

Chad craned his head around, realized belatedly that yep, they totally had. "Yeah, it's back there."

"Nah," Jay denied. "Pretty sure it's this way."

"Stupid," Chad muttered. "The only thing that's this way is Ben's room-"

Aziz tensed. "Jay, he needs to rest."

"And he can," Jay agreed. "In Ben's room."

"I shouldn't go there," Chad said, even though it pained him. "The Duke would be-"

"Chad," Aziz interrupted, because he was super rude, or something. "Who has prettier hair, Mal or Evie?"

"They both have pretty hair, stupid." Chad rolled his eyes. "In different ways. Like, Evie's is all silky and Mal's is all bright and I want to touch both of them."

"Well, maybe they'll let you if you ask nicely."

"Doubt it," Chad muttered. He had already given up on that particular plight. "But Jane gets to do it all the time because she's a girl, and she won't even teach me how to braid hair because I'd have to practice on Lonnie and Lonnie will like- fist punch my throat if I hurt her precious magic curls."

Jay brought them to a halt outside Ben's door, awkwardly hovering. "…you could braid my hair, if you wanted."

"Would you fist punch me?" Chad asked, because this was important. "Because I only have so many drugs."

"Prescription drugs," Aziz clarified, even though it was obvious what Chad had meant. "…let's just get you to bed, shall we?"

And with that, they were allowed into Ben's room, the place Chad should not be but he was too tired to care, and also other people were there so it was probably fine.

"Jane!" Chad struggled to offer her a wave as Jay and Aziz maneuvered him to Ben's bed. "Hi!"

Jane, who seemed confused by his appearance (likely because she remembered the no-Chad-in-Ben's-room rule) immediately set into motion and helped settle him on the bed. Because she was a bro.

"Hey, Chad," she murmured, shooting Aziz a glance that could have been apologetic. "Are you okay?"

"I," Chad drawled, offering her a slow wink. "Am great, thank you."

"He's high." And there was Mal, appearing like a vision in the blaringly purple pajamas they had gotten her on their 'date'. "What kind of doctor did you take him to?"

"A private one," Chad giggled, accepting a fluffy blanket from Jane with a few slow blinks. "Because of my-"

"Chad," Jane interrupted him quietly. "Do you want anything to drink?"

"Um…" Chad had to think about this. "No?"

The doctor had given him some kind of IV treatment to deal with 'dehydration' or whatever, so Chad was mostly fine.

"Chad," And there was Ben, looking all Ben-like and awesome. "What happened?"

"Man," Chad giggled. "You don't want to know."

"He wouldn't have asked if he didn't want to know, Chad," Evie said, because she was there, sitting next to him on the bed. Doug was hovering behind her, looking most sad and Doug-like, which was both good and bad.

"Hi, Evie." Chad waved, because he was polite. "Aziz asked me who had prettier hair, but I said you were both pretty, because you are." He paused. "Not that your worth has anything to do with your looks. Like, if anyone says that, get Jay to punch them for you. Wait-" He frowned. "Don't do that. Have Aziz do it, he's the one who asked the stupid question in the first place, and they can't deport him. Or they could, but it'd probably start a war. So."

Near the foot of the bed, he saw Aziz drag a hand across his face. Probably because he was feeling lazy. Or dumb. Or both.

"That's… nice, Chad," Evie said, using her patented patient Evie smile. "Do you know who drugged you?"

"That, my dear, would be the doctor," Chad drawled, cutting off halfway because of a yawn. "Hey, can I go to sleep now?"

"Sure, Chad," Jane said, earning a few unhappy looks from people who obviously had something against sleeping.

Chad gave her a weak thumbs up. "Thanks, Jane," he mumbled, then let his eyes fall closed, drifting into a painless sort of sleep.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad was shaken awake far too soon, his eyelids feeling like heavy, immovable objects that he had to struggle to open, eyes objecting to being exposed to the soft light of early morning.

He blinked when he realized it was Jane who had woken him up; blinked again when he recognized the two small pills she had in her hand.

"You're going to need to take these," she whispered, handing them over. A second later, she handed him a glass of water. "Before the injection wears off."

"Thanks," he whispered, voice thick and heavy with sleep. He could have swallowed the pills dry, but it was kind of Jane to get him the water, so he used it to follow them down.

He passed the cup back to Jane when he felt slightly more awake, blinking at his surroundings. He was at the edge of Ben's massive bed – likely where Aziz had been able to dump him the night before, and it seemed like the other had decided to join him at some point. To his immediate right was Ben, curled up and lost to sleep, with Mal squished in next to him, Carlos draped against her stomach. Evie and Doug were on the far side of the bed, which made Chad wonder where Jay was, until the saw the teen posed against the wall with his arms crossed, obviously eyeing a tired Aziz, who was hanging near the foot of the bed.

"Lonnie prepared another bath," Jane whispered, and Chad knew it was necessary but he couldn't help wince. That was not the way he had wanted to begin his Saturday, but such was the way of things. "Can you walk?"

"I'm fine," Chad muttered, conscious of Jay's presence. He slid out of bed carefully, taking Aziz's arm for support. Jay took his other side without saying, gaze hard and contrary, as though challenging them to deny him. All of them were too tired to, so the four of them made their way back down the hall and up the stairs, Chad aching with marginally less pain this time.

Still, it was a relief to get back to Jane and Lonnie's room. "Thanks, Jay," Jane said when they got into the bedroom, gently pulling the other teen aside so that it was just Aziz supporting Chad's weight.

"I'm not leaving." Jay looked distinctly unhappy at the thought of it. "This is stupid-"

"Jay," Jane interrupted, whipping out the tone of authority she so rarely used. "We would appreciate it if you wouldn't mention this to Ben. Because if Ben knew, he'd want to help. He'd have to help, and there are some things, if he decided to 'help' with, that could jeopardize his future as king. Do you understand?"

Jay stared at them, long and hard and unhappy, though he seemed to realize the implications of Jane's statements.

"The Duke has a lot of power," Jane explained quietly. "And he so rarely visits Chad. This is nothing."

"I won't see him again for months," Chad offered. "Maybe at coronation, but not before then."

There was a tense silence.

"I'm telling the others," Jay said eventually, his voice tight.

"Just not Ben," Jane compromised. "Or Doug."

They couldn't handle it. Handle the darker things of the world.

Jay scowled. "Fine."

With that, he stalked out of the room, footsteps silent against the hardwood floors, until even his shadow was gone.

Aziz sighed. "That could have gone better."

"But it also could have gone worse," Chad said. "Come on, let's get to ice bathing."

"You're lucky I like you," Aziz grumbled, but at this point, their connection was a necessity of survival. Aziz was, after all, the son of a 'street rat'. Lonnie wasn't even a real princess. Jane didn't have a father, and was considered an abomination by a lot of the old schoolers.

Things like that bonded you together. And they weren't lucky for that, but they were lucky to have each other.

Small blessings.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chad wasn't sure whatever magic Jay had worked on the others, but he managed to get through the following week mostly free of Ben's concerned face, which was a victory in itself.

Unfortunately, this came with a sort of compromise of having the VKs sneak into his room whenever they so choose to check up on him. It was only ever two at a time, the other two likely tasked with distracting Doug and Ben, because neither were ever present, and Chad was grateful for that, even if he didn't necessarily understand it.

The first night it was Mal and Carlos who climbed through his window, carrying large soft coolers topped off with ice.

Mal quirked an unimpressed brow at him. "Figured out the key to Lonnie's 'special' baths."

Chad sighed. He had been planning to hunt down the ice himself as it was, even after spending most of the weekend working from bed, the first day back in classes had been rough, and not for the reasons Audrey scowled at him for.

"Fine," he said eventually, motioning them to the bathroom. "Come on."

It should have probably been weird, working with the two of them to prepare the ice bath, but they managed to coordinate in perfect silence, until the two of them stared at Chad expectantly.

"We're not leaving," Mal said, and it seemed like that would be her battle cry, the hill on which she would gladly make her last stand.

Behind her, Carlos shrugged. "I've already seen you naked."

Chad sighed again. "Just keep in mind that it looks worse than it is, okay?"

"Yeah," Mal scoffed, but her hands were careful when she helped Chad out of his clothes, Carlos following half a second behind her.

A certain tension built in their frames the more clothes they removed, the more skin they revealed that hadn't been damaged, until at last Chad was down to his underwear.

"Again-" he attempted to console them once more.

"Just take it off," Mal murmured.

Begrudgingly, he did just that. He didn't imagine the way Mal's eyes seemed to flare green, Carlos openly frowning at the black and blue bruises that mottled Chad's thighs, the aggravated mess of his groin area.

"Mother fucker," Mal hissed, but she still helped Chad slide into the tub, combing a hand through his hair when he reflexively flinched against the cool water.

"Shit-shit-shit," he chanted, squeezing his eyes shut. "So um- how were classes?"

"Chad," Mal said carefully.

"Yeah?"

"Just don't."

He did not.

And then they just- stayed with him until a majority of the ice had melted, until Carlos maneuvered him into the actual shower to clean up like they'd done before, only with less desperation and sorrow, and in no time Chad was tucked into his bed, a steaming mug of tea in one hand. He wasn't actually sure how it got there.

"We'll see you tomorrow," Mal said when they climbed back out the window.

They traded off. Sometimes it was Evie with Carlos. One time it was Mal and Jay and Chad thought their combined angry aura would break down the room, but they were always careful with him. Attentive too, outside their nightly visits, Jay taking extra care to cover Chad during practice, Mal walking beside him in the hall to demand a sort of personal bubble from anyone who dared to get close.

Carlos and Jay had visited once though halfway through Carlos made the other teen leave, rolling his eyes when he was replaced by Mal, who refused to comment on why or what had happened.

It was weird, but good, Chad guessed.

"So," Mal said after a particularly grueling Tourney practice, Evie hovering near the doorway. "You guys stick together, right?"

It didn't take much to guess who 'you guys' referred to.

Chad shrugged. "Everyone needs backup."

Mal hummed in silent agreement, but kept petting his head.

So he guessed things were okay.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chapter 4 - Carlos helps with the ointment

Notes: This scene ended up getting cut for the same reason as above, but I had a brief thought of Carlos and Doug helping Chad with ointment application – it would take place after what actually happened after Chad's first day back in classes.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"Sure," Chad managed, letting his eyes fall shut. "I mean, as I can be."

"He already took his pain meds," Doug said, seeming unsurprised by Carlos' sudden appearance.

"Is there anything else you have to do?" Carlos asked, still just- crouching next to Chad's bed.

Chad really wished they'd let him sleep. "There's some kind of ointment but that's just- not happening."

Carlos turned his attention to Doug. "Do you know where-?"

"Hold on," Doug interrupted, then proceeded to demonstrate his superior intellect by rummaging through the compartment in Chad's dresser that was supposed to be secret before withdrawing the jar of ointment. "Got it."

"Guys," Chad groaned. "Your concern is appreciated, but it's not happening."

"Yeah, we get it," Carlos said, plucking the jar from Doug's fingers before- climbing onto the bed next to Chad. "You're tired. We can take care of this part."

Fuck no, he could not.

"Yeah, no." Chad turned, wincing as the previously lush towel robe seemed to scrape against his skin. "Look-"

"It's your legs, right?" Carlos asked, eyeing the hem of Chad's robe. "You started limping near the end of classes."

Please let that not have been obvious to anyone else.

"Yeah, it's- I mean, at least partially my legs, but-"

"Then it's no problem," Carlos said, slowly easing up the hem of Chad's robe. His brows furrowed harder the higher he got without finding blemished skin, until the first hint of bruising became evident on his thigh.

Chad's breath felt tight in his chest. "It- it looks a lot worse than it is."

"I highly doubt that," Carlos said, uncharacteristically still, and then he pushed the robe the rest of the way up.

Chad tried to block out the sharp gasp that came from Doug, too busy trying to still his heart at the feel of damaged skin exposed so easily to Carlos. He didn't know what to expect, so it was a relief to have careful fingers rubbing the ointment into the worst of the bruising, until he'd finished one leg and switched to the other.

"Chad-" Doug said quietly, sounding… broken, because he was a giver. Doug wasn't used to the mean things of the world.

"It's fine." Chad attempted to muster his best grin, but it was hard with Carlos pushing his robe open, revealing the mottled mess of his groin area.

"This," Carlos hissed, hand moving against Chad's damaged privates in efficient shifts. "Is not okay."

"It was- my fault," Chad said, flushing as Carlos helped him turn onto his stomach, the other teen not needing to ask if the bruising extended behind him. "I didn't plan well-"

"What, you don't have a plan for being-?"

"Carlos," Chad hissed, face covered in a horrible flush as those nimble fingers worked ointment into his rear while Doug watched. "That was a secret."

"It's a dumb one," Carlos shot back, but he never let his anger with the situation affect his treatment, until Chad had been sufficiently ointmented out and re-wrapped in his robe.

"Why don't you want us to know?" Doug asked, still hovering awkwardly near the foot of the bed.

"Because there's nothing you can do about it." Between the ointment and the ice bath and the pill, the roaring ache had dulled down to bear tingles that Chad could live with. Granted, he now had to live with the knowledge of Doug and Carlos seeing his genitals in their worst possible condition, but that was something he would have to come to terms with.

"Fine." Carlos was scowling even as he dragged Jane's quilt over Chad's legs, fluffing his pillows with frustrated care before flopping down on the bed beside him. "Want to see a video of Jay tripping over a bench from Tourney practice?"

-:-:-:-:-:-

Extra – Post Fall Ball

Notes: Had enough inspiration to write this scene but not enough to follow through on the possible storylines it provided. Especially with it occurring so late in the game, I decided it was best to cut the two scenes entirely, though it is always fun to write angry Audrey.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"I won Fall Ball Queen."

It was hardly the weirdest greeting Audrey had ever given him, but it was certainly one of the more bitterly delivered, the fair princess propping her hands against her hips in a sort of immovable battle stance, forcing Chad to talk to her or find another way to the outdoor lunch tables.

"…congratulations?" Chad tried, knowing she would proceed to the actual point in her own time.

"Do you want to know who won Fall Ball King?" Audrey asked, tilting her head ever so slightly.

"Me?" Chad used his best dumb golden retriever look and didn't even get an eye roll for his troubles.

"No, Chad," Audrey huffed. "Aziz won Fall Ball King. And do you want to know why Aziz won Fall Ball King?"

"…because everyone voted for him?"

"Because Ben wasn't there!" she snapped. "Ben wasn't there because he was off on some secret retreat, only how secret can it be if he takes you and the VKs along with him?!"

"And Doug," Chad murmured, earning a furious look.

"You," she hissed, jabbing a finger into his chest because this was how all their interactions went, apparently. "Ruined our perfect night! We would have shared a dance together and he could have remembered how good things were but you ruined it by whisking him away on some sort of- sex weekend."

"Okay, that was definitely not what happened." It was Ben. How she could ever think her ex-boyfriend of many years would willingly throw himself into orgies, Chad did not know. Ben was far too polite for such a thing. Also, Doug had been there. "You need help, Audrey."

Because she was focusing on this way too much.

"No, Chad," she snapped, jabbing her finger again. "You need help. Because eventually Ben's going to see what a fuck up you are and ditch you, like he should have years ago. I swear," she tossed her head with a furious scowl. "You're not having sex with him on purpose. You're just stringing him along as much as you can to torture me."

"I don't- I don't follow your logic." Chad wasn't even being Dumb Chad; he honestly had no idea what Audrey meant.

"Because if he had sex with you, it'd be out of his system, and he'd realize what garbage you are," she huffed. Man she just- really didn't care if Chad was her enemy. Or if anyone overheard her. What the hell. "But now you won't which just- figures. The one time you learn to keep it in your pants." Okay, Audrey's judgement for his promiscuity was seriously getting on Chad's nerves. "If you would just-" She bumped her fists together in what was probably an approximation of 'bump ugliest' but in like, the clumsiest fashion ever. "Then we could get on with our lives."

She frowned over this and then got a gleam in her eye Chad did not like before she was power walking away again, like some sort of deranged pheasant.

"Audrey," Chad scrambled after her. "Is your new goal getting me and Ben to have sex?" Because that was- that was not the turn he thought this would take.

"My new goal is vengeance, Chadwick," she shot back and that- he guessed, answered that.

Okay then.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"What does that even mean?" Lonnie asked, as though the rest of them had any answers for her.

"I think she's finally going off the deep end," Aziz griped, not so subtly trying to copy Chad's homework answers. Chad allowed this; if only because of the minor family emergency Aziz had spent most of day handling. "What happens if she gets deemed unfit to lead her kingdoms? Is that a thing we could do?"

"I mean-" Jane frowned. "Maybe? I think the Moors would go back to Mal, technically, but Queen Aurora and King Phillip's kingdoms would go to whichever family was next in line for the throne."

"Well, first the kingdoms would stay under Queen Aurora and King Phillip's rule while they attempted to get Audrey fit again, and in the instance that failed then it'd go to whoever was next in line, unless they didn't feel confident about their ability to rule," Lonnie clarified. "Then I think the kingdoms would fall under a stewardship with whichever monarchy was closest to them. Which would be Corona, or Auradon."

"They wouldn't give it back to Auradon," Chad reasoned. "It wouldn't be a 'unity of kingdoms' working together if the individual kingdom control was surrendered to the main crown."

"So it'd go to Ruby," Aziz said. "…I can live with that."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves," Jane sighed. "First we have to track down the actual candidates next in line after Audrey. And actually deem Audrey unfit."

"Yeah," Aziz sighed. "This might be more of a 'teenage girl crumbling under the extreme pressures put on her by her family' thing rather than a crazy thing."

"We all have to deal with family pressure," Lonnie scowled. "And we haven't gone psycho on other people because of it."

"One thing at a time, everyone," Chad cut in before the argument could devolved. "Now, I've recorded most of the conversations I've had with Audrey as it is, and they've only gotten more manic as of late – so I think that's a good starting point. Throw in some investigative work for where she could have gotten access to a high-powered aphrodisiac…"

"Huh," Aziz said. "You may be on to something there."

-:-:-:-:-:-

Chapter XX – Alternate ending

Notes: So I had an idea about things climaxing after the royal breakfast. Instead of Mal leaving the room she'd go on the following rant that would eventually bring them together. I decided I liked my original sequence of ending scenes more, so this remains what could have been.

-:-:-:-:-:-

"This is stupid," she continued, lithe hands curling into fists that seemed ready to destroy mountains. "I hate this. And I hate how I hate this because-" she cut off with a shake of her head, leveling a furious look at Chad. "Because I used to hate you, so much. We got here and the first thing you did was have Evie do your homework." There was a shocked look from Ben, his gaze darting between Chad and Evie as though to confirm this, but Mal continued. "And I hated you for it. Because you knew that Evie was so desperate to be a real princess that you used her, except-" She threw her hands up in the air, stalking towards the windows. "Except you only ever asked her to do it once. Just once and I didn't get why. Until I realized-" She turned back towards him. "It was a test. And I thought it was a test to see how much Evie wanted you, but then I realized it was a test to see if she would hurt you."

There was a buzzing in Chad's ears because that wasn't true, it wasn't like that, but Mal seemed so sure as she continued.

"Because that's what people do, to you. They use you, and they hurt you. And they call you dumb and stupid so you-" She blinked, and Chad could begin to see a certain wetness gleam in her eyes. "So you act dumb and self-absorbed because at least then you're owning it, right? Except-" She marched forward, back towards Chad. "Except then you'd do things like take us shopping and completely ignore our scars. You teach us how to swim and play dumb games and buy us food and then taste test it so we know it's safe all the while treating us like- like-" She looked at the others desperately. "You don't treat me like the daughter of Maleficent. You treat me like Mal, the girl who loves art and milkshakes and winning. You don't-" She swallowed, aiming that watery gaze at him. "You don't treat us like the accumulation of our parents' mistakes."

"That's because you guys aren't your parents." Chad couldn't take it anymore; he shifted to his feet, needing to level with Mal for this one particular moment. "None of you have committed any crimes that would warrant the horrible way you've been treated, Mal, you have to know that."

"I do," Mal snapped, but the anger wasn't at him, it was at the world. "I know that. We know that. But Auradon-" She motioned towards the window. "They don't, except you guys. And Jane and Lonnie and Aziz and Queen Belle, I guess. But you-" She leveled a finger at Chad. "You- you found out how- how desperate Evie was to be your princess and instead of taking advantage of it, you treated her like she was a princess. You showed her that she already was one on her own and gave her the respect she deserved. You did that. And then you asked for nothing and I couldn't figure out why someone like you would be so nice to us. Would want to be our friend."

"It wasn't-" Chad swallowed, because he owed them this much, at least, if Mal was being honest with him. "It wasn't completely altruistic, Mal."

"Then why?" Mal pressed, and he knew that she wouldn't drop this point until he explained himself, not when she had decided to lay herself so bare before him.

"Because I wanted this to work," Chad said. "I wanted you guys to come here and be happy, to get what you deserved, and I wanted the- the naysayers-" He made a broad sweeping gesture with his hand, terribly conscious of Ben's gaze on him. "To see how wrong they were. I wanted this to work so that when Ben became king we could start getting more kids off the Isle. We could start applying actual reformations for a working prison system instead of just- shoving everyone in one place out of the way and being done with it."

"You…" It was Evie that broke in, confused but hopeful with eyes that were suspiciously wet. "You want to get more kids off the Isle?"

"Of course, I do," Chad whispered. "We all do. I mean-" He turned to Ben, hoping to plead his case, hoping he hadn't ruined all of his and Jane's plans. "The Isle might be part of Auradon but it's part of Sardinia too. It's part of Agrabah and Hanover and the Imperial City, and- and I know I'm not that good a prince, but it's my duty to my people, all of my people, to look after them, especially those that have been wrongfully imprisoned. I mean," he pressed. "I have cousins, Ben. Cousins I've never met who have never committed any sort of crime in Auradon and yet they're trapped on the Isle because of who their parents are? It's wrong. It's a commitment to complacency and bad policy and I can't stand by and do nothing in the wake of it but I'm just- me, so this is what I could do."

"You want to fix the Isle?" Evie asked, voice quiet.

"It was flawed from its conception," Chad replied with a shrug. "The fact that it's been allowed to operate as it has been is a bold infringement of the civil liberties of everyone who resides on it. And we – the 'good guys' – were the ones that implemented the policy. It has to be fixed, Ben. It has to."

"I know," Ben said quietly, and it felt like all the weight had been lifted from Chad's shoulders, because he hadn't expected the prince to agree. "And it's going to."

"Chad already has new policy proposals lined up," Doug said quietly, having to this point remained silent. He didn't shake under the group's collective surprise, stubbornly pushing forward. "And he and Jane are constantly researching to make more. They have so many backup plans it kind of boggles my mind."

"Holy shit," Jay said suddenly, blinking into the void. "You're actually smart."

"Yes!" Doug said, and it seemed like he couldn't hold this in anymore. "He's always been smart but he just- acts like a tool-"

"It's easier to get things done when no one thinks you're capable of them," Chad sniffed, looking away bashfully.

"Oh, sweet evil," Mal laughed, and then she was, cradling Chad's face between her hands, looking on him with such fondness that it made his chest hurt. "You beautiful freak, you crazy little monster – you knew the whole time. We'd-" She tilted his head forward until their foreheads resting against each other, and it was such a casual intimacy that Chad could feel himself begin to tremble. "We drugged you and instead of freaking out you let us spend the night. You saw me offering Ben a homemade cookie and you ate it-"

"Safety precaution," Chad gasped, but Mal just laughed.

"And it didn't even work," she giggled. "Do you know how long we spent on that thing?"

"What thing?" Ben asked, drawing closer to their huddle. "What are you talking about?"

"The cookie I tried to give you before our first visit to the lake," Mal grinned. "The one Chad stole." She turned to look at him. "Why did you steal it?"

"Ben's going to be king." Chad would think that much was obvious. "Between the two of us, I'm more expendable."

"Lies," Mal hissed, eyes flashing a furious green that was even more enchanting up close. "Neither of you are expendable; you shouldn't steal cookies that could be poisoned."

"You shouldn't offer poisoned cookies," Chad shot back.

"Wait." Ben held up a hand. "Did you- was that poisoned?"

"Sort of," Mal allowed, finally pulling away from Chad to give Ben her attention. "There was a love potion inside. Because-" She paused, taking the time to find the right words. "Because we were scared. Because we thought if we had you on our side- completely devoted, we could be safe. And then it didn't work," she grumbled, shooting a glare at Chad that was more fond than bitter. "And that was it. We'd screwed up, but then- then you guys kept us safe anyway, no magic required."

She lowered her hands so she could take Chad's in her own, giving them a light squeeze before she continued. "I didn't think people like you could exist out here in Auradon, but you do. And I'm not going to let you get hurt anymore."

"Mal," Chad sighed, because that was so very impossible.

"No," she snapped, eyes flaring bright again. "I don't care if we don't have any real power here – if someone tries to starve you, I want to get you food. And if someone makes you cry in the middle of the night, I want to be there for you, not on the other side of some door while you're locked in the dark. If someone drugs you before a Tourney game-" At this, Ben tensed, though none of the other VKs seemed surprised which meant Carlos had told them. "-I want to help you through it, not watch you suffer in silence. You-" she declared, cupping his jaw again, making him watch her. "Are mine. I'm claiming you."

"W-what?" Chad asked, feeling a familiar heat build behind his aching eyes, but Mal didn't seem to hear him.

"Anyone have any objections?" she asked the other VKs.

"No," Evie grinned.

"Come on," Jay groaned.

Carlos made a sign for her to hurry up. "Just do it all already."

"What?" Chad repeated.

"I'm claiming you," Mal repeated. "And what's mine is theirs, so we're claiming you. You're ours."

She seemed so… certain, when she said it, so furiously genuine that Chad couldn't help the tears that spilled down his cheeks; because he had allies but he'd never felt this wanted, even if strategically it was the best option for Mal if she couldn't have Ben-

"Stop," she ordered, gently brushing away tears. "You're overthinking again."

"You thought I was dumb until like, two minutes ago," he murmured. "You guys don't have to do anything to get my help, Mal. It's already yours-"

"I know that," she huffed. "I'm trying to get you to see that you can have our help too. That we like you, dipshit."

"Jay likes you a lot," Carlos added, smiling a relentless grin. "You won't believe how much he whines-"

"Shut up," Jay hissed, chucking a pillow at him.

"You're ours," Mal said. "If you want it. And if you don't- you'll still have our protection and our friendship. That isn't contingent on this."

"Wait," Ben interrupted, voice sounding shaky. "By 'claiming' him do you mean- like, romantically?"

Mal rolled her eyes. "Obviously."

"What?" They wanted- he'd already explained that they'd have his help regardless but they wanted him, romantically speaking. All of them. "Mal, you don't have to waste your-"

"You are not a waste," she snapped, pulling him into a furious hug. For someone so small, she could be forceful when she wanted. "And I'm sick of everyone who makes you think that! Fuck them." She pulled back to grab his face again, because this was just- her thing. "We like you, Chad. We like the way you don't freak out when Jay gets victory crazy, we like the way you ask us our opinions and never try to talk about the Isle or treat us like we're freaks and yes, other people do that, but other people are not you. They aren't secret schemers with a dopey smile and sharp wit who make us feel special. So could you just- like, trust that we'd want you?!"

It was hard, not to cry now, because most people didn't want Chad. It was sort of the story of his life. And he'd come to terms with it, he just- hadn't expected that streak to end because of a handful of lost teenagers finding their way in the world, who were so brave and strong and lovely that it made his chest ache.

"Mal," he gasped quietly, because he didn't know what else to say, didn't know how to articulate any of this. "You can- there's better options. I mean- Doug." He motioned at the other teen who startled at his inclusion. "Or Ben. Or Doug and Ben." Chad couldn't really think of a better combination. "I really am an asshole. That part's not a lie."

"We know," Mal snapped, stepping into his space. "But you are our asshole."

"Look," Chad cried, couldn't stop crying and fuck it all; Jane and Lonnie were going to kill him. "So- the potion did work."

The room stilled.

"…what?" Mal asked, deceptively quiet.

Jay had no such restraint. "No way. You didn't act any differently and we tried-"

"Well," Chad swallowed. This was it; this was the thing he had to say to reinstate some kind of normality over the situation. "I've been- sort of… pretending not to be in love with Ben for years. So. It wasn't hard to just- keep doing that."

Mal stared at him.

"What?!"

Chad flinched against Ben's sudden exclamation, ready to pour out a slew of apologies before he was- tackle hugged, or something, Ben using his stupid long limbs to hug both Mal and Chad to him. "What the- why didn't you tell me?"

"Because you're straight?" Ben was so stupid, why he asked such dumb things, Chad did not know.

"Oh, sweet evil," Mal laughed, taking Ben's sudden proximity with more grace than Chad's stuttering heart. "How can you be so smart and yet so stupid."

"It's a gift," Chad shot on reflex, earning a furious scowl from the purple-haired teen.

"Chad," Evie cut in before they could devolve into arguments. "Ben loves you. He's been trying to get you to like him for months."

"What? That's not-" He looked to Ben, who was just- smiling that stupid smile. "What?"

"The practice dates weren't a clue?" Carlos asked, wandering towards their huddle. "They were regular dates, dude."

"Yeah, except we didn't get to kiss him," Doug mumbled, looking… annoyed, by this?

"Yes." Carlos grinned. "Because I prioritized."

"Wait, did you kiss-?" Ben's head frantically turned between Chad and Carlos. "Guys."

"What is happening?" Chad asked, feeling off balance.

"Hades," Mal muttered, letting her head thump down on Chad's shoulder. "You're so convinced no one could be attracted to you that you missed the fact that Ben and Doug would gladly fight for you honor. Also Jay, and you know, all of us."

"What?" Chad repeated, feeling faint.

"We're going to work on this," Mal decided. "This is a work in progress. I'm okay with that."

"Can I be part of your claim?" Ben was asking, like that was a thing he could do. It was not a thing he could do. "Mal, please-"

"Harm one hair on his head and I'll break you," Mal promised, squeezing Chad tight. "But yes."

"Also Doug!" Evie cheered, wrapping an arm around the dwarf-kin's shoulders. "We're claiming him too."

"More the merrier," Jay grumbled, hiding his face in his hands like this physically pained him.

"Shut up, you love it," Carlos chirped, punching him in the shoulder.

Chad blinked. "I um- I think I'm going to pass out now."

And then everything went dark.

-:-:-:-:-:-

And that was all she wrote!

Until next time :)