Chapter 7 – Modak, Mo' Problems

-:-:-

It started a new pattern for Tangu.

Every day the four of them would meet at the Cultural Center and listen to Queen Scheherazade's story before Jay would take them off to try yet another component of Tangun food. Sometimes that ended with them back in the palace, where he managed to coerce the chefs into allowing them more adventurous cuisine without picking up the heat factor. He even arranged for a demonstration once, and Chad maybe got too invested because it was so cool, but the chef seemed to appreciate his enthusiasm and even let him help make part of the dish, Iago hissing advice and his own encouragement from what had become his usually perch around Chad's shoulders.

"Okay, okay," Mal would huff eventually when they sat in the magically air-conditioned shade of a private indoor garden. "Tangun food is more than just adequate, alright? It's different, but a good different."

"Thank you," Jay said, seeming torn between pride and amazement that he had actually managed to wear the stubborn force that was Mal down.

After lunch, Jay would teleport them back to his suite (never just walking them there, and the one time Chad had asked him about it, Jay had muttered something about keeping his teleportation skills up to date, which Chad couldn't really argue with) so the other three could work on rune configurations. They seemed to be making a lot of progress, and as the days went on, Carlos slowly but surely got more used to talking to them, seeming to be less in awe of their forceful personalities and inclined to make his own quips or segue into enthusiastic diatribes when he discovered a new application they just had to know about. It seemed that the more open he became with Mal and Jay, the more relaxed they became in turn, seeming just as eager to fight for his attention as they would Chad's, even if they seemed to slowly become friends with each other. That natural competitive nature seemed inherent with Mal and Jay, but thankfully it became more playful than aggressive after the second day, and they delighted in the cheers and praise Carlos and Chad would offer them for a job well done on whatever they were arguing about at that given moment.

After the first day, however, Queen Scheherazade didn't allow for Jay and Mal to play hooky. They'd get story time and lunch and a little runework, but after that she would predictably arrive and wrangle the other two back towards their duties. Jay was always kind enough to teleport Chad and Carlos back towards the guest quarters, except when it got to the day the queen did so herself, her royal majesty wearing a fond smile when she got them back to the common areas of the castle.

"Jay has told me of your studies," she informed Carlos. "He has also bemoaned the excess care you show when combining magics."

True, Jay had been the one initially concerned for Carlos' experiments, but it turned out the young De Ville was even more careful and paranoid about his safety measures and practical tests than Jay's sense of caution would allow.

"In light of that," the queen continued. "I would like to grant you use of our private magic library. I have read your aura, and I know you would use such information wisely."

"Really?" Carlos asked, flushing dark when he realized what he'd said. "I mean- thank you, your majesty. I would- I'd be honored, and I promise I won't misuse your practices."

"I know," she hummed, making him flush darker. "Come, I will show you how to get there."

Chad smiled, grateful for his friend's good fortune, and was considering how to use the rest of his day when the queen turned to consider him.

"You are invited as well, of course," she explained.

"But I'm not magic proficient," Chad said. "Or- not like Carlos, I mean."

"Iago trusts you," she said simply. "As does Jay. That is enough for me. Besides, I think you've more than shown the benefit of good company."

As if on cue, Iago, who had been curled around the queen's neck, released an appreciative hiss.

So sometimes Chad would spend his afternoons watching Carlos research while he worked on his embroidery or drawing, and sometimes he would walk the shady areas of the palace in the company of Queen Scheherazade, who much like Queen Maleficent, seemed to enjoy hearing an outsiders' opinion of her kingdom. As afraid as Chad was of making Auradon look bad, having Iago vouch for him seemed to work wonders for the queen's disposition, and as such, he was granted additional boons – like the location of a good secondhand bookshop in which he could buy stuff for Ben, or suggestions of good market stalls in which he could procure one-of-a-kind embroidery thread.

"I would gift you some myself simply for the pleasure of providing something for someone who would appreciate it so much," she said on one of their walks. "But I would hate to put you in an uncomfortable position as our union of kingdoms are still assessing each other, so allow me to provide you with an escort instead."

"I'd be deeply honored, your majesty," Chad replied with a flush, and if that escort involved a couple of low-profile guards and Iago, Chad found it to be an actual comfort, knowing that if he got lost, they would gladly guide him back to the palace.

Of course, with their midday afternoon activities cut short, Jay and Mal then decided to seek Chad and Carlos out after their obligations had been fulfilled.

"I'm surprised you're not stuck doing any of those things," Chad mentioned to Carlos one day. "Shouldn't you be- I don't know, networking like Jay and Mal?"

Granted, they didn't seem to want to network, but they did it just the same.

Carlos shrugged. "I could say the same thing about you," he murmured. "Why don't you go to any of those events?"

"Strict rules from my father," Chad said, his cheeks heating in a flush. "Not that he thinks I'm incapable of networking or anything, just… he's very protective of me." Chad offered his own shrug. "And it's best not to confuse the Enchancian heirs with excess people they can't marry anyway."

It was different for Mal, Jay, and Carlos – because the young royals of Enchancia knew they were just tagalongs. Chad, on the other hand, was just one face in a crowd of many, and while he was pretty sure none of them would seek him out romantically, the best way to avoid a political catastrophe was to not allow for the seeds of such to take root in the first place.

Hence his avoidance.

"Right," Carlos said, his tone somewhat unreadable.

"'Right' what?" Jay asked as he strolled into the private library. "What are we talking about?"

"Are you hungry?" Carlos asked as a great distraction technique, the young De Ville obviously not comfortable with the matter of politics like Chad was, and of course it was an instant success, because Jay was always hungry.

It was what led to late afternoon snacks combined with late afternoon naps, though the second was achieved entirely on accident when the four of them had been waiting for Carlos to finish a chapter of his book before leaving the library, all of them cuddled together on the couch – and their full stomachs combined with the gentle lull of Tangun heat-

They'd woken to an amused Queen Scheherazade's face, and after that, Jay had ensured that naptime happened in the privacy of his room.

"It's your bed," Carlos would say, flushing horribly red at the mere prospect of it. "I can't- that wouldn't be proper."

"We could take the couch if you want," Chad offered. "But he's just going to squish in there with us, so you may as well take the bed."

"And no one will know about this?" Carlos countered, aiming a worried look at Jay.

"No one aside from my mom," Jay said somewhat mysteriously, since Chad didn't actually know who Jay's parents were yet. "Look, I promise your reputation will be safe with me."

"And if it's not," Mal began. "It will be safe with me."

Jay rolled his eyes, but that transitioned into a smile when Carlos finally climbed onto the bed, the Tangun going so far as to offer Mal a high five that she gleefully reciprocated before they moved onto their nap.

For whatever reason, they always kept Chad and Carlos in the middle, Jay and Mal flanking the outside, as though defending them from harm.

"Seriously, guys," Chad said, flushing because somehow he'd progressed to Jay wrapping himself around Chad's back the way Ben did sometimes. "We don't mind being on the outside."

"Yes, but you're so much prettier on the inside," Mal hummed, echoing the same behavior with Carlos, the young De Ville flushing dark but otherwise seeming to revel in the contact.

"Flatterer," Chad muttered, but inside he was pleased with his new friends, with the easy comfort and support they took in each other. He had a feeling that maybe he was making a lasting difference in Enchancia, and that in itself was a gift enough for him.

-:-:-

Evenings were spent with Ben, who seemed to gladly latch onto the reprieve from being the perfect politician to just be himself, stripping his high quality Tangun wear down to the basics and flopping wearily onto whatever happened to be closest to Chad.

"Want to take a nap before dinner?" Chad asked the day Ben sprawled across the couch he was on, the brunette having no issues settling his head in Chad's lap, letting out a happy sigh when Chad started scratching at his scalp.

"Yes, please," Ben murmured, his eyes already drawing shut. "I wish I had more time to spend with you."

"Hey, I get it," Chad said, pulling a blanket off the top of the couch and draping it over Ben's form. "You're doing a lot of very important networking."

"It's exhausting," Ben muttered. "A lot of them don't want to take me seriously because I'm so young – and on one hand I understand that because they indulge their own heirs so much – insist on allowing them the opportunity to grow and be young because they are only allowed a finite time to do so – but it makes it hard to get the paperwork I need. I think I'm getting through to them, and slowly but surely I'm making ground on getting in-depth explanations for how their magic regulatory system works here, it's just-" He let out an unhappy groan against Chad's thigh.

"You're doing great work," Chad said, his chest twinging with a muted sort of unhappiness that he couldn't do more for his friend. "Your parents will be proud of everything you've accomplished. And when we get back, I'm gonna make sure you get an actual vacation – because you've been going nonstop for weeks now and you need a break."

"A break would be nice," Ben allowed, looking up at Chad with a fond smile. "You don't know how much I want to take a day off and relax with you, but I've worked so hard to get them to consider me an actual authority for Auradon – not just in appearance or title like their heirs – but as a functioning part of our government, and I'm afraid if I don't match them hour-for-hour, I'll lose that groundwork."

"Ben, even the Enchancian nobility take breaks," Chad chided. "Queen Scheherazade does story time every day, remember? And the others – aside from Queen Maleficent and King Triton – all of them have someone they can trade off with when attending to their duties. You're here by yourself, and they would understand if you needed a day to recharge."

"What if they start seeing me like their own kids, though?" Ben asked. "Start trying to look after instead of seeing me as an equal to be respected?"

"You're too good at this for them not to see you as a force to be reckoned with," Chad said. "You're the best person I know, and more than that, you work hard to be a good prince for Auradon. You couldn't hide that if you tried, and I think by this point the Enchancian royals can see that."

There was a pause, and then Ben sighed. "Queen Scheherazade has been suggesting I take some time off," he murmured. "She also mentioned something about new books?"

"Those were supposed to be a surprise," Chad laughed, running a hand through Ben's hair. "But yes, I have presents for you. We could picnic in the indoor garden and read them, or spend the day lazing in here. We have options. Just- let the rest of the Auradon Contingent do the boring stuff for once."

Ben huffed out a small laugh. "I'll check my schedule," he decided, like they weren't down to having one day left in Tangu.

"If not here, then Hanover," Chad said, trying to keep his voice firm. "I mean it."

"I know," Ben said, looking entirely fond. "And I appreciate it, Chad. I really do."

"Good," Chad said, feeling his cheeks heat up with a familiar warmth of a job well done. "Now go to sleep, we'll pick your day off after dinner."

"O…kay," Ben murmured, and he must have been more exhausted than he let on because he fell asleep almost immediately after, his head safely pillowed in Chad's lap.

Not that Chad minded by any means, it made him feel good to be able to offer Ben this kind of comfort, so he abandoned his embroidery and settled for reading one of the books Carlos had recommended one-handed, keeping the other firmly planted in Ben's hair, who seemed to unconsciously lean into the contact. Overall, it wasn't a bad way to spend the free time up until dinner, and Chad got the added bonus of additional company.

Granted, he didn't recognize that company until it was all but upon him, Iago slithering his way across the carpet with a mischievous hiss, and Chad set down his book so he could offer the cobra a hand, allowing him to take his usual position around Chad's neck.

"Hey, Iago," Chad murmured, keeping his voice low so as not to disturb Ben. "Got bored waiting for Jay?"

The snake let out a sound almost akin to a sniff, sticking his nose up as though to communicate that his life didn't revolve around Jay – contrary to the other teen's belief. It had Chad swallowing laughter, and he knew when they packed up and left Tangu in two days that he would greatly miss his new snake companion.

"My bad, sorry," he murmured, grinning when Iago nuzzled his cheek to accept his apology. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

The question immediately had Iago preening in a familiar sort of way, and it wasn't hard to see that he might have gotten his pride from Jay. Instead of hissing, Iago stretched up to press the top of his head against Chad's brow.

'Wanted to see your nest,' the snake explained. 'See the source of your other scent.'

"Oh?" Chad prompted, blinking in surprise. "Did you find it?"

'The tall one,' Iago said, and it took Chad a moment to realize he was referring to Ben. 'His scent envelopes you. Has he claimed you?'

Chad felt his cheeks flush with embarrassment despite knowing that the behavior of animals didn't always translate well to that of humans.

"As a friend, yes," Chad allowed, knowing Iago could only read his unease if he projected it.

Iago seemed to consider this. 'That is a strong scent for a friend,' he decided, likely understanding the sort of prolonged contact it would take to make Ben's smell linger on him. 'Do you allow such things for all your friends?'

"Just my close ones," Chad decided, and seeing as Ben was his closest, he thought it made sense.

'Is Jay a close friend?' Iago pressed, making Chad chuckle.

"Yes," Chad decided, reaching up to pet the top of Iago's head. "You already know we cuddle, Iago. I am fortunate to have a friend in Jay."

'And he you, I think," Iago allowed, making a part of Chad's chest well with warmth.

"Thank you," Chad murmured, giving him a few more scratches. "That means a lot, coming from you."

'This is how I know you are good,' Iago declared not unlike Mal might have, and that was enough to leave Chad smiling, happy he could pass the time in the company of not just one, but two of his friends.

Of course, Iago ended up leaving before Ben awoke, his eyes seeming to sparkle with an inherent sort of mischief, but Chad didn't press him. One way or another, he'd learn of Iago's plans, but until then, it would be best to let him have his fun.

-:-:-

Chad probably should have reconsidered his stance on Iago and his schemes because things came to a bit of a head the next afternoon.

Their final day in Tangu was to be commemorated by a grand celebration that evening, which was what left Queen Scheherazade the patience to allow Jay and Mal more time with them than usual. Granted, there was still an afternoon mixer both were slated to attend, but it would be brief due to the celebration that evening. As such, Chad and Carlos simply waited for them in Jay's suite – Carlos making a list of notes for reference materials he would need to procure to finish his work and Chad coloring some flowers into a thin, wooden bookmark.

Overall, it was a peaceful and expected co-existence, with the one marked note of Iago's absence.

Maybe it wasn't an entire surprise – Iago was right, he did have a life outside of Jay and his friends – it just seemed kind of weird to hang out in Jay's suite without the snake keeping an eye on things. Chad decided to take it as a show of trust and allowed himself to be buoyed by the feeling of pride and happiness that instigated, something that only widened when Iago slithered back into the suite dragging a small bag with his mouth.

He brought the bag directly to Chad, rearing back and letting out a pleased hiss that indicated… gifts?

Chad opened the bag and found a small collection of modaks inside – sort of a sweet dumpling filled with coconut and jaggery that he and Carlos liked.

"For us?" Chad asked, another swell of fondness coursing through him as he thought of the effort Iago must have gone through to get these.

Iago pressed his head against Chad's. 'You have been good to Jay,' he offered simply. 'I would like to repay with equal, if not greater goodness.'

"That isn't necessary," Chad assured him. "But we appreciate the gift nonetheless."

"What gift?" Carlos asked, blinking out of his magic zone in time to see Iago slither away again, the snake likely off to keep tabs on Jay.

"Iago brought snacks," Chad said, holding up the bag for Carlos' perusal and immediately earning a wide smile.

"Ah, sweet – modaks," Carlos cheered, abandoning his work to select one of the dumplings, pausing long enough to toast with Chad before they each took an appreciative bite of their snack. "I'm going to miss these things when we go."

"He mentioned something about leaving extras in our suites," Chad offered, dwelling on the last thought Iago had left before parting with him. "Thoughtful little guy."

"Kind of weird, though," Carlos murmured. "He doesn't really seem the warm and fuzzy type. Not that I'm um- profiling or anything."

"No, I get what you mean," Chad said. "I guess maybe he was feeling sentimental since we were leaving."

"Maybe," Carlos said, finishing up one modak and eagerly grabbing up another. "Or maybe he wants to rub it in Jay's face that he got us sweets and not him."

"That sounds like Iago," Chad said, and the two of them laughed over the idea of it for a few moments before the continued to work on their snacks.

"This is all sort of unreal," Carlos said, looking over to the table he had his notes splayed across, to the almost empty bag of modaks. "I spent most of my time in the Moors with Evie or hiding in my room. Just- I dunno, I thought the rest of the trip would sort of be like that," Carlos said. "And now we're…"

"Waiting for our friends?" Chad offered. "Getting new friends? I'll be honest, I didn't expect that either, I don't have that many friends back home."

"You don't?" Carlos asked, seeming confused. "Why? You're perfectly nice."

"Thanks," Chad said, feeling his cheeks heat with warmth. "I guess-"

He cut off with a blink, because one small tinge of heat seemed to multiply into a hundred, permeating through the entirety of his body despite the cool air that was magically circulated through Jay's suite.

It was almost staggering, how he went from fine to hot in less than a moment, sweat building on his brow and body shivering as a relentless sort of heat worked its way down his body, settling right between his legs.

"Oh, s-shit," Carlos gasped, and when Chad looked over at the other teen, it was to see that he was similarly affected, the bridge of his nose claimed in a dark flush and lips parted as he took in desperate gasps of air.

"W-What-?" Chad cut off with a cry when his legs seemed to collapse under him, leaving him falling to the ground less than gracefully, and Carlos followed not long after, letting out a pitiful moan. "What is- what's-?"

"Aphrodisiac," Carlos gasped, gaze going wide as his hips seemed to reflexively rut up into the air, drawing Chad's focus to the growing bulge centered between his legs. "There was um- aphrodisiacs in the uh- modaks."

What?

"W-Why?" Chad asked, but it wasn't like he could deny it because he was terribly aroused too, his length straining tellingly against the breezy Tangun clothes.

He braced his hands on the floor behind him and couldn't help but shiver when he felt a certain wetness build up on the tip of his length, something that seemed to spill out of him in eager streams that just- wouldn't stop once they'd gotten started, sending spikes of arousal through him with each drip.

"I don't um- know," Carlos groaned, bracing a hand against his chest, trying to draw a leg up to hide his predicament. "You have to ask Iago, I- fuck!" He trailed off with a broken sound, legs flexing wide and hips jerking up as he let out a pitiful moan. "Shit, I just- I didn't even do anything, and I just-"

"It's um- okay," Chad gasped, because Carlos had just come, and granted, he had eaten more of the modaks than Chad, but the blond was still coming to terms with the fact that Jay's snake had poisoned them.

"It's not okay," Carlos hissed, flush darkening when he seemed to get worked up all over again. "I'm terribly aroused in Jay's suite because his dumb snake wanted to humiliate us- p-probably for daring to be Jay's friend."

"I'm sure that's not it," Chad said, trying to swallow his unease. "I'm sure it's just- it's a snake thing, he wanted to give us something nice-"

"This isn't nice, it's a horrible lapse of social etiquette," Carlos moaned, palming himself once and seeming to collapse on the carpet altogether as his hips continued to rut eagerly into his hand. "Fuck. Fuck."

"We just um- need to get to the bathroom," Chad said, feeling desperate. He knew how this sort of thing looked. If Queen Scheherazade came to check up on them – if any attendants came – this would be impossible to explain, and both Hanover and Sardinia – Auradon – would look terrible for it, like their contingents hosted perverts who took advantage of their host's hospitality.

"I can't," Carlos groaned, turning onto his side as he continued shifting his hips clumsily into his hand. "I can't stop- I can't-"

"C-Carlos," Chad murmured, trying to get his feet under him and flushing when he realized how soaked his boxer briefs had become. "It's okay, you just need to focus-"

"Hello, party people!" Jay called when he and Mal teleported into the suite, making Chad's heart sink like stone. "It's our last day, so I was thinking-" He cut off abruptly when he realized what was going on, both he and Mal staring at Carlos with dark flushes.

"Your snake poisoned us," Chad offered, Carlos letting out a humiliated whimper before he squeezed his eyes shut. "I don't know why, though-"

"Fuck!" Carlos cursed, and Chad didn't need to look at him to know he'd fallen apart yet again. "It's so hot, I'm so hot."

"Yeah, you are," Mal said somewhat distractedly, her dazed expression focused on the hand Carlos kept between his legs.

"Now's um- not the time, Mal," Chad said, pulling his legs up to hide his own state. "Jay do you- do you know how to undo this?"

"Unfortunately, no," Jay said, seeming to make an effort to keep his gaze pinned to Chad's face. "Snake familiars have their own secrets that they use at will."

"So he is your familiar," Mal said, seeming to savor this victory before she stared at Carlos again, who let out a pitiful whine.

"You kind of just have to ride the course of this," Jay offered apologetically. "Could we help? Friend help, I mean?"

"Friend help," Carlos gasped, moaning as he continued to rut into his hand. "Just call your mom and be done with it, you don't have to draw our humiliation out."

"Hey, no," Jay said, and then he was moving close, wrapping an arm around Carlos' shoulders and dragging him back into the sitting position. "That wasn't- I promise, whatever Iago was trying to do, he wanted to be nice. He likes you guys, so he… I dunno, he knows humans enjoy carnal relations, he probably just got the dosage way wrong, but this isn't your fault and we sure as shit aren't going to tell anyone about it."

"Mostly because he would get in trouble," Mal said, taking Jay's cue and moving to curl around Chad. "Since his snake poisoned you."

"Let's just all agree this will remain super-secret and move on from there," Jay said, his cheeks heated in a flush.

"Move on to what?" Carlos rasped. "You gonna help us jerk off or something?"

"Would that help?" Jay asked, and when Carlos released a deeply needy sound, the Tangun teen didn't hesitate to pull Carlos into his lap.

"Jay," Carlos croaked when the other teen deftly undid his pants, shoving them down to reveal a slick-smeared length that was flushed and very wet, perhaps a bit on the smaller side but definitely responsive when Jay wrapped a hand around him, giving Carlos a definite pump that had him falling apart all over again. "Jay. Jay."

"You should strip him down," Mal offered as her own hand toyed with Chad's waist. "Keep him from making too much of a mess."

"Good idea," Jay said, and then he was scooping Carlos up, carrying him over to the bedroom so he could help him properly remove his clothes.

"Mal," Chad moaned, shaking in her hold. "It's um- it isn't proper, I could- we could get in trouble."

"No one's going to know about it, blondie," she soothed, running a hand through his curls. "Relax, you don't have to touch me at all – I'll just take care of you. Are you okay with that?"

Chad nodded, even if he probably shouldn't and whimpered as she finally palmed between his legs, the groin of his outfit entirely soaked through. "P-Please."

"I've got you," she soothed, and she jerked him off like that once to take the edge off before she got him on his feet, urging over to the next room and onto the bed until she could spread him out next to Carlos, who was um- very pretty without his clothes, all flushed and writhing and his groin and chest a mess of his releases.

"Jay," Carlos crooned as the Tangun jerked him off, Jay leaning low to suck a mark against his shoulder. "Jay, if feels so- why can't I stop?"

"Magic," Jay murmured, nuzzling his shoulder. "It'll wear off soon, I promise, but your stamina has been magically increased so-"

"Jay!" Carlos croaked, falling apart in Jay's hand all over again.

"M-Mal," Chad gasped when she pulled his pants and underwear down, leaving him bare in the company of others, in the company of a girl, for the very first time, and they just- both of them kept staring and he was so hard and wet. "I um-"

"You're so pretty," she murmured, nuzzling his hip as she continued to jerk him off once more, doting his skin with kisses while he continued to leak steadily in her hand. "Thank you for trusting me with this."

"I'm um- I'm sorry," Chad gasped, legs flexing wide at a particularly hard pulse. "I should have- I don't know-"

"You don't have to apologize," Mal urged, her eyes flaring green in annoyance. "You didn't do anything wrong, and I'm honored to help you."

"I feel the same, Carlos," Jay whispered against Carlos' pale skin. "I'm happy to do this for as long as you need."

"Jay!" Carlos croaked, his hands seeming to latch onto the other teen's shoulders for stability, his legs wrapping around Jay's waist and eagerly rutting up into him, as um- Jay hadn't remained totally unaffected by their accidental poisoning.

"Light, Carlos," Jay moaned, but he seemed to take it in stride, letting Carlos rut against him until they were both moaning.

"Yeah," Mal murmured as she continued to tease Chad. "That's a real pretty picture."

"M-Mal," Chad gasped, feeling overwhelmed. "I'm making a mess."

"I can fix that," Mal hummed, crawling up to splay out beside him. She held one hand over his groin, letting it sort of hover around him before a tube of light seemed to encapsulate his length, and then she was jerking her hand-

"Mal!" Chad thrashed against the sudden pressure, his length being squeezed and stimulated in an entirely new way. "I- what?"

"It stimulates the feeling of copulating with a girl," Mal panted, her cheeks dusting in a dark flush and lips parting in quiet gasps.

For whatever reason, this seemed to get her worked up too, though she never stopped moving her hand, working Chad's length in and out of the tube of light until he was croaking terribly.

"Shit," Mal hissed when he finally found his release, his slick seeming trapped in the tube, but she kept her hand moving until he was hard again, not stopping until Chad was writhing helplessly all over again.

"Hey," Jay panted after he seemed to find his own release, Carlos whimpering underneath him, his small length quivering against his stomach. "Wanna trade?"

"Sure," Mal panted. "Blondie? Carlos?"

"Um- yeah," Chad managed, Carlos mustering a whimpered sure from his side of the bed, and that was all the warning Chad got before they switched partners, the magic tube pulled off of him and easily slid onto Carlos, who took it with a muted wail.

"I'm gonna suck you off if that's okay," Jay said as he kissed his way down Chad's chest. "Is that alright?"

Chad felt himself somehow flush darker. "I've never- I haven't done that before."

He hadn't done anything like this before because he'd never had the self-esteem, because his tutors thought it would make him impure.

Jay merely offered him a smile like this was the greatest gift he could ever hope for. "In that case, I would be honored to be your first."

"Jay," Chad whimpered, but he still guided the other teen's head down, still shook when Jay worked him into his mouth- swallowed him-

Chad came with a shout, unable to offer any kind of warning, but Jay drank him down like it was nothing, entirely unaffected and eager for more, enough so that he didn't stop when Chad got worked up all over again.

"Mal," Carlos whimpered beside them, legs wide as he rutted up into the tube. "W-What-?"

"A butt, Carlos," Mal panted, seeming to shudder against his shoulder. "It's like you're fucking a butt right now."

"But I- I'm not supposed to-"

"Do you want to?" Mal asked. "Because otherwise, why would it matter?"

Carlos' only reply was an inarticulate moan before he fell apart once more.

It took a while for the two of them to guide Chad and Carlos through their poisoning, and yet it all seemed to pass in no time, until Chad was panting, exhausted and dazed as he stared up at Jay's ceiling, terribly aware of the way his pants and underwear were pulled down his legs.

He was slightly better off than Carlos who was entirely bare, whining when Mal continued to tease his soft, flushed length between her fingers.

"Okay," Jay gasped, trying to catch his breath. "I think all of us are going to need a cleanup spell or five after that."

"Note to self," Mal muttered. "Never eat anything from you snake."

"Fuck," Carlos whimpered. "Shit, I'm such a whore."

"Not a whore," Mal growled, and then she was pulling Carlos into a heated kiss that he whimpered into. "I'll burn anyone who says so," she pledged when she pulled back.

"Seriously, guys, this is all my fault," Jay grumbled. "Iago only did this because of me, because I-"

"I hate to interrupt your fun," Queen Scheherazade's voice echoed from the sitting room. "But if you don't prepare for the celebration soon-"

Immediately, Jay was off of the bed, speaking in a rapid string of Tangun before he closed the door behind him, and Chad didn't know if the queen had managed to look through the open doorway or not, but if she had-

"Don't freak out," Mal whispered, eyes flaring green as she waved her fingers in a complicated flutter, a light swirl of magic following afterwards that ended with the lot of them properly clothed and cleaned up, Chad blinking at their predicament for all of a second before the bedroom door pushed open, Queen Scheherazade leaning in to check on them.

"We lost track of time," Chad said, hoping Mal's magic had gotten rid of the scent of sex in the air, the blond feeling hopelessly embarrassed and dumb.

"I'm not surprised," the queen hummed, an unreadable look in her eyes that wasn't quite countered by the fond smile on her lips. "It's easy to lose track with friends, however, I think it's time for the rest of you to get ready for the ball."

"Right," Mal said, her tone hard. Still, she didn't fight the queen's request, helping an awkward Carlos off the bed until they could circle up and get teleported back to the guest quarters.

All of them tried to pretend not to notice that Jay had been left behind despite having been close enough to them to be pulled through, and the queen cleared her throat before they could begin to walk away.

"Perhaps…" she began, her voice gentle. "Perhaps you three should consider sharing your friendship amongst the others in the contingent. Take some space from each other. You have been so generous with your enthusiasm – I'm sure others could benefit from it as well."

"Sure," Mal said, seeming angry by the suggestion, and there was no missing the way Carlos hung his head, a humiliated flush on his cheeks.

Chad tried to keep positive, even though he was pretty sure the damage was already done. "Thank you, Queen Scheherazade. We always appreciate your counsel."

"And it is my pleasure to give it," the queen said, her grin a little sad, but Chad could read between the lines.

She might not know everything that happened, but she knew enough, and this here- that was a warning. A reminder to them what was at stake.

So Chad wasn't offended by the way Mal stormed off towards the girls' guest rooms, or how Carlos refused to meet his eyes when he went the opposite direction. Part of Chad knew his adventures here were going too well, and…

Well, there was always a cost.

Hopefully, this one wouldn't hurt Auradon too much.

-:-:-

"Are you sure you don't want to go to the ball?" Ben asked while he finished getting ready that night, the other prince looking smart in his blue and yellow Tangun formal wear. "Everyone from the envoy is invited. I have to do a bit of mingling, but if you stick with me, no one will mistake you for one of the candidates."

"I appreciate the thought," Chad said, feeling terribly uneasy. "But I think I'll call it an early night. Rest up for the trip to Hanover tomorrow."

"That's fair," Ben said, gentle and supportive as always. "Just know that your presence is welcome."

"Thank you," Chad said, shifting into a smile so that he wouldn't flinch, knowing that his absence would be gladly noted by some of the attendees.

At least she'd decided to keep things quiet. At least she hadn't brought anything up to Lumiere or the other chaperones. Hadn't forced a meeting. Instead, Queen Scheherazade had warned them, and Chad was smart enough to take that warning to heart.

He supposed, in that respect, that Tangu had one last gift to offer him.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

The queen's words were supposed to be a light chastisement but they're teenagers in a political high stakes game so they took it as the end of the world instead. Classic Paisley.

Story notes:

It appeals to me on a base level that Queen Scheherazade respects Iago's judgement before Jay's, lol

Mal over there with every priority in the world, yeah you are.

Until next time