Chapter 9 – Beastly Urges

WARNING – Dubious consent in the first scene. You know why.

-:-:-

That time, Ben seemed to have sensed his entrance, or had maybe heard Chad's call to Lumiere because he was looking towards the door with a half-lidded expression of hunger, seeming to be a little bit out of it.

Well, at least he'd shut the water off. They could be allowed the one comfort of not being wasteful, though that was mild in comparison to the other calamities that waited for them.

"Ben?" Chad tried. "Are you okay? I'm sorry, I forgot about the modaks. Jay's snake enchanted them and I forgot he left them in my bag-"

Chad cut off with a squawk when Ben lunged for him, and between one second and the next he found himself settled on the bathroom counter, Ben's hands running up his legs while he buried his nose in the crook of Chad's neck, inhaling deep.

"Ben?" Chad tried again, but the other teen only let out a deep rumble, something that seemed to echo through his chest, the vibrations making Chad shiver.

The response seemed to make Ben still, and then he did it again, until Chad was shuddering in his grip.

"Um-" Chad gasped, mildly confused by the strings of warmth building in his body. "Ben-"

A hand braced against his jaw, and then Chad found himself being pulled into a heated kiss, something that made him startle horribly because he'd never- this was his first-

And Ben made the most of it, seeming to kiss Chad with every fiber of his being, eagerly moving against his lips and sliding his tongue into Chad's mouth when the blond gasped in surprise, leaving Chad to clutch onto him desperately, trying to hold on for the ride.

"Ben," Chad moaned when he finally pulled away, the other prince ripping the collar of his shirt open so he could start sucking marks on the curve of Chad's shoulder. "Ben- I-"

"Mine," Ben growled, more beastly than human, one hand pointedly palming between Chad's legs until he let out a desperate croon. "Good?"

"Y-Yeah," Chad said, realizing that Ben must be really out of it right now, and Chad didn't know if he was taking advantage of him or if he wasn't or what he could do to slow down to make sure, because Ben was so determined than he was and making a thorough effort to strip Chad out of his clothes. "Ben."

"Mine," Ben simply repeated, running a hand over the chest he exposed by yanking Chad's sweater and button up off, pawing at his torso in clumsy movements before he pulled back and started easing off Chad's shoes, tossing them carelessly to the side before he lunged for Chad's belt. "Chad."

"Yeah, I- yeah," Chad said, deciding to go with the flow, lifting his hips bashfully as Ben worked his pants and underwear off. These were the kinds of things his grandfather would have been furious over, that he'd warned Chad against under pain of brutal punishment, but Dr. Sweet already told him it was okay to have these kinds of urges, even if the prospect of ever doing them with Ben had been so thoroughly engrained in him as cataclysmic and terrible that he was almost at a loss.

And now here he was, naked and vulnerable while Ben stared him over like he was some kind of feast – which was obviously the work of the aphrodisiacs but that picture stayed the same and Chad didn't think he'd be able to forget it anytime soon, especially not when Ben reached forward and curled his hands around Chad's hips, dragging him towards the edge of the counter and angling him so their lengths could rut together.

Granted, Chad was only half erect now, but when pressed against Ben's um- sizeable interest, he knew he probably wouldn't last long, especially when Ben released a low growl before he deftly undid his clothes, shoving them out of the way to get the feel of flesh on flesh-

That was- that was Ben's dick against his. Ben was rutting his dick against Chad's and handling the blond like he weighed nothing, moving him exactly where he wanted while Chad moaned in his hold, one hand tentatively braced on Ben's shoulder while the other pressed against the counter in a desperate bid for stability. He needed it at the rate Ben was going, the other prince letting out a constant string of growls and rumbled as he eagerly ground them together. He coaxed Chad's legs around his waist and Chad could only flush at the position, remembering how Carlos and Jay had looked back in Tangu, how they'd fit together and this- it seemed like that, it seemed like Chad fit which was a stupid thought because this wasn't even something Ben would normally want on his own.

"Ben," Chad whimpered when the brunette's hand cupped his rear, touching his- and Ben seemed so hungry, sucking on Chad's collar and eagerly setting up a rhythm that left Chad pulsing hard in his wake. "I-"

"More," Ben purred, and then he was hooking an arm under Chad's thighs, pressing him close and carrying the blond effortlessly back into the main room, sending a small thread of panic through Chad. He worried that they could be heard through the door, worried that someone might come looking, worried about what Ben would do to him on the bed so much that he didn't realize the brunette had stopped before that destination was reached, didn't realize the brunette had alternate plans until Ben was bending over, his hand fumbling for something, searching-

The modaks, Chad realized with a whine. The brunette grabbed one up effortlessly and bit into it, and Chad tried to warn him off, to stop him, but Ben merely pressed the remaining half into Chad open's mouth, nuzzling his shoulder when Chad just sort of froze.

"Eat," Ben ordered, one hand reaching between them to toy with Chad's length. "Please."

"B-Ben," Chad murmured around a mouthful of dessert. "I um- I don't think-"

"Eat, please," Ben murmured, kissing the sensitive curve of Chad's neck. "N-Need you to last like me."

He needed- right, his stamina was- it'd been increased by the-

It was enough to make Chad comply with a flush, swallowing the modak and hoping that it wouldn't lead to his undoing. The action earned him a smile, Ben still seeming a little out of it, and then Chad was being fed another modak, and then another.

"Ben," Chad whimpered when he got past the number he'd eaten last time, closer to Carlos territory. "I um- I feel-"

"Wet," Ben purred, giving his length a firm pump that left Chad falling apart between them, the blond viciously biting down on his lip to keep from loosing a wail.

Ben growled, staring at that abused lip with an eerie sort of focus before he sucked it into his mouth, running his tongue along the spots Chad's teeth may have breached the skin before turning pointedly towards the bed.

"S-Shower," Chad managed when they pulled apart. "Shower, Ben. Please."

Ben considered him for a moment, clearly not entirely onboard with the request, but then he redirected himself towards the bathroom, carrying Chad while the blond filled with more and more heat, until he was hard again from Ben's close proximity alone.

Now he understood why Carlos had seemed so weak, why he'd been so desperate to chase after his own pleasure. Chad wanted to touch himself and he'd done barely anything, moaning when Ben set him down on the stone bench built into their shower. The prince stripped out of his own clothes with a few frustrated growls, and while Chad knew he should be distracted by it, part of him couldn't help but tease a hand between his leg, whimpering at the contact-

"Ah," Chad panted, giving himself a tentative pump before he even realized it, and then it was like his hand was working on its own, desperate to chase after his pleasure. "Ah- ah."

A growl, and when Chad managed the effort to pull his eyes open, it was to see Ben staring at him with a feral look, gaze half-lidded and body free from his clothes, until Chad could see a full plane of muscles he'd only gotten a peek of during Tourney, could get a proper look at Ben's length and it was- um- it was very large, full and dark and wavering against his stomach, and Chad would focus on that but Ben's gaze was on Chad's hand like it had personally offended him.

It wasn't a surprise when Ben shoved into the shower, shutting the door behind him with a shocking amount of care before he grabbed Chad's wrists and pinned them up above his head.

"Ben," Chad moaned, spreading his legs eagerly, tilting his hips up in a hopeful rut. "P-Please."

"Mine," Ben growled, the words making Chad twitch and leak helplessly.

"I um-" Chad panted. "I need-"

Ben leaned down, breathing in the curve of Chad's neck again before he started kissing lower, focusing on Chad's pectorals for a moment before he started licking at his nipples.

Which- that was- Chad didn't know that was a thing he needed until it was done, and then he found his back arching, his body flooded with a wealth of sensations that went straight to his groin.

"Ben," he hissed, forcing his voice to stay low while the other teen licked and sucked, swirling his tongue around each nub and then he was applying teeth-

Chad came explosively, almost embarrassed by how little it took to set him off despite the fact that he knew Carlos had been similarly affected, and that there wasn't any shame in it. He crooned, hands shaking in Ben's grip while the brunette continued to tease him, seeming delighted by Chad's response until he was purring and licking all over again, the blond worked up in his grasp and threatening to fall apart once more.

"Ben?" Chad panted. "Could um- could you-"

"One more," Ben rumbled, and he seemed to chase after that, determined to make Chad fall to pieces just like that, until Chad was blindsided with his release, back arching and length pulsing until Ben was silencing his whimpers with deep kisses.

"Ben," Chad whined, hands flexing until the brunette released him, happily settling Chad's hands on his shoulders. "Can- please?"

"Yes," Ben purred, and even though Chad hadn't known what he was asking for Ben did, because the brunette continued his descent down Chad's chest, kissing and licking until his mouth could finally settle around the head of Chad's length.

That was Ben's mouth, on him. Ben's mouth where Jay's had been. Ben who was so eager and desperate and kept sucking and licking like he wanted to absorb every taste Chad had to offer, Ben who kept trying to work more and more of Chad into his mouth, continuously releasing these deep purrs that kept getting Chad worked up.

"I- Ben," Chad moaned, trying not to stare at the sight of Ben's mouth stretched around him, like that would fix things, trying not to watch the way the brunette worked a hand between his own legs, falling apart just from pleasuring Chad alone. "Ben. Ben."

Chad was pretty sure he came twice like that, was sure Ben did too, the other prince entirely undeterred by Chad's quick releases until he pulled off him with a wet pop.

"Um," Chad said, shifting uneasily when Ben stopped to just stare at him. "W-What else do you want to-"

He cut off with a squawk when Ben pulled him off the bench, flipping Chad so that he faced the wall. He urged the blond forward until his torso was splayed across the bench, leaving him hunched in a vulnerable position that would have embarrassed him more were it not for the feel of Ben's hands settling on his cheeks, parting them with an effortless movement to get a look at his butt for some reason. Chad wasn't sure what this was supposed to accomplish, what Ben wanted to do, but he cursed the aphrodisiac that made Ben's warm breath on that sensitive skin all the more responsive, making it seem exciting rather than worrisome.

And then he felt Ben move forward, and for a second Chad was afraid he was going to- what, kiss that spot? Aw man, had the sex spell made Ben a weirdo? That would be Chad's fault, Chad would have done that, would have broken the heir to Auradon-

His train of thought abrupt cut off when he felt Ben lick him, and not just anywhere but his um- entrance, which was probably gross, only Ben kept licking and nudging and Chad, cursed his drugged up body, could only perceive it as feeling good.

"Ben," Chad moaned, feeling himself twitch hard against his stomach. "I- you can't-"

And then Ben was thrusting his tongue into Chad, which was- he knew what butt stuff was because his grandfather had to explain what he was to avoid, he just never though he'd ever do it and certainly that he'd never do it with Ben and now the brunette seemed almost desperate to drive Chad crazy until he was writhing against the bench, letting out a heated cry.

"Ah," Chad gasped when he felt Ben's release spatter against the back of his thighs, because Ben thought- he liked it, and of course he liked it, he wouldn't be doing this if the drugs didn't make him think he liked it, and apparently Chad did too because it didn't take him long to fall apart from Ben's tongue alone.

"Good?" Ben rumbled when he pulled away, kissing at Chad's lower back while he continued to run a hand between his cheeks, playing with his spit-slick hole like that was a thing people did.

"Y-Yeah, Ben," Chad panted, realizing he may as well be honest. "That was-"

"More," Ben growled, and then Chad felt Ben's finger slide into him, long and unforgiving and definitely a finger, and instead of being horrified, Chad eagerly rocked back into the contact, searching for something he couldn't place, but his body- it knew what he was looking for so it kept going, throwing his head back with a keen when Ben slid another finger into him, using the two to scissor Chad wide. "Good?"

"M-More," Chad panted, feeling so terribly hard. "I need-"

Three fingers and Chad fell apart, some sort of spark going off inside him when Ben scraped against something that made Chad fall to pieces.

"Just like this," Ben purred, shifting Chad so that he was curled up sideways in his lap, letting his head rest against Ben's shoulder so the other prince could watch his responses while he worked Chad open with his fingers. "Good?"

"Ben," Chad panted, unable to find further words. "Ben."

Chad lost the thread of things, after that. He knew they clung together as the heat built and waned, always maintain some close form of contact. He knew Ben got him off a few more times like that, losing himself from taking care of Chad alone, and knew Ben wasn't satisfied until they were pressed together again, long planes of muscle rutted together until Ben boxed him against the wall, sucking bruises into the curve of Chad's neck until the tan skin was marred with hickeys.

Chad clung to Ben who was his guiding light, his beacon, and Ben took care of him, rumbling compliments and praise while Chad arched against him, desperate for Ben's guidance.

When the heat finally left them, they were pressed against each other, Ben pinning him to the side of the shower, his arms wrapped around Chad's waist while Chad's arms were wrapped around his shoulders, feeling sated and blissfully spent.

When Chad managed to courage to look up at Ben, it was to see a pointed coherency in the other prince's gaze that hadn't been there earlier, mixed with something unreadable, something wounded.

"I- I'm sorry," Chad gasped, realizing they were both liberally coated in each other's release. "I um- I- those weren't mine," he managed. "Jay's snake left them as a gift-"

"Jay's snake wanted to have sex with you?" Ben rasped, his voice sounding rough. "Wait, no um- back up. You don't have to apologize-"

"Yes, I do," Chad urged, his face flooding with a different sort of heat, this tinged with humiliation. "I should have checked my bag. You were probably just looking for something to eat fast between meetings and then I poisoned you."

"Jay's snake poisoned me," Ben countered. "And we will get back to that, but for now, I'm the one that made you eat those things, so I'm the one at fault here."

"You weren't in control," Chad offered shyly. "And I knew you'd need help. I was affected by that poison before."

"When?" Ben rumbled, tilting forward so he could press their foreheads together. "Where?"

"Unimportant," Chad said. "And it's more embarrassing than anything else, but- long story short, I knew how hard it is to think with that stuff-"

"Did someone hurt you?" Ben growled, seeming furious at the implication. "Did someone touch you when they shouldn't have?"

"No, it's nothing like that," Chad rushed to urge, feeling comforted by Ben's concern despite the fact that Chad had just led to him becoming a temporary sex weirdo. "Iago wanted to do something nice, he knew humans liked sex so he altered the modaks. I ate one, got worked up, and promptly did not eat anymore. It was just a human-animal miscommunication."

Chad would feel bad for the lie, but Ben's peace of mind was more important, and Chad was pretty sure if he didn't cut off his anger now Ben would storm the halls looking for Mal and Jay, damned if he was naked and covered in the remnants of their sexual misconduct.

"So long as you were not hurt," Ben allowed, watching Chad carefully. "I would not think less of you if you were, Chad. It wouldn't be your fault. You wouldn't be dirty."

"Ben," Chad said, flustered that the other prince could give him a pep talk in conditions like this, that he cared enough to try despite their ruined states. "I know. It was more embarrassing than anything else."

"Then I'm glad you're okay," Ben murmured, nuzzling Chad's shoulder. "And that Iago is back in Tangu."

"He was trying to be nice," Chad offered weakly. "But I should have kept better tabs on those things."

"An accident," Ben declared, hugging Chad close. "It was an accident, one you don't need to apologize for. It's not like it will happen again."

Man, Chad hoped not.

"Still," Ben continued. "I'm sorry how I- I forced myself upon you-"

"Ben," Chad interrupted, cutting off that train of thought right there. "You didn't force me. I wanted to help you. If anything, I took advantage of you."

"You sure as fucking hell did not," Ben growled, actually cursing, which made Chad startle.

"Then… then we're both good," Chad decided, trying to find a way to keep this from being horrifically weird. "Can we agree on that?"

"Fine." Ben buried his face in the curve of Chad's neck once more. "Did I hurt you?"

"No," Chad said, cheeks flushing once more. "It um- it was um- very nice."

A pause, and then Ben shivered. "It was nice for me too, despite the shock of it all."

"I called Lumiere and had him tell everyone you were sick," Chad offered in a bid to provide Ben some amount of comfort. "So um… I guess you get to play hooky a little early?"

Ben considered this. "I'll take it," he decided. "But first, I think we need to actually use the shower."

"You can go first."

"Chad," Ben said gently. "We've already seen all there is to see of each other. We can just share the shower."

"Oh," Chad said, the full weight of this hitting him a moment later, making his flush spill down his check, past his bruised collar and swollen nipples.

"Yeah," Ben said, backing up kind of awkwardly. "So um- let's get clean."

At a loss for what else to do, Chad followed Ben's lead, hoping their easy friendship would get to stay exactly as it was.

It seemed like Chad just couldn't catch a break.

-:-:-

The shower was awkward despite them having more than enough space to take care of their business – the Hanoven suites equipped with multiple showerheads so they weren't forced to fight for the water. Not that Chad would have done as much, the blond still feeling a bit shaky after their intimate encounter, hurting because Ben felt guilty when it wasn't his fault in the slightest. In the back of his mind he could hear Dr. Sweet's voice gently explaining that sometimes no one was at fault, that accidents happened, that in this situation Chad was just as blameless as Ben – it was just hard to process. Sure, they had a good time, but he'd essentially hijacked Ben's freewill, then willingly threw himself over the edge of the cliff of arousal in an effort to manage the situation. Chad wasn't even sure it had been the best choice, the most princely one, but that sort of thinking was instilled in him by his grandfather and should therefore be abandoned before it even began.

It was a tense thirty minutes.

After they exited the shower, Ben passed Chad a towel without meeting his eyes, both of them drying off in clinical movements and trying to ignore their ripped and wrinkled clothes laying in crumpled piles on the floor.

"I'll replace that," Ben said, wincing at the shirt that was now missing half its buttons. "I'll replace all of it."

"It's okay," Chad soothed the same way he had every other time the other prince's guilt tried to act up. "You didn't hurt me. That's the important part. It's just clothes. I have more clothes."

"And you will have more," Ben said stubbornly. "Nice ones, because you deserve nice ones."

"Thank you," Chad said, both grateful and a little bit sad.

It would likely take a while for them to rediscover their equilibrium, and he mourned that.

"I guess we're in for the night," Ben decided, ignoring their clothes and leading Chad back into the bedroom so they could change into something else, something that hadn't been sullied, likely loungewear and a dressing robe because that was the kind of finery expected of people of their position. Chad actually hadn't had a dressing robe until he was packing for this trip – yet another luxury his grandfather had stripped from him – not that he really minded, exactly, but his father had seemed stricken by the absence and hastily made attempts to rectify this situation.

Chad was glad for it when he realized Ben had a dressing robe as well, when he realized they could be dressing robe bros and take selfies and match in an obnoxiously fun way, but those lighthearted antics seemed a million miles away as they got out new underwear – their old ones completely and utterly soiled.

Eventually, Chad would stop beating himself up over this, just like he would stop beating himself up over what happened in Tangu. He knew time made most wounds easier to manage, but in the moment he felt dumb, and that was okay. He was allowed to hurt a little, that was a fair response. He was allowed to have fair responses.

He was cycling through his pep talk, trying to keep his behavior as normal as possible as he pulled on his new underwear and pajama pants that he didn't immediately realize that Ben was looking at him until the brunette shifted closer, his gaze seeming fixed on the motley collection of bruises he'd left on Chad's shoulders. Under the warm light of the room, they seemed to be darker, and would settle into something more noticeable by tomorrow at the very least.

"Ben…" Chad began, wishing he could offer the other prince some amount of comfort that would actually settle his unease.

"It's…" Ben trailed off with a swallow, reaching up to carefully rub at Chad's collarbone. "Do they hurt?"

"Not really," Chad said, because sure, there was a small ache, but it wasn't really a big deal.

"They look awful." Ben seemed miserable by this. "And I just- I forced you-"

"Ben," Chad interrupted, voice firm. "You were no more in control than I was, and trust me, in the moment I greatly enjoyed that, so…"

He trailed off with a shrug, almost missing the way Ben's breath caught, his shoulders going tense.

"You… liked it?" Ben echoed tentatively, and it took Chad a moment to realize he did this because he thought it was too good to be true. That he thought there was something wrong with him for wanting to do that while he was overcome by an aphrodisiac.

In light of that, it was easy for Chad to slip into a reassuring smile, glad he could give Ben this one thing. "Yeah," he said, keeping his tone gentle. "It was um- like you were…" Claiming him. Marking Chad as his own, but saying as much seemed entirely too bold. "You were proud of me," he settled on. "Unashamed to leave a lasting mark."

The words seemed to rock through Ben like a physical thing, his gaze going half-lidded and hopeful. He kept staring at that bruised skin, his thumb running across it, and belatedly Chad realized this was something that seemed to help Ben, perhaps something he had denied himself for the sake of propriety.

"Is it a beast thing?" Chad asked, seeing as they had already gone this far.

There was a beat, and then Ben nodded, his gaze still on Chad's shoulder. "Yeah. I can usually restrain most of those impulses. I have training to do so, just- those modaks, they… there was no holding back," he said, and Chad nodded to show he understood. "I was just- beast."

"Possessive," Chad deduced. "Protective."

"Demanding," Ben muttered, ducking his head with a flush.

"You listened," Chad reminded him. "When I asked for the shower, you listened. You asked my permission before feeding me, you said please. That means underneath all that, you were still in control. That, or your beast is just inherently polite."

Ben shuddered. "I don't think some of the things I did to you were very polite."

"We're not talking about that now," Chad said, swallowing down a flush as he thought about Ben's tongue working into him, the way he'd come to beg for it. "We're talking about your needs, because I might be wrong, but it seems like catering to your beast has made you more grounded."

He noticed it now, how Ben's shoulders weren't as tense, how his posture was loose and easy, his brow less furrowed.

"Maybe," Ben allowed. "But the cost-"

"What cost?" Chad pressed. "We're friends and you have one of the most difficult jobs in this entire contingent. You're representing all of Auradon, and as much as you try to hide it, I know it's stressful for you. If I can do anything to help-"

"Chad," Ben interrupted with a flush. "You can't just- volunteer to be my chew toy."

"Why not?" Chad prompted. "At your most uncontrolled you didn't really hurt me. You're probably not going to do anything worse when your brain isn't clouded by aphrodisiacs." The more he thought about it, the more it seemed to work. "So yeah, if you need to bite up my shoulders a little every day – that's perfectly fine, you have my permission to do so."

"Chad," Ben moaned, dragging a hand across his face. "It's not- it's not just that."

"Then what?" Chad asked. "Was it the close physical contact?" Ben seemed to focus on that a lot when they'd been going at it. "Naked cuddling? The sex?"

"All of it?" Ben tried, seeming to despair. "Just- I care about you a lot, and being able to cuddle you, to make you feel good, to know you trust me enough to be that vulnerable and in such close proximity to me- it really made my beast happy, that's all."

"Neat," Chad said, filing that information away for later. "Then we can do that."

"Chad."

"Ben," Chad countered, his voice firm. "Your job is already hard enough as it is, and I'm, you know, a perfectly healthy and sexually interested young man. It's not like I'm not getting something out of this. So if you need this – and it isn't weird for you or whatever, then um- yeah, let's do it."

Seeing as Chad was the one that had accidentally opened the door to creating the need for these desires, Chad may as well step up and properly help out his friend. Besides, he always liked cuddling with Ben. This was like that, only with a few more added steps. And they'd already demonstrated how much they enjoyed it.

There was a long pause where Ben seemed to struggle with himself before he eventually sighed. "We need a constant flow of communication," he decided. "About everything. No doing something you're not comfortable with just because you think it will make me happy. We do stuff that works for both of us or we do nothing at all – we need to agree on that now."

It was kind of amazing, how after all that Ben still wanted to look out for Chad, still put his wellbeing first and foremost, because Ben wasn't a fair-weather friend. He had goodness imbedded in his bones.

Chad was so lucky to have him.

"Okay," Chad said, smiling happily. "That's a good rule. Dr. Sweet said it's better to communicate too much than it is not enough, so I support that plan."

For some reason, that seemed to make Ben relax, the other prince offering Chad a relieved smile. "I'm glad to have the backup of a legitimate expert," Ben said, his voice gentle.

It reminded Chad that Ben always seemed open to listening to what Chad had learned in therapy, that he didn't think he was weak or broken for seeking out the help of a professional, that he was proud of Chad for the progress he'd made.

In a way, this was Chad's opportunity to give Ben the support the other prince so frequently offered to him without second thought.

"Good," Chad said. "Now that we have that settled, is there something you need right now?"

And then they were back to Ben flushing for whatever reason, despite the fact that they'd literally just talked this out. "I just ravished you," Ben said, looking off to the side. "I'm not going to demand more from you."

"One, it's not a demand, it's an offer," Chad said. "And two, that was not what I asked."

Ben looked up towards the ceiling as though wishing the gods would allow the ground to swallow him whole. "Could we cuddle?" he asked. "Just cuddle. I want- I need to feel that you're okay, that you're safe."

"Yes, we can do that," Chad said. "Though for the record, I am always down for cuddles."

"Well, for the record, I'm always going to ask," Ben countered. "In the very rare instance you are not feeling up for it."

"Aw, thanks," Chad said, smiling to counteract his flush. "Let me just get my shirt on and we can take a nap or something."

"Actually, um-" Ben's throat bobbed in a swallow. "Could we both be shirtless?"

Right, because skin-to-skin contact helped. That made sense.

"Sure." Chad abandoned the rest of his clothes and dragged Ben over towards his bed before the brunette could start fretting some more. "Anything else?"

There was a pause. "Could I kiss your bruises? If it's not weird," Ben rushed to say. "I know it's weird-"

"It is not," Chad assured him, sending Ben a stubborn look. "And I'm honored by your attention. Now get in here and start cuddling me."

Ben seemed to take the order in stride, shivering at Chad's forceful tone before he urged the blond onto the bed. He crawled on behind Chad, eager to wrap around his back, spooning him in a manner that had become their new normal, though the shirtless thing was new. Ben dragged a blanket over them before eagerly burying his lips in the curve of Chad's neck, kissing and nuzzling the bruises flesh there.

It was different, but with Ben, it was nice. Chad knew that the other prince was taking care of him, and by doing this, Chad was taking care of him too. They were both benefitting.

In light of that, it seemed like Chad had accidentally stumbled upon a success. Maybe he could thank Iago after all.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

Ayyyyy, last update of the year! We did it, team, we made it through 2022! Who'd have thought? ;)

Story notes:

A common running theme of all my stories seems to be luxurious bathrooms and I have no apology for this.

Until next time :)