Chapter 1 – First Meeting

-:-:-

Doug was twelve years old when he met Chad Charming.

His roommate had been fluttering in the depths of his closet, rearranging his clothes for what Doug would later learn was the third time out of sheer anxiety. His side of the room was spotless, so much so that Doug hadn't realized it was actually occupied until he and his family were unloading his own trunks and a startled blond stumbled out of his closet with wide eyes, clearly surprised by the noise of half a dozen dwarves, one half-dwarf, and a hobbit all working in tandem to get Doug unloaded.

It was a hectic, familiar scene, one Doug had lived with for the majority of his life, so he was accustomed to the chaos of his adoptive family tossing items about until they gently found their place all to Doug's known specifications, he and his Uncle Dori (otherwise known as Sneezy in Auradon, and oh, did he have a thing or twenty to say about that) having worked together to create a plan based on the room blueprints they had located on the Auradon Junior Prep website.

Like any good dwarf, Doug was eager to do his part, so he had missed Chad's appearance until he heard his amad clear his throat in that particular way of his, the one he used on recently orphaned dwarrows who were stuck in limbo before Doug's Uncle Thorin could assign them proper homes, the one he had used on Doug himself when he was delivered to Erebor by the social workers that had picked him up from his mother's house. It was a gentle tone, carefully mixed with the soothing cheer all hobbits were known for, and that in itself was enough to catch the interest of every dwarf in the room, as little as any of them acknowledged it.

"Oh, hello young sir," Doug's amad cheered, his smile warm and gentle. "Sorry for the ruckus. We thought we were alone, otherwise we would not have raised such a fuss." He shifted into a smooth bow. "Bilbo Baggins, at your service."

"Um." The blond looked at Bilbo with wide eyes, as though surprised at having been addressed at all and suddenly overwhelmed by the possibility of having to respond. "I'm um- Chad, Mr. Bilbo."

The words were awkward and not at all like the charming persona that Chad's father – King Christopher – was greatly known for. Then again, Doug's own biological father had been labeled dopish despite his massive intellect, so he should really know better than to read into implied nicknames.

Doug's amad offered Chad a hand and the blond tentatively shook it, a small smile pulling at his lips as he got more used to the conversation.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Chad," Doug's amad chirped. When he caught Doug looking, he beckoned him over with a wink Chad wouldn't catch. "Get over here and introduce yourself, would you?"

Doug was greatly appreciative for the excuse. In truth, he may have spent too much of his father's conversation staring at Chad, whose curls were colored a pale gold and whose eyes shined like aquamarines. The dwarven part of him sung treasure, something rare and lovely that needed to be dutifully appreciated, and Doug was eager to get started on doing so, because the expression Chad wore was one of quiet desperation, not unlike the one Doug had worn himself when he had first been delivered into his amad's care.

"Douglass, son of Nori at your service," Doug said, offering his own bow.

"I'm Doug's amad," Bilbo explained, a gentle twinkle in his eye. "Which basically equates me to his mother."

"You're a lady?" Chad asked before he could seem to help himself, immediately flushing dark when he realized his blunder. "Please, I'm sorry, I've um- never met a hobbit before."

"It's perfectly alright, lad," Bilbo soothed, reaching out to give Chad's hand a gentle squeeze. "You would not be the first to assume so, though I'll have you know I'm a gentlehobbit who just happens to also be Doug's amad."

"And I'm his adad," Nori drawled as he strolled to join their little huddle, the others trying to not be obvious about the way they shamelessly eavesdropped. "Or, in English, I'm Doug's father."

"Oh." Chad blinked. "You're Mr. Dopey?"

Doug's father laughed. "No, I think you lot refer to me as Sleepy," he chuckled. "Doug is biologically descended from my brother Ori, but I adopted him when he was brought to Erebor."

The rest of his father's company – the group of dwarves that had aided Queen Snow in the reclamation of her kingdom, who had worked to reclaim Erebor, the kingdom of dwarves – had been out of the mountain at the time. At least the majority had been. By default, Doug had ended up with his closest blood relative, which turned out to be his Uncle Nori, and since hobbits were more prone to raising families than going on adventures, his Uncle Bilbo had stepped in to help take care of Doug, easing him into his new life in Erebor.

It took three months for the company to return from their adventure and by that point, the three of them were already a family. Doug's biological father – Ori – did love him, but he'd never wanted children. Doug had been a byproduct of a broken gold digger's attempt to sleep her way into the upper nobility of Erebor, one of the richest kingdoms in all of Auradon. She had been right in thinking that dwarves valued their offspring very much, but nothing his father ever gave her seemed to be enough – no money, no riches, no jewels. She wanted status, and he could not give her that, so for four years she kept Doug staunchly out of his father's hands, using the money supplied for child support on herself.

It was a dark time in Doug's life; he tried not to think about it. The important part was that eventually he'd found his way to his family, and he wouldn't trade them for anything.

"Oh," Chad said, bringing Doug back to the present. "That's um- that's really cool, Mr. Nori."

He seemed to genuinely mean this, though there was a slight hint of sorrow in his voice, likely derived from his own loneliness. It was no small secret that Chad's mother had passed when he was young – much like Doug's – which made Doug wonder if that was why they'd been paired as roommates in the first place. Familial tragedies weren't as common in their generation of royals as they were in the one before them.

"Chad, my dear, do you need help unpacking?" Bilbo asked, giving Chad's wrist another comforting squeeze. "I'd be happy to lend you a hand."

Chad blinked, surprised by the offer. "Oh, no. I- I mean, I already finished," he said, his hands curling into tight fists. "I was just reorganizing my closet. I um- thought I'd do it by color."

"Oh, that does sound lovely, dear," Bilbo murmured, making a light flush spill across the bridge of Chad's nose. "We hobbits do appreciate someone who takes good care of their clothes. Come along, let me see if I can help – they did say these suites were equipped with footstools, and I'll be happy to make use of it!"

With that, his amad had Chad herded back into the safety of his closet, maintaining a one-sided stream of small talk in a way that only hobbits could truly ever master.

Doug tried not to stare when they left, tried not to rake his gaze over Chad's side of the room to see what the blond could have possibly unpacked. His desk was bare, as was his nightstand. There was nothing on his dresser, and his bookcase was totally empty. It looked more like a staged room for a design magazine spread than a place that someone actually lived in.

"Clearly, he's the tidy sort," his adad murmured as he nudged Doug back towards his side of the room. "Perhaps he prefers minimalism."

"Or perhaps he wasn't given much with which to decorate," Doug countered, thinking of how little he'd had when he'd come into his family's care.

The look on his father's face said he suspected this as well, and he was unhappy about it. "We must wait and see before we make assumptions," his father cautioned. "Lest your amad have our braids."

On reflex, Doug's hand went to the braids he had woven into his hair – one for his family line and another marking him as dwarf kin. There were three for his music, weaving, and scribe apprenticeships, because of course Doug couldn't choose one, and of course the braid his amad had invented to represent the Baggins' family line in Erebor.

"Good thought," Doug said, conceding to his wisdom.

"Come." His father clapped his arm. "The faster we finish unpacking, the faster we can take your roommate to lunch."

"And shopping," his Uncle Dori sniffed from where he was changing out Doug's bed linens. "At least for the basics until we can provide him with something more satisfactory."

'More satisfactory' in this instance was referring to of dwarven quality, and Doug wasn't the only one nodding in approval when his uncle declared this much.

"It shall be done," Doug's father declared in Khuzdul, and with that they were off – unloading books and setting up Doug's desk, sneaking in additional presents when they had already given him plenty.

Doug would have rolled his eyes in exasperation if he didn't remember Chad's look of longing, and that alone had him swallowing his annoyance.

He would be forever lucky for the family he had.

And if he had anything to say about it, Chad was going to get to share it.

-:-:-

They ended up going to lunch together – their lot joining with Happy's (who inherited the nickname from his father – Uncle Bofur, and wore it with substantially more pride than Doug ever would with Dopey or Sleepy) to claim a large table at the Hanoven restaurant Doug's Uncle Dwalin (so called Grumpy in Auradon) had been telling him about for years that he visited when he had to come on diplomatic visits with Uncle Thorin.

Chad, of course, came with them, though even by the time they were sitting down the blond seemed entirely confused by how this had come to be, which wasn't helped much when Doug's uncles started tossing rolls to each other in true dwarven fashion.

"Did you know that Chad is a proper tailor, Nori?" Bilbo murmured, the small hobbit taking up Chad's free side while Doug sat on the other, Doug's father sitting across from them for once to give Chad a familiar face to talk to. "He hand sews dresses and donates them to Project Ball – what a generous soul he is."

Like any other time Doug's amad complimented Chad, the blond's cheeks lit up, his head ducking bashfully, as though he was trying to hide himself away from their review. "My mom was a seamstress," he murmured, voice just loud enough to carry over the mild roar erupting further down the table. "I learned to sew so I could connect with her."

"'Tis a noble thing, picking up your family's craft," Nori murmured, prompting a tentative smile from Chad.

"Thank you," Chad said, fidgeting with his napkin. "My grandpa thinks it's um- girl's work," he said, obviously opting for a less offensive word, Doug was sure. "So I have to teach myself, but there's a lot of helpful videos online, so I think I do okay."

Doug had seen Chad's sewing setup when he'd been unpacking, Bilbo managing to coax the blond into showing off a rather modest sewing kit. It was, at best, hobbled together, certainly not worthy of royalty, making Doug assume that Chad had scavenged for the pieces himself.

"I'm sure you do, sweetling," Bilbo assured him, making Chad's flush darken. "Do you embroider as well?"

Chad tensed. "I haven't learned that yet."

"Perhaps I can teach you!" Doug's amad chirped. "I've got somewhat of a hand for it myself. You could come to Erebor with Doug over the fall break and I could show you then."

Chad's gaze went wide. "I… you mean it?" he asked before he seemed to mean to, then rushed to correct himself. "I mean, thank you Mr. Bilbo, I'd be honored. I was supposed to stay on campus for all the breaks – my grandpa made special arrangements, but I- I mean, it would probably be okay if I visited you."

Doug briefly wondered if all of the breaks included summer, wondered if Chad had been sent off into the world with barely any tokens from his home, and felt a low string of anger curl into his chest. Dwarves were loyal creatures, and even if Doug was only half-dwarf, he still felt a strong connection with Chad, who seemed so very lost and hopeful, even if he'd mostly given up on the world rewarding that hope.

"We'll have a chat with Fairy Godmother," Bilbo assured, smoothly rectifying the situation with the ease only a hobbit could possess. "Now, have you tried meat pies before? The ones they have here are truly delightful, though I've only had the chance to sample them once…"

And just like that, the conversation moved on, Chad staring in awe at the wonder that was Bilbo Baggins, making something melt within Doug's chest, a space being carved out for the blond prince who seemed so shy.

Yes, perhaps this boarding school stuff wouldn't be so terrible after all.

-:-:-

Chad was likely the only person who was surprised when they ended up in a fabric shop after lunch, the blond looking around the establishment with wide eyes, as though he'd never been in one before. Certainly this shop was grander than most, being located in a city that frequently housed the most important dignitaries in all of Auradon as well as their descendants. It still wasn't comparable to what they had back in Erebor, as Doug's Uncle Dori was happy to remind them with a sniff, but it would get the job done.

"Obviously, we'll have to get you outfitted with proper dwarven goods," Uncle Dori was explaining to Chad when they walked down the Isles. "But we can get you some things to hold you over until I can send a proper shipment." A scowl pulled at his lips. "It's a shame that only the female rooms are equipped with sewing machines – we'll have to get you one of those as well."

"It's bloody sexist, is what it is," Uncle Dwalin grumbled, earning a sigh from Uncle Ori, who patted his arm in a consoling fashion.

"I don't understand," Chad said, his brows drawn together in confusion. "Aren't we shopping for Doug?"

"No dear," Bilbo soothed. "We're here for you."

"You can't study your craft without the proper tools," Uncle Dori insisted. "And even if these aren't the best ones, they will do for now."

"Dwarves are very passionate about their crafts," Doug informed Chad as his uncles began filling a basket. "It's their honor to help you pursue yours."

"But…" Chad flushed, shifting nervously. "I don't- my grandpa didn't give me a stipend. He says I'm too stupid for it."

Chad's grandfather sounded like a dick and a half, in the words of Uncle Kili, but Doug wasn't going to say as much. Amad would have his head for sure.

"It's their honor, Chad," Doug offered instead. "They'll be paying for everything."

That made Chad twitch. "W-Why?" he asked, not seeming to get it. "They just met me. For all they know I'm a terrible sewer."

"You can only get better if you're given the right tools," Doug's father chirped, doing that thing where he'd been beside them the entire time but no one knew it because he was a sneak. If anything, he should have been dubbed Sneaky, not Sleepy. "Besides, you're Doug's roommate, that practically makes you family."

"Really?" Chad asked, lighting up with that terrible hope again.

It wasn't really the case, not for most people, but Chad – Doug was beginning to realize – was an exception to many rules.

"Definitely," Nori hummed. "When your hair grows out enough, we'll teach you the braid that indicates you as a dwarf-friend – get you some proper hair beads."

"Like…" Chad's gaze slid over to Doug's hair, which he had been staring at on and off for the majority of their interactions, but only when he thought no one was looking.

"Yep," Doug's father chirped, clapping Chad's elbow. "Just like Doug."

"Oh." Chad blinked, fingering his own soft curls. Doug found himself longing to tangle his own fingers in those soft locks, then flushed in embarrassment to consider something so forward. For dwarves, hair was a deeply private thing, reserved for family and lovers. Hobbits were much the same about the hair they had on their feet. "I'd like that."

"Then it shall be done," Doug's father hummed, and Doug imagined what Chad would look like with braids in his hair, wondered if the blond would let Doug help him, and realized he might be somewhat screwed.

He was okay with it, though. Attending Auradon Junior Prep was supposed to help him with networking, and now he could say he did that. Problem solved.

What a productive dwarf he was.

-:-:-

Chad joined him to wave Doug's family off, the lot of them beginning the long drive back to Erebor, hoping to make the trip before the sun set.

"Wow," Chad said when the car faded into the distance, standing close enough to Doug that their shoulders touched. "Your family's really nice."

"Thanks, Chad," Doug said, instead of 'what's mine is yours', because there was being forward, and there was embarrassing himself within the first few hours of meeting a person. "They really like you. Makes me glad that we're roommates."

"Really?" Chad asked, the same way he did when he was confronted with an unbelievable prospect. "I mean- me too, Doug. I was really scared when my guards dropped me off, and my grandpa said I wasn't supposed to bother anyone, but your mom- I mean, your amad… it didn't seem like I was bothering him."

"You weren't," Doug assured, feeling another swell of heat at the thought of Chad being dropped off by his guards, left alone in a strange new environment and told to be silent, told he was stupid, to not be allowed any of his comforts from home.

There was the slight chance that Chad didn't have comforts from home to bring with him, and that made Doug burn further, though he pushed past it. Now was not the time to give into his temper. He had to prioritize, and at this moment, Chad's happiness was more important than Doug exploring the extent of the prince's neglect, because he was pretty sure that was what the blond suffered from.

"You could never be a bother, Chad," Doug continued, figuring the assurance was not amiss. "Come on, let's go set up your sewing station."

Properly this time.

They worked together to position the adjustable dress forms Uncle Dori had selected next to the table they would set the sewing machine on, so deemed acceptable due to their human proportions. Chad had one male and one female form, along with racks to hold fabric bolts, a board to pin his designs on, a cubby system for notions and thread, along with a tray that would hold his go-to tools – a seam ripper, cloth scissors, a measuring tape, and marking chalk to name a few.

"I'm sorry for the mess," Chad said when they were finished, as though having a space that actually looked like it was inhabited could in any capacity be considered a 'mess'.

Then again, in Chad's life, that might very well be the case.

"It looks pretty tidy to me," Doug said, and like every other time he offered something that could be considered a mild compliment, Chad preened.

-:-:-

The first few days, naturally, were a bit of an adjustment. Chad wasn't used to cohabitating with another person. He didn't seem accustomed to maintaining regular conversations either. For the most part, he seemed to do his damnedest to stay out of Doug's way, keeping to himself or reading books he'd checked out from the library in the depths of his closet.

After the fourth such instance of this, Doug gave up and started gathering the extra pillows from the foot of his bed, left by his amad for what had been unexplained reasons that now Doug realized were for Chad. In hobbit culture, it was the height of impropriety to enter someone's private space without their permission, but Doug was tired of imagining Chad huddled in the far corner of his closet, reading by flashlight because he couldn't so much as allow himself the indulgence of turning on the overhead light.

Naturally, Chad startled when Doug pushed into his space, and it was just as spotless and perfectly organized as everything else Chad had – everything in its proper place and the clothes arranged by color. It was beautiful, if somewhat museum like, and it made Doug realize that aside from his pajamas and workout clothes, Chad had no casual attire – everything provided for him various forms of slacks, button ups, and sweaters. Even his shoes were entirely business-like. It was almost painful to behold, and Doug wondered if Chad was allowed any say in what he put on his body.

It was a thought he pushed past when Chad looked up at him, tensing from his position at the far side of the walk-in closet. On reflex, he seemed to clutch his flashlight and selected book close to his chest, his eyes going wide, as though worried he had committed some kind of violation.

"Here," Doug said, beginning to arrange his pillows next to Chad in a comfortable pile. "So you can read comfortably. Also-" he set down a salt lamp on the shelf next to Chad and activated it, watching it bathe the room in a comforting pink glow. "This doesn't need to be plugged in. It's powered by dwarven runes, so you don't have to worry about batteries." He paused after a moment, out of things to say. "I um- thought maybe your hand would get tired from holding your flashlight."

Chad just stared at him. "…this is your stuff."

"I'd like you to use it," Doug said. "I- I mean, if you want. I just- I wanted you to be comfortable, if that was- if you'd like."

Chad's gaze just got watery, the way it always did when Doug offered him a basic generosity. "Thank you," he whispered, his voice just loud enough to be heard.

One day, Doug would be able to coax Chad out of the closet. He would get the prince to perch on the window seat he seemed to love so much but wouldn't dare use, as though he hadn't earned such a privilege.

Until that day though, Doug would see to his new friend's comfort, because Chad deserved that much.

"You're welcome," Doug said, giving his shoulder a comforting squeeze. "I've read that book before so uh- when you're done with it, would you like to discuss it together?"

Chad's eyes just got wider. "I'm not that smart, though."

A surge of protectiveness spiked through Doug's chest. "You're more than smart enough," he declared, thinking back to the things his mother used to snarl at him, the vitriol that had never held any merit, even if sometimes it felt like it sort of did.

Doug had been given eight years of solid family support and still, sometimes he wavered on his worth. He knew he wouldn't be able to help Chad overnight, but still, Doug hoped.

-:-:-

Sometimes, Chad had nightmares.

Doug knew this because sometimes he himself had trouble sleeping, even with his weighted blanket and arrangement of family photos on his nightstand and the soothing scents of his amad's floral lotion. Sometimes his brain was too worked up to properly settle, and that was okay because he would find peace eventually, even if he didn't find it right then.

Doug had come to terms with this, but he hadn't been prepared for Chad's nightmares. Mostly because the prince didn't fight so much as silently cry to himself – small, wounded noises as he seemed to desperately curl in on himself.

The first time, Chad settled within ten minutes and Doug considered it a fluke, perhaps the growing pains of adjusting to a new space in a new kingdom. But then he was ripped from his own slumber the next night to the sound of Chad's sobs, and Doug decided to hell with personal space, he had a blond to comfort. It didn't take much for Doug to climb onto Chad's bed, his hand hovering above the prince, staring longingly at his hair (his hair, Doug had gotten too bold without his parents' guidance, to even think such a thing for someone he had just met) before he settled on Chad's shoulder, giving it a tentative squeeze.

"Shh, shhh," Doug murmured, trying to soothe without ripping Chad into coherence. He wasn't sure what the human stance was on waking people up from nightmares. His mother had certainly never done it for him. "It's okay, Chad. You're okay, you're safe."

The minutes passed and eventually Chad's sobs died down, which was a great relief for Doug. Enough so that he was surprised when Chad suddenly turned towards him, subconsciously seeking some kind of comfort before he burrowed into Doug's side, clutching onto his shirt.

Doug froze, unsure of how to proceed, then hesitantly wrapped an arm around Chad's back. He would just stay until Chad was settled. Ten more minutes, and then he'd climb back into his own bed.

He maybe lasted four before he was out again, feeling grounded in a way he rarely did with Chad's warm presence against his chest.

-:-:-

Doug awoke to the sound of his alarm and frowned when he reached out to silence it, his hand seeming to swipe at nothing when it reflexively went to the place his clock usually was.

"Five more minutes, please," Chad grumbled, nuzzling his blond locks against Doug's chest.

It took Doug a few moments to remember why Chad was so close, and he spent those appreciating the blond's proximity, reveling in how right it felt until he realized he was on Chad's bed.

Why was he on Chad's bed? Had he no decency? His amad would be scandalized.

Granted, his adad would think it was hilarious, would likely congratulate him, but Doug was supposed to be a gentleman with manners.

About the time he processed this, Chad seemed to realize the same thing and blinked his eyes open, smiling at Doug's presence for a moment before his gaze went wide, a furious blush spilling across the bridge of his nose.

"Um- Doug?" Chad asked, his panicked look torn between Doug and the hands he had curled into the dwarf-kin's shirt. "W-What-?"

"You had a nightmare," Doug rushed to explain, deftly untangling himself from Chad's grip and climbing over his own bed to shut off his alarm, trying to ignore the hint of sorrow that nudged at his brain at the loss of Chad's heat. "I um- sorry. I comforted you, and I was- I was just going to stay until I was sure you were asleep again, but then I passed out."

"Oh." Chad sat up, looking unfairly adorable with his bed head, his pajamas a neat Sardinian blue. He had a matching dress robe as well, he wore it when he got ready for the day, though he did so with enough awkwardness that implied it did not come naturally to him, meaning he had been groomed to do so. "Thank you, Doug. I'm sorry for waking you."

"You don't have to apologize for that," Doug said, and figuring he had already brushed past many lines of propriety that day, he went ahead and sat next to Chad on his bed. His amad would pinch his ear for this, even if his adad would be delighted. "Everyone gets nightmares."

"Still," Chad said, like that was any kind of argument. "Thank you. I'll try not to wake you again."

"It would be okay if you did," Doug said, patting Chad's shoulder.

Chad didn't seem to believe him, but there wasn't much more Doug could do without professing his strange and unwavering attachment to someone he had just met, so the blond simply nodded and slipped out of bed, crossing towards the bathroom before he doubled back for his dressing robe with a dark flush.

It was- they were fine. Things were fine.

It was only a big deal if Doug made it one.

-:-:-

Chad had a nightmare the following night.

That time, Doug didn't hesitate to drag his weighted blanket over to the other bed, spreading it over himself and Chad before he pulled the prince close to him. He didn't put up the pretense of considering a return to his own bed – Chad's alarm set for both of them, so he hunkered in, offering what he could until Chad fell into a peaceful sleep.

Chad was just as, if not more, awkward the next morning, though he still thanked Doug, still apologized for disrupting him before retreating to the bathroom to get the day started. They repeated this process for a few more days, and every time Chad was bewildered by Doug's offered comfort.

"I'm sorry," Chad said. "Usually my nightmares aren't that loud."

Doug paused, not liking the implication of that statement. "So you always have nightmares?"

Chad froze from where he was hastily putting on his dressing robe, eyes wide. "Um- yeah?" He forced his shoulders into a casual shrug that didn't seem to fit him. "I don't like the dark."

Among other things, but that seemed to be the only one Chad was comfortable owning up to.

"Oh," Doug said, and then he was digging into his nightstand, pulling out a piece of runecraft work his uncle had made for him back when he'd first started living in Erebor and had his own aversions to darkness. "Here, we'll use this tonight."

He flicked it on and instantly Chad's gaze was drawn to the constellations projected across the ceiling, slow shifting patterns emanating a soft glow.

"It's the Hanover sky," Doug explained. "I used to not be so good with darkness myself. I brought this just in case."

"You wouldn't mind?" Chad asked, seeming so very hopeful.

"Of course not," Doug chirped. "And if it might help, I mean- we could share a bed."

There was another flash of hope before Chad's gaze went tentative, his hands twisting together. "Is that proper? I mean, don't only married people sleep together?"

Doug supposed if you really stretched things that could be accurate, but that sounded more like something Chad's private tutors had impressed upon him more than anything else.

"No," Doug said, thinking back to the dwarven comrades and family that slept together for their own comfort. "It's perfectly natural for two friends to share a bed."

"We're friends?" Chad seemed to ask before he could think better of it, the blond blushing furiously when he realized what he'd said. "I mean- Yeah, obviously-"

"We're friends," Doug murmured, keeping his voice gentle but firm. "I'm honored to be your friend."

"Oh." Chad seemed struck dumb at such a concept, fidgeting nervously before he offered a jerked nod. "In that case, yeah, we could- if you want- we could just start the night in the same bed," he babbled. "And maybe that way I won't wake you up."

And maybe that way Chad wouldn't have nightmares, but they wouldn't know until they tried.

Doug offered him a kind smile. "Sounds like a plan, then."

-:-:-

"I like your heavy blanket," Chad murmured as they set up shop on Chad's bed, Doug wanting the prince to feel as comfortable as possible as they consolidated their bedding.

"Thanks," Doug chirped. "The weight is supposed to help deal with anxiety."

"You have anxiety?" Chad asked, flushing when Doug slipped into the bed next to him, the blond curled up on his side, looking at Doug with wide eyes.

"Sometimes," Doug allowed as he properly settled under the blankets. "It's more manageable now. It used to be way worse."

"Oh," Chad said, and Doug was beginning to realize this was his processing word, a vocal tic he used to buy himself some distance. "So it can get better? I mean, if you have it?"

"Yeah, Chad," Doug said, offering the blond a comforting smile. "It depends on how affected you are by it, but there are different coping mechanisms you can use to manage your anxiety. And there's always medication for more pointed cases."

"My grandpa says only crazy people take pills for their brains," Chad murmured, his gaze wide.

"That's a very ignorant way of looking at things," Doug said. "Our brains are complex things. Sometimes they don't have the right chemical balance, and that's what leads to things like anxiety or depression. Medication can help balance things out – the same way it could with a cold or the flu."

"Oh," Chad repeated again. "That makes sense."

"I'm glad you feel that way," Doug said as he switched on their nightlight, using the remote to turn off the overhead lights and settle them into a gentle sort of darkness. "Goodnight, Chad."

"Goodnight, Doug," Chad murmured, curling contentedly under Doug's blanket.

There were no nightmares that night.

Doug awoke with Chad curled under his arm, the blond using his chest as a pillow, one arm thrown carelessly around Doug's waist. He looked peaceful, but more importantly, he was rested, which was the only thing that could possibly matter. At least, to Doug.

He was, of course, embarrassed when he woke up, but Doug was quick to wave off his concern.

"I was comfortable too," he explained to Chad's flushed features. "I'm honored that you're so comfortable with me."

"And not grossed out?" Chad asked, this seeming very important to him. "Because we're two boys and I shouldn't be so clingy? It's not becoming of a prince to cling so much."

"It is becoming of two friends to find comfort in each other," Doug said, giving Chad's shoulder another squeeze. "That transcends princely rules."

Doug had declared it so.

"Oh." Chad blinked, and just like that, his panic was gone. "Awesome. I mean, thank you."

"It's my pleasure," Doug said, and thus their new nightly tradition as born.

-:-:-

It took a week for the first package to arrive, and Doug would be embarrassed by the response time if he didn't know for a fact that his relatives had spent it ensuring that Chad's gifts would be absolutely perfect.

"Look, Chad!" Doug cheered when he entered their room, a stack of boxes balanced in his hands. Bless Mahal for allowing him the advanced strength from his dwarven side. "My family sent us presents!"

"Us?" Chad echoed, sitting up from his desk with a confused look before a flush flooded his cheeks. "You don't mean- me too?"

"You're dwarf friend, Chad," Doug reminded him. "Of course you got presents."

He let the blond be the one to open the boxes, Chad obviously unused to receiving presents. His gaze lit up at the knit blanket that rested inside, a note balanced on top of it as each of the gifts and their creators were explained.

"Looks like my Uncle Ori knitted you this blanket," Doug said, pulling out the pretty, soft thing colored in shades of light blue that complimented Chad's eyes. "This looks perfect to cuddle up in."

"Me?" Chad echoed, clutching the blanket close to his chest as his eyes began to shine with moisture. "I can- I get to keep this? He made it for me?"

Doug felt his gaze soften and didn't think twice about throwing a calming arm around Chad's shoulders, drawing him close to his side. "Just for you, Chad," he murmured, squeezing his arm. "To keep you warm – created by his own hand."

"Oh, wow," Chad sniffed, hugging it close. "I- this is the best present I've ever gotten," he declared. "Can I spread it on my bed?"

"You can do whatever you want with it," Doug assured him. "Though hurry back, there's more for you in here."

"More?" Chad asked, entirely overwhelmed by the prospect.

He did end up crying by the end of it. It was likely inevitable, when exposed to such open affection after going so long without. Doug's Uncle Ori had gifted Chad a selection of books to fill up his shelves. They'd discovered at lunch that Chad was a regular bookworm, having not been allowed much outside the confines of his castle due to his father's overprotective nature. His nannies hadn't allowed him to pack any of his books to bring with him to Auradon City – citing that there was no point in lugging tomes he had already read across the united kingdoms.

He especially liked stories with happy endings, and Uncle Ori had provided a selection of those, along with a few rune books for Doug to make it less obvious that this delivery was entirely for Chad.

Uncle Dori provided a selection of high-grade fabrics, a perk from his position as master of the weaver's guild back home. He chose the colors that seemed to appeal to Chad the greatest – light blues and familiar golds of Sardinia, along with softer pastels – pinks, lilacs, and a mossy green, fabrics that Chad hesitated to touch because they were so lovely. With Doug's encouragement, they unloaded them into his waiting fabric racks.

From Uncle Bofur – or Happy Sr., as they so called him – Chad received an intricate wooden rack designed to hold all his threads, the sides of it graced with wooden flowers carved all along the perimeter. From Uncle Dwalin, Chad received a pair of proper fabric scissors made of dwarven steel designed to hold their sharpness. Uncle Bombur (so called Bashful, in Auradon) sent a care package that included his famous cheese scones, a small selection of honey cakes, his famous molasses cookies, and a tray of brownies whose recipe he'd definitely acquired from Doug's amad.

"Uncle Bombur's head of the royal kitchens," Doug explained as Chad looked upon the generous gifts of food with wide eyes. "Much like my amad, he thinks that most things can be settled with food."

"He made me food," Chad sniffed, the embroidered handkerchief Bilbo had sent him pressed against his lips, the blond now devolved into crying a steady stream of reserved tears. "Me."

"You," Doug agreed, giving Chad another side hug. "We should have some with the tea Uncle Balin sent us later."

Uncle Balin got off with one of the better nicknames in the company's opinion, everyone agreeing that 'Doc' was at least mildly respectable, even if Uncle Oin still grumbled about it to this day, as the older dwarf was actually a doctor, whereas Uncle Balin just had the dignified disposition of one. In fact, Uncle Oin was one of the few that had escaped getting a nickname at all, though Doug suspected if he had one, it would be 'Deafy', considering the ear trumpet he often used to aid his understanding of others, too stubborn to resort to a hearing aid like everyone else.

At that, Chad just let out a quiet sniffle.

This broke into a full-on sob when Chad got to his final present – a quilt from Bilbo that Doug's amad must have spent full days working on. It was a beautiful thing, covered with the flowers Chad seemed to enjoy so much, Bilbo remembering Chad's offhand comment about how he had always longed to look at the gardens his mother had created but had never been so much as allowed inside.

Chad likely didn't understand the meaning behind the flowers Bilbo had chosen, but Hobbits were well-versed in the language of flowers, and as such, so was Doug. There were goldenrods and morning glories for encouragement and affection. There were yellow tulips to indicate the sunshine in Chad's smile, violets for loyalty, white roses for a new beginning. There were even coral roses to indicate friendship, coriander for hidden worth, and daisies, of course, for hope. It was a lovely rainbow of flowers, and Chad took his time touching each of them, trying to keep his tears from staining the fabric that had so clearly been doted upon.

The prince was overcome, and that was before they got to the boxes containing his dwarvish sewing tools.

"I didn't do anything," Chad croaked, hugging the quilt to his chest. "I don't deserve this."

"Yes, you do," Doug insisted, going for broke and pulling Chad into his lap so he could cuddle him properly, and that seemed to be the right thing to do because Chad immediately melted into him. "You deserve all of this – my family wouldn't have gotten it for you otherwise."

"I d-deserve it," Chad whispered, like he couldn't fathom such a thing. "This is- this is mine and I deserve it."

"Exactly," Doug said, and since he was being impertinent anyway, he went ahead and nuzzled Chad's curls, which were just as soft as he imagined they would be.

Chad shuddered against him in response, turning to bury his face in the crook of Doug's neck, but the dwarf-kin persevered, offering what comfort he could to his new friend.

They were marked, the two of them. Mahal had seen fit to bring them together, and Doug would follow the course of this friendship as long as he was able to, drinking up everything Chad had to offer him and offering what support he could in kind.

So it was willed, so it should be.

-:-:-

Endnotes:

Next chapter we have the one and only time jump for this story, skipping ahead to Auradon Prep where other characters get to make an entrance, oh boy ;D

This story was inspired by who even knew what. I think I wanted to explore Doug's tragic backstory, and as a result of that ended up with a more badass version of him. I like to think this is a nice counter for 'When You Look Away, I Know You Think Of Me'. The drafts were written around the same time, and they have about the same dynamics, but flipped. This time we get grumpy Doug and Cinnamon Roll Chad, as is my default ;)

This story will consist of eight chapters of story content. I update once a week, generally on Sundays, but because things have been so crazy lately, I decided to make an effort to update twice a week. So there will be one update on Sunday and one update on Wednesday/Thursday for now :D

Please let me know if I missed anything in the tags. I prefer to ere on the side of caution with these things, but when you've been staring at something for so long, it can be easy for things to slip through the cracks. I'm also pretty sure I'm missing some sort of body confidence tags for this one, but I'm not entirely sure how to explain it, so if anyone has any idea, please comment! :)

Just a heads up – I update the story tags as I go in order to avoid spoilers. So characters, pairings, content warnings – all will be updated in correlation to the appropriate chapter as they are posted. Also, if you see a tag you're worried about, check the forenotes – the more hard-hitting stuff will have more thorough warnings listed there.

Story notes:

Khuzdul is the secret language of dwarves.

Doug's family and Erebor are borrowed from Tolkien's Middle Earth. To clarify, when Doug is referring to his father, he's really talking about his Uncle Nori (Sleepy) who adopted him. His mom (who is actually a guy, more on the adad/amad thing is discussed later) has no blood relation to him whatsoever, and isn't romantically involved with his uncle/dad. There are a tribal family that sort of adopted each other to make a full family unit, just to clarify.

Hair is super important in dwarven society. Their braids communicate a lot of things, so the thought of cutting it is a very effective threat indeed. Crafts are also super important to dwarves, which is why they value their tools so much, and why they think Chad's sewing is the best thing ever.

Hanover is my name for Charmington, Snow White's kingdom, because it sounds more like an actual country.

Project Ball is this world's equivalent to Project Prom, and totally invented for the purposes of this story.

So, just to reiterate, Dopey – Uncle Ori (Doug's biological father), Sleepy – Nori/adad (Doug's adopted father, technically his uncle), Sneezy – Uncle Dori (all three blood relations). The rest of the uncle titles are more ceremonial. Uncle Dwalin – Grumpy, Uncle Bofur – Happy.

All flower meanings are according to the first site I found on google. Flower meanings are as such: Goldenrods – encouragement, good fortune. Morning Glories – Affection. Yellow Tulips – Sunshine in your smile, Violets – Loyalty, devotion, faithfulness, modesty. White Roses – purity, innocence, reverence, a new beginning. Coral Rose – friendship, modesty, sympathy. Coriander – Hidden worth/merit. Daisy – Innocence, hope.

Mahal is essentially the god of dwarves, the power that created them

Uncle Bombur – Bashful (cousin to Bofur, i.e. – Happy), Uncle Balin – Doc (Brother to Dwalin, i.e. – Grumpy)

Until next time :)