Chapter 2 – An Interesting Proposal
-:-:-
"I have a thought," Mal informed Ben when they were winding down for the night, Ben exhausted from a full day of meetings and public appearances while Mal had been helping Uma finalize the last of the refugee children's programs. "Or really, it's more of a proposition."
"Proposition away," Ben murmured in a lazy tease, because Mal didn't seem to need a whole lot from him to believe he was fully invested in their relationship. He suspected that mostly had to do with the pedestal she still held him up on, believing in his unshaking goodness, and as of yet, Ben hadn't had to shatter the illusion for her. "I always like hearing from you."
"Flirt," Mal said with a roll of her eyes, a light flush dusting her cheeks.
It was moments like this that made him think it would be okay to spend the rest of his life with Mal, even though he was kind of impressed she hadn't broken under her obvious need for polyamory yet. Mal was a Dark Fae – and more than that, she was half god (he wouldn't have proposed to her had he known, no matter how dire the situation had been at the time, but now he was stuck with the consequences of his actions so he'd just have to live with the potential of heirs that were even less stable than he was) – both of which had little reason to restrain their affections. Ben and Audrey had done their research before Mal had come over from the Isle. They'd thought her crew was her hoard – treasures she would cling to above all others, and while that had been partially true, it hadn't been enough to dissuade Mal from the narrative of having one true love.
Ben thought that in time, when Mal settled, maybe she'd figure things out, but she seemed comfortable with him for some reason. He'd think she was a power grabber if he didn't know for a fact that she found politics irritating (save for the part that focused on social work), which he supposed meant that she really did like him for his personality alone.
At least, the personality he was comfortable showing her. It wasn't much different from his public persona.
"Just to um- clarify," Mal said, piquing Ben's interest because she wasn't normally one to beat around the bush with what she wanted. "This by no one means I am unhappy with our current situation. I am very happy with our current situation, but I was thinking – well, um- hoping, maybe, that this could be a nice thing for both of us."
"I do enjoy nice things," Ben mused, setting aside whatever paperwork he'd been sorting in favor of giving Mal his full attention from where she was curled up on their bed, his fiancé twisting her hands together in a nervous tell she would normally never indulge.
"You and me both," she said with that anxious laugh of hers that normally predated breakdowns and potential trips to the Isle. "Just uh- you kind of get weird about sex."
Ben didn't freeze because he was kind of exhausted, but he supposed she did have a fair point. "We have sex," he pointed out.
It wasn't great sex because as much as Ben had come to love Mal, there was still part of him that deeply resented her for the love potion thing, which made intimacy a bit difficult. She never seemed offended by the fact that he could only get it up about half the time they were together. She seemed to feel bad when he would focus on pleasuring her rather than finding anything for himself, even though Ben assured her it was okay. It didn't stop her from wanting him to see a doctor, or try out Vicodin or even magic enhancements, until Ben had to frankly inform her that he was happy with his body as it was, even if it didn't seem to do everything Jay's could – which was no doubt where Mal had gotten her information and basis for comparison from in the first place.
Carlos just didn't seem that open about his intimate life. He might be for Mal, because the Core Four would do anything for Mal, but Jay would be the easier avenue, even if he didn't have a dedicated partner right now. It probably had to do with the fact that he was lovesick over Mal, who seemed entirely incapable of registering this. And Jay, of course, was too good a guy to tell her, not wanting to step in on Ben's claim, so to speak.
Ironically enough, it had actually been Jay that had given Ben the first inkling that the Isle kids could be reformed, that they really just wanted an opportunity to live in safety. Sure, the Agraben had stolen a lot when he'd first gotten over – but those gifts were always passed on to his friends, and he spent most of his time posturing or flirting to pull focus from them, so Evie and Carlos could study and learn to their heart's content without being bothered. He'd stolen electronics for Carlos to tinker with until Ben had mentioned the robotics club to him, and then he'd flirted with every girl he could until he could steer them Evie's way so she could have clients to actually make clothes for. More than once, Ben's security team had forwarded him pictures of Jay standing guard over Carlos having a panic attack in some distant corner, or helping Evie fix her makeup when she hadn't been able to take the harsh words of the snootier princesses any longer.
He knew Jay was the first one who had wanted to give living in Auradon a good and honest shot. Jay's dreams had always been smaller than Mal's. He didn't need to rule the world, he just wanted his friends to be safe and happy.
It was why Ben hadn't sent the entire lot of them back to the Isle after Mal had poisoned him with her love potion, though the Agraben would never know that.
"Yes," Mal said, bringing Ben back to the present. "We have sex, and I know you say you're fine with not um- getting that kind of attention in return."
"I am," Ben confirmed.
"But I'm… not, totally," Mal said, to Ben's complete lack of surprise. "Or, I feel bad about it even though you say I shouldn't, so I was wondering- or, I was thinking that um- maybe we should open up our relationship."
Ben cocked his head to the side. For all that he'd imagined many different scenarios where Mal would drift away from him, he hadn't considered that she might approach him like this head on, even if it was most in-line with her character.
"Secretly, of course," Mal said. "It's not like I want to start a scandal or anything, I was just thinking that um- we have some really great and good-looking friends, and maybe we could enjoy having casual sex with them sometimes." When Ben didn't say anything, Mal elaborated, "I'm specifically referring to Evie and her boys, to clarify."
"Oh." This made Ben's brows raise, interest leaking through his expression of neutrality, and Mal used that to boost herself onwards.
"I get great sex from you!" Mal said, not lying exactly, but laying it on a bit thick. "But both Evie and I have a… curiosity, I guess, for what it would be like to do things with a girl."
So she had already discussed this with Evie, not that Ben was surprised. Mal discussed everything with Evie the same way he discussed everything with Chad and Audrey. It was just the way of things.
"And I was thinking," Mal continued. "Maybe you would have fun playing with Doug and Chad. Or like, you three could have fun together? It's a possibility, is my point."
Ben made a show of considering this even though he already knew he was done. He wondered, vaguely, if Mal had known that too, if that was why she had offered in the first place. Ben had always been protective of Chad despite how flighty the blond's public persona could be, and while Mal likely assumed that connection was born of sentimentality, she wasn't wrong about it being strong enough to sway Ben over to her side. After all, it had been Ben who had petitioned Doug and Evie to give Chad a chance to date both of them. Dwarves were polyamorous in nature, so it wouldn't be a total shock for the three of them to date, even if it was a ground-breaking development for young heirs such as Evie and Chad. Still, after Audrey's possession Chad had needed protection Audrey couldn't offer him on her partial house arrest and mandated charity works across Auradon, and the blond had already gone through so much for Ben's sake that the brunette had promised to get him into a stable relationship as a reward. Ben had offered him Princess Ruby or Evie and Doug. He wasn't surprised that Chad had chosen the latter two, given how close Hanover was to Sardinia, but mostly, Ben suspected Chad's choice had everything to do with Evie being best friends with Ben's fiancé.
Sometimes, Chad really was the best strategist among them.
"Do you think they'd be interested?" Ben asked, not automatically shooting Mal down, which made her brows rise.
"Evie is," Mal confirmed. "And Chad seems like an easy-going guy. Evie says dwarves are usually polyamorous, so Doug should be okay with this too, I just wanted to run things by you first." She gave him a careful look. "This doesn't mean I'm unhappy."
"I know," Ben said with an easy smile that made her shoulders slump in relief. "And I get it. You and Evie have been friends for a long time. Our lives are crazy and I'm not always around. I'm glad you've got someone like Evie you can trust, and if you guys want to um- explore some sexual alternatives that you and I can't, I totally support that." He cleared his throat carefully. "Assuming you take every precaution for secrecy as possible."
"Of course," Mal chirped, her grin slowly pulling wide now that Ben had agreed with her. "Yes, I mean- we'll do whatever it takes. I don't want to make things harder on you just because you were nice enough to indulge me."
"I'm happy to indulge you," Ben said. "And you're right – this is just sex, and that shouldn't be complicated."
It was something she had said when things had started getting heated in their relationship, sometime after Cotillion. At the time it had been tinged with a hint of hysteria when she realized her boyfriend wasn't as perfect and shiny as say, her own crewmates, but they'd gotten through it and established their own rhythm, same as always.
"Exactly," Mal cheered, and this time there was no edge of anxiety to be found. "So um- I was thinking we could mention this at tea tomorrow?"
"Sounds good to me," Ben said, and then she reached over to offer him a high five, and when he eagerly reciprocated it, he found that small flare of fondness again, because maybe he wasn't as in love with Mal as his mom was with his dad, but moments like this reminded him how much he liked her playful attitude.
Of course, her mutually beneficial sex plans weren't all that bad either.
-:-:-
Ben had been trained to navigate a basic afternoon tea with little to no effort since he was in middle school. As such, it wasn't hard to manage the steady wave of basic small talk at Evie's cottage the next day while the five of them cheerfully caught up, pretending to ignore the real reason why this meeting had been called until Mal and Evie felt that their guilt had been adequately catered to.
"So," Mal spoke up thirty minutes into the affair, after Chad had recapped a funny Tourney training camp story that had left everyone but Doug laughing (Doug wasn't laughing because he was worried about possible long-term injuries his boyfriend could have sustained from the affair, because even if he wasn't in love with Chad, he was decent enough to take care of the prince, which was why he would always be one of Ben's quiet favorites). "Evie, did you talk to them about-"
"I did," Evie hummed. "And we are um- all onboard."
"Yeah!" Chad chirped, always one to positively build up his new partners to confirm his long-term place with them. "You guys should definitely have fun secret sexy times if that's what you want. I totally get it." He shot Mal a wink. "I also like kissing pretty girls."
"Thanks, Chad," Mal giggled, actually giggled, which maybe filled Ben with too much secondhand pride but he couldn't help it – Chad's victories were his, in a sort of distant way. "Doug?"
"I understand," Doug said, mustering a small grin. "Though um- I don't know if I'm ready to do anything with Ben."
"And that's totally fair," Ben said, offering him a kind smile that didn't seem to help the musician's anxiety much.
"Would it be okay if Ben and I did stuff, though?" Chad asked innocently. "I mean, if he wants to?" He turned to face Ben. "You've never kissed a guy, right? Like, I only have experience with Doug, but let me tell you, it's awesome."
Chad was really living up to the charming reputation Audrey had helped build for him because that comment had both Mal and Evie smiling, even if Doug seemed unsure.
"That could be fun," Ben allowed before turning his attention to Doug. "As long as you don't mind."
"I don't," Doug said, because he'd never be one to hold anyone back, even if he was obviously uncomfortable with this prospect as a whole.
Ben knew in a distant sort of way that Doug probably didn't feel good enough to do anything with Ben. He probably felt that way about Chad too. If anything, it was a wonder he felt confident enough to be with Evie, but there had been a period where it was severely touch and go as to whether Evie would rise to inherit the Hanoven Mirror Crown. The musician probably figured that she wouldn't, and now he was looking down the barrel of potentially being the future king of Hanover.
"Well?" Ben hummed, aiming a look at Mal. "We've got some free time now, do you and Evie want to go have fun?"
Mal blinked, as though she had not been about to awkwardly segue into requesting such a thing herself, and lit up in a bright smile. "As long as you guys don't mind."
"We do not," Chad informed her sagely. "We can hang out and do bro stuff. Oh!" He perked up. "Ben, you need to listen to Doug's latest composition. It's slammin'."
"It's not that good," Doug insisted, a bashful blush spreading across the bridge of his nose. Still, he managed to wave the girls on and they all pretended not to pay attention to the way they skipped out of the kitchen and up the stairs towards Doug and Evie's bedroom, Chad drawing their focus with a broad sweep of his hand.
"This is definitely epic battle music if I have ever heard it," Chad explained as he cued up his phone, Doug blushing darker beside them.
There was a good chance the musician likely assumed that Chad was just sucking up to him to cement his place in their relationship and that Ben was working with him to assure that happened. He'd think that, and likely feel guilty for it because neither Ben nor Chad came off as that strategic. Ben for his kindness, Chad for his perceived stupidity.
Both couldn't be further from the truth.
So they spent the rest of their tea time focusing on Doug so he wouldn't feel left out, like maybe that would be enough to make the half-dwarf ignore the fact that the two significant women in their lives were upstairs fumbling their way through sex for the first time.
Ben knew one thing for sure – this opened the gate to more possibilities than just this, and he was going to make the most of every single one of them.
-:-:-
"I had a thought," Ben told Chad later in Old French – an outdated language learned only by the upper elite of Sardinia and Central Auradon, as both their kingdoms shared similar cultures.
"Me too," Chad chirped, aiming a pleased grin at him. "What was your thought?"
"I want to act a part," Ben said, making Chad's brow quirk. "When Mal spends the night with Evie – when we know Doug's occupied with Carlos, I want you to come hang out with me, like old times."
"That's fair," Chad hummed. "As king of everything, you need friend time to balance your hectic schedule out."
Ben smirked at the mention of friendship, knowing that what he wanted far surpassed such benign boundaries.
"I thought so too," Ben said. "I thought we could play a game. Something fun and harmless."
"Sounds like good stress relief," Chad said. "Do I need to bring anything?"
"Just your lucky pen, if you don't mind," Ben said, switching into their secret code with a shy wink. "Want to keep things fair for when we play Boggle."
"Oh, it's on," Chad said with a laugh, knowing that there was no luckier pen in all of Sardinia than the magic wand Fairy Godmother kept hidden in its enchanted safe – the very wand Chad had been training himself to use for years, ever since Mal had love potioned Ben. "You might read every book in existence, but I'm stubborn, Benny."
"I look forward to the challenge," Ben said, easing a small smile from Chad.
From an outside perspective, it was an easy chat between friends.
In reality, it was anything but.
-:-:-
It was another week before Ben was able to get what he wanted, another week of endless meetings and secretly putting out fires – of touching base with Audrey and subtly threatening, negotiating, and indulging the upper nobility of Auradon. It wasn't something he enjoyed doing, but it was worth it for the innocent civilians who were allowed to live peaceful existences because of his nitty gritty attention to detail, and that was what he held onto all the way up to Chad's arrival.
Mal had hesitated before leaving, seeming unsure about spending the night with Evie, but Ben had assured her things were fine.
"We've already had our fun this week," Ben said, like he hadn't made a dedicated effort to end his work early enough so he could actually have sex with Mal so she wouldn't feel bad about this. "Now go have a good time with Evie. And give her my best, please."
"And you and Chad…" Mal began, biting at her bottom lip. "You guys are actually going to um- do stuff?"
"Maybe," Ben said with a shrug. "We might mess around some, but I've got some board games set up in reserve too. The ones you don't like."
That finally earned him a laugh. "You're such a nerd," she giggled. "Okay, you two have fun. I'm gonna teleport to Evie's now."
"Get it, girl," Ben offered, quoting some dumb tv show like Audrey recommended and getting another lovely chorus of cackles from Mal before she disappeared in a flash of purple light.
It took longer for Chad to arrive because he had to do things the old-fashioned way. At least, for now. Ben would have Mal set him up a teleport marker of his own as soon as she and Evie realized their arrangement would be permanent (and it would be, because they loved each other).
Still, it was a definite relief when Chad showed up with his leather duffle hooked over one shoulder, politely declining help from the footman to prove how down to earth and kind he was.
They made sure the doors to Ben's suite, as well as the doors leading up to the bedroom, were all locked before Chad dumped his bag to the side and summoned Fairy Godmother's wand with a flick of his fingers. He put up privacy wards as a matter of habit, threw in a few more for security as far as Ben could tell, then offered the king a wide smile.
"So, you want to roleplay?" he asked, reading their previous conversation perfectly.
"I do," Ben said. "Are you comfortable with that?"
"That depends," Chad said. "Who would I be?"
"Yourself," Ben said, making Chad blink. "In Cognito. Prince Chadwick James sneaking into a strip club to catch the elusive headline act."
"Oh?" Chad said, not flinching, not frowning, always supportive. "And who's this headliner?"
Ben didn't flush. He knew what he wanted. He'd known for a while, as soon as Mal had mentioned this possibility. He knew that Chad was the only one who might conceivably understand his desires.
"Rose Florian," he said without breaking, holding Chad's gaze. "She's um- very alluring, or so I'm told."
Because Ben was watching, he could see the moment Chad's pupils dilated, the way his breath seemed to catch, cheeks flushing, and Ben knew without him having to say anything that he was onboard with this.
"Okay," Chad said, fingering the wand carefully. He glanced across the room, and with a flick of his wrist, materialized a small stage featuring one lonely pole. "We can do that."
Another flick, and he seemed to create a small, nondescript wand in Auradon blue.
"Here," he said, passing it over to Ben. "That's an outfit summoner. Go into the bathroom, strip down, and focus on whatever outfit you'd like. That will make it materialize onto your body."
"Okay," Ben echoed, getting warm at the thought of it, because he had planned to merely raid Mal's panty drawer and this was- yeah, it was better.
"Do you have a safe word?" Chad asked. "Color system?"
"Color system," Ben confirmed. "I don't think I'll need to use it."
"It's there if you do," Chad said, before moving over to the stage. "I'm just um- gonna settle in at the club. Let me know when the headliner is ready."
"I will," Ben hummed, watching him pull up a chair and wait, wait for Ben, for Rose, without running away.
Perhaps Ben shouldn't indulge in this, perhaps it wasn't healthy to revisit one of the nights he had been so thoroughly violated, but part of him couldn't help but remember the feeling of those eyes on him. Part of him couldn't help but chase that heat, that lewd and risqué feeling of arousal. In a way, he was reclaiming this for himself, but really, he was just playing with fire, which was bad enough in itself.
Ben didn't waste much time in the bathroom stripping out of his clothes. He fingered the outfit summoner for a moment before closing his eyes and focusing, savoring the feel of Chad's warm magic drifting over his body.
When he opened his eyes, he was wearing a strappy two-piece in Sardinia blue that was not unlike the one he'd gotten stuck in before. He couldn't pull off the illusion as well now that his muscles were more defined, but he ignored that in favor of focusing on fishnets and lace gloves and platform heels in glitter, finishing it off with a heart choker made out of leather. He summoned makeup and decided to throw on a wig at the last minute, until he was finally satisfied with the end result.
He might not be the prettiest girl in all of existence, but when he was on that stage, he was sure as fuck going to be the sexiest one.
"Introducing," Ben said quietly as he swayed out of the bathroom, swinging his hips and moving with confidence because according to Audrey, the key to sexiness was believing you were the hottest shit in the universe. "Auradon Castle's headliner – Miss Rose Florian."
Chad perked up from where he was sitting, the lights in the room dimmed save for a magic spotlight focused on the stage. Despite this, Ben could still see the blond's flush as he prowled up onto the stage, Ben sure to pin Chad with a sultry look before he started posing beside the pole. Chad even turned on music, the smart beau, giving Ben something to play to, and he was sure to politely clap and cheer and then blush at his outbursts, the way a bashful prince might at an actual strip club, like he was embarrassed by his engagement.
It was enough for Ben, whose body rolled against the pole before sliding around it in an easy movement. He didn't have an enchantment to guide him now so he wasn't as graceful as before, but he was spurred by the thought of putting on a good show for Chad who was already crossing his legs nervously, trying to hide a telling bulge while Ben arched his back and stuck out his ass and let out small, breathy moans.
It didn't take him long to get too into it, to strain and grow against his panties until he heard Chad's breath catch, the blond's gaze fixed on the way Ben's skirt tented around his groin, bundling up near his waist and leaving Ben's panties on perfect display.
That time, Ben wasn't embarrassed by it. If anything, he felt emboldened by Chad's focus and made a show of grinding himself against the pole, in pressing his back against it and spreading his legs wide before he slid down in a sultry pose. He let one hand aimlessly drift down his chest before it settled between his legs, giving himself a squeeze that left Chad gasping, that left Ben feeling filthy in the best way.
It was enough to leave him crawling to the edge of the stage, Ben staring the nervous Chad down before he stuck his chest out.
It was funny, watching Chad scramble to shove money into his bikini top, his breath catching when Ben leaned forward and let out a low rumble into the curve of his neck before he went back to dancing.
This was, without question, stupid, but it was freeing in a way Ben didn't get often, which was why when the music ended he wasted no time prowling off the stage until he was in front of Chad.
"May I interest you in a lap dance, sweetheart?" Ben purred, running a lazy hand through his soft wig.
Chad's flush darkened. "Y-Yes please, Miss Rose."
"Miss," Ben laughed, straddling Chad's legs in an easy movement before he curled his hands around the prince's shoulders. "You're sweet, blondie. What's a nice kid like you doing out after curfew?"
"I'm n-not a kid," Chad said, letting his hands tentatively curl around Ben's hips the way Fritz's had so many years ago.
"No," Ben hummed. "I suppose you're not." He leaned forward to nip at the lobe of Chad's ear, earning a sharp inhale. "Though I am curious as to why the crown prince of Sardinia would risk slumming it in a place like this."
Chad gasped, like he hadn't expected to be caught in the lie, his gaze going wide. "I- I'm not-"
"Prince Chadwick," Ben hummed, rutting against Chad in slow, easy movements. "You are as pretty as they say, aren't you?"
"S-So are you," Chad stammered. "I um- like your dancing, Miss Rose."
"Enough with the 'miss' shit, kiddo," Ben murmured, letting his hands glide up Chad's torso and savoring the feel of the blond under his palm. "I'm not that refined."
"S-Sure you are," Chad murmured. "And even if you weren't, everyone deserves respect."
"Do you see where I work?" Ben asked incredulously, nodding towards the stage. "Save your goodness for an actual princess, kid."
"You're a princess to me," Chad insisted, making Ben let out a wry laugh.
"Look at you," Ben chuckled, letting one hand slide through Chad's curls. "You want so badly to be a hero, but you can't save everyone."
"You don't have to give up on yourself, Miss Rose," Chad insisted. "You deserve nice things-"
"You don't know me," Ben interrupted, grinding a bit more pointedly.
Fuck, it felt good.
"…I saw you volunteer at the library," Chad murmured bashfully. "That's- that's where I first saw you."
Ben paused, genuinely delighted by this turn of events. "And you followed me here?"
Chad flushed. "You're very kind. And um- very pretty."
Ben couldn't help but laugh, but damned if he didn't feel fit to burst.
"Okay," he said suddenly. "I've decided you get a private dance. Come on."
"What?" Chad blinked in confusion, but still followed Ben when he pulled him out of the chair, pulled him all the way over to the bed he and Mal shared before pushing the blond onto it in an easy movement.
"No penetration," Ben ordered as he climbed back into Chad's lap. "But you can touch my clit, and if you're a good boy, I'll get my mouth around you."
"B-Rose," Chad croaked, and yet he still allowed Ben to urge his hand into the brunette's panties, letting him curl around warm, wet flesh in a delicious stroke of contact that left Ben purring.
"Just like that," Ben ordered, panting hard into the curve of his neck. "Just like that, blondie."
He came, hard, maybe four strokes later, taking both of them by surprise. To Chad's credit he continued to pump Ben through it until he was done, only to let out a surprised noise when Ben shoved him back on the bed and started pawing at his belt, getting it open quickly so he could get to that sweet smelling bulge straining against Chad's boxer briefs. Ben had never given a blowjob before, but getting his mouth around Chad had fed into some kind of instinctual beast response in a way he'd never experienced, something that had him appropriately relaxing and swallowing until he had Chad safely in his throat.
Oh fuck, this felt good too. He wanted everything Chad had to offer. He wanted to drink him down and take him apart and earn every delicious moan in his slick-stained panties.
"Rose," Chad whined underneath him, his legs parting wide. "Rose, Rose, it feels so- you're so h-hot, Rose."
Yeah, Ben was. He really was.
He drank Chad down until the blond fell apart and kept going until he had nothing left to give but broken coos, something that worsened when Ben pulled back and ran his tongue eagerly across that oversensitive head.
"Rose," Chad gasped when it was all over. "That was- that was amazing."
"Don't get too touched, sport," Ben rasped. "You're paying for all of that."
Chad blinked. "I- of course, I wouldn't- this is your job."
"Right," Ben hummed, taking his slow and steady time to guide Chad back into his clothing. "Just my job. Nothing more, nothing less."
"But um-" Chad cleared his throat. "If I saw you at the library again, I could- could I get you a coffee?"
"Don't get stupid, kid," Ben huffed, tapping Chad on the head. "I can't be your princess. But… if you wanted to talk books, well, that's a perfectly fair thing to do in a library."
Chad paused. "I- right. Yes, I'd… I'd like that."
"Whatever," Ben huffed. "Now, get out of my sight. I've got another set in ten minutes."
"Yes, Miss Rose," Chad said before reaching out and grabbing Ben's hand, something that would have left him snarling had the blond not merely pressed a soft kiss against his knuckles before ducking away with a flush.
"Idiot," Ben muttered, but then Chad was leaving with a smile, something that made real Ben and fake Rose both fill with a stupid kind of warmth that could only lead to trouble.
And yet, both would always follow that call.
-:-:-
Endnotes:
Thanks to everyone for the feedback! The reception to badass Ben has been everything I hoped it'd be and more – hope you guys are strapped in, because there's only going to be more scheming from here ^_^
I do have some slightly bad news – I will be going on vacation soon! Because of this, I will be taking a two-week hiatus from AO3 starting after this upcoming Wednesday's update. So I'll be updating again this week, then be taking the next two weeks off. I should be back and ready to update on July 23rd. Just wanted to give you guys a heads up since I've got a pretty set schedule. I also won't be replying to comments during this time, but I will do my best to get back to them when I return!
Despite me temporarily stepping away, I do want to say that I am very grateful for the support you guys have shown my works. This is something I never take for granted :)
Until next time
