By Auradon Prep, Ben was admired the way symbols are admired—trusted, respected, spoken of like a future already secured.

Audrey fit beside him easily. Perfect posture, perfect smile, perfect lineage. Their relationship felt less like romance and more like tradition, something expected to continue because it always had.

At night, staring at his ceiling, he wondered why it felt so empty.

The idea to invite the Isle kids came from restlessness, not rebellion. Ben had grown up surrounded by opportunity while the children of villains were denied even the chance to fail. The imbalance felt wrong. When he spoke the idea aloud, his parents listened. Belle cried. Beast nodded.

It was the first decision that felt entirely his.

The Isle kids arrived like tension given form. Carlos flinched. Evie smiled too brightly. Mal watched everything. Jay remained skeptical. But you kept your cards close to your chest, you’re Mal’s twin brother, you and Mal are the same but also so different.

“That’s the prince?” You muttered to your sister Mal. “Huh.”

You didn’t bow. Didn’t soften. Didn’t trust.

Ben found himself looking at you far more than he should. Something about you was striking. You’re confident yet reserved, you’re also a generally handsome guy.

Ben approaches and shakes your hand after shaking everyone else’s. He holds eye contact with you for a little too long. “Uhh, welcome.” He snaps out of it.

“mhm…” You reply a little weirded out by him. “You always like this?”

Ben laughs, caught off guard. “No…no i’m usually not like this. Don’t know what’s wrong with me.”