Friday couldn't come any sooner. Ben had waited and waited for this day to come and now it was here, he was probably more anxious than he ever been. However, it didn't deter the giddiness in his chest. Honestly, he was too distracted by the thought of going out with Carlos that afternoon that as he skipped pass his parents through the den area and didn't notice the gossip news that played on the television.

"For those who don't know, the King of Fashion, Jean-Pierre Le Pelt has arrived here in Auradon! Reasons are unknown, but one could guess it's probably for the upcoming fashion show hosted by our very own Queen of Fashion, Cruella de Vil. As she and him have been neck-in-neck in the industry of trends for years now. We'll be getting an exclusive interview with Mr. Le Pelt and Ms. de Vil tonight on the Bitten Apple."

"My, my. I bet that would be one interesting interview.", Belle commented before taking a quick sip of her coffee. Her husband wasn't playing much attention to the television as much as she was, having watched his son since he came across them. He noticed how cheerful his son is, a lot more than normal.

"I bet. Ben, what has you so gleeful?", the king questioned as the younger skipped back into the room.

Ben stopped in his tracks, pink quickly coating his cheeks. "Um... well, I'm hanging out with a friend today...", he admits, scratching the back of his neck. He waited to see how his parents would react. Obviously, they would be surprised since they were aware the last time he dated anyone was with Audrey, which was a while back.

"Like a date?", Belle questions, standing up now and heading towards him. Seeing how pink his cheeks got, Belle figured she was on point. "A date?! Oh goodness, who is the lucky person? Is it Audrey? Are you getting back together?"

He also knew his parents was adamant about him and Audrey getting back together. Even though once or twice his mother voiced how 'self-observed' the princess was, despite Audrey just being confident, not self-observed. He felt that they found her to be his best position of a promising marriage, blind about how he truly felt or his opinions. They want the best for him, but sometimes he wished they let him run his life as he wanted to.

"No, we're not. We already established that we are better off as friends. It's not her."

He wasn't blind to the disappointment on his parents' faces, but chose to ignore it.

"Oh, well, who is it? Anyone we know?"

"Maybe? He goes to school with me?"

"He?", Adam questioned, eyebrow raised.

"Yeeees."

Belle suddenly got really giddy, waving her hands. "Is it that boy everyone's been going on about? What's his name? Carlos, right? Carlos de Vil?"

Wait!

Even his mother knew?!

"Well, you're not wrong, but how'd you... never mind."

"Oh, you're going on a date with him? You're going on a date with him." Ben wasn't expecting his father to be suddenly so intrigued by the idea, a spark in his eyes behind his glasses. "Isn't that something?"

"Good morning!" Audrey had skipped into the room after Lumiere had let her inside the house. "How is the royal family?"

"Audrey, sweetie!" Belle had returned the hug the princess. "Good morning! Hey, I have a question. It's about Ben."

"Mom, no!"

The brunette looked between the mother and son, seeing Belle was quite smug about something while her best friend was blushing up a storm. She glanced at the king and found he looked just as smug as his wife.

"Um... do... do I want to know?"

"Audrey, do not listen to her." Ben stepped in between the two. He grabbed onto Audrey's shoulders and turned her around to exit. "Let's just get to school."

"Wait, I have a question! Audrey, is Ben dating that boy? The cute one everyone is going on about?"

At that, Audrey spun out of Ben's hands with expertise and faced the older couple, beaming from cheek to cheek.

"Oooh, why I might be able to shine a little light on that."

"I admit defeat...", Ben grumbled, sulking into a chair.

"Well, him and Carlos aren't dating... yet. But might be soon."

"I did just tell them I'm hanging out with him today!"

"Oh, sweetie! Good luck to you!" Belle had ambushed him with kisses to his face, making the prince whine while Audrey and Adam laughed. "You sweep him off his feet!"

With that, the two royal teens skedaddled off the school, Ben complaining to Audrey about her betrayal along the way.

👑👑👑

Carlos was having bit of the same situation with his own bestie and the rest of the squad.

"Aaawww! Carlos has got a date! Carlos has got a date!"

"Jay, give it a rest already!"

"But we must celebrate this! Our cutie finally is getting the love he deserves! By a prince, no less!"

"Uma!"

Harry had came over to Carlos' side from around the table and hooked an arm around his shoulders. "Ah, yes. This is a rather big moment for you, isn't it? You getting a date with Golden Boy."

Carlos had let out a whine, pushing Harry's arm off. "Guys, it's not a date. We are just hanging out, okay? We haven't even confessed to each other yet."

"So you're admitting your mutual attraction to each other?"

"..."

They were gathered at Carlos' home, having breakfast before they would head off to school. Cruella stood at the counter, watching the show unfold as her son was both teased and praised by his friends. A smile graced her face seeing their interactions. However, she noticed how quiet Mal was being. She was poking at her half eaten pancake with a deep frown on her face. She seemingly drowned out the others. Cruella was tempted to ask her what was wrong, the mother in her beckoning her.

"Oooohh. Carlooooossss.", Evie smirked.

"Shut up. Now, enough. Ben and I are only just hanging out today after school as friends. Just friends. Let's finish up here and head to school before we're late."

At that, Mal stood up, pushing back her chair with a little more force than expected. It made the others jump and turn their focus to her with questioning eyes. "Yeah, let's head to school and stop lollygagging." She picked up her bag and rushed out the dining room. They could hear the front door open and close with a slam which had Cruella commenting how expensive the door is.

"What's her issue?", Harry questioned, eyebrow quirked up.

"I don't know, but I'll go and see. We'll be waiting outside." Evie picks up her own bag after tidying up and chased her best friend down. As she expected, Mal was standing outside right next to her car. She was tapping her foot rather fast, arms crossed and a pout on her matte pink lips. The blue haired princess approached her carefully. "M, is something wrong?"

Mal gave Evie a quick glance before looking away again. She pulls out her phone and her stylus, most likely ready to busy herself with art and ignore whatever she's feeling right now. Evie hated when she did that.

"Mal."

"I'm fine, Evie. It's nothing at all."

"You say that, but I know better." She leans on her car, right next to her. "You know it's just going to make your mood worse if you don't talk about. Now, I'm not saying you have to talk about it. Not at this moment. Eventually, when we're ready we'll talk." He glances up to see the others not exiting the Hell Hall Manor. "Okay?"

Mal nods, not looking up from her phone. "Uh huh."

"Alright then."

"I'm calling shotgun!", Jay shouts, already jumping into Harry's car. Carlos had managed to get a hit on him and a complaint out before he surrenders to sit in the back seat with Gil.

👑👑👑

She doesn't get it. She really doesn't. Why would he tell her those words when it was clear about what was going on between those two?

If there's one thing that Ally doesn't like it's being lied to. She didn't expect that Ben, benevolent golden child, Ben Beast would do such a thing. He's an honest person, yet he effortlessly lied to her. Well, he didn't exactly lie to her, but he didn't tell the truth either.

Just watching the prince talk to the other teen with that twinkle in his gorgeous greens and award-winning smile, it was painfully clear that he and Carlos de Vil were a couple. Dating. Something romantic! Why couldn't Ben just say that? They couldn't possibly be wanting to hide their romance when they openly being so flirty with each other in the middle of the hallway!

What was the reason for Ben avoiding the confession to Ally?

"Shame, Benjamin. Shame.", she mutters to herself, taking out her phone. Before she could flip on the camera, she's approached.

"I hope you're not up to anything naughty, Allison."

She almost drops her phone, but she manages to recompose to answer. She turns and sees it's the Headmistress' daughter.

"Oh, J-Jane! How are you?"

"Ally, I can see you're snooping and you know that is invading privacy. And from what I'm seeing, you're invading the crown Prince's privacy. I doubt him nor Carlos would appreciate it." Jane crosses her arms. "Stop whatever you're doing right now."

"I'm just doing harmless work, is all, Janey dear! Besides, how can I be invading their privacy if they're practically showing their relationship? I mean, look! They're this close to kissing."

"Regardless, if they wanted people to know, they would tell everyone. And it could be that they're good friends. Now, leave them alone."

Jane walked away, but not before giving Ally a cold hearted glare that prompted the blonde to put away her phone. Ally watched her go, peeved at her interruption. She was even more so when she turned around and found that Ben and Carlos were gone.

👑👑👑

"Soooo, excited for that date?"

Carlos could feel his face warm at the teasing. He chooses to ignore it and busy himself with his textbook.

"Don't ignore me, freckles!" Uma pinches his arm which gets a yelp out of him. "It's a date despite what you said this morning."

"Uma, class will start any minute now. Don't bother me."

She drapes herself on his shoulder and flops her arm on his book. Not like he was really reading it. "I'm not bothering you and you know it. Now, you and Ben. Excited?"

He knows she won't let it go, so he gives in. "Yeah. I am. But again, we're just hanging out as friends."

She nods, her sea teal braids rubbing against his clothes. "Uh huh. Well, will you be telling him about how you feel?"

Carlos opens his mouth to answer, but the bell rings. He waits for the alarm to pass and then answers. "Maybe. I might. I don't know. Just really depends on how it goes, I guess."

"Hm." Uma sits up when the teacher comes in, welcoming the class.

👑👑👑

"You know, you have really pretty hair."

It's pretty random, but it's not something he hasn't heard before. However, unlike other times, he feels flustered at the compliment. He brushes back a strand behind his pierced ear and he swears the staring got more intense.

"You're supposed to be focusing on the assignment, Aziz."

"I am. Just thought I should throw a compliment or two at you." He moved the Pertri dish a little farther from Jay. "Also, your hair should be tied up before we do this."

"That is solid advice."

"I got a hair tie right here for you, Jay.", Lonnie speaks up from behind the duo, getting a laugh out of Chad. She hands the tie to Jay who thanks her. "I always got spares, you know?"

"She does. Once she put my hair in pigtails while I was sleep.", Chad admits, buttoning his lab coat.

"No way, she did?"

"Yeah, I did."

"I think you cried that day.", Aziz reminded.

Chad shrugged. "I probably did. Yeah, I think I did."

"Doug has it on video. You can ask him to show it to you, Jay."

Jay had to pause while tying his hair up to chuckle from the faux offended gasp the blond prince let out. "Oh, I got to see that."

"What?! No, no, no! My boyfriend is a traitor."

"Speaking of boyfriends..." Lonnie smirks at Aziz, but her next words are to Jay. "So, in your inner circle, who is all single? If you don't mind me asking."

Jay tightens his bun and secures his googles. "Well, Harry and Gil are really the only two who are boyfriends. Everyone else is single. Maybe except for Carlos soon."

"Oh, yeah. No doubt him and Ben will be a couple. A cute one."

Aziz pats Jay's arm, getting his attention again. "So, you? No boyfriend or girlfriend?"

Jay shakes his head. "Nuh uh. Single. Why?"

The prince shrugs, fidgeting with a glass stirring tool in a beaker. "Curious. Kind of surprised, though. With you being so cute and all."

"Oooh..."

Lonnie and Chad exchanged looks, leaning in closer to each other as they humored themselves with the obvious lovebirds.

"Our chemistry assignment hasn't even started yet but sparks are already flying."

👑👑👑

Jordan isn't stupid. Nor is she blind. She isn't at all amused about seeing what she's seeing.

"That is unacceptable.", she hisses under her breath.

Being next to her, Doug heard her. He looked up from his book and followed Jordan's glance. Instantly, he understood. He remembered what Jane said to him earlier.

"I get wanting to make news interesting, but that is just unethical."

The duo was watching Ally. She was hiding behind the vending machine, her camera out and videoing her targets for that hour. Oddly enough, it wasn't Ben and Carlos.

"Audrey will definitely drill one in her.", Doug sighs.

"Not if I don't get to her first." Jordan goes to stand up, ready to confront Ally. Doug grabs her wrist which alarms her.

"Doug, what the heck?!"

He nods over to Ally. "No, no. Someone else got it."

Jordan looks and sees who was coming for Ally. She smirks.

👑👑👑

"Again? Allison, again?!"

The yell gets Audrey and Uma's attention. The girls avert their attention over to where Ally stood, coming from behind a vending machine. She had dropped her phone, startled at being confronted by Jane for the second time that day.

"First, Ben and Carlos. Now, you're doing this to Audrey and Uma? Are you serious?!"

Ally steps back. "I'm not doing anything wrong, Jane! What could I be doing?"

Audrey stands and steps closer, confused about the situation. She's skeptical, given this is Ally. The school's gossiper. "What is going on? Jane, what did she do?"

Jane picks up Ally's phone and sees it's still unlocked. It may be invasive, but it's fair. She scrolls through Ally's phone and finds that the recent pictures are of Audrey and Uma, having a conversation but sitting close to each other to be mistaken as a couple.

"This! I caught her this morning about to do the same to Ben and Carlos!" Jane shows Audrey and Uma the pictures. As the two examine the gallery, the brunette glares at Ally. "You! You know it's schemes like this causes a lot of drama here. I'm going to report you to my mother, Allison."

"You were really taking pictures of us?! Seriously?!" Uma looked ready to pounce, but she holds herself back. "You cannot be!"

"I was doing no---"

"Save it, Ally!", Audrey shouts, cutting the blonde off. She grabs Uma's hand and starts to lead her off. Jane follows them after giving Ally back her phone once the pictures been deleted.

Their departure leaves Ally feels terrible. She's angry, disappointed and overall defeated.

👑👑👑

School's out and Ben couldn't feel anymore anxious about it. He makes sure he's presentable as he watches the student body file out the building. He keeps an eye out for red, white and black. He spots the scheme about five times and finds it kind of weird about how many people felt those colors today.

None of them compare to Carlos though.

They don't handle a candle to him.

He sees him, approaching the parking lot with the others. Audrey bounces up to him, holding Carlos' hand and leading the younger to the prince.

"There you are! How dare you vanish off like that! I know you're excited, but come on, Bennyboo."

"Cut him some slack, princess. He's just excited.", Uma calls out, heading to Harry's car, arm looped with Gil.

Carlos and Ben gave each other a look before the smaller of the two spoke. "We should get out of here before our friends decide to toy with us any further."

"Carlos, we would never!", Jay teases.

"Oh, whatever!"

The two got into Ben's car, driving off and away from the school. Of course, this was the perfect time to hold the discussion about the two.

"You think they'll confess?", Evie asks. "I mean, it's not our business but..."

"They look cute together. They know we're supportive of them and they'll tell us when they're ready.", Jane confirms. She sighs, not happy as a thought crosses her. "Though I doubt some people get that."

Jordan places a hand on her shoulder. "Thinking of Ally?"

"Yeah! You know she's always been nosy, but I didn't know how bad she was."

"Who is this Ally girl?", Harry questioned. He's sitting on the trunk of his car.

"Alice Kingsleigh, the journalist? Ally is her daughter.", Lonnie informed. "Not to sound mean, but she is just isn't someone you would tell a secret to."

👑👑👑

The boys goes to the new diner. It's not a small one, but it's not crowded thankfully today. The grand opening passed a few days ago. They were able to grab a spot out of watching eyes and open ears. It's nice, decorated in a cool color palette with simple, yet gorgeous decorations. It all gives a comfy feel.

Carlos doesn't feel the pressure as he sits across from Ben in the booth. A waitress comes and gives them menus, telling them about today's specials and offers them drinks and such. She leaves to give them time to think about what they wanted.

"You eat out often?", Ben asked, drumming his fingertips against the table's ivory surface. The moment the last word came out, he felt very awkward and rather sweaty. He glanced up from the menu and to Carlos, seeing that he was giving him an amused smile.

"No, not really actually. Most of the time if it's not cooking, I'm eating takeout. Only a couple of times have I really gone out. I don't really like public places too much. I do, but sometimes I can't take the overcrowding and stuff. I'm guessing you don't eat out much either?"

Ben isn't aware, but Carlos was just as nervous as he was. He just hid it a little better.

"No, no I don't. How'd you figure?"

"Well, you're a prince. I figure you have cooks."

"I do. The food they prepare is a lot better than some fancy restaurants."

Does Ben melt at the precious little giggle Carlos lets out? Yes, yes he does.

"I'll take your word for it."

Conversation was pretty easy after they relaxed. They talked about things they hadn't before. Embarrassing moments, their classes of today, among other stuff. Within an hour or so, they have gotten their food and eaten half of it. Carlos had debated on a dessert, feeling a sweet craving. So Ben orders him one.

"Your mother's fashion show is getting closer and closer. How you're feeling?"

Carlos mocks a frightened shivered. "Oh, terrified. But very excited. By the way, backstage passes for you and the others. I got them."

"Oh, thanks. You didn't have to do that."

"I wanted to though. Besides, I'm sure Audrey would love it. She can have an up close experience." He laughs. "Uma would totally flip. She's one of the models. I'm sure Audrey would give her compliments left and right."

Ben thanks the waitress for delivering the chocolate milkshake. He noticed it was a rather large one and there was two straws. He knows what she's hinting at and he doesn't correct her. It just pushes him forward.

"Yeah. I don't know if they realize just how obvious they are."

"Oh, yeah."

The prince takes a deep breath. "Speaking of feelings. Carlos, remember when I told you I'll tell who I am attracted to?"

At that, there's a pang in Carlos' chest. "Yeah. Yeah, I remember."

"Well..." He watches at the other exhales sharply, clasping his hands together tightly and then loosening. He takes him some time before his greens meet Carlos' skeptical browns. "... don't hate me for this, but I... I'm attracted to you. I want to date you. Since my birthday party. I knew it was you the day after once I saw some pictures, but when we first danced? I felt a connection there. I still do. Now, I'm not trying to push you or anything. I wanted to let you know how I feel."

"I appreciate that, Ben. I do." Carlos' smile relaxes Ben a bit. It's when Carlos reaches the table and takes a hold of his hand that does it for him though. "I've been feeling the same about you. Since the party. At the time, I was scared. Scared about how people who react to us being together if it were ever possible. Now, given everything after, I'm not. I don't even care how people would think about us because I just know that being happy is more important. I feel the same. I want to date you, too."

"That's great!"

The prince's shout got puzzled stares from the few inhabitants in the diner. He settled down, giving off an apology. He wasn't embarrassed though. No. Not with all the happiness pumping through his veins.

"Carlos, you really want to date me?"

"Yeah. Take it slow, of course, if you don't mind."

"Not at all. I wouldn't mind taking it slow. Hand holding is okay, though, right?"

"Y-yeah! Hand holding is good."

"Okay, because I really like holding your hands." Evident enough since their hands have yet to part. That and the milkshake was melting a little.

"So we're doing this?"

"Yes, since it's mutual. We don't have to put a label on it yet, but we're dating."

Both laugh. Any tinge of anxiety they had left was stripped away and reshaped into child-like delight. They were careless to the rest of the world, enjoying the rest of their time at the diner and after so.

It was a start to making a dream a reality. A dream that both of them shared.