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It all started off innocently enough. Chase had been in the middle of Cinderella's ball when Buddy sidled up to him, a scowl on the handsome older man's face.
Stupid, pretty mall goth, Chase thought as meanly as he could. It was unfair that someone as evil as buddy could be so good looking.
"Ugh, what do you want this time?" Chase grumbled at Buddy, currently debating between a strawberry cupcake and a chocolate one.
"You're supposed to be romancing the prince," Buddy drawled, "not the baked goods table."
"He'll find me and fall in love with me any minute here," Chase responded, snatching up the last chocolate cupcake. "In the meantime, I'm going to enjoy these full of fake-gluten sweets."
"You're such a child," Buddy said, earning his first glare of the night from Chase.
"I'm 18," Chase reminded him. "And if you're too lame for sweets, then that's your prob-"
He stopped, frowning when he realized that Buddy wasn't looking at him at all, but the chocolate cupcake in Chase's hand. He glanced at the cupcake as well, before holding it out to Buddy.
"What?" Buddy scowled at him, failing to look aloof. "I don't need your cupcake."
"You were practically drooling over it," Chase teased. "Just take the damn cupcake."
"No, you contaminated it!"
"Don't be such a baby." Chase grabbed Buddy's wrist, plopping the cupcake in a flustered Buddy's hand before he could react. "I'm more of a fruit guy, anyway."
Chase grabbed a strawberry cupcake, throwing a wink at Buddy before taking a bite.
Buddy's cheeks were nearly as pink as the frosting on Chase's cupcake. "A fruit-"
"You've gotta be nice to me, though." Chase interrupted. The prince had caught sight of him, and was making a beeline toward the pair. "Otherwise I may not save the next chocolate cupcake for you."
"I will promise no such thing," Buddy responded.
Before Chase could reply with something incredibly witty, the Prince interrupted, all but shoving Buddy to the side to get to Chase.
"I have been waiting to dance with you since the moment I saw you," the Prince said grandly, holding out his hand. "Would you do me the honor-"
"Yeah, sure, whatever," Chase interrupted, shoving the rest of his strawberry cupcake in his mouth before grabbing the prince's hand and spitting out a muffled “let's get this over with."
"Talking with your mouth full," Buddy tutted. "Terrible manners."
"I'll show you terrible manners," Chase muttered, flashing Buddy a rude hand gesture before pulling the Prince to the dance floor.
By the time Chase and the Prince started dancing, the chocolate cupcake was gone. And if Buddy was friendlier through the rest of the story?
Well, that didn't go unnoticed by Chase.
"You can't eat those," Deacon said, making Chase jump in surprise. They were at the half-dead mall of Sugar Springs, dragged there by their grandpa’s need to buy new baking supplies.
"Dude!" Chase whirled around to grab dramatically at his heart. "Don't sneak up on me, Dorkin!"
"You can't eat those," Deacon repeated, gesturing to the chocolates that Chase had been looking at. "They're full of gluten."
"They're not for me," Chase said, turning once again to look at the candies. "They're for Buddy."
"Buddy?" Deacon sounded bewildered. "Why are you buying chocolates for him?"
"Don't make it sound so weird!" Chase said.
"I mean, I miss one story, and suddenly you're buying romantic chocolates for your rival?"
"Ugh," Chase groaned. "I'm not buying romantic chocolates for him. Why would I do that? Just because he's all good-looking or whatever?"
Deacon smirked at that, making Chase cough.
"I mean, in a general way, not a...shut up, Dorkin."
"Whatever you say Chase."
"No, it's true. I’m buying the chocolates for a scientific purpose. I'm gonna Pablo him!"
Deacon blinked, the smirk fading into confusion. "You're going to do what to him?"
"You know, Pablo's Dog?" Chase said, feeling proud. "Anyway, Buddy was real nice to me after he ate some chocolate, so maybe if I have it around, he'll be nicer to me!"
"I think you mean Pavlov," Deacon corrected.
"Eh, soo-lay-voo or whatever." Chase shrugged, picking up two identical looking packages of chocolate.
"Wait...you're going to Pavlov Buddy into liking you?" Deacon asked, "with chocolate?"
"At this point, it'll be pavloving him into barely tolerating me," Chase said, making his selection. "Before he can try and ruin my day, I'll give him chocolate. Then he'll let us collect Narritonin, and we'll all be happy."
"You know, this just might work," Deacon said approvingly. “Should I bring some chocolate along on our next story?”
“No!” Chase said, far too quickly. “I mean…it’ll look suspicious if we both have chocolate. It would be better if it was just me that had it.”
Deacon hummed at that, his smug look returning. “Can’t have Buddy Pavlov-liking me, huh?”
“You’re so lame,” Chase groaned.
When they stumbled into Snow White later that evening, Chase put his plan into action.
“Are you sure this will work?” Deacon asked, tugging at his dwarf outfit. He may have been assigned Sleepy upon entering the story, but he looked a lot more like Grumpy.
“If it doesn’t, I’ll just shove the entire bag of chocolate in his smug mouth,” Chase replied, smoothing out the outfit Silver had made for him. “And he won’t be able to be a jerk, cause he’ll be too busy chewing.”
“What are you idiots talking about?” Buddy asked as he swept into the room, wearing a surprisingly plain robe.
“Er…what are you wearing?” Chase asked. “Normally you’re way fancier.”
“I’m supposed to be the old hag that gives you the apple,” Buddy scoffed as he produced a shiny apple from his robes. “One day you’ll read these stories, and I’ll drop dead from shock.”
“I thought the old hag had to be ugly,” Chase mused.
“What?” Deacon said, making Chase realize what he said.
“What?” Buddy asked, his cheeks tinged with pink.
“What?” Chase parroted. “Nothing. Shut up. Buddy, I have something for you.”
Buddy blinked at him in surprise when Chase offered him a handful of chocolate candies, the pink flush getting ever so rosier. “You brought me…chocolate?”
“Yes,” Chase said, relieved that Buddy had seemed to forget his little slip up. “I mean, you’re giving me a snack, it’s only fair I offer one to you.”
“I’m giving you a poisoned apple,” Buddy sounded baffled. “It’s hardly the same thing.”
With a huff, Chase grabbed the apple, replacing it with the chocolate. “I’d rather be unconscious, at this point. So let’s get this over with.”
He took a large bite of the apple, chewing contemplatively. "You know, this apple is quite delicious. Are you sure you brought me the poisoned-"
It was then that Chase blacked out. When he came to several hours later, he noticed that Snow White's coffin was far more comfortable than it had been in the past.
It quickly became obvious that the chocolate was the way to Buddy's good side, and if Chase didn't know any better, he would say that Buddy even looked excited to see him. Not that it stopped any of the barbs that Buddy threw their way. But the situation was improving.
"I was wondering when you idiots would arrive," Buddy said as they entered their newest story, bounding over to them gracefully.
It's not a crush, Chase reminded himself. You're saving yourself for Alistair. Or Caspian Wolfsbane.
"Were you waiting for us?" Deacon asked, looking amused. He had a habit of looking amused when he saw Buddy recently, though he wouldn't explain why to Chase.
What a dork.
"No," Buddy sniffed, holding his hand out for a piece of chocolate, which Chase quickly gave him. "Why would I wish a headache like the two of you upon myself?"
Chase watched as Buddy popped the chocolate into his mouth, clearly savoring it. Unfortunately, Buddy caught him looking, giving him the smuggest smirk Chase had ever seen.
"Ugh," Chase complained. "Lets just get this over with. Who's falling in love with me in this story?"
"I think you mean who else," Deacon chimed in, making the other two men turn to look at him.
"What are you even talking about, Dorkin?"
Deacon just smiled pleasantly at Chase, ignoring the murderous look that Buddy was giving him. "Oh, nothing. Shall we get started? Lot's of Narritonin to gather and all."
They watched Deacon leave, Buddy sidling up to Chase as he walked away.
"I think I deserve another chocolate for putting up with your cousin," Buddy said, holding out his hand once more.
"Yeah," Chase agreed, placing another chocolate in his palm. "You probably- wait, how did you figure out he was my cousin?"
Buddy didn't respond, smirking once more before rushing off in the direction Deacon left in.
It all came to a head on a Sunday afternoon. Deacon couldn't join Chase, as he needed to study, so Chase was left to his own devices in a young-reader's version of Rapunzel.
"Rapunzel, let down your long hair." Buddy's voice drawled from the bottom of the tower Chase was trapped in.
"If you pull my hair, I won't give you chocolate!" Chase called, lowering the braid that Silver had given him. Buddy climbed his hair with surprising care, leaning against the windowsill when he got to the top, eyeing Chase curiously. He cocked his head, black hair falling into his ice blue eyes.
Stupid, pretty mall goth.
"No cousin today?" Buddy asked innocently, long legs stretching out as if he were a cat.
"Seriously, how did you find out?" Chase demanded.
Buddy stayed silent, holding out a hand, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. Chase sighed, plopping a chocolate in his palm. Buddy nibbled at the corner, not taking his eyes of Chase's face.
"He told me."
"He told you?!"
"Yes," Buddy said, licking the chocolate from his thumb as he pushed away from the windowsill. "After you ate my poisoned apple during Snow White a few weeks ago. Do you want to know what else he told me?"
"I'm not sure I do," Chase said, backing away from a steadily advancing Buddy.
"Hm," Buddy hummed as Chase's back hit a wall. He placed a hand next to his ear, leaning closer. "I think you do."
"Okay, I'll bite," Chase all but gulped. "What did he say?"
"He told me that you were trying to bribe me with chocolate. Pavlov me, if you will."
"Oh my god, Deacon." Chase groaned, covering his eyes with his hand.
"I didn't realize you wanted me to like you so badly." The smirk was evident in Buddy's voice.
"I don't," Chase lied.
"Too bad," Buddy said, "Cause it's working."
Chase froze, lowering his hands to stare at Buddy. "Excuse me?"
"Ugh, don't make me repeat it." Buddy's cheeks were ever so slightly pink, and Chase couldn't help but glance down to compare the color with Buddy's lips.
Buddy noticed the glance down, letting out a soft chuckle. "Bold of you, brat. But I won't let you kiss me just yet."
He leaned down, letting those same lips brush the shell of Chase's ear, making him shiver. "You have to figure out my name first."
Chase blinked up at him, a grin of his own crossing his face. "Oh, you're so on. I'm the best name guesser in the world!"
Buddy pull away, rolling his eyes. "Don't you have a prince to romance?"
"Steve?" Chase guessed, Buddy snorting in response. "William? How about Joshua?"
"We're going to be stuck here forever," Buddy said, "Now lower me out the window, brat."
"What if I bribe you with chocolate?" Chase asked, dangling the whole bag in front of Buddy.
"Then you may succeed," Buddy smirked once more.
-fin-