Descendants One-shots

Safe and Sound (Benlos)

(A/N: I have been trying to write this one-shot for literal months. This turned out exactly how I wanted it and I absolutely love it. I hope you guys do too.)

It had been a rough transition for Carlos De Vil from the Isle of the Lost to Auradon. He would wake up most nights in a cold sweat heaving as his mother's tormenting voice screamed with rage inside his head. There was no doubt that Cruella De Vil was an abusive mother but the effects that it left on her poor son were long-lasting and rarely went away. Carlos would oftentimes take long walks at night by himself to exhaust himself enough to actually sleep and hope that it was a good night where he dreamed of nothing at all. Anything was better than his mother's voice, grating like nails on a chalkboard, shrilly screeching inside his skull. All of the VK's knew about this affliction and did their best to help him, Mal even using dreamless sleep spells on him regularly just so he could get a good night's sleep before important events.

The one who was clueless all along was Benjamin Beast. The princely son of King Adam and Queen Belle was honestly smitten with the cute De Vil boy. He spent most of his time thinking about him when he wasn't busy being royalty. Ben, however, didn't know of Carlos's afflictions. So the first night that he spent in Jay and Carlos's dorm having a sleepover of sorts. He wasn't prepared to find the young De Vil staring out the window blankly when Ben had woken up to use the bathroom. He sat next to Carlos and tried to pull him out of his trance, but Carlos only stared out the window at the Isle looking disturbed. He cupped the boy's face as he started to cry, wiping away his tears and shushing him softly. Ben took his hand and lead him back to his bed, pulling him into it sleeping together. He pulled Carlos close rubbing his back until Carlos's only sounds were soft adorable snores that Ben loved so much.

When morning came Carlos was still curled up in Ben's arms resting on his chest. This would be the first night of many where Ben would come to check on his secret love, guide him away from the window, and the war waging inside his skull and into his comforting embrace. It was on one of these nights that Ben woke up early the next morning trying to get up careful not to wake Carlos. He got only so far before Carlos grabbed his wrist tugging him back down. "Please don't leave me alone." Carlos sniffled sadly; his eyes full of tears looking up at the king to be. Ben couldn't help but see how faint the light in Carlos's eyes appeared, how close to gone he was at that moment. With all his gentleness Ben crawled into bed with Carlos and pulled him back to his chest rubbing softly. He cared more about this one person than his princely duties for the day, which admittedly could be put off. He needed to know Carlos would be okay.

As the days went on it became a routine for Ben to sleep in Carlos and Jay's dorm. He would pull Carlos to his chest as always and rub soothing circles into his back until he fell asleep. Over time the light began to return to Carlos's big brown eyes. He was being more himself than he had been in what felt like a long time to the other VK's and they knew it was the prince's care that caused it. Mal wasn't bitter that the boy she longed for fell for someone else. While she liked Ben there were other fish in the sea and Carlos clearly needed him.

It wasn't exactly clear to either young man when the simple nightly cuddling turned into a blooming relationship, but it was certainly most evident when Ben was forced to stay the night at the castle without Carlos. He tossed and turned not feeling quite right without a head of black and white hair on his chest. The guards that knocked on his bedroom door startled him awake when he finally started to drift off. Coming to the door he found guards holding Carlos who was sobbing uncontrollably as they held him like a prisoner. Ben growled and glared at the guards. "Release him immediately," Ben commanded as Carlos was let go. He immediately ran into Ben's arms. Ben dismissed the guards with a wave of his hand and lead Carlos to his bed shushing him softly. He wasn't expecting Carlos to press their lips together in a kiss when they laid down. Ben smiled into it and deepened the kiss, pulling the De Vil on top of him. When the kiss broke, he nuzzled the tips of their noses together making Carlos giggle away the rest of his tears. Ben pulled his head to his chest and held him as the two fell asleep.

More time passed and slowly Carlos no longer needed Ben to regularly hold him, the voice was coming less and less often. His nightmares ebbing away as their romance bloomed into panting nights of passion and long mornings of just basking in one another's embrace. Ben became king in that time and Mal had run away to the Isle. The group went to get her back and ran into the last person anyone wanted to see. Cruella De Vil. While Carlos fearlessly stood up to her, his hands trembling as he held tight to Ben's hand the whole time. Even after that encounter and Mal was brought back to Auradon Carlos only seemed to improve.

It had been years, Carlos and Ben were engaged to be married within the week. Carlos was sleeping on his own at Evie and Mal's, just spending the night after a long day with friends, when her voice came back louder than ever. Carlos awoke drenched in a thick sweat. He burst out of the starter castle and hopped on his motorbike gunning it to the Castle. Ben was still up in his office going over council recommendations when Carlos burst through the door sobbing and shaking, Ben sprung to his feet in surprise rushing over to him and pulling him into his arms. "She came back." Was all he could manage between heartbreaking sobs. Ben turned the lights off in his office and lead Carlos back up to bed shushing him softly with kisses. He laid down with Carlos. "Just close your eyes, you'll be alright. No one can hurt you now. In the morning everything will be safe and sound." Ben kissed his forehead and held him to his chest, rubbing circles in his back until he heard snoring. Ben fell asleep with a soft smile afterward. In the morning Ben was getting up for the day when Carlos's hand snatched his fiancé's. "Please don't leave me." Ben leaned down crawling back into bed and kissing his nose. "I would never leave you." Ben smiled as the two shared soft kisses. Carlos had decided as the morning light streamed through the window. Everything was alright. With Ben, he would always be Safe and Sound.