Fluffy Ben
By now anyone close to Mal knew she slept with Ben's tourney shirt on a second pillow on her bed. Infact she didn't hide it anymore, it sat right out on her bed. To Mal it was her most prized representation of her relationship with Ben. It actually meant as much to her as his signet ring did.
But a night came when the shirt didn't help her fall asleep. And she couldn't figure out why. She tried everything to get comfortable, but to an avail. She was at a loss. Mal wondered if perhaps something was telling her he was in trouble, but after a quick text and a reassuring snap shot of himself, in his crown PJ's over in his dorm room, she wondered what else it could be.
After a disastrous night's sleep, Mal had no idea what to do. Fluffy Ben, as she and Ben called the pillow, had failed to do it's job; give Mal a peaceful night's sleep. And while Evie's wondrous talent with makeup could hide the lack of sleep on Mal's face, her friends could tell something was wrong.
"Mal." Ben asked for the third time. "Mal."
She finally shook her head and turned to Ben. "Yes, what did you want?" She snapped, immediately regretting her tone. Ben stood, extended his hand to her and walked off with her in tow. He needed to get her to talk, and she wouldn't do it where others outside their trusted circle could hear her.
"You ok? You seem out of sorts. First you ask me about my night, then you fade out. Are you ok?"
"I couldn't fall asleep. I can't explain it. It was as if fluffy Ben wasn't right." She whispered.
" Mal are you telling me you have slept with that shirt for months?" Ben asked, surprised.
"Since the day you threw it at me." She admitted, quietly.
"GROSS. Mal that thing needs to be washed."
"That's it. It has to be it. I mean I did air it out, and it didn't make the room smell, I asked Evie, and she said she never noticed it. But that has to be it. Someone washed it. That's what was missing, it didn't smell like you."
"Ok, so I'll wear it for you."
"Thanks. But in the meantime do you have another I can borrow, I am exhausted."
"I think we can raid my laundry." He laughed at her.
That evening was one of their date nights. They went into town for dinner, and a movie. After they returned they still had about 10 minutes until boy and girls could no longer be in each other's rooms. So they ran to her room, got the shirt from the pillow and headed into his room.
Ben dumped out his laundry basket and allowed Mal to look through the basket, while he put the tourney shirt into his work out bag. Mal found a t-shirt of his, the one he wore on the isle to be exact. She sniffed it, and smiled. "I'll borrow this one."
"Borrow for sure, that shirt is special. It's my only Evie original." He teased.
"You wore this on the isle right?" She asked, holding it tightly.
"I did. So borrow it if it helps, I can't have you falling asleep in class like you did during the movie." He teased. She had snuggled into his arm, and his smell helped her drift off.
"I told you I was sorry." Mal said looking at him, sadly. "I can not believe that I need a shirt of yours to fall asleep, I am going too soft Auradon. That dang cologne you wear is stuck in my brain's comfort zone."
"So take the bottle and spray Fluffy Ben. I have an extra." He handed her the bottle. She gladly took it, but also took the shirt for good measure.
That night Mal slept a little better, but still not as well as with the tourney shirt. And today was one of those days where she wouldn't see Ben after lunch. He usually worked out at the palace right after dinner, unless he had a meeting, so she wouldn't get the shirt for at least another day.
The second night without the shirt and Mal was up all night. She tossed and turned. Both she and Evie were grateful the next morning was a saturday. And a fun one as well. In town was a carnival. They were all going. Ben went ahead, to open the carnival. Mal was suppose to be there for the opening, but after texting him that she hadn't slept well again, he told her get to town when she was ready, he'd wait for her.
It was almost noon before Mal finally got enough sleep to function through the day. She got dressed, and applied makeup to hide the evidence. Then walked into town. She texted Ben as she walked, and he told her where to meet him.
They spent the day checking out the booths of vendors selling things, or games of skill. They rode the rides, and snacked on popcorn and cotton candy. Mal and Ben walked back with the rest of the kids to the dorms. Doug had won Evie a small stuffed cat. Carlos had won Jane a stuffed dog. Even Jay had won something and given it to Lonnie, a plastic sword. They all really wondered when Jay would just ask her out. Mal was so tired she didn't even realise that Ben hadn't won her anything.
Once back in the dorms, he kissed her goodnight and hoped that he exhausted her enough to sleep. She agreed, that that was the case.
Mal walked into her and Evie's room alone. There on her bed sat a huge blue teddy bear wearing Ben's tourney shirt. Mal actually squealed. She jumped on the bed, and hugged the bear. She took a deep breath. Yes, that smell. She pushed fluffy Ben pillow onto the floor. And laid down with the newer improved fluffy Ben. And almost instantly fell asleep.
Evie walked in a few minutes later, holding her little pink cat, that Doug had won her. She saw Mal, still in her dress, asleep on the bed, hugging a huge blue bear. She had no idea how it got there, when she hadn't seen Ben win Mal anything, but she knew why it was there. As she could see the tourney shirt peeking out from under Mal's cheek. She snapped a picture, and sent it to Ben, with the note, "I think the new and improved Ben is working."
"I had hoped so." Was his response.
In the morning, Mal woke up refreshed, and feeling more like herself. She looked over at Evie who was still sleeping, the little pink cat held tightly in her grasp. She went to take a picture for Doug, when she noticed a text from Ben. She opened it to find a picture of her with the bear. "I am jealous, he actually has arms." Mal laughed.
"Thank you. It was a pleasant surprise, and a welcomed great night of sleep."
"I am glad. Breakfast?" She replied give me 10 to change.
She took the picture of Evie, then changed her clothes, and snuck out for breakfast.
At breakfast, she found Ben sitting at the table. She waved, then went for a tray of food. At the table she bend over to give him a kiss.
"Thank you again."
"You are more than welcome. I was hoping you weren't mad I hadn't won anything for you like the others."
"I was so tired, I really hadn't noticed. But when did you?"
"Before you got there, I had to try out a few games for the press. The second booth I went to, had fluffy ben in it, and I made sure I won. I am sure it's all over the press that I won you something even though you weren't there yet."
"Sorry about that."
"It's ok really. But we can go back today, maybe find Ben a Mal?"
"Sure why not."
So after breakfast, they headed back to the fair. Ben found just the right booth, that held a stuffed purple bear. He tried, but lost. So he gave Mal the next set of balls to throw at the target, and she won. She carried the bear for a while. The press got wind that Ben and Mal were back at the fair, and made it back just after that. Seeing Mal with the bear, they stopped them.
"So what happened to the bear from yesterday?' One asked.
"Oh he needed a friend." Mal said. "I had a project for school to finish so I was unable to get to the fair when it opened yesterday, So his majesty had to show me just how he won the first one."
They bought it and went away.
Back on campus, Mal took the new bear into her room after saying goodnight to Ben. She found a shirt she knew Ben liked, put it onto the bear, and snuck over to his room. She knocked on the door, then ducked around the corner. Ben opened the door and found the bear, he took it inside.
"A fluffy Mal just for you." She texted.
"Thank you. This is better than the picture by my bedside table."
"Oh and tell fluffy Mal, fluffy Ben says goodnight." She sent with a selfie of her and fluffy Ben.
"Right back at you both." He returned. He had the fluffy Mal's paw over its mouth as if blowing a kiss. He added a few heart and lip emoji's as well.
A few weeks later, Mal woke up to a picture of Ben sound asleep cuddling his fluffy Mal. "I take it this was from you?" Came the text from Belle.
"Had to return the favor." She sent her back, along with the picture Evie took of her with her new bear.
"Sweet." was her response. Mal just giggled. She was so glad the Queen liked her. It made her relationship with Ben so much easier.