*The Next Morning*

When I started to wake up I smiled with my eyes still closed at the fact that I was cuddled into Ben; I slowly opened my eyes and my face dropped into confusion when I saw that Ben was staring at the ceiling, with concern etched onto his face.

"Ben" I said and I watched as he looked down at me.

"Yes?" he replied with a weak smile.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing" he dismissed.

"Ben" I whined. "Please don't give me that" I stated bluntly and I watched as he pursed his lips together. "I can tell that something is wrong" I added. "Something happened last night and I am starting to get worried at the fact that you won't tell me" I advised and I watched as he sighed.

"I didn't want to bring it up" he admitted.

"Ben we said we would get better at talking about things" I reminded him.

"Yes" he confirmed. "I just don't want to hurt your feelings" he pressed.

"Benny" I stated as I reached forward and cupped his face in both of my hands so he was forced to look at me. "I can't help you until you tell me" I smiled at him hoping that this would reassure him.

"Ok" he nodded. "Well-" he started.

"Yes?" I prompted.

"Chad and Az were teasing me about you-" he began. "I didn't mind Az's comment" he stated.

"What did he say?" I asked as I started to stroke my thumbs against his cheeks slowly.

"That when I am not tending to the kingdom; I am tending to you" he replied. "To quote his words-" he started. "He said 'you are tending to that beautiful rose that you have had to fortune of been given another chance with" he explained with a smiled at his friend's kind words.

"I see" I nodded. "I should thank him for that the next time that I see him" I also smiled.

"Yeah" he agreed.

"What did Chad say?" I asked and I watched as his face dropped before he looked away from me causing my hands to drop from his face.

"Benny please?" I begged and he looked at me and nodded.

"He told me that there is many a man that wants to be in my place" he admitted sadly as he pursed his lips together.

"Hey!" I cooed as I pulled Ben into a hug which meant his head was in the crux of the right hand side of my neck.

"They can want all they want" I dismissed. "I only want you" I pressed.

"I know" I heard him say. "I just hate hearing it" he sighed sadly.

"I know" I repeated as I pressed a kiss against the side of his head. "Is that all that he said?" I asked hopefully.

"No" he answered which caused my stomach to sink - of course it wasn't. This was Chad we were talking about!

"What did he say?" I pressed and I heard Ben sigh against me.

"He asked whether-" he started as he pulled away and looked at me.

"Whether?" I prompted.

"I have boned you yet?" he said and looked down at the bed covers in shame. I laughed breathlessly for a second before I shook my head; I knew that boy's spoke about things like this. It didn't really bother me to be honest; but in reality it was none of Chad's business - given the failed attempts he had trying to pull me in the past.

"Anything else?" I dared to ask.

"I told him that it was none of his business; he teased me by saying that it was a no" he explained. "I put him in his place and he then offered some advice" he stated and I could tell whatever advice Chad gave to Ben this was the reason why he hit him.

"Oh!" I exclaimed. "And what advice does Chad think he has the right to offer the King of Auradon?" I stated sarcastically.

"That I have-" Ben started.

"You have?" I repeated.

"I have to be quick to bed you as he hears you have a great appetite in the bedroom" he quickly said before he bit down on his bottom lip.

"You what!" I exclaimed. "How can he even know that?" I questioned darkly as I rolled away and rested my head back down onto my pillow.

"I don't know" Ben answered.

"I can see why you hit him" I noted.

"Yes" he confirmed and the room then fell into silence. I then stared up at the ceiling; I knew that my past probably would come up from time to time but I felt disgusted at the fact that Chad knew private information like that. I wouldn't lie; in the past I have had a very varied sex life - but this was my past and Ben was my future. I also started to feel nervous at the fact that mine and Ben's current conversation were going to prompt two others - but I knew that we both could get through them as long as we were together.

"Mal" I heard say.

"Yes?" I muttered.

"Are you ok?" he asked and when I looked back over to him I noticed that he was looking worried.

"I don't know" I admitted and I watched as his eyes widened in panic. "What about you?" I questioned.

"I don't know" he repeated. "I want to be right for you" he admitted.

"How can you think that you are not" I stated as I rolled onto my left side. "Chad doesn't understand what is between us; what bothers me is that he has been talking about me like that-" I started. "And that I am sure this is now putting thoughts into your head" I continued. "Ben I want to sleep with you when we are both ready; not because you feel forced" I finished. I wanted things to develop between me and Ben naturally not because someone had put idea in his head; and unfortunately if Ben told me he was ready to develop things I didn't feel comfortable to do anything due to Chad's comments.

"I don't feel forced" he urged.

"Ben I know you" I reminded him. "I know that you are now probably thinking about how things haven't changed between us since we started sharing a bed" I added. "If I am honest-" I started hoping that I wasn't about to hurt him.

"Yes?" he prompted.

"I am not willing to do anything coming from this" I confirmed.

"What do you mean?" he asked in confused.

"Ben I'm not about to sleep with you because of what Chad has said" I stated.

"Mal I'm not expecting that" he explained. "I'm just worried" he confessed.

"About what?" I questioned.

"Mal you have been with other men" he reminded.

"Yes" I nodded.

"I don't want to disappoint you" he admitted and it broke my heart to see Ben like this. I knew deep down that Ben was nervous about his performance when we did eventually sleep together - but I knew that he didn't have anything to be worried about. This was because Ben had something that everyone else didn't have - my love. And due to this I knew that whatever happened behind closed doors between me and Ben was always going to mean more and he would do even better than he thought.

"You can't do that" I dismissed.

"How can you know that?" he urged and I decided to explain things further to him about our break up.

"This is going to sound creepy and maybe even wrong-" I started.

"Right?" he prompted.

"Ben when I broke up with you I thought that I wasn't good enough for you-" I started.

"Mal-" he cut me off.

"Ben please?" I begged. "Let me" I added. "This is the only way you will understand" I advised.

"Ok " he nodded.

"Since then since I didn't feel like I deserve you I wanted to see if I could find a substitute" I began to say. "But nothing comes close to you Ben; nothing ever will" I urged. "I love you; you and only you" I vowed and he rolled onto his right side and smiled at me. "Yes I can sleep with other people but this doesn't mean that I didn't enjoy it because I did. But it didn't make me feel the way you do" I advised as I stared into his calm leaf green eyes. "Nothing will ever come close" I finished with a smile as he wrapped his arms around me.

"I don't like the thought of you with other men" he said as he pulled me to him so I was cuddled back into him. "But I can see what you are saying" he advised.

"Good" I smiled. "Now come here boyfriend" I flirted as I grinned up at him. "Let me make this all better" I flirted before I crushed my lips against his hoping to take me and Ben away from this situation. Yes I knew that me and Ben still had a couple of thing to talk about but right now we just needed to be in each other's arms consoling each other and making sure that Chad's comments weren't going to affect us in any way.