So this little fluffy thing was requested by AinsleyWright who asked for sick Mal and caring Ben. Naturally, I couldn't help but to comply since Ben and Mal are simply precious so... yeah. Also, I changed the rating of this to complete since I probably won't add stuff to this unless someone requests something so if you want more make sure to review and tell me.

Thanks for your patience and, like always, enjoy.

It happened- like most colds do- unexpectedly.

Naturally, Ben had been the first to notice. His eyebrows furrowing in concern as she approached him one day in the hall, hands already outstretched as if to comfort her. It was all so bizarre, having someone that suddenly cared for her as a person and not an item.

"You alright?" he asked, not even bothering to hid the concern in his voice as he stared at her in that way that made her seem so exposed.

"I'm fine," Mal responded right before she sneezed; Ben didn't reply with words, just raising a disbelieving eyebrow at her and that all somehow seemed worst then if he had called her out.

She just wasn't used to having someone that cared so much. It wasn't like the isle was stock full of Bens anyways, which she counted as a blessing. It meant that there was more of the boy for her, which she admitted sounded more than slightly possessive but the first lesson she learned was to never share unless you wished to be stolen from.

And Ben was everything right in her life. Pure. Good. Nice in ways she was just coming to discover as day by day she slowly came to realize there was so much more to the world than just stealing and cheating and clawing one's self to the top so they could perhaps live another day.

Plus, he showed her strawberries for the first time and there was no way she was letting that go.

She rubbed her nose as she admitted, head bowed only slightly, "I just have a slight sniffle. Nothing serious."

A hand, soft and cool, ended up on her forehead causing her to jerk back in surprise as she demanded with a narrowed gaze, "What are you doing?"

"Checking your temperature," he replied like it was the most obvious thing in the world as he reached back out to take her face in his hands, "and you're burning up."

"It's nothing," she reassured but she didn't jerk away as she allowed the prince to coddle her, "I used to get these all the time back on the isle."

He froze.

She knew only because his fingers suddenly went rigid and she fluttered green eyes open to take in that pale mask of something she was unable to identify. She frowned, tipping her head to the side as she racked her brain for something she might have possible said wrong.

"All the time?" he repeated suddenly, deliberately, as his hands moved from her face to her grasp and it almost hurt how hard he squeezed them, "And did anyone ever take care of you?"

Mal puckered her expression as she demanded in a sarcastic tone, "Who? Maleficent? Come on Ben, surely you know better-"

She sneezed, interrupting her train of thought.

His face changed back to one of concern as he decided in that firmly gentle way of his, "Let's get you to bed and then we can talk."

Mal obeyed for the most part, protesting only once that she really was okay and didn't need to sleep but the thought seemed to appealing to deny for too long. Before she knew it, she was in her bed with Ben beside her with a damp washcloth.

He was gently dabbing her face with it, eyes sparkling with unconcealed concern and it made something inside her chest twist painfully. It wasn't normal, seeing someone so vulnerable all the time and some part of her was convinced that Ben would never be able to survive on the isle.

Then she remembered that there was more to the boy in front of her. A sort of iron in his blood and anyone brave enough to face everyone they grew up with a sided with complete strangers had to be strong. Braver than most, at least, and something worth admiring.

"I'm guessing there wasn't many doctors on the isle," Ben finally spoke after the silence stretched thinly between them, eyes still worried but there was something else in them now.

"There was a clinic," Mal explained as she blinked back at the boy and marveled at how much more difficult it was to figure him out, "In case you got seriously injured. Not for little sniffles and coughs."

"Well in my experience," Ben added as he eyed her seriously, moving the washcloth so it was in his lap, "Little sniffles and coughs can turn into something deadly."

"Yeah. Well," Mal shrugged lost for words as she ducked her head and added, "No one had the time to treat every little thing. They made you tough and anyone unable to handle it just wasn't tough. It's as simple as that."

"No. It isn't," Ben disagreed and though he didn't raise his voice she still flinched.

"You just don't understand," she tried, turning to stare at him and realized that he probably did which was why he was so angry all of a sudden.

It wasn't exactly like he made it a secret of how much he hated the conditions they grew up in.

"Mal," he replied and it came out sounding more like begging then he probably meant, "Did you ever end up in the clinic."

She blinked at the sudden change before she puckered her lips and shook her head.

"My mother wasn't physically abusive," she explained, a sudden flare of anger shooting through her as she realized that she had saw Carlos there once before they became friends and it was the first time she's ever wondered how frequent he had ended up there.

Then Ben was taking her hand in his again as he reassured, "Don't worry. You don't ever have to worry about your mother again," and she was too tired to tell him that she wasn't. She already learned to conquer the fear of her mother. It was what she was capable of doing to those she cared for- to Ben- that frightened her.

"I know," she responded instead, eyes fluttering close as the idea of sleep became infinitely more appealing.

"It's alright now," he continued as if saying it enough times would make it true; for all she knew it would as he added, "I'll take care of you."

And the funny part was that she believed him.