Ben walked across the lobby of his building later than usual. The entire week was a nightmare for him, Wendy his new assistant had decided that the boy was not living to his full potential. So when the time came for her to book his appointments and meetings for the week, his busy schedule was now overflowing. Even his lunchtime was now a series of lunch appointments with potential writers and potential investors leaving no time for Ben to have a break.
Even his next trip that was supposed to happen a week after Mal's birthday in January was full to the point he was sure there was no way he was going to enjoy it even with the new destinations Wendy had add so many points he needed to hit that Ben was tired just thinking about it. If things continued to be like that, he was not going to make it. Finally the elevator door open and Ben walked inside, and after pressing the number of his floor, he let his head hit the wall behind him while fighting the urge to fall asleep. When the doors of the elevator open again, he managed to open his eyes enough to make his way towards his apartment suddenly a feeling of happiness fill him, and his step quickened a little. Once inside he couldn't help but smile at the sleeping figure of his beautiful girlfriend that laid on the sofa in front of a now black screen that was asking her if she wanted to continue watching the next episode of Brooklyn Nine-Nine.
Ben tried not to make a sound as not to wake her, slowly making his way towards her the boy felt himself relax and for the first time since that morning, happiness invaded him. After Mal came back from Washington the couple had decided that they wanted to take the next step in their relationship and move in together, sure there was the issue of which apartment they were going to choose, but in the end, they managed to agree in Ben's place but with Mal furniture. At first, the boy wondered why she wanted to change most of his decor when Mal always told him that she loved his place just the way it was. However, when she admitted that she didn't want to look at the apartment and remember his relationship with Lindsey the boy was quick to agree to exchange anything she wanted for her things or even buy new ones, the last thing Ben wanted was for Mal to think back to a time were another girl was in the picture. The couple talk with Carrie and the girl agree to sublet Mal's apartment from her so that Luke and she could move in together and in a matter of days, the boys managed to exchange the pieces Mal wanted from her apartment into Ben's and move the others to Carrie's and Luke's apartment. They also with the help of the rest of the group move in other things they bought.
Ben picked her up and made his way slowly into the bedroom. Their bed was one thing that they decided needed to be new; Mal didn't want to sleep in a bed where Lindsey and Ben were together. Even though Mal had already slept there when they started dating again now that they were not only going to be intimate but move in, she didn't want anything to do with that bed. On the other hand logic mandate that they bring hers up, however, Mal didn't want the memories of nights crying for the loss of their relationship on her mind either. So when Ben asked if she wanted them to buy a new bed or bring hers, she told him that they should have a new one.
The boy was more than happy to obligated to everything she mentioned; they were finally creating what was going to be their home. Thoughts of what could have happened if they had managed to overcome the difficulties of their relationship in the past sometimes came to him and Ben fought the urge to let his mind create scenarios that were never going to happen. What they have now couldn't compare to anything they could achieve before, now they were more open with each other, and their relationship was strong and healthy.
After delicately putting Mal on the bed he managed to put some blankets on her without disturbing her and made his way into their bathroom for a quick shower. However, the moment he felt the hot water hit him and his muscles finally relaxing Ben decided to take a longer shower. If he was honest, he knew that there was no way he was going to make it to the next year if his schedule was as pack as it had been this couple of weeks. Still, his sense of responsibility wouldn't let the boy back down of his commitment to give Wendy power to do with his schedule as she sees fit.
The last year had proof that he needed to stop letting his personal life overtake the magazine. Sure, his columns were a hit but for the first time since he launched the magazine, it didn't manage to achieve its goal of growth for the year. That added to the realization that his constant trips made some employees lives more difficult because they needed him to guide them or approve things so they could move on with articles made him feel worst. Carrie had proved to be an amazing addition, but she couldn't do her job and his without sacrificing some of her personal time. When Ben shared his concerns with Mal, she tried to convince him that he had already fixed the problems that his absences created in the past and that now the magazine was running smoothly. Carrie also attempted to explain this to him but for Ben, the guy that usually was the one ready to go the extra mile and stay late covering his employees, the knowledge that he had made life difficult for the people at the magazine filled him with such an amount of guilt that he couldn't let it go.
That's why when Ben hired Wendy and noticed the girl overflowing his calendar he never said a thing. The only time Ben had told her no, was when the girl tried to book several meetings on Mal's birthday. "That day is off limits, Wendy. I'm not going to be available at all, not even by phone."
Getting out of the shower proof to be difficult for the boy that now felt so relaxed that he only wanted to lay on the floor and sleep. Finally, he got into bed and closed his eyes welcoming the chance to rest hoping that the next day would not be as hard as today but also thankful for having Mal next to him. Suddenly Mal's voice startled him, and he turned to see the girl smiling with a sleeping expression on her face. It didn't take him a second to lean in and capture her lips, and soon the couple was trying to get as close as possible to the other while sharing how much they had missed each other during the day. After they broke apart, Mal snuggled closer to him and asked the boy to tell her about his day making Ben smile at the way she always wanted him to share his day with her making him feel love.
Mal listen to Ben talk about his day until the boy felt silence like he usually did every night. He was so tired that never got to finish his story before falling asleep, which always broke Mal's heart. She hated that Ben was overworking himself this much when he first shared the reasons behind his decision Mal tried to make him understand how wrong he was, but the boy insisted in continue his plans. The girl went as far as to asked Stella to talk to him but the woman only advice was to be there for him. "You can't change his mind Mal. Ben needs to realize that he can have a life outside the magazine without it falling apart. It might take time but is something that he needs to realize on his own. If you want to help him, just be there for him when he needs someone on his corner."
So every night Mal would stay up as late as she could manage to wait for Ben and asked him about his day, and every morning she put her alarm at the same time he needed to wake up so she could wish him a good day. Tomorrow was Friday, and Mal was looking forward to having a peaceful weekend with Ben and some of their friends maybe even have a picnic at Central Park.
Sadly, that weekend Ben ended up traveling to Seattle for a conference and ended up staying for an entire week taking meetings and barely talking to Mal due to the time difference. Even though he planned to fly back to New York after Seattle, Wendy sent him a ticket to LA for another week full of meetings.
"So are you coming back this week or are you going to another place after LA." Ben had decided to call Mal after his last meeting hoping that the girl wasn't asleep yet and was rewarded by having a long conversation that filled him with joy.
"I'm supposed to go to San Diego and Denver before New York but just for a couple of days so not even a week. I should be back by the end of the month though. Are you planning something special for Halloween?" He knew Mal love doing something for that, and he was sad to miss Jay's party. His relationship with Lonnie was better although Ben was not sure if he was ever going to be able to trust her the way he did before.
Mal started to ramble about how she was not sure if she was going to do something aside the costumes day at her office "We are going to organize a little party in the office, nothing major. At first, I was thinking maybe throw a contest with cute prizes but I'm not sure everyone wants to get dressed up so, for now, is just a little party with the option to go dressed up. I do need to get candy for the apartment in case some trick or treaters come that night so we can give them away."
In the end, Ben made his way to New York the day before Halloween and managed not only too convinced Carrie to help him get a costume so he could go to Mal's office and be part of her party but to hide it at her apartment so it would be a surprise. The morning of Halloween Ben said goodbye to Mal telling her that he would be picking her up from her office which put a huge smile on her face.
So that afternoon when Mal was about to start thanking her staff and welcoming them to the party, Ben entered the room dressed as a prince matching Mal's purple princess dress. The girl smiled at him and went on with her speech; however, the moment she ended Mal made a beeline towards her boyfriend and started kissing him. After the party ended the couple walk hand in hand towards their home enjoying each others company and talking about their plans for the rest of the year.
Time flew by, and soon Ben was reluctantly getting into another plane on his way to Boston to spent time with his family for Belle's birthday and Thanksgiving. "I think you could come with me. I don't think my mom would say anything once we are there Mal. Please, I don't like that you are going to stay here alone. When I agree to go back to Boston, I thought you were going to visit Zohu and Cora. "
"Well they are visiting Cora's parents and staying there until next year, and even though they invited me I rather stay home, and I'm not going to be alone. I've told you that I have people from the office and boxing class coming over, so I'm going to have lots to do." That was another point of Ben's discomfort about leaving Mal behind, he knew that the girl wouldn't invite Sam to their home, but that guy kept appearing out of the blue and he didn't like it. Mal seemed to sense that and tried her best to assure Ben that nothing bad was going to happen while he was gone.
On Thanksgiving day he saw some photos Mal posted, and he was glad that Sam wasn't in any of them. Belle's birthday came and went, and Ben couldn't wait to go back to Mal and start preparing their home for their first Christmas together. The morning of his last day in Boston Belle came down while Ben and his father were making breakfast and started talking about their plans for Christmas. That's when the boy noticed that her mom included him in their plans even though he already told her that he was staying in New York with Mal. So Ben took that opportunity to tell his parents again that he was staying with Mal from Christmas until her birthday and then he was going away for the magazine.
Belle started to complain about how they no longer saw him, and soon enough Ben was telling her how it was her decision not to have Mal in Boston with them. "I'm going to spend my holidays with her, I asked you if I could bring her and you said no. You wanted to wait a year before you meet Mal and that's fine, but that means I'm not spending the holidays with you guys and that's on you. Now I need to finish packing before it gets late."
Adam turned to look at Belle and noticed she was getting ready to go after Ben, so he stopped her. "You know he is right Belle. Ben tried to bring Mal here, and you said no, now you can't blame him for not coming home for Christmas."
The second Ben arrived in New York he went straight to his apartment hoping that Mal was already there after her boxing class. He opened the door calling her name, and Mal appeared in front of him in a matter of seconds. The girl didn't manage to say anything before he was scooping her up and taking her into the bedroom trying to make up for lost time.
Later on when they laid in bed together, Ben started asking Mal when she wanted to go pick a tree. "I know this week is going to be insanely busy to make up for the three days off from last one, but I think we can go on Friday night. What do you think?"
"That would be great, but are you sure you are going to be able to make it? I can do it myself if you want to, I know for a fact that Luke would help me bring the tree back here. We can decorate together though." Ben shook his head and started kissing her pausing the conversation for a while; he didn't want to admit that it was possible that he was not going to be able to help her buy it. He wanted to share those moments with her, and he was going to try his best to make it.
Friday night found Ben in a restaurant having dinner with a couple of investors and Mal standing in a tree lot waiting for him. Ben lost track of time, but when he saw his phone his heart dropped, he excused himself from the table and called Mal and apologized for not making their date. The girl told him not to worry and that she would meet him at their apartment later that night.
Later that night the boy was opening the door of his apartment when he heard laughter and conversation coming from inside. He pushed the door open and saw Carrie, Luke, Jay, Lonnie and Mal around a beautiful tree putting what looked like strings of popcorn. Suddenly Luke turned and noticed him, smiling the boy said hi to his friend making everyone in the room aware of his presence. After saying hello to everyone, Ben kissed Mal and then stood behind her, lowering himself enough that his mouth was next to her ear so only she could hear him. "I'm sorry I didn't make it to the lot Mal, but I'm really happy that you managed to gather everyone to help you."
"It was funny. I told Lonnie and Carrie how we were going to buy our tree today at lunch today and while I was waiting for you at the lot they all appeared out of the blue. I guess they just wanted to help us choose our tree." Even though Mal smiled at him, Ben knew that the girl was sad about the situation. Their friends had correctly assumed that Ben was not going to make it and that Mal was going to be alone in the tree lot trying to find a tree for their home. Lonnie and Jay said goodbye an hour later but promised to visit before going to Boston for the holidays. Mal took that opportunity to excuse herself telling the other couple that she was feeling exhausted and was going to bed, but they should feel free to stay longer so they could continue to talk with Ben.
Once the girl was gone for a couple of minutes, Ben sat putting his head between his hands. "I ruined it, right?"
"Yeah, you did. Ben, you shouldn't have told her that you were going to meet her there, she was freezing waiting for you. Mal understands that you need to go to this meetings and even when we asked her if she gets annoyed with you having less time with her she keeps saying no. But let me asked you something. Are you ok with the amount of time you spent in magazine related things?" Carrie finished talking and looked at Ben with such concern in her eyes that the boy didn't know what to say.
Was he ok? No, he wanted to spend more time with Mal. Ben wasn't dumb he was aware that Mal had things to do at work and her after work activities, but he would like to be able to come home at a time where they could still have dinner together or even have a date in the middle of the week. They talk for a while until Luke started yawning and the couple said their goodbyes wishing the boy a peaceful weekend and once again asking him to think about the amount of time he spent at work.
Ben went into his room and saw Mal sleeping, the answer to the question became even more evident. He needed to slow down at work because even though the magazine was important for him the essential thing in his life was Mal and he wanted to be with her. After he changed into his pajamas, the boy got into bed and snuggled against Mal falling asleep happy about his decision.
Morning found Ben alone in bed; he went on looking for Mal around the apartment but didn't see her, and there was no note. Just as he was making his way back to their room to look for his phone the door open and Mal appeared taking her headphones out and looking sweaty. "You are up. I went jogging, and I lost track of time, sorry. Do you want to go out and grab breakfast?"
Ben nodded and Mal smile telling him that she was going to take a quick shower and change. After both of them got ready, the couple made their way hand in hand down the street looking for a place to sit down and have a quiet time. They found a little cafe and order; Mal started telling Ben how they needed to buy some ornaments for there tree. The boy began to apologize again for last night, but Mal cut him off. "I know you didn't mean for that to happened Ben it's ok. Can we just move on?"
The waiter brought out their food right then, and Mal started eating leaving Ben to wonder if she was really ok with what happened or was she doing what he used to do whenever something upset him. The rest of the day ended up being the focus on getting things to decorate their place and that night they started putting everything up. Mal was excited, and she told Ben that they should stay up until they finished decorating and buying presents for their friends online.
Morning found them sleeping on the couch with their laptops on the floor and surrounded by a beautifully decorated room. This time Ben was the first to wake up but still was unable to move due to Mal being half on top of him, not that he will complain. If he could choose how to wake up every morning, this scenario would be on his top five. With a little luck, he managed to get his phone out of his pocket and take a picture of Mal and him and sent it to the chat he had with his friends with the caption "This is happiness."
Cogsworth was one of the first to respond with smiley face. Mal stir on her sleep and Ben took the opportunity to get out of the couch without disturbing her and started chatting with everyone on the chat. On a private one, Cogsworth asked him if he had any big news and Ben rolled his eyes at the less then subtle way his friend had to ask if he had proposed to Mal. They talk for a while, and Ben assured him that everything was going great between them, but he didn't feel there was a need for him to move forward. Yes, for all intent and purposes Ben was scared to mess things up but he was not going to share that with anyone, especially after the Lonnie situation.
Mal woke up an hour later to a beautiful spread of food making her smile. These moments were the ones she held on to when Ben missed their dates or cancel because of the magazine. He was the one, and Mal was sure of it, and she didn't mind the difficult moments as long as they stay together.
Soon enough Christmas came, and the couple went to visit Billy and his family to share their Christmas Eve dinner. It warmed Mal's heart the way they all care for Ben and were willing to accept her in their home. They exchange greetings after midnight and open some gifts they had brought the family as a thank you. On their way home, Mal didn't say a thing, and Ben wondered if she didn't have a good time with his friends, maybe they should have stayed home. Once at their building, they made their way to the elevator in silence, not even attempting to hold each other's hands.
Mal opened the door and made her way straight into the bathroom not saying a word, Ben close the door of the apartment feeling defeated and made his way to the bathroom asking Mal if she was ok. The girl came out a couple of minutes later with a look of determination in her eyes, startling Ben a little. "Do you still have that puzzle box I gave to you?"
Ben was taken aback by the question he hadn't thought about the box in months. He remembered Cogsworth mentioned it when he was visiting him but then he forgot about it again. "Yeah I haven't been able to open it yet, is in my closet. Why?"
"I want to show how to open it. Can you bring it to me?" After that, she went into their bedroom and sat on the middle of the bed making Ben a little nervous. The boy made his way to the closet and took the box out wishing that he had put more effort in opened it before this moment. Mal took the box from him and asked him to sit next to her; Ben noticed her hands seemed to be shaking a little and started to feel his heart racing faster. After a couple of expert move, they heard a faint click, and now Mal's hands were visibly shaking.
"Here I want you to open it." Mal gave the box back to Ben; now he only needed to move one piece so the inside of the box would show itself. The moment he did he felt his heart stop and the air in lungs leave his body, he definitely should have open that box before.
Notes
So, sorry for not writing for a while. This last couple of months haven't been the best but I'm hoping everything gets better..so I hope someone is still reading this.