DISCLAIMER: Most definitely not mine.
A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviews, favorites, and follows! They all make me so happy; you have no idea!
Hi. It's been a while. Life is insane up in senior in high school land. So sorry for the wait.
But guys, 50 chapters! When I wrote the first chapter of this, I thought it would be a simple one-shot. Now, it's 50 chapters, has over 900 reviews, over 500 favorites, over 700 follows, and is by far my most popular story. It is absolutely insane! Thank you all so much for sticking around as long as you have!
Guest who asked about the "Junior Year From Hell": In one of the early-ish chapters, I think it's "Eyes" but it's whichever one Audrey and Ryder got married in, I made up this idea called "The Junior Year From Hell," which would have been the first full school year after where I put Descendants in my own personal timeline (Which would be about second semester of sophomore year). Basically, more Isle kids came over and wound up kidnapping Ryder and a couple other people. Audrey helped Mal rescue them, and then Jane and Mal used their magic to put up a much stronger barrier around the Isle. This year also includes my one-shot "Candy Canes and Mistletoe" and I think Descendants 2 can fit in it as well, since it's six months post the original (Which would be like September in my timeline) and then Ben at the end of that movie makes it clear he plans on bringing more people over from the Isle (Like Dizzy). Hope that helps!
And finally, this chapter has a timeskip of four months. Enjoy!
Even though it's October, it's hot enough that it may as well be early June, so while Mal's at girls' night, well, girls' brunch, he, Aria, and Clara head outside. The castle has traditional gardens, like many others, but one thing Belle had insisted on when he was born was a jungle gym and a pool. Both had been abandoned for years, and they had considered revamping them when Mal had first found out she was pregnant. Years later, they'd finally decided (With some help from Aria and Clara) that it was time to get them back in working condition. The girls love it, and he does, too. Especially when everything was going on with the Overtakers, going to the park stressed both of them out, so it was so much easier to just go out back with the girls.
Today, he's sitting at the bottom of the slide, watching as the two play tag. Clara's almost as fast, if not faster than, Aria, but she's doing a pretty good job of keeping up. He and Mal had talked long and hard about holding Aria back from kindergarten until she's six, and he's kind of glad that's the decision they made. It means more time for the two of them to play together.
God, he can't wait to have another one. He and Mal haven't had any luck yet, but he hopes they will soon. He's not worried about it, though. He's been open to the idea of adopting, or maybe just even stopping. They have two amazing little girls. Aria, at age five, is loving and caring, if stubborn. She's inquisitive and creative. She looks a lot like him, right down to her hair. Clara, two years younger, loves to make noise, whether it's talking or singing or laughing. She's much more outgoing than her sister, and gets frustrated easily, which is irritating since she doesn't like asking for help. She may have his hair, but everything else is all Mal.
He wonders what another child of theirs would look like. He really wants one with Mal's hair. He would love another girl, though maybe it's time for a boy. He's joked before about how he wouldn't give into a boy as much as he gives into his girls, but he knows he would.
"Hey, you," Mal calls, and he glances up to see her making her way across the backyard. She's in black skinny jeans and a purple peplum top with her black booties and a black leather jacket- her version of dressing up these days, with two hyperactive children and a country to run, no longer worried about heels and fluffy dresses like she was in high school. The green stone of her engagement ring catches the light, making it shine even brighter, and he smiles.
"I love you, you know that?"
"What? Eight years of marriage and two children never would have made me guess that!" she says, smiling, and she kisses him sweetly, smiling at him when she pulls away. "I love you, too."
Their wedding anniversary is this week, and they take the day off (As much as a king and queen can take the day off, of course). They had decided to keep it pretty casual, but they have an anniversary dinner celebration with their friends that night. It was Evie's idea, unsurprisingly, but everyone had jumped on board. Ben and Mal had insisted no gifts, even though it was clear that Evie, Anxelin, and Jay had found this sacreligious for an anniversary celebration, even if it was a boring year (Eight, to be precise). But they'd gotten each other gag gifts, and his parents had helped Aria and Clara put together a picture collage, which was adorable and had been hung above their bed as soon as it was opened and admired.
Now, they're at the Enchanted Lake, having a picnic all to themselves, with strawberries, peanut butter and jelly, and brownies. They were long past the phase were they wanted things big and elaborate, and had been for some time. It's much less pressure, they quickly discovered.
"We should swim," Mal says, already reaching for her t-shirt and pulling it up over her head. She has on her royal crest bikini, a gag gift he'd gotten her for a Christmas back in college once she admitted to actually liking swimming. He grins at her, having had the same idea long ago, and strips to his electric green swim shorts, meant to replace his own royal crest ones that had to be sadly retired. Standing up, they race across the pavilion and around to the giant rocks. He takes her hand and they exchange a grin, cannonballing into the water as Mal shouts in delight.
He's only underwater for a split second before he comes up, shaking his head like a wet dog. To complete the memory, he howls, and Mal, coming up now herself, laughs hysterically, throwing her head back. Their hands are still intertwined, and he smiles at her.
"I know an eight year wedding anniversary isn't a huge deal," Ben says, pulling her closer to him in the water. "And fourteen years together also isn't that big of a deal, but I think they're both pretty amazing."
"Yeah, they are," she promises, pressing her forehead against his. "Has it really been fourteen years?"
"Yep," he whispers, pecking her lips quickly. "Fourteen years of loving you so, so much."
"I love you, too," she replies, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I'm so glad you taught me what love feels like." He laughs, glancing over at the pavilion where they had first had this conversation.
"Me, too. Now," he says, his voice dropping to a whisper, "Can we do what I've always wanted to in that pavilion?"
"I thought you'd never ask," she replies with a laugh, kissing him. He stands up and walks them towards the pavilion, laying her down with a smile.
"Alright, I have something I want to say," Lonnie says, standing up and holding out her wine glass. "For the past… I don't know, at least a decade, you two have been inspiring all of us. I have never met a more selfless and devoted couple in my entire life. You're always irritatingly adorable, and funny, and there for each other, and if the son of Beauty and the Beast and daughter of Maleficent can not only make such adorable babies but also just be so happy, then the rest of us have it easy," she continues, taking Chris's hand, her engagement ring glistening in the chandelier lights. "So, happy freaking anniversary you crazy king and queen!"
The rest of their friends cheer, and everyone clinks their glasses together, even the kids. Aria helps Henry reach his mom's, and Audrey use's Aiden's bottle rather than her own.
"That's not true, but we'll take the compliment, right, babe?" Mal says, grinning at him, her eyes bright and happy.
"Ssh, we have an image to uphold," he teases, leaning in to kiss her cheek.
Their friends tell embarrassing stories about them, and the ones Chad tries to tell especially need to be repeatedly censored for all the young ears at the table. He and Mal smile and laugh, his arm casually around her shoulders most of the night.
He's spent almost half of his life with this girl, he realizes with a start, and that someday, pretty soon actually, he will have spent more years with her than without her.
Good, he decides, I couldn't imagine anything better.
A/N: I'm not going to make any updating promises; sorry! Hopefully sometime soon, because I've got some exciting things planned! Let me know what you think; reviews honestly are great motivators!
