It Will be Yours

(Tuesday Afternoon, June 25th)

After Ben opens the door, he notices Evie laying outfits onto the bed, "Hey. Are you ready to go?"

She smiles at him, "Yeah." before it falters. "Oh." She picks up a leather book, walking over before she hands it to him, "I found this."

He takes the brown item, "What is it?"

"Your mother's journal."

Ben darts his eyes back at her, "Her journal?"

Evie hesitates, "I only know, because her name is on the first page." He opens the book and notices the same scribbles repeated throughout the page. "I didn't read it. Obviously. My French is in no way that good yet."

Ben mumbles, "My name is Belle Marie. My father is Maurice Favre. And I—"

She notices his confusion, "What is it?"

He shakes his head, "Nothing. It's just…" He makes a noise and faces her, "It's just… It's almost like she was trying to know who she was."

Evie lifts an eyebrow, "You mean, remember?"

"Yeah," Ben looks off in annoyance. "That word." He breathes in stress, "Where did you say you found this?"

"In one of the drawers."

Ben shakes his head again, "But this wasn't even her room."

Evie shrugs, "Maybe she wanted to keep it safe." before she notices Ben glance over the pages, clearly agitated. "What is it?"

"This doesn't make sense," his eyes widen. "She loves him. This— It didn't happen."

It takes a moment for Evie to ask, "What didn't happen?" She watches as he brings a hand to his head, ranting in French as he sits on the edge of the bed. "Ben?"

He cries, "She just… She thought the worst of him."

Evie sits down next to him and whispers, "Maybe she was wrong." and Ben feels something sink within him. He knows his mother's first assumptions weren't wrong. He just doesn't understand how they could have changed so much. He feels one hand rest on his left shoulder, as another holds his right hand. She tries to do as she did before, take away the pain; however, it's too intense, and she isn't able to keep a steady grasp on it. "I'm sorry."

"It just isn't right," Ben manages, before his pitch raises and the words switch to French as they speed up.

"It's okay," Evie whispers, before she notices Mal enter the doorway, who freezes suddenly and frowns as she eyes over Ben. "It's going to be okay."

"Yes. I'm fine," Ben reassures again, as they walk towards the clothes. He notices someone snap a picture of him, and his eyes shift, "Or I was." Mal notices the younger boy, before Ben interrupts her field of sight and she watches as he hurries over to some leggings. "So, they actually have pants now for swimming."

Evie takes an electric blue one from the rack, an even expression masking the excitement in her dark eyes, "This will do." She glances around, "Where's the tops?"

"Uh," Ben makes himself known, and she turns to him. He awkwardly smiles, "You might just need a regular shirt to put over the top my mother got you. Sorry." He turns to his girlfriend, "Mal?" before she faces him and hums. "What about you? These should work, right?"

Mal furrows her brows at them, "They look…"

"Great?" Ben attempts to smile.

"Tight," she corrects, as she notes the strange material.

"Don't worry." He informs, "They stretch."

She kneels and stretches a part of the thin material, grimacing, "It's going to cut off my circulation."

"No, it won't," Ben denies.

"And these colors," Mal makes a face at the pink and lavender, before she stands up and shakes her head, "Can't I just get some shorts or something?"

"You mean, swim shorts," Ben's eyebrows raise, as he points to himself. "Like what I have? From the men's section?"

Mal cautiously eyes him and slowly inquires, "Am I not allowed to?"

"Well," Ben uncomfortably comments, "you could." He frowns, "But why would you want to?"

Evie squints at him, "She just told you."

"I know," he shuts his eyes. "It's just—" He takes a breath, "Help me. Please."

Mal nearly rolls her eyes, before she points a hand to the tights, "These colors are nauseating."

"They make her sick," Evie interprets, and Ben's eyes shift between the two.

Mal points her arm to the other section, "All the cool colors are over there, and shorts would actually let me feel my legs."

"Slow down," Ben raises a hand.

She takes a deep breath and irritably states, "I like the colors over there, and I want shorts." She glances at the tights again, "Not an extra pair of skin." Ben still looks confused. "What? Do girls not wear shorts here?"

"No. They do," he begins.

"Just not for swimming," Evie finishes.

Ben lets out a breath and takes Mal's hands, "Look. If you want to wear shorts, I can deal with that. But some people may not like it."

"Who cares what they like?" Mal counters. "I like shorts." She smiles and slips past him, "Actually. I think I saw a pair."

When Evie follows Mal, Ben taps her shoulder and she turns around, "I don't get it. Why doesn't she like the tights being tight? I would think leather to be worse."

"She's worn tights too before," Evie enlightens. "But that was with shorts over them." She eyes her and whispers, "Between you and me, I just don't think she feels like showing off her figure to a bunch of horndogs."

Ben watches as Evie runs to catch up with Mal, before he mutters, "Horndogs?" in perplexation and strides after them.

"What a great idea." Evie squeals, "These shirts are going to look awesome."

"I know," Mal smiles, checking the basket to make sure all four shirts and five dyes are still there, before she looks around with furrowed eyebrows. "Where's Ben?"

Evie scans the area, before she looks over her shoulder and turns around, "There." Mal faces the other direction and notices Ben staring at an aqua blanket. Mal and Evie give each other a look, both frowning, before they trail back to him. "And Mal said you had no personality," Evie jokes.

Mal widens her eyes, "I did not say that."

When Ben doesn't respond, Evie's expression falls, "Hey."

"Hey," Ben whispers.

"Are you going to get it?" she softly inquires.

It takes him a moment to say, "I can't."

"Why not?" Mal retorts more harshly than she'd meant.

Ben continues to eye the shimmering aqua, "It sparkles."

"So?" Mal prompts.

"So, it's a girl blanket," he shakes his head.

"Blankets have gender now?" Mal's brows furrow as she turns to Evie, and Evie shrugs. She sighs and looks back at Ben, "Look. Do you like the blanket?"

"Yeah," he mumbles.

"Then, get it," she solves.

There's a long pause, before Evie comments, "Maybe he can't." She looks at Mal, "He's sensitive to heat. Maybe he just knows he won't use it."

Ben touches the plush material, "No." and they look at him. "I think it's thin enough."

"Then what's the problem?"

"Mal," Evie hisses.

"What?" she defends. "I don't get it. If he wants it, why doesn't he just take it?"

Evie gives her a look, "Because he's not from the Isle, Mal." Evie lets out a breath, "Ben. It's just a blanket. If you want it, have it."

When he fails to comment, Mal takes out her phone, "That's it. I'm getting Jay."

"No," Ben hurriedly states as he swiftly turns and tries to snatch the phone, but Mal keeps it out of his reach.

When the video of Jay shows, he smiles, "Hey. What's up?" before he frowns at her stress. "Mal?"

"There's this blanket," Mal begins, holding the phone towards it for a minute for Jay to see. "Ben wants it, but he thinks it's too girly."

"Girly?" Jay disbelieves. "It's just a blanket."

"Why don't you try telling him that," she firmly requests before shoving the phone into Ben's hands.

He holds it up and awkwardly smiles, "Hey… man."

"Hey yourself." Ben uneasily laughs, and Jay continues, "Dude, if you want that blanket, just get it."

"I can't," he excuses.

"Can't or won't?" Jay's eyebrows raise, before he points an arm to some random direction. "Back on the Isle I would have killed for a blanket like that."

Mal's eyes widen, and her head slowly turns as she grins and inaudibly hums, "Uh huh."

Ben shakes his head, "You don't get it. My father— If he finds it—"

"Screw your father," Jay angers. "He has no right to tell you what you can and can't have, when to eat, when to sleep—"

"Uh," Ben intrudes. "Is this still about me?" Jay grow quiet, and Ben explains, "He thinks I'm weak enough already."

"Because it's girly?" Mal questions, and Ben looks at her.

"So, girls are weak now?" Evie places a hand on her hip.

Jay oohs, "You're in trouble now."

Ben glances between the three of them, "I'm not saying girls are weak."

"Just that your father will think you're weak if you get a 'girl' blanket," Mal slowly says with finger quotes.

"Yes," Ben lets out, and Mal and Evie give each other a look.

"Okay," Mal settles, as she faces Ben. "Let's say here, this is something only a girl would have. It's a blanket. Your father's not even going to see it."

Evie watches Ben's eyes shift off, "What? Does your father go into your room?"

"Both of my parents do," Ben mumbles, and he looks off again. "Besides, I was thinking more of my… my office." He eyes between them, "I spend a lot of time in there, and it's hard to just sit in a chair all night." He turns to the blanket, "It would be nice to have something nice there at least. I could even have a spot on the floor if I really wanted to." He eyes down, "Or I could get a pullout couch, have my laptop and papers around me on the bed."

"With the blanket," Jay reminds him, and he looks down at him. "Sounds nice."

"You are uptight," Evie notices. "You could really use a way to stretch out."

"And be comfortable," Mal adds on. Ben eyes down in silence, and she inquires, "What are you so afraid of?"

"It's of no use," Ben meets her green eyes. "He would break it, like he breaks everything."

Mal thinks, "Then tell him the blanket was my idea."

"I can't lie," Ben stresses.

"You get the couch," Mal enunciates, "because you want people to be comfortable. Which you do, because it would make you comfortable. And the blanket is my idea, because I'm the one convincing you to get it." Ben still seems unsure, so Mal places her hands on his shoulders. "Hey." He meets her jade eyes again, and she sadly smiles, "Ben. You're more than just a king. You're a person who has wants and needs, and you need to be able to express yourself, let us know who you really are."

"You know who I am," he whispers.

"I know what you value," Mal agrees, "but what I don't know is who you are." She eyes over him, "I know the group of thinking you belong to, but I don't know what makes you, you." He looks down, and she lifts his chin back up, "But I want to."

It takes him a minute to respond, "It's just a blanket."

Mal nods, "Maybe." before she frowns and raises an eyebrow. "But if you really thought that, you wouldn't be hesitating to get it."

"And if it really is just a blanket," Jay intrudes, and Ben looks at him again, "then there's no reason why you shouldn't take it."

Ben continues to frown, but he slowly nods, "Right." before he looks back at Mal. "So, what's the plan again?"

Mal takes the plush blanket from the shelf, "First, we get this."

"Along with the couch you wanted," Evie smirks.

"And then," Mal grins, "it will be yours."

"That's not a plan," Ben worries.

Mal places a hand to his cheek, before she kisses him and whispers, "Don't worry. All you need to do is follow my lead."

- Posted: 04/01/2019

- Has Ben told Mal he's sick yet? You know, that whole fever thing... I feel like he didn't. He told Chad, though. Makes you think... Is this horrible or horribly funny? I can't tell.

-Megan Sorry. I'm really going to need to keep my account solely for my stories, especially with how many I've been uploading lately. If you do manage to get your guys's stories up, though, then I'd be willing to check them out. Thank you for the reviews.