It's MAY!
...
It's May?
...
Omg, it's May!
Time is flying. And also not?
Time is weird.
Moving on...
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Lots of Love Descendants!
-Dark-
Ben smiles down at her as they slowly walk through the hallway, away from the boy's room where they'd just left Jay to deal with the glare on Lonnie's face.
No fucking thank you. She'd dealt with enough of those looks already, not that she thought the end was anywhere in sight.
Fairy Godmother had visited them in the hospital, but she could tell the woman was holding back on her commentary.
Probably waiting until they felt 'well' enough to handle being yelled at.
Ugh.
Ob-fucking-noxious.
What the hell were people going to tell them that they weren't already aware of?
What could they possibly yell that they weren't already hearing?
They'd fucked up.
No shit.
She knew that.
Her pack knew that.
Fucking all of Auradon knew that.
What exactly were they supposed to do in that situation?
Maleficent had outed them. Sure they'd changed their minds not even a week into being here- But she still outed them.
Everyone who was anyone in Auradon knew why they were actually sent over. It didn't matter that they hadn't done it.
Not to the people who were so, so-
Fuck only knew what these people were, the ones that brought guns into the mix. That had gone out of their way to frame them. That had spent weeks coordinating the attack.
Ugh. Fuck her.
Had she ever even thanked Hiro for bailing them out of that mess?
She swallows her distaste.
Did it matter?
He clearly wasn't bothered one way or the other by it.
In fact, he seemed to get off on making her lose her temper.
Ugh.
Still, she wasn't sure what would've happened after the whole setup if it wasn't for him.
Fucking damn it.
He wasn't T.
He was so much fucking worse.
They were both reckless fucking idiots, sure.
But Hiro was a stupid space-ship building, robotics making, fucking rich pup stealer.
Who her pup had fucking idolized for years.
If she'd known then what she knew now, she would've had Deez set all those magazines ablaze.
Just. Ugh.
Putting aside he'd basically shoved himself into her mouth when she'd been stuck as a dragon, which- she represses a shudder at the thought of T doing something equally stupid or worse.
Except-
Oh, fucking moth-
Motherfucker?
She'd end up burning T to a crisp or something equally fucking awful on impulse.
She pauses for the briefest second.
That mother-fucking fucktard.
When the fuck did- No better question- Why the fuck did she start caring about that pain in the ass shit starter.
Half of her time here had been about worrying for the damn asshole. Well, him and Deez and-
Ugh.
Damn it.
How the fuck had this happened?
Telling her mother to go fuck herself was one thing.
Calling a truce with Uma? That she could handle too.
But caring about the damn Shrimp and her pain in the ass brood?
That just- Ugh.
How?
Deez.
Deez she could understand caring about. Even on the Isle it had been hard not to appreciate her.
Care about her.
Annoyingly naive, knows everything, pain in the ass.
And yeah, sure, it started out with her mother ordering her to befriend her. And yeah, she might have loathed and begrudged the order.
But at least she could admit to herself why.
Or at least she could admit it to herself now.
She'd been fucking jealous.
Envious of the small demi-goddess that could go around spouting off about how she felt about everything without recourse.
Envious of how easy it was for her to weave in and out of social situations. How she could diffuse fights without so much as a spark of abilities.
And yeah. It was because everyone was scared that they might end up being the tipping point of her patience-
Ugh, minus T.
-but still. To garner so much respect and fear by just existing- And never using it?
She wouldn't have had that much self-control.
So many people would be dead three times over.
And at her core, if she was really, really, really honest with herself- She didn't think she could live with blood on her hands.
Hell, she fucking hated when people flinched.
Okay, maybe not all people.
Sometimes it made her happy. It was weird. Like, half of her loved it, but the other half? It just-
-ugh.
Whatever.
But when it came to Carlos?
Fuck if that didn't always tear through her heart. Like every fucking time without fail.
No matter how many times she tried to convince herself otherwise.
She blinks when she feels Ben's warm hand slip into hers.
"Roy snatched up Carlos for gaming, Lonnie is taking care of Jay in his room, and Doug said he was talking Evie to your room. Since you didn't seem to want to be in either room, I was wondering where you would like to go." Ben gently asks as his thumb brushes over her hand.
Her nose scrunches
Had the HK's… Her eyes narrow.
Damn.
She smirks as she squeezes Ben's hand, impressed.
She'd never even suspected them doing this. Dropping to actual gang tactics.
Divide and conquer.
Was it basic? Sure. But still, props were due.
But that meant- Shit.
"Kitchen." She shrugs.
She always felt so empowered when they baked together- Well, when she ordered him around, and he cooked and baked for her.
"Of course that's where you'd pick." Ben chuckles knowingly before he leads her down the hall.
Smug asshole. She glowers.
She so didn't want to do this.
The whole talk thing.
After everything that happened?
Nearly getting everyone who meant shit in Auradon- she grimaces -the world.
Playing catch the king, his father, with her new-found paw.
Caught him in a fucking paw.
A part of her had fucking paws.
She blinks when she feels Ben's hand on her cheek.
"I'm sure the others could use a batch of cookies or five." He winks down at her.
"Cookies sound good." Her lips tilt up despite her concern. "And five batches seems like a good start." Maybe she could magic enough cookies for everyone to forget the last week.
"Oh, a good start?" Ben laughs as he loosens his collar before he rolls up his sleeves, "Sounds like you have my work cut out for me."
"Seems like." She pats his chest as she walks past him.
Mal had not been kidding.
Three batches of five different cookies, two double batches of brownies, and he hadn't even bothered to count the number of cupcakes Mal was going to have to decorate.
Now he was questioning his own knowledge of candied apples as he poured another cup of sugar into a saucepan.
Was there an end in sight?
Not that he was going to complain, he really enjoyed the way he and Mal worked together in the kitchen.
But he couldn't help feeling like Mal was trying to avoid something.
Something lizard-sized.
He tilts his head to the side as he watches her flip through her phone until she stares at something. Then turns back to the cupcake in her hand and spells it.
A very much not Mal blue and white cupcake.
He inches up behind her in time to catch a glimpse of a flag on her phone, the blue and white flag of the kingdom of Charmington.
He looks over the other already decorated cupcakes, all simply decorated with colors that represented the kingdoms that made up Auradon.
He blinks as he sets down the measuring cup and turns to the burner to low.
"Mal?" He calls out to her in warning before he walks up behind her again as she smoothly slips her phone into her pocket.
"Sup?" She looks up at him quizzically, "Don't tell me you're done already?"
"Oh, no, not done, just-" He sighs as he takes her hand, "Worried about you, I guess is the best way to put it. Or worried about what you're not saying."
"That you added the wrong amount of salt to one of the batches?"
His brow furrows before he plucks a cookie from a pile and bites into it, "No-" he smiles around the mouthful, "perfectly balanced flavor."
She turns into him and boops his nose playfully. "How do you know that was the right batch?"
"I selected at random. Want me to try all the cookies?"
"It wouldn't hurt." She shrugs before she turns and pushes him.
"So while I gorge on cookies," He laughs lightly as he catches his footing, "you want to let me know what's really bothering you?"
"No, not really." Mal walks by him to look over the stove and turn up the candy's burner.
"So there's no reason you're decorating the cupcakes with flag colors?"
"No, not particularly." She shrugs as she starts to whisk the sugary goop.
"Mal." He sighs.
He understood not wanting to face what happened, especially on the other side of it.
But they had to talk about this. Had to talk about what happened.
About how badly he failed them. How much the kingdom had failed them.
"We um," He bites his lip before he looks up again.
How best to get her to talk?
Maybe start with questions?
"Do you want to know what happened to Maleficent?"
"Huh." She furrows her brow, "She got sent back, didn't she?"
Surely Hiro had been teasing when he'd mentioned the fish tank.
He slowly shakes his head, "No, my father opted to not send her back while she was stuck as a lizard."
"Shame," She snorts, "T probably would've enjoyed that."
It sounded like she enjoyed the thought of it. He chuckles, "I bet. It sounds like T has a penchant for messing with people he probably shouldn't. And yet he somehow makes it out okay." He shakes his head, "Anyway, no, she's still in Auradon."
Mal studies him for a moment, "Why?"
He frowns as he watches her, "I figured you'd want to know what happened. Maleficent, the lizard, is currently being held for her crimes in a magic proof cell, and all her lizard needs are being met."
Mal snorts.
He smiles as he takes her hand and pulls her closer, "I'm sorry I promised that they couldn't get to you, and I'm sorry she did. But she is contained now. You can even see her if you want." He tucks a loose strain of flour-dusted hair behind her ear, "I'd really like to talk about this with you, but only if you're ready."
She frowns as she looks up at him. "Why are you sorry?"
"Because I promised you something that I couldn't give." He admits softly, "I swore up and down that you were safe. You and the others. Safe from parents that couldn't reach you. And yet, one did-"
"Ben," She covers his mouth. "Ben, listen." Her eyes look up at him intensely, "I believed you, I truly did. And I wanted to believe it. But my- "She sighs, "Mother," She rolls her eyes, "She ruins everything that makes me happy. She can't stand it. Builds character, she says."
He takes a deep breath. Builds character? What kind of a person thought it was character building to ruin everything?
How could a mother think like that about her own daughter?
She scoffs. "So, this was kinda inevitable. I just-" She runs a hand down her face. "She's such a fucking cunt. It just checks, you know?"
It tore at his heart to see the way Mal so blindly accepted that her happiness was going to be ruined.
Inevitable.
And then Maleficent had shown up to ruin everything.
"No wonder you guys ran." He sighs before he crushes her to him in a tight hug.
He smiles when she softens into the embrace and hugs him tighter, keeping her face hidden.
They'd had theories on why they'd run, but the truth he was slowly uncovering with Mal hurt worse than anything he thought he'd been prepared for.
She ran with her pack because Maleficent showing up to ruin everything had been inevitable.
So if everything was ruined, what was the point of staying?
He presses his lips to her hair.
"We're not ruined, are we?" He asks, whispers against her ear.
She stiffens as her breath hitches. "I don't want us to be."
It was like a vise grip fell away from his heart as he laughed and nuzzled against her, "Good because I don't want us to be ruined either." He brushes her hair from her face before he cups her cheek, "I'm not giving up on this, and I was hoping you felt the same way."
She hugs him closer, "We came back, didn't we?"
"You did. You came back to us. To me." He lifts her from her feet to set her on the counter, "And I will never be able to show how grateful I am, though I will happily spend forever trying." He smiles as she looks up at him, "But now we have to get on the same page about what happened during the ceremony and ask ourselves what our next step is."
She sighs as her eyes dart to the dozens of cupcakes. "I s'pose just forgetting about it is out of the question then." She sulks as she tilts her head back, pouting up at the ceiling.
His eyes narrow as he looks between Mal and the army of cupcakes and other baked goods.
His eyes widen before he fails miserably to try and curb his amusement, "Mal!" He snorts with a shake of his head. "No, we can't just- There are recordings. So many people not even in Auradon saw what happened."
"Damnit." Her cheeks puff up and she blows out the air before she shakes her head, "Well, I mean obviously," She scoffs, "I wasn't serious. That'd be stupid."
Oh, but she had been serious.
He wasn't sure if he should be proud of the fact that she included him in her possible plan and listened to the cons, or just scared of the fact she'd started thinking they could possibly erase this from history.
At least she included him. That was what he was choosing to take from this.
"Looks like our friends have baked goods for days. Cookies freeze, right?"
He chuckles as he nods, "I doubt anyone will complain."
He pulls her closer, wrapping his arms around her back to press her to his chest, "It will be okay Mal, I can promise that you and I will figure this out."
"Right." She sighs as she turns back to the cupcakes, "No one would've eaten them after that anyways." She swishes her fingers to change the icing to match everyone's favorite colors, including Roy's and Hiro's.
"But the important people will." He smiles as he watches her.
Magic was an everyday thing for him. Something he'd grown up with.
But watching Mal work spells was a whole new experience. Magic seemed a lot more fun from her perspective.
"Want to make gift baskets for everyone?" He offers with a small smile, remembering all the times he'd helped his mother and Mrs. Potts do something similar.
Mal stares at him for a moment before she looks away with a scoff. "Yes."
His smile widens.
Finally, something he could really help her with.
There was time to figure this out, but first, she clearly needed to come to terms with it.
And, he sighs, the fact that it wasn't going anywhere.
Divide and conquer would've been another great title for this chapter if it wasn't for the fact Mal had intended to spell all the kingdoms. *Snorts*
But seriously, though, can you blame her?
She is a teenager with access to magic. Is there anyone out there that doesn't wish they could spell certain things out of existence?
It is a sweet chapter, both literally and figuratively.
Fuck only knows how many hours they were in that kitchen.
Fucks knows we don't.
But what do you guys think?
Sweet?
Or
Depressing? *Thought I was going to say bitter again, weren't you?*
Cute Ben just went with it though, right?
Do you think we did a good job with the introspection?
Oh! If you're curious, the reason the letters didn't come up was because Ben, wisely, thinks it would be too much for them at the moment. They've enough shit going on without adding some of the shit from those letters.
Disappointed?
Are you guys looking forward to seeing the pack's reactions?
How do you think they're going to react?
We wanna know!
Fave Quote *'s this time. It was so hard to choose between the two...*
First
Fucking damn it.
He wasn't T.
He was so much fucking worse.
They were both reckless fucking idiots, sure.
But Hiro was a stupid space-ship building, robotics making, rich fucking pup stealer. -Mal
Second
"Damnit." Her cheeks puff up and she blows out the air before she shakes her head, "Well, I mean obviously," She scoffs, "I wasn't being serious. That'd be stupid."
Oh, but she had been serious.
He wasn't sure if he should be proud of the fact that she included him in her possible plan and listened to the cons, or just scared of the fact she'd started thinking they could possibly erase this from history.
At least she included him. That was what he was choosing to take from this.-Ben
Dead.
Both of them just slayed me.
See my reservation?
What was your fave?
Much love and appreciation,
-Twisted