Ben

The next day.

When Ben woke up that morning alone, he felt the dread settle in his stomach. He knew he wasn't coming back tonight, no matter how much he wanted to.

He'd meant what he said to Harry. He'd give Mal what she wanted. Or he'd try to. And if what she wanted was space, he'd try to respect that.

Try.

He took his time getting ready to leave, spending so long in the shower he wasn't sure if he was actually just trying to drown himself instead. He made sure to grab the few things he'd left over the last few months, thinking it would only be the odd shirt, maybe a toothbrush.

He found one of his backpacks in the hallway cupboard when he went to grab his jacket. And somehow, he managed to fill it. A few shirts, a pair of shoes, his Rolex, two bottles of shower gel, some files he'd been reviewing and wanted Mal's opinion on. He found last week's dry cleaning in a garment bag in her spare room. He left the t-shirt he found in her laundry pile - it was definitely his, but he hadn't seen it in at least two months and he hoped that meant Mal had swiped it - and his toothbrush, because he couldn't quite bring himself to leave no trace of himself in the apartment.

And even after packing his stuff, he loitered around the apartment for a little longer than he usually would, hoping Mal would turn up, thinking he'd already left. Or that she'd see he was hanging around and come back to kick him out. Because...well he didn't know, but he couldn't fight her if she wasn't there.

It was after eight when Ben left Mal's place, meaning he was running late before he'd even started the day. It normally took about twenty minutes to get from Beast Castle to Mal's apartment, and maybe thirty going in the opposite direction. But during rush hour, all bets were off.

His first briefing was due at eight thirty. There was a nine am phone call. And he had a nine forty five face to face with Carlos, but he couldn't for the life of him remember what it was for.

Doug was going to kill him, he thought as his phone began buzzing incessantly in his blazer's inside pocket at eight twenty, but he couldn't bring himself to care.

Driving out of the underground parking garage of Mal's building, Ben wasn't surprised when he saw Lancelot appearing in his rearview a few moments later. Whenever he ditched his protection detail, they always found him by morning m. It wasn't like it was hard. He was always in the same place.

Wherever Mal was.

Ben was relieved to see it was Lancelot on duty again this morning. Sometimes the guards got switched out at the last moment, especially after Chad drama. Lancelot knew the deal with Mal. Knew not to ask questions. Or judge. Or infer. He just...was.

Ben glanced at his things in the front seat of the car.

Today he definitely didn't want to talk about things.

…

"Someone had a good night."

Doug and Carlos were waiting for him on the steps of Beast Castle when Ben pulled into the courtyard. Lancelot silently pulled in behind him. Ben didn't acknowledge Doug's cheerful observation, instead he grabbed his backpack and garment bag and steeled himself for what was coming.

He could do this. He'd faced his friends after waking up alone before. So why did this feel so different?

"You know, you could have just told me you guys were having a lazy morning, I would have made your schedule work." Doug's tone was teasing, and it was like a knife to Ben's heart. It wasn't that this was new, Doug always gave him shit. But...Ben had gotten used to getting shit because he deserved it. Because he and Mal had done something chaotic and Doug was left to pick up the pieces. It was always harmless, like ending up on the roof of the tallest tower, and they could all laugh about it.

There was nothing to laugh about this morning.

He slammed the door closed harder than he meant to, then as he stepped around the hood of the car, Ben shouldered his backpack and folded the garment bag over his arm.

He wasn't sure if his friends noticed his stormy expression or the bags, but both Carlos and Doug went pale.

"Ben. Why do you have two bags?" Doug sounded exasperated. And wary. And tired.

Ben knew the feeling. "Because I do?"

"Does Mal know you have your stuff?" Carlos asked quietly, glancing between Ben and the bags, as if Mal would hear him if he spoke too loudly.

Ben didn't actually know if that was a thing. It probably was, knowing his luck.

"Mal would have to be talking to me to know I have my stuff." Ben muttered under his breath, pushing past his friends and heading towards his office.

He couldn't face his suite right now. He had no idea whether he'd walk in and realise she had just as much stuff at his place, or if he'd be met with the startling realisation that she was everywhere and nowhere in his life. Even after all this time.

Ben didn't see the way Doug and Carlos exchanged matching Looks of dread. Or the way Doug pulled out his phone to send off a quick text to Evie.

He just wanted to get today over and done with.

…

"Have you ever met Mal's grandmother?" Carlos asked once they were in Ben's office. They were running an hour late now, and Ben still had no idea what this meeting was supposed to be about.

Ben fought the urge to groan and slam his head down on his desk. Clearly, his friends were in a talkative mood today. Normally, they left him and Mal to their own devices. Doug gave him plenty of shit, but the others tended to only drop the odd comment or knowing look. Six weeks ago, he'd have killed for someone to call them on their crap.

Today...not so much.

"Briefly. Once or twice." Ben replied, looking at Doug for help. But from Doug's closed expression, he knew he didn't have an ally. "She was very...regal. But I don't get what that has to do with...whatever we're meeting about. I'm sorry. I can't remember. Today is a shitshow and I'm a liability. We just need to accept it and move on."

Doug and Carlos froze. And exchanged another Look.

"What?" Ben frowned. He knew he wasn't on the ball today, but he didn't think admitting it was that shocking.

"Nothing. You just seem oddly...human today. Normally after a Chad episode we get Robot-Ben for a few weeks." Doug explained slowly.

"That...that's probably true." Ben sighed. Given his sudden realisation about the role that Chad's antics played in his own behaviour, he couldn't be surprised. Thinking back over the last few fuck ups, he realised…Doug was right in his assessment.

He and Audrey always went on autopilot after those things. Closing ranks and protecting the Crown. Every time.

"It is true." Doug countered, dropping into one of the free seats across from his desk. "You'd never admit you forgot about a meeting. Or turn up late. Or refer to anything involving royal life as a 'shitshow'. We thought…we thought you'd pulled away from Mal because of Chad." Doug tossed the tablet he was holding onto the desk dismissively and leaned forward to brace his elbows on his knees. Ben opened his mouth to ask why the hell Doug thought he'd do something stupid like that but he was cut off. "This meeting is supposed to be about the VK Futures Fund, but I think we need to park that and focus on your nervous breakdown."

"I'm not having a nervous breakdown." Ben wasn't entirely sure of the accuracy of that statement.

"You're having something." Doug shot back.

Ben fiddled with the edge of a folder, avoiding their concerned gaze, "I told Mal I don't want to do the eligible bachelor thing anymore. And now I have all my shit in my office. I didn't realise I had so much stuff over there in the first place."

Doug swore under his breath, "I'm going to reiterate what I told you when we were seventeen. Maleficent is going to curse you and Hades is going to steal your soul. You are way out of your league and your birthday is going to turn into a repeat of Sleeping Beauty except with more fire and brimstone unless you work this out."

Ben stayed silent. He knew where Doug was coming from, Mal was not a wallflower. She was her parents' daughter and if there was anything that she thought was in her way, she'd annihilate it.

But he was more worried about the outcome where he had the party, did the courting dance and she just didn't care. It felt like they were barrelling straight towards a crossroads. Ben didn't want the path that didn't involve Mal, but he wasn't convinced she wanted the path that involved him.

"What do you think is going to happen at this party, huh?" Doug continued, his words picking up speed as he gestured wildly. It was like they'd picked up right where they'd left off yesterday. "You're going to dance with Mal, and you'll make eyes at each other and it'll be fine. But then the dance is going to end and Audrey's going to cut in because she's next. Now Mal might be okay with that because they're friends. But then after that it's Claire Charming."

Ben winced. The media was incredibly fond of the rumour that he was secretly hooking up with Chad's younger sister. First there was the barely legal angle. Now there was the best friend's sister angle. People were incredibly invested in it. There were fansites for their supposed relationship. Dancing together at a live streamed ball would create a raft of new material.

"Mal's head's going to explode, and we're all going to die."

Ben would have told Doug he was being dramatic…if not for the fact that Carlos was nodding along in agreement.

"And if it's not Claire, it'll be someone else. They'll laugh or they'll flirt or you'll look like you're enjoying it, and boom. Everything's on fire. Mal's standing there with her mom's sceptre and her dad's ember and the next thing we know, she's sprouting wings and taking people out with her tail. And then she eats you. Or the girl. I'm not sure which one is more likely. But the point is I don't want to be barbecued."

Doug glared at Ben as he finished his rant. Any other day, Ben would have deflected. Would have changed the subject or avoided responding. But today, he deflated. He dropped his head into his hands and said, "I would take the fire and brimstone. It might actually mean she cares."

"Which brings me back to Gaia." Carlos cut in, his tone overly helpful.

Ben didn't look up, "What about her?"

He'd met Gaia maybe three or four times. He didn't like her. Or the way Mal always tensed up whenever she was mentioned in conversation.

The feeling Ben got around Gaia could only be described as meeting a stray cat in your hallway - you didn't know why she was there or how she'd got in, and you definitely didn't know if she was going to roll over and ask you to pet her, or if she'd bite your face off when you tried.

"I've been around here long enough to know that being described as regal in that tone isn't a compliment." Carlos pointed out, pulling apart Ben's earlier attempt at a diplomatic answer. "Mal's grandma makes Queen Leah look like a shower of rainbows. No one can meet her standards. And her passive aggressive comments make EQ look like a cheerleader."

"And what does this have to do with anything?" Ben sighed, fixing Carlos with a blank stare. He should be able to put all this together, but it wasn't happening. Maybe he was having a nervous breakdown.

"When she met Mal the first thing she said was that she was too mortal. And she keeps saying it. But she likes Mal's mom. Who is totally mortal."

Ben shook his head. Maybe a coffee would help. With scotch. Lots of scotch. "I'm still not following. I need you to explain this like I'm three and have zero grasp of the English language."

"We grew up on the Isle, Ben, do you really think we know what healthy relationships look like?" Carlos snapped, his usual chill demeanour turning sharp. "Evie worked it out quick enough. But it took me almost a year and a half to talk to Jane. And well we all know Jay isn't going to realise he can lose Lonnie until he actually does. Mal's parents hated each other her whole life, but got back together the moment she was off at boarding g school. Her grandma probably gave Leah lessons. Of course she's not going to make the first move. Not unless she's sure you're going to catch her when she falls."

Ben dropped his gaze to the floor. First Harry, and now Doug and Carlos. They were all telling him the same thing.

And maybe, just maybe, he knew what to do with it now.

Carlos laughed hollowly, it was a nervous sound that betrayed his fear of the fallout. "Ben, I mean, c'mon...she dug her heels in, and you packed your stuff. No one is surprised, but dude, if something doesn't change you guys are going to be doing this on-again off-again thing when we're sixty. We only need one Audrey and Chad in our lives."

Ben barely listened as Carlos and Doug continued his telling off, instead switching to game plan mode. He was used to trying to give Mal what she wanted. But maybe it was time he tried to work out what she needed.

…

Ben: I have to head to Camelot Heights tonight. Will be gone a few days.

Ben: I'll be staying at the Archer's Inn.

Ben: How's work?

Ben: You know when you want to ignore me, a little warning would be nice.

Mal: Bold

Mal: We both have busy lives Ben

Ben: Not that busy.

Ben: I miss you.

Ben: I really don't expect a reply given the fact we haven't spoken in a week.

Ben: But I miss you.

Mal: I know

Mal: The joys of being heirs

Ben: Bullshit.

Ben: You miss me too.

Ben: When are you back in Auradon?

Mal: Don't know

Ben: When can you be back in Auradon?

Mal: Don't know

Ben: Are you free this weekend?

Mal: Don't have a courting dance to prepare for

Ben: I would rather chop my own feet off.

Mal: Dramatic

Mal: Unnecessary

Mal: We have three natural disasters in Tibet this weekend

Ben: Not that I'm distracted, but am I allowed to know that?

Mal: Meh

Ben: Three?

Ben: That feels excessive.

Ben: I'm not going to ask why.

Ben: Spend this weekend with me.

Mal: Busy with my glacial avalanche, mud flood and drought

Ben: Again. Excessive.

Ben: I'm serious.

Ben: Annnnd we're back to the ignoring.

Ben: You do know I can see when you read my messages, right?