Mal was getting settled into one of the guest rooms at Ariel and Eric's castle after a long day of traveling when she heard the door creak open slowly. She went into defensive mode and grabbed a lamp off the bedside table ready to pounce. But it was just Ben.

"Jeez you scared me! What're you doing sneaking in here like that?!"

Ben winced at his girlfriend's vocal levels as he tried to quietly close the door. "I was trying to be discrete."

Mal mouthed an "oh" and gently placed the lamp back down. Ben crossed the room, hands stuffed in his pockets. He was wearing blue flannel pajama pants and a yellow cotton t-shirt. Mal had yet to change out of her travel clothes.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I just wanted to check up on you and make sure you were feeling okay?" Ben, always wanting to talk about feelings. Mal felt frustrated, why couldn't he just leave it all alone. Stop rocking the boat.

"Ben seriously I'm fine." Mal said with an edge in her tone. Ben was taken by surprised that she would snap at him and it irritated him. All he was trying to do was be there for her and help her. He had to take a beat and remind himself that she was not accustomed to being taken care of and it would take them some time for her to allow it.

"Okay you're fine then," Ben shrugged and lifted his arm up to scratch the back of his head. And just like that Mal's emotions flipped a switch. There it was again. Ben innocently doing something completely unaware of how it lifted his shirt up at the waist and revealed the hard planes of where his stomach disappeared into his sleep pants.

Mal could feel her eyes starting to glow from the assault on her senses.

Ben's whole body tensed in alarm. He reached out reflexively and then halted in mid air, thinking better of it. "Mal your eyes," he refrained from adding 'are you okay'.

Mal closed her eyes and turned around trying to calm down her emotions. She turned back to face him. "Ben I'm so sorry my emotions have been all over the place lately."

Sending the tension gone, Ben is quick to embrace her and sits them down on the suite couch.

Mal just starts laughing out of nowhere. "See what I mean. I'm absolutely losing my mind."

"You're just under a lot of pressure and stress. Trust me I get it. This world can be super overwhelmed sometimes. Let me help you relax."

Ben starts to rub her shoulders.

Mal seriously doubts Ben realizes how arousing he can be when he does things like this. She knows for sure there is no way he is doing it on purpose. His naivety to his own effects is so endearing. Mal leans her head back to rest on his shoulder behind her. He reduces her to a melted puddle. When Ben feels she is sufficiently de-stressed he wraps his arms around her and rests his chin in her hair. He feels so contented being this close to her, just the two of them. Both a similar and different feeling from how he felt in the cave.

Mal tilts her head to the side and gives his neck a kiss. Ben has a sharp intake of breath not expecting it. It's unclear who starts it but suddenly they are kissing. It's different from the cave though, just as heated but much slower. A discovering of each other.

Mal's neck starts to hurt from craning so she turns herself around so they're face to face. She doesn't quite have the courage to sit in his lap. So she kneels on the couch facing him and he gets up to do the same.

Their lips are back at it again now that they're on the same level and his hands are lost in her hair. Her hands started resting on his chest but are quickly balling up in his t-shirt as the kiss intensifies. Ben can feel himself starting to get hard and he breaks off the kiss. There's nowhere to hide it in the thin material of his sleep pants. They both maintain their grips on each other and try to catch their breath.

"Why did you stop?" Mal manages to breath out.

"I just want to make sure you're okay with this. I just want you to feel comfortable and not pressured."

"Ben," Mal pauses, her eyes narrow on his and she's double checking he's really paying attention and focused on her. "Stop thinking so much just kiss me. Trust me I'll tell you if you step out of line."

Ben has an incredible amount of self control for a 17 year old. But he's still a teenage boy and Mal clearly is fine with what they're doing. The kiss heats up again. Mal let her body heat up to the point that every inch of skin tingles. She yearns for Ben to touch her somewhere, anywhere, more intimately.

Ben leaves one hand tangled in her purple locks and lets the other drop down to rub her side up and down. His thumb grazes the side of her breast and an audible gasp escapes her lips. This time he had purposefully done it. Testing the waters of what she was okay with. Her reaction told him all he needed to know.

Her arms crossed tighter around the back of Ben's neck. Like she was trying to hold herself steady. Like the cave she pressed her whole body against his as much as she could in their kneeling position. But unlike the cave, their lower halves pressed against each other's for the first time. But they were both too far gone to let the enormity of it stop them. Both of Ben's hands came down to grip her hips, this time he was trying to steady himself. Even through all their layers of clothes having her crotch pressed against his was overwhelming. He didn't push her away. He wanted this and it was clear she wasn't put off by feeling his erection against her.

Ben broke off their kiss with a groan but quickly moved his lips down to kiss her neck. One hand moving slowly up her body. He let the back of his fingertips graze her stomach so she could stop him. Then he gently cupped her breast letting his thumb move back and forth over her nipple. Her back arched slightly into his touch and Mal was breathing heavy. Ben felt so smug with the fact that not only was she not put off by them taking this step but she was allowing herself to enjoy it.

Mal ran her hands down Ben's chest. Enjoying the feelings he was giving her and exploring the planes of his muscular chest and stomach. She didn't realize how her lower half was feeling starved for attention until it involuntarily rocked against Ben's hard length.

If Mal running her hands all over his chest and being able to palm her beautiful perfect breast wasn't enough to send him toppling, then her rocking against his hard on definitely was. Literally! He toppled backwards having completely lost his ground. As he was falling he instinctively made sure to grab Mal's hips so she didn't get hurt falling on top of him.

Then ended up in a tangled uncomfortable position laying on the couch and both started to laugh uncontrollably. Ben shifted to get Mal more comfortable and held her hand to his heart as they calmed down.

Neither of them seemed to be all too bothered the mood had seemed to simmer down. "I'm sorry your body is just too overwhelming."

Ben always seemed to be able to have a smug confidence about things despite being so cautious. Mal could only describe it as controlled strength. And she dreamed of someday allowing it to make her feel safe. Not a feeling she had really ever experienced before.

Ben her hand and squeeze and kissed the top of her head. He sighed contented. They had crossed the line ever so slightly and everything was fine.