As they started to walk to where the rooms were laid out below the ship Mal asked, "Where's you room?"
Ben looked flush, "Um-"
Mal was quick to cut him off, embarrassed herself by how that came out. "No sorry I didn't mean it like that. I just-"
Mal stopped. She could feel her bad habits boiling up. She was scared to open up about her feelings and be vulnerable. Ben gently lifted her chin to look at him and looked at her with support.
Mal took a deep breath. Here was where she proved to him she meant it. She really wanted to fix this and be honest with him. "I missed you. Everything was so painful and conflicting and difficult for me as I'm sure it was for you. Being able to be close with you and laugh with you and tell you I love you tonight meant everything. But I'm scared to go to bed and be alone with my thoughts again. And I just plain don't want to be away from you now that I have you back."
Ben's eyes looked like they were welling up with emotion. It meant the world to him that she was finally being open with him. Ben made a hard decision in his head, throwing caution to the wind. If she was going to ditch her old habits then so was he. He clasped onto her hand more firmly and turned and started walking them in the opposite direction.
"Ben where are we going?" Mal whispered to him as he rushed them along. They stopped in front of a large door on the opposite end of the boat from everyone else. Lumiere was standing in front of the door as security.
"Lue," Ben addressed him.
Lumiere looked at Ben and at Mal standing behind him. She was blushing and looking away, 'what was Ben doing?'
Lumiere gave Ben a happy grin and mimed sealing his lips and throwing away the key. Then he bowed to Ben and turned on his heels to disappear into the room next door.
"You're staying with me tonight," Ben was practicing that assertiveness Evie has advised him. But he was still him so he added, "If you want to."
Mal glanced at the door Lumiere had disappeared behind.
"Lumiere is not going to assume anything. He is like family and like an uncle to me. He would never say a word to anyone and he always has my back."
Mal looked back at Ben and grinned going into teasing mode, "Who are you? And what have you done with King Benjamin."
Ben turned to sneak them into his room and shut the door behind them. "Evie may have taught me a thing or two about being a bad boy. How am I doing?"
Mal let out a loud laugh. Ben launched forward to cover her mouth so they don't get caught. "I thought you were supposed to be good at being sneaky Ms. leader of the fearsome four."
Mal looked at Ben for a moment to gauge his reaction, "You're right. I'm going to put a silencing spell on the room okay?"
Ben nodded at her, appreciative she was including him in her decision to use magic. When Mal was done she turned back to him, "There!"
Ben gathered her back in his arms, deciding they'd been disconnected for far too long. It felt nice just to hold her again. He looked at her beautiful purple hair and her brilliant smile and felt like he was falling in love with her all over again.
He leaned down to give her a loving kiss.
Of course being intimate with Ben again had been flirting through Mal's thoughts since their kiss at the end of the party. But now that they were alone she let herself really feel it. Mal deepened the kiss, sliding her tongue along his lips. She reached up to run her fingers into his hair and accidentally knocked the crown, having forgotten it was there. She grabbed it before it fell and broke their kiss to laugh. Ben reached out to have her hand it to him so he could put it down and take off his coat.
Ben wanted to be rational. He knew they should really talk more and not just jump back into this. But he also was just overcome with happiness that she loved him and that she was his again. His whole body was yearning for her. He just wanted to be as close to her as possible and never stop kissing her.
She seemed to have the same feelings because when he turned back to her she was already on him, fiercely kissing him. His hands found their place at her hips. As he tightened his grip, she pushed her hips forward more to press their bodies together best she could with her giant ball gown on.
Ben was cursing all those layers of tulle though because he was starting to get worked up. It had been way too long and with all their pent up emotions he could sense they were both just itching for release. Mal lowered her mouth to start licking at his neck, "I missed you so much." She whispered with heat between her open mouthed kisses.
Ben knew he had to say something before the sexual fog overtook them both. "God I missed you. You have no idea how much. But-"
Ben trailed off as Mal started playing with the buttons on his vest, unrelenting in her assault on his neck. He tried again but it come out really breathless, "But baby we can't have sex."
Mal halted and he could feel Mal tense and her fight or flight kick in. He rubbed her cheek with his thumb and guided her face up to his. "I want to. I want you so much. Hearing you tell me you love me has me feeling so elated I just desperately want to express that to you. But I also don't want our first time to be tied to anything else. I want it to be it's own special moment. Not changed at all by anything that's happened. Does that make sense?"
Mal took a deep breath and calmed her anxiety down. "Yes it absolutely does." But she still wanted him. Did he still want her? Mal tried to remember what Evie had said. She had to be open and vulnerable. She couldn't let her fear of rejection allow her to retreat into herself.
"But I still want you," Mal put her cards on the table so to speak, rubbing her hands on his chest.
Ben's breath hitched. If he had thought Mal was overwhelming when they had been intimate before he was definitely a goner now. Now that Mal was being herself again, the confidence of feeling comfortable in her own shoes had her acting much more naughty.
Ben ran the pads of his fingers across Mal's collarbone to sweep her hair off of her neck, "As my Lady commands."
Ben leaned down to kiss and lick at Mal's neck and she let out a moan. She adopts a vice grip on his biceps to hold herself steady from the onslaught of emotions. Ben backs them up until her back hits a wall so he has leverage to continue ravishing her.
Mal's fingers work faster to unbutton his vest and push it off. Their clothes are still a little damp from the water the boat took on so Mal can kind of see the outline of Ben's muscles through his white button down.
She locks eyes with him, "I love you Ben."
"I'll never get tired of you saying that," Ben rested just his forehead on hers for a moment before ducking down to capture her lips again.
Mal worked his shirt buttons as well continuing her quest for bare skin contact. Ben looked like a dream with his hair all tousled, his shirt opened to reveal his bare chest, and his pant line knocked slightly off center from them roughly making out.
When Ben was distracted taking his shirt the rest of the way off and discarding it, Mal's wicked little fingers went straight to unbutton his pants.
Ben grabbed her wrist gently but securely, "No way my love." He pined her wrists on either side of her head against the wall and leaned in to her. "This is about you trusting me remember?"
Mal was really turned on by this new assertive Ben. Where had this come from? She challenged him, "I thought this was about us missing and loving each other."
Ben chuckled, "You're right it is. But if we're going to be intimate again we're doing things differently this time. When and only when you're ready to really trust me then we can proceed."
Mal smirked. It almost sounded like he was talking about some diplomatic issue. "I love you and I trust you."
Ben grinned, "Alright then as absolutely beautiful as you look in this gorgeous gown, all this tulle is just in the way."
Mal bucked against Ben signaling to him she needed him to let go of her wrists. She turned slowly looking over her shoulder and sweeping her hair out of the way so Ben could undo the laces.
With all his air of confidence Ben was a little nervous and this definitely looked complicated. "Uh Mal, did Evie give you an instruction manual?"
Mal groaned in frustration. Evie had assumed she would be the one helping Mal out of her contraption of a dress tonight. "I'm just going to vanish the ribbons and it should slide right off."
Ben's eyes widened and his pants tightened a touch more. That was kind of hot. And suddenly the ribbons just disappeared and the dress did start to slowly slide off of Mal's body on its own.
Ben watched as it revealed more and more skin of her back and then her black lace panties as it pooled around her feet.
Ben rubbed the sides of her arms not wanting her to feel uncomfortable or cold without contact. She leaned back against his chest and rested her head back against his shoulder. "Not that i am complaining at all, but what's with the underwear? Were you planning on seducing me tonight Lady Mal?"
Mal looked up at him and shrugged, "This definitely wasn't planned I just always wear underwear like that."
Now that Mal was acting more her true self and felt more comfortable around Ben, he was starting to learn he was most definitely in over his head with this woman. But he absolutely loved it.
Ben slowly turned her in his arms so he could embrace her properly. He didn't even glance down at her breast or all the bare skin. There would be time for appreciating that soon. Right now he just wanted to make her feel loved and taken care of. Ben stared lovingly into her eyes and then surprised her by lifting her up into his arms and walking her over to the bed.
He sat her down gently on the bed and then climbed on. As he crawled towards her Mal laid back making room for him. He propped himself up on his side and used his free hand to rub Mal's arm up and down. She reached over and ran her hands all over his chest and arms, she had missed this.
He started to pull the pins gently out of her hair to let it down freely. She laid back when he was done and ran her hands through her hair, massaging her scalp from where all the pins had been poking her all night.
Ben stared at her in awe, laid down with her hair faning out all around her. She looked like a vision. And she looked so free and comfortable. Mal had never been able to really open up or let Ben see. She had always hid herself with intimacy or blankets or her own clothes while they were together like this. "I love you, you are so beautiful."
Mal looked up at him with a quirky grin, "I love you come here."
Ben rolled over covering her body with his own. He propped himself up on his forearms so as not to put all his weight on her. She crunched up slightly to reach him for a kiss, inpatient to devour him again.
With each kiss they seemed to get more and more frantic. All of their fear and pain from the breakup and what happened beforehand and finally the relief of working this out had their emotions whipped up into a frenzy.
"You can't ever do that to me again," Ben was desperate between kisses.
"I promise," Mal whispered reverently.
"Say it again," Ben said into her mouth as their lips were locked.
She knew what he needed to hear. She was emotional realizing all the pain she had caused him and everything he had went though emotionally because of her, "I love you."
Ben started to kiss his way down Mal's naked torso. She was breathing heavily. It felt like all her fantasies of him were being made real. Mal was surprised and overwhelmed to find that in all the ways she opened up to him and been vulnerable tonight, she actually felt good. She felt closer to him. Mal felt safe and she felt free. It wasn't the fear she had always held onto.
Which is why when he reached her panty line with his tongue and paused for the first time to look up at her she didn't feel anxiety at all. She knew exactly where he was headed and she felt desperate for it.
Mal reached down and ran her fingers into his hair smiling at him. Ben hooked his fingers into the panties and slowly started to slide them down her legs and threw them off the side of the bed.
He didn't go straight for her center. He kissed and licked along her thighs first. Mal didn't know what to do with her hands so she threw them up and grabbed the pillow behind her. Her body seeming to react to him entirely of its own volition.
Then he finally swiped his tongue on the front of her core for the first time. Mal never could have dreamed up that feeling. She let out a whimper then tried to cut it off.
"Don't hold back. I can't see your face I need to hear your reaction," Ben told her, she bit her lip and nodded.
Ben went back to what he was doing. She had once told him she wanted them to feel it out and that's exactly what he was doing. Letting the feelings overwhelm him and take over.
Mal's hips were squirming about so Ben held onto them with his hands to ground her while he worked her core, lapping up all the juices she released for him.
She spread her legs a little bit wider to give him better access. In response he nudged his shoulders and arms under them to throw her legs over his shoulders. That's what did it. Mal felt him hit her clit with his tongue and she cried out. Ben tried not to smile into her, it felt good to hear that.
He moved one hand over to slide a finger inside her and join his mouth in working her to the edge. She was panting so heavily he thought she might be close.
As they both got dragged further and further into the haze it began to feel almost like they were making out. Mal's temperature felt like it was rising and when she felt Ben moan against her that was it. Her hips charged up off the bed and her head was thrown back. Mal moaned loudly before falling back down, her whole body instantly relaxed against the bed.
She watched Ben crawl up the bed towards her shirtless but still wearing his pants from the night. Mal leaned up on her elbows to meet him for a kiss then pushed herself up to kneeling with him.
She held his face and stared into his eyes, "I love you. You're amazing."
She added, "I hope that wasn't a part of Evie's bad boy lessons."
Ben and Mal both laughed. He embraced her in a big hug. Mal gave open mouthed wet kisses to his chest, making it impossible for Ben to catch his breath. Without looking she slid her fingers down to undo his pants.
"Mal," Ben breathed out. It was like he was trying to warn her of something but it all got lost in the feeling. Mal got his pants undone and started to push them down. Ben had to take them the rest of the way off himself.
This was the first time they were naked together and it was extremely overwhelming for both of them. They kneeled facing each other, touching everything they could reach and breathing heavily.
"We're still not having sex," Ben could barely get out.
"I know," Mal replied.
"No that was me telling myself." Ben huffed out a small laugh.
Mal giggled and reached down to grasp him, "Let me take you mind off it then."
Ben let out a quiet growl, "Thats doing the opposite you know."
"Not for long," Mal smirked and used her other hand to catch him off guard and push him down onto the bed.
Mal liked being on the opposite side of what she had just experienced with a Ben. She mimicked his movements by crawling over him to kiss him. She was very careful not to press her whole body into his. There was a very real possibility if their lower halves met bare they may not be able to stop themselves.
Then she started to lick and suck her way down his body. Ben tried to meet her eyes to be sure she definitely wanted to do this. She just smirked at him and kept going. Ben was focusing on trying to control his breathing as her tongue reached his hip bones.
Ben didn't know how long he was going to last but he wasn't going to say that to her. He just needed to focus on lasting as long as he could. Which wasn't going to be a very easy task with the sight of her brilliant purple hair between his legs and her smooth bare skin.
Mal looked down at his dick feeling determined. Only one way to figure this out, dive in head first. Mal licked her lips and then lowered down to lick him. He twitched involuntarily and moaned. She felt encouraged so she wrapped her lips around the tip. She could tell Ben was tensing so she pulled off of him to look up.
He didn't look in pain though. Ben was looking down at her with a wild and desperate look in his eyes. Mal felt powerful. But this was a different kind of power than she had ever experienced. She felt the power of the knowledge about how to make the man she loved feel such intense feelings. It started a hunger. Like she would now constantly crave making him feel this way.
Mal took as much as she could comfortably into her mouth and Ben groaned loudly following by his breathing turning ragged. She lick up his length inside her mouth, his reactions egging her on. She tried to move her mouth in the rhythm he liked for hand jobs but it wasn't sustainable. So she wrapped her lips and started to just lick and suck.
Mal could feel him twitching and he moaned out her name in a clear warning. But she decided to ignore him. She was determined. She kept sucking and he immediately started to pulse and cum in her mouth. She was surprised by just how much it turned her on.
Mal slowly released him from her mouth and Ben instantly was grabbing for her to pull her up to him. They laid on their sides with their faces close. Ben holding her loosely but again avoiding their whole bodies from touching.
Ben tried to even out his breathing. "I love you so much."
Mal smiles wide at him ,"That was so amazing and so special to me. I love you too."
Ben shot up in bed and looked down at Mal who was a little alarmed by his suddenly movement, "Come on. Let me clean you up and get you comfy. I can share my pjs from my overnight bag."
Mal leaned up as well smiling big at him and took his face in her hands, "I love you so much. I can't wait to start this new adventure with you."
Later that night Mal felt the most peaceful she'd ever felt. She was surrounded by Ben. His t shirt that she worse as pajamas smelt like him and she was all cuddled up with him falling asleep. This was true magic.
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A/N Thank you for reading my story! This is actually my first completely finished fic which I am so proud of. The sequel is called "Queen from the Isle" and it's now up!