Distant
(Day 59: Tuesday Morning)
"You weren't kidding when you said this place values safety over privacy."
Ben glances behind them, noticing the news cameras, before he informs Evie, "Actually, cameras aren't usually allowed in here, but because Audrey is a royal her kingdom has the right to know what's going on."
Evie hums before commenting, "That's nice." as they watch Mal enter through the door, being led to the table in front of them, before she sits and the handcuffs are taken from her wrists. "They're treating her like she's already guilty."
"Yeah," Ben whispers back. "She's a powerful hybrid. That makes her a flight risk."
Evie scoffs, "If Mal really wanted to get out of this, she could just hypnotize her way out of here and go somewhere else."
"Maybe," Ben counters. "But then she wouldn't have us."
"No," Evie denies. "She would. We'd just be held hostage."
Ben almost laughs, before he places his fingers up in quotes, "Right. 'Hostage'." before Chad is called to the stand and Audrey's lawyer walks up to him.
He questions, "Is it true that you were the one that recorded the attack on the princess?"
"Yes," Chad answers.
"And the victim is your girlfriend, is that correct?"
"Yes," Chad answers again.
"Tell me, how did it feel to see your girlfriend in such a vulnerable situation?"
It takes a moment for him to say, "I was surprised, and then after it was over I was angry. Audrey has to be the most innocent person at our school. It wasn't right for her to be attacked like that."
Ben's father comments, "Wasn't he just at the castle some night last week?"
"Shh," Ben whispers. "That's a secret."
Evie gives him a look, "Sleeping with the enemy?"
He partly smiles, "More like videogames, and also. He's not an enemy."
"You say that," she disapproves, "but he literally just called your girlfriend a monster."
"No, he didn't," Ben denies before looking back towards Chad in unsureness.
"A monster," the lawyer repeats. "That's a strong word."
"And it's true in both the physical and personality sense," Chad confirms, before he eyes the audience. "PS: if you want hybrids to identify themselves at Auradon Prep, then sign Audrey's petition."
Ben looks over at Audrey, whom glances over at him, lowers her head, and then turns back to continue to observe the display. The black haired lawyer questions, "Was this petition you mention created before or after the attack on Princess Audrey?"
"After," Chad answers. "We think it will make the school safer."
"We?" Ben whispers as he furrows his eyebrows and shakes his head.
"Remind me how you're friends with him," Evie comments.
"Because we've always been," Ben slowly says before Evie gives him a look. "Look. I don't know how to describe it beyond that. It's like it doesn't matter how long we go without talking or what horrible things we do to each other. We're always just still friends."
She's quiet for a minute, "I can't tell if that's something special or if the only reason why you never stopped being friends with Chad is because you don't believe in having enemies."
"Definitely something special," Ben confirms. "He's the most confusing person I know, saying he wants me to be happy one moment and then testifying against my girlfriend the next." He lifts a shoulder, "Granted, I knew it was going to have to turn out like this, but still. It's the kind of thing he does literally all the time."
"And you don't get sick of it?" Evie questions.
Ben's quiet as he watches Mr. Droit walk towards Chad, "With how busy I am it can be rather annoying, but no. At the end of the day it's just something to kind of laugh about, because I know he doesn't actually mean it." He hears Evie hum in acknowledgement, before the lawyer asks his first question.
"Why did you record the video?"
"What?" Chad asks in confusion.
"When your girlfriend was being confronted by my client, you recorded the video. You didn't intervene, and you didn't move closer to the plaintiff during the video either. Tell me, what prompted you to just stand still and record the incident?"
"I always record things," Chad unsurely responds. "The video was already going."
"But you didn't defend your girlfriend. In fact, you were treating it like some spectacle. Why is that? Did you truly believe that she was in any danger?"
"Maybe not at first," he frowns, "but by the time she was pushed against the wall I did realize that."
"If that's so, then why didn't you come to her defense?"
Chad smiles in disbelief, "Because she has magic. Her and her blue haired friend have used it on me before. I wasn't about to put myself in that kind of situation again."
"Even for your girlfriend?" he questions.
Chad's quiet for a long moment, "I don't know why I didn't try to save her. It would have been the right thing to do. I know that, but… I guess it was just easier hiding behind a camera."
"And had you been the one being confronted," Mal's lawyer inquires, "how would you have felt about the situation then?"
He glances down, "It doesn't matter what I would have thought of it." before he gazes over at Ben. "Because, in the end I would have been saved anyway."
The lawyer nods before taking a step back, "That will be all Your Honor."
The judge nods in return and then looks over at Audrey's legal team, "You had a video you wanted to present?"
"Yes, Your Honor," the grey eyed man responds. "It's a testimony of people who knew the defendant prior to her arrival to Auradon, and we would also like the defendant to take the stand so that questions may be asked afterwards, if you so please."
"I will allow it," the judge states before looking down on Mal. "The defendant is recalled to the stand."
As Ben watches Mal walk up to the podium, he questions to Evie, "This can't be good, can it?"
"Ah, definitely not," she responds at the absurdity. "All of Mal's friends are right here. The only people who are left—"
When the video begins to play on the side wall Evie's mother and Jay's father can be seen. Evie glances over at Jay, but they both stay silent as the video continues. Jafar answers, "Yes, I knew her. That little brat was always getting in the way." He lifts a wooden spoon towards the camera, "You know, if it weren't for her, I'd be with my son right now. But no. She had to go off and fall in love."
"I'd hardly call it love," the Evil Queen responds. "That girl isn't capable of it."
"What do you mean?" the lawyer asks.
The Evil Queen seethes, "Well. Let's just say that when people care about her, she has a really hard time showing them any love in return." She points at the camera, "Who all will be seeing this again?"
"It's for court. Mal and anyone close to her will probably be there."
She smiles, "Hey. If you're hearing this, my little evilette, you should come home. Surely you've had enough of that horrid girl by now." and her smile is actually somewhat sweet. "You know no one will ever love you more than Mommy. Come home. I miss you."
"Mal will be standing trial for sexual assault," the lawyer gets back on track. "Does this surprise you?"
"Not at all," she answers.
"Keep in mind that we never really talked with her," Jafar interrupts.
"Yes," the Evil Queen lifts up a gloved finger. "If you want some real dirt, you should go down to Ursula's. That retched girl used to work there." She scoffs, "Before she quit."
Ben and Mal share a look, before their eyes return to the video. It's been cut to an image of Uma, the lawyer questioning, "Are you the manager?"
"Just great," she sarcastically responds in annoyance, before she turns and yells, "Yo, Gil. You mind telling me how a penguin got into my restaurant?"
The lawyer informs, "I would like to ask you some questions about Mal."
"Mal?" Uma's eyebrows rise, her eyes seeming to light up as she maliciously grins. "This ought to be good."
The guy's voice is heard off camera, "Do you still want him out of here?"
"Nah." Uma twists her small, blue braids, "We're all good here." before she gives Gil a stern look. "Get back to work."
"Yes, Uma," the worker responds.
She turns back to the lawyer, "You had some questions for me?"
"Is it true that Mal worked for you?"
She laughs, "If you call seducing customers working." before she nods. "Yeah. She did her job. And she was mighty fine at it too… Shame what happened."
"What happened?" he inquires.
"Oh, well. You know," Uma starts. "There comes a time in every villain's life when they want to make a name for themselves." She sighs, "Mal just wanted more, I guess. I can't blame her for that." before her voice becomes sterner. "What I blame her for is setting up her coworker to nearly getting fired."
"Which coworker was that?" the lawyer questions. "If you don't mind me asking."
She looks away and yells, "Hook." before nodding him over.
"Oh, no," Ben whispers, before he glances over at Mal and notices her eyes flicker brightly for a second.
When he returns his attention to the screen Hook is in view, and the lawyer questions, "Is it true that Mal attempted to get you fired?"
He half laughs, "Why, she did much more than that laddie."
"What did she do?"
Hook takes a drink from the glass bottle, "Come on outside. It'll be quieter."
After they make it outside the lawyer questions, "How well did you know Mal?"
"Very well, I'd say," he responds, leaning up against the wooden wall and hanging tarp. "I met her on down at the whorehouse some years ago— she has this need for heat, ya know— and… I admit. I fancied her. She was intriguing, so I offered myself up to her for free." He takes a drink. "After she accepted we had some nice nights together, and then one day— one day— I took her here. Wanna guess the first thing she did?" The lawyer waits for him to continue. "She was cozying up to some girl."
"Were you two exclusive?" he questions. "Was she cheating?"
Hook sighs, "To my dismay, no. She was a free ship." and when he finishes off his drink he opens the top off of a crate and grabs another one. "But I wasn't upset. She had a real talent for it, manipulating people into givin' her what she wanted." He uncorks the bottle with his hook. "After a few more visits Uma noticed her talents, and with a nice recommendation from me, she got the job."
"Job?"
"Ya know," Hook explains, "The good old fashioned welcome wagon. Gettin' people to stay, making them want more." He smiles after a gulp, "Sold a fair amount of ecstasy too."
Mal places a hand to her forehead, her breathing starting to become quick and short.
"She sold drugs?" he asks in surprise.
"Why, yes," Hook answers, "to anyone who was stupid 'nough to lay eyes on her." He places a hand to the side of his mouth, as though whispering, "She has a problem, you see, with her spit. It makes it so that anyone she makes out with can't feel what's happenin', but the ecstasy fixed all that. It made it so that anyone who was with her could feel what happened."
"The manager said she almost got you fired," the lawyer continues on.
"Ah, yes. That," he responds as he kicks his boot off from the wall and stands straight. "So, three years pass, right? We're gettin' close, business is a booming, and everythin's great." He nods down, "But then." before he makes a displeased noise. "That bitch ruined it."
"How?"
"How?" he raises his eyebrows, and then he steps forward. "That whore had us makin' out on a blanket behind some shipments. Her hands were all over me, under my shirt, thumb in my waistband. She even took my shirt off. And then we fucked."
Ben notice's Mal's eyes glow again, but this time they stay glowing, "Something's wrong."
"You had sex with her?" the lawyer clarifies.
"Yeah." Hook almost grins, "Fucked her so good, in fact, that she had to go off and tell everyone about it."
Evie sees Mal's eyes glow brighter, "She's scared." but then she watches Mal continuously blink as she slightly shakes her head. "Or stressed. I can't tell which."
"And that almost got you fired?" he questions.
"May be both," Ben observes. "Come on, Mal. Fight it."
Hook is quiet for a second, "Normally it wouldn't, but Purple is a very smart girl. So, what she do?" He grits his teeth, "She went off and acted as though it wasn't her own fucking idea in the first place, knowin' that I'd probably get fired for it." before he spits onto the ground. "Stupid cunt. Thinkin' she can sleep her way to the top and then rid herself of thee man who put her there." He shakes his head, "It's despicable." and then he closes in with a few more steps. "I gave her everything, ye know: a job, allies— heat. She would be dead if it weren't for me."
Ben notices his parents glance at him. He knows why. If Mal slept her way to the top and tried to get rid of that guy before, then there's no reason why she wouldn't do it again. But she wouldn't. She wouldn't do that. Especially not to me. He looks at her again, seeing her struggle just as much as she had been a moment ago. She cares about me. I know she does.
The lawyer doesn't move, "Mal has been accused of sexual assault. Can you tell me what you think about that?"
He lifts up his head and runs his tongue over a few bottom teeth, "Who with? That king of hers?"
"No," the lawyer evenly answers. "The attack was on Princess Audrey, a girl who attends the same school as her."
Hook half laughs, "What did I tell you? She's nothin' but a cunt. She had herself both a boyfriend and a girlfriend, and she cheated on them both? That's brilliant."
"Excuse me?" he asks in confusion. "Girlfriend?"
"That lass with the blue hair," Hook states. "Evie. That's who Purple started to hook up with after she left me."
"But you also said that you and Mal weren't a couple," the lawyer reminds him, "so what convinces you that Mal and Evie are?"
"Easy," he answers. "They're exclusive." He smiles, "Which would be somethin' very hard for Purple to do… you know, with her little heat issue."
"Based on the timeline you gave," the lawyer notes, "it would have been about three years since she left you. If she started seeing this girl directly after that, then how can you be sure that they're still together?"
"Another easy question," Hook evenly answers. "About a week or so before they all left I was told to scout their territry, and as I was doin' that I found them makin' out on some buildin's terrace. They also had a tendency to hold hands, which helps my case."
"So, you think that Mal could be dating both her friend and the king at the same time," he simplifies.
"Doubt thee king knows," Hook comments before taking another swig of his drink. "That poor lad's goin' ta get his little heart ripped out."
"Literally or metaphorically?"
"Well, she's a dragon, ain't she," Hook reminds him. "So, either way, really."
Mal tries to steady her breathing. He isn't here. He isn't here. He's not here.
"Is there anything else you would like to say?" the lawyer questions.
"Nah." He lifts his hook up, "Ah. Wait. Jus' one more thing." Hook stares into the camera, face full screen, an open smirk on his face. "You're stupid if ya think ye can tame her. She's a wild, intelligent creature, and a stupid human like you— one who's not even evil, mind you— could never handle her. She needs someone who can understand her true nature. If you keep her locked up in that city of yours, everythin' ye've built will be destroyed. Believe me. No one knows her better than I."
When the video is over Ben sees his parents look over at him, "Well, obviously, he's a psychopath."
"Obviously," his mother repeats. "Even so, he may very well be right."
"You can't mean that," Ben disbelieves.
"Next time," the judge looks down upon the lawyer, "keep your video to the point. I didn't come to listen to some girl in dreadlocks and some guy in makeup whine."
"They're pirates," the lawyer reasons. "It's just the way they dress. It doesn't make their testimony any less valid."
Ben's father speaks up, "You had to have known dating a villain's kid would be a risk."
"She's changed," Ben urges. "No. She's good. She's always wanted to be good."
The judge comments, "I will put the video under advisement. For now, you may question the defendant."
"Maybe," his father frowns. "But no matter how good someone wants to be, some people just can't. You can only fight your nature so much."
"She has me," Ben urges. "Even if that were true, she has me."
"It won't be good enough," his mother warns. "If it's truly in her nature to be violent or what-have-you, you're not always going to be able to keep that part of her at bay."
"Open your eyes," the grey eyed lawyer instructs. Mal shakes her head.
"I don't care," Ben stresses. "I love her. Okay? And she cares about me. Why can't that just be good enough?"
His parents fall silent, and when his mother finally has a response Evie interrupts with a tap on Ben's shoulder, "Ben."
He looks over at Mal and sees her eyes brightly glow, and even after she blinks they still do. The lawyer comments, "Looks like we've hit nerve. Tell me, what do you have to say about the video?"
"I—" Mal begins, but her breathing is too quick and shallow to answer. "I—"
Ben stands from the bench and takes a few steps, until he makes it past the small, wooden gate. "Order," the judge pounds his gavel. "Get back to your seat."
"Your Honor," Mr. Droit reasons. "If anyone can calm her down, it's him."
The judge grumbles, "You have a minute." and then Ben hurries over to Mal. "Better not waste it."
He takes her hand, guiding her down from the stand to his level. "What," she starts.
"Shh," he hushes. "I have an idea." He hugs her and whispers into her ear, "Listen for my heartbeat."
"Ben," she doubts.
"Just try it," he pleads. "Please." He glances around the quiet room. Normally doing something that's probably so weird around prying eyes would bother him, but he knows the quietness should also make this easier for her. It takes a couple moments, but when he hears her breathing quieten he questions, "Can you hear it?"
"Yes."
He slightly nods before softly replying, "Below that noise there should be a quieter sound: slow, rushing blood, like stream water." He silences as she listens for it, and after a minute he can feel her breathing lengthen. He waits for it to steady before letting go of her, and when he does her eyes no longer glow. "You're okay," he reassures as he holds her hands. "So long as I'm here, you're in no danger."
"How," Mal begins to question.
"The defendant will retake the stand," the judge interrupts.
Mal slowly steps back onto the podium, Ben letting go of her hand as she sits. He's given some curious looks as he makes his way back to his seat, and when he sits down Evie comments, "You didn't even kiss her."
"No," Ben frowns in response.
Evie slightly shakes her head, "Then how did you do it? What did you do?"
Ben stares forward, before he gestures, "We should be paying attention to this."
"The video is filled with people who hate me," Mal informs. "They're biased."
"So, you're saying then," the black haired lawyer comments, "that nothing in the video is true, then?"
"No," Mal uneasily answers. "On the island we're taught how to twist the truth to fit our means. That's all they were doing. It's not as bad as it seems."
"So, you never sold drugs?" he questions.
"No. I did," Mal starts.
"But you didn't try to get your coworker fired?" he continues.
"That wasn't my objective," she quickly answers.
"But is it not true that you had sex with him?"
"This isn't fair," Mal yells. Life isn't fair, girlie. She hears her mother's voice and then places a hand to her head, as she attempts a calming breath. "It wasn't my idea to have sex with him. It was his."
"Then why does he think it was yours?" the lawyer interrogates.
Mal slightly shakes her head, "We were making out. I took his shirt off to get more heat." before she makes a fist and pounds her pinky's knuckle onto the wood. "He must have misread it as some signal for wanting sex."
"But even though it wasn't your idea," the lawyer continues, "you went through with it?"
"Yes," Mal softly answers as she partially rolls her eyes.
"And you liked it, didn't you?" he accuses. "It was a good way for you to get heat."
"No," Mal frowns. "I didn't like it."
"But it made you feel something," he insists. "What did it make you feel?"
Mal looks up as she remembers the point at which she knew she had lost her chance to escape. After Hook had pulled down her pants and underwear and had crawled over them to get into position, she had just stared up into the night sky. She stared up at the black sky and purple, swirling clouds, just focusing on them in hopes that it would minimize what she could feel happening to her. "Distant," Mal keeps her eyes open to prevent tears. "I felt distant."
Mal lets out a long, slow breath, hands on either side of her forehead, before the door opens and she looks up and sees Ben. She drops her arms down in front of her, "Where's the lawyer?"
Ben shuts the door behind him, "I convinced him to give us a few minutes alone."
She slightly shakes her head, "No offense, Ben, but I really don't feel like kissing anyone right now."
"Then don't," he firmly comments, before he sits down in the chair across from her and stretches his arms outward, wrists up.
Mal quietly places her wrists in his hands before wrapping her hands around his, "I see you've been talking with Jay."
"I have been. A little," Ben admits. "But actually, my mother told me about this."
Mal remembers the time Belle had offered her heat in jail, before she tiredly responds, "Right. I forgot about that."
It's quiet for a minute, before Ben comments, "Mal." She looks up at him, "I need to know." but then she looks away again. "What happened with Hook—" He feels her grip tighten at the name. "What happened, did you not want it too?" She doesn't look at him, and he shakes his head, "No. Of course, you didn't. That was a stupid question. What I mean is…" He trails off, and she looks up at him again. His mouth is open a moment before he speaks, "Was it not part of some agreement? Did he force you to do it?"
Mal sadly laughs, "No. Of course, not. I'm just some floozy who would do anything for heat." before she looks down. "Or, at least, that's what he told everybody." She hears Ben sigh and looks up at him. "Do I disgust you?"
He makes a noise, "No." before he slides his hands down to hers and squeezes them. "Mal." He wets his lips, "What happened, it wasn't your fault."
"I didn't scream," she lets him know. "I didn't call for help. I didn't do anything."
Ben looks down for a second, before he calmly informs, "Statistics show that males are far less likely to report sexual assault. It's very much a societal problem. Guys are told they have to be strong, just like on the island you had to be strong to survive. You had a reputation to uphold. Being caught in what would be seen as an embarrassing situation, one that may have made you appear weak, I can understand why you didn't call for help."
Mal is quiet for a moment, "When he said I told everyone about it, I didn't tell everyone. I told one person. I told Uma… After he was able to convince her I lied, we got into an argument. It caused a scene. That's how I told everyone. What he said was true…"
"And yet it wasn't," Ben finishes.
Mal thinks for a second, "He thought I was being shy. I guess, maybe, if he really thought I had asked for sex beforehand, when I said no maybe he just thought I was getting cold feet."
"It doesn't matter," Ben comments. "When someone says no, you stop. It doesn't matter if you got consent the week before or even a minute beforehand. Consent is in the moment." Mal stays quiet. "On a side note, people can't legally consent when they're under the influence of alcohol or drugs." He sees her about to defend herself, "Just something that you may or may not need to know for the future."
She shuts her mouth but then asks, "What do you think about this? Honestly."
"Honestly?" Ben lets out a breath. "This is going to sound horrible, but I was just really hoping that the signs I saw, that they were just symptoms from the other abuses you've suffered. Like from your mother, for example. I—" He shakes his head, "I was just really hoping that this guy who had wronged you, who you wanted to kill, I was really hoping that he hadn't actually done anything that terribly terrible to you."
Mal glances down, "Yeah. Me too." and after another moment she looks back up at him. "When I was freaking out, how did you know that would calm me down? How did you know it was even possible at all?" She gives him a look, "What? Is it psychology or something?"
Ben almost laughs, "No. I would never risk something like a placebo on you." He looks down at their hands and moves them back to where they had been before, "When I was little I had these nightmares. Probably from all of the beast insignias around the castle." He looks up at her, "When I woke up I would go find my mom, and I would lie next to her, my head on her shoulder." He hesitates, "As I laid next to her, I was able to hear her heart beat, the blood flowing through her body, and she had this scent about her." He looks down from Mal's tentative expression and lifts an eyebrow. "It was all very comforting at the time."
"And now?" Mal questions.
"And now?" He looks up again, "I would probably be too afraid to admit that to her."
"She doesn't know?"
"No," Ben frowns. "You know, I was just some kid looking to his mom for comfort. Nothing odd about that." He shifts his head, "Or so one would think."
It takes Mal a second to question, "Do you still know what her scent is like? Can you still smell it when she's around?"
"I try not to," Ben uncomfortably answers. "I'm a teenager now, and a son knowing what his mother smells like... it's weird. Isn't it?"
Mal unsurely shrugs, "I wouldn't know." and Ben stays quiet. "Is it like perfume or like an actual scent?"
"It stays the same," Ben thinks, "so likely the second one." Mal nods. "She smells like melon. Cantaloupe." He shuts his eyes for a second as he recalls the smell, "Fresh. Juicy." but at that last word he shuts his eyes tighter and shakes his head fast before placing a hand to his forehead. He cracks his eyes open and then apologizes, "Bad thoughts."
Mal lets out breath, "You know, it's okay to have bad thoughts. Everyone does." as she offers an unsure expression. "It's just that if you have any moral code, then you don't step over that line you've marked for yourself."
"You don't even know what the thought was," Ben complains.
Mal gives a look, "First off, I don't have to, because you consider it a bad thought and that's what matters." but then she sees him look down in shame. "You like the way she smells and you think you shouldn't, but that's all. It's not like you think about her sexually. Right?"
"No. Of course, not," Ben cringes before turning his head back up. "But still. Comparing my mother to a food, it's messed up. Completely disgusting."
"You can't help what she smells like," Mal tries to reason, but he doesn't speak, clearly caught up in his own mind. "Maybe," she slowly suggests, "if you eat some real cantaloupe, then you won't get caught up in her scent as much."
"Tried that," Ben frowns, looking away for a second in annoyance. "But it never tasted as good as I imagined it being." He slightly shakes his head, "Plus. Eating something that reminds me of my mother is probably just a really bad thing waiting to happen. No. I've already decided. I'm never going to eat that fruit again."
Mal's quiet for a moment, before she whispers, "Sorry." unsure of what else to say.
"It's fine." Ben comments, "I'm good at ignoring it. It's just— Geeze. This isn't working." before he lets go of her wrists. "You're still cold, and we're running out of time."
"It's fine," she negates.
"No. It isn't," he stresses. "Nothing about any of this is fine."
When he stands from the table Mal questions, "Where are you going?"
He opens the door, "I love you. I'll talk with you tomorrow." before he exists and strides over to Evie. "Hey."
She cautiously observes him, "Hey."
"So, we've got a situation," he quickly explains. "Mal is cold, she doesn't feel like kissing me right now, and the wrist thing isn't working." He gestures with stress, "Maybe you could try giving her a hug or something?"
"Yeah?" Evie suspiciously questions.
"Yeah," Ben repeats before moving to give her a pat on the back. "Go."
Evie turns around, "Just so you know, you're being ultra-weird right now." before she takes a step back and heads for the room.
After she goes Ben hears his name and turns around. His mother comments, "Your father and I need to talk to you. Why don't you sit down?"
"Can't." He excuses, "I have to use the bathroom." before he heads off.
When Evie enters the room she asks, "How are you?"
Mal slightly narrows her eyes, "I think I stressed Ben out."
Evie smiles, "It's not you. This trial is stressing everyone out."
She chuckles, "Yeah. You're telling me." before she shakes her head. "I swear, when this whole thing is done I'm going down to the liquor store I saw and getting a bottle. Maybe two."
Evie frowns, "You know I'm going to have to tell Jay about that, right?"
Mal huffs, "Doesn't matter. With the way this trial is going, I'll be dead anyway."
"Don't even joke about that."
"I'm not," Mal grimly informs. "I barely survived a week in jail. It only makes sense that I will die when I'm sentenced who knows where for who knows how long."
"If," Evie corrects, and when Mal doesn't speak she takes the chair and places it next to hers.
Mal sighs, "What are you doing?"
Evie sits down and wraps her arms around her, one hand on Mal's neck, "I was given orders to do this." before she moves in and kisses her neck.
"And what about that?" Mal partially smiles. "Did you get permission for that?"
"Well," Evie slowly lets out. "He said 'or something', so." She uses a hand to turn Mal's head before kissing her.
She pulls away, "Surely, Ben said I didn't feel like being kissed right now."
"Come on," Evie entices. "If you're really going to die, then don't you want to get the chance to kiss us before you do?" Mal lets out an irritable breath, before Evie leans in again. She moves her spare hand to Mal's hip too, sliding it under the shirt, but then she glimpses Mal's eyes glow and backs off. "Or not." She waits for her to settle some. "What's going on with you today? Is it Hook?"
Mal shuts her eyes, "I really don't want to talk about him."
"I know he lied," Evie tries to reassure. "You don't have to get defensive with me."
"I'm not getting defensive," Mal denies.
"Well, you're not being very open either," Evie combats, and then Mal quietens. "Come on. Tell me what's bothering you."
Mal furrows her eyebrows, "Maybe what's bothering me is that neither you or Ben can seem to go one day without wanting some stupid kiss."
"It's how you've been getting heat," she reminds her. "We're just worried about you."
"So, it's not just because you want me?" Mal accuses.
Evie's quiet for a moment, "Everyone has ulterior motives, Mal, but I care about you. I wouldn't do anything like that if I thought it was hurting you."
"How can I know that?" she frustrates.
"I pulled back. Didn't I?" Evie points out, and Mal silences. She watches her try to calm her breathing. "I'm not Hook, Mal. I'm not him."
Mal stares at her for a second, "What do you mean, you're not him?"
Evie takes a minute to speak, "I wouldn't put my wants above your needs. I care too much about you for that." Mal stays quiet. "Please." She places her hands on her neck, "Have me. If you don't, then you will be even colder tomorrow, and then…" Evie gives her a sad look, "It's clear that kissing alone isn't enough for you. It's only just barely been keeping you warm, and who knows when you will be able to have me or Ben like you normally do."
"Evie. It's fine," Mal unconvincingly defends. "I don't need to take someone's shirt off to get warm. Kissing is enough."
"Only if you're doing it," Evie notes. "You have to do it for it to be enough."
"I'm sorry," Mal softly speaks. "I really don't feel like it right now."
She sees Evie's eyes glisten, before she's given a long hug and Evie whispers, "I love you."
"Are you allowed to say that?" Mal unsurely comments.
"I don't care if I am or not," Evie admits, "'Cause I do."
She stays quiet for a couple seconds, "You know I can't say it back?"
"I know," Evie whispers. "But I don't care. Because, I know you care."
Mal places a hand on Evie's back, feeling the long, cascading waves, "You should know, I'm still very happy to have you, even though I have Ben now too."
Evie gives in to a small smile, "Good."
- Thank you for all the comments. They're great. (By the way, I must say I'm sorry. These longer chapters take longer to write and therefore post. I don't like to keep people in unnecessary anticipation, but I don't want to be terribly sloppy either.)