Differences in Culture
Mal sighs, skimming her toe over the sparkling surface of the Enchanted Lake, watching the ripples spread far before fading back into the perfect reflections of the cliffs. Even outside this magical place, water in Auradon is unfairly clean. Back on the Isle, even the rain water is tainted with pollution, because it never actually gets diluted. The clouds are trapped inside the dome just like they are.
Despite the natural peace that just comes with not having to worry about turf wars, or hunting for her Gang's next meal or avoiding their parents (the result of being in Auradon), something awful twists in her gut. She's not used to this feeling. Guilt. She's felt it every now and then, usually in regards to her Gang (not being able to provide for them- not being able to protect them- bringing them under Maleficent's attention just by associating with them). But it's a useless emotion on the Isle that doesn't change anything except make a miserable life worse.
They aren't on the Isle anymore, though, and those useless emotions have been getting more and more common as her brain finally recognises that they are halfway safe here. That they (supposedly) won't get sent back for the smallest infraction.
The current recipient of her guilt is Ben.
Sex Education, along with some side tangents on culture with Fairy Godmother, have been… illuminating.
"Mal," a voice breaks through her thoughts, and she glances up in surprise to see the King smiling down at her, so very happily. Despite the guilt churning her insides, warmth coils in her chest under his joyful gaze of just getting to interact with her. He bends down, kissing her cheek as he pulls off his shoes and carelessly throws his feet into the water.
Some of the water splashes her up to her knees, and Ben's own, expensive, pants become instantly soaked around his calves.
She stares at the wet fabric, instead of looking at her boyfriend directly. "Hey," she murmurs.
Maybe it's her tone, or something on her face (he's always been far better at reading people than she is), but Ben instantly sobers. "Hey," he says, tone dropping in concern. "What's wrong?"
The warmth in her chest grows. It's still strange being looked at in such a way, such care, by anyone other than her crew. It's unfortunate that she has to break up with him.
Because, no matter how much she likes this kind boy from Auradon, no matter how much his presence warms her, Evie, Carlos, Jay- they burn her. They rip and tear at her insides, and she'd burn the world (she would give up the world) for them. She will always choose them.
"You know how Fairy Godmother set up that Sex Ed class for us?" Mal asks, staring out over the lake.
Ben clears his throat awkwardly. "Yeah, what about it?" She can practically hear his blush. It makes her want to laugh about how… weird people get in Auradon about certain stuff. She supposes she's the same with talking about stuff like love and feelings.
Cultural differences, Fairy Godmother told them.
Mal's stomach turns again. She feels sick with it. She doesn't like it.
Mal jerks her head up and in her boyfriend's direction, jaw clenching. "You remember how we talked about there not being dating on the Isle? How it's more along the lines of Gang activity, instead?"
"Yeah, of course," Ben says, slightly startled. They talked about it on their first date. Right here actually. Maybe bringing him here to talk about this was a bad idea. Scratch that, they should have met literally anywhere else.
"Me, Carlos, Evie, Jay," Mal presses on. "We are Gang."
Ben stares at Mal blankly, blinking uncomprehendingly.
"We fu-" she breaks off, remembering Fairy Godmother telling them how improper it is to call it 'fucking.' How talking about it at all is a bit improper, but if they have to, they should use words like 'making love,' 'having relations,' or 'being intimate.' All of those words are repulsive and make her Isle brain panic, though. So she settles on the 'technical' term Fairy Godmother uses in class, "We have sex. We've been having sex. Since before coming over and before we started dating. Fairy Godmother says that that's considered cheating over here in Auradon, since I am dating you."
Mal doesn't understand it. Dating and Gang are two very different things. But Fairy Godmother insists that they aren't, so she figured she should bring it up to Ben.
Ben gapes at her with wide blown eyes, so she looks back down at the lake to let him have the time to sort through his thoughts.
Mal thought love was supposed to be the strongest force. The thing that can break any spell- the thing people would give anything for. She thinks maybe she loves Ben. She feels mushy gushy feelings for him, and he makes her happy, but maybe the Isle broke something in her. Maybe she can't love the Auradon way, because she would not give everything for him. She would give a lot- just not her crew.
When he softly clears his throat, she turns her eyes back toward him. The soft expression he normally has when he looks at her is… still there, but it's also sadder. Confused. And concerned.
Mal's stomach twists further in guilt.
"You.. have sex with them? All of them?" he ventures, like he can't quite wrap his head around it.
She doesn't think he's asking about Carlos not always liking to fuc- have sex- and how he only participates part of the time. So instead, Mal simply says, "We are Gang," like that's all she needs to say. On the Isle, it would be. On the Isle, she wouldn't even need to say it. Everyone knows that they belong to her.
"Do you love them?" He asks next, and Mal instantly, instinctively, recoils.
"No!" she snaps. And then remembers where she is. Remembers that it's not a dangerous, disgusting, insult. She smooths out her defensive scowl. "We don't love on the Isle. It's as impossible as magic. I thought it might be different out here, but… it's not."
"Do you love me?" Ben asks next, softer and full of heartbreak. Mal wants to reach out to him. To hide him away and croon and comb her fingers through his hair. It surprises her, because she only wants to do that with things that are hers. Fully hers. She keeps her hands to herself.
If they were on the Isle, she'd take him into her crew. They don't do that in Auradon, though. She can't claim the King.
"I thought I did," she offers the sad consolation. She doesn't want him to think bad of her- not that she thinks Ben can think bad of anybody.
"But you won't choose me," he says, entirely sure of himself. She likes that he understands that without having to be outright told. She likes that he understands her. She doesn't respond because she doesn't need to. He rakes his fingers roughly through his hair, making strands stick up messily and making him look almost like an Isle boy if he wasn't wearing his distress so obviously. "That sounds a lot like love, Mal!"
Her entire body revolts at the idea. She doesn't love. Her crew… she is violently protective of them because they are hers. And she protects her things with all the vehemence of a dragon guarding her hoard. It's not because she loves them (and she's not Auradon enough to believe that they love her). There is no love on the Isle. The only thing that has changed since coming over, is now she has more means to keep them safe.
Ben slumps backward with a sigh, staring up at the clear, pretty sky. His energy seems to have left him.
He hasn't run away, at least.
"I thought I could teach you what love was," he muses, and pain spikes through her chest.
"I'm sorry," she chokes out. She didn't mean to disappoint him. It's almost worse than disappointing her mother, because at least he actually thought highly enough to believe in her at all.
"Don't be. It's not your fault." That is almost worse. He turns his head and stares hard at her. His hand grasps hers, and he says more firmly. "It's not your fault, Mal. That's not something I should have ever said. You don't need to learn how to love. You already do- you have so much of it, and you do it so fiercely- you just don't know what it is."
Mal frowns doubtfully.
Ben squeezes her hand. "It's okay. You'll figure it out eventually. You're not broken, Mal. Just… bent a little."
Mal closes her eyes as the pressure in her chest lessens. Ben doesn't hate her. He doesn't think she's broken. She tilts her head up to the sun and finally lets herself enjoy the nice day. The warmth. Summer days don't feel like this on the Isle.
They sit there like that, soaking up the sun in companionable silence, until Ben's voice once again startles her out of her thoughts.
"So… what do I have to do to become part of your Gang?"
Mal whips her head toward her ex, eyes wide in shock. "You… want to be crew? But… Auradon doesn't do that. Fairy Godmother said-"
"Fairy Godmother is used to 'The One' and 'True Love' and traditional relationships. Hoarding all your love for one person… That seems kind of selfish to me. Maybe this is one thing that the Isle does better than Auradon. It's kind of funny that that one thing happens to be relationships."
Mal turns her entire body to face the boy-king. "It's not the same kind of relationship you have here on Auradon," she warns him seriously. But she… wouldn't be opposed. He already brought them over from the Isle- got them away from their parents. He already gave them food and shelter and safety, like any good crew member should.
"I know," he smiles up at her.
"Ben, this is serious," Mal insists, because he has to know. He has to understand. "Being Gang is everything. Would you give up everything for us? Give up your kingdom?"
Ben merely blinks at her. "I would give you my kingdom."
It hits Mal hard, like one of her mother's angry swings at her head. It's jarring and disorienting and world shifting.
Maybe she doesn't have to give up the world for them. Maybe she can give it to them instead. Through Ben. She can keep Ben. She can share him, like she would have in the beginning if they weren't in Auradon and trapped by Auradon expectations.
It sends a thrill and sharp buzzing energy through her chest- like after a close brush with death.
Mal snatches him by the front of his shirt and yanks him upright so hard that he yelps. Before he can find his balance, she grabs his face and kisses him while crawling into his lap. She runs her fingers through his hair, not being gentle in the slightest as she yanks harshly on the strands and bites at his lips. She's never kissed him like this- kissed him like he's hers- entirely hers- theirs- kissed him like he's Gang.
She does now, and she doesn't stop until he's a gasping whimpering mess under her. Only then does she pull back and look at his mused hair, flushed cheeks, and glazed eyes in satisfaction.
"You're mine now," Mal purrs, taking pleasure in the shiver that goes through his body. "Ours."
"That's it?" He laughs a bit drunkenly. "All it cost was my kingdom?"
Mal nips at his neck in punishment, sucking a bruise there. "All it cost was you," she corrects.
He looks at her fondly, swollen lips stretched over white teeth and eyes glimmering. "Yeah, that sounds a lot like love. Except, I think I like this Isle version. Auradon likes the pretty words and promises, but you have to prove it, don't you? I'll prove it to you, Mal."
"Prove it to Them," Mal says and stands up. Ben doesn't hesitate in taking her offered hand- not like she would have.
Then she shoves him into the lake.
He comes up gasping and sputtering. He pushes his sopping hair back and blinks rapidly up at her. There is no anger for her assault, only bewilderment. "What was that for?"
Mal hums, pleased. She didn't really think that any of them had gone behind her back to spell him again, but it's the kind of thing they might do to try to make Mal happy. After all, they are nearly as protective of her as she is of them. She, herself, (briefly) thought about spelling Doug before Evie goes to have her own talk with the half-dwarf. But if he reacts poorly, she'll just make him disappear, Auradon or not. It would be easy, too, because now she has a king wanting to prove himself. "Just checking."
A/N: Let me know what you guys think! Some Sex Ed with Fairy Godmother with come next. If you have any specific topic you want to see discussed, let me know. I only have three so far.
~Silver~