*they arrived in the main sitting room to find his parents say chatting*
Belle: there you two lovebirds are
Beast: pyjamas are a nice touch
Belle: don't!
beast: sorry!
Mal: look your highness, you really have the wrong understanding of our relationship if you think that's what's going on
Beast: I was your age once
Mal: but I'm not one of girls from when you were a kid sir, with all due respect I'm not even close to ready, I'm just not, I'm learning how to love but it's slow, I've never loved anyone or anything my entire life until Ben, I'm still learning what love is at the moment
Beast: I've seen you two
Mal: we makeout sometimes I'm not denying it but you seem to be under the impression we're doing things were not, I have great respect for you sir but I want this cleared up, I'm not a slut, I don't do that stuff, I've never done anything a with Ben beyond anything you've ever seen and I don't intend to for a while, when we share a bed now it's purely because I don't like to be alone, I have horrible nightmares sometimes which you've probably heard about because you seem to have heard about everything, having him with me makes me feel safe, it helps me not have the nightmares so I do it, if that's a problem for you I will stop doing it because I really don't want you to hate me because I love your son so I want you to like me more than I want anything else in this world
Belle: we don't think that at all Mal
Ben: he does
Mal: it's okay, I can get why you would
Beast: well he already has so it wasn't a big leap
Mal: what?
Belle: okay you stop talking now honey
Beast: wha...oh
Ben: great
Mal: w...what?
Belle: we'll come back in a couple of minutes
*she drags a confused beast out of the room*
Mal: tell me he didn't mean what I think he meant
Ben: he did
Mal: okay wow, umm okay
Ben: I should've told you but I could stick that in when you were still trying to figure everything out and then it just felt like it was too late to say it
Mal: so you and Audrey?
Ben: yeah...
Mal: umm okay
Ben: a...are you okay?
Mal: it's none of my business what you did before we were together
Ben: I'm sorry
Mal: why?
*he knows to tread carefully because he is very certain she's not as fine with it as she's making out to be, they just sit in silence for a couple of minutes*
Ben: well this Christmas is off to a really crappy start
Mal: just a little
Ben: come here
*she flings her legs over his lap and nestles into his chest, he wrapped his arms around her at which point he realised she was shivering*
Ben: you cold?
Mal: yeah
Ben reached over to the blanket on the back of the sofa, he unfolded it as best he could one handed and then drapes it over everything of her that wasn't pressed against his chest before putt his arm around her, he could see her getting drowsy in his arms so he slowly rubbed her and to help her drift of, she hadn't slept much the day before and had had a bit of a rough night last night so he figured she'd earned a nap, belle and beast walked back in just as Mal fell asleep*
Belle: it was quiet and no one had stormed out so we figured it was safe to come back in
Ben: honestly I don't think she had the energy to fight
Belle: is there something wrong with her?
Ben: fairy godmother came to talk to me last week, her magic it just keeps getting stronger, it's getting harder to control and it's draining her
Beast: maybe she'd be better off without the powers and I'm not just saying that
Ben: I thought about it but that would be like taking away part of her identity, I don't want to make that suggestion unless I think it's the only choice
Belle: yeah
Ben: that one of the few things she's sure about with her identity
Beast: so then presents anybody?
Ben: you guys go first
*they spend the next 15 minutes unwrapping their presents until they get to the last two for them*
Ben: they're from Mal those two and then those two are from, well, gramps
Belle: well that's nice of them
*they open them kinda awkwardly be like them and are thankful supposedly although Ben can't quite tell if they're just putting it on or not, beast squirms in his seat as he opens the present from Maurice and even more when he reads the card which contains a lovely letter in which he begs forgiveness, just as they finish Mal starts to wake up, she lifts up her head drowsily to look at Ben, her eyes asking for an explanation*
Ben: hey baby
*he gives her a little kiss on the forehead and then a little peck on the lips*
Mal: what time is it?
Beast: 11:16
Mal: okay
Belle: Mal honey are you okay? You look a little pale
Mal: honestly I'm always rather pale
Ben: no she's right your paler than usual
Mal: well I feel a little off but I don't know why
Beast: would you like the doctor to come and look at you
Mal: no, I'll be fine but thank you for offering
Belle: of course
Ben: do you wanna open your presents?
Mal: you go first
Ben: sure?
*she nods, still quite sleepily which worries him and his parents but he tries to shake it off for now*
Ben: if you're comfortable there I can do that after lunch
Mal: it's okay I can move its fine
Ben: okay sweetie, just trying to help
Mal: I know
*she wriggles off him and onto the other end of the sofa so he can get up, she wraps the blanket further around herself, that doesn't work Ben to much though because even he thinks it's rather cold, it was snowing rather heavily outside and wasn't all hat warm inside, belle and even beast looked rather envious of her with the blanket, Ben began unwrapping his presents until he got to the last one which was Mal's*
Mal: I know it sucks but I wanted to do something myself and it was all I could think of
*he opened it to find a collage of pictures from the Christmas before which they had spent at Auradon prep with Evie and the others*
Mal: I know, pathetic but you're really hard to think of present ideas for, the other one isn't much better
*he opens he other parcel and finds a drawing of them from last Christmas in a nice frame
Ben: they're both amazing
Mal: I give you the same things every time it's just all I know how to do, I'm sorry
*he comes and knees down in front of her on the couch*
Ben: don't be sorry because I love it, I love your art and I love you, the best gift you could ever give me is your time
Mal: okay
Ben: come on down here it's your turn
Mal: umm are we expecting someone else because there's still a bunch of presents
Ben: they're for you
*she chuckles in disbelief*
Mal: wait you're not joking
Ben: no
Belle: why would he be joking?
Mal: oh I'm sorry it's just this is only the second time I've celebrated Christmas so it's still a bit new
Beast: 2nd time?!
Mal: mom didn't believe I deserved presents, instead I was locked in my room all day and yelled at for not being bad enough for her
*ben pulls her into a hug*
Belle: I'm really sorry that happened to you
Mal: I didn't know any different so it wasn't that bad
Beast: it sounds awful
Mal: all due respect sir most things about life on the isle was much much worse
Ben: okay babe presents?
Beast: I'm sorry
Mal: huh?
Beast: I'm sorry you had to live like that
Mal: me too
Ben: presents!
Mal: okay babe presents
*she chuckles at his extreme desire to change the subject, she opens all of her presents except the last one which was from belle and beast, she wasn't quite sure what to expect but when she opened it she found s beautiful purple dress, it was the perfect mix of preppy and punky*
Mal: thank you both so much, it's amazing
Belle: of course
Beast: we hope it's not too preppy for you...I meant that in a nice way I promise
*his second but added on as a response to glares from his wife and son*
Mal: it's great, thank you
Ben: so who wants lunch? I want lunch, Mal do you want lunch?
Mal: oh yeah I've gotta go get dressed, so do you
Ben: but I want lunch!
Mal: and I want my 17 year old boyfriend to be acting 17 instead of 7
Ben: come on cheeky
*he grabs her up of the floor bridal style making her giggle*
Mal: put me down
Ben: nope
Mal: fine you can carry me to my room I really don't mind
Ben: okay
Mal: Bennnnn
*he chuckles and wanders of with her still in his arms*
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Now they're gonna graduate high school and then the real fun can begin 😂😂 xoxo