&& benevolent

❝ I can't wait to call you my husband, ❞ she says, leaning on her toes to plant a soft kiss on his lips.

"I can't wait to hear you call me your husband every day. And I'm pretty sure I'll never get over calling you my wife, even 50 years from now."

Mal paused at his word choice. Adorable? Since when did any part of her scream that word? Her whole motif was dragons, and not in the cute How to Train your Dragon way. "It's naive of you to assume that her mother would allow any purchase for me." Come on, Ben, even you had to know who the sheriff answered to. The Mayor knew exactly who she was.

"We also both know that when Evie wants to do something she's going to do. it" Ben replied, hoping that they could easily just move on from the fact that he called her adorable. The stubbornness of their shared friend might be his saving grace in the moment. "Just don't close yourself off to the idea."

❝ Hey, Bennyboo, ❞ Mal says sweetly as she opens her door, gazing lovingly up into Ben's eyes. ❝ Can you believe our wedding is finally almost here? ❞

"Almost feels like it wouldn't ever happen." Ben replied with a soft smile. "I will admit that I will not miss wedding planning at all, if I never have to look at center pieces again I will be happy."

Mal shrugged. "I'm sure she would." How she became friends with the mayor's daughter, of all people, was beyond her. The sheriff was in the woman's pocket, so she has probably heard all about the trouble-making teen in purple hair. "I'd probably have to pickpocket like... half... the town to afford a dress she likes, though." Her foster parents are definitely wealthy enough to afford anything in any store, but they would never give her any money to get a dress. They would probably ground her if they knew she wanted to go to a dance purely so she couldn't go.

"It's kind of adorable that you think Evie would let you pay for it at all." It wasn't pity, it was Evie's love language. A way to show the people in her life that she appreciated them. And for a moment he found himself pausing on the word, almost regretting that he called her adorable. Not that it was a lie, but he didn't want to scare her off. He knew that he liked her, but he didn't know what he would do if she didn't like him back. They were good as friends, she had saved him when someone went after him to get at his father. And had been there ever since. "Just consider it, you might actually have a good time."

Mal scoffed slightly. "You mean, go to a dance for a school I've missed like... sixty percent of my classes in? Yeah... I'm pretty sure they're not gonna let me in the door." That was a bit excessive, but she wasn't wrong about how many classes she's missed. Getting arrested instead of going to school was one of the easiest ways to make sure she ate in a day. It made her seem far, far worse of a student than she actually was, but hey, a girl's gotta eat.

"Then go to forty percent of the dance." He teased with a small smile. He knew that he was pushing it, trying to talk Mal into something she didn't want to. Maybe he should admit that he wanted a dance with her, a chance to have that high school moment that everyone else dreamed of. "They'll let you in the door, and if they don't I have a way of charming people into doing what I want. Besides, we both know Evie is dying to pick out a dress for you."

❝ well, you said it. not me. that you don't trust me. ❞ and that wouldn't have stung, not at all, if he hadn't let his guard down. that's the part he now felt stupid for & blues glaring icier than usual. ❝ when i couldn't even trust you. ❞

"I know that's what it sounds like -" And the truth was that Ben had no way to turn it. The words slipped out before he could take them back, realizing that no matter how much he wanted to give his entire heart to everyone and trust them fully, part of him was still like his father. Still hesitant to trust. "But I'm learning. Growing up we were so conditioned to never trust anyone who was different, I guess sometimes the programming just takes over. That's not an excuse, I know."

“is it permanent? that ‘kicked puppy’ look you’ve got going on?”