Always by your Side - A Descendants Story : REWRITTEN

Chapter 7

"It's weird we've never had dinner with your parents at your home before, isn't it?" Mal says, in the car on the way to Ben's house.

"I guess, but it's probably because they're not home a lot, and we're also very busy people," Ben suggests.

"I've never even seen your room," Mal realises. "Is it as blue as your room at Auradon Prep?"

Ben laughs. "Even more so."

"I didn't know that was even possible..." Mal chuckles.

"And the golden crown print is also everywhere in my room, ever since I was little my parents designed everything with them," he tells her.

"You're just very sophisticated like that," Mal jokes.

"Why, thank you," he chuckles.

When they arrive at the castle, they're greeted by Lumière at the front door. "Good evening, Your Highness and My Lady," he says, formally as always. "Your parents are expecting you in the parlour."

The couple follows him through the castle to his parents, who are already waiting for them. Mrs Potts gets them some drinks and then they sit down as well. A while later dinner is served in the dining room and they enjoy 3 courses while they talk about this and that, but the main topic is of course the big Royal Wedding that's supposed to be happening in no less than a few months.

After dinner, Belle and Beast retire to the main living room, while Ben decides to give Mal the grand tour of his home.

"God, how many more rooms does this castle have, I can't feel my feet anymore," Mal whines, after they've covered almost every part of the castle Ben thought would be at least remotely interesting for her to see.

"One more room, princess, and then you can finally get your well-deserved beauty sleep," he promises, as he opens the last door. "I present to you; my room."

"You weren't exaggerating with all that blue earlier..." Mal says, her mouth almost hanging open by seeing the enormous, lusciously decorated room. "My mom's entire cracky castle would've fit in this space, I kid you not," she tell shim, thinking back to her childhood home.

"It is quite big, I guess," he says, walking over to a door on the other en of the room to reveal his very own bathroom.

"And an en-suite bathroom, are you kidding?!" Mal exclaims. "I want to live here and never leave..."

"You have your own bathroom in your dorm back at school, too," Ben argues.

"That small, old broom closet with a place for only a single towel hook and a shower that has the pressure so low you can't even do your hair routine in 5 minutes?" she asks him, sarcastically.

"It's not that bad," he says, amused by her puffery.

"Your bathroom has an actual hot tub, Benjamin," she reminds him, looking around the room.

"And you may use it as much as you'd like," he promises her.

"You mean we, I hope?" she smirks.

He laughs. "Well, I know what we're doing tonight."
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It's late at night when the two finally go to bed. Mal almost instantly falls asleep after this exhausting evening. Ben can't quite sleep yet, having all those thoughts going around in his head about how one day, not too long from now, they'll have their very own castle, rule over Auradon together as King and Queen, and, although a bit further in the future, they'll have their own family... and with those thoughts, he also finally drifts off to sleep.

The next morning Mal wakes up feeling quite well-rested after a peaceful night in the softest bed she's ever slept in. She sits up and looks to her left, only to see that the other side of the bed is empty.

So she also gets up to see where her boyfriend has gone this morning. But as she walks into the hallway, she can't even remember where they had come from the night before. After just wandering around for a bit, hoping to find him by chance, she hears some voices coming from the end of the hallway.

"Of course we're not!" she hears Ben's voice.

"Son..." Beast goes, obviously trying to remain calm.

"We're getting married, for God's sake!" Ben exclaims. "You're going to have to start trusting me! We're responsible enough to not let anything happen!"

"We do trust you, honey," she hears Belle say to her son. "But, you know, those- those things, they're not always in your control. It could just- happen... and we just want you to-"

"I don't need this talk again, mom," he snaps, frustrated, turning around to walk away.

"Benjamin, listen to your mother," Beast calls after his son. "These are serious things to think about! Benjamin!" but Ben just keeps walking away, out of the kitchen, until he bumps into Mal around the corner.

"Oh, hi, hey, hi, Mal," he says, a bit startled and still quite worked up. "How uh- how long have you been standing there exactly...?"

"Long enough to hear that not everything is sunshine and rainbows around here anymore," she says, raising her eyebrows. "What was that all about?"

"Oh, you know, just a little disagreement between me and my parents, nothing to worry about," he tries to assure her.

"I've never heard you lashing out to your parents like that before," she says, not buying it one bit.

"My parents are... they're just a bit overprotective, that's all," he says, not knowing what else to tell her without making it awkward.

"Overprotective about what?" she asks him, wanting an actual answer.

"You know... just about- you and me... spending the night together..." he comes clear.

Mal feels her cheeks getting a bit red. "Oh, like that..."

"They just don't trust me," he sighs. "I told them nothing will happen, you know, and nothing will happen."

"Do they know that we are-" she tries to ask him.

"God, no," he assures her. "That's the last thing I'll ever talk to my parents about."

"Good," Mal says.

"It's not even any of their business what we do, you know," he tells her, irritated by his parents' concern.

"I think I'd find it difficult as well to see my child being all mature, getting married and everything. It's all going quite fast, I can imagine," she tells him. "Maybe just cut them some slack?"

"I guess you're right," he agrees.

"They're just concerned parents, not wanting their son to grow up too fast," she says.

"I should just be glad they care so much, shouldn't I?" he admits.

"Well, not everyone is so lucky," she says, smiling slightly at him.

"I'm sorry," he says, pulling her into a hug.

"What for?" she asks.

"Complaining about my parents when your mother is a lizard," he says.

Mal chuckles. "Let's get some breakfast, shall we?" she asks him.

He nods. "Let's go."