Old Habits

Please!

          "Come on, please!" Sophia begs. "We really want to see Mal! When she sees us here, she'll have to let us stay."

"Do you know Mal?" I ask. "If she knows you're here, she'll either keep you here under lock and key or find some way to discreetly send you back."

"You're being pessimistic, Jay," Carlos whines. I glare at him throw a pillow at his head. Since the twins will be staying with us for a while, I threw together a guest room for them to stay in. Nothing big; just a set of twin size beds, a closet and a small table for them to share. They're just grateful that they get to stay. "Mal's not evil anymore, remember."

"Sure, and eventually she'll have the power to throw us in the dungeon if she gets angry," I snap. "No, not if you two want to stay. That's final. It's getting late, why don't you two go get some sleep?"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❶Ben❶~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Sophia takes my hand a leads me to our room. "Sophia, we need to see Mal! We need to apologize," I insist.

"And we're going too," she says. "Tonight, we sneak into the palace. Tonight, we see Mal!"

"Sophia, no. We promised to listen to Jay. We promised to be good! We can't do that. What if we get caught?" I ask.

She shakes her head and grabs my shoulders. "We won't. We'll wait until it's dark, then sneak of, grab a taxi to the city and hike to the castle. It'll be perfect. Mal will be so happy to see us!"

I smile and nod. "Let's do this!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~❶Mal❶~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Ben, what's going on?" I ask, twirling around blindly. "Can I please take this off?" It's been a few hours since we saw Jay in the market and since we finished our successful trip to find a cake maker and flower arranger, Evie has claimed me for dress work tomorrow while Ben is swarmed with work and he has tied a blindfold around my head in the throne room.

"Nope! I want you to have no idea where I'm taking you," Ben replies. "Please, just trust me. Let me give you a surprise."

"You surprise me all the time. I feel that you tie a blindfold around my eyes every day!" I say.

Ben takes my hands and raises one to sit over his chest- his heart. "I only do it to show you how much you mean to me. To show you what your love does to me, every minute of every day. I love you so much."

I smile and lean forward, sloppily trying to find his lips. His laugh makes me float as his hands smooth over my cheeks. He guides me towards him and we meet in a kiss filled with roaring passion. I wrap my arms around his neck as he reaches behind my thighs, lifting me it. I wrap my legs around him as I mess with his hair. We pull away when we need air. I think his eyes may be slightly gazed over. When he's finally pulled back to reality, I feel his smile against my cheek and slowly he drops me back to the floor. "And that," I say, attempting to poke his nose but getting his lips, "Is only a taste of how much I love you."

"Aww. Now my gesture of love seems so meaningless."

I smile and shake my head. "So, are we going to be outside? Cause my jacket is upstairs in my room."

"Oh, do you mean my jacket?" Ben asks. His voice sounds like it's getting farther away. "You will stay right there. I'll be right back, alright?"

"I think that that jacket qualifies as mine by now. And you did give it to me our sophomore year!" I yell back.