pecan pie [descendants]

step ten

Jo really liked Auradon, even if Auradon didn't like her.

She'd been living here for about a week now. She'd made some new friends, learned some new recipes, and was settling into her classes okay. She discovered that a lot of people didn't like her simply on principle. Because she was a VK, she was inherently trouble. No matter how much free food she offered, some people just refused to see Jo for Jo.

Speaking of free food, she'd perfected her chocolate chip cookies, and now she was bringing a batch to King Ben as a thank you. She wished she had a better way of thanking him, but unfortunately, there wasn't much more to Jo than her cooking and baking skills. The basket full of cookies swung on her arm as she made her way through the castle, garnering suspicious looks from the guards. She tried to ignore it. She tried to remember Mal's advice ("It will get better soon.") and she tried not to let the looks get to her. Still, it got to her. She wondered if they saw what her father saw when they looked at her.

She knocked on Ben's door. She hadn't seen him much since they arrived. He'd been busy with king stuff. Even Mal had hardly seen him -- though that might have more to do with the daughter of Maleficent spending all of her time with Jo rather than Ben. And maybe that was one of the reasons why Jo baked Ben cookies. Logically, she knew Ben and Mal were each other's true loves and that her crush on Mal would never be anything more than a crush, but she still felt like she'd been occupying all of his girlfriend's time. So maybe the cookies weren't just a thank you. Maybe they were an apology too.

"Come on in!" Ben called. She furrowed her brow. She hadn't even told him it was her, but he was still letting her in? She shook the confused expression off her face and stepped into his office. She did a double-take. It was far messier than she'd expected.

Ben got up from where he sat behind his desk, smiling at Jo warmly. "Hey. Sorry about the mess. I'm kind of doing like five different things right now." He laughed, but the bags under his eyes and the weakness of his grin gave away just how much of a toll this was all taking on him. Jo couldn't help but frown. He was only 16. He was far too young to be king. How could his parents do this to him?

"Sorry, I can come back at a different time if you're too busy," she said, already headed for the door. She'd never been alone with Ben before and something about the concept raised the hair on the back of her neck.

"No, no, you're good," Ben assured her. He sat on the corner of his desk. "I was supposed to take a break an hour ago, so." He was trying to maintain his happy facade, but he was clearly cracking. Jo felt a pang in her chest. Whenever she saw Ben on TV, she'd always been so impressed by his maturity and composure. Now, here in his office, he looked so young. So vulnerable. She resisted the urge to hug him and tell him everything was going to be okay.

Jo forced a smile. "I, uh, I baked you cookies." She presented them to him, holding the basket out in front of her and moving the cloth she'd been covering them with. She couldn't read his expression, so she started rambling. "It's just, well, I wanted to thank you for letting us come over and everything, and well, baking is the only thing I'm good at so I was like, 'I'll make him cookies!' But now I'm seeing the look on your face and, oh, you don't like chocolate chip cookies do you? I'm such an idiot, I knew I should've asked! Oh God, are you allergic to chocolate? Are you allergic to chocolate and I just made you chocolate chip cookies? I'm so sorry-"

"Jo!" he interjected, standing up. She slapped her hand over her mouth to ensure she would stop talking. Her face was bright red. He seemed to be suppressing laughter. Her heart dropped to the floor. Great. She just made a huge fool of herself in front of the king.

He took the basket from her. His grin was still tired, but it seemed more genuine now. He laid a hand on her shoulder. "Thank you. I love chocolate chip cookies. It's just, last time someone from the Isle made me chocolate chip cookies, they were laced with a love potion." Jo tilted her head like a confused puppy. Who...wait. Her jaw dropped.

Mal love-potioned Ben. Mal put a love potion in a batch of chocolate chip cookies and gave them to Ben. She love-potioned him so she could get close to him. Their relationship was built on a lie. All of the jealousy she'd been feeling dissipated. After all, there was nothing to be jealous of. Ben and Mal were nothing more than an illusion.

"I would never compromise my baking with potions," Jo blurted. Ben raised an eyebrow. She continued, "Potions can change the texture and affect how long baked goods need in the oven - we had a whole class about this back on the Isle. I carry way too much about the quality of my cookies to spike them with love potion."

"And your cookies look amazing," Ben said. "But I can't take the chance. Not right now." Jo's face fell. Well shit. How was she supposed to show him how grateful she was now? She bit down on her bottom lip and turned to leave, tears welling up in her eyes, when an idea hit her.

She whipped back around. "Then don't."

"What?" Ben cocked his head to the side. "Sorry, I don't follow."

She extended the basket towards him again. "I'll close my eyes and you can pick any cookie. I'll eat it to prove it's not spiked. I wouldn't love potion myself, right?" She beamed, feeling much better now that she'd found a solution. Ben was looking at her amusedly. He seemed to be weighing his options.

After a moment or so, he nodded. "Okay. Close your eyes and hold out your hand." She followed his command. She felt him take the basket from her. There was a pregnant pause during which he was shuffling the cookies. She heard him pick one up, so she yelped, "Not that one!"

She opened one eye to see him drop the cookie back in the basket, his eyes wide. She grinned cheekily. "Just kidding." She closed her eyes again as he let out a combination of a scoff/chuckle. Seconds later, he placed a cookie in her hand. She didn't hesitate to bring it to her lips and take a huge bite. Her eyes flew open.  She threw her head back and moaned appreciatively. "Wow, these turned out amazing."

Ben laughed, then grabbed a cookie for himself. "Okay, my turn." He bit into the cookie (still a bit soft and warm). As he bit down, he closed his eyes as if entering a world where it was just him and this cookie. He opened his eyes to grin at Jo. "These are incredible. Now I get why Mal has been hyping up your skills all this time." He took another giant bite.

Jo couldn't help but feel giddy. She loved seeing people's reactions to what she made. There was nothing like her working her ass off on a dish and then seeing the immediate pleasure on people's faces as the flavors melded in their mouths. She tried to contain her joy, but Jo was not a force easily contained. She jumped up and down and clapped, giggling, like a toddler witnessing their first magic trick.

"Oh, I'm so glad you like them," Jo gushed. "I was so worried."

"These are the best cookies I've ever had," Ben admitted, already on his third cookie. He set the basket down on his desk. "Thank you, Jo. You didn't have to do that."

Jo waved a dismissive hand. "You brought me and my best friend to Auradon. This was nothing. Honestly, I don't think I could ever repay you." And then they just smiled at each other for a while. Ben had a beautiful smile.

The tightness in Jo's chest melted. She knew then, at that moment, that Ben saw her for her. Maybe more than anyone else ever had. Her heart skipped a beat. This was dangerous. Getting close to him, getting attached, was dangerous. If he ever saw what she really was, he'd send her back in an instant. It'd be safest for her to keep her distance if she wanted to stay in Auradon.

She took a step closer.

She cleared her throat. "Um, I should get going, but thank you again for everything."

"I was just doing my job," Ben replied. "The people on the Isle are my people too. I want to do everything I can for them."

"Well, you're off to a great start," Jo said, and then there was more staring and smiling. Her face was so warm that she thought it might catch on fire. She managed to shake off the enchantment Ben's smile cast on her and she headed for the door. "Bye."

She didn't look back at him as he said, "Bye," because she knew if she did, she might've never left his office. Ben's smile was addicting. She'd only just gotten a taste of it, but she wanted more. She wanted to see him smile like that all the time -- his real smile, not the one he put on for the people. As she walked through the halls of the palace, she'd made a decision to bring him food every week. Maybe then he'd smile at her like that again and she wouldn't feel like such a fraud.

*

this is such a mess i am so sorry