Chapter Text
Auradon _ Post-coronation
So... Mal is upset. They all quickly picked up on that, but none of them knows the root of the problem. She kind of had a choice. She just betrayed everything she ever believed in, she couldn't go back home, she turned her mother into a lizard and she had been followed by journalists for the past three days. But none of it explains why she barely talks to them anymore. What did they ever do to her? Because last time Evie checked, they betrayed the same things she did.
Carlos is all about giving her space, which Jay agreed to. But how long is Evie supposed to wait? Three days are a long enough time out in her book. Besides, what is really bothering her is that Mal has no problem talking to Ben, who apparently doesn't care about the part where he has completely been used. Evie is really starting to hate Ben, which would be ok if he wasn't so damn nice. He is adorable with everyone. He even takes the time to revalidate Evie's royalty status and that definitely is the nicest thing anyone ever done for her. And lately he is the only one who can get Mal to smile so she really has no reason to hate him.
The problem is that he is indeed the only one that can get Mal to smile and Evie is dying from jealousy.
That night after spending one hour being properly ignored by Mal, Evie decides that it is enough. "How long are you going to ice me out?" she asks. "Or maybe you could tell me why. What did we do to upset you?"
At that Mal growls, like for real she literally growls. Then she sighs. But Evie knows her well enough to know that it is just for show. Mal isn't really angry to have been called out. She is more embarrassed than anything. "You didn't do anything" she says. "It's me. I'm being dumb".
"Well at least we agree on that" Evie teases. "It's ok, you can tell me what's going on in this head of yours". Then she leaves her bed to go sit on Mal's.
"We're friend" she simply says. And she stops like it is a good enough answer.
Evie dies her best to not be frustrated. "Yes we are" she says. "And?".
"I told everyone we were friends and it was true. I just... I just didn't know before.
"That's what this it about?" Evie asks, laughing. "You may have been the last person to admit it but yes we are friends. The two of us have been friends since the first day you found me on the beach. You have been friend with Jay for years, and you've pretty much adopted Carlos since the day in the shop. Admitting you have friend is not a bad thing, you just admitted you were human".
By the frown that appears on Mal's face, Evie knows she made a mistake and that she needs to trade lightly.
"That's the problem" Mal mutters. "I'm not human, not entirely. And my mother has always told me that my human part made me weak". At that, Evie feels so much love for the little dragon. She promises herself she will always protect and treasure her. She promises she will make Mal see how great she is and how all her parts are just perfect the way they are. In the mean time, she just rubs the other girl's leg to provide some kind of comfort, and she loves how Mal doesn't try to avoid the contact.
"And you defeated your mother so what does it tell you?" she says.
"I only won because you were there" answers Mal, not looking at her.
"Exactly" Evie says. "Human connections saved the day. You know that this is why your mother was defeated the first time around, right? Loving and caring for your friends makes you stronger, they don't make you weak".
Mal smiles at Evie and she figures that with what she feels for the princess, she must be pretty invincible.
Auradon _ A week later
Mal is getting ready. Usually Evie would help her with her clothes or at least with her make up and hair for her date, but not today, today she is sulking in her bed. The dragon tried figuring out what was wrong several times but Evie would just shrug and mumble nonsensical things.
The moment she ends up getting ready is the moment she knows she is about to get her answer. Now that Evie notices that Mal is ready to leave, she leaves her bed and she wanders around the room without doing anything at all.
"Ok Evie, what's wrong?" Mal asks, taking her bag. "You're worrying me".
"Nothing" answers the blue haired princess. "Have fun at your date". It has been said way more harshly than it necessary.
Mal lets down her bag and crosses her arms. "I am not going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong with you".
At that, Evie just snorts. "You say that like I'm the one being punished" she says. "Maybe I don't want you to go at your stupid date".
That is when Mal understands. "Oh my God! You're jealous! Why... Why didn't you tell me?" she asks. She looks hurt a little bit and Evie doesn't dare do anything else more than shrug. Mal goes closer and takes one of her hands in her own. "I knew you wanted a prince but I thought you moved on. If you wanted Ben you just had to ask."
Ok, Evie is so confused and it takes her several seconds to find anything to respond to that so Mal just continues. "Of course, we'll need a bit of love potion but once he sees how amazing you are, he's going to love you for real. I mean, how could he not fall for you?".
Mal is smiling now, like she has the answer to the world's biggest problems.
That is when Evie finds back the use of her body and her vocal cords. She needs to take a step back because what is happening doesn't make any sense. "What are you talking about?" she asks.
"I am talking about Ben" Mal answers like it is obvious.
"Thanks I got that but why? I mean, you do realize that he is your boyfriend, right?"
"Yeah sure but if you want him, you can have him".
That is nice. Evie knows that it is nice. Mal is just being Mal. Evie knows the dragon would give her anything to make her happy, she has done that their entire life. But right now, everything feels so wrong she has trouble seeing the nice part of the gesture. She needs to think. Mal saw she was jealous so she was ready to give her Ben. There is just a small problem with that plan, Evie doesn't want Ben. He is a prince but he isn't her prince. She knows that because her prince is in fact the purple dragon who is looking at her with worry on her face waiting to give her the person who makes her happy.
"Look Mal" Evie says softly. "I get that you chose good and that you want to be nice but you cannot give me Ben".
"Why not?" she asks.
Does she really not see the problem with this?
"Because he is your happy ending!" yells Evie with too much hurt in her voice for Mal not to notice.
This time Mal understands what Evie is trying to tell her. She looks at her in a way she never has before, but it makes Evie think about the first time Mal's eyes turned green. She has the same look of surprise, wonder and something else, something transcendent. Then, Mal smiles in a way she never did before, it is warm, confident, soft and a little bit mocking. "No he's not" she says. "You are".
Shock is all over Evie's face. She can't stop opening and closing her mouth, not knowing what to say. She thinks about the forest and about taking risk knowing that Mal will always save her. So she doesn't say a word, she takes a leap of faith, hoping that Mal will catch her. Evie closes the distance between them and crushes her lips on Mal's, who doesn't hesitate before kissing her back.
Mal thinks about the second time she went on the beach, when the princess was somewhere hiding herself. She thinks about the apple she left on the rock, the apple who changed her life. She never knew if that apple had been the best or the worst decision of her life. Breaking the kiss to catch her breath, she looks into Evie's eyes and she knows that yeah, leaving that apple on the rock is the best decision she's ever made.