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arkham-ayden · 8 months

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I'm following a prompt list for October! You can read it above on ao3 or below the cut here!

• Pairing: Ben/Mal

• Prompt: Carving pumpkins

• Word count: 1906

• No additional warnings

“Mal! Over here!” Ben called from across the way.

The courtyard was adorned with bright decorations; spiderwebs, comically sized ghosts and bats, garland strung up from every available surface and then there were long tables with an array of giant oranges on them.

She’d never seen oranges that big, hells, they weren’t even mouldy! She walked over, meeting Ben halfway and giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

“What is all this? On the Isle, Hallows’ Eve was just everyone getting drunk at Facilier’s place.”

“We like to do a big school event, and I had a feeling you guys wouldn’t have had the more festive things, so I set you up with something that everyone does here.”

He gestured to the oranges, now close up, Mal could see knives and spoons set around them.

“Eating oranges like an insane person?”

“No,” he laughed. “These are pumpkins, you carve them, make fun patterns, and then you put a candle in them to make them glow at night.”

She cast a look down the table, Evie was pulling a mass out of the pumpkin, not looking all too thrilled. Carlos was using a tiny knife to carve circles above a triangle, where Jay was taking the biggest knife and making a large almost circle at the top.

"Ben, this is sweet but I don’t get it. What purpose does this serve?”

“It doesn’t have to serve any kind of purpose. Back in the day it had some special meaning to it, but now we just do it for fun.”

Seeing her raised eyebrows he continued.

“I know, it’s probably really weird, but it’s your first holiday here in Auradon. We, I wanted to do something nice for you. Come on, give it a try.”

Mal shot Ben an amused but reluctant smile, taking a small carving knife. She made a lazy circle on the top of her pumpkin, not piercing hard enough to pop it out like Jay had done moments earlier. She fought with the knife for a few moments before realising it was stuck. Her shoulders slumped inwards as she tried to pull it out, to no avail. She tugged and tugged, eventually dislodging the blade, catching herself on the upswing. She cried out, more from shock than pain. Ben whipped his head around from his own pumpkin. Mal had instinctively sucked on the wound to staunch the blood flow.

“Hey, let me show you, okay?”

It was more of a question than a statement, but Mal raised her hands and went to step away before Ben pulled her to his side. She stiffened but it seemed like Ben hadn’t noticed. He picked up the biggest knife on the table and handed it to her. She blinked in shock, this had to be some kind of test, right? No sane person would hand a villain a weapon willingly. He pressed it into her palm, taking the handle in his own just above where her hand clasped it.

Together, they plunged the knife in, it was a pillowy sound rather than the cracking sound she expected to hear. They pulled it as close to them as one swipe would take, before taking the knife out and repeating the process until the cuts met.

“That’s not a circle,” she almost giggled.

“Nope, it doesn’t have to be perfect. Here’s the gross part.”

He lifted the closed shape by a thick stem, pulling with some difficulty. When it came up, there were stringy memmbranes connected to the innards, seeds mingled in the mess.

Mal raised a hand to her nose, an unfamiliar scent permeating the air. It was earthy, with almost a hint of sweetness to it. Not an artificial sweet either, it was subtle and succinct.

“And then,” Ben rolled up his sleeve as he spoke. “The equally gross, yet fun part.”

He stuck his hand deep into the cavern, a squelching sound making Mal cringe. Up came thick clumps of the membrane seed mix plastered to his fingers. He smirked, nose wrinkling as he held it close to Mal’s face. Her hands darted up to protect herself from the foul smelling goop. He put the mixture into a bowl just off to the side. There was a small tendril left on his thumb, taking the chance to wipe it on his girlfriend’s nose.

“Ew! Gross, Ben, seriously gross.”

“Gods, the look on your face, if looks could kill.” He laughed heartily.

“Right now, I wish they could.”

He took a moment to breathe and compose himself.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I couldn’t resist. My mom always used to do it to me and I never saw the appeal. But that look made it all worth it.”

“Yeah, yeah. What next?”

He handed back the smaller knife she attempted to use.

“You can make a design on this side. You cut all the way through and pop the pieces out, or you can cut the skin off to make it glow less.”

“What kind of design?”

“Anything you want! I’m pretty sure Evie said she wanted to make some kind of crown, Carlos is doing some kind of face, and Jay,” he snickered. “Well, I’m pretty sure Jay’s just having fun with the knives. Don’t worry, we’ve got Lonnie watching him to make sure he doesn’t hurt himself or anyone else.”

“I can make anything on this?”

“Yeah of course, just nothing Fairy Godmother wouldn’t approve of. I’m gonna work on mine some more, there’s a contest for best dressed pumpkin and I’m trying to outdo Jane this year. You’d think she’d get some kind of restriction considering who her mom is.”

He shook his head and turned back to his own craftsmanship. Anything, huh? Mal considered some of the art she’d made on the Isle before deciding this was far too small of a canvas to recreate anything. But it seemed just big enough for something new she’d wanted to try. She started to work, making larger cuts here and smaller shavings of the skin there. After a good ten minutes, she was almost done, roughly estimating she was five or so minutes away from completion.

Ben had finished on his, he was holding it like someone would a baby, it was a near perfect recreation of his castle’s shield emblem, there were a few shaky lines here and there, but it looked almost identical to the shields adorning lampposts. He turned to show it to Mal, hastily covering her own work.

"What’d you think?”

“It looks great.”

“What about you? How’s it coming along?”

“It’s not done yet. No peeking.”

He raised a single hand, firmly holding his creation with the other.

“Okay, okay, I’m handing mine in. Judging starts in 10 so if you want to get it in, keep an eye on the time.”

“Gotcha.”

He started to walk off, Mal going back to her own work. She stepped back for a moment to look at it in its entirety, suddenly doubting her skills. What if it looked nothing alike? It looked good to her, but the standards in this place seemed to be so much higher than the Isle, where any effort was a cut above the rest. She bit her lip, did she even want to submit it? After not much time, she realised she had to submit her work. None of the rest of her family were planning to, Jay was still playing with the knives much to the dismay of Lonnie, and Carlos, who’s pumpkin he’d accidentally disfigured with his antics, and Evie had abandoned hers in favour of the punch bowl and trying to flirt with Chad, asking about his castle most likely.

She had to put it in for judging to at least prove to the rest of them that they could do good, they could be recognised as more than villains if only for a few seconds. She finished the final touches and handed her pumpkin to Fairy Godmother, offering it sheepishly.

When she arrived back at her table, Ben was already waiting for her, two glasses in hand.

“I got us a drink, did you hand yours in?”

“Yeah, I did. Thanks.”

She took the glass with a small smile, still not used to the kind gestures Ben offered, despite how consistent they were.

“Fairy Godmother’s going over them now, we should head up to the front to see who wins.”

She nodded, taking one of Ben’s hands in hers. He was always so warm where her hands felt more like ice than flesh, a downside of being part draconic due to her mother’s spells. She relied on outer sources for her heat, unable to make her own without the sun.

“Mal, you’re shivering, are you okay?”

“Mm? Oh, my body can’t make its own warmth. I’m okay, just a little chilly.”

Ben took his jacket off and placed it around Mal’s shoulders and pulled her closer to him. Nestling her head in the crook of Ben’s neck, she immediately felt warmer. Not just her skin, but it was like her insides were being warmed up. It was a weird feeling, chalking it up to the inadvertent curse. They stayed like that for a few minutes before the dark haired woman took the stage, three pumpkins with designs facing her.

“Welcome Auradon Prep students, to our annual best dressed pumpkin contest. As you may all know, I’m quite good with a gourd,” She laughed at her own joke, Ben quickly explaining it.

“Without further adieu, I’d like to present our winners of this year. In third place,” she spun around the leftmost pumpkin. “King Benjamin and the royal crest.”

There was scattered applause, most too busy indulging in sweets or conversations to pay much attention.

“In second place is Jane with her beautiful silhouette of a pumpkin carriage.”

Again, scattered applause, though a bit louder. Presumably, it was from Jane’s friends, finally focusing in.

“And finally, in first place we have,” she trilled, trailing off slightly.

Mal was crossing her fingers and felt a surge of warmth flow through her as Ben embraced her in a hug to try and warm her up some more.

“Mal from the Isle with her portrait of King Ben.”

As the pumpkin was spun around, there were audible gasps from the small crowd, some people pausing their conversations to take a look at the art. Her art. Ben pulled away from the hug briefly, mouth slightly agape as he looked in awe. Fairy Godmother beckoned Mal on stage, with a small push from Ben, she went up.

“As winner of this year’s contest, it is my honour to give you this token of $25 and an opening to our art programme here at Auradon Prep.”

It was Mal’s turn to be shocked, mouth agape.

Cheers from her friends erupted and cut the harsh silence.

“Go Mal!”

“How’d she do that with these things?”

“That’s my girl!”

Slowly, applause came from the small crowd, becoming louder and louder. Ben pulled her down from the stage and swept her into a kiss, dipping her down.

“Did you seriously make me a pumpkin? That’s the cutest thing anyone’s ever done for me.”

She caressed his cheek, kissing back and smiling under it.

“You really made me look good for a gourd.” He parroted the cheesy joke. She tilted her head playfully, tipping Ben’s crown to one side.

“You always look good.”

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