Not every fairy tale couple can be perfect.

"Love is not a fable or fairytale; you never meet a unicorn or a mermaid. It's an illusion because what appears is beautiful but what's hidden is dark." -Bazil Patel

Mal's Point of View

"At least I'm not a prissy king that gets everything he wants!" I yelled.

His eyes turned fiery red-something I wasn't used to seeing. I knew he was part-beast, and that scared me. Yet, I didn't stop.

"Well, at least I'm not a careless girl that burdens everyone around her!" He screamed violently.

All of my anger seemed to fade away at that moment. Instead, it was replaced with hurt. Tears welled up in my eyes, and everything suddenly became blurry. I stepped away from him, taken aback by his words.

"I'm just a burden to you?" I asked incredulously.

His crimson irises reverted back to his dazzling, green ones. The ones that always seemed to look at me with such adoration, such love. The ones that never failed to make me fall in love with him all over again every time I so much as looked into his eyes.

He was lost for words.

I guess I can take that as a yes.

"If I'm such a burden to you, then maybe I should leave," I said, biting back the tears.

"Mal…"

His gentle voice.

Don't fall for it again. You're just a burden, remember?

"You know I didn't mean that," he explained. "You're not a burden."

"If you didn't mean it, you wouldn't have said it. You're right, Ben. I'm just a burden."

My fists unclenched, no longer angered by the boy in front of me.

Only hurt.

"Mal-"

"I should go," I interrupted. "We shouldn't even be doing this. Us, I mean. You're completely right. I'm only hurting you. I'll see you later, Ben."

His warm, calloused hands grabbed my tense, sweaty ones. He never failed to recreate those sparks.

"You're not-"

"Stop," I interrupted once again. "Just stop."

I pulled away from his touch, running out of the castle doors.

I don't even remember what we were fighting about, to be quite honest. We never truly fought, only about trivial matters. That…that escalated.

Escalated too quickly.

I didn't fight back the tears this time. They seemed to continuously dig into my soul, rousing all the buried hurt I've been feeling for the past few weeks since our argument. I haven't shed a tear since then. I must've looked crazy- a daughter of a villain crying over some boy in her bedroom.

I put my head in my hands, tangling my purple locks between my fingers. A shiny ring on my index fingers grabbed my attention.

This is Ben's.

A memory of the coronation emerged.

/ / / / / /

"So then what? You've just been... faking it since then?" I asked.

He knew about the love spell, yet he continued to lead me on…but the thing is, I've fallen in too deep.

He looked down at my hand and gently held it in his own, sliding his ring onto my index finger.

This boy…What is he doing to me?

Ben placed a tender kiss on it and gazed into my eyes.

"I haven't been faking anything," he stated simply.

/ / / / / /

From that moment, I knew I loved him. I still do. I don't think I can ever stop.

I stared at the ring, playing around with it.

I smiled ever so slightly.

A perfect fit.

I walked down the halls with Evie, my head mostly tilted down. I didn't want people to see my red, puffy eyes. It was only a sign of weakness.

Evie didn't say anything. Thank goodness. She understood me more than I can understand myself. Very few people could do that.

And one of them...

I got so lost in my thoughts that I bumped into a strong wall.

"Mal!" It exclaimed.

Wait, what?

I peered into his green eyes.

His eyes. So full of love and sorrow.

"Please," he pleaded. "Let me explain. I've tried to talk to you since that day. When I go into part-beast transfer, I get reckless with my words. I didn't mean what I said. Believe me, Mal. I'm sorry."

I bit my lip anxiously.

"You said what you said. You can't take that back. It already happened, Ben. I don't know if I can believe you."

He placed his warm palm on my cheek.

"You know me better than anyone, Mal. Look into my eyes, and tell me if I'm lying."

I stared at him, every feature so perfect.

His eyes. I don't know if I can tell.

I pulled away from his grasp.

"I have to go to class. I'll see you later, Ben."

I turned back to Evie, who had the greatest look of sympathy on her face. She didn't say any words, only let her hand out. I grabbed it, grateful to have her by my side.

I opened up my still grafittied locker, and a note fell out.

Meet me by the lake after school.

I crumpled it, knowing it was from Ben.

Doesn't he understand? He can't change what he said.

I traced the picture of us on my door. He had his arm around me while he kissed my red cheeks.

So happy. Why did one fight lead to this?

I slammed the locker door shut.

I trudged back to my dorm, eager to just lay on my bed and forget everything for a few moments while I slept.

I turned the knob, surprised to see nobody other than him.

Ben.

"Don't you think I know you?" He asked.

I stood there by the entrance, frozen.

He stepped closer to me with every word.

"Don't you think I know you wouldn't come to the lake because it would hurt you too much? Don't you think I know you wouldn't come back to the place where we held our first real memory alone together? Don't you think I know you would come back here, trying to forget our fight because you would love to just forget that we ever happened? I know you, Mal. I wish you would stop forgetting that."

His face was inches away from my mind. I felt his breath pace quicker, and I realized mine did too.

"Ben…" I mumbled.

Why do you know me so well?

His hands found their way to my face, his fingers softly grazing my cheeks.

"I know you, Mal. You know me. You know me better than my own parents do. You're not a burden. You're far from it. You help me realize who I am, and I can't be me without you because you've already made your mark. Yeah, you anger me sometimes-when you say that you're hideous or that you don't deserve me. Well, I don't deserve you. You make me a better person. You make me me. I love you so god damn much, Mal, love potion or not. Please don't push me away."

I smiled at him, tears freely falling down my cheeks. And with that, I wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.

After a few seconds, I pulled away, still entranced by him.

"Sorry," I breathed. "I'm not good with words."

He grinned his white pearls at me.

"Which makes that a whole lot more better," he whispered.

I felt my cheeks warm and the corners of my lips turn up.

This boy...

A creak in the floor echoed through the room, and we both turned our heads to the culprit.

"Sorry," Evie said. "Did I interrupt something?"

Oh Evie.