Work Text:
Evie’s company is succeeding. The VKs are in their last year of school, and Evie has enough work to get her own start-up castle. Her life is going great.
She is at the top of her classes. Salutatorian has been offered to her.
Her friends are happy and thriving. They have all found places where they are at their best.
And she and Mal finally revealed their feelings to each other.
So she doesn't understand why she feels like it’s not enough. She should be happy, but she can’t find the last bit to absolute bliss.
Mal leans against the doorway of Evie’s work room. The VKs had moved into a small castle, Ben helping them rent it while the school was on break. Mal stands with her arms crossed, a smile on her lips. “You’ve been at that for six hours, Evie.”
Evie doesn’t look up from the piece of clothing she is attaching two pieces of fabric. “I can’t, M. People are expecting these to be done.”
Mal frowns. “Evie, you can rest. They don’t expect this to be done tonight.” She stepped closer, her voice getting softer. “You’re going to run yourself into the ground, again.”
Evie smiles to herself. “I’m fine, Mal. I just need to finish this.”
Evie feels her eyes fill with tears. She looks at the fabric so Mal can’t see her eyes. Mal steps closer. She crouches down in front of Evie. “Hey, talk to me.”
Evie takes a deep breath. She looks at Mal. “I’m fine Mal, please.”
Mal doesn’t respond. She stared at Evie, looking into her eyes. She nods. “Is it your mother?” Mal looks at the table, seeing a white paper sticking out from under the fabric. “Did she write to you?”
Evie’s shoulders stiffen. She looks away. “It’s nothing.”
“Evie.”
“Mal, please,” Evie pleads, her voice small. She looks at Mal, her eyes pleading. “Don’t make it a big deal. I’m used to it.”
She doesn’t want to think about what is on the paper. She knows that if she talks about it, it will be in the open, and her heart can't take it. It can’t keep cracking because of her mother.
“Evie, you can’t keep waiting for it,” Mal whispers, reaching to touch Evie.
The blue haired girl flinches. She looks at Mal, tears filling her eyes. “But she will be. One day. I just have to keep trying.”
Mal’s expression softens. She places a hand on Evie’s cheek. “Evie,” she breathes out, her voice filled with sympathy.
Evie pulls away. She shakes her head. “Can we not do this right now? Please?”
Mal hesitates, clenching her teeth. She watches as Evie tries to stitch her a thread, her hands shaking. Mal leans over and kisses the top of Evie’s head. “Don’t stay up too late.” She turns and walks out of the room.
Evie stills for a second. She stares at the needle in her hand. She blinks, tears blurring her vision.
Was she ever going to be enough?
Mal can’t sleep. She can hear the soft hums of Evie’s sewing machine. She can feel the light behind her eyelids. She wants so badly to shake Evie, tell her that doesn't have to push herself. That she is enough, but when Evie’s mother gets in her head, the other girl spirals. And Mal just has to wait until Evie lets her in.
When she finally pushes open Evie’s sewing room door, she sees Evie slumped over her table, blue hair spilling over the clothes and table, fingers still clutching a half-finished gown. Mal can see the that Evie wasn’t peaceful, the small frown on her forehead.
“Evie,” Mal whispers, leaning in front of Evie.
Evie groans, blinking awake. She rubs her bloodshot eyes. “Sorry. I just wanted to finish.”
Evie presses her hands against the table, not seeing a needle sitting on the fabric. She hisses and pulls away, the needle sticking out of her palm. She pulls it out, blood oozing out.
“Evie!”
“I’m fine,” Evie tells her, closing her fist. Mal grabs her wrist, turning her head and making evie open her hand. She looks at the tiny pool of blood. She sees other cuts on Evie’s hands.
“No, you’re not,” Mal whispers, the frustration evident in her voice. She looks at Evie, her hold tightening just slight, just to ensure she has Evie’s attention. “Evie, you’re not okay and I’m tired of you acting like you are. You don’t eat, you don’t sleep, you keep pushing yourself like she’s going to see how much you are killing yourself to make her proud. She is not here Evie.”
Evie looks away. “She is,. Every time someone calls me ‘Evil Queen’s daughter,’ every time someone gives me an apple, every time someone looks at what I make and says they like it, she’s right there. Telling me why I’m not good enough.”
“Evie-” Mal starts, but she is cut off.
“I just wanted her to love me,” Evie whispers, her voice cracking. “To be proud. But it’s never enough. Not my work, not my body, not me.”
Mal’s chest aches. She reaches up, cupping Evie’s cheek, brushing away a tear with her thumb. “You don’t have to earn pride. You don’t have to earn love.”
Evie shakes her head weakly. “But that’s all she ever taught me to do.”
Mal leans closer until their foreheads touch. “Then unlearn it. Start here. I've been there Evie. I know what it's like. I can help you. But you have to let me in. You have to let me help you.”
Evie lets out a small, shaky breath. She looks at Mal, her tears streaming down her face. “I’m sorry,” she whispers, leaning into Mal’s arms.
Mal holds her tight. She places her chin on Evie’s head. “You’re enough, Evie. You always have been.”
Evie sobs. She grabs Mal’s shirt. Her tears dampen Mal’s shirt.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Mal whispers, holding Evie close.
Evie lets go.
When Evie wakes up, she feels light. She feels like she can breath. She opens her eyes. She looks at the ceiling, her head quiet. She turns and smiles.
Mal is asleep next to her, her mouth slightly opened. Her arm is wrapped around Evie, holding her. Never letting go. Evie watches her sleep. There is a small smile on her face. She leans over and presses a kiss on Mal’s chin.
Mal smiles, her eyes closed. “Morning, princess,” Mal murmured, sleep laced in her voice.
Evie smiles softly. “You never let go.”
Mal opens one eye, smirking. “Wasn’t gonna risk you sneaking back to the workshop.”
Evie lets out a small laugh, but her hand is wrapped, as she brushes hair from her face. “I didn’t finish the dress,” she whispered.
Mal reached out, her hand on Evie’s cheek. “Eves, you don’t have a deadline..”
Evie frowns softly. “What do you mean?”
Mal smiles, sleepy but sure. “You’ve been doing everything to prove yourself to her, pushing yourself so hard. But Evie, you don’t owe the Evil Queen anything. You’re not her. You are you, And you are perfect. You are everything she can never be.”
Evie’s eyes fill with tears her eyes on Mal.
Mal rubs her thumb over Evie’s cheek. “You’re enough Princess, for me, for Auradon, for you. And if you forget again, I’ll remind you as many times as it takes.”
Evie leans forward, forehead pressed to Mal’s. “That might be a lot of reminders.”
“Then I guess I’ll never run out.”
Evie smiles. She closes her eyes and just takes in Mal’s words. She lets herself breathe. She lets herself rest. Her mind silent, and her heart filled.
She can finally rest.