"Come on, Mal! Eat your slop already!" Hades groaned in frustration.
He was holding a spoon of what looked like baby food and he was offering it to his infant daughter who was sitting in her highchair, but she kept on pushing it away and babbling in protest. Hades pinched the bridge of his nose and sighed.
"Your diapers are clean, you don't have gas, and I even heard your tummy growl. You HAVE to be hungry!" He said, trying not to raise his voice at her.
Mal shook her head again and scrunched up her little face just as Maleficent entered the kitchen to see the exchange.
"What's going on in here?" She asked with her hands on her hips.
"Ugh, Mal won't eat." Hades answered, turning his head to face his wife.
Maleficent shook her head and let out a sigh before she noticed the jar her husband was holding; it didn't look right. "Uh, Hades dear? Are you sure that's the baby food?"
"Of course I'm sure. A certain someone is just being a little too stubborn."
In response, Mal took a handful of glop and threw it at the wall behind Hades; the adults yelped in surprise. She laughed and clapped her tiny little hands in amusement. Hades growled in anger and banged his head on the table in frustration.
"This cannot go on! I've been at this for the past fifteen minutes!" He shouted.
Maleficent took the jar in her hands and read the label before getting an idea. She placed the jar back onto the table.
"Maybe you just need to show her." She suggested.
"Show her what?" Hades asked.
"That this is okay to eat. Why not taste a little bit in front of her?"
"What?" He shot up and his brow furrowed. "I am not eating baby food."
"Come on, all it takes is just one little spoonful. What've you got to lose?"
"My dignity? My patience? My lunch?"
Maleficent looked at her husband as her eyes started to glow a bright green, forcing him to give in. Hades tried to resist, but after a moment or two of staring into the bright green orbs of his wife, he finally grunted in defeat.
"Fine, whatever." He relented.
"I win." Maleficent said smugly.
Hades took the jar and took out another spoonful; he looked at Mal and gave a forced smile.
"Here, Mally. I'll eat a little bit and I'll show you it's NOT poison." He said before reluctantly placing the spoon into his mouth and swallowing its contents.
The moment he did however, he immediately regretted it. He turned in the opposite direction and spat out the questionable substance in disgust. Maleficent smiled to herself and tried her best to stifle her laughter.
"Did you think that was baby food?" She asked, holding up the jar.
"Ugh, YUCK! That was DISGUSTING! What the heck was that?!" Hades screamed, wiping his mouth.
"Nothing... just 5th alarm spicy mustard. You must've grabbed the wrong jar by mistake."
Hades' eyes widened. "Why didn't you tell me that sooner?!"
"Because Mal figured it out before I did. She sensed something was wrong and that's why she refused. She's quite the clever little baby."
Maleficent went over to the cupboard, took out a jar of real baby food, and started feeding little Mal. This time, there was no resistance.
"You planned this, didn't you?" Hades demanded.
"Still don't wanna lose your lunch, dear?" She asked, raising an eyebrow.
Hades sank to the floor and held his stomach in defeat. "...I think I just lost my appetite."
"Next time, don't underestimate babies. Isn't that right, my nasty little girl?" Maleficent grinned wickedly and playfully booped her daughter on the nose.
Mal giggled and clapped her hands in response.
"Even though you tricked me... I love you, girls." Hades said.
"I love you, too." Maleficent said with a smile.
