Thorn and Ember

·. 𝒞𝒶𝓊𝑔𝒽𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒜𝒸𝓉 ·.

MALEFICENT'S EYES FLEW open, the soft light of dawn casting a warm glow over her room. Her heart skipped a beat as she realized she wasn't alone—Hades lay beside her, his arm draped around her waist, their bodies still entangled from the night before. A flood of emotions rushed through her—a joy, confusion, and an overwhelming sense of embarrassment. What had she done?

Before she could fully process her feelings, the sharp reality of their situation hit her like a tidal wave. This wasn't just a dream; Hades was really here, in her bed. And that meant. . .

Her breath hitched as she carefully extricated herself from Hades's hold, slipping out from under the sheets as quietly as she could. Her heart pounded in her chest as she looked around the room, trying to figure out how to get him out without anyone noticing. 

"Hades, you need to go," she whispered urgently, shaking his shoulder to wake him. "Now." 

Hades groaned softly, rubbing his eyes as he started to wake up. "What's the rush?" he mumbled, still half-asleep. 

Maleficent grabbed his shirt off the floor and tossed it at him, her panic growing by the second. "My friends are going to be here any minute, and if they find you here—" 

A sudden, loud knock on the door made her freeze in place, her eyes widening in horror. She glanced at Hades, who was now fully awake and looking just as alarmed as she felt. 

"Maleficent? Are you in there?" Eve's voice called from the other side of the door, her tone a mix of concern and impatience. "We need to talk about—" 

"Shit," Maleficent muttered under her breath, frantically looking around for a place to hide him. The window was too far, and the bed too obvious. Her gaze landed on the closet in the corner of the room—the only place that might work. 

"Get in the closet," she hissed, grabbing Hades's arm and pulling him toward it. 

"What?" Hades looked incredulous, but he didn't resist as she practically shoved him inside. 

"Just go!" she whispered harshly, pushing the door closed just as Eve knocked again, louder this time. 

"Maleficent, are you okay?" Cruella's voice joined in,
her usual confidence tinged with worry.

Maleficent took a deep breath, trying to compose herself before she opened the door a crack, just enough to peek out. "I'm fine! I'm just—uh—getting dressed. Can you give me a second?" 

There was a moment of silence on the other side of the door, and Maleficent could practically hear the wheels turning in her friends' heads. 

"You're never up this early," Eve said, suspicion creeping into her voice. "Are you sure everything's okay?" 

"Yes, everything's fine," Maleficent replied, forcing a smile that she hoped looked natural. "I'll be out in just a minute, I promise." 

She quickly closed the door again, her heart pounding as she leaned against it. What was she going to do? Her friends were smart—they'd know something was up if she didn't act fast. But before she could come up with a plan, the door swung open, and Eve and Cruella walked in, their eyes immediately scanning the room. 

Maleficent's blood ran cold. "What are you doing?" 

"We're just worried about you," Eve said, her tone gentle but firm. "You've been acting weird lately, and we just wanted to make sure everything's okay." 

Cruella raised an eyebrow, her gaze landing on the unmade bed. "Why are you acting so suspicious?"

"I'm not acting suspicious!" Maleficent snapped, trying to sound indignant rather than terrified. 

But it was too late. Eve's eyes narrowed, her attention shifting to the closet. She took a step forward, her expression turning curious. "What's in there?" 

"Nothing!" Maleficent blurted out, moving to block her path, but Cruella was quicker. Before Maleficent could stop her, Cruella had yanked open the closet door, revealing Hades crouched inside, his shirt still half-unbuttoned.

For a moment, the room was completely silent, the three girls staring at Hades in stunned disbelief. Hades, for his part, just gave them a sheepish grin, clearly uncomfortable but trying to play it cool.

"Uh...hey," Hades said, raising a hand in an awkward wave. "Morning, ladies." 

Eve's jaw dropped, and Cruella burst out laughing, her eyes sparkling with amusement. "Well, well, well, look what the cat dragged in." 

Maleficent felt her face flush with a deep crimson, mortification crashing over her like a wave. "This isn't what it looks like," she started to say, but even as the words left her mouth, she knew how ridiculous they sounded. 

Eve looked between Maleficent and Hades, her shock quickly giving way to a knowing smirk. "It looks like you two had a very...interesting night." 

"It's none of your business!" Maleficent snapped, but the embarrassment in her voice only made Cruella laugh harder. 

"Relax, Mal," Cruella said, waving a hand dismissively. "We're just surprised, that's all. We didn't think you had it in you." 

Hades cleared his throat, trying to extricate himself from the closet with as much dignity as possible. "I should probably, uh, get going," he said, glancing at Maleficent for some kind of signal. 

Maleficent shot him a glare that was equal parts mortified and pleading, but she knew he was right. The sooner he left, the better. "Yeah, you should," she muttered, crossing her arms over her chest. 

But Eve wasn't about to let him off that easily. "Oh no, you don't," she said, stepping in front of Hades to block his path. "Not until you explain what exactly is going on between you two." 

Hades glanced at Maleficent, silently asking for her permission to speak. Maleficent sighed, feeling completely out of her depth but knowing there was no point in hiding it now. "It's nothing serious," she said, her voice coming out more casual than she intended. "Just a fling, really."

Hades stiffened at her words, his expression darkening. Maleficent didn't notice, too focused on trying to play it cool in front of her friends. But Eve did, her eyes narrowing slightly as she looked between them. 

"A fling, huh?" Cruella said, her tone dripping with mischief. "Well, I didn't think you were the type, Mal. I'm impressed." 

Maleficent forced a smile, trying to ignore the knot forming in her stomach. "Yeah, well, it's no big deal." 

Eve gave her a concerned look, clearly sensing the tension in the room. "If you say so. But, Mal, you know we support you, right? Whatever's going on." 

Maleficent nodded, her heart heavy with the weight of her own words. She knew she was lying to herself as much as to them, but admitting the truth was too scary—too real. 

Hades, meanwhile, had managed to regain his composure, though his eyes were stormy. "Right. Well, I should probably go," he said, his voice tight with barely suppressed anger. "I'll see you around, Mal." 

He didn't wait for her to respond, pushing past Eve and Cruella and leaving the room without a backward glance. Maleficent watched him go, her heart sinking as she realized she might have just made a terrible mistake. 

Eve and Cruella exchanged a look, clearly concerned, but they didn't press her further. Instead, Eve wrapped an arm around her shoulders, offering silent support as they all sat down on the bed. 

"You okay?" Eve asked softly. 

Maleficent nodded, though her thoughts were far from settled. "Yeah," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "I'm fine." 

But as she sat there with her friends, the weight of her own words pressed down on her. Just a fling. Nothing serious. She had said it to protect herself, to keep things from getting too complicated. But now, she wasn't so sure she could keep pretending.

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-Hi, short chapter only because I have a bunch of homework!! thank you all for the supporttt I really appreciate it 🩷 if I finish my homework early I'll probably post another chapter later!