Thorn and Ember

·. 𝒯𝒶𝓃𝑔𝓁𝑒𝒹 𝒾𝓃 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝐿𝒾𝑒𝓈 ·.

FOR A FEW days, Maleficent had managed to pretend nothing was going on. She and Hades passed each other in the halls like they always had—occasional glances, maybe a smirk or two, but nothing beyond the usual rivalry. At least, that's what they wanted everyone to think.

Except everyone already knew.

She felt it constantly. From Eve's teasing remarks to Cruella's not-so-subtle smirks, it was like her friends were waiting for her to break character. And the more they teased, the more Maleficent felt like her secret wasn't really a secret anymore. But she wasn't about to let them win.

·.༄࿔

Today, she was sitting under the great willow in the courtyard, her cloak pulled tight around her as a slight chill swept through the air. Eve and Cruella were chatting nearby, their voices hushed but clearly full of amusement. Maleficent stared down at her book, trying to read, but her mind kept wandering to Hades.

Just a few days ago, he had made that joke in class, smirking at her like they weren't tangled up in this. . . whatever it was. They hadn't really put a name on it yet. And maybe that was why it was driving her so crazy. Every time they were alone, the tension between them grew thicker. Every glance, every accidental touch, it was all becoming too much.

"Thinking about someone?" Eve's voice cut through her thoughts like a blade.

Maleficent snapped her book shut, glaring at her friend. "No."

Cruella raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying herself. "Oh, come on, Mal. It's written all over your face. You're practically glowing."

"I don't glow," Maleficent retorted, pulling her cloak tighter.

"You do when you're thinking about a certain god of the underworld," Eve said with a wink.

Maleficent's eyes flickered to Eve, then away, her cheeks flushing just enough for Eve to notice. She wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of knowing they were right.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Cruella laughed, leaning back against the tree. "Sure, you don't. And Hades definitely doesn't sneak out of class to find you in empty hallways."

"He doesn't sneak out," Maleficent corrected. "We just. . . happen to be in the same place."

"Right." Eve stretched her legs out, her smirk growing. "And the fact that you two are never seen together in public? It's like you're both trying so hard to act like nothing's going on, but everyone knows."

Maleficent shot her a glare. "What do you mean, everyone knows?"

"Oh, come on, Mal. We're not blind," Cruella said, tossing her silver-streaked hair over her shoulder. "You two are always either bickering or staring each other down like it's some kind of game. It doesn't take a genius to figure it out."

Maleficent's heart skipped a beat, and she felt the urge to defend herself, but there was no point. They were right. The secrecy, the sneaking around—it wasn't working anymore. It felt like they were balancing on a tightrope, one wrong move away from falling.

She looked away, fidgeting with the edge of her book. "It's not... what you think."

Eve snorted. "Sure. Tell yourself that."

Maleficent bit her lip, staring off into the distance. Just as she was about to make an excuse to leave, she heard the all-too-familiar sound of a deep voice behind her.