adjuvantqasida answered: Aurora grooming Maleficent's wings for her after she gets them back? that cabinet was pretty dusty…
snarkaholic answered: Hi! Hmm…how about Aurora finally convinces Maleficent to take a bath with her?
Aurora watched a safe distance away from Maleficent as the faerie vigorously flapped her wings to the ground, kind of like how Aunt, er… Knotgrass would shake out the rug if it was too dirty.
The young queen wondered for a moment before it dawned on her as to why her godmother was doing that. After all the events that happened, and the two of them finally had a moment's peace together, Maleficent had noticed that her wings were filthy and caked with dust after nearly twenty years of confinement in an iron case.
When the faerie shook her wings, it seemed like the powerful gusts of wind she made was causing all the trees and plants to bow away from her. Grass and bugs were blown about and dirt was kicked up, but other than that no permanent damage was done.
Aurora saw Maleficent tuck her wings back and lower her head. She saw her shoulders sigh, and without saying anything, she drew her wing forward and started running her fingers over individual feathers. What was she doing? Picking off the dust grain by grain? Aurora may not have known much about wing-care, but that definitely did not seem like a very efficient way to go about it.
She hurried over to her godmother and asked her if she could help. She nodded, and she started mimicking her on the opposite wing. She could sense Maleficent's agitation and thought it'd be nice to help her.
"If I may ask, godmother, what are we doing?"
Maleficent looked back at her, probably wondering why Aurora thought to do something without prior knowledge as to what it was. Then she said, "Preening."
"Oh! Like what Diaval does to his feathers?" she asked, continuing the task at hand with more fervor.
"Yes, similar." Only of course Maleficent couldn't use her mouth to do it. That would be silly.
"And this… gets them clean?"
"For the most part." She explained that flying got the worst of it off, but there was still that grimy layer of dust that stuck to her feathers. Aurora figured it was uncomfortable and itchy.
"I see other birds use water to clean their feathers. Like when I see ducks splashing around in the brook," Aurora suggested.
A pause. "I am not a duck."
The girl wanted to laugh at that remark, but laughing wouldn't make her godmother feel better about the situation. "I just mean, let's go to the lake and run some water on them. That should help!"
The faerie considered this silently. She was getting desperate after all. She nodded and led the way to the lake, since Aurora hadn't gotten quite as familiar with the Moors yet. They held hands for the entire walk.
The lake was a fairly populated spot, especially in the mid-afternoon. The wallerbogs were contributing mud (when they weren't throwing it at each other), the water faeries were playing with each others' hair, animals were drinking. While it was a tranquil sight to most, Maleficent felt it was too crowded. Perhaps they should have waited until nightfall when Maleficent didn't have to humiliate herself in front of her fellow fae.
As if they sensed her embarrassment, most of the Fair Folk and animals cleared out when they saw the two queens. There was no fear, but a mutual respect for giving them privacy. For the most part. The water faeries, however, remained. Aurora thought it was because this was their home, but Maleficent knew it was because deep down they were trying to be rude.
Paying no attention to any eyes watching, Maleficent shed her brown cloak, and laid it over a nearby boulder. She hadn't noticed Aurora staring at her with anticipation.
With her wings folded, Maleficent's back couldn't be seen by Aurora, who was standing a few feet behind her. With her wings outstretched, Aurora saw everything, and it caused her to blush more than she could ever remember. Even her dreams about dancing with princes didn't bring this much color to her face.
The great faerie reluctantly waded into the water, testing its temperature, her wings stretched far out over the surface. She didn't like getting her wings wet. It was true, she wasn't a duck, because unlike a duck, Maleficent's feathers could get wet. And it was uncomfortable. She thought a moment, and then decided that once she sat out in the sun for a while, it would be worth the next few hours of discomfort just to feel clean again.
As her godmother descended into the water, Aurora watched the lake's surface as it made its way up the older woman's body. Yes, she was watching the water and not everything it was about to touch. Maybe.
She was snapped out of her trance at the sound of Maleficent dunking her wings under the water, then bringing them out again and repeating the motion. She looked to be struggling a bit.
"Had you never bathed before?" For all Aurora knew, the Fair Folk were just naturally clean at all times.
"I have," Maleficent stated as she continued her actions. "But I never get my wings wet if I can avoid it." She never had dust on them before either. Before Stefan, they were in constant movement, and were never intolerably dirty in her entire life.
"Here, let me help you." Aurora offered.
"That's quite all right, Auror-" The faerie turned around slowly and saw the young queen discard her own dress, tossing it on top of her cloak on the rock. What was she doing? Didn't she realize they were out in the open where anyone could see? Maleficent never cared if her naked self was present to the entire Moors, but Aurora on the other hand… well Aurora may not have cared, but Maleficent did. She didn't want anyone else - er, anyone - seeing her like this.
The faerie looked about in every direction but Aurora's, a slight blush made apparent. "Is that necessary?" She nearly tripped over her words.
"I didn't want to get my dress wet, godmother," she retorted simply, coming up behind her. She could have asked if it was alright, but she figured that Maleficent would need some convincing that Aurora simply didn't have patience for.
Like when Aurora would brush her hair, she started at the tips of Maleficent's primary feathers, running her hands over them to better get the grime off them, and worked her way up.
Maleficent's body shivered, even though the water was not cold to her. She loved her wings to be pet (by Aurora only since no one else was trusted enough to let touch them) and just feeling the cool water run through them after the soft dainty fingers just felt like an incredibly intimate moment for her. Them being bare together intensified that intimacy, even though what they were doing was innocent… enough.
Aurora was leisurely stroking both wings, getting closer to the shoulder blades. Maleficent tilted her head, brushing her hair to her font so that Aurora could clean the hard-to-reach areas at the base. The young queen found herself admiring her faerie godmother. She'd never seen her from this angle before. It deserved better appreciation. The sharpness of her shoulder blades. The dip of her back. How the wings were connected to her. And how there were little feathers flourishing from that part of the skin. She was quite smitten.
Not too far away the water faeries were giggling watching them. It wasn't any more annoying than usual to Maleficent, that was until the faeries started kissing each other, or at least pretending to. It was not amusing.
Then she started having thoughts of kissing Aurora in the water, and she felt the need to shake those away. She mustn't think of her in that manner. It was indecent of her, considering Aurora's innocence to the whole practice, Though Maleficent was only slightly more familiar with it. Realistically speaking, that would be a learning experience for them both…
No, stop that, Maleficent told herself. If Aurora wants to, she would let you know. Simple as that, leave it be.
Maleficent felt a tender touch to her back, and it sent a spark through her entire body, even to the tips of her feathers. Aurora was kissing her. Her lips were lingering on that one spot for what felt like minutes, and left Maleficent in awe once they left her skin.
The faerie looked back at Aurora curiously, eyes locking onto hers. Not so much asking why she did that, as to why she stopped. No words were exchanged, but the young woman seemed to read her just fine, and kissed her there again, this time more modestly, before tucking her arms beneath her wings to wrap them around her waist. She hugged her, resting her soft cheek on Maleficent's shoulder, pressing her breasts against her back, and sighing into her.
Suddenly those watching eyes were forgotten by the taller faerie, and she started inattentively lacing her fingers into Aurora's. She's so soft. And so close. But still not close enough. And Maleficent felt so light-headed, so happy, that if her wings weren't soaked, she probably would have flown from joy with Aurora still hanging onto her.
When the young woman shifted, Maleficent took that as an opportunity to turn around. Minding her wing, the faerie faced her human companion, who was simply smiling at her, in a manner that was resemblant to when she awoke from her deep sleep. She had the most contagious of smiles, and it affected Maleficent no less than anyone.
"Can I kiss you?" It's Aurora asking this time.
But Maleficent doesn't answer, because she's already kissing her.