Dedicated to my faithful reader, Demons 'n' Vampires

"Rise and shine! Daylight's aburning and whadya know so's the curtain!" Hades shouted, chuckling as Maleficent started up in her bed, bewilderment melded with fury in her yellow eyes. "Morning, sunshine." he winked. Unfortunately the woman's next action was hardly to return the greetings, but rather to blast him to a cinder against the wall.

Blinking from having been incinerated, Hades coughed and popped back to his usual 'ash-free' self.

"Someone's sizzling this morning." he teased, cracking his knuckles. Malficent yawned into her hand and still waking up wondered what time it was. A large black and grey skull timepiece appeared before her, with flaming purple dragons on the back to proclaim the time. Glaring at Hades, she gaped at the blinking digital numbers.

"Five o'clock! You woke me up at five!?" she shrieked, wanting nothing more than to tackle the infuriating immortal. She'd always been a morning person; with little difficulty rising, but this was not the morning. The wolves were still out and the sun had yet to rise...

"Yeah, and isn't it a nice dark and lustful day?" Hades intoned, as if mimicking a radio announcer. Not impressed, Maleficent covered her head with her pillow and groaned.

"Come on!" She felt something tap her left foot and resisted the urge to hex him into next week. Knowing Hades he probably would make some blasted remark about '7th ring of hell' and then continue to pester her anyway...

"I made waffles..."

"I don't care if you made broiled Stephen! Get out of my rooms!" the pillow hit Hades' face and broke the Cheshire cat smirk he'd had.

"So ya want to party eh?" he murmured darkly, causing a grey pillow to appear in his hand. "Then let's party!"

Narrowly dodging the flung projectile, Maleficent huffed at the childishness of the man and promptly whipped the pillow back, alighting it with green flames as she did so.

The raven chirped in delight as it caught Hade's toga on fire, but immediately regretted siding with his mistress when a bolt of fire singed his feathers off.

"That was uncalled for!" Maleficent muttered as she returned her familiar to his usual feathered self. Hades snickered, rolling his eyes.

"I don't know..." he muttered, stroking his prominent chin. "Most birds do call for hand outs." Unamused she folded her arms, still adamant about remaining in bed.

"Come on, Centy... I'm bored; you're free and oh look here comes the sun." he pulled the drapes back from the window and smirked as she pulled the covers up over her face.

"What you gonna melt or something?" teasingly he poked the middle of the taunt covers and was rewarded with a growl. "Yikes! Part dragon and kitten. Should call you Kitagon, eh?" his own joke went uncommented on as silence fell over the before shaking room.

"Oh give me a break, it was a joke for Acheron's sake!" Slightly shamed, Hades took a step back from the bed and awaited some response. A fireball wouldn't be too greatly annoying at that moment...

A rather muffled sniff emerged from the dark fabric and Hades hit himself, chastising his stupidity. Damnation-of-cute-unicorns-and-nymphs-in-paradise he'd made her cry.

"Dante's rolling in is grave, sweetheart." He muttered, hoping she might find something he said funny.

"Ya know I heard this rib-tickler last week from Ares: how do you brainwash a blonde? Pour water in her ears and give her a good shake." No response was forthcoming and Hades sighed. He'd thought that with Maleficent's hatred for Aurora she'd appreciate a blonde-joke. After all she herself had black hair, if his memory served him correctly.

"What if I made some ole pancakes instead of waffles?" he was starting to get desperate, after all his experience with women was limited to a few dead ones and the occasional dame who hated his guts. Not that that meant he wasn't a natural charmer; he was Hades Lord of the Underworld after all. As an immortal god, he did possess a few tricks up his sleeves.

"Okay, fine I'm sorry about pulling back the stupid curtains." Rising he yanked the fabric over to cover the rising sun and in the process ripped it in half. Biting his lip, he sewed it back in place with a quick bit of god omniscience and sighed when Maleficent finally pulled the covers down to face him.

"Waffles will be fine." she murmured, although in Hades' mind it sounded more as if she was prepared to say anything to get him out of the room.

" 'Kay..." Hades coughed, popping from the room.

With the immortal gone, Maleficent climbed from the bed and brushed off her wrinkled robes.

Her chest still ached, despite her rest and she cursed, hitting the bed post with her clenched fist. It hardly helped anything as a shock of pain rippled up her arm. Groaning, she gripped the injured appendage against her chest and cursed again, this time for her own stupidity and not the unfairness of life. She blinked back tears, fighting the pain and shame. The chest wound was at the very least one that another had given her... now she'd hurt her hand, in a fit of rage.

"Come and get it!" Hades' cheerful and irritating voice wafted into the room and she sighed.

Indeed he had manners; contrary to her first thought of him. He'd set an elaborate breakfast table, with eggs, scones, a roasted pig and waffles. Pulling out her seat for the fairy, Hades grinned winningly, although he was acting slightly nervous.

"How's it look?" he asked, waving a grey arm over the orderly spread.

"Lovely." Maleficent smiled, feeling gracious.

"Oh whew... thought you'd like the pig touch... not to big into peasant." he winked.

A light chuckle lifted from the woman and seated herself.

They ate in silence, the tap of the spoons and forks accompanied only by the shrill wind whispering through the open windows. Hades noted that Maleficent did not use her right hand, keeping it hidden within the voluptuous folds of her robes. But since her left seemed to be sufficient, he didn't comment.

With little effort, more so on Hades' part that Maleficent's, the villainous 'couple' finished the entire meal. Snapping his fingers, Hades made a big show of vanishing the dirty dishes as fire engulfed the table.

She did smile, but it was a forced effort and Hades' disappointment was matched only by his fading grin.

"I'm sorry..." she murmured, not even wondering why she was taking the time to apologize to him. "Just exhausted."

"Ah... rough night?" Hades queried, sincerely curious.

"Not particularly... but I believe I will retire for now." He nodded as she rose from her chair and did his best to not broadcast how bored he was. "Perhaps chess upon my awakening?" That caught his attention and he grinned.

"Only if you're prepared to lose." he teased. Her melodious laugh echoed down the hall as she slipped down the corridor.