Hades stayed in his cave for the next week. He worked on the sauna he was opening. Made a guitar and a drum set. Painted the gate in front of his cave to warn people to keep out. Counted some rocks on the ground.

Then boredom got the better of him and he dragged himself back to Gaston's Tavern.

After his two drinks, a game of darts, and egging on a fight between Hook and Gaston, she hadn't shown up. He didn't know why he expected her too, she'd never shown up before last week.

The alley outside was dark. Smee sat in a corner, passed out. Small time bad guys, like the rowdy people of Belle's provincial town, sat begging in the streets. Hades didn't look at any as he made his way back to his cave.

As he turned onto his street, he saw a figure staring at his gate. There'd been a series of robberies going around (like always) so Hades approached from the shadows.

"Whatever you want, you won't get!" he boomed out. The figure didn't even flinch. Rather, she turned her green eyes to him and smirked.

"I heard you a block away. Might want to work on your stealth," Maleficent told him.

Something squeezed in his chest. "What are you doing here?"

She held up a bottle filled with a brown liquid. "Stole this off one of the sailor's during the last leftover delivery. Found I like it better then Gaston's stuff."

Hades took a step forward. "Fascinating story."

"You can have half if you come back to my place with me." She raised a penciled eyebrow and shook the bottle.

It was tempting. Been a long time since he'd had rum or any good drink. And a part of him wanted to go see her lair. But a larger part was screaming this was a bad idea.

Then again, that was the part that had told him to take over Olympus so what did it know?

"Think you like me, Maley," he teased and took another step forward. "You're lucky I like rum."

It was the first time he'd seen her smile

"Honestly, those fairies saved her from a terrible fate by giving her beauty. Did you see her father?" Maleficent laughed, pouring out the last of the rum. Hades chuckled with her, slowly sipping his drink. Oh, how he'd missed decent drinks.

"What about you?" she asked, taking her drink in one swallow. "People have been wondering about you and that Meg brat."

Hades smirked over his glass. "Have they?"

"Well?" Her fingers were unusually tight as she put her glass down.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't."

Maleficent rolled her eyes and Hades wondered if maybe she was a teeny bit jealous.

"If I tell you, you have to tell me something."

"Bartering with Evil's greatest villain is quite foolish," she remarked.

"Oh, yes, you cursed a baby, I disrupted the cosmos. You truly are just the greatest."

"Why you-"

"Deal or no deal, Mistress of Evil?"

She rolled her eyes. "Fine."

"Meg wasn't my type." Hades swore he saw Maleficent's lips curl upwards. "Now. My question. Why did you invite me here tonight?"

"Maybe I like you better drunk," she drawled. Hades raised an eyebrow. "And maybe I don't think you should give up. You were a god. You don't belong here."

He couldn't ignore that he'd thought the same things once or twice. But that was when he was first here.

Maleficent leaned forward, her chair tilting onto two legs so she was inches from his face. "So if Meg wasn't your type…what is?"

Dang, those eyes are hot. Hades simply smirked. "Well you know what they say about birds of a blue feather. They flock together. Same could be said of villains."

Something akin to nerves flickered in her eyes. Then she leaned forward, and their lips met.

He had on her the bed within five minutes.

She kept her headgear on.

Hades couldn't say he was surprised though it was a bit weird. First time he'd ever had a non-human partner. But then again, he used to have fire for hair so maybe he shouldn't judge.

He didn't sleep afterward. She didn't either. They laid there, side by side, staring up at the canopy overhead. The alcohol had run its course and they were both a bit more sober now.

"You like me," Maleficent whispered into the dark, her eyes glowing.

Hades swore as he sat up and swung his legs off the side of the bed. "This was a one-night thing, Maley, nothing more."

"Nicknames are a sign of affection. Phillip called Aurora 'his light.'"

"This was a one-night thing, Maleficent," he amended, pulling on his tight pants.

She didn't move, didn't even watch him. He got all the way to the door before she spoke again.

"You'll be back."

Hades stopped. She's baiting you, she's baiting you. But he still took the bait.

"You know what, Miss Mistress of Evil, I won't be." He stormed back over to the bed, shouting. "You think you know everything about everything around here, but the truth is you're just as lost as the rest of us! Beast holds the cards, not you. You were beat by a fairy's whose biggest claim to fame was making a dress. So just accept it like all of us, Maley."

He leaned down and whispered in her ear. "You have nothing."

She flinched away from him and sat up. "You don't know me."

"But you think you know me?"

Her snarl was the same that fateful christening day, hate filled eyes and terrifying snarl. But Hades glared right back.

Then she reached up and unwound the leather from her horns. It stuck a bit to the edges of her face and left slightly red marks.

She had hair. Hades didn't know why he was so surprised, other fairies had hair. But Maleficent had never been like other fairies.

Her locks were a chestnut brown, not the black he'd assumed, and her horns were a dark brown with grooves. At the base of one there were hundreds of tiny carved lines, ones that marked how long they'd been on the island. Didn't that hurt?

Her green eyes were less full of hate as she stared up at him. Her hand drifted to the lines she'd carved. "You're right, I have nothing. Nothing but myself. Is it wrong to look for more? Everyone in that shiny place gets to. Isn't it only fair?"

Hades stared a moment longer, not sure what to do or why his stomach felt ill. He didn't say anything, just walked back to the door and grabbed the tarnished doorknob.

Maleficent stared after him, pressing her lips together. Waiting.

Before he opened the door, he paused. "Gaston's Tavern. Tomorrow, 8pm."

Then he was gone. Maleficent grinned at his vanishing shadow. She had a date.