Disclaimer: Maleficent and its characters belong to Disney.

Note: As long as it is possible, I will update this fic every Monday and Friday!

mes·sage

(n.) a communication containing some information, news, advice, request, or the like, sent by messenger, radio, telephone, or other means

Aurora walks out of Ms. Moore's office, eyes wide open, a small piece of paper clenched in her fist. When he sees her, the secretary gets up from his chair and approaches her, visibly worried. Aurora presses the button to call the elevator but the man stands before her. She looks up at him. They stay like this for a long and silent moment, not knowing what to do or say.

"How- erm… How did it go?" he finally asks, nervously balancing his arms.

"I guess it went well… somewhat…" Aurora hesitates. She gives the man a bright smile and laughs. "Conversations with my father are more complicated!"

The secretary scratches the back of his head, confused. From meeting Stefan Rose a few days earlier, he knows he is not the most talkative and sympathetic person ever, but imagining he could treat his own daughter like any of his business partners… The poor girl already has family issues, marrying Maleficent will without a doubt make matter worse. Aurora starts fidgeting again.

"Oh, I'm Diaval!" He exclaims, extending an arm.

"I'm Aurora," the girl says as she puts what looks like a business card in her pocket before shaking his hand.

There is once more a moment of silence, interrupted by the elevator's ding as its doors slide open. Diaval steps aside to let Aurora get in the elevator.

"I'll see you soon!"

She waves at him just before the door closes.

Diaval immediately goes to his boss' office, a big smile spreading on his lips. He never expected Stefan's daughter to be so friendly and joyful, to be so different from him, especially since Aurora lived with him. It is of course a good thing. Maybe she could even soften Ms. Moore a little! Unless Ms. Moore influenced the girl first with her pessimism and desire for revenge.

"The girl is adorable," Diaval says simply, closing the glass doors behind him. His boss is organizing the papers spread all over her desk, pretending not to hear him, as she always does when the subject of conversation makes her uncomfortable. "Don't break her to get revenge on her father, Mal."

Ms. Moore finally looks up and sighs.

"I'm serious, Mal. She looked traumatized when she left your office. I'm not asking you to fall in love with her, just to-"

"She is a child, Diaval. And too similar to her annoying mother, all bright smiles and innocent eyes. She doesn't see how cruel the world really is."

Diaval takes a chair and moves it next to his boss. "You're not cruel, so don't be for the rest of the world." He pauses to take a deep breath. "She doesn't need more problems in her life, her father is already too much."

Phillip is drinking coffee in the Starbucks a few blocks away from where he lives when he receives a text from Aurora. My father's apartment. Now. The message is short and demanding, unlike anything he usually gets from his best friend, so much so that the boy runs outside the coffee shop without a second thought.

Less than half an hour later, Philip finds himself next to Aurora, who is now sitting crossed-legged on her bed, looking absentmindedly at the screen in front of her, PS3 controller resting on her thigh. Playing video games with Phillip should be helping her relax; it always worked until today. The boy gives her shoulder a nudge, making her look at him.

"So, what's the situation?" he asks. Not getting any answer from his best friend who just keeps blinking at him, he resumes talking. "You only invite me here when you're freaking out about something. What is it today? A crush on a new guy?" Philip laughs nervously, mentally crossing his fingers for the answer to be no, even if Aurora rejected him - all too sweetly - a few years ago, he still hopes for her to change her mind.

"You heard about my father being accused of racism and homophobia?"

Phillip nods.

"His solution to be loved again is to marry me to woman."

It is the young man's turn to blink, regretting praying for Aurora not to simply like some random guy.

"It's- he wants to show the world he is a decent human being and a good father- a father who would accept me no matter what! So he is paying one of his exes to marry me! Oh my God, Phillip! I don't know what to do!"

All the boy can do is take Aurora in his arms and hug her as tightly as possible. He is not used to this, he is supposed to be the one needing to be reassured, Aurora is the one who always has a solution, the one who is calm and sees good in every situation!

"What if we can't make a believable couple!? What if we do and we never find True Love!?-"

Phillip zones out, his best friend still half screaming random questions that don't make any sense to him. His head raises instinctively when he hears the word "sex". Aurora did not just say that. She would never say that word.

"No, no, no! If she wants us to have sex- I- I wouldn't know how- and-"

"You're a fast learner!"

Aurora lets out a scandalized gasp and reach for a pillow to throw at Phillip's face, who snorts between fits of laughter.

"If she's attractive, you'll have to consummate the wedding! It'll be a good experience for you!"

The blonde throws her other pillow at him. Phillip laughs louder, not trying to refrain anymore. It has been too long since Aurora, too preoccupied by college and her father, acted so childishly. They hadn't seen each other since Stefan's latest interview and had few conversations, so knowing that Aurora is still the playful girl, reacting so quickly to his teasing, he fell in love is a relief

Aurora pummels Phillip with her pillows, more to distract him from her blushing face than to punish him for his lewd comments. There is no denying Ms. Moore is an attractive woman, but it does not mean that Aurora wants to-… or that Ms. Moore would even like her, especially considering how cold she had acted. Maybe they will never be able to get along, even after the wedding. Ms. Moore's rivalry with her father would make everything so complicated.

"How is she?" Phillip asks, sitting up.

Aurora looks at him, thinking about an answer she could give him. Describing someone she just met is not an easy task. All she can about is the way she looks and the deepness of her voice. She bites down on her lip.

"I don't know her yet. I'll tell you more after our date!"

"A date?"

The girl gulps. Is she really allowed to talk about this situation? She knows she can trust Philip with her secrets but she feels guilty for a reason she ignores.

"Yes, Phillip, a date." Aurora starts explaining, deciding to override her guilt. "It's only to make the marriage realistic… I wouldn't want to marry someone I never went on a date with."

She does not say more, not wanting for her best friend to panic because she is going to sleep at Ms. Moore's place. If he knew, he would try to convince her father to cancel the wedding. Stefan already hates Phillip; an argument could put an end to his friendship with Aurora.

"Wait. You said she's your father's ex. How can you not know her?"

"From what I understand, they dated before my father met my mom…"

Phillip lets out a simple "Oh".

"Can we just forget about it for now and?"

The boy nods and takes his controller, an action Aurora immediately mirrors.

The silence that settles between them as they start playing again is comforting. It is in these types of situations, where Phillip knows better than to ask too many questions and make her speak when she doesn't want to, that Aurora realizes what a good friend she has. Even if Stefan is her only family and her three nannies the ones who took care of her while growing up, Phillip all she really needs.

But soon enough, Ms. Moore will be part of her family too.