They were falling.
Who: Maleficent and Aurora What: Palvano Corp gets hit with magic, and Maleficent reveals who she is to Aurora or Glass Elevator have downsides When: Monday Night Where: Palvano Corp Building Status: Complete Rating: PG-13
Maleficent had been very good at avoiding Aurora, ever since their impromptu date. It wasn’t appropriate and with her plans with Loki it would probably chase the girl away, anyway. It shouldn’t matter to her, but she felt like, any day, Aurora would march in and quit working for such an evil bitch.
Of course, she still gave things for her to do, but she had no plans on being alone with the woman. She moved to her elevator as the night wrapped up, thinking that Aurora had already left.
Aurora had the distinct feeling that Ms. Tamsin--Mara, if they were sort of an item, she really should start using the older woman’s first name, at least in private--had been avoiding her. Or at least avoiding being alone with her anywhere they might actually have a moment to talk.
She especially didn’t like it since her latest dream. After that one, she needed to talk to Mara. And somehow smiling at her every time she accidentally glanced Aurora’s way had not managed to get her attention. But Aurora had a plan.
She watched as Mara entered her private elevator, then sprinted over, making it inside the elevator just in time.
“Blast,” Maleficent whispered. She presented Aurora with a brilliant smile. “I thought you’d gone home. Working late again?” The door slid shut, and Mal hoped this would be a much faster run than usual. “You should be commended for your hard work.”
Immediately, she felt a little dizzy. What was that perfume, and was it suddenly hot in here?
“I wanted to see you. We haven’t had a chance to talk since…” How exactly should she word it? “Since we said we...liked each other.” It felt like the most ridiculous way of saying it ever, but had they ever really said what they’d try being to each other? Dating had been the implication, but the word hadn’t been said. Which made Aurora deflate a little.
But not enough to keep her from hitting the button to stop the elevator and then in front of the buttons to block Mara from getting to them. She glanced at the apparently empty space above Mara’s head thoughtfully and bit her lower lip. “I’ve had some more dreams. About the Moors.” Her eyes flickered down to Mara’s for a moment before glancing back to the space above her head. “About my…” Aurora bit her lip again to keep from grinning too much. “...faerie godmother.”
It wouldn’t be that hard to force the elevator to move, even without magic Maleficent was certain she had much more strength than Aurora did. But something stopped her from using force. She folded her arms, well aware of where Aurora was looking, and she wasn’t going to give her the satisfaction of… Okay she gave Aurora the most dry look humanly possible. “Faerie godmother.”
Gods, it took all her self control not to close the distance. What was she doing to her?!
“Yes. That horned, shadowy figure who was always making sure I managed to stay alive despite having the most clueless aunts in the world.” Aurora really couldn’t hold back the grinning any more. “And she looked...surprisingly familiar.”
Aurora’s fingers itched to see if somehow she was right. If somehow there was a set of horns magically, or something like it, hidden from view.
“You’ve simply been spending far too much time at work. Perhaps you should take a few days off, beastie.” Maleficent wondered if the curse simply grew stronger the more Aurora dreamed. She wondered if the woman would sleep and then what would she do? Continue to put up a wall, apparently. Even if her eyes continued to bore into Aurora like she wanted to eat her up.
Aurora didn’t answer her. Not verbally, anyway. Instead, she closed the distance between them, cupping a hand against the space above Mara’s head. She gasped softly as her hand did indeed make contact with something.
Aurora’s action made Maleficent back up, though there wasn’t much space between her and the glass of the elevator. She sighed, the glamour fading to show her horns, and how much sharper her cheek bones were. “You are a problem…” She rested her hands on Aurora’s waist.
Aurora’s pulse quickened at the change and at Mara’s hands at her waist. That still didn’t stop her from touching one of the horns again. “Am I?” There was amusement in the question, and a hint of challenge.
"Yes, you certainly are." She closed her eyes, willing her hands to stay still and for Aurora to not stop touching her horns. She was happy about the way it felt, but she'd never let anyone else touch any part of her like that.
Could one break a curse before it started? If nothing else, Maleficent did not wish for Aurora to be harmed. She leaned her head in, lifting the other woman up by the waist.
The building shook, and amidst the sound of glass shattering, they fell.
Horns made nice hand-holds. Aurora flushed and her eyes fluttered closed as Mara seemed about to kiss her.
Then everything went very wrong. She clung to Mara as the fell, ducking her head against the older woman’s shoulder.
Yes, Aurora, those would be wonderful handholds and Maleficent may have had thoughts about that.
But she wasn't having those thoughts right now. First she was adjusting to the sudden vertigo, then she was holding Aurora tightly as she twisted in the air. With a great feathery rush, her wings unfurled, beating strongly to adjust course and then stretching out widely. She banked, slowly, beating her wings again to gain altitude.
They were falling--and then, suddenly, they weren’t. They were flying. Aurora clung even tighter, wrapping her legs around Mara’s as the flew higher. It was both exciting and terrifying.
It would be easy to be distracted. The thrill, the wind in her hair as it came undone, the feel of Aurora pressed so tight against her.
Maleficent hovered, her wings beating in steady, strong strokes as she tried to survey the damage to her building. "I've got you," she murmured.
“You have your wings,” Aurora murmured against Mara’s shoulder. “I am so glad you have your wings.” It was possibly the most obvious statement she could have made, but it was something to focus on until she was able to calm down a little more.
Whatever had happened, it didn’t look as bad from here. Maleficent could see ice on the ground, and she narrowed her eyes. The whiff of magic was strong, and a certain someone was going to get a very angry talking to.
She soared towards the roof and landed, but she didn’t set Aurora down. “It’s very fortunate that I have them.”
Aurora was glad when they landed somewhere stable, but she didn't let go of Mara yet. She felt like, if she did, she might just crumple into a trembling heap. Or at least feel more shaky than she did now. Holding on to Mara felt much safer all around.
Maleficent did something dangerous then. She pressed warm, soft lips to Aurora’s forehead, before wrapping the two of them together in a cocoon of wings, safe from prying eyes. “You’ll be all right, Aurora.”
Wrapped in strong arms and strong wings, Aurora felt safe. The kiss was reassuring, too. She didn’t let go just yet, but the tension went out of her hold as she relaxed. Gradually, her heart rate slowed and she didn’t feel as shaky. She took a deep breath and sighed.
Her lips shifted down to Aurora's cheek. She did not trust words. She did not want to break this spell. What magic was this?
Maleficent lifted a hand to Aurora's hair and stroked gently.
Aurora closed her eyes, letting Mara’s hand on her hair continue to sooth her rattled nerves. She didn’t know what to say. What exactly did you say when you just had a near-death experience and the one person from your dreams that you’d have trusted with your life, that you trusted completely, was also the person who really did just save your life? Aurora wasn’t sure there were words for that.
She shifted slightly and pressed a kiss to Mara’s jaw before resting her head on Mara’s shoulder.
Aurora's kiss made Maleficent shiver. She showed no other outside sign, but inside, she was an emotional mess. Not that she'd ever show anyone, not even the blonde. "I will need to discover what happened. But as long as you are unhurt..."
“I’m okay. Thanks to you.” Aurora glanced at Mara, smiling faintly. Then she thought about the glass. “But I should probably check for glass, just in case. I’m...probably still riding the adrenaline high a little.”
There were stinging shards in Maleficent's back, she could feel, but she shrugged it off, instead pulling back from Aurora. "Let us get you into a place with better lighting. I can tend any wounds you may have. There's no use in hiding the full extent of my...transformation from you."
Aurora nodded slowly. “Okay.” She had a thought, then, and bit her lip. “And I should see it you’re okay, too. After you check me.” It was only fair, right?
Maleficent raised her eyebrows, and then nodded her head. "So be it." She led her to the access door on the roof, casting a subtle spell to prepare Aurora for any glass removal as she did so.
Aurora didn’t notice anything different, but she did look forward to getting rid of any glass particles. And maybe sitting down.
It took several minutes of navigating the darkened stair well. Maleficent sat Aurora in her office while she made a few calls to determine the extent of the damage and to have an assesment done on the building and the cose, then she closed the shutters from prying eyes. “Remove your clothing.”
Aurora flushed slightly, but nodded. She slipped out of her shoes and eased her blouse off over her head. She set it aside, then unzipped her skirt and stepped out of it. This was not exactly how she’d pictured this step in...wherever their relationship went, but circumstances were out of her control. “Okay?”
"Well then." Maleficent licked her lips, but otherwise looked really professional. She clucked her tongue. "This may hurt..." She waved her hand, glowing green light surrounding it. "There is glass... I will remove it, and cast a soothing spell for the pain."
There was a bit of stinging, but Aurora imagined it could have been a lot worse. She winced a little, but she didn’t make a sound other than a quick intake of breath at one particularly painful moment.
“Shh.” The older woman trailed her finger down Aurora’s spine, the touch gentle and the motion smooth. Her hand slid around until it was resting just above Aurora’s hip. “There there. I’ve cast a healing spell, you shant scar.” She had to resist the urge to sniff the back of Aurora’s head.
Aurora shivered as Mara’s finger trailed down her spine. Mara’s hand was warm against her skin, which was both comforting and a little distracting. “Thanks,” she said softly.
“Now I should do--check. Check. Now I should check you for glass.” That wording had started out very awkwardly and now Aurora was definitely blushing a little. But she also grinned.
It made Maleficent laugh, the sort of sound that was precious and rare from her throat. She stepped back and started to unbutton her shirt, not bothering to turn around. Her wings hung easily and relaxed behind her.
Aurora wasn’t quite sure where she should look at the moment. She did take some time to glance at Mara’s wings. Those were new to her. She also looked at her horns. And then back to the unbuttoning.
Maleficent's bra was elegant, if simple. No real frills, but not frumpy in the slightest. Her arms were well muscled and she was toned for her age. She inspected the shirt, which was spotted with blood all over the back. "I liked this shirt."
Mara was hot. Aurora had already known this, of course, but hot-in-clothes was different from hot-with-fewer-clothes. But there was blood in the shirt, which meant there was some glass. “Do you have any tweezers? In a first aid kit, maybe?”
"I can handle it," Maleficent murmured, but pointed towards a cabinet. She couldn't turn around and see, but she could feel it and it was irritating and a little painful. More painful than she cared to admit.
“I want to help!” Aurora, still in just her underthings, walked to the cabinet and opened it. The first aid kit was easy enough to find and did contain a pair of tweezers. She returned to Mara, slipping behind her to look at the glass fragments in her back. It could have been a lot worse, but it still looked rough. She rested one hand on Mara’s shoulder and began easing out the slivers of glass. And taking a look at where the wings met the older woman’s body.
It looked so natural, like a pair of thin arms covered in feathers. Even where they met her back was a smattering of soft, dark down and trailed several inches down her back, below either wing.
The wings twitched with each sliver of glass.
The wings were beautiful and majestic, even more so than Aurora had imagined from the way Mara had spoken of them in the dream. There were a few slivers amongst the down, and Aurora did her best to pluck only glass.
When she was satisfied that she’d found all the glass, she gently stroked on of the downy patches. “That’s got it all, I think,” she said softly. “You can take care of the healing part.”
Green light surrounded Maleficent, before she perched on the edge of the desk and crossed her legs. She studied Aurora - something she was want to do anyway. As though she were trying to pierce directly into the woman’s heart. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome,” Aurora said. She watched the way Mara looked at her and she shivered. It was a good shiver. Except that she also found she was a bit chilly, now that she wasn’t worried about getting glass out. She headed over to where she’d put her clothes to assess the damage.
“I hope there isn’t too much damage. They were lovely.” They were alone, and Maleficent had no shame about her body. She was pushing forty, and looked 10 years younger.
“The skirt’s fine. A little dusty, but that’s easy to fix.” Aurora pulled her skirt on and then took a closer look at her blouse. “Hmm. I think I can fix this, too. Just a matter of finding the right thread color to match. So they should be okay.” She paused to look at Mara and smile. “I’m glad you like them.”
Aurora eased her blouse back on and took a seat next to mara on the desk.
“Mm, most people with your… history… would simply buy a new blouse. I did not know you could sew, beastie.” She regarded Aurora with an amused expression, just slightly proud looking.
Aurora smiled at that. “I like knowing how to take care of things for myself. It made life easier when I had nannies and housekeepers because they weren’t really very handy. With anything. I didn’t try cooking until I was older, though, because they wouldn’t let me near the stove, but I did memorize the phone numbers of the closest take-out places for when meals didn’t turn out as planned.” She really did wonder where her father had found those women.
“And I took the family and consumer science elective that was offered because I wanted to be prepared to live on my own,” she said. “Admittedly most of the other girls took it for a different reason, I think.” Mainly to be knowledgeable enough to manage until they landed a spouse who had enough money to hire people or until they had their own place and could hire people themselves. Because it had been that that kind of school, really.
“I take it meals didn’t turn out as planned all that often, did they.” Maleficent understood, though, and the way she smiled at Aurora made that clear. “I would have taken a course like that, if I could have afforded it. Most of that I had to learn on my own. It’s admirable that you’d do whatever you could to make your own way.”
Aurora nodded. Sometimes they’d managed to boil water and cook store-bought dried pasta, but that was about as successful as things had gotten, most of the time. She liked seeing Mara smile, though, and she liked seeing it all the more because it was a smile of approval. “I’ve never really been interested in just...coasting along based on who my father is. It benefits me, yes, and the financial stability is appreciated, but...I want to be my own person and do things for myself.”
“I can appreciate that, child.” Maleficent stood, finally, and looked down at herself. She couldn’t go out like this, at least through normal means. “I suppose I will be flying home tonight.”
Aurora glanced at the floor then at Mara again, grinning slightly. “Think I could get a ride?”
She strode over, and stroked Aurora’s cheek with the back of her hand, then leaned in until her lips were a breath away from Aurora’s. “If you promise to behave.”
Aurora’s eyes locked on Mara’s and her pulse quickened at how close their lips were. “I promise.”
Maleficent's eyes were challenging. Her fingers moved into Aurora's hair, and then trailed down her neck, and her shoulder. "Hands to yourself?" As though she wasn't looking at Aurora like she wanted to devour her bit by bit.
That was really hard to do with Mara looking at her like that. Aurora was fairly sure she was blushing a little, and if she was she knew Mara could tell. She nodded. “Hands to myself.”
Maleficent laughed lightly, then picked Aurora up like she weighed nothing. She hadn’t taken the bait, and Maleficent was only a little disappointed. But she liked the idea of teasing her beyond measure.
Aurora supposed she could have held on. But she wanted to show she could keep her hands to herself and that she trusted Mara’s flying completely. She was a little excited to see what it was like when they weren’t in danger.
Nuzzling her cheek, Maleficent stepped to the window and opened it. Then they fell. She spun as the ground rushed up towards them, then her wings snapped open and they buzzed the tree tops around the Palvano building. She shot back into the night sky.
This was way better than a rollercoaster. Aurora laughed as they shot into the sky. The city looked smaller and smaller as they climbed, and it was an amazing view.
She could have spent more time observing Aurora, and while she did spend some time, she mostly concentrated on flying. After all, this was where she felt most at home, and for the first time she could share it with Aurora.
Her grip on the woman tightened.
“This is amazing!” Aurora shifted just enough to kiss Mara on the cheek. Hey, it wasn’t her hands and it was a quick, in-the-excitement peck.
"We're almost there," She said, letting Aurora have that one, tiny thing. Her cheek buzzed like electricity. She wanted more. She felt much younger, like she had long ago. Mara had once been just a girl, after all.
Aurora almost didn’t want the flight to end. But landing would be good. They’d had a pretty intense evening, and the adrenal rush was likely to wear off and leave her feeling drained later. Sleep would be good.
Maleficent alighted just behind Aurora’s home. She set her down, unable to resist a lingering touch along the woman’s hip. “Take tomorrow off. It has been an exhausting day, and there will be too much investigating being done to really work.”
“Thank you,” Aurora said. She smiled at Mara. “I’ll probably sleep in after all of this. It’ll be good to have a day to recover.” She reached out and gave one of Mara’s hands a squeeze. “And you take some time for yourself, too, okay? Please? If you get the chance, what with...everything.”
She lifted Aurora’s hand to her lips. “I shall. I promise. Good night, beastie.”
She let go and stepped back. Her wings beat up a stiff wind as she rose into the air. She turned, and disappeared into the night sky.