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“You know you’re going to have to talk to him at some point. It’s not really something you can hide, Mal,” Evie pointed out.
Mal stopped pacing, her head snapping toward her best friend sitting at her desk, busy sketching out a new design the kingdom’s most recent wedding.
“I know that!” Mal growled, pulling at her hair. “That doesn’t mean that I’m still not nervous about telling him. We didn’t really have any sort of relationship until like two years ago, remember?”
Mal continued pacing, attempting to think of a good way to break the news to Hades that she was pregnant. It’s not like it was a bad thing or really a surprise. Her and Ben had been married ever since they left Auradon Prep a few years ago and had been actively trying for a baby for the past few months. But, she was still nervous because he was still her dad and they had actually been getting along and she had no idea how he would react (and she really didn’t need him to know that his daughter was sexually active, though that should be a given since she’s been married for so long).
It took another week before Mal finally gathered the courage to tell Hades. Mal was visiting Hades like she did every Friday afternoon during what Hades dubbed “dad hangouts.” He was bound and determined to actually spend time with his daughter, though he would never admit it out loud.
This week, Hades decided to tourture Mal, at least that’s what she assumed. He had found a puzzle during one of his trips to the market and decided Mal needed to help him since he wasn’t any good at it.
“This is so boring, Dad,” Mal griped.
“This is so boring, Dad,” Hades mocked. “Well get over it. This is what we’re doing today. You have somewhere else to be?” He looked up, eyebrow cocked.
Mal just shook her head and turned her attention back to the puzzle. She was seriously tempted to just breathe a little fire and burn the whole puzzle to ashes, but knowing her luck, Hades would just buy another one and make her do it next week.
The two continued putting the puzzle together, very slowly, for the next hour before Mal finally broke the silence, drawing as much courage as she could.
“Hey, Dad? I have something I need to tell you,” Mal started.
Hades looked up, putting the puzzle piece in his hand back down on the table. He put his elbows on the table, resting his head on his hands before giving her the biggest grin.
“What about, your majesty?”
“Could stop mocking me for one second and be serious for once?” Mal grumbled, really wanting to get the news out before she lost her nerve.
Hades lost his grin, and nodded his head.
“Of course. What’s up?”
Mal took a deep breath.
“I’m pregnant.”
Mal looked down at her hands, chipping at her nail polish, before looking up at Hades when she heard him take a deep breath.
“I’m gonna kill him,” Hades, growled, his hair bursting into flames.
“Dad! No!” Mal yelled, reaching across the table. “We wanted this! We planned for it. We’ve been married for a while now, and we’re in a good spot to have a kid. I’m not a child anymore, Dad.”
Hades’s hair calmed slightly, the anger slowly leaving Hades.
“Oh yeah,” Hades said. “I guess you aren’t a kid anymore.”
He paused for a minute before jumping out of his chair.
“I’m going to be a grandfather!” he yelled, running around the table to pull Mal into a hug.
Mal stood shocked for a moment before hugging her father back. She never would have pegged him for being someone who would be excited to get grandkids, but she wasn’t complaining. He really was the complete opposite of her mom, which she couldn’t be more thankful for.
“I love you, Dad,” Mal whispered into his shoulder, Hades still holding onto her tight.
“Love you, too, Mal.”
Mal’s body relaxed as she forgot all about why she was even nervous in the first place. She knew this baby would have the most loving family in the entire kingdom, even if they had a bit of villain in them (She really couldn’t wait to see what color hair the baby would have).