you ain't seen nothin' yet

༒chapter twenty-three༒

"What are you doing here?" Dad asks as Celia moves the needle. Mal stops in her tracks.

"I noticed you were low on canned corn," Celia says, turning to him and walking. Dad looks up as she takes out a can of corn. When the hell did she manage to grab that? When she tosses it to him, Mal goes to reach for the ember.

Dad catches the can and grabs Mal's wrist harshly with his other hand. She gasps. Dad turns to her slowly.

"Told you he's a light sleeper," I singsong.

"Hi, Dad," Mal says.

Why do we have to have the same dad? Couldn't Maleficent have fucked someone else?

Celia's eyes widen and she snaps her head to me. I nod and sigh.

Dad takes his sunglasses off and waves at Mal.

"Quite a show you put on the other day," Dad says to Mal. He turns and points to me. "Don't even get me started on you."

"Love you too, Dad."

"Mmhmm."

He turns to Mal again. "Right back at you," Mal says.

Dad hums. "I was just coming to see you two," he says happily, smiling as he sits back in the couch normally. "Come and sit down, Harper." He stands up and pats the couch.

I huff and flop down on the couch as they both walk around it.

"Really?" Mal asks, "Wonder why. Is it because I'm gonna be queen?"

Dad hands me a newspaper as I groan. "Not everything's about you, Mal. Ooh! Newest edition!" I smile at Dad and he winks down at me.

Dad laughs when he looks back over at Mal. "Ah. Mal, don't be bitter."

"You abandoned me when I was a baby." Mal crosses her arms as Dad looks at his hair in a mirror. "But you kept Harper."

"Well, my mother didn't want me, so cry about it," I mumble, flipping through the first few pages.

"No, no," Dad said, pointing at Mal as he turns back to us. I lean my head backwards, looking at him upside down. "I left your mother," he nods to Mal, then me, "and I took you before your mother could say any different." Then he shakes his head. "Neither of them are the easiest people to get along with." He turns back to the mirror.

"Right strand is off-centered," I mumble.

"Ah! Thank you," he says before fixing his hair.

"You think?" Mal asks.

"Huh. You see? We have something in common already," he walks over to Mal, "We both hate your mother."

"No!" Mal says, pointing at him. "I don't hate my mother. She may be an evil lunatic, but at least she stuck around."

"Reason number one as to why Dad and I get along way better," I mumble, furrowing my brows at the small text on the page.

"Ohhhh! Boo-hoo," Dad says, frowning at Mal. He walks around him. "Wake up and smell the stink. You think you've had it rough? I used to be a god!"

Mal flinches and I nod my head to both sides. I've had that 'I used to be a god, Harper' pep talk since I was seven. He has it worse. I don't have it that rough. He stills loves me like I'm a goddess if I respect him like a god. We get along. Blah, blah, blah.

Dad sighs. "I had an entire world which bore my name. And now I have nothing! You have no idea what that feels like."

"Really!"