Hadie grinned as he and Alexandria watched one of the movies she'd downloaded on the laptop she'd brought over. Sure they were supposed to be working on homework but study breaks were a thing!
Plus Alexandria had been kind enough to bring him up to speed on all the movies he'd missed growing up on the Isle, something they'd been working on for years actually. Sure they weren't all great, but at least he'd know some recommendations for when Mal's kid was old enough.
"You know I have to say, the fact that they're not actually cheetahs is misleading," Hadie said. "The title promised girls who were cheetahs after all, and why'd you want to watch the sequel before the first one?
"Hush you, the second movie's ten times better than the first. I just want to smack everyone in the first movie every time I see it," Alexandria shook her head. "And have you ever known cheetahs to talk?"
"Well I mean Shere Khan ran a pawn shop and Gaston produced children that are somewhat intelligent so anything's possible."
"I'm not even going to justify that with a response."
"Because you don't have one?"
"No, because my favorite scene is coming up and I don't want you talking over it," Alexandria said as she turned the volume up slightly. Thankfully they'd closed the door to prevent any sound from leaking out.
Thank Gods I'm in the new house, Hadie thought. Just the natural light alone makes it ten times more pleasant to be in, and the new mattress is so comfortable, it's like sitting on a cloud especially with the new bedspread and blankets...though there're times I miss the Underworld. I grew up there after all. All the mischief I'd get into over there, though really it wasn't my fault. Most of the time I was bored which as everyone on the Isle soon learned, is not a good thing. Why do you think Harry was always giving me sword lessons? Well besides the fact that it's Harry and why wouldn't he give me sword lessons?
"Are you watching?"
"Hmmm?"
Alexandria sighed and shook her head. "Great, now I have to rewind it so you can pay attention to probably the best scene ever filmed."
"Really? That's hyping it up a bit don't you think? Besides, I saw it even if I was thinking. They're just dancing."
"Just...just dancing?" Alexandria exclaimed, her eyes growing wide as she looked at him.
"Yeah," Hadie chuckled. "Besides, you trust these guys? They're dressed in all black. That Dorinda girl should run for the hills if the Isle taught me anything about people dressed in black."
Alexandria sighed and shook her head. "They're dressed like that because...think of it like their workout clothes if that helps. And you can picture it as navy blue and not black. Now hush and actually watch the scene."
"Okay, okay," Hadie chuckled as Alexandria got comfortable against him, using his chest as a pillow despite having plenty of good pillows behind them. "Note to self, don't get between you and your favorite scene in a movie."
"It's more than my favorite scene in a movie," Alexandria said, smiling slightly. "When I was little, I used to act out this scene. Ben would sometimes dance it with me when I was too small to ride our horses and he would be visiting. Or Chad would too, when he was in his weird possessive stage."
"Huh?"
"Oh yeah, there was a time where Chad hated seeing Ben hanging out with me or Kitty or Lucy. Like he thought Ben was stealing us or something."
Note to self, Alex never finds out that's the reason why I like hanging out with Akiho the most out of all of Ben's friends, Hadie thought as Alexandria moved the bar to the right moment and pressed play.
As Hadie heard the music, something began to pull him in. He wasn't sure what at first but it was at that moment that it had dawned on him that Dorinda had blonde hair.
The same blonde hair as Alexandria.
Well maybe it wasn't the same....Alexandria's blonde hair looked as though it'd been kissed by the sun itself while the character on the screen just had plain blonde hair. Not saying it looked bad but it wasn't like Alexandria's.
Unprompted, his mind began to take the image of the boy that Dorinda was dancing with (his name escaped him and honestly Hadie wasn't paying that close attention if he was being honest) and began to morph his features so that he looked like Hadie.
What in the world...? Hadie thought as the dance resumed. Now that he was imagining himself dancing with Alexandria, he could definitely see the intensity that she had been talking about. In fact, there was no reason the intensity should have been as high as it was.
I mean...they were just dancing!
And yet, the thought of Alex in his arms...Hadie wasn't going to lie, it felt good. Like she belonged there. And yes, it was just the thought but maybe...maybe it could actually happen?
What if she doesn't want the same? What if I completely mess up my friendship with her? Hadie thought as he absentmindedly bit his lip as the on screen Alex and Hadie had their heads almost touching in what Dizzy had started calling the 'headbutt of love.'
Apparently she'd started calling it that because of the fact that Mal and Ben had done it so frequently when they were dating that there were probably about fifty photos of them with their foreheads touching. Not counting the photos from their wedding or Mal's coronation.
And yes he knew he and Alex weren't really on the screen but imagining the characters as himself and Alex made it a lot more interesting! And he still thought the girls should have been actual cheetahs thank you!
You know...if people are calling me and Alex the next Uma and Harry...there might be some truth to that, Hadie thought. He wasn't wrong. Between Mal, Uma, and CJ, it was like he couldn't escape it.
Hell, even Celia was calling him the next Harry—which he thought was pretty rich considering she kept denying that she had feelings for one of the Hun boys who'd recently crossed over from Auradon. Cyrus, he thought the boy's name was and that was the only information Celia would give him.
As she would say, she had two sisters to be overprotective so she didn't need her friends doing that too.
Hey! Stop thinking about Celia when you've got Alex over! The 'guy' side of his head yelled at him.
Right. Right.
"So? What'd you think?" Alexandria asked, looking up at him from where her head had been resting on his chest. "Best scene put to film or what?"
"I kinda think the sword scene in The Princess Bride has it beat," Hadie told her.
Alexandria shook her head. "Of course you'd think that. Typical pirate," she teased, a small smirk pulling at her lips.
"That's the Dread Pirate Hadie to you, Buttercup," Hadie teased her right back, gently brushing a strand of her blonde hair out of her blue eyes that always seemed to have a spark of mischief behind them. Then, as if he was acting before he lost his nerve, he gently leaned down and connected his lips to hers.
He'd later claim that it was as if his Uncle Zeus had temporarily taken control of his body, and in all honesty Hadie had to wonder if it was possible considering they shared a genetic makeup.
It was a few minutes into the kiss that Hadie realized something. Something rather important.
Alexandria wasn't pulling away. In fact...she was kissing him back!
As soon as Hadie realized this, his eyes shut and he prepared to enjoy the kiss that, if his sister and cousin and best friend were to be believed, was years in the making.
"Oi!"
Hadie and Alexandria immediately jumped apart and Hadie looked over at the door, his face flushing bright red as he saw his father standing in the doorway.
"Dad! What...what're you doing?" Hadie asked as he and Alex scrambled off the bed, Alexandria slipping her laptop into her backpack.
"Your mom wanted to do some laundry, I wanted to make sure you didn't need any loads," Hades said, his voice flat. "Thought you were doing homework?"
"Um, we were taking a break?"
"I'll see you later Hads," Alexandria said, her face bright red as she rushed out of the room. In fact, Hadie was pretty sure that she didn't even look at his father as she left.
Hades shook his head. "I thought we agreed. No dating until you were thirty?"
"I never agreed to that dad," Hadie said. "I'm over fifteen now, I'm not breaking any rules."
"Uh huh. And the rule about having your door open?"
"We didn't want Rea running in here?"
Hades raised an eyebrow. "That'd be a clever trick considering she's having lunch with your mother."
"Oh! Lunch, thanks for letting me know that it's time—."
"Hold it! We're not done talking about what I just walked in on!"
"It's called knocking, dad!" Hadie said as he walked past Hades and down the stairs, his father following in his path.
Persephone sighed and shook her head as she waited for them at the base of the stairs. "Do I want to know what happened?"
"Dad just totally embarrassed me in front of Alex!"
"Your son was making out on his bed!"
"Oh you and Alexandria kissed?" Persephone asked, smiling slightly at the news. "I mean, I'm not exactly thrilled that you did it while your sister was in the house but at least it was only a kiss, no further."
"There will be no further!" Hades exclaimed. "He's a baby, same with Rea!"
"Oh Hades," Persephone chuckled. "You're just upset that Hadie's growing up."
"He broke our agreement!"
"The agreement that you specified during a rant that no one actually agreed to?"
Hadie shook his head. "I'm calling Mal," he said as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and pressed the one key on his keypad. "Maybe she'll be able to talk some sense into you, dad."
"Why's Hadie upset?" Rea asked, having gotten up from her spot at the table to walk over to her mom. Well maybe toddle was a better word to use.
"Apparently he was having some big kid fun with one of his friends who he likes very much and your papa walked in on them," Persephone explained as she looked down at Rea before picking her up while Hades shook his head and made to follow Hadie.
"What was he doing?"
"Your papa walked in on Hadie giving his friend Alexandria a kiss."
Rea made a face. "No wonder Papa's upset! Kissing's yucky!"
"Make sure she keeps that line of thinking! Hadie, you give me that phone!"
"...yep, dad's definitely upset with you," Persephone heard Mal's voice as Hadie's phone was on speaker. "Then again, he walked in on you?"
"I don't know if you should be finding this so amusing Malinda!"
"Hey better you than me bro!"
Persephone chuckled before looking down at her daughter, who'd pulled on Persephone's shirt slightly to get her attention.
"Is Hadie going to have to get married now?"
"What? No sweetheart, why would you think that?"
"Because Harry kissed Uma and now he's married," Rea said as if it should have been logical to her mother.
Persephone smiled as she heard the innocent logic that her daughter came up with. Thank Gods your innocence was never tainted by the Isle, she thought. You can have the childhood your siblings should have had in the first place.
"Mama?"
"Yes honey?"
"You never answered my question," Rea said with a small pout. "Is Hadie going to have to get married now?"
Persephone shook her head. "No, not right now sweetheart. Maybe when he's older and he wants to get married, he will. But for right now, he's not old enough to. He's still a kid according to Auradon and Auradon doesn't want kids getting married."
"Why not?"
"Well that's a grown up decision." Persephone said as they went back to the table. "And while your brother has grown up, I'll admit that, there are some decisions I'm happy to have him wait to make."
"Like roof sledding like he did on the Isle?"
"...I'm sorry, what?"
Rea nodded. "I couldn't sleep so Hadie told me a story about when he was on the Isle and he had his friends roof sled because they were bored."
"Rea, dear, mama needs you to cover your ears," Persephone said. Rea made a face but did as her mother requested.
"Hadie!"
"...Yes mom?" Hadie asked as he came into the kitchen's dining area.
Persephone raised an eyebrow. "Roof sledding?"
"I was perfectly fine!"
"There was no hospital on the Isle! What if you'd gotten hurt?"
"I'm a Godling?" Hadie shrugged. "Besides, it was the least destructive thing I could have done considering I was bored at the time."
"And everyone from the Isle just shuddered as they heard that," Mal's voice came from Hadie's cell, Hadie having put it on speaker as he had been rushing around trying to evade Hades.
"Where's your father?" Persephone asked.
"He went to go yell at Pain and Panic," Hadie said, shaking his head. "Now I need to go find Alex and apologize about a million different ways. Gods, she'll probably never want to be alone with me again."
"Nah, she's probably just getting questioned by her sisters," Mal said. "Considering Ben noticed that she looked rather comfortable on your arm."
"...she did?"
"Why am I not surprised you seem happy about that? Go get your girl Hads. I'll try to keep dad at bay."
"Do I want to know how you're going to do that Malinda?" Persephone called.
"...mainly by distracting dad via the mental link about the fact that we're coming up on the ultrasound that'll show us whether or not pup'll be a boy or a girl."
"Oooh!" Persephone said as Hadie handed her the phone, reached over to ruffle Rea's hair (much to her annoyance) and then teleported out of the house.
He had a friend to find.