#maldrey

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Time Travel Fix-It, Major Character Death In Alternate Timeline, Masked stranger, Bizarre Love Triangle, the enemies to lovers time travel love triangle fic no one asked for, Audrey Needs a Hug, Everyone Needs A Hug, Movie: Descendants 2 (2017), Isle of the Lost is a Terrible Place (Disney), future version of canon character Series: Part 2 of Time Is Never Time At All

Summary:

“I told you I’d keep watch. Better question, why are you? You look exhausted.”

Audrey opens her mouth to argue and comes up short. She has to shake her head again, and then pinch herself in the arm to keep from slumping over and passing out anyway. 

She is. She really is exhausted. It’s beyond tired, it’s in her bones. Moving feels like a monumental task, or else she would have stood up and started jumping around to try and fend off sleep. Maybe she should do that anyway. But, god, she’s so tired. It’s been… almost three days? Four, if she doesn’t count the stolen moments of rest she managed to get while she was in the cell. Four days since she’s slept. She’d go another hundred if it meant she didn’t have to risk not waking up.

Some of that must show on her face, because Mal frowns at her and sits up again, reaching out. Audrey dodges her hand.

“I’m fine,” She starts, but Mal cuts over her, sharp and impatient.

“Bullshit. Sleep deprivation does bad shit to humans and I know you know that.”

“I’m--” She starts, and stops short when Mal reaches out again. This time Audrey lets her lay a hand on her shoulder, a little too heavy. For a moment, they both just look at each other. Audrey won’t say it, she won’t stoop that low, but she tries to give Mal a pleading look. Don’t. Her bottom lip trembles. Don’t make me.

“... Evie won’t eat anything someone gives her unless they take a bite of it first,” Mal says, all in a rush like she needs to force the words out. “Don’t even try if it’s an apple. Ginny Gothel shaves her head and Jay hates looking people in the eyes and I… I don’t… sleep much.” She huffs. “But I can get away with it. You can’t. So go to sleep, Audrey.”

“But--” Mal doesn’t cut her off this time, just looks at her with her green glass eyes, and Audrey feels tears of frustration well up and threaten to spill over. Mal squeezes her shoulder a little too hard. The ache isn’t enough to chase away her exhaustion. 

“I get it, Audrey.” Mal says, softer than she’s been all night. “I get it, okay? I’ve been there. But if you kill yourself worrying about her, she wins.” Mal’s hands are heavy and uncompromising on Audrey’s shoulders, pushing her down onto the lumpy mattress. When Mal leans over her, her thin body blocks out the light of the fireplace.

Audrey looks up at her, at this girl she feared and hated so much only a few short weeks ago. Green glass eyes peering at her through the dark. “I’m scared.”

Mal opens her mouth, closes it again. Nods. “I know,” She says, “But… trust me, okay? I’m here. I’ll wake you up.” She squares her jaw, standing up to grab the threadbare blankets and tug them up around Audrey’s shoulders. “I promise, I will wake you up.”

It’s too warm in the room with the fireplace going, but the flame is dying quickly now that Mal’s magic isn’t feeding it, and with it fades the light. The bed is lumpy and stiff, but it’s a thousand times better than the cold stone floor of the dungeon cell, and Audrey has been so tired for so long. Maleficent isn’t here, but her daughter is, peering at Audrey through the dark with her too-green eyes.