Bonding with Father-in-Law
Ben was kinging in his study, doing paperwork and preparing for a council meeting when in the middle of his suit blue flames started to grow and grow until they revealed the Lord of the Underworld and father-in-law-to-be, Hades.
So far Ben had only witnessed this when Mal was in the room, but this time she wasn‘t around. This made him already nervous.
„Ben! This is an emergency!“, he heard Hades shout at him, he sounded panicked.
Then did Hades put down a stone figure that looked like Mal. By now Ben was up and around his desk, fully panicking himself.
„I took Mal to Greece, to show her my town. We had a run in with Medusa! Her gaze didn‘t work on me but Mal got turned into stone! We need a true loves kiss to return the curse!“, the Greek God explained frantically to Ben as he shoved him towards the statue.
Ben didn‘t lost time, within a heartbeat he cupped the stony face of his Fiancé. Her expression was full of fear upon the sight of Medusa. He leaned in to gently brush his lips against hers.
Then he leaned back to watch the curse dissolve. To see her expression soften and turning into smile upon seeing her beloved boyfriend. To hear her exhale and whispering „My hero“ towards him, wrap her arms around him and lean in for another proper kiss.
But none of this happened. Mal remained a statue.
„What-“, Ben gasped as nothing happened, even as he tried to kiss her again and again and again.
Now near tears he turned to Hades, „Why isn‘t it working?“
Hades himself looked surprised by this. „I don‘t know. I thought you two already shared a true loves kiss?“
„We did! It broke Uma‘s spell on me!“
„Well, maybe…“ he started, but paused deep in thought.
„What? What!“, Ben was still full on panicking.
„Maybe, even though she is your true love, you are not her’s?“
Ben needed a moment grasp what Hades just suggested.
„That it not how it works! It is always mutual, that’s why it is true love!“, Ben shouted, nearly roared.
„Is there not another way to reverse Medusa‘s stone glare?“
„No. Maybe you haven‘t kissed her right?“
Ben turned back to the statue.
„Try a peck on her cheek or hand. I was never a fan of those mouth to mouth kisses.“, Hades instructed him.
„What are you doing?“, Ben heard Mal‘s voice at last. He swore his heart stopped. He looked up to the where the statue was still completely stone.
Then he turned to where the voice actually came from, the doorway.
Mal was standing there with Evie close behind her. Both girls looked very confused at the statue and both man in the room.
“Mal! You are well!”, Ben immediately stood from the floor, where he and Hades had started to file through records of petrification in ancient Greek and their mythology.
Within seconds was he with her to hug the life out of Mal, “I am so glad you are okay!”
“What happened?”, Masked a little breathless.
Then there was a light chuckle that turned into a full roaring laughter.
Hades was doubling over out of joy.
“Oh, you should have seen Ben’s face the whole time. It was really difficult not to laugh in between!”, he even had to whip a tear of joy.
“That was a prank!?”, Ben was embarrassed, his head grew red.
“See it as a lecture to refresh your knowledge of greek mythology.”, Hades retoured jovial, “And it is good to see you would try anything to save her!”
Hades clapped Ben on the shoulder before he hugged Mal herself, “Good to see you, kid”
“Right back at ya”, Mal responded.
Then he sauntered to the statue to pick it up under his arm and vanished into blue flames with a “See ya”, and a wave of his free hand.
„Poor king“, Mal petted Ben to make him feel less uncomfortable.
Then he leaned in for a much needed real kiss.
„Ouch, what‘s with your lips?“ she worried.
„They are chapped from kissing your stone self.“
„Ohh, I have something for you in that case!“, Evie said full of glee as usual. She gave him a lip balm with Strawberry flavour.
„Now you are not only a good kisser but also delicious!“, Mal said at last before she kissed him for real.
This wasn‘t the only time Hades came up with something to keep Ben on his toes. It was one big test of Hades to accept Ben as a son-in-law. How obligate he was to save Mal no matter how annoying Hades and those drills became.
Kissing countless Mal-Statues of different poses was a price Ben was willing to pay in order to receive Hades approval.
Somehow it was even helpful. The more Hades came up with ridicules scenarios, the calmer Ben got.
Yes, he was still worried it might be real every time. But he also became less headless.
After the last one, as Ben and Mal both hoped since it was just a few days until the wedding, Mal took some time looking into her own face on a statue.
„Seriously Dad, how many of these do you have?“
He lounged in a chair a few feet away. He had his sunglasses on and was slurping a smoothie.
