Chapter 17 – Deleted Scenes
I don't tend to write stories totally in order, so below are the extra scenes I thought might make it into the final version of the story that ended up getting cut for one reason or another.
Honestly, this isn't even everything. There are so many variations of existing scenes that I went through, these are just the ones that are totally original, from scratch. That's how much I bounced around in this story. You'll notice that there are some parts in here that did make it into the story proper, things I liked so much that I kept them through every iteration.
GENERAL WARNING – Lots of referenced abuse and also mentions of the Isle revolution and the referenced murder related to it.
-:-:-
Chapter 14-ish : Discovering he's Cayden
Notes: I originally had Harry responding way more aggressively to his secret past. Like, a total breakdown/rejection thing. It made sense given the rigorous things he'd gone through up to that point, but I ultimately ended up changing it, deciding that if Harry panicked that hard, he'd likely fall back on his training out of desperation.
-:-:-
The queen reached out and took his hands in her own, giving them a gentle squeeze. "Like Queen Rapuznel, he was kidnapped out of his crib as a child, never to be seen again. It was believed to be an attack done by those who opposed the thought of Mother Gothel's descendants staying on the throne of Corona." She squeezed his hands again. "They never stopped searching for their son, but despite their efforts, they never found him. At least – not until this day."
"I don't understand," Harry said, confused why she would be telling him this story. What Corona and Gothel had to do with anything.
"Sonny," Queen Belle said, her voice careful, soothing. "You're Cayden. Your DNA was a match for King Eugene and Lady Consort Cassandra. You must have been hidden away on the barges when you were young-"
"No," Harry said, his ears seeming to flood with white noise, the walls closing in on him. "No. No, I'm not- I'm not a prince. I'm not-" He shook his head, like that would make this go away, but the queen's grip was firm.
"I know this is a lot to take in," Queen Belle soothed. "But-"
"No," Harry snapped, yanking his hands from her hold. His eyes felt hot, and it was like he couldn't get enough air, everything seeming too tight. "No, I'm not- I don't- I don't deserve it, don't-"
"Sweetheart-"
"No," Harry snarled, could think to do nothing else as he pulled away, he found himself pushing out of the room, Ben following a second after but Harry didn't care, he just needed to- he needed-
"Sonny," Ben said as Harry pushed out into the garden, the sky open and wide and beautifully barrier-free and yet Harry still couldn't seem to catch his breath. "Sonny, it's okay, it's going to be okay."
"Don't say that," Harry snapped, shoving his way down a random garden path before his eyes began to blur with tears. "Don't. Don't act like- like this is a gift, because it's not. It isn't. I have a family, I had a dad, and he was a shitty dad but he was mine. He raised me and beat me and I'm the one that fucking killed him, alright, so I can't- I can't have another dad. I already have Mr. Smee! I've got Harriet and CJ and Sammy and the twins. I don't need anything else, and I can't- I can't fucking lead a kingdom, I shouldn't- Uma should lead a kingdom." Harry struggled to breathe. "I mean, she is, because she's the best, she and Mal, they're gonna- they're changing the world and they're perfectly happy together and they don't need me anymore so-"
He broke off with a sob, his legs seemed to collapse under him as he fell in a graceless heap. "I fucked it all up," he croaked, fingers burying deep in his hair in an effort to stifle his dumb pain. "I fucked it up, Ben, I fucked- I ruined- how did I fuck this up, it's amazing."
"Sonny," Ben gasped, and for whatever reason he didn't hesitate to drag Harry into his arms, pulled him straight into his lap so Harry could be a stupid mess against his shoulder. "You didn't fuck anything up."
"Yes, I did," Harry gasped. "They should have sent Evie. Evie would have been the best but they couldn't spare her because she runs the Isle's justice system so they just had to send the best person who was expendable and that's me, that's me, Ben, I just- I miss them so much, and I keep fucking stuff up without them and Uma's counting on me. I want- I- Ben."
"Sonny," Ben countered, nuzzling his hair while Harry clung to his chest. "Have… have you been homesick this entire time?"
"It's just easier when they're here," Harry croaked. "I'm supposed to be strong and independent but I don't think I was ever independent. I always had Uma – that's why I was first mate. I wasn't ever the captain. I had to step in for Uma like, once when she got sick but that was fine because I knew she'd get better, I knew I could make that happen and when she was well again she could take over but now I'm out here without them and they're counting on me and I did it, but I can't- I can't be a prince. Do ye know how ridiculous it would be for me to be a prince? It'd be horrific. I can't- do ye think your mom told them? She didn't, right? Maybe we can just let them think their kid is dead, that's probably better-"
"That is not better," Ben growled, burying his face in the crook of Harry's neck and letting out a low rumble. "Sonny, no matter what happens, Mr. Smee – your siblings – they'll always be your family. This isn't taking that away; it's just giving your more family. And yes, that family is comprised of royalty, but none of the royal trio of Corona were groomed to be monarchs. Queen Rapunzel was kept locked in a tower for the first eighteen years of her life. King Eugene was an abandoned prince turned orphan turned conman. Lady Cassandra came up through the guard ranks. None of them had conventional backgrounds, but that doesn't stop them from being good leaders."
"That's different," Harry sniffed. "I'm a villain-"
"The guy who raised you was a villain," Ben snapped. "You are not, and I will keep repeating that until the day you believe me. You're not evil, you're good."
"Did ye miss the part where I said I killed my father?" Harry snapped. "And most of his crew? Led teams to exterminate the fucking violent criminals from the Isle?"
"Auradon put you in that position," Ben said. "It never should have happened, but you guys did the best you could. The ends might not justify the means, but your actions led to a new, kinder Isle. You took that hit, because that's who you are, and your parents – your actual parents, will love you for that."
"Stupid," Harry muttered. "You're stupid. I can't- I'm not doing this." The fact that anyone thought he could was a travesty. "I refuse."
"You can refuse to be a prince if you want," Ben said. "But that won't stop them from being your parents."
"No," Harry hissed. "No, I can't-"
"Why not-"
"Because I don't deserve it!" Harry snapped. "I shouldn't get a loving family when Uma has nothing. When Gil only has LeFou. I shouldn't get one when Carlos had to deal with Cruella treating him like an actual dog or Evie surviving ten years with Grimhilde or Jay and that jackass Jafar, who was such a shitbag Mal didn't feel comfortable sending Jay over, because she was afraid he would get targeted or mistreated due to that asshole. I don't- I shouldn't have this when Dizzy – an actual sweetheart – struggled to get enough food to eat despite being one of the kindest, most talented people in the world." He scrubbed uselessly at his face, but he couldn't seem to get the tears to stop coming. "I shouldn't get it when Mal had to live under the weight of Maleficent slowly trying to crush her into a perfect recreation of herself, stifling her artistic spirit until she was fighting for just an ounce of affection, same as the rest of us, I can't- it isn't fair, Ben. I'm already fucking here, and that's supposed to be a gift, but I just- I want-" He trailed off with a broken sob.
"You feel guilty," Ben said, rubbing a hand down his back.
"I am guilty!" Harry snarled. "And they trust- they trust me, and I broke all the rules. They gave me rules before I left and I broke most of them because I'm so stupid I can't even get that right…" He let out another wet gasp.
"What rules did you break, Sonny?" Ben asked, continuing to rub circles on his arms and hold him close when he should be shoving Harry away.
"N-No makeup," Harry sniffed. "I was- I'm supposed to dress like you guys. Supposed to be strong." He felt another wave of tears fall from his eyes. "I couldn't even do that."
"You do that plenty of times over," Ben rumbled, nuzzling Harry's head again. "You're one of the strongest people I know, and they shouldn't have told you how to dress."
"They just wanted me to be safe," Harry murmured. "I'd be safer if I blended in, but people still try to kill me. They told me to be myself, but my actual self sucks-"
"It doesn't," Ben growled, tilted his forehead against Harry's and forcing the pirate to look him in the eye. "It doesn't, Sonny, and there's not a thing Captain Hook could have said about you that would change that."
"Ye don't get it-"
"You don't get it!" Ben snarled, his voice low and seeming to rumble through Harry. "You are more than your home! You are more than what the Isle made you do to survive! You're not dumb for liking things and you're not weak for missing your friends and you are not and have never been a bad person, so could you please believe me?"
"But…" Harry blinked, startled by Ben's heavy breathing.
"But nothing," Ben growled. "I know you haven't been given very many good things in your life until recently, but you can have this, Sonny. You're allowed to enjoy this. You're allowed to have a family, and having one doesn't make you selfish."
"Also," a new voice said, and Harry looked up to see Lonnie approaching them, to see all the others right there on the edge of their clearing, likely listening to all of their conversation while they allowed Ben to take lead on this. "You're right – your friends should get families too, so we're going to fix that."
Harry just stared at her blankly. "Ye are?"
"Yes," Lonnie declared. "You guys were put in a position where you had to take out your abusers on your own instead of being taken care of. You heard Queen Belle – that barrier's coming down, and when it does, we are getting your friends family too, okay?"
"Now please give yourself a break," Aziz said, and that seemed to be a cue for the floodgates to open because the other three crowded around them, huddling close so that each of them could easily get a hand on Harry. "Please, sweetheart, we love you."
And they really must, because Harry cried far too fucking much for them to just tolerate him for the sex they weren't even having anyway. It was an overwhelming prospect, a damning one, because that meant he'd gone too far – but maybe- it might just be for the moment. They could lose interest in him in a few months, it was a possibility. Eventually, he'd get boring.
"I still don't want to be a prince," he murmured, slumping in Ben's hold.
"Yeah, get it line," Chad muttered, wrapping around his back. "If I can do it, you can do it."
Harry tensed. "That's not the fucking same."
"Yes, it is," Chad insisted. "If anything, you're more qualified-"
"That's rubbish-"
"You're both good princes," Doug interrupted, his voice firm. "And nothing will ever change that, okay?"
"Agree to disagree," Chad grumbled, burying his face in the curve of Harry's neck.
"No," Ben interrupted. "Here, we only have agreement."
And with that he was cupping Chad's chin, drawing him into a pointed kiss that had the blond moaning.
"Yes, I like this strategy," Aziz declared, and then he was repeating the process on Harry, who was definitely gross, lips wet and snotty but he didn't seem to give a damn regardless of Harry's whined, minor protests.
"It will be okay," Lonnie murmured. "Together, we're going to make it okay."
It would be fucking something if they could manage that, though Harry very much doubted it. It seemed, without question, too good to be true.
And maybe that would damn him in the end.
-:-:-
They cuddled in the garden for a bit before Ben agreed to take Harry back up to his quarters through the secret passageway. Despite the rest he'd gotten last night, there was no question that Harry was exhausted – emotionally drained from the events of that morning and his attempted kidnapping the day before and the stress of that dinner party that ultimately left him more dead on his feet than awake. As such, Ben had no issues bundling him back into bed, Doug staying curled by his side while the others returned to the brunch party Harry had abandoned like the true drama queen he was.
Honestly, it was beginning to get difficult to take himself seriously. He couldn't keep having these breakdowns. Just- the hits didn't seem to stop coming, and it wasn't fair, but life wasn't fair, so he wasn't sure what he was complaining about.
When he eventually woke up, his body was heavy from sleep and his eyes dry and irritated, which Doug fixed with some drops he had on hand since he'd anticipated such problems like the clever little minx he was.
"I have them on hand for Chad," he explained. "Not that he cries as much anymore-"
"But ye'd let us know if he did?" Harry asked, because even if this was temporary, he wanted to pull his weight, and he did care for this lovely assortment of people that for whatever reason seemed dedicated to the mess that he was.
"Of course," Doug said, slipping into a fond, lopsided grin.
"I think I need to kiss ye now, if that's okay," Harry said, because such thoughtfulness needed to be rewarded, and that might have led to him crawling into Doug's lap, boxing the other teen against the bed so they could trade fond kisses that left Doug whining.
"Fuck," Doug hissed partway through things, a telling hardness pressing between his legs. "We um- have to stop now before we cross lines I – for the record – really do want to cross but can't so-"
"I get it," Harry said, leaning in to give Doug one last kiss before they eventually parted.
Lonnie and Chad returned not long later with the promise of food, both of them grinning cheerfully when they saw Harry was awake.
"We come bearing linner," Lonnie announced. "Or dunch. Whatever you wanna call it."
"I think it's just high tea," Chad offered, motioning to the tea pot settled beside the lunch spread resting on their food cart.
"I suppose if you want to be boring, we can call it that," Lonnie said, pressing a kiss to Chad's cheek before she started filling a plate for Harry, giving him a meaningful look that indicated he would eat every bite and she would hear no arguments otherwise.
It was sort of nice, eating a light meal with Doug while the other two enjoyed cups of tea, Lonnie informing them of what had transpired since Harry was out.
"Queen Belle contacted your parents," she said, pulling no punches. "She was civilly obligated to do so, as both a friend to Corona and a leader of Auradon. I didn't get the details, but I'm pretty sure they're on their way here to meet you."
"Shit," Harry hissed, frowning down at his cup. He didn't know how to feel about that, but he didn't miss the way Chad tensed across the table, seeming to huddle closer to his cup. "Chad?"
The blond winced, likely not having expected to be called out. "Just- I dunno, I think you should be happy about this," he offered with a shrug. "I think it'd be awesome to have a family that wanted to be with you and stuff."
Because Chad didn't. He had Fairy Godmother, but it had taken over a decade to get her, and his grandfather had made him suffer thoroughly in the meantime.
"Chad," Harry said, feeling terrible all over again. "I'm sorry-"
"No," Chad shook his head. "I am. Sorry, just- I- we were born knowing we were going to be princes and you just had it thrust upon you after like, being abused all your life and that's probably not easy-"
"Ye deserve a family, Chad," Harry interrupted, because that was the important part. "You're not an obligation to Fairy Godmother."
Chad flinched, safely confirming what the issue had truly been.
"Chad," Lonnie said, abandoning her chair so she could wrap an arm around the blond's shoulders. "Sweetheart, no, she loves you."
"Just-" Chad swallowed, his hands twitching against the polished wood of the table. "W-Why didn't she look after me before? It wasn't until after she knew my grandfather was mean to me that I got to do family stuff with her."
"That was at your grandfather's request," Doug said, making them blink. "I asked her about it, once. I was- it frustrated me, but she said your grandfather had told her that she made your mother's absence all the more painful for you, so she tried to respectfully keep her distance. It wasn't that she didn't like you, she was just trying to make things easier for you."
"And the moment she realized what was actually happening, she fixed it," Lonnie said. "You're her godson, of course she loves you."
Chad bit at his bottom lip, his gaze welling up with moisture. "W-Why… why was he so mean?" he croaked. "He w-wouldn't even let me have that-"
"Because he was a piece of shit, human," Harry snapped, pushing away from the table so he could wrap himself around Chad's back, Doug moving in to get the blond's free side. "Don't try to find reason behind the actions of evil people, Chad. Often times there aren't any. They're just broken, mean people who don't deserve an ounce of our attention anymore."
"But you still believe what your dad told you," Chad sniffed. "I mean, what Captain Hook said. You think you're dumb and stuff, and you're not."
Harry tensed for a moment before forcing himself to relax. "It's… it's hard to let go of that stuff," he admitted. "But that doesn't mean we shouldn't try."
"I will if you will," Chad said, tilting his head back so he could look at Harry with a wide, earnest expression that jabbed straight at his heart.
It was enough to make Harry flush. "Minx," he grumbled. "Twisting my words around on me."
"I am not sorry," Chad informed him sagely, gifting him a watery smile.
With an expression like that, how could Harry not kiss him right then, Chad absolutely melting into his affection until he was letting out a small whine, chasing Harry for more.
"Guys," Doug groaned, dragging a hand across his face. "You make it very hard to have restraint."
"I'm not sorry for that either," Chad sniffed when they pulled apart. "I've been wanting to lick your dick for a while-"
Doug just let out an inarticulate sound of embarrassment before flopping against the table while Lonnie laughed, and it was so benign but good that Harry couldn't help but appreciate the moment, grinning wider when Lonnie proceeded to continue her taunts against Doug with a furious wag of her brows.
It was a good thing. Their good thing.
-:-:-
Chapter 14-ish: Uma comes to Auradon
Notes: As part of the whole learning Harry's secret past thing, Ben does something actually smart and arranges for Uma to come to Auradon so Harry can have some support. It was a nice interaction to write, but ultimately solved too many problems far too soon, which was why I ended up cutting it.
-:-:-
"Hey," Ben said sometime later, after the food had been finished and Doug had been properly teased. "There's some people here to see you."
Harry tensed, his good mood vanishing him in an instant, leaving him with nothing but acute anxiety and fear. "They're here already?"
"Not your parents," Ben said, giving Harry a soft grin. "I arranged for something else while you were sleeping."
That made Harry pause. He was pretty sure Ben wouldn't lie to him, wouldn't play this off as another surprise just to get him out of hiding to be confronted with the royals from Corona.
"Who is it?" Harry asked, trying to still his heartrate into something manageable.
Ben just winked at him. "You'll have to come see for yourself."
Incorrigible.
Harry followed him as prompted, his hands curled into fists against his sides and he tried to steady himself. The others followed in suit, Aziz joining them halfway there with a wink before Ben led them out into the grand receiving hall of the castle, drawing Harry's attention to two familiar fingers waiting at the other end of the hall-
"Harry!" It was Gil – dashing in his guard uniform, golden hair pulled back into a low pony and his expression jubilant as he took in Harry's visage, the second mate immediately breaking into a run that Harry copied on instinct, every part of him screaming to get to Gil's side as soon as possible.
They met in a jumble that would have hurt if Gil wasn't always so careful with him. As it was, the blond had no issue picking Harry up and spinning him with his immense strength, hugging him close before settling him down on his feet so he could hug him again.
"Harry, Harry," Gil croaked, clinging to him with an open desperation. "I missed you so much. I missed you and I love you and please don't replace us. Please, I'll do better, I promise-"
"Gilly," Harry gasped, wrapping a comforting hand around Gil's head when the blond buried his face against his shoulder. "There's no replacing ye-"
"But you're dating like, three princes now," Gil gasped. "And they're all so pretty. How am I supposed to compete with three princes?"
"Ye don't have to," Harry murmured, eyes welling with heat. "Ye never had to, Gil, you're you – that's enough."
"Harry," Uma said, and there she was in all her glory, her shell crown gleaming in her hair and gown definitely Evie's handiwork – teals and purples woven together with an excess of fringe that made it look like Uma had just stepped out of the ocean, every inch of her looking like the queen she was. "I think we need to have a conversation."
"Captain," Harry said, falling to his knees on reflex because Uma was here, she was here and whatever punishment she offered him would be just but he felt so relieved by her presence, because he wasn't alone anymore, he didn't have to think of everything which was good because he obviously wasn't that good at it. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Ye wanted me to be strong and independent and I've mostly been a mess-"
"Harry," Uma interrupted, a warm hand cupping his cheek. "You've always been a mess, don't go apologizing for it now, because you're mymess."
"Our mess," Gil sniffed, falling to his knees right beside Harry so he could keep cuddling the first mate.
"Be serious," Harry laughed, rubbing at his cheeks somewhat helplessly. "Uma-"
"Harry," her tone was as firm as her gaze, even if her hand was nothing but gentle. "Do you remember when you left and you asked me if it was okay to give more of yourself than you were comfortable with?"
"Yeah," Harry said, because it hadn't been that long ago.
"Right," Uma hummed. "See, I was thinking that you were referring to opening yourself up more to friendships, because even though we'd made the Isle safe, you were still having a hard time with that, but I'm beginning to think that you were referring to sex."
Harry froze, because in hindsight, he realized his vague cowardice had left room for misinterpretation, which was a giant faux pas in their relationship.
"Um- yeah?" Harry said, his cheeks feeling warm. "Just- it's a useful tool-"
"Harry," Uma growled. "I never would have said yes if I had known that was what you were asking. You're not a whore for the Isle, you're not a whore for anyone. You should only have sex with people you want to have sex with."
"Um." Harry's throat felt tight, but he knew he had to say this, even if it broke everything. "I um- have been."
That, for whatever reason, made Uma relax. "Oh good – you actually like them then?"
"Sorry," Harry muttered. "I'm sorry. I thought they'd break up with me when it got too hard, or, I dunno, I thought you guys would um- do that since I've been crying all the time and wearing makeup-"
"I like it when you wear makeup," Gil interrupted. "It makes you look super pretty. Jay likes it too. Mal drew him a bunch of pictures of you dressed all cute just for his walls."
"And you're allowed to fucking cry," Uma said, her voice tense. "You've got fifteen years of trauma to deal with. You think Carlos doesn't cry a lot? That Evie doesn't?"
"I cry all the time," Gil volunteered. "Because my dad was awful and then because I missed you so much."
"You could cry every day, as much as I care," Uma declared. "I just want to be there to pick up the pieces, now give yourself a fucking break."
"That's what I said," Ben cut in, because the others had drawn closer now, the others were watching this and Harry didn't know how to deal with that.
"Good on you," Uma said. "Now get over here."
"Um." Ben blinked, but obliged, flushing when Uma slipped her free hand into his.
"This guy makes you happy?" Uma asked, cocking her head towards Ben.
Harry flushed. "I'm sorry-"
"You don't have to apologize," Uma said, her voice gentle. "I just need to know that you're not with him- not with them because you thought it would help the Isle."
Harry tensed. "I mean, at first I was-"
"Sonny," Ben said, gaze wounded.
"Let him finish," Uma chided, shooting Ben a hard look.
"-but I grew to like them too much," Harry said. "I fucked up, I'm sorry."
"You still don't have to apologize," Uma reminded him. "And you're still not a whore for being able to love more people, Harry. That's a gift."
"But-"
"Harry," Uma interrupted, hand shifting against his jaw to keep their gazes locked. "Who do you belong to?"
"You," he said, feeling his body relax at the familiar affirmation.
"And what do I own?" Uma asked.
"The best," Harry said.
"You are mine," Uma repeated. "So what does that make you?" Harry paused for a moment, not feeling like he'd earned the validation, but Uma was relentless. "What does that make you?"
"The best," Harry echoed, his voice small.
"Louder," Uma ordered.
"I'm the best," Harry said, feeling his cheeks darken. "Uma-"
"I will hear no fucking arguments on the subject," Uma snapped. "You're the best, so no matter what you do, no matter how much you cry or how many people you love or how you fucking dress, you are the damn best, so fuck whatever anyone else has to say on the subject. That's a damn order, do you hear me, Harry? I order you to love your fucking self, because we sure as shit do. When you beat yourself up, it's like you're doubting our taste. Do you doubt us, Harry?"
"Of course not, Captain," Harry said, anxiety flooding his chest. "Never."
"Then stop beating yourself up," Uma interrupted. "You got the prince of Auradon to love you without even fucking trying, I'm pretty sure. Did it surprise you, when he confessed to you?"
"Yes," Harry murmured, feeling embarrassed. "I didn't- I liked them, more than I should, I knew that, but I never thought-"
"You lack an outside perspective, Harry," Uma said, shifting her hand so she could run it through his hair. "When it came down to choosing between you, Gil, and Jay, we knew we were pretty much damned whatever choice we made because you're all so fucking likeable. And it burned, having to share you with the outside world when you should be with us, but we chose you because without that bias, you were the best one for the job." She sighed. "We should have sent Jay with you too. Fucking I should have come with you, but that's behind us. You're not going to be alone anymore."
"Captain," Harry said, swamped by the implication. "Are ye- does that mean-?"
"We're staying," Uma declared. "Mal wants to run the Isle so badly, so I let her have it until the barrier comes down. Jay's manning the guard station, so you've got us now."
The confirmation left Harry sobbing, had him leaning into her hand because he'd missed her so much, missed both of them, regardless of how much he'd come to like the others.
"Aw, Harry," Gil sighed, nuzzling into his shoulder. "We missed you too."
Doug cleared his throat. "So um- just to clear some things up – you weren't single when you came over here?"
"Doug, right?" Uma said, taking the dwarf kin's attention off of Harry. "I hope you're in the mood to learn, because right now we get to go through the fun explanation of Harry's struggles with personal boundaries."
"He sacrifices them for the sake of the mission because he thinks they don't matter," Gil stage whispered to him, only it was Gil, so it wasn't much of a whisper at all. "But that doesn't mean he likes you less, it just means he also likes other people. Like me, and Uma!" He turned back to Harry, nuzzling his shoulder. "You still like us, right?"
"Of course I fucking like ye, Gilly," Harry grumbled, his cheeks flushing hot. "Doug, I'm sorry-"
"No," Doug interrupted. "This actually lines up with a lot of your behavior."
"Makes me really glad I didn't let you join the Tourney team after all," Lonnie mused. "Okay, wow. Yeah, let's go have grown up talks now."
"But maybe not in the hallway," Aziz offered, his smile slightly strained.
Harry had- had he broken it? Well, he probably had, but that was okay. Uma was here, she could fix it, or at least, help get the royals to a place where they were okay. That was all that really mattered, in the end.
-:-:-
"Harry has always given his all to the crew," Uma explained when they settled back in Ben's suite, the lot of them curled up on an array of couches – Gil doing his damnedest to cuddle Harry and Uma in his lap at the same time and mostly succeeding. "Always, to the point of detriment. He would willingly give up food, resources, medicine, clothes- anything if he thought it would help one of the kids in our care. Captain Hook didn't raise him to have much self-worth – so he never thought much of it. If anything, I think he figured that he deserved to be hungry or sick or cold or tired, and he fucking didn't, but he was so good at hiding it that I didn't figure it out until the behavior was mostly ingrained in him."
Harry shifted, uneasy. "You're not responsible for my actions, captain."
"I'm your fucking captain," Uma said, shooting him a glare. "So yes, I very much fucking am." She turned her attention back to the others. "Things got better when we reformed the Isle because there wasn't the need to make those kinds of sacrifices anymore. Between us and the others, we could get Harry to take what he was due, get him to work acceptable hours instead of until he dropped from exhaustion – stuff like that."
"Mandatory cuddle time," Gil murmured, nuzzling the top of Harry's head. "Date time. He knew we wanted to see him as much as he wanted to see us, so he got a more reasonable schedule."
"Fast forward to us sending him here as our representative," Uma said. "And all those bad habits came back. Guarding your feelings, sacrificing personal treasures for the sake of the mission, increased stress and anxiety from the pressure he was putting on himself-"
"I'm sorry," Harry repeated, his cheeks flooded with shame.
"Harry, if anyone's sorry, it's me," Uma said, cupping his face between her hands again, stroking them almost reverently. "I'm the one who put you in that position. We haven't been apart since we were eight years old, and I didn't remember that until after you had left. As great as you are with the guardsmen, you take a measure of comfort from knowing you could ultimately default things to me or Mal, and then we took that safety net away. We sent you out into Auradon without any kind of backup, without any way to reach us for reassurance, and we didn't have the hour-long conversation we should have had before you left. I mean- I knew you didn't want to leave, none of us wanted you to leave, but you didn't argue it, which should have been the first red fucking flag."
"I just-" Harry swallowed. "Ye thought I was the best for the job. You were wrong, but at the time-"
"What the fuck did I say about you being the best?" Uma snapped, her voice hard.
"Captain," Harry sighed.
"No," Uma snarled. "Fuck Captain Hook. Fuck his stupid dead crew. Fuck anything they ever said to you, it wasn't accurate, and I don't want to fucking hear it. You are the best, and you did the best, end of story."
"I'm inclined to agree with her majesty," Aziz offered, raising a tentative hand. "Just- for the record."
"I'm confused," Chad said, hands twisting together restlessly. "So, you do actually like us?"
"I do," Harry confirmed, aching at the way Chad's shoulders slumped with relief. "Too much, probably, just- I was spoken for, on the Isle."
"You are one of their partners," Ben finished, his voice aggressively neutral. "But you purposefully stated you were single because…"
"Ye stared at me a lot," Harry admitted. "I just- I wanted to keep my options open. If it could help the Isle- this was a once and a lifetime opportunity. I only had one shot and I couldn't ruin it, so I- I erred on the side of caution, because it wasn't like the outside world knew my status. I didn't- honestly, I thought if anything it would be a passing fad, and then I almost died and all of you – not one or two, but all of you said that ye wanted me. It was- I don't know."
"I'm going to go ahead and guess that he's spent most of his time here terrified that he would do something that would ruin things for everyone back on the Isle," Uma said, effectively hitting the nail on the head. "Is that accurate?"
"Yes," Harry said, saw no point in hiding it. "It's probably why I cry so fucking much."
"Was that- after the club thing," Ben said. "You called me back to apologize-"
Harry winced. "I was trying to do damage control. And I shouldn't have yelled at ye anyway, I really was over-reacting-"
"You really fucking weren't," Lonnie said, her gaze hard. "Ben hurt you and then you thought he was mocking you. It's okay to be hurt because of that, just- we don't want you swallowing down your emotions because you feel you have to."
"I haven't been doing much of that lately," Harry said. "I wouldn't have argued with ye as much if I was."
"Okay, that's good," Ben said, nodding steadily. "So how do you want to proceed?"
"Do you still love Harry?" Uma asked, her eyes narrowed in a firm evaluation.
"Yes," Ben said. "But-"
"No buts," Uma declared. "Harry still loves you, so you're fine. Now you get the added bonus of me and Gil."
"I'm good at hugs!" Gil chirped. "And also staying out of the way. I'm great at staying out of the way. It is my specialty."
"But it's not one you're going to be utilizing," Uma growled.
"But," Doug spoke up, brows furrowed. "You're not Harry's only partners."
"Yeah, eventually you'll have to meet the others," Uma declared with a lazy wave of her hand. "But Harry already cleared you, so you're good in our books. The only question is if you're ready to hop aboard this crazy train, because we don't really do casual."
"You think they'd like us?" Chad asked. "But they don't know us. What if um- just hypothetically speaking, they think we're annoying?"
"Then Harry will kick their fucking asses and share his report on why he loves you so much until they do too. Harry." She turned to the first mate. "What do you love about blondie here?"
"Where to get fucking started," Harry murmured, trying to organize his thoughts. "Chad's sweet as can be, real kind and gentle and enthusiastic. I think he and Gilly will get along brilliantly, and he- he's so bright. He smiles and it's like it's a little bit easier to breathe, the weight on your shoulders feeling lighter. And he can be so bashful and cuddly and- ye never have to doubt his devotion, because he'll always be devoted, he'll always be supportive and happy to be there because he should be given the damn world but he hasn't been so I just- I wanna make sure he gets it."
"Cool, we'll work on that," Uma chirped, grinning at Chad's floored expression, a flush spilling across the bridge of his nose. "Tell us why you love Doug."
"He's so fucking prepared it makes me hot," Harry admitted, earning a strangled sound from Doug that he forced himself to ignore. "He's a wealth of knowledge and preparedness – always has the right tool or piece of information and if he doesn't, he can damn well get it. He's smart, Uma, and quiet so he's continuously underestimated but he can craft dwarven runes together in functional combinations and knows five languages and goes through books like water. He's a musician, and he's so good, Uma, so passionate and talented and ye should see him listen to a piece of music he really likes because his eyes fall closed and he gets this serene look on his face that's like he's found a little piece of heaven right in his earphones and…"
"He can do this for each of you," Uma informed them, looking smug.
"Please do," Lonnie said, the look on her face brilliant. "And for the record, if we say yes, we are getting three hot new girlfriends? Asking for a bisexual lady who needs a healthy appreciation for the female form."
"Fuck yes," Uma replied, looking pleased. "And he will. Harry?" she said, her gaze slanted in an amused line. "You heard the lady."
"Um." Harry flushed. "Do the rest of ye-"
"Yes," Aziz and Ben said more or less at the same time, looking entirely unrepentant.
"And then maybe we can go over all the reasons we love you," Ben said, gifting him a broad grin.
Harry made a face. "Ye already did that, several times, in fact."
"A little repetition never hurt," Aziz decided with a shrug, and like that they were all crawling onto their couch to be in one big pile, clinging to each other and Harry, easily incorporating Gil and Uma, and it was like a balm onto his soul that he hadn't needed, all parts of him coming together in one easy place.
It seemed absurd for him to get everything he wanted, and yet, there it was, dropped into his hands and the world hadn't fallen apart. Not one had come in insisting he didn't deserve this bounty, that he was too wretched for such a thing, because this wasn't going to get taken away. As long as they talked, as long as they trusted each other, they could keep this.
And Harry, to his very bones, was grateful for that opportunity.
So he decided to stop fighting it and continue his reports, decided to enjoy his time in Auradon rather than worry over every second, because at last, he finally could.
-:-:-
Chapter 16 : Assassination attempt/alternative resolution
Notes: Before I had written he actual fallout/coronation objections, I played around with this idea for a potential assassination/reception. It also features Jay having the only braincell, and while I did like it, I ultimately ended up liking the other scene more, which was why it got cut.
-:-:-
Harry spent the rest the rest of the celebration drifting listlessly, falling into a charming demeanor by habit. It was fortunate that the party focused more on family rather than love because it left him with people who had only known him for a few weeks rather than a few months, making it easier for him to get by on auto pilot when he would much rather be sobbing in a corner somewhere.
It was difficult not to stare at his ex-loves. His gaze pulled to them on instinct, was drawn to them like a moth to the flame. He felt miserable, but it a misery brought by his own hand. He knew that, deep down. Maybe Uma would take pity on him when Ben and the others inevitably ditched him. Maybe she'd let him warm their bed even if she wouldn't love him anymore. He could make himself useful for that, right? Gil liked to fuck him, they could- he could probably have that. Harry would be happy to bend over for him if it just got Gil to look at him again.
Instead the blond was purposefully ignoring him the same way the others were ignoring him, and that was fine, it was. Harry had done harder things than maintain his cool in a crowd he no longer wanted to be in, but that didn't make it less exhausting.
So he might have bent one of the rules when he ducked out to hide in one of the private bathrooms, but only slightly because he definitely had a guard with him so he wasn't really alone. He still had company, he just couldn't stand the prospect of maintaining a cheerful disposition for one of his current partners right now. Sometimes he just needed to stare into the mirror and hate himself a little. It was good for the soul. Kept him grounded.
He was in the middle of his stare off, deliberating the merits of indulging himself in a brief breakdown versus pushing through to the end of this celebration when he received company by way of a red puff of smoke, Jay materializing a second after.
It was fortunate that Harry had managed to convince his guard to stay outside, even if that definitely broke the rules.
"Oh good," Jay said, looking tired. "You're alone."
"What?" Harry snapped. "Ye gonna kill me?"
Jay shot him a look so offended it brought Harry back to his bed, back to the last private conversation they'd had together before Harry had left. "With kindness, maybe," Jay said, and then there was a dramatic sweep of his hand that coaxed to life another red cloud, and when it dissipated, a perfect copy of Harry was there. "Shadow clone," Jay explained. "He can manage the party while you and I talk because I'm pretty sure you're miserable even though you're doing a good job of hiding it."
"I…" Harry blinked. "W-Why are ye-?"
Jay rolled his eyes. "Because I love you, stupid," he said before curling a hand around Harry's wrist, a cloud of red surrounding them for an instant before it faded away, revealing what must be the guest quarters the others had been given. "Okay, I'm just gonna throw out some hypotheticals here, but I'm guessing that Prince Ben started flirting with you and you thought 'hey, this could help the Isle' so you didn't turn him down, or you were afraid turning him down would hurt the Isle – either way, you said yes, and then the rest of them just sort of joined in a bumbling comedy of errors. Am I close?"
"Um… yes," Harry said, blinking dumbly. He was still somewhat thrown by the fact that Jay was there, that Jay was talking to him. Touching him.
"Cool," Jay said, his tone aggressively neutral. "In case you were wondering, this was the kind of shit I was worried about when you left."
"They- I figured they'd dump me before I ever saw ye again," Harry said. "I wasn't supposed to be a prince. I wasn't- they weren't supposed to like me that much. I already had you guys, how the fuck was I supposed to get more? And I keep showing more of myself and they keep liking me-"
"Because you're really fucking likable, Harry," Jay interrupted, his expression tired. "Look, we didn't know about the marriage thing. Uma and Mal just sort of sprung that on us."
"But it's true?" Harry said. "Ye- the six of ye…" He trailed off, eyes welling with tears. "I mean, it's sort of perfect. Even numbers, nice and pretty. Ye don't- I mean, ye've never really needed me-"
"Harry fucking Hook," Jay interrupted, grabbing Harry's hands and dragging him forward until he could wrap an arm around his waist, tilting their foreheads together. "We have always needed you. I've been trying to remind the others of who you fucking are, but this time apart has been really rough on them. We've missed the hell out of you, and when Prince Ben gave that public announcement about you guys dating, things sort of devolved, and when they announced you were a prince, they pretty much fell apart. Uma thinks she's lost you entirely to Auradon, and I can't get fucking through to her and none of them want to talk to you because they're humiliated and sad, just- we're gonna fix it, okay? You and me, we're going to get this right."
"How?" Harry asked, feeling shaken and terribly raw. "I fucked up, Jay. I got too close. I dunno how I wooed them, I don't know why they stay-"
"I literally just explained why," Jay pressed. "It's because you're sexy and thoughtful and dedicated and sweet. Obviously they were going to trip over themselves to get you, you're the fucking best."
"But I love them," Harry said, and it was the first time he'd voiced this aloud, the first time he knew he meant it without a doubt or second's hesitation. "Jay-"
"You're a generous person, Harry," Jay said, nuzzling his hair. "I'm not surprised you found room in your heart to love some more people, and honestly, I don't know how they're going to take the whole lying thing, but we'll figure it out, and no matter what happens I'll be on your side-"
He cut himself off with a wide-eyed look, pulling back to stare off into the distance as though lost in thought.
"What?" Harry asked, heart pounding in his chest. "What is it?"
"One of my Shadow Clones just popped," Jay said. "I'm getting the influx of memories now. I- oh, I figured out who's been trying to kill you all this time."
"Jay-"
"We're gonna take care of it," Jay said, slipping his hand into Harry's. "But that's going to require a dramatic teleportation back into the ballroom, so I hope you've got your game face on."
"As much as I'm able to," Harry sniffed, trying to school his expression into something more serious rather than despairing and lost.
"Good enough," Jay said, and then there they were surrounded by his familiar red smoke, the spell dissipating to reveal a ballroom that was greatly different than the one he'd left not ten minutes prior.
"You," some wild-eyed, blond-haired queen snarled at him, wearing the colors of Ulstead. "How dare-"
Jay interrupted her with a small blast that had her passing out cold, the crazy queen crumpling to the ground in less than a second.
"That was anticlimactic," Jay said, turning his attention to what appeared to be the entirely magic-inclined contingent that had been invited to Harry's coronation, the lot of them herded into one spot and trapped in a complex rune design that seemed to be specifically created to cancel out their powers.
"What the hell, Jay?" Mal snarled from where she, Evie, and Uma were trapped against the floor, a pulsing, red barrier straining to contain them.
"Shadow clone," Jay said, brows furrowing in concentration. "Hold on."
He waved his hand again, and belatedly Harry realized the clone that had stepped in for him was crumpled on the ground, a wicked looking knife sticking out of its side. Lady Cassandra and King Eugene were crouched near it with distraught expressions that shifted into confused ones when the shadow clone popped out of existence in a puff of smoke.
"This… was a lot of planning for a not very good assassination attempt," Jay said as he focused on undoing the magic barrier.
"Tell me about it," Harry muttered, shifting uneasily. "They didn't even tie me up for the second one. It was like they didn't even want me dead."
"Evie suspects they didn't," Jay offered as his hands glowed red with magic. "It was an attempt to expose you for who you really were or whatever. Which again, a lot of effort for a plan that didn't really work."
"Crazy people," Harry said, glaring at the unconscious queen.
"Preach," Jay shot back, and a second later, the barrier was gone.
It was enough time for Harry's parents to cross to him, neither of them hesitating to pull him into a hug, cradling him between them because as far as they knew, he'd almost just died in front of them.
"Shadow clones?" King Eugene asked, sounding frantic. "Like, magic clones?"
"Yeah, I thought something like this might happen," Jay said. "So I replaced the two of us with Shadow Clones and um- well to be fair, I didn't really expect this, but here we are."
It was a good enough lie, certainly better than admitting that he'd wanted to get his ex-lover alone for a private conversation.
"We're in your dept," Lady Cassandra said, hugging Harry tight.
"Yeah, you're really not," Jay said, waving her off with a bashful look. "Harry's my friend. We look after those on the Isle just as much as you guys do out here."
"Still, could we give you a parade?" King Eugene said. "Maybe a statue? How 'bout a painting, you look like a guy who could do a mean painting."
"Take the statue," Harry advised. "We could put it out in the gardens."
"Jay doesn't need a fucking statue," Mal hissed, approaching their huddle with a dark flush. "He needs to tell me what the hell he was thinking."
"I was thinking that we need to have a conversation with Sonny," Jay said. "You know, instead of not doing that, because not doing that seems horrible."
"You'll have to let us get in our hugs first," King Eugene said. "But I think that can be arranged."
He hadn't been kidding about the hugs, Harry's family coming in full force, and that was before his new partners made an appearance. There were statements to give because apparently the woman who had tried to kill him was the one who had arranged for his initial kidnapping in the first place – Queen Ingrith of Ulstead, who was brilliant enough to be a threat but also crazy enough that she wasn't able to completely follow through to the most effective extents. She believed in a world that should thrive on purity. She hadn't even tried to kill Harry because she knew he was the prince, that was entirely for his Isle status. The kidnapping had been to keep Auradon's monarchies 'pure', or whatever the hell else she rambled about as they finally dragged her away.
"Yep," Jay drawled, watching her go with narrowed eyes. "That's the lady who was stealthy enough to set a complicated but effective trap without anyone knowing but not like, actually be able to follow through on anything."
"I'll take the little mercies," Harry muttered back, before he was whisked away again.
Eventually, the hubbub died down enough that Harry was allowed a reprieve by King Edmund, which was what ended with him finally sharing a room with all of his ex-lovers for the first time in almost five months, his new partners standing off against them with confused looks on their faces. They sensed the tension in the air but didn't know what it was from, though most of them wanted to keep a hand on him, especially after supposedly seeing him get stabbed in the side earlier.
"We can't thank you enough," Ben said, painfully earnest as he talked to Jay, one of his arms wrapped around Harry's shoulders in a desperate grab for reassurance that Mal would only read as a taunt. "I know you were just helping you friend, but thank you. That was- it was horrible."
"Why didn't you tell us you knew she was gonna stab Harry?" Gil burst suddenly, his face crumbled in an expression of misery that even Evie's arm around his shoulder couldn't stifle. "Is- is it really over? Were we just supposed to watch him die?"
"No, sweetheart, no," Jay said, sighing when Evie moved to block Gil from the sorcerer, her expression unimpressed because Jay had gone rogue like Harry had, and that wasn't something that was ever welcome. "Look – real talk? I had no idea about the assassination attempt, I just wanted to talk to Harry."
"What's there to talk about?" Mal snapped. "He's got his Auradon partners and his Auradon crown and his Auradon nickname, what the fuck else is there to say?"
"Can I take us back a few months?" Jay asked. "To a time where you didn't forget Harry's entire personality? You know, his whole sort of extreme loyalty to the point of detriment?"
That made more than one person tense, Mal brows furrowed in reluctant consideration before Jay pushed on. "Harry," he said, turning back towards the pirate. "Do you want to be a prince?"
"Fuck no," Harry said, trusting Jay and answering him honestly.
"Did you accept your crown so you could give it to Uma?"
"Obviously," he said, making all of his Auradon partners startle.
"Neat," Jay chirped. "Were you surprised when Ben wanted to date you? When all of them wanted to date you?"
"Of course," Harry said, wondering what Jay was getting at.
"What do you mean 'of course'?" Aziz asked. "Ben had been making goo-goo eyes at you for weeks."
"Yeah, you might not have noticed this," Jay cut in. "But Harry has really fucking low self-esteem. Like, staggeringly low. And I get you guys not knowing that because he didn't want to tell you, but you guys," he said turning back to the other VKs. "Should know that by rote. It should be a damn given, and the fact that you think he would willingly move himself up in the world without like, a second thought for any of us is fucking ludicrous. Just- Harry," he turned back to the first mate again. "Tell them your exit strategy for this relationship."
"Um." Harry blinked, feeling his cheeks flush with warmth. "I mean- I expected them to break up with me once the novelty wore off."
"Sonny," Chad said, the blond openly crying. "Why would you think that?"
"Again," Jay repeated, but his voice was kind and soothing, his expression gentle as he captured Chad's attention. "He has low self-esteem. Fifteen years of being told you're garbage is hard to overcome, and we-" He turned back to the VKs. "We sent the guy who had mostly avoided self-destructive habits because of his support system out into Auradon where there was no support system for him. Of course he fell back onto what he always knew. Uma," he sighed, staring the captain down beseechingly. "Harry's used you as his north star for years. Do you honestly think he would ditch you after a few months?"
Uma considered this for a moment, then let out a sigh, looking up towards the ceiling as though coming to terms with her nonexistent faults. "Fuck."
"I don't understand," Lonnie said, capturing their attention with a concerned look. "What is all this about? Why does it matter who Sonny's dating if he was single?"
"Yeah, that's just the thing," Jay explained. "He lied about that, because for Harry the mission will always come before his own personal comfort, and if he thought presenting himself as unattached would help him, that's what he'd do."
Ben tensed. It was a horrible, relentless sort of tension, one that seemed to affect every bone in his body. "Is that why you're dating us? Did- did you just want to get close to me?"
"Don't get all dramatic Benjamin," Jay scoffed, actually walking over so he could flick the side of Ben's head. "He loves the shit out of you guys, which he has also been bemoaning, so here's the deal." He clapped his hands together. "If Harry thinks you guys are the shit, I trust that. Alternatively, if he thinks we're the shit, you should also trust that, so…"
"Jay, you greedy shit," Mal muttered, dragging a hand across her flushed face. "We can't all date. These fuckers literally just met all of us."
Jay ignored her, choosing to turn his attention to Harry's current partners. "You'll find that much like Sonny, we also have low self-esteem from suffering under our parents for most our lives, but I promise we're super cool, and we will give you the consideration you definitely deserve."
"You can't just decide this, Jay," Carlos hissed, his cheeks flushed dark. "They're never going to want to do that-"
"You should probably let us decide that for ourselves," Lonnie interrupted, giving him a hard look. "This- this entire evening has been a lot, but honestly, we just got a taste of almost losing Sonny, again. If he loves you guys – fuck it, I'm in. Let's do this."
"Um," Chad said, fidgeting with his sleeve. "What if um- hypothetically, they don't um- like all of us?"
"They will," Harry said, his chest flooding with heat at the very thought of it. "Gil, cuddle Chad please, would ye?"
"Got it!" Gil chirped, seeming glad to being given an order, and Chad squawked for all of a second when he was swept into Gil's arms before he blinked at the second mate with wide eyes, seeming to melt into his hold when Gil nuzzled his curls. "Hello, Mr. Prince. I was very jealous of you a few hours ago even though I was happy Harry could get someone as amazing as you to love him. I mean, obviously you love him, he's the best."
"Aw, geez," Chad murmured, shuddering into his hold before he clung tight to Gil's shirt.
"This doesn't have to be complicated," Jay said, motioning to their very distracting blonds. "We are all pretty awesome Harry-approved individuals. What more do we need?"
"A personal connection?" Mal pressed. "Jay-"
"You should say hello to Mal," Jay told Ben, unhooking his arm from around Harry's shoulders before he more or less shoved him at the half Fae. "Since you pretty much eye fucked each other when you met, you two should be fine."
"Jay, you fuck," Mal hissed, Ben blushing all the while, but then they both sort of got lost in their near proximity and started staring at each other all over again, which wasn't nearly as painful as it had been a few hours ago.
"This will be fine," Jay declared, grabbing Evie's wrist and nudging her towards Aziz before herding Doug over to Carlos before he more or less skipped over to Lonnie's side, who was waiting for him with a wide grin. "Hello, pretty lady who will definitely cut a bitch."
"Thanks for noticing," Lonnie chirped, her cheeks heated in a pleased flush.
And then there was just one.
"Uma," Harry said, heart tensing when his captain approached, looking as lovely and whole as ever. She'd been silent for most of the conversation, choosing to watch instead of react, waiting for the right moment-
"Harry Hook," she murmured, cupping his face between her hands. "Sonny Fitzherbert. Do you remember when you left and you asked me if it was okay to give more of yourself than you were comfortable with?"
"Yeah," Harry said, because it hadn't been that long ago.
"Right," Uma hummed. "See, I was thinking that you were referring to opening yourself up more to friendships, because even though we'd made the Isle safe, you were still having a hard time with that, but now I realize that you were referring to sex."
Harry froze, because in hindsight, he realized his vague cowardice had left room for misinterpretation, which was a giant faux pas in their relationship.
"Harry," Uma growled. "I never would have said yes if I had known that was what you were asking. You're not a whore for the Isle, you're not a whore for anyone. You should only have sex with people you want to have sex with."
"Um…" Harry's throat felt tight, but he knew he had to say this, even if it broke everything. "I um… have been."
"Good," Uma chirped. "I would hate to have to gut a bunch of royals, even if they deserved it."
"Uma," Harry said, feeling his eyes begin to well with heat again. "I'm sorry for the mess I made."
"I'm sorry for sending you to Auradon alone," Uma said. "I hadn't realized until you left that we hadn't been apart since we were eight years old. You're not used to operating by yourself, but I forced that on you, even when I knew it wasn't something you wanted to do. I enabled that behavior, and that wasn't fair to you."
"Uma-"
"I'll hear no arguments," Uma said, her tone firm. "I have missed you so much, Harry. More than I have words to express. Maybe we're codependent, but I don't really give a shit – we're not parting ways ever again."
The words had a swell of relief surging through Harry, something that left him utterly relaxed because he could think of nothing else he wanted more. Maybe it wasn't healthy, but he had always been Uma's, and parting from her for so long had been nothing short of painful.
"And you're definitely good enough to be a prince," Uma urged. "Who do you belong to?"
"You," he said, feeling his body relax at the familiar affirmation.
"And what do I own?" Uma asked.
"The best," Harry said.
"You are mine," Uma repeated. "So what does that make you?" Harry paused for a moment, not feeling like he'd earned the validation, but Uma was relentless. "What does that make you?"
"The best," Harry echoed, his voice small.
"Louder," Uma ordered.
"I'm the best," Harry said, feeling his cheeks darken.
"Damn right, you are," Uma said, grinning wide. "And the best is more than capable of ruling a kingdom, of having a family that loves him, of having a multitude of partners to dote upon him."
"But…" Harry swallowed. "It's- it's not normal. It's not even close."
"Who needs normal?" Uma scoffed, overlooking the clumps of old and new partners congregating together. "Normality, as far as I know, is vastly overrated. So fuck normal. We don't need it. We can settle for something close instead."
"Something next to normal?" Harry asked, unable to hold back his fond grin because this was Uma, this was his captain, his rock, and these were the crazy people who, for whatever reason, had deemed to love him.
"Now you're getting it," Uma said, carding her hands through his hair. "Now get in here, Hook, it's been far too long."
"As ye wish, captain," Harry said, shifting forward to capture Uma's lips in a kiss.
It felt like coming home, and with the others bonding around them, a warm chatter of compliments and small talk and earnest blushes, Harry knew he'd found what would be his new normal, which wasn't all that normal at all.
Which, if he thought about it, was exactly what he wanted.
-:-:-
Until next time :)
