Melody actually landed a decent hit against that pretty little pirate face, too, before he managed to block her.
Her attack had been so unexpected that Harry Hook, all six feet of him, toppled over like a falling tree, taking a lamp and a pile of school papers with him.
This would have been all well and good, but as he fell, he grabbed her to try to keep his balance and she came crashing down after him.
Even so, she wasn't nearly done.
She got a few more good licks in, pounding at his chest and arm before he was able to seize her wrists in a vise-like grip and flip her over, essentially pinning her against his dresser. But her knee was free, and if she could just wedge it up a little more and add some real power behind it, she could get a good kick in…
"Now, now, sweet gills. Those are the family jewels, those are. I winnae be lettin' yeh have yer way with those just yet."
His vulgar reproach only served to infuriate her more and she put everything she had into breaking free.
Jane's voice sounded frantic from across the room. "Stop Mel, stop! This won't help!"
But at this point even Uma, who had initially stepped in to try to help break them up, backed off and was now just standing with her hands on her hips watching how this would play out.
Melody's voice tore from her throat as she continued to try to pull free. "Harry Hook, you thieving son of a bitch!"
"Tut, tut. Language, watch the language. Me virgin ears cannae be exposed to such vile locution."
The pirate leveraged his body weight, effectively putting an end to her struggling, creating a new problem. She was now pressed so flush against him, she could feel each heaving breath he took. Each exhalation tickled her ear and after a few more heartbeats, a strange knot was beginning to wind deep in her belly.
"And you say you're Ariel's daughter, huh?" Uma said, letting out a long whistle.
"Nice to see a princess with a wee bit of fire in her blood, eh Uma?" Harry's voice carried an excited lilt, and he adjusted his hold so he could look at Melody then, those eyes like sea glass cutting through her barriers again.
"Let. Me. Go!"
"Not 'til you promise yeh winnae try and hurt me. Though I have to admit I enjoyed this little dance, I dinnae want to fight yeh. Just let me explain what happened with the locket."
Great. She had picked a fight with the only person in this University who somehow enjoyed being punched in the face. Served her right.
And that knowledge, that he was somehow enjoying this, was the bucket of cold water she needed to douse her fiery anger.
She dragged in a shaky breath and exhaled, letting herself go limp in his hold.
"That's it, lass," he said, coaxing her as though she was an unruly bronco that needed breaking. He guided her to sit, and then, slowly unlocked his grip on her wrists. "I promise yeh, I was meanin' to do a reappearin' trick with yer locket. But yeh scooted outta that classroom so fast, yeh hardly heard me callin' after yeh!"
She rubbed at her aching wrists and glared at him. "Why'd you take it to begin with?!"
"I was tryin' to make yeh smile with a little slight of hand, then maybe youdda been more inclined to talk to me is all."
"Why should I trust your word on that, pirate?" she said, fixing him with her coldest stare. "You don't exactly have the best track record when it comes to theft."
"Because of me gorgeous face?" And his crooked grin did do something unexpected in that moment, reducing the urge to kill him by at least half.
Jay laughed from across the room. "Well, it's not your history of kindness and giving, that's for sure."
"I'm insulted, mate." Harry feigned hurt as he looked down at his hands, tightening the straps on his fingerless gloves and adjusting the ridiculous number of rings he always wore. "Yeh know we all did our best over there across the pond."
Harry pushed himself to stand, smoothing his long, sleeveless coat and offering a hand to help her up.
"No hard feelings, lass," he said, rubbing his left eye with his free hand. "Even though you dunt me good. That one'll leave a mark, I'd wager."
She glared at his outstretched hand and pushed herself up on her own.
"You're scrappy in a fisticuff I'll give yeh that," he said.
"She's what?" Jane said, seeming more worn out than either she or Harry did after the scuffle.
"Good in a fist fight," Uma translated. "The more excited he gets, the thicker the accent gets. Tone it down, Harry."
"'Tis true though. If I hadnae been twice your size, you wouldda clobbered me."
Then he smiled that dashing smile and Melody was beginning to see how this pirate got away with as much as he did.
"You steal from me again, Harry, and I promise you a peg leg to go with that hook. Now give me back my locket."
The others were headed down to grill at the beach. But despite her friends pleading, Melody really did need to get some homework done first. So, once she had her locket back, they parted ways and Melody spent the rest of the afternoon and into the evening studying. She reviewed her oceanography notes and read the next chapter to prepare for lecture.
By the time Melody had put in the work on all of her classes, the sun had long since set and she was sure her friends would have left the beach by now. But she was restless and needed to get out anyway, so she followed the well-lit path from the dorms down through the east side of campus toward the shore. She turned her locket over and over in her hands as she walked, feeling so much better with its familiar weight hanging around her neck. She nodded at a few faces she knew as she strode along the path. There were always students out at this time, even after dinner the walkways were well traveled. But she didn't stop to talk with anyone.
She paused at the top of the steep wooden steps leading down the cliffside toward the expanse of sand below. She loved the view from up here. The way the moonlight reflected off the wave tips in the distance made the entire ocean seem made of magic. It could be diamonds sparkling in the distance or fairies dancing way out on the horizon. Maybe tonight would be a good night for a swim.
She stowed the thought for later and inhaled one more breath of sea air before heading down the narrow stairway. There were a few places Jane and Carlos liked to go, and since they'd been involved with the planning, she tried there first. The grill and tables closest to the cliffs were empty, but there was a good size bonfire still burning at one of their spots closer to the surf.
The buttery light cast by the lamps lining the stairway gave way to moonlight as she headed toward the ocean. After a few steps, she took off her shoes, feeling the cool evening sand between her toes as she continued on, adjusting her course to head toward the only fire on the beach. Out here, the moon provided most of the light and it was in full form tonight. She hadn't seen it this bright since she'd arrived at Auradon U.
Shouts from a night-time volleyball game farther down the beach carried over the crashing sound of the waves. As she got closer, she recognized the silhouette of someone sitting cross-legged near what was left of a bonfire. Not Jane or Carlos, the figure was too big. Jay maybe?
She got closer, near enough now to see the glint of moonlight off something metallic in the figure's hand. Oh seas.
A metallic hook.
She groaned. She'd walked all this way and Harry Hook was the last one left at the beach.
Luckily, he was facing away from her toward the fire, so he would never know she'd approached. She turned on her heel and started back toward the cliffs.
The low drone of a male singing voice carried gently on the gusty breeze, mixing with the sound of the tide.
The voice, unearthly and haunting, compelled her to stop where she stood. The evocative tune wound around her emotions and she was powerless to turn away, frozen in the sand as the song washed over her.
She stood transfixed for several minutes, before her feet began moving on their own, shuffling back toward the bonfire to get closer to that voice. The words of the song rose up over the waves, weaving in perfect harmony with the organic sounds of the surf.
It took her longer than it should have to register that the voice belonged to Harry Hook.
"Whenever I was frightened or ever felt alone
I turned to the night sky at a star I call my own
Somewhere I could run to, just across the Milky Way
If you like, I could take you
It's just a lightyear and a day"
She was only a few strides from Harry then. He was staring into the flames and she knew, now, that if she continued on for a few more steps, he could see her from the corner of his eye. But she didn't care anymore. All that mattered was hearing more of his song.
Melody was no stranger to singing. It was her namesake for seas sake. Her mother had one of the most beautiful voices in Auradon, and Melody had inherited her gift for music. But this voice… she'd never heard a man's voice as full and rich and expressive. The song was so captivating, it rendered her powerless to turn away. So, she closed the space between them, until she was right next to Harry, close enough to touch.
She watched the firelight play shadows across his face as she looked down at him where he sat. His eyes reflected the tendrils of flame as they licked toward the moon and he seemed mythical in this moment, beyond pirate and something more, something so much more. His lips, full and soft, formed words so beautiful, tears welled in her eyes as she memorized his expression in this moment.
"We can sail away tonight on a sea of pure moonlight
We can navigate the stars to bring us back home
In a place so far away
We'll be young, that's how we'll stay
Every wish is our command
When we find ourselves in Never, Neverland"
When he stopped singing, it was as though all the breath was sucked from her lungs. She was existing in a vacuum, devoid of life and feeling. The world without Harry's song was empty now and she sank down in the sand next to him.
He slowly turned his head to face her, looking at her from under heavy-lidded eyes. A slow smile unfurled across his lips and Melody had the fleeting thought that perhaps that smile was even more beautiful than his song.
"Yer a wee bit late, lass. Party's over and I'm afraid all yeh've found is little old me."
It took a long time for Melody to find words, her throat was locked tight. But Harry waited patiently, those piercing eyes fixed on her.
Somewhere in the back of her brain, a voice was telling her she should leave, but all she found herself saying was, "that was beautiful."
And as though she was being pulled by an invisible string, she was leaning closer to him, unable to control the sudden urge to feel his touch on her skin.
"Thank yeh, lass," he said, "If yeh liked the song, I could teach it to yeh. I've heard yeh have quite the singing voice yerself."
She looked down at his hands, wishing he would bring one to her face and trace her cheek like he had before she'd gone postal and punched him in the face. Her brain went fuzzy and before she knew what she was doing, she was reaching for him and running her hand on the back of his forearm, tracing his leather bands, trailing a light touch along the edge of his fingerless gloves.
His eyes flicked down to their hands and back to her face. "Yeh told me in class today naw to touch yeh again, but me self-control is only so strong, lass."
"You had no trouble touching me when you had me pinned to the dresser," she reminded him.
"Now, that's naw fair and yeh know it. That was self-defense and naethin' more."
"Well, then I take it back."
He licked his lips and leaned down toward her ear. "Take what back?"
He was teasing her now. He had to be. He knew full well what she was trying to say, but wanted her to say the words out loud. She had the vague feeling that this should bother her much more than it did at the moment, but with her mind still buzzing with sensations and her skin screaming for his touch, coherent thought was just out of reach.
"You have permission to touch me, Harry Hook."
His eyes crinkled at the edges with his smile this time, and he turned his hand over, placing it palm up on his knee, offering it to her.
She took it, interlacing their fingers and a warmth bubbled inside of her. Harry used his free hand to trace lines up and down the back of her hand, and she felt herself melt around the edges as they both stared into the flames. She leaned in closer to him, breathing in leather and rugged spice, focusing on his breathing, the waves, and the crackling fire.
Soon, she craved even more and she turned to look at him. He really did cast a striking profile, a strong jaw, straight nose, and a pout that was far too pretty for a pirate. He caught her staring, giving her a look out of the corner of his eye and she wondered what he would taste like. She bit her bottom lip, drawing closer to find out.
"Me mum always was a good singer." His voice jolted her back to reality and she settled back into a sitting position, wondering what in the seas was going on with her. But if Harry thought she was acting weird, he didn't say a thing about it. He just carried on with his story. "Least that's what the crew always said. Dad wouldn't talk about her much, but Smee told me stories enough."
And Melody found herself wondering what life was like for him back on the island. She couldn't imagine Captain Hook as a very loving father, and if his mother wasn't around… Melody wondered what happened to her.
"Your mom…" she started, not knowing how to finish such a sensitive question.
She had done it again. Unable to simply let something go, her curiosity forcing her to ask awkward questions as usual. She looked to Harry, hoping she hadn't crossed a line and upset him.
"Died before I could remember," he said, seeming unphased by the question. He was looking at her with those same expressive eyes, not missing a beat as he continued to offer a light touch on her hand.
"I'm sorry," she said.
"Dinnae be," he said, simple as that.
His gaze drifted from her face, up to the stars and she wondered what he was thinking about, but she didn't have the courage to ask that question. She asked another one instead, one that had been bothering her since the first time she laid eyes on him.
"Why do you carry that hook wherever you go?"
"Why do yeh wear that locket wherever yeh go?" he echoed.
She'd never thought of it like that. Was it a comfort thing, like her locket? A connection to his identify, to his father?
His gaze dropped to her neck, to her locket. "I bet yeh cou'dnae go a full day without that necklace, eh lass?"
"I can go longer than you could without your hook," she challenged.
"Oh really?" he said, rolling the 'r' with that thick brogue of his and curling his lip into a smile. "Care to make a wager?"
She hesitated, sensing that glimmer of mischief again. But his gentle touch, now exploring the tender skin of her palm, tracing every line he found, soothed away any suspicion.
"If I win, yeh let me choose which reef we study for the oceanography project," he said.
Here she thought he would wager something valuable. He was a pirate after all. Jewels, gold, the locket itself even. Why did he care which reef they studied?
"And if I win," she thought about it. What could he offer her that she didn't have? She thought back to everything that had happened today. Their fight, the R.O.A.R. practice, and she had the perfect idea. "You teach me how to fight. Sword fighting, self-defense. All of it."
"A fair trade, lass," he said, pushing himself to stand and pulling her up with him. He looked down at her, his dark tousled hair whipping around in the sea breeze as he pressed his hook into her hand.
She took it, before turning her back to him and lifting her ponytail to reveal the clasp at her neck. His featherlight touch caused her skin to buzz with electricity as he opened the clasp and pulled her locket free.
A jolt of panic coursed through her. What was she doing? She couldn't let him have the locket, even if it was for a bet, she had to -
He tugged on her hand, turning her to face him. She looked up at those moonlit eyes and he smiled, dragging a light touch of his fingers down her cheek and she forgot what she was so worried about.
"I'll guard it with me life," he promised.
His eyes traced over the locket before he placed it delicately in an inner coat pocket.
She blinked, struggling to remember how language worked again. "And I'll hook anyone who dares to try and pry this from my grasp," she said, brandishing his prized weapon with as threatening a glare as she could muster.
"After what I saw back at me room today, I dinnae doubt that for one second."
Author's Note: Harry's song in this chapter is based on Neverland by Zendaya. Thanks so much for reading and commenting!
