Hey Descendants,
Sorry for all the distractions I've been dancing through before this.
It's the first cool day in Florida, and it brought out my inner child, which attracted all the kids and cats in my house.
Anyway, are you looking forward to Uma and Harry talking with T?
T's not...
We hope you enjoy the chapter. After this, we only have four more!
Speaking of the chapters running out, don't forget to leave us your thoughts or some encouragement. We're trudging, yes, trudging, through parts of book four right now, so we could use the pep talks or things you guys like about the story. Even things we need to work on. Thanks guys!
Lots of Love
-Dark-
Harry's eyes open to the blackness of the cabin as he holds his breath, trying to figure out what had pulled him from his sweet dreams.
Silence.
It must have been one of the others. He strains to listen, wondering if it could be a night scare.
He holds his breath, waiting until he finally convinces himself he'd only heard one of his family members talking in their sleep.
Nothing to worry about.
Then he feels T's arm tense.
Tense and pause.
Then slowly move towards the edge of the hammock.
Seriously?
This is what he got for not wrapping his arms around T to begin with.
But now, like an eel, he securely grips T around his waist, "Ya be fuckin' kiddin' me right now. Ya be duckin' out, showin' up in'nah panic, faintin', an now ya be ah tryin' ta sneak?"
T freezes in his hold, "No. Not sneak. I was just gonna move' to ah different hammock…" He whispers. "I swear."
"I be soundin' like I be ah carin' right now?" Harry growls as he struggles to sit up with T pinned to his chest.
"I mean...No?" T responds hesitantly.
"Good answer." Harry nods before he rolls his eyes.
Deez might be able to see in the dark, but not T.
He sighs as he lets T go, "You stand up, but if ya be ah movin', T I be ah swearin' ta any god be ah listenin' the Kraken be makin' ya regret it."
"Heard." T sighs as he squirms away before silently landing on the pads of his feet.
He rolls from the hammock, surging to his feet to immediately reach into the dark.
If T hadn't listened this time, so help him-
His fingers tighten around T's arm.
"Now, were ya ah bein' chased?"
"Chased?"
"Ya be ah showin' up to the cove in ah tizzy and then be droppin'. Ain'nah none of the blood on ya yers, so what do ya be ah thinkin' we be thinkin'?" He pulls T over to the table, "Sit." He snaps as he starts feeling along the table's surface for the lantern and box of matches.
T quickly sits at the table. "Uh- I didn't really- No, I wasn't being chased." He responds.
"Deez an' Gil be happy ta hear that when they be wakin' up-" He strikes the match, casting the room in soft shadows as he lights the lantern. "Stay." He orders as he sets the light in the middle of the table before he turns towards the bed.
T frowns as he rests his chin on folded arms looking up at him with concern.
"Uma." He whispers as he rests a hand on her shoulder and gently shakes, "Uma? T be awake now."
He would have chuckled at her groan of frustration on any other night, "Less ya be ah wantin' me ta be talkin' to 'im 'lone like."
"No, fuck, I'm up." Uma grumbles before she lets him pull her to sitting. "He okay?"
"Aye, 'parently he were'nah bein' chased."
"Thank the fuckin' Sea Gods!" Uma snaps as she rolls out of the bed, "Cause now I need answers."
"Uma." Gil grunts in disapproval as he presses Deez protectively to his chest.
Harry watches Uma scowling at T before he shakes his head and turns back to Gil, "Be ah holdin' her real tight Sweet Boy."
"Yeah." Gil frowns as Deez wraps her arms around his neck.
"T! Seriously!" Uma slams her fists down on the table across from T making him jump, "What's the biggest rule?"
"Communication." T sighs as he sits up straighter.
Uma shakes her head as she rubs a hand to her forehead, "And what did you not do when you fucking left the ship last?"
"Communicate." T exhales.
"I don't know if I should be proud or angry at you for knowing that." Uma takes a deep breath.
"I be ah votin' proud." He offers as he rests his hands on Uma's shoulders, urging her to take a seat.
"Uma?" Gil frowns from the bed, "Can me an' Deez head out?"
"I don't know Sweet Boy." Uma looks at him over her shoulder before she takes another deep breath and turns back to T, "Let me check."
Gil grimaces as he holds Deez tighter when she squeaks in distress.
"I wasn't being chased, Captain." T offers before she has the chance to ask, leaning back in his chair as he eyes Deez and Gil.
"Then why the hell were you running?"
"Uma, love," Harry sighs before he looks to the bed and waves Gil over, "let's be ah lettin' Sweet Boy take the Baby Girl back to the cove now that ya be ah knowin' it be safe."
Gil lets out a sigh as he scoops Deez up bridal style holding her firmly to his chest and rolls out of the bed. "Please Uma? We already had one heart attack today, s'not fair for her to have two."
Uma takes a deep breath as she presses her fingers deep into her temples. "You're right, go on. Be careful though."
"Of course. Thank you, Uma." Gil nods before he leans over and kisses her head, shooting T a hurt look before he carries Deez out of the room, gently shutting the door behind him.
The room falls silent for several uncomfortable minutes before Uma clears her throat, "Explain. Now."
T takes a deep breath as he sits up, his eyes downcast. "I didn't want… I needed to finish what I started." He pauses to take a deep breath. "And I didn't want you to come after what happened with…" He chews his lip. "I didn't care how it got done as long as they were dealt with- And I didn't want you to see me… Finishing it the way I did." He responds quietly.
He presses a hand to his chest as if he could quell the sudden drop of his heart. "Ya be ah meanin' ya be takin' care o' the rest?"
"Well, not Stromboli or the Coachman…" T sighs. "But the rest? Yeah…"
"You took out more than ten men, all on yer own, in the less than a day you were not where you were supposed to be?" Uma's narrowed eyes pin T as she glares at him from across the table.
T doesn't look up as he shifts in discomfort. "Kinda yeah…"
Harry sighs as Uma runs a hand down her face.
"So, everything we did?" Uma sighs.
"It be done Uma." He frowns as he slips onto the chair at the head of the table.
Was this the way he wanted it to turn out? No. But it was done. And in the end, that was all he and T wanted.
"What do you mean kind of? And you still haven't explained why you ran and passed out at the cove. Fuck! You really scared us. We had no idea what was going on, just that you were blood and sweat-soaked, and none of the blood seemed to be yours."
"I thought there was an emergency and you guys had been attacked by Atilla or something…" T shivers, "I wasn't trying to scare you, I was just-" He ducks his head, "sc- worried as fuck something bad had happened." He mumbles into his arms.
"Wait ah sec-" His eyes widen, "Why ya be ah thinkin' Atilla be attackin' us? Or something bad be ah happening?" He asks.
Uma groans, "Because he had no idea we were taking the ship out, meaning he left even before we caught the tide."
"Accurate." T sighs as he crosses his hands over his stomach looking slightly ill. "And cause he looked smug as fuck 'bout something when he stopped me on the way back- I just freaked the fuck out when I got here- well not here, I guess- So I fuckin' booked it to the cove."
Uma rolls her lips over her teeth before she bites down and drums her fingers on the table, "T, I'mma need you to fucking learn how to give a proper report."
Harry nods, "I be ah helpin' the lad with that later Uma-" He catches her eyes for a moment before he turns back to T, "But fer now… Ya be ah leaving the ship 'fore we be ah settin' sail, an' ya be ah takin' care o' the list yerself. That be right so far?"
"Yeah…" T closes his eyes as he nods before he stares at the table.
"But there be more, aye?" He rolls his hand encouragingly, "Let's be ah talkin' 'bout what else be happenin'."
T shifts in discomfort. "I took care of most of them quickly and safely, when Bak rushed me letting me know that she was summoning me, I should've sent one of the Goblin's to come and get one of you- But I-" He sighs, "Didn't obviously, and when I got there she proposed a deal."
Harry couldn't help the tension in his neck and back. He'd made another fucking deal? And with Maleficent? "More deals?"
He shifts again as he ducks his chin to his chest. "She still had one favor left."
Harry furrows his brow. Favor?
"Deez." Uma sighs as she rests her head in her interlaced fingers, "You went along with it to help Deez."
"I did." T frowns, "And to make sure she didn't touch or threaten anyone. Use anyone against her again." He sighs. "And it seemed like a pretty straightforward deal."
T sighs before he reluctantly shares what transpired at Bargain Castle, not looking up from the table. His hands wipe against his pants during the entire retelling, and T looked as if he might get sick more than a few times.
"I'm sure some of the crew already heard- Fuck some of them might've been there. I wasn't really looking at the crowd." T admits as he shifts. "It was-" His breath hitches, "But yeah so I finished the last three Harry's way cause-" He pauses. "I fought the last three in a death match..." He sighs, rubbing his arm nervously.
Killed the last three his way as opposed to- He closes his eyes against the answer he already knew.
The Goblins were tasked with gathering the names on the list and watching them.
That much he knew.
So with how quickly T managed to finish the list-
Dumping that boot of partially gelatinous and runny slime made a lot more sense now.
His hand drops to his stomach.
He'd known it was blood, knew it, but really didn't want to think about it.
Didn't want to imagine it.
Imagine T in a place like that. Surrounded by scum and shit.
Didn't want to acknowledge the violence T let himself sink into.
Covered himself in.
But now he was. And all he could picture was T attacking the problem much like killing fish in a barrel.
But now, on top of worrying about what that much death would do to him, more importantly, what it would do to T and Faustina, he had to worry about whatever Maleficent was planning.
Claiming T, even just T acting like the Spider, didn't make sense.
Maleficent wasn't one to do things on whims.
As unscary as she had become recently, there was a reason the woman ran the isle unchecked until now.
And what the fuck was he supposed to do about Senior showing up to help with the deal, and then Atilla knowing it was T?
In less than twelve hours T had gotten into more trouble than he had in the past month, maybe even two.
He shakes his head as he comes back into the conversation.
"-no idea why he took the contract?" Uma bites her bottom lip.
"I mean, no solid ones." T shakes his head.
"And no idea what Maleficent is pulling with that stunt?"
"Probably a power play, but no, nothing solid really," T admits as he runs a hand through his hair.
He frowns, "Maybe she was trying to show strength by forcing you to support her?"
T shrugs listlessly, "Maybe..." He frowns.
Harry sighs, "Honestly Uma, I be ah thinkin' we be doin' best by pullin' outta dock now. Atilla be ah sniffin' T. Maleficent be actin' strange. Senior bein' Senior an' takin' ah interest in Deez again?"
Uma slowly nods before she turns back to T, "That still doesn't excuse you from the fact you took off with no word, no plan, no communication."
"I know." T sighs. "I'd say sorry if I didn't think it'd make y-shit worse. But you're right, I didn't say shit, have a plan, or communicate. I just did what I've always done. Acted. Though this time-" He turns to look at Uma, "So what are they? The consequences..."
"Well, from now until I feel better about it you sleep in here, not in your workroom." Uma crosses her arms over her chest.
"Figured." T nods, his hand pausing to grip his upper arm.
Harry bites back a retort before he reaches out and takes T's hand.
"And I need you to really start telling me shit." Uma drums her fingers across the table, "Not after it's over. Not when you have time. But when it's happening. I need to know that getting information to me is a priority, and you need to realize you're not alone anymore." She sighs, "I hate soundin' like a broken record here, but we're a family, and we're only as strong as we are informed."
T studies her for a moment eyes narrowed in thought before he lets out a heavy sigh and nods his head. "Heard."
Uma tilts her head, "Really? Just like that?"
He groans. Wasn't she the one usually warning him not to look the shark in the mouth?
T chews his lip without looking up. "I get it. I shouldn't have dipped like that. I know I'm not the quickest learner. Not the most adept at emotions. But- I, really- I don't have an excuse for the stunt I pulled this morning. And definitely not one that's actually excusable. I just- So yeah, no I get it. I was doing better- I think-"
"Aye." He and Uma say at the same time.
"Which was why this scared us so bad. We didn't go in your room T. We set sail, thinking you and Faustina were in your workroom. Possibly sleeping since neither of you answered. Trust. We trusted that you would be where you said you'd be, though granted, it was Faustina who said she'd be in the workroom." Uma frowns before she shakes her head, "But I trusted that you wouldn't leave unless you told me you were heading out. Like you've been doing. Now though? It's going to take time to get back there. I know you hate feeling like you're not trusted, but how am I supposed to stop myself from worrying that you're not where I think you are?"
T lets his head hit the table with a thud. "Fair." He breathes as he hugs his free hand around his stomach.
Uma sighs, "Look, I was angry. Very angry. But," She reaches over and rests her hand over his and Harry's joined hands, "I know you weren't trying to cause trouble if that helps."
T nods mutely, not lifting his head from the table.
"We're all working on shit T." Uma points out as she leans back in her chair, "And we're all going to have moments where we fail."
"Aye, it be ah bein' part o' the journey ta understandin' the family." He chuckles as he rubs his thumb over T's knuckles.
Again T nods mutely.
Harry rests a hand on Uma's shoulder. It was hard to tell what T was thinking on a good day, but right now it was impossible with his face hidden against the table.
"The important thing be that ya be comin' back an' ownin' what ya be doin'. And even if ya be ah believin' that what ya be doin' be the right way, ya be willin' ta deal with what yer family be needin'. It ain'nah entirely 'bout punishments T, sometimes it be what ya be havin' ta do ta be helpin' yer family not be scared for ya, or worried for ya."
"I get that." T lets out a heavy sigh, "I was being selfish, and being a hypocrite. I knew that before I left." He mumbles into the table.
"How is going off on your own to deal with this situation selfish exactly?" Uma furrows her brow as she tilts her head.
"I wanted to handle shit my way and didn't want… Didn't think- Doesn't matter. It was selfish and I knew it."
"It does matter or I wouldn't waste your, or my, time asking," Uma states sternly.
T's silent for a long moment.
He squeezes Uma's shoulder every time it looked like she was going to break the silence, slowly shaking his head as a reminder to give T the time he needed.
Eventually T takes in a deep breath before he shifts, adjusting his arms on the table though he still doesn't look up. "I didn't want a repeat of last time. I don't think those filthy fucks deserved a chance to defend themselves and definitely didn't think it was worth risking anyone, including myself by giving them the opportunity to do so. And I didn't want any of you to see the way I took care of the problem. I'm not ashamed of what I did. I just don't think I- That I could deal with the way any of you might look at me after..."
Uma turns to him, and it was all he could do to not sigh.
Here it came, the crux of the matter.
"T, we're not in any way ashamed of you. We're worried for you. About you." Uma reaches over the table to rest her hand on the back of T's hoodie covered head, "You said they weren't worth the risk, and you're right. They weren't. They're also not worth dropping to the level of a villain to keep everyone safe. There were other ways, ways that didn't risk any of us, you included. We're better than that, all of us. And killing- I mean. I thought if it was for the right reasons, but the more I thought about it, the more I realized how steep a cliff that is. This time we wanted to remove people who hurt kids, little kids, for pleasure. What if one day we want to kill someone because it's the easiest thing to do so we can get what we want? Would it still be right?"
T grimaces. "No, I mean, that's really subjective but-" He takes a deep breath. "No, it wouldn't be right to kill over something stupid like an object or slight… And it's not like I'm planning another spree. But Stromboli and Coachman, they still need to be dealt with, and honestly, after everything they've done death seems too good for them," He sits up straighter. "But I'm not a fuckin' villain. It's not slippery. I'm not going to torture them like they did so many others. I didn't take pleasure in what I did. But I don't regret it either. Sure there might have been other options, but honestly taking them out was the best thing for those fucking kids-" His eyes widen as he jumps to his feet.
"FUCK!" He curses as he backs up. "Fuck!" He kicks the chair.
Harry was on his feet and in front of the door before he could fully register the situation, "What be wrong?" He asks, blinking as he walks towards T.
"The fucking kids." T hisses. "I'm such a fucking twat." He curses. "I was so fucking busy- Where the fuck are they? I was so fuckin' busy trying to protect them that I- Are they bein' kept in cages? Are they chained to fuckin' walls? Are they curled up from withdrawals? FUCK!" He growls ferally.
Uma's eyes close, "The kids." She bites her lip before she turns to Harry, her brown eyes dark with worry, "I- I know-"
Harry sighs, "I were allowed ta be roamin', 'less I be ah runnin'. Then-"
"Then they'd use cages. But they moved out of all the places I ever found Harry." She grimaces, "I guess they got tired of me freeing everyone I found there."
"FUCK!" T growls before he pushes past him as he takes off towards the door slamming it open before he disappears.
"Uma, I be going with T." He stares at her, "Aye, Cap'n?"
Uma nods, "Just be fucking careful."
"Aye."
He bolts out after T, hoping he wasn't about to have to fish the little idiot out of the water.
"Man overboard!" James calls out just before the splash reaches his ears.
"I don't want to talk about it."
Harry quickly stifles a chuckle behind his hand and works to regain his composure before he continues, "I just be ah sayin', it be ah takin' us more time ta be ah rushin' ya ta Deez-"
"I said I don't want to talk about it." He growls.
"Aye, I be ah hearin' that." He quietly snorts. He'd heard it the moment Uma pushed his freezing ass into the dingy. Heard it all the way to the cove. Heard it when Deez didn't ask any questions. Heard it when he followed after him once he was dry.
"Suck my dick." He grumbles.
"Is that ah being-" His eyes narrow as he tilts his head, "Wait- How?"
"Oh, fuckin' bite me." T growls.
"Sorry!" Harry holds his hands up between them, "Yer offer be ah takin' me off guard be all."
"Not everything is a fuckin' offer." T scowls.
"Not with that attitude." Harry snorts.
T roughly smacks his shoulder.
"Ow." Harry furrows his brow as he rubs the spot. T wasn't playing around at all. He sighs before he jogs to catch up, "Look, I know ya be worried, but what will beatin' me up be doin'?"
"I was hopin' shuttin' you the fuck up. It's been over a fuckin' week Hook. What if they've fuckin' starved to death or some shit because I was too fucking-" He growls as he picks up his pace.
Harry sighs as he shakes his head, "Ya don'nah be thinkin' I be thinkin' the same? That I fucked up because I didn't want to think about-" He looks away before he picks up his pace.
He had thought about it. He was blaming himself for this. But he also knew there was no point in wallowing in what-ifs until they knew for sure.
"Fucking dammit!" T kicks a rock making it fly.
"At least we only need to go to Senior." He grumbles, "Never thought I be saying that."
"Then don't think about it too hard, I don't."
"But ya be ah beatin' on me when I be tryin' ta not be ah thinkin' too hard."
T turns with a scowl on his lips before he turns back to the path with a heavy sigh. "You're a real pain in the ass you know that?"
"Aye, but ya be ah lovin' me anyways." Harry chuckles.
"Not from a lack of trying." T grumbles.
"Ouch." He slaps a hand to his chest, "If I did'nah be ah knowin' better I be thinkin' ya be tryin' ta hate me."
"Luckily you're not that much of an idiot."
If T was managing, even poorly, to tease him then he'd at least been able to pull him back a little.
It wasn't much, but he'd take it.
"Not my fault if you're a masochist." T shoves his hands in his pockets.
"Aye, not yer fault at all." Harry chuckles, "Though I don'nah be ah seein' ya not takin' advantage o' it any time soon."
"Sadist." T shrugs.
He snorts before he reaches out and clasps T's arm, "We'll be ah gettin' answers and then we'll be figurin' the rest out. And we be ah havin' each other, an' the family to be supportin' us. Whatever be happenin', we can be dealin' with it."
T falls silent as he clenches his jaw, but continues to watch his footing as they rush for the temple. "Did she sail well?"
"Oh, like ah queen." He kisses the tips of his fingers, "Even when we be ah hittin' rough waters." He chuckles before he looks over at T, "I can'nah be waiting for ya ta be seein' Deez try ta be walkin', it be the funniest damn thing I think I ever be ah seein'. Luckily our Sweet Boy be havin' the foresight ta be tying ah rope between their waists."
"Sounds 'bout right." T nods, "You're lucky that's the only problem she's having."
"What other problem could she be ah havin'?" He asks in concern.
As much as Deez had started opening up more with them, he knew better than to think she wouldn't hide a problem from them.
T glances at him before he turns back with a shrug. "She could be vomiting everywhere."
Did T just blush?
"Oh aye, an' some did be ah pukin' an' turnin' green like." Harry chuckles, "Uma 'n I were thinkin' Gil might be havin' that problem 'til we be realizin' he were reactin' ta Deez slippin' all over the place."
"That checks." T nods. "He's always been protective of her, but lately it's like tripled."
Harry shrugs, "We couldn't find either of you. He be takin' that pretty hard. An' he has ta be okay with ya goin' out 'lone like." He shrugs.
T takes a deep breath before he sighs. "At least she doesn't seem to mind."
"Aye." Harry nods before a grin claims his lips, "She might be ah secretly likin' that he be treatin' her like ah princess."
T snorts. "Probably if she's just rollin' with it." He frowns before falling silent.
"Uma were gettin' frustrated that I be adjustin' ta walkin' on the moving ship near as fast than she did." He offers, wanting to continue the light-hearted conversation.
"Why? She's part mermaid, an' you come from a line of pirates so why wouldn't you pick it up just as fast."
He chuckles, "Ya should be ah tellin' her that."
"If I remember." T shrugs before he glances at him again.
"Somethin' on yer mind?" Harry asks as they crest the hill and he catches his first glimpse of the temple in the distance.
T chews on his lip silent for a moment before he sighs. "Just- Thank you. For like," He rubs his neck, "not being like that after all the shit that happened."
Harry purses his lips before he sighs and looks over, noticing that T seemed to be refusing to look at him, "Ta be honest T, it ain'nah bein' easy. And it don'nah be havin' nothin' ta do with you, but everythin' ta be doin' with me." He clears his throat, "With me, Uma, an' Gil." He amends, "But, much as we be wantin' ta keep ya to ourselves, we can be ah seein' how that ain'nah workin' for ya. So, rather than lose ya, we be tryin' ta work with ya."
T's silent for a minute before he drops his head, kicking rocks as they continue towards the temple. "I'm sorry I can't seem to return the favor."
Harry chuckles as he shrugs, "You'll be ah gettin' there one day. Ya be ah mite to stubborn ta not be ah figurin' it out."
"Still…" His hand comes up to squeeze his arm. "You guys are puttin' up with a helluva lot more shit than you would be if you hadn't invited me to join the family, and I haven't done much but cause grief."
Harry furrows his brow before he jerks T to a stop and turns him to face him, gripping his chin as he tilts his head back, "Now ya be ah listenin' good ta me T." His eyes narrow as he stares into T's confused green eyes, "I can be ah tellin' ya right now that we would be ah goin' through ah lot more if ya were'nah joinin' the family. An' as much as we be ah doin' ta try an' give ya the space ya be ah needin', ya be ah havin' ta deal with the shit from the four o' us. So damn it T, just be givin' yerself ah break."
T's eyes drop, but he forces his head back further.
Like hell was he letting T break eye contact during a conversation this important.
"I'm just saying I haven't exactly been acting the most appreciative, especially when you guys have been rollin' with- us so fuckin' well. You guys certainly took it better than I did- And I know I've been a fuckin' dick for pullin' the shit I have been since this whole shit started."
"Uma be happy ta hear ya think we just be ah rollin' with things." He shakes his head, "Cause we ain'nah rollin' well as ys be ah thinkin', I can be promisin' ya that." He sighs, "We just be havin' family ta be talkin' things through. Ta be figurin' shit out. Ya be rollin' with shit all 'lone like too long, an' I be ah knowin' ya hate the thought of talkin' shit out, but there be times it can be savin' time. An' I be ah knowin' there be times when there ain'nah bein' time."
"You guys always seem to make time…" He frowns.
"We make time when we ain'nah sure what ta be doin', an' when we don'nah be havin' time, we be followin' Uma's orders 'til we be havin' time ta be figurin' it out. Sometimes that be all her orders are, somethin' ta be ah buyin' us time ta be figurin' things out."
T falls silent, his eyes narrowing as he tries to look away again.
But he forces his chin further back, forcing T to maintain eye contact.
"I never feel like I have time to be buying, I'm just rentin' it from her. It's at least part of the reason I don't stop till I drop- I mean, it's not a lot of the reason but a fraction of it. The rest of the time I just- I don't want to think." He frowns, "And look where the fuck that gets me. I've completely fucked up Uma's trust in me. I don't-"
Harry chuckles, "If ya be thinkin' Uma be losin' trust in ya, then ya ain'nah properly listenin'. She ain'nah losin' trust in ya, she still be knowin' ya be doin' what ya be thinkin' is best for family an' isle. She just be trippin' up with trustin' ya ta remember to clue her in. She ain'nah trustin' ya ta remember to let her be part o' the process. But the thing be, this be new for ya. An' she be knowin' that. So she be ah trustin' that ya be tryin' as much as she be knowin' ya ain'nah perfect." he drops his hold on T's chin and takes his hand instead, lightly pulling until they're walking again.
"No fuckin' shit." He glowers at the ground. "Some fuckin' protector I am. I-"
Harry sighs, "That actually be the problem T." He squeezes T's hand, whether in frustration or to comfort, he wasn't sure, "Ya be the protector, but ya ain'nah havin' ta be the only one anymore. Except ya ain'nah seemin' ta be likin' that."
"Tch." T scoffs, "Not like I'm doin' a fuckin' good job of it right now."
"Shut up." Harry growls, "Ya do be doin' ah fine job, ya just be ah havin' more ta be thinkin' 'bout now, an' ya don'nah be likin' ta be thinkin'. So ya be overwhelmin' yerself, goin' 'til yer brain be foggy with stupid." He sighs.
"Tell that to the fuckin' kids I fuckin' forgot."
"Because yer one damn person T, since ya did'nah be ah sharin' yer plan with Faustina." He points out, "Things be better when more than one person be lookin' at ah thing. What one might be ah missin', another will be thinkin' 'bout."
"One person?" T scowls darkly, "Not even. More like half. And yeah I left her the fuck outta it, she'd be fuckin' disgusted with me if she knew what the fuck I've been doing. How I finished it. We haven't talked in like two weeks- Which I mean, it was fuckin' weird at first without a damn fuckin' mirror, words poppin' out of my damn mouth that weren't mine. Fuck knows that would get some looks- but she's been fuckin' busy with her own shit as much as I've been busy with mine."
Harry frowns, "I did'nah be ah knowin' how hard this were bein' for ya. I mean, I were knowin' it were difficult, but both o' ya be talkin' 'bout how hard it be. An' I did'nah know the two o' you were'nah talkin' and sharin' 'cause ya be bein' worried 'bout funny looks." He sighs, "I know we don'nah be knowin' much 'bout why there be bein' two o' ya, but, I know it ain'nah somethin' that be overly concernin' me. I be likin' both o' ya," He tilts his head, smiling as he whispers, "Obviously."
He clears his throat before he continues, "Ya both be havin' good heads, so I ain'nah sure I can be agreein' with yer half ah' person theory. I think ya both just be relyin' on the strengths of each other, so when ya be turnin' yer back on that connection it be leavin' ya with things ya be weaker in. That's how it be in ah family. Ya be leanin' on others when ya ain'nah bein' so good at ah thing, and supportin' others when ya be bein' skilled."
T lets out a heavy sigh as he follows slightly behind him but doesn't drop his hand as he falls silent occasionally stealing glances at him. "I never realized how much I relied on her before this shit happened. I was always the one tellin' her stories, bringing her things to cheer her depressing ass up." His words slow, "Teachin' her shit..." He mumbles as he tilts his head to the side. His eyes narrow as his lips turn down in a disconcerted frown before he falls silent again, continuing to stay just a step behind and to his side.
Harry frowns, wishing he had time to press further. But the temple loomed only a few more steps away, and they were already in its long shadow. "There ain'nah bein' nothin' wrong with relyin' on others."
"I know that." T grumbles, "I can't count the times I've relied on all of you for shit."
"Cause I be 'bout ta be relyin' pretty heavy on ya." He sighs.
T glances at him again squeezing his hand before he drops it with a mischievous smirk suddenly on his lips. "You wouldn't leave me to talk to the Big Bad alone would you?" He teases before he bounds up the steps.
Harry blinks before he looks down at his empty hand. Had T really just dropped his hold on him? A smile slowly brightens his face and he races after him, momentarily too excited to care that they were running headfirst into the home of the God of Death.
T fought a hold without even thinking about it.
Yay! We did it.
We spent hours today trying to finish editing this one between the frantic-ness of getting a four-year-old to eat green beans, clean up, take a bath, and other four-year-old related things. Well that, and my so not shopping addiction. So yeah…
Anyways,
Boom!
Mixed feelings abound in this chapter.
What did you guys think about the conversation between Harry, Uma, and T?
At least it wasn't complete backtracking on T's end, right?
Poor Deez and Gil- A waking Kraken is a scary Kraken. At least D has her Anchor to keep her moored.
That second scene was kinda intense too.
What did you guys think about the convo?
And what do you think about T being able to let go of Harry's hand? Progress not perfection amIright? Even from a sea away, David is doing his thing.
Much love and appreciation,
Twisted