Stirring awake, the smell of the salty sea air overwhelms Uma. Her skin and mouth feel dry. Water. She thinks to herself, but there is no desire for thirst. No, her only desire is the sea. Uma fully wakes up, moving out of her bed with a quickness. She throws on a jacket, not caring to change out of her pajamas, then leaves her room.
Once out, she quiets her movements for fear of waking up her former wharf rats. They were on vacation, a reunion of sorts to celebrate some of the wharf rats' latest achievements. Gil's fashion brand was gaining popularity with the common folk of Auradon. His success caught the attention of Auradon fashion bloggers. Soon, Gil would be the next big thing, and the wharf rats were all so proud of him. Desiree got her dream job at Mrs. Potts' bistro. Jonas graduated from art school. Bonny started a blacksmithing business. And then there was Harry. Once someone who always led a conversation, now he's mysterious about everything that's happened to him these past four years.
Not that Uma wanted to pry. Although it was odd, Harry, her oldest friend, felt like a stranger walking past her. A stranger she partially recognized but couldn't place the memory of. It all started after Harry told her he loved her. All day, Uma had watched Harry flirt with every girl he encountered. Yes, it wasn't an unusual sight to see, but somehow he seemed more desperate than usual. Then he told her he loved her in the most lackluster way possible, making her feel like an afterthought.
Uma was never anyone's afterthought. Harry had recovered well from the rejection, flirting with princess after princess. He even had a brief flirtation with Audrey, who had rejected him after he told her he'd never wear blue.
"I just can't date a boy with bad taste," Audrey said, putting up streamers with Uma for a party celebrating the Isle's barrier being broken. "My fairy god aunts always say if a boy doesn't want to match your color scheme, keep him in a daydream."
After that, Uma was swamped by her duties as the Isle's ambassador that she and Harry simply lost touch with one another. Uma reaches the front door, and when she goes to open it, she hears someone say her name, causing her to turn.
"Shh!" she quietly exclaims, her eyes widening when she realizes who's before her. "Harry?"
"Can I come with you?" Harry asks, keeping his tone hushed.
She looks at him, a bit dazed. So far, she and Harry haven't interacted on this Wharf Rats reunion trip. Her words seem stuck in her throat as she thinks of an answer.
Finally, she says, "I'm just going for a swim."
"I could use a swim," he replies, then continues. "It's better than just staring at the ceiling in the dark, right?"
"Still struggling to sleep at night?"
Harry had spent most of his childhood, sleeping on his dad's boat. He always said there was something about being on the water that lulled him to sleep. His dad used to joke that he was born for a life at sea. When Harry was eleven, his dad moved him and his sisters out of their houseboat as it became too decayed to live in. They moved near his dad's first mate, Smee, into a small apartment near the wharf. Ever since then, Harry has had trouble sleeping. Some nights, Uma would too, though her mom had punished her with the night shift.
"If you're not gonna sleep, then you might as well get some work done," her mom scolded while going through the shop inventory.
From then on, Uma and Harry developed a bit of a routine. He'd come over to the fish and chip shop and sit at a table. Usually, he and Uma would make up games to pass the time. Harry dominated the self-explanatory game of " Throw the Mushy Peas at the Pirates ." Who wore the pirate hat better? A game in which Uma and Harry stole the hats off of sleeping pirates to try on always ended with Uma claiming victory. Is this a fish or a lizard? was another game that Uma frequently won and which was also her personal favorite. The outcome was always a lizard. Her victory came from figuring out that the cook fell asleep at two in the morning, leaving no one to swat the lizards away from the fryers. How the cook cooked and plated every order still evaded her.
"Depends on if I'm on land or sea," Harry muses in a quiet tone. "I've had some of my best nights of sleep at sea."
She finds herself noting that he still sails. She wonders where he sails off to. Has he gone to Neverland to find his sister, CJ? Or does he sail listlessly on the sea with no destination in mind?
"I guess you can come along then," Uma whispers back, regretting it instantly.
This was about to become the most awkward night swim in the history of night swims.
Harry scurries around for his jacket. He was sleeping on a pullout couch, so his stuff was nearby. When he's ready, Uma opens the door, and leaves. Her feet sink into the sand surrounding the cabin. Harry quietly trails behind her, and about a minute into their walk, he walks by her side.
"The stars are pretty," he states, enjoying the scenery.
"I chose this place because everyone says it has the best view."
The seaside beach cabin they were staying in was cramped, but they've managed well so far. And the view—Uma takes a moment to admire it. It really was worth it.
"Isn't it weird being here, though?" Harry wonders.
"What's weird about it?"
"We're in your cousin's kingdom, about to swim in the Sea of Ariel." Harry's voice goes low at the name Ariel, saying it like a forbidden word.
"Oh, that," Uma says, shrugging it off. "It's not a big deal, Melody and I are cool. She was actually the one who suggested this place."
Melody is the daughter of her mom's niece, Ariel. She was the exact opposite of her mother and nothing like her grandfather. A couple of years ago, she approached Uma at an event for peaceful relations. Uma was ready to shut her down, wanting no interactions with her Auradonian family. She had stopped herself and reminded herself that she was here to find aid for the Isle. So she heard her out, and she realized Melody was cool. And now they were friends.
Harry looks at Uma, shocked. "I thought you said you'd never forgive them for what they did."
"I haven't, but I'm not gonna hold someone else's wrongs on another," she says, then quips. "I'm not an Auradonian."
"No, you're not, Miss Queen of the Isle."
"Ambassador," Uma says, correcting Harry.
Nowadays, Uma spends most of her time anywhere but the Isle. According to Auradon's politics, she had many other titles attached to her name. It was hard being the voice of the Isle, but Uma was doing her best to make sure she was heard, even if it meant she barely got a chance to go back home.
"Is there a difference?" He wonders.
"I don't get to just make the rules up as I go, Harry." She stops walking, and Harry stops too. "I have to listen to the wants and complaints of the Isle. Then I have to hope Ben has the time to help me get what we need."
"There's also the schmoozing, where I have to convince every hero they should help the kids of the people who once wanted them dead," she continues.
"I've always thought you were meant to lead," Harry replies.
Uma thinks back to when they were kids, and even though she was a natural leader, Harry was always resistant to the idea of it. He would always say something like, "My dad's a captain, so leading is in my blood." She remembered one time when Harry refused to listen to her and ended up with sea urchins covering his face. She wonders if he's still stubborn, or if maturing has made him keener to go with the flow of things. That's if he's even matured. He could still be the Harry who treated her like an afterthought.
Uma scoffs. "You did not. In fact, I remember having to win a boat race to prove to you that I was captain, and you—"
"Your first mate," he cuts her off, finishing her sentence.
Her eyes meet his. The sound of the lapping waves should soothe her, but something quickens her heartbeat. Well, someone. No words are said between them as they stare at each other. Not as strangers. Or friends with a friendly rivalry between them but something different… a feeling Uma thought she squashed. Harry's eyes held affection for Uma, but she wasn't sure what brought it on. Was it affection for their past? Was it affection rooted in the idea of her? Or was the sight of his affection all in Uma's head?
Uma clears her throat, turning away from Harry. She starts walking again, and this time Harry doesn't sidle by her side. Instead, he stays trailing behind her. They reach the shoreline, and Uma inhales the salty air. Her magic flares, begging for her to use it. She does, throwing off her jacket, and transforms into her cecaelia form. She dives into the water, her tentacles making a big splash. Under the sea, she takes in the beauty and then dives upward, letting out a gleeful laugh once she breaks the surface.
"Uma," Harry calls, bringing her attention over to him.
He's covered in seawater, dripping onto the sand, but a fond smile is on his face.
"Sorry," she says, and she uses her magic to dry him.
"Thanks," he chuckles, letting the waves wash over his bare feet.
"I thought you were swimming, or is the water too cold for you, Hook?" Her tone is teasing, and even with their earlier awkwardness, she easily falls back into familiar banter with Harry.
"I am," he replies, but he makes no move to swim. "I was just thinking of a game we used to play."
"We've played lots of games, Harry," Uma says, wondering what game Harry had played with her heart.
And hating her heart for continuing to play along with him.
"I forgot what we called it, but we used to swim near the docked boats, remember?"
"I remember being faster than you," Uma brags.
"And I remember telling you that you had an unfair advantage, being a sea witch and all." Harry counters back.
"I couldn't summon magic on the Isle, Harry. I was just better than you," she boasts with confidence.
There was a reason she was the number one swimmer on Serpent Prep's swim team. She was good. And it had nothing to do with her being a sea witch.
"Yes, you were," he admits, rubbing the back of his neck. "Do you remember how we grabbed the barrels lying in the water and would throw them at the barrier?"
She thinks for a moment. "I do."
"One of the times we played, you said, we'd explore every sea and ocean together."
"Harry, we were like seven, and I had no idea how vast the ocean was or how many seas there were."
"The point is, Uma, we promised to explore together, but you and I have ended up on completely separate courses."
"I have my own life, Harry. I can't just drop everything to fulfill a promise I made at seven."
"I'm not asking you to, darling," Harry says, causing Uma to tense up.
"No, you don't get to call me that," she complains as a wave hits her back. "Not anymore."
"Uma," Harry starts, but Uma cuts him off.
"I don't want to talk about this tonight, Harry. I just came out here for a swim. If you're going to swim, then do but if not, let's just keep to ourselves."
Harry sighs. "I'm sorry, Uma. I know I hurt you, and—"
"You know?" Uma repeats. "I know I was gone for a while, but when I came back, you constantly treated me like an afterthought."
"I didn't—" he starts, but her glare makes him rethink his words. "I was angry with you, Uma. After you abandoned your revenge, I understood. I even felt a bit relieved. I knew it was starting to consume you, and I didn't like it. I defended your actions to everyone who dared challenge them. I kept thinking about how you were going to come back for us. For me. But you didn't, Uma. And then I..."
"Then what, Harry?" Uma responds, her tone upset because this was the conversation they should've had years ago.
"I realized I loved you, Uma," he tells her, making her mouth fall agape.
Unlike when he confessed his love for her years ago, she could see the seriousness in his eyes. She could see the conflict and inner turmoil brewing inside him.
"But you could never love me!" He shouts in a pained voice.
It had been so long since Uma's seen Harry this vulnerable that she forgot this part of him existed. Looking at him, Uma feels like she's finally spotted the x on a treasure map. There was no madness flaring up in his eyes. No flirtations are uttered from his mouth. In front of her was just Harry. The Harry she had found herself falling for, and the one who'd never treat her like an afterthought.
"You don't get to make that decision for me, Harry," Uma says, telling Harry that his love wasn't as one-sided as he presumed.
Harry's too caught up in his head to realize what Uma said.
"We're villain kids, Uma. We don't get love stories, especially with each other," he says, his voice breaking. "And you left, and then I realized I didn't love the Isle as much as I thought I did."
"What do you mean, Harry?"
For as long as Uma knew him, there was nothing he loved more than the Isle. Any time Uma had complained about the Isle, Harry had always defended it, telling her there was nowhere better. How odd that now their stances are reversed. Uma had spent so long wanting to escape the Isle that when she left, she wanted nothing more than to return. Meanwhile, Harry had only dreamed of staying on the Isle, yet when the chance came to leave, he never came back.
"I hated eating gruel, Uma. I hated not feeling the rain on my skin. I hated being so close to the ocean and never being able to sail it. You leaving made me realize I wanted things. Things I could never get if I stayed trapped on the Isle."
"I tried to come back," Uma reveals, her tone somber at the memory. She had never felt more like a lost girl than when she was trapped outside the barrier. "There was no way through the barrier; I was trapped, and though I loved the sea, I had never felt more alone. I missed my mom, my aunts, you, and the wharf rats."
"I missed you too," he replies, his tone tender. "I miss you now."
"Harry, I did love you, but that confession was…"
"The worst confession to ever exist. I was immature, Uma, and I am sorry for it all."
This was all Uma ever wanted to hear. Uma swims to the shoreline, transforming back into her human form. She's back in her pajamas, and she eyes her discarded coat covered in the water she accidentally splashed on Harry earlier. She uses her magic to dry it, then slips it back on. Turning, she looks at Harry, who is watching her every movement. Watching her as if she were more than an afterthought.
She moves closer to him, closer than they've been together in years. "Do you remember years ago when you asked me, pirates or princes?"
Harry leans forward, "I do, and I remember you choosing pirates."
"I did, didn't I?" Uma leans forward, their lips inches apart.
"After meeting all those princes, do you still feel the same way?" He asks, eyeing her lips.
"I do, and I'll prove it," Uma says, then tells Harry to close his eyes. "Pucker up, pirate boy."
Magic tingles from her fingers as she asks the sea to bring a fish to her. The sea does, and Uma picks up the fish. She examines it and adds a little extra magic before placing it on Harry's lips. Telling him to open his eyes, he screams in horror, falling back into the wet sand while Uma laughs in hysterics.
"How many games have we played over the years for you to think I'd instantly fold?" Uma asks, placing her free hand over her mouth as she tries to stifle her laughter. The scent of the fish overwhelms her, but her laughter wins out in the end.
"I deserve that," Harry laments, licking his lips. A look of displeasure crosses his face. "They taste like fish."
"And it will for a week," Uma says, regaining herself at last. She places the fish back in the sea.
"A week?!" Harry exclaims. "Come on, Uma, don't you think that's too much?"
"It's a shame," Uma says, fake dreamily sighing. "Cause I really wanted to kiss you."
"Darling, it's been years… I'm sure you could overcome your dislike of fishy scents to give me one little peck. Right?" He asks, hopeful.
"I could, but I won't," she says with a mischievous smile.
Yes, Harry may have won the game in her heart, but Uma wasn't going to let his win be that easy. For tonight, they swim and catch up with one another as they both let their love for each other sweep them like waves.