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Uma ran towards the barrier, diving as she watched the golden shimmer grow smaller and smaller. She dragged herself back to the surface before gulping in air, frantically checking the spellbook for any damage.
She had made it.
Auradon was going to rue the day it forgot her and her boys.
Harry sighed longingly, looking at the prone body of Gil. He'd managed to manhandle him into his and Uma's bed - what, it was the biggest in the ship - before he completely lost consciousness.
Calling for water, Harry smoothed back some of Gil's soaking hair, mindful of any injuries upon his head.
He would have his revenge on those who would dare touch what was rightfully his.
He and Uma had waited; had remained patient, even when Gil had grown into the handsome teenager he was, even when others flirted with something that wasn't theirs. They chased anyone serious away, though. They weren't fools.
Looking at the still body of Gil, however, made Harry reconsider that statement.
Uma pulled herself to the shores of Auradon, clawing into the sand and heaving herself along. She was in Auradon.
Soon, all the prissy princesses and arrogant princes would be under her control, and the villains would be free once more.
Lifting the book to her face, she flipped through the somewhat soggy pages before finding what she was looking for.
A Love spell.
She knew exactly what to do.
Harry looked over to where half his heart lay unconscious in his bed, without a clue about how Harry and his Captain felt towards him. It's times like this he thinks that maybe Uma has the easier job.
Thinking of Uma, Harry whistled loudly to call one of their messenger birds. They may not have had WiFi, but they had methods.
Gil groaned quietly from the bed.
'Oops. Sorry, love,' Harry chuckled softly, gently chastised.
If anyone else was here, they'd think him soft.
There was a bird following her.
Perhaps Uma was being a bit of a drama queen, or whatever that purple-haired loser called her, but she knew when she was being followed.
Whistling, she sat down on the sand, waiting for the bird to land near her.
Uma almost laughed. Of course she recognised the bird; it was Harry's favourite messenger bird.
He was checking on her. How sweet.
Uma waved the bird off. She couldn't afford distractions.
Gil grunted, coming back to the land of the living. Harry whirled around to him in a cloud of red leather, gently pressing one hand to Gil's stomach when he tried to clamber out of the bed.
'Ah ah ah,' Harry reprimanded him softly, 'no leaving the bed. Captain and deputy captain's orders.'
Gil blinked once. Twice. Clearing his throat, he attempted to speak. 'Where am I?'
Harry grinned; the grin he only ever used for Uma and Gil. 'This is mine and Uma's room. Do you like it?' Hell, maybe you could even move in, he thought, but kept to himself.
'Why am I here?' Gil moaned. Harry froze. Perhaps, if he played his cards right, he could just skip the whole chose-the-wand-over-Gil thing.
'Last thing I remember is Mal pushing me into the ocean.'
Harry winced. Damn. That meant he remembered.
'So you remember the trade, then?' Harry tried. He didn't want to upset Gil; an upset Gil was a pouty Gil, and Uma would be upset if Harry took Gil's first kiss without even being there to see it.
'You mean how you just confirmed what I'd already thought? Yeah, I remember the trade.'
Chuckling nervously, Harry prepared himself for a long afternoon.
Uma grabbed the idiot King's sleeve, yanking him into a broom closet bigger than her bedroom back on the Isle. Before he had any time to react, Uma cast the spell, making sure he was looking directly into her eyes.
She watched as the haze poured into his eyes, and he fell for her totally and instantly.
Softening her voice and demeanour, Uma began.
'Ben, would you do something for me?'
Harry wished he'd swapped places with Uma. Gil wasn't listening to anything he had to say - not that Harry was really expecting him to - and he kept saying he wanted to leave. Not the room, not even Harry's company: no, Gil wanted to leave Uma's crew altogether, and Harry was far more likely to throw his hook overboard than let that happen.
Sighing, Harry tried again.
'We would have gotten you after we'd gotten the wand, Gil! We'd have had the upper hand, would have cursed the lot of traitors, and taken you back onboard before we even tried to leave the Isle.'
Gil snorted. 'I know I'm not the brightest, Harry, but even I can tell when someone's lying to me. I'm Gaston's son, remember? I know more about self hatred and lies than probably any other kid on the Isle. I know when someone's trying to calm me down.'
Harry felt like tearing his hair out.
'Gil. Listen to me. We were going to go back for you - finding you was always part of the plan! We wouldn't have left this hellhole without you.'
Gil snorted. 'I'm just the muscle. Replaceable. I've known you as long as you've known Uma and you two only learnt my name, what a year ago?'
Harry was done. Completely and utterly done with Gil's self hatred and obliviousness, and so he reacted the only way he knew how.
He surged forwards and, holding Gil's face in his palms, kissed him.
Uma smirked as she watched Ben order that the barrier on the Isle be destroyed. She watched as he forced the Fairy Godmother into going 'bibbidi bobbidi boo' despite the protests surrounding them.
Harry's bird flew to the side of the boat, and Uma tied a small scroll to his foot. The scroll would tell Harry everything he needed to know; get only what was essential and get to Auradon before Benny-Boo woke up from her spell.
Mal looked distraught and Uma couldn't be happier. This was the best day of her life. She finally had everything that Mal had; was finally better than her.
She couldn't wait to see the damage they'd do.
Harry pulled away with a gasp, enjoying the way Gil chased his mouth. 'No,' he softly chided, 'you can have more when we're back with Uma.'
Gil's eyes widened. 'Uma,' he repeated, sounding panicked. Harry glanced back, sending him a winning smile as he fiddled with something tied to the birds leg.
'Of course Uma,' Harry said, distracted more by the scroll in his hands. She'd done it; he always knew she would. They were going to Auradon. 'She's going to be so mad at me,' he giggled, making his way to the deck. He vaguely heard Gil muttering something about Uma being mad at him, and resolved to ask what he meant later. Once they'd gotten through the barrier.
He stood at the helm of Uma's ship, and began to call for the crew. They had a minute to grab any essentials not already on the boat and get on the ship themselves; they wouldn't wait for anyone left behind.
The ship was a hive of activity: people were running to get aboard, others were packing stuff into bags hurriedly, and Harry stood in the centre of it all, at the wheel, gesturing for Gil to come closer.
Gil was confused. Harry and Uma had abandoned him: he should be angry with them, not completely focused on Harry's mouth. Upon noticing Harry speaking, however, he shook his head and tentatively asked him to repeat what he had said.
Harry laughed: the vacant one, the one that made everyone realise why he was truly feared. Raising his hook to Gil's cheek, he smoothed a piece of his hair out of the way, before doing his open mouthed smile and whispering, in the same voice a small girl would use to confide secrets before realising secrets where the only thing ever truly yours on the Isle, 'We're going to Auradon, dearie.'
Gil froze. Auradon?
The ship began to move, breaking away from the wooden docks and onto open water. A dome of golden glitter began to fall away, some raining on the ship as it passed through. He heard his crew cheering at their apparent victory, but felt uneasy.
Harry had kissed him.
Harry was with Uma, though. Uma would kill Gil for ever considering touching what was hers, let alone actually doing it. So absorbed in his thoughts, he didn’t notice Harry approaching until his arm was swung around his shoulders and his hook was tracing his Adam’s apple. Rather than making him more uncomfortable, this hint of normalcy relaxed him. He was used to threats from Harry and Uma. He wasn’t used to kindness from them.
‘Whatcha thinking about?” Harry breathed, making the hair on Gil’s neck rise and goosebumps trail over his body. He gulped heavily, the hook bobbing with the movement. He knew that Harry would be smiling that vacant smile, and forced himself to step away.
'Nothing,’ he answered, rather bluntly. ‘I don’t think, remember? That’s your and Uma’s job. You make the choices, and I have to deal with them.’
Harry groaned. ‘Why are you doing this now? Why am I the one who’s having to deal with you growing a backbone? Can’t you just wait till we find Uma again?”
'What was that about finding me?’
Gil whirled around and, sure enough, there stood their captain. She was grinning wildly, and crooked a finger towards Harry, who made his way towards her, sweeping off his hat. Deciding how they should acknowledge Uma, Gil led the rest of the crew into their usual deep bow, smiling to himself when he heard her laughter.
He stood up straight again and moved back towards the rest of the crew. At least, he tried to, but before he could pass Uma and Harry he felt a hand on his sleeve, holding him in place. He found himself looking at their Captain, who was looking at him in the tender way she normally only looked at Harry with.
'It’s good to see you back on your feet, Gil,’ she told him. He offered her a smile, though he could feel how shaky it was.
Harry smiled back at him, swinging an arm round his shoulders and leading him the way Uma was headed. She swirled back around, braids fanning around her head, and smirked at her crew.
'Well? What are we waiting for! Let’s show Auradon what true villain kids look like.’