Chapter Text
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Sword Dance
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Life in Auradon was drastically different from life on the Isle.
After years of not having enough food, wi-fi, and a decent bed, suddenly having all of those things threw him for a loop. It wasn’t just that, though. Harry was a kid from the Isle, and like every kid from the Isle, his home life had been less than ideal. His father was the infamous Captain Hook, and try as he might, Harry was never good enough, was never as much of a pirate as his father had been, and wasn’t worthy of being his son.
Harry wanted to say that he had accepted all of that and had learnt to live with it, but then he’d be lying to himself. Every time his father had belittled him or laughed at him and his fake hook or…hit him, had haunted his every waking moment, and even when his mind started going all crazy, he couldn’t forget a thing. Not even Uma and the crew could make him forget. But he had dealt with it, learnt to live with it, and everything was fine.
That was before everything had changed.
Now, Harry was in Auradon, away from the Isle, from his father, from Uma, who hadn’t been seen since the night of the cotillion, whatever that was, and he didn’t know what to do. Sure, everyone here seemed nice enough and accepting, some were even afraid of him, which he liked at times and didn’t at others. He couldn’t steal or break stuff or go on a rampage as he used to on the Isle, and that had sucked for a while.
But months had passed since Harry had arrived, with Gil, Dizzy and a few other kids. He liked being able to eat food that wasn’t rotting and he liked finally having his own bed. The classes had been boring at first and Harry hated learning how to count. What other numbers were more important than one? Apparently, a lot of them. Even thinking about it now made him frown.
All in all, life in Auradon wasn’t as bad as he had thought it would be. And, if he were being honest with himself, he was glad Uma wasn’t here. Harry knew Uma pretty well and he didn’t think she’d be able to adjust to a life like this. She was too angry, too bent on revenge, and, dare he admit it, too far gone. Not that Harry had much room to talk. Adjusting hadn’t been as easy for him as it had been for Gil. Harry had almost been as far gone as Uma, but he had been brought back with help from, surprisingly, Mal and her gang and King Ben.
Still, Harry hadn’t been entirely ‘converted’ to the Auradon way of life. Some things just couldn’t be forgotten, and Harry had been a pirate all of his life.
Almost every day after classes, Harry would go to a secluded spot on the school grounds and practice with his sword. Losing to Jay while on the Isle had been humiliating and Harry needed to improve to outlive that shame, and practicing gave him an outlet for his pent up frustration. Although he liked living in Auradon fort the most part, he would always be a kid from the Isle and that wasn’t something that would die easily, if ever.
It wasn’t just that, though.
Everyone on the Isle knew that he was crazy. Harry knew he was crazy. For as long as he could remember, Harry would hear things no one else could and see things no one else saw. When it first started happening, Harry had told his father and all Captain Hook did was throw him out of the house and told him to get lost because he was busy and didn’t have time for simpletons. Ever since then, Harry had been dealing with his ‘issue’, as his father referred to it, on his own. As silly as it sounded, Uma had helped him greatly with it. She kept him level and brought him back whenever he was about to go over the edge; she gave him a purpose as her first mate; she gave him direction.
Now, however, Harry didn’t have someone to keep him grounded. Sure, he had Gil and, he guessed, he had Mal and her gang, but Harry preferred to keep to himself. Learning to like and trust people he had loathed for so long wasn’t easy, and he could only tolerate so much of Gil before he snapped. That’s why he practiced with his sword almost every evening. It wasn’t about being able to beat Jay, not for the most part; it was about keeping him on the level. And it was something he had started a few weeks after arriving.
Jay and Lonnie had seen him practicing quite a few times and both of them had approached him, asking him to join the fencing club. Each time, Harry had refused. He wasn’t interested in joining any teams or anything like that; all Harry wanted to do was keep the voices and visions at bay and release his tension.
Which is what he was doing right now.
Life wasn’t bad in Auradon. Sure, some of the people took a while to get used to and things were all goody-goody and light and happy, things Harry had little to no experience in, but he didn’t dislike it. And he hardly thought of his father. He had a room with his own bed and he could count now. But sometimes he still wanted to shove someone just for the fun of it or break something or steal something.
Harry swung his sword, lunged, turned, jabbed; it was a dance he was familiar with. No one was around him and there were no distractions. Lunge, turn, jab. His desire to be generally unruly was beginning to ebb, but he couldn’t help but hear the ticking of a clock behind his shoulder, following his every move. Out of the corner of his eye, he could almost see the green hide of a crocodile. Lunge, turn, jab. The ticking grew closer and closer to him, louder and louder until it was right in his ear, thundering so badly that it was all he could hear. Harry swore he could see eyes that he had never known yet looked so familiar peek out from the pond he was beside, watching his every move just as they had done with his father.
Lunge, turn, jab, swing, dodge, turn. His head was throbbing and his heart felt like it was beating in time with the ticking. He turned and Harry swore he saw the crocodile emerge from the pond. Inhaling sharply, he dropped his sword and fell onto the ground. Harry wanted to scoot back away from the pond and the large beast that was slowly stalking toward him, but he was frozen. Closing his eyes, Harry shook his head and tried to will the vision away. He knew he was mumbling to himself, but all he could hear was the ticking of a clock, loud and threatening in his ears. He tried to block out the sound by cupping his hands over his ears, but it was no use, and the crocodile was getting closer.
Closer.
Closer…
Hands on his shoulders jolted Harry out of his delusion and he jerked away from them. Spinning around, his hands digging into the soft grass, Harry’s wild eyes looked up and saw the worried blue ones of King Ben. But what about the crocodile? Glancing over his shoulder, Harry saw that it was gone, as was the ticking sound. Breathing a sigh of relief, he turned back and saw that Ben was kneeling in front of him. He jumped and Ben held out his hands, not touching him but trying to calm him down.
“Harry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you,” Ben told him, his voice soft and full of concern and compassion. He eyes were watching Harry, studying him, but all Harry could think about was that his breathing too heavily and that he really hated crocodiles.
“You didn’t…scare me, beastie. I knew you were there,” Harry said with a quivering voice. Ben gave him a half smile.
“You were on the ground shouting. I doubt that you knew I was behind you,” Ben said not unkindly. Harry tried to shoot him a glare, but he failed. He was too shaken by his vision. They were getting worse.
“Yeah, well, you may be king, beastie, but that doesn’t give you a right to sneak up on people and touch them whenever you’d like,” Harry said. Even in his own ears, his voice sounded weak.
“I’m sorry, but you were freaking out and I didn’t know what to do to help you,” Ben admitted, looking guilty.
“I would’ve gotten over it. I always do,” Harry told him.
“I know,” Ben said. Harry’s eyes narrowed at him. His breathing had slowed down considerably and he was able to think more clearly right now.
“Oh, you do, do you?” he said. Ben bit his lip, looking even guiltier than he already had.
“Jay and Lonnie both told me that you practice with your sword here almost every day, but you don’t want to join the team. So, I came to check you out,” Ben explained. Harry gave him a half smirk at that.
“Came to check me out, did you?” Harry asked. Ben blushed at that.
“I-I mean, I came to try and change your mind. I genuinely think you’d benefit the team. But after watching you, I…couldn’t approach you. You seemed so…focused. And then, I noticed that sometimes you’d behave…strangely,” Ben finished.
“Are you telling me you’ve been watching me for a while, beastie?” said Harry.
“My name’s Ben,” Ben replied weakly.
“I know what your name is, beastie,” Harry waved his response off. “But you didn’t answer my question.” Ben’s blush deepened.
“I couldn’t help myself. I was…surprised at how…fluid and graceful you can be. But you sometimes…I dunno…freak out and start acting erratically. I was going to approach you the first time, but Jay passed by and told me that you’ve had...” Ben trailed off, unsure of what to say.
“Issues?” Harry offered. Ben nodded.
“Yeah, issues. He said that, from what he knew, it wasn’t anything severe. But I’m not so sure. From what I’ve seen, it looks like you’re getting worse,” Ben said.
“Yeah, well, I’m not,” Harry said. “If you’ve been stalking me as much as you say, you ought to know that.”
“I’m not stalking you,” Ben said. Harry gave him a grin, though it didn’t reach his eyes.
“And what would you call it? Long-distance wooing?” Harry said, though the joke sounded flat even to him. He might be feeling better, but he was still shaken.
Regardless of how much he tried to play it off and deny it, Harry knew that Ben was right. His delusions were getting worse. Though the frequency at which they occurred had dwindled, the visions themselves were lasting longer and getting worse every time he had one. But everyone on the Isle had just accepted it, accepted him. Uma had kept him grounded. Even with his sword, Harry wasn’t able to completely eradicate them. Was it even possible to do that? He didn’t know.
“Look, you were yelling and I wanted to help you. Is that okay?” Ben retorted, his eyes determined and entirely focused on Harry. Harry couldn’t look him in the eye. Such a look of intensity had never before been directed his way, not with the amount of concern and care that were present in Ben’s eyes.
All Harry could do was nod and look at the ground. He felt weird, being looked at like that, but he liked it. It sparked something inside of him that he hadn’t felt before, and it made him feel something. No one had ever wanted to help him out before, not without expecting something in return. Not even Uma would help him unless he did something for her. Yet the warmth and care in Ben’s eyes made his stubborn resolve crumble.
“Yes, beastie. That’s okay, I guess,” Harry mumbled, feeling embarrassed.
He had never admitted it to anyone on the Isle and he probably wouldn’t admit it to anyone here in Auradon, but Harry had always found Ben attractive. Who wouldn’t, really? Even Uma admitted once that he was handsome, though begrudgingly and through gritted teeth. But that was before Mal and her gang were brought over to Auradon.
“How bad are your…issues?” Ben asked gently. Harry plucked blades of grass out of the ground. He wouldn’t look up at Ben, but he could feel the king’s gaze set firmly upon him, as though he were the only person in the world at that moment.
“I hear and see things. Usually a clock ticking and a crocodile,” Harry explained. “But sometimes I hear people talking when no one is around, I see people who aren’t there. Sometimes I’m sinking underwater or ice starts crawling up my body. But the clock and croc are the most common.”
“Wow… That’s…” Ben trailed off.
“Crazy?” Harry offered with a humorless laugh.
“Awful,” Ben finished, his eyes shining bright. Harry met his gaze then and his eyes narrowed.
“Don’t you pity me, beastie. I get along just fine,” Harry growled.
“Is that why you’re out here every evening with your sword?” Ben asked him. When Harry didn’t respond, Ben stood up. He offered Harry a hand, which he hesitantly took. After brushing himself off, Harry looked around for his sword only to find that Ben had picked it up. With a smile, he handed it back to Harry.
“Would you teach me?” Ben suddenly asked. He looked hopeful and excited, much like a puppy dog. At least, that’s how Harry thought a puppy dog would look like. He had never seen one, and Dude was far from a puppy.
“Are you telling me you don’t know how to use a sword? Correct me if I’m wrong, but aren’t you a king?” Harry asked.
“I am, but believe it or not, I don’t have much free time on my hands. I’ve used a sword a few times. I fought well enough on the Isle, didn’t I?” Ben countered, never losing his hopeful expression.
“You weren’t bad, beastie. You weren’t good, but you weren’t bad,” Harry said.
“Well then, teach me. Please?” Ben said politely.
“Why not ask Jay or Lonnie?” said Harry.
“Lonnie is the captain of the fencing team and Jay is a member. They’re busy with the team. Besides, I want to get to know you more. I’ve hardly talked to you since you’ve arrived in Auradon,” Ben explained. “Please, Harry?”
How could Harry say ‘no’ to that face? Ben was king; he could probably have anyone teach him how to swordfight. And yet, it was Harry he was asking. Perhaps it wouldn’t be such a bad idea. Maybe having another person out here with him would help him with his visions. Maybe Ben could be the one to keep him on the level in this place.
“Well, since you’ve asked so nicely, beastie…yes,” Harry said with a small smile. The way Ben’s face lit up almost made Harry’s heart stop. Never had someone looked at him with such a smile, but he liked it.
“Awesome! Thank you so much, Harry. I appreciate it. Really, I do,” Ben said. He held out his arms as though he wanted to hug Harry or something, but instead he clasped his hands together awkwardly and laughed. “Well, I’ve got to go, but I’ll see you tomorrow? Maybe?”
“It’s a date, King Ben,” Harry said.
“Great! See you tomorrow, Harry!” Ben said before he went off to do whatever kingly things he needed to do.
Harry watched him go, the barest traces of a smile on his face. After sheathing his sword, Harry began to make his way across the yard. He stopped when he thought he heard bubbles in the water and turned slightly to look at the pond. Just as he had thought, or rather hoped, nothing was there. Running a hand over his face, Harry trotted back to the school.
~…~
Ben showed up only a few minutes after Harry had arrived at his usual spot. With his own sword at his side and wearing the clothes he usually wore during tourney practices, Ben looked excited and ready to go.
“Excited already, beastie?” Harry couldn’t help but ask.
“Excited and a bit nervous, but I’m ready,” Ben answered. Harry nodded, looking him over once more before he unsheathed his sword.
“Good. Let’s get started then,” Harry said. Ben unsheathed his own sword.
“So, uh, any pointers?” Ben asked him. He was starting to look more and more nervous.
“Yeah. Don’t get stabbed,” Harry said.
Suddenly, he lunged forward, aiming for Ben’s abdomen. Ben managed to block his blow and the two began to dance. In a matter of seconds, Ben’s sword was on the ground away from him. Harry had his sword pointed at Ben’s throat, so close that he could kill him if he wanted to. The thought briefly crossed his mind. It would be so easy right now. Even with a sword at this throat, Ben didn’t look at Harry with fear or anger. There was obvious trust there and something else, something Harry couldn’t name.
Harry lowered his sword and moved to retrieve the king’s fallen sword. Handing it back to Ben, Harry swallowed. For some reason, he felt odd. If they had been on the Isle, Harry would’ve hurt Ben without a second thought. If they had been on the Isle, Harry would’ve been praised for being evil enough to kill a king and he would finally have his father’s approval. But he wasn’t on the Isle anymore. And he didn’t want to hurt Ben.
“I think you dropped this,” Harry said lamely. He handed Ben his sword and he took it gratefully.
“Thank you, Harry,” Ben said sincerely. Harry nodded.
“Sure,” was all he could say. And then, Ben’s hand was on his shoulder and Harry looked up into those captivating eyes of the king.
“Thank you,” Ben repeated and in his eyes was an understanding that Harry couldn’t ignore or deny even if he wanted to. It told him that Ben knew what he had been thinking.
“Let’s get back to our dance, beastie,” Harry said, trying to shrug off the intensity of the moment.
They continued sparring for another few minutes before, once again, Ben lost. Harry’s mind was going a mile a minute, more focused on what had happened than what was going on in the moment. He had had the perfect opportunity to take out King Ben, yet he hadn’t done it. Why? Had he changed that much in the months he had been in Auradon. Harry was the son of Captain Hook, a pirate and all around bad news; he didn’t show mercy to enemies.
But Ben wasn’t an enemy. Harry had no enemies here in Auradon, none that he knew anyway. Not even Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos were his enemies; actually, they were almost, dare he say it, friends. His father’s shadow wasn’t looming over him and he didn’t have to fight to survive. He could live his life almost any way he wanted to. For the first time in his life, he was free. And that frightened him more than the ticking and the crocodile.
Air bubbles began to surface and pop in the pond behind Harry and Ben. Hearing that sound made Harry freeze in his tracks. His face paled and his hand began to shake. No, not now, not right in front of Ben. But the air bubbles wouldn’t stop popping and all too soon, he heard something break the surface of the water. Harry’s hand was shaking so badly that his sword fell out of it. Slowly, he turned to look over his shoulder, and there were the eyes of the crocodile, boring into his very soul.
He watched as the crocodile began to wade through the water towards him. Harry’s entire body was frozen to the spot, shaking in terror. Only the sound of the ticking clock could be heard around him. All thoughts of Ben and what they had been doing melted away, leaving only Harry with his delusion. The crocodile made its way onto the ground and was crawling closer, and closer, and closer…
Vaguely, Harry felt hands gripped his shoulders and shook him. In the back of his mind, he knew that Ben was trying to bringing him back, but all Harry could do was watch as the crocodile slowly approached him, his tongue lolling out of his mouth as his eyes watched Harry tremble helpless before him. He was going to die. Unlike his father, Harry would be losing more than just his hand. The crocodile was going to eat him whole and he could even conjure a scream of terror.
And then, hands were on his face, forcing Harry to face forward. For a brief moment, Harry was staring into Ben’s eyes before the king’s eyes closed and he was crushing their lips together in a desperate kiss. That snapped Harry back to reality. King Ben, the ruler of Auradon, the poster child of goodness and light, was kissing him, Harry Hook, son of Captain Hook, first mate of Uma, and renowned pirate. He had to be dreaming right now. He had to be.
Just as Harry was beginning to respond, Ben broke their kiss, leaving Harry stunned and hungry for more. Ben’s face was flushed and he was breathing heavily. Harry was in the same boat, blushing madly and panting like he had just run for his life.
“I’m sorry, Harry, but you were shaking and hyperventilating and you didn’t respond to anything I said so I did what I could to get your attention,” Ben quickly explained.
“I…I… It’s f-fine, Ben. Completely f-fine,” Harry managed to get out. Ben gave him a small smile.
“That’s the first time you’ve called me Ben,” he said before laughing softly. Harry laughed for a brief moment before he ran a hand through his hair.
“Yeah,” was all Harry could think of to say.
“What happened?” Ben asked him, his voice soft and gentle.
“I…I saw him,” Harry replied. His hands were still shaking and his heart was beating a mile a minute.
“Saw who, Harry?” said Ben.
“Tick-Tock Croc,” Harry told him. “He’s the crocodile that Peter Pan fed my dad’s hand to.”
“Oh,” was all Ben said. Minutes passed by until Harry had calmed down enough that his hands weren’t shaking. He picked up his sword and sheathed it.
“Thank you,” he said to Ben.
“What for?” Ben said, looking confused but relieved that Harry was okay.
“For bringing me back,” Harry explained. “Uma was the only one who could snap me out of my…visions.”
“And since she’s no longer around, no one’s been able to help you,” Ben finished, realization lighting up his eyes. His eyes shone brightly with compassion and he stepped closer to Harry. “I am so sorry. If I had known… I could’ve helped you sooner.”
“It’s not your fault, Ben,” Harry said weakly. “Hardly anyone really knows how bad they get. Besides, your method was much more effective than Uma’s.” He flashed a tight smile at Ben, who blushed.
“I…I couldn’t think of anything else to do. You weren’t hearing me and I had to reach you,” Ben explained almost frantically.
“Don’t be shy. It was a great first kiss, even though the timing wasn’t exactly ideal,” Harry told him.
“First kiss?” Ben asked, surprised. Harry nodded in understanding.
“Uma and I were never…involved. We have different…tastes,” Harry said.
“O-oh?” said Ben.
“She likes girls and I like guys,” Harry said bluntly.
“I-I see. Well, um…” Ben was at a loss for words.
“That’s partial why Uma was angry at Mal. They had a very strange love-hate relationship, if you know what I mean,” Harry told him. “And when the rumors that you and her were involved made it to the Isle, Uma lost what little sanity she had left. Not that I’m one to talk.”
“Uma made her choice. So did you,” Ben said, not unkindly. Harry nodded.
“Yeah, well, I’m…sorry practice ended the way it did,” Harry said.
“No, no, it’s totally fine. Don’t feel bad, Harry. This isn’t your fault. You don’t have a choice about your visions,” Ben told him firmly. “So, same time and place tomorrow?”
“You still want me to teach you how to sword fight?” Harry asked a little amazed. He thought that Ben would change his mind after seeing Harry like that. If he had, Harry wouldn’t have blamed him.
“Of course I do. Do you think that your visions would push me away? They won’t,” Ben said. “I asked you to teach me, Harry. My mind isn’t going to change. I promise.” Promises used to mean nothing to Harry, but coming from Ben, who put his entire heart and soul into everything he did, it meant something. His sincerity touched Harry in that moment and it almost left him breathless.
“Alright then,” was all Harry could think of to say. What else was there to say really?
“Great! I’ll see you tomorrow, Harry,” Ben said. Just as he was about to take off, he paused and turned back to Harry. “I want to do something. May I?”
“Sure,” Harry said. He didn’t have to wonder what Ben wanted to do because that king had crossed the space between them and pressed a chaste kiss to Harry’s lips.
This time, Harry didn’t take forever to respond. After a brief moment of surprise, Harry closed his eyes and shyly returned the kiss. Ben’s lips were soft and sure; it was obvious that Ben knew what he was doing, unlike Harry, who didn’t know anything about anything. His stomach filled with butterflies and for a second Harry imagined himself floating up, up, up into the sky. When Ben’s lips moved against his once more, Harry came back down from the sky, his only thoughts being of Ben and their kiss.
All too soon, they parted and Harry licked his lips. He wanted more kisses like those; he wanted more of Ben, but Ben had obligations and duties he had to attend to. And Harry had homework. He hated homework. It meant more counting for him.
“See you tomorrow, Harry,” Ben said softly, one of his hands gently stroking the side of his face.
“Aye, beastie. It’s a date,” Harry replied.
His mind was blank as he watched King Ben walk away. Harry looked around, wondering if anyone had seen them, but no one was around. With a flushed face and a stomach full of butterflies, Harry made his way to his room. For the first time in a long time, his mind was calm.
That night, while he lay in bed, no nightmare or unwanted visions plagued Harry and he slept peacefully. The only dreams he had were of him flying through the sky like a butterfly with the taste of Ben’s kiss on his lips.