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Chapter Text

Eleven and a half weeks. Almost three months. Eighty-one days, to be precise, when Harry broke it down, which he didn’t like to do. Even though he could now, even though he’d finally learned to count. 

Eighty-one days of being among the disgustingly tame, cheery, boring people of Auradon, and their nice ordered little world. Harry had wanted to come here - it was what all the Lost Kids on the Isle wanted. In hindsight, maybe that had merely been the curiosity of the unknown. Well that curiosity was satisfied now. 

Sure, the ease of life in the kingdom was pleasant, and a welcome respite from having to struggle for everything. Harry was starting to forget the last time he had been truly hungry, and while life at the school felt a little like prison, there were a few classes that his sharp mind were not opposed to. 

The multitude of books he now had available to him, containing all the information the world had to offer, was a secret joy. He’d already known how to read, technically, but his skill with it was still improving every day. 

Not to mention the access to the internet, but Harry was not so much about technology, he preferred things he could hold in his hand, things that felt real, and solid. So much of his life hadn’t these past weeks, and Harry didn’t like situations he couldn’t control, or at least direct. 

He was only a first mate after all, or well…had been. His captain had given herself over completely, more or less, to a tame life once they’d been accepted here, a fact that still rankled and made Harry more than a bit sad, for multiple reasons. Not the least of which was his own attachment, bordering on worship, of Uma. Past attachment, that was, now.  

They’d been together, at least as crew members, since they were eleven going on twelve. He’d been a tough little scrapper on the wharves when she came along and appropriated his strength, and others she’d found along the way, to take over the decrepit ship on the west side of the Isle. He fell into the true pirate life quickly and easily, and flourished under her strong command. 

His father had been a captain, sure enough, but he’d died when Harry was eight, his tired body succumbing to the subpar life that was all they could afford. His hook had been the first thing that Harry had nicked, from the scavengers that had been circling and waiting for the great Captain Hook’s death. It was all he had of his father, the only thing that had been worth taking, anyway. 

Harry didn’t need to be the one in charge to be satisfied, it was simpler and he had free reign to make plenty of name for himself without the weight of thinking of anyone else. He was happy following Uma’s orders, usually, and giving her her well deserved due, and if he was drawn to her as more than first mate to captain, that could hardly be surprising. 

She soaked up all the attention she could get from each member of her crew, but it was different between the two of them; there was a true closeness there, a caring that neither of them quite knew what to do with. They were almost together - just not quite. There were rare moments when they could be truly alone - a handful at most in reality - when the shields came at least partially down. 

But Harry’s temper and impetuousness came out to play too often. He’d never had much reason to try to reign himself in, and it usually got him what he wanted. That wasn’t going to work with something, someone, that mattered like Uma, though.  

She’d been pulling away even before they got to Auradon - he’d known it, he’d seen it, he’d felt it. He just tried to ignore it, to tell himself that everything would go back to normal once they escaped. They hadn’t. 

Uma relieved him of his duties as first mate, since she was hanging up her title of captain, and told him to go have the fun he obviously wanted to. She swore there were no hard feelings, and it wasn’t like they weren’t still going to be friends, so Harry let himself run wild, understanding that that door, that chapter of his life, was closed. 

There was only so wild one could run in Auradon though, and it was wearing on him. And he wasn’t sure what his next chapter was yet. 

He did like this quiet stretch of sand and surf he’d found. The sea was in his blood, and he needed the sound of the waves to soothe him when he got a bit too restless. Just staring at the water helped his overactive mind focus, and he’d often either walk along the sand or bring a book to read. There was a peace here that he was equally appreciative of and unsettled by, not having known it in his life thus far. 

Even the sunsets were more colorful in Auradon, the sky on fire with reds and pinks and purples. Harry Hook may have had a bit of an eye for flare so the beauty was certainly not lost on him. 

“Pretty, huh?” a voice came, and Harry jumped to his feet from the chunk of driftwood he’d been sitting on, instantly on guard. He cursed at himself as he spun around, hook held tight and pointed towards the voice. 

“Whoa, whoa. Sorry,” the intruder said as he held his hands open in front of him. Harry squinted his frustration at the sandy haired boy. Ben. Ah yes, of course, the young king. Harry lowered his hook, somewhat reluctantly.

“You should know better than to sneak up on a pirate,” he told Ben, having no problem sassing the king. What was he going to do, chuck him out? Harry was a survivor. 

“I didn’t mean to,” Ben apologized, the softie that he was. 

“You shouldn’t have been able to,” Harry returned, half to himself. “No one ever would have been able to sneak up behind me on the Isle.” He was truly mad, more at his lack of attentiveness than at Ben, and he started pacing in his agitation. 

“Maybe that’s a good thing,” Ben ventured. “Maybe it means you feel safe here, that you can relax.” 

“I don’t want to relax,” Harry hissed through his sharp teeth, watching Ben out of the corner of his eye. This little fledgling king, no older than he, whose decisions and actions had affected the course of Harry’s life. In eleven weeks, he hadn’t been able to decide if he liked him or hated him. 

“Everyone needs to sometimes,” Ben insisted, the sunset shading his open face a warm red. He’d grown that pathetic line of fur out along his jawline, and that scraggly mustache, probably in a desperate bid to look older. It did give his face some definition, Harry had to concede, and didn’t look half bad. 

“Not if you grew up on the Isle. Doesn’t exactly come naturally,” he retorted. 

“But that’s no life for anyone,” Ben argued. “Always watching your back, on edge and ready for a fight all the time. I can’t imagine that.” At least he freely admitted his privilege, Harry couldn’t help but give that a smidgeon of respect. 

“Of course you can’t, baby king,” Harry mocked. “You’ve never been scared for your very life for one moment of your charmed little existence.” Then a sly half grin crept onto his face. 

“Except for that day that I almost killed you, almost shoved you off the plank.” His eyes twinkled at the memory of having King Ben at his mercy. 

“You looked pretty well ready to shit yourself then.” 

“You weren’t going to,” Ben countered, and his voice was slightly unsteady. “Not unless Uma told you to. And maybe not even then,” he challenged, apparently feeling bold. 

“Oh…” Harry drawled the word, and leaned back against a large rock, his elbow fitting into a crag as he angled his body so that his right hip jutted out. All of his movements were fluid, like a cat, like a panther; it was a natural grace he was aware of and had honed over the last few years. He enjoyed watching the effect his dominant body language could have on - well, everyone. 

He took in the way Ben’s eyes flicked down to said hip and back up to his face again before he answered. This also gave him time to be measured in his reply. He was working on not rising to bait that would have gotten him snapping even a few months ago. And jabs that he didn’t have autonomy when it came to Uma were certainly up there on his triggers. Mostly because they were right on the money, or used to be. But no one here really had to know that. 

“You think I wouldn’t have ended you for the pure fun of watching you fall into the jaws of blood thirsty sharks, just waiting to rend your royal flesh from your bones?” Ben swallowed heavily, definitely affected by Harry’s vivid description but bless the boy, trying not to show it. 

“No,” he continued to assert. 

Harry gave a smooth shrug. 

“Well then you’re an even more innocent fool than I took you for,” he said flippantly, and examined his hook, turning it one way and then another in the last of the sun’s faint glow, as if nothing was more interesting to him in that moment. 

Ben stood there, looking as if he was trying to glower. Harry watched him, his lips twitching, then he broke into a raucous laugh that the sea swallowed up. 

“Don’t hurt yourself, King Ben,” he chuckled, as he gathered up his book and got ready to leave. Ben started walking with him, uninvited.

“You can talk big and bad all you want,” he said, actually sounding sure of himself. “And you may be tough, I’ll give you that.” Oh, would you now, Harry thought snarkily, preparing for his next comeback. 

“But you’re not a murderer,” Ben finished, and strode ahead, leaving Harry behind. The pirate opened his mouth to throw a retort after him, but he couldn’t come up with anything, for once. The boy was right, after all.

“So what’s the deal with Harry?” Ben asked Mal one evening after dinner, while they were relaxing in the sitting room. She looked over at her fiance in some curiosity. He’d been trying to get to know more about some of the Lost kids recently, and it wasn’t uncommon for him to ask her about certain ones. She knew he was having the same kinds of discussions with Evie, Carlos, and Jay. 

He really wanted to be aware of the new citizens of his kingdom, and see what he could do to help them. It was admirable, if too generous, but that was Ben. Mal didn’t mind sharing what she knew about her former enemies and cohorts. Harry Hook though - Ben had experienced Harry for himself already. 

“What do you need to know?” she asked. “Other than that he’s a self absorbed, swaggering show off who’s so full of himself I’m surprised he doesn’t choke every time he opens his mouth.” 

Ben gave a snort of laughter. Mal was being serious, however, if playful about it. She didn’t hate Harry; he’d redeemed himself to a decent degree when Audrey had gone evil and they had to all work together. He’d chosen to stay here, so that must mean something, and Uma had vouched for him to be accepted at the school. 

But there was still something so dark about Harry, or maybe it was just shady, that Mal couldn’t put her finger on. She had a hard time envisioning a point at which he would fit into society here. 

“Okay, yeah,” Ben acknowledged. “But how was he on the Isle?”

“The same. A little worse. You saw him - he was dangerous, and…kind of psychotic,” she added. 

“Was he really that dangerous?” Ben asked. Mal considered before replying. 

“I think he could have been. He would rob from anyone - elderly, kids, it didn’t matter, and he was mean about it,” she shared. She wished he hadn’t been like that, and he wasn’t all the time, but he’d get that crazy look in his eyes and there’d be no stopping him. In a way, she was surprised he hadn’t caused more trouble here - yet.  

“Didn’t you steal, too?” was Ben’s next question, his tone gentle. They’d had talks, certainly, about her past, and she hadn’t lied to him. 

“There were lines even I didn’t cross,” Mal said. “My gang was more about just getting by. Of course, we all still had at least one parent and somewhat of a home,” she conceded thoughtfully. “Harry didn’t even have that.” Ben, sweet soul that he was, almost looked ready to cry at this. 

“How do you know that?” he asked then, and Mal braced herself. This whole honesty thing sucked sometimes. 

“Harry and I have - a little bit of a history,” she said carefully. 

“What kind of a history?” 

“We -” she stopped short, studying Ben closely. “Are you sure you want to hear this?” Ben’s brow furrowed in confusion. Mal could tell he wasn’t deducing what she was hinting at, and that she was going to have to spell it out for him. She loved him, but damn sometimes he was just a little too naive. 

“We…dated…” 

“Oh.” 

She watched the emotions flit across her fiance's face; surprise, jealousy, a bit of distaste, presumably because of who they were discussing, then curiosity.

“I thought you didn’t date on the Isle?” he asked. “Didn’t you tell me you didn’t know if you knew what love was when I first said it to you?” 

Mal’s lips drew into themselves in a thin line. 

“We didn’t exactly date for love. Dating would actually be a very - Auradon term for what we were doing,” she elaborated, doing her best to quench the memories of exactly what she and Harry used to get up to. They weren’t bad memories, and she couldn’t completely say she regretted them…but that was a different time, and a different Mal. 

She stared at Ben, willing him to understand. When the color drained a bit from his face, she figured it had hit him. 

“Did you and he -” and his tone was hushed. “Have sex?” he got out. Mal felt her cheeks flush deeply. 

“No!” she exclaimed, honestly. “We were like, fourteen. We did…mess around a lot though.” 

“That’s why he looks at you like that sometimes,” Ben surmised. “Like he knows you pretty well. Because he does.” He couldn’t keep the jealousy out of his words. A flicker of something ignited in Mal’s chest. Ben was kind of hot when he was jealous. 

“Used to,” Mal corrected. “He used to know me pretty well. We were kids, and that was a long time ago. It was casual, and he was messing around with Uma too.” The memory of the anger when she found out about that made her eyes flash green for a half second. She felt it coming on and turned to look out at the croquet lawn so Ben wouldn’t see. 

“Did you want more than just that with him?” Ben asked. Why couldn’t he let this go? Mal would not lie to him. She turned her gaze back into the room but not onto Ben again yet.

“Maybe, at one point. Which was insane,” she admitted. “But again, we were too young for that and it’s really not like that on the Isle.” 

“But he’s here now,” Ben said heavily. Mal crossed the room to her fiance and took his hand. 

“And what’s your point? I’m very much with you now,” she said solemnly, meeting his eyes. The tension mostly leaked out of him with this and he smiled back at her a little. Mal brought her other hand to his jaw, and drew it towards her for a kiss. 

Once they’d finally started kissing after getting together, Mal had to admit she was surprised by his talent for it. His tongue explored her mouth thoroughly now, his hands pulling her into his body possessively. Yup, she liked this jealous side of the perfect king that had the faint crazy idea that Harry might be a threat. As if. 

As if she would trade the stability she had found here, the acceptance and love in Ben’s eyes every time he looked at her, this feeling that swelled in her heart each time they kissed, for a swaggering rogue that didn’t know how to be loyal.

And if Ben was just a bit too tame sometimes…well, he could be taught, Mal thought, as she reached back and steered his palm further down, to the rise of her buttock. There was just a certain line that they couldn’t cross, of course, not until they were married.

Chapter Text

Harry rolled his eyes at the knock on his dorm room door, carefully shutting his leather bound notebook and dragging himself away from his writing. Whoever that was, they were lucky he’d been stuck on the next words for a while. 

He had to keep from rolling his eyes again when he saw who his visitor was. Ben stood there, complete with his preppy jacket and goofy smile. The previously unshaved jaw was smooth. Shame - it had been amusing seeing the bloke trying to be something he really wasn’t. 

“Hi!” he opened with. Harry swayed a bit as he regarded the boy. 

“To what do I owe the honor?” His voice positively oozed sarcasm. He accepted that Ben was the king and as such was due a certain amount of at least surface respect, but he didn’t want the guy to get the idea that it was any more than that. 

He also could not understand why the king attended the same school as everyone else. If Harry was royalty there was no way he would be mingling with commoners. He supposed it was some sort of ‘no one is better than anyone else’ equality thing that Auradon was all about. Ugh, it made his teeth hurt. 

“I just thought I’d stop by and see how you were doing,” Ben replied, not in the least bit sarcastic. 

Harry, confused but curious, waited a beat, then moved to the side and swept his arm wide in an invitation. Sometimes watching these people and seeing what their little lives consisted of was mildly amusing. 

Ben stepped into the room but didn’t sit down at either of the desks, he just stood there. So Harry met his energy and stood in front of him. 

“Tolerably well,” Harry shared. “Anything else?” Was the king looking for a heart to heart chat? 

“Is there anything I can do to make you more comfortable here?” Ben asked. Oh bloody hell, he was looking for a chat. Harry closed his eyes briefly in annoyance. He fixed Ben in his stare when he opened them, not missing how Ben didn’t seem to be able to look away. Interesting. 

“Unless you happen to have a ship, a crew, or some ladies of questionable morals up your sleeve there, I’m pretty well comfortable.” Which he honestly was, he was warm and housed and fed, he was more comfortable than he could ever remember being in his life. Which was the problem. 

“Are those really your only interests?” Ben asked. 

“What, fighting, feasting, and…fooling around? What else is there in a pirate’s life?” Harry opted for tamer wording than he otherwise may have used. The king was slightly squirming enough from the way Harry was toying with him, he didn’t want to offend his delicate sensibilities too much. He’d work up to that.

“Yeah, you’re quite the ladies man, huh?” Ben asked. Harry was too amused to be annoyed that this was starting to feel like an interrogation. Where was the bloke going with this? 

“Sorry, just…trying to get to know you better,” Ben shrugged, apparently recognizing how weird his line of questioning had gotten. 

“Aye,” Harry smirked at him, mischief dancing in his eyes. “You could say that.” He kept his other thoughts, about just how well Ben might want to get to know him, to himself. 

“So, you and Uma weren’t - aren’t together?” Ben continued. 

“HA!” Harry’s short, mocking laugh erupted out of him. “The first mate? And the captain? That never works.”

“Isn’t a ship sort of like a small kingdom?” Ben asked. “If the captain and the first mate were together wouldn’t that make for stronger leadership?” 

Harry was shaking his head before Ben was halfway through his second sentence. He folded his hands behind his back and stalked his way towards the king, watching Ben try not to shrink back the tiniest bit. Harry circled Ben, not unlike a shark, as he explained. 

“Imagine, if you can, little king, a real battle in which the stakes are the ship you’re standing on, your home, your mates’ lives, everything you've ever known. Your enemy wants that ship, and they’ve captured your captain. They’ll kill her if you don’t give it up. If you do give it up, they’ll kill half your crew to make their point, and enslave the rest while you, if you're lucky enough to live, will watch your home be invaded by filthy traitors. But oh, you’ll have your captain. Fat lot of good that’ll do you then when you’re both swabbing the deck of what used to be your ship.” He stopped in front of Ben, standing too close, enjoying his unease at the picture of life on a pirate ship. 

“Stronger leadership is when you have each other’s backs enough to fight to the death, but you can still make that rational decision when you need to.” Ben’s eyes were troubled as the understanding dawned in them. 

“But that’s not really a choice. That’s horrible!” Harry leaned in just a bit further, fascinated by the green flecks in the hazel of Ben’s eyes at this range. 

“Aye, and there’s the point. Ben.” The king’s eyes widened when Harry said his name so firmly like that. “When are you going to get it through that soft skull of yours that things are very different on the Isle?” 

Ben blinked, breaking the intense stare Harry had instigated. 

“I guess I never realized just how much,” he confessed. “I didn’t think people were actually dying over there, for…stuff like that.” He had the grace to look ashamed, and Harry almost, almost felt a wee bit bad for him; it wasn’t his fault that he’d grown up so sheltered, any more than it had been Harry’s that he had grown up a brigand. Just two sides of the same coin. 

The pirate abruptly spun on his heel and marched away from Ben, hands still behind his back. 

“So…me and Uma - no,” he reiterated, in an attempt to lighten the mood. He threw himself into the desk chair, continuing to take the whole room up with his presence, legs open wide and arms loosely draped on the arms of the chair, fingers dangling towards the floor. Ben stood still, looking oddly bereft in the center of the room. 

“You and she had something going on, though,” he persisted. Harry’s hooded look evaluated the king from where he sat. What was he getting at, exactly? 

“Mal told me,” he then elaborated. Harry brought the ends of his fingertips together to meet, resting his elbows on the arms of the chair, and continued to study Ben with darkened eyes. Then a wicked smirk grew on his face. His eyebrows flashed. 

“Did she tell you about me and her then, too?” He would have actually been nice and not tortured Ben with this information on his own, but since the boy seemed so interested in his past endeavors, Harry would help acquiesce. 

“Yes,” Ben answered. Harry had to raise his head a bit to look at Ben with a modicum more respect. His tone was even, there was no fire in it, he was being mature enough to acknowledge while not wanting to fight. Pity. Harry thought everyone was more attractive in a fight, sweaty and breathing hard and fire flashing in their eyes. 

There was something infuriatingly alluring, however, about the calm, honest, steadiness fixed on Harry from this towheaded chap that wouldn’t seem to leave him alone. And that something made Harry want to ruffle its feathers. He licked his lips, taking his time drawing his tongue back into his mouth before he spoke. 

“Why are you so interested in my former conquests?” he asked, his gaze boring into Ben. The king was learning; he barely squirmed at all, but he did stutter. 

“I - I’m not. I’m just…curious.” He attempted a casual shrug, and shoved his hands in his pants pockets. 

“Isn’t it impolite to ask such personal questions?” Harry quirked a brow upwards, smirk still playing on his lips. 

“Yeah, I…I guess it is,” Ben admitted, his eyes going to the floor. “I’m sorry -”

“Evie, too,” Harry interrupted. “And Carmella. And Serene,” he added, knowing Ben wouldn’t know all the names but that it wouldn’t matter to get his point across. 

“And Gil of course,” he put the icing on the cake as he let his eyes drift to his roommate's bed suggestively, but immediately brought them back to Ben because he didn’t want to miss this. And there it was, the open mouthed surprise and the dusting of pink across his cheekbones. Weren’t expecting that were you, baby king? 

It was Ben’s turn to lick his lips, and Harry ate that visual up like a cat lapped up cream. 

“You don’t have to share if you don’t want to,” Ben told him. “I didn’t mean to pry.” 

“Wee bit late for that now, isn’t it?” Harry asked him. “And who says I didn’t want to? I’m not exactly shy.” 

Here he lowered his hands, slotting his fingers together, effectively bringing Ben’s gaze downward in order to naturally follow the motion, and he rested them on his stomach. He wondered what Ben was really thinking in that head of his, and if it could truly be fully innocent anymore. 

“I guess not,” Ben tried to chuckle, but it came out hoarse. “I should probably go.” He started to turn towards the door, but Harry wasn’t quite done with him. 

“Jealous?” he teased, lowering his voice an octave now that Ben wasn’t looking at him anymore. He didn’t specify what Ben would be jealous of; Harry, for being able to get almost anyone he wanted, or something else. 

“No,” the answer came over Ben’s shoulder, but it was as higher pitched than the last time he spoke as Harry’s had been lower. Harry watched him leave, grinning to himself with the tip of his tongue caught between his teeth. 

“You really should join the fencing team,” Jay told Harry after history class one day. Harry’s brain was feeling sucked dry with the boredom of listening to the origins of Auradon, but the fine specimen that Jay was approaching him of his own free will helped clear it in a hurry. 

“And why would I do that?” He feigned boredom as the two young men walked down the hall side by side.

“Uh, you’d be good at it,” Jay told him in an isn’t-it-obvious tone. “You’d just have to leave the hook off,” he added, with a small smile. 

They’d reached their lockers now, Harry’s having gouge marks from his hook in bursts of annoyance or anger, of which he’d a fair few since attending this cursed school. Harry leaned one shoulder against his locker and openly ogled Jay now that they were standing still. He could never tell if the guy was flirting with him or not, and in the absence of proof, he’d take a smile as an invitation. 

Harry stepped into Jay’s personal space, very nearly brushing right up against him, noticing that Jay stood his ground. 

“Only if you give me personal lessons, how ‘bout that?” he hissed into the other boy’s ear. He was restraining himself, really. His hand wanted to grab Jay’s sturdy hip. Jay just gave him a long suffering glance and shook his head at him before closing his locker and turning away. Hey, couldn’t blame a bloke for trying. 

“Harry!” A high pitched voice he’d heard too much of in the last few months called his name. He exaggeratingly rolled his head in its direction, and came face to face with Headmistress Fairy Godmother. Harry’s teeth clenched.

“Could you come into my office for a moment, please?” she asked in her strictest tone, which on anyone else would sound like a sweet suggestion. Harry dragged his feet through the doorway the headmistress stood in, and she closed the door behind him. She then stood in front of him for a moment, with that stupid serene look on her face. Harry bit his tongue to keep from making a remark. 

“Now, Harry, we try to be lenient here at Auradon Prep as regards dress code. Especially with some of our newer students.” Obviously she was referring to the evil rejects. 

“For the most part, we permit you to wear whatever clothing you want and do not enforce or ban certain fabrics, such as copious amounts of leather. However, we must have you actually wear clothing.” She set her lips in a thin line as she noticeably refused to glance down at Harry’s chest. 

He was wearing clothing. Technically. 

The hunter green leather vest that he had donned that morning had plenty of silver chains across the gap from the collar to the hem, it really didn’t leave that much exposed. Harry had been relishing the interested glances he was collecting from the oh-so-proper girls and boys of the preppy school, making his day a little brighter. And now here was the headmistress trying to ruin his fun, as usual. 

He didn’t respond, merely glowered at her. With most women, that smolder would earn a blush and at least a little backing down. Headmistress wasn’t strictly a human woman, though. 

“So you’re going to need to put a real shirt on before you can return to class,” she summarized. He curled his lip at her. 

“That’s simple, then,” he replied. “I just won’t return to class.” He left the office before she could respond. 

He should go back, he thought for the hundredth time. Why was he here? To get told what he had to wear. To be ignored by Uma even more than he had on the island, not that that mattered to him, no of course not. To feel cooped up in classes he didn’t care about, and a dorm room that was so squeaky clean it made him sick. The lack of bugs and stench and a real bed was nice though. Steady meals, that was another plus. 

Gil seemed happy. He’d never been as devoted to evil as Harry though. He was just an airhead; his father had been full of himself and still stuck on the fact that he hadn’t gotten the girl, Ben’s mother, oddly enough, to teach his son anything. So Gil had a cleaner slate when it came to being rotten than most of them. It was easier for some to adjust. 

If Mal and Uma could find a place here, then it stood to reason that almost anyone could. Maybe he should talk to them, figure out how they did it. Harry perched on a rock as he ruminated. He’d burned off some of his antsy energy stalking up and down the shoreline for over an hour, wanting to scream his frustration to the sky. Now he sat, silent and brooding, and zoned out on the small gray waves rolling ashore.

He would never fit in here, and he didn’t want to. Look at Evie, she’d found a calling, built a business, even bought her own place. Mal was going to be the freaking queen. Even Carlos had discovered a whole new life and interests. 

Harry didn’t have a calling, or interests to speak of, just being a sidekick, the ruthless supporting member when shit got real. He was no one’s main concern. 

Fencing, Jay had suggested to him. Unless he could run a fellow student through with a sword at least occasionally he doubted that would do much for him.

Harry undid the chains on his vest and laid the garment on the rocks underneath his hook. It was nice to know that everyone was so stinking good here that if anyone happened to come upon them, they wouldn’t take them. But this section of beach that he’d chosen to haunt was pretty desolate anyway, just how Harry liked it. 

He waded out into the water, bare chested but still in his trousers. He’d debated stripping completely, but if anyone did find him, that may be a tad too much for Auradon sensibilities - not like he should care. Harry turned, spread his arms, and let the water sweep him off his feet. 

He rolled with the waves for a bit, then started stroking in earnest, not having a destination in mind, just needing to burn off more steam. He was an excellent swimmer, of course, and the open sea did not intimidate him.

Chapter Text

Ben swiped his hair back again since the wind wanted to consistently blow it forward where he sat on the outcropping above the beach. Below was the loneliest stretch of shoreline Auradon had to offer, and it was where Harry Hook came to be alone. Ben knew that. Which was why he was leaving him alone for now and simply watching. 

Fairy Godmother had told him about her conversation, such as it had been, with Harry that day. She was troubled by the rugged boy’s unwillingness to play by the rules at all, including skipping so much class that he wasn’t going to academically make much progress if he kept it up. Strictly speaking, the school didn’t have a truancy policy, since they had never needed one, but there was a limit to how much time one could afford to lose and still learn.  

Ben was worried about Harry, not that he ever could have told him that. The young man was far too independent, too rough, straight up jagged, to even have a heartfelt talk with. He dominated every encounter with his boisterous swagger and his confident smirk and those eyes that could burn you to the spot you were standing on. His words could cut you to shreds in that sharp, melodious lilt, and he trusted literally no one. 

Ben couldn’t stop thinking about him. He wanted all his people to be happy, and since the barrier had been taken down and he had so many more people to take care of now, his kingship felt heavier on his shoulders than it ever had before. 

Mal tried to help, she was going to be a strong and amazing queen someday - already was in many ways. She was good at looking at the big picture, of doing what was best for the whole group over the temporary needs of individuals. Ben liked the more personal approach. Both were exhausting.  

He didn’t mind the times he could sneak away from all his duties and be alone, and lately that had taken the form of sitting out here watching Harry watch the water. He’d learned after that first encounter that Harry really would much rather be alone and didn’t seem to want a friend, at least one that was a king.

Ben envied Harry sometimes. Not in the way that Harry thought he did, about being able to flirt with and attract anyone he wanted. It was that he had no ties to speak of, no responsibilities, he could come and go as he wished, and he often did. He said whatever he wanted to, usually when he shouldn’t, things that Ben couldn’t dream about uttering even if they were at times true. 

His confidence would make anyone wish for a dose of it…he let nothing intimidate him. Of course, looking as good as he did had to help with that, Ben figured. If Ben had that build, that jawline, that smile, those ice blue eyes that could catch you off guard no matter how long he’d been looking at you - he probably would never feel insecure either. 

He wished he could join Harry on the beach right now, even though he knew the pirate would make him feel all scrambled up the way he always did. Maybe that was precisely why Ben wanted to join him. But he stayed away, just watching the boy pace and sit and then enter the water. 

Sure, he felt like a creeper, especially when Harry removed his vest and Ben could see his strong back muscles flex as he walked to the water’s edge. His breathing may have deepened just slightly. As king he had the right to sit where he liked and keep an eye on his kingdom, right? 

Ben could hardly see Harry once the pirate was in the water. He had to squint to make out his dark head moving in the waves. A ripple of extra worry danced through his head, but he was sure Harry was a good, strong swimmer. 

The object of his stalking, er, observation, not being easily in his sights anymore, Ben focused his wandering thoughts on the latest proposition of needing more security in the kingdom. With the barrier open, it was inevitable that some characters that came through were more unsavory than others, and wanted to cause true harm. 

Mal was fully in support of some sort of armed guard, while Ben was more hesitant. He needed to figure out what form a police force would take that he would be comfortable with. This was all new territory for Auradon, and it was all due to his decisions. 

This thought made his mind snap back to Harry, and he scanned the water for the dot of dark hair. His heart definitely thumped when he didn’t see it. Ben stood up to get a better view, and his eyes searched the beach, thinking Harry must have finished his swim. His vest and hook were still there on the rock, but there was no boy on the beach. Gaze going back to the water, Ben looked further out, and to the sides. Harry had to be around, he had to be alright. 

Then Ben saw him, way too far out in the ocean, and one of his arms moving wildly as it seemed to be fighting against the wave that was rolling him further out. The king froze for a moment, heart stopped. He should call someone. They had boats, with life jackets and tubes and ropes. They would be able to properly get out there to him. They would never make it in time. 

Ben’s heart started again, and he stopped thinking. His feet were taking him down the steep path to the beach, tripping over roots and rocks, and he fell and tore his khakis and bruised his knees but he didn’t notice. He ran up to the water, and the dot that was Harry’s head seemed a lot further out now. 

Toeing off his shoes and ripping off the light sweater he’d been wearing, Ben threw himself into the water. He kicked and stroked with a single sense of purpose, his mind threatening to wake up and tell him this was all but a suicide mission. He ignored it and swam straight and true, his only objective getting out there and finding Harry, then he would figure the rest out when he got there. 

The water was cold, and getting colder the further out he went. 

Shouldn’t he be able to see him by now? He certainly couldn’t see the shore anymore. Ben’s body continued taking him towards the open sea, and now the waves were helping. He’d just doomed them both, the sinking thought came. His rashness was going to cost him his life, and Auradon their king. And Harry…he might already be gone. 

No. No, he couldn’t think like that, Ben argued with himself. He was strong, and while he did feel his muscles tiring, he wasn’t that far gone yet. He tried to get a good look around with the next wave that lifted him, no matter how much the salt stung his eyes. 

There! He was there! Harry was not far off anymore, and he was still moving. Ben gave another surge as the wave lowered him, hoping he was going in the right direction once he could no longer see Harry. Then he was slamming into a body in the water, sending them both under the surface at first. 

Limbs flailed and wildly grasped for each other as they fought their way up to air. Harry was spluttering when they broke the surface, and Ben could tell the pirate’s strength was mostly gone. He was frightened that his own must be close, but he locked his elbow around Harry’s and pushed that thought away. 

“Can you still swim?” he asked, trying to just tread water for now so he could orient himself back to shore.

“You sodding idiot!” was Harry’s reply, weaker than it would have been had the insult been delivered on land, in safety. Ben knew they shouldn’t waste energy on talking, much less arguing, so he didn’t try to respond. 

Blessedly, a gentle wave lifted them, enough so that Ben could twist around and see the shore, but not enough to carry them any further out. Oh that was a hell of a long way back. He dug down for the thing inside him that made him just a little bit beastly, and, telling Harry to hang on, he kicked with all his might for the shore. 

Harry had more strength left than Ben had thought, though it wasn’t much, and he was able to help propel them through the water to some degree. Ben grit his teeth and just held onto Harry and swam. He would not die out here, he would not abandon his kingdom, and Mal, like this. 

Harry was almost dead weight by the time Ben could consistently see the shore he was swimming towards, and he added Harry is not going to die out here to his mental mantra as he kept moving. The sun had come out from the clouds, and it fell on the silver plated steel of Harry’s hook, reflecting sharply. Ben focused on it like a beacon while he fought his way towards it.

His muscles nearly liquified the second his feet touched sand but he forced his body to keep going, they were still too much in the water, and it seemed like Harry couldn’t stand at all. Pure adrenaline helped Ben get himself and Harry to the beach proper, just out of reach of the waves. He was hardly aware he was having to drag the other boy along with him. 

Ben collapsed onto the sand, lungs heaving and his muscles numb. He was dimly surprised his heart hadn’t burst with that much exertion, though it did feel ready to beat out of his chest. He had to take a moment to simply be amazed that he was still alive before he could begin to study the condition of the boy that his elbow was still locked around. 

Harry lay where Ben had dragged him to, unmoving. No. No. No no no no no. Exhausted as he was, Ben tried to nudge Harry’s shoulder, but he wasn’t very successful. All he could do was lay there and try to catch his breath and stare. 

Suddenly, like music to Ben’s ears, Harry started coughing, sea water pouring from his mouth. The pirate weakly rolled to the side, trying to expel all the water, and partially pulling a still attached Ben with him. Ben was able to unlock his elbow, though he wasn’t able to move back, nor was he able to support his own weight. 

So when Harry flopped back onto the sand, Ben collapsed next to him, his head inadvertently coming down onto Harry’s shoulder. Both boys were far too wiped out to even really notice, and they laid there, not moving, for quite some time, drifting in the haze of true exhaustion and the joy of being able to breathe unimpeded oxygen once more. 

When Ben next attempted to open his eyes, he found them almost glued shut with salt, and it took an effort to pry them apart. The skin on his face felt raw, and he’d never been so thirsty. The first thing he saw when he was able to was skin, miles and miles of skin from where he lay. He heard as well as felt the vibrations of a groan, and he realized he was partially laying on someone. Harry. 

That groan meant Harry was alive, and that thought brought more life to Ben than he’d felt capable of a few seconds ago. 

“Wha’ the hell…” came Harry’s voice, as raw as Ben’s throat felt, the brogue deeper than Ben had ever heard it, making the words almost hard to understand. It was the most beautiful sound in the world at that moment. 

Then, “You crazy bloody bastard. You sodding idiot,” came out next, still weak but with some fire in them. Yup, still a beautiful sound. Ben was now able to get his arm under him and lean away from Harry. He suddenly felt cold in spite of the sun beating down. 

His eyes roamed over his rescuee freely, the circumstances having broken down any need for decorum, or it at least felt like it did. Ben had never seen Harry without his thick black eyeliner, and as such that made for a most startling difference. The sea had washed it all away, and Ben found himself missing it while also appreciating just how young and vulnerable Harry looked without it. 

His dark hair was swept to the side, coated in sand, and Ben had to stop himself from trying to tidy it and brush some of the sand out. The boy pirate looked exhausted of course, especially without his eye makeup. His bare skin was rapidly pinking in the open sun, and Ben tried not to let his eyes linger on anything below Harry’s neck. 

It was a losing battle. His arms were thick and muscular, Ben had seen them plenty due to the sleeveless outfits Harry liked to wear. Ah, but the rest of it Ben had not seen; the swell of a collarbone leading to well formed pecs, ridges of lightly sculpted abs drawing the gaze to a taut belly with a perfect dip of a belly button. 

Sharp hip bones peeked out of pants that had slid down quite far in the water, and there was a whole lot of expanse of skin between the hips, the navel and the top of the tight black pants, in the center of which was a faint line of black hair that disappeared beneath the waistband of the pants.

“Like what you see there, King?” a cocky lilt asked, and Ben squeezed his eyes shut tight immediately, feeling the burn that was not from the sun all over his face. 

“You didn’t have to stop, you know,” Harry teased. “Though you’re a little overdressed for the occasion. Seems unfair,” he said, probably referring to the tee shirt that Ben hadn’t taken the extra half second to peel off. It was clinging to him like a second skin and there probably wasn’t much left to the imagination anyway. Ben could feel Harry sweeping his haughty eyes down his body. Then his frazzled nerves came to a peak. 

“Occasion?!” he almost yelled, pushing himself up into a seated position. Between the sun and their exhaustion, he knew they would have to get off this beach soon. 

“The occasion of you almost killing yourself? What were you trying to do? Swim to the Isle? There’s a perfectly good, permanent bridge over there.” He waved his arm over his shoulder, not even noticing that he was pointing in the opposite direction from it. 

The adrenaline that had gotten him this far was gone, and his breaths came in heaves. He couldn’t look at Harry, but he couldn’t look away, and his eyes settled on the pirate’s left hand, the one he kept the hook on usually, lying prone in the wet sand. He’d almost died. He’d almost drowned.

“Ben,” Harry’s voice was as serious as the king had ever heard it. His hand moved and was suddenly on Ben’s shoulder. 

“Ben,” he said again, and waited till his addressee glanced up at him. 

“I promise I was not trying to swim to the Isle, nor kill myself. I didn’t mean to end up that far out, and I think you may have saved my life. Thank you.” It was humble, and sincere, and if Ben hadn’t been watching his lips move, he may never have believed it came from Harry.  

“I thought you were a good swimmer, so when I saw you go in the water I didn’t think much of it. But then I didn’t see you anymore.” Ben’s voice sounded haunted even to him, and he had the urge to give the other boy a hearty hug, but that would never do. He settled for landing a fist bump on his knee. 

“I’ve never been so grateful to be stalked,” Harry said, with a tired chuckle and a flirty wink, and Ben flushed bright red again.

Chapter Text

Possibly almost dying had nothing to do with it. Some sense of gratitude for being saved had nothing to do with it. The headmistress’s notices definitely had nothing to do with it. 

It was the memory of the fear in those pretty hazel eyes as Ben had yelled at him on the beach, that he - that someone - had been truly worried about him, and had quite literally risked their life for him. 

Harry took a seat in the back of the classroom, as inconspicuous as he could manage, but the teacher still saw him. 

“Welcome to Virtues and Values class, Harry Hook. Even if it’s a few months after the start of term,” a soft voice said, and the pirate looked up to see an honest-to-goodness fairy dressed all in blue. Of course. He took a slow, deep breath. He was going to need all the patience he could muster. 

They went on and on…there were so many classes. Harry had only ever consistently bothered with the three that sounded interesting or easy to him; Classical Literature, History of Woodsmen and Pirates, and Life Skills, and randomly popped in on others. Actually attending a whole day of classes was going to drive him over the edge. 

At lunch, however, Harry wandered out to the picnic grounds and was rewarded by the sight of Ben. The king was seated on a blanket, surrounded by younger kids, all from the Isle, and he seemed to be showing them the different kinds of clouds that were moving through the sky. 

Harry plunked himself down on a nearby bench to shamelessly watch. The sun brought out the blonde in Ben’s hair, and his face lit up when one of the kids asked a question. His laugh carried on the breeze, so wholesome it was almost disgusting. 

Maybe he felt Harry’s eyes on him, because Ben looked up and shot him a smile with a small wave. The pirate gave him a rather more subdued side grin and one nod in return. Harry leaned back against the picnic table, stretching his spine, feeling his muscles lengthen. 

He was losing his fighting form, he knew it, and short of heading back to the Isle looking for trouble his options were limited here. Tourney he could simply not cope with. Maybe fencing wasn’t such a bad idea, and he’d heard the cheerleaders went to the bouts. Okay, so parts of school weren't all that bad. 

Half an hour later he took that back. He had to bite his fist in Remedial Goodness class that afternoon to keep from screaming a war cry and jumping out of the window. These quiz questions - what should you do when an elderly lady is having difficulty crossing the street, for example - were painfully stupid. Could people really be this naive, to think morals could be taught this way? No wonder they’d had to lock anyone that had any darker of a thought than ‘help everyone, all the time’ away on an island. He’d known they were sheltered but bloody hell. 

Harry went back to his dorm at the end of the day and used his mattress as a punching bag. 

“Hey, you know this place has a gym, right?” Gil told him when he walked into their room. Harry threw himself down on the bed, limbs everywhere, and gave his friend an appraising once over. He must be serious, Gil still looked as fit as ever, maybe more so. An interested ripple of desire settled into Harry’s lower belly. 

“I’ve had a long day…” he playfully whined, giving Gil his puppy dog eyes, “Why don’t you come and make me feel better?” He shifted lewdly so that his legs were wide open. Gil was not one for subtleties. The other pirate’s gaze was drawn where Harry meant it to go, sure enough, but he turned his head away. 

“Sorry mate, Jay and I have plans to study,” Gil said. “He promised he’d help me get through math this semester so I can think about taking the ones I need for engineering next year.” He finished exchanging the books in his satchel and was out the door. 

Harry grit his teeth and stared at the ceiling. Gil and Jay were almost inseparable lately, and Gil…engineering? It made sense that things would change when they got to Auradon, Harry supposed, but he didn’t have to like it. 

He rested his fingers at the button of his pants, debating sliding them inside and taking care of himself. Gil hadn’t closed the door behind him, and Harry didn’t feel like getting up. He wickedly thought of the fact that being found voyeuristically pleasuring himself in the dorms might be a sure fire way to get chucked out of the school. 

Then he sighed as he remembered cheerleaders, and the library with all those books, and Ben with his warm eyes. He fell asleep a few moments later, sprawled on the bed, tired from his first actual day of school. 

He survived his first whole week, and then another one, and was granted an early graduation from Remedial Goodness for his pains. At least that was one less class he had to deal with, which gave him more time to spend outside with his notebook. 

Harry was discovering he liked words - he always had, he was good at spinning them so he could get what he wanted in the rare instances he couldn’t simply take. But now that he was learning to write with the same kind of skill, he may have found a hobby that wasn’t the three F’s he had told Ben. 

The pirate wasn’t used to having anything of his own, really, other than his hook, his sword, and his clothes. The leather bound journal that he’d found in his dorm room desk was becoming a prized possession as well as a close companion. No one would ever read the random prose and a bit of poetry he jotted down, or he would certainly hook them. 

These words, these sentences he thought out loud were for his eyes alone. He could sit in a sunny corner of the groomed, green schoolyard and write about the dark, dirty Isle, and not be judged for missing it. 

And fencing did turn out to be alright, other than those horrendous blue and gold outfits that did nothing for Harry’s figure. Jay’s uniform pants, however, hugged his delectable behind just right. The bonus of blatantly checking him out almost made up for the fact that the rules said he couldn’t actually hurt anyone. Lonnie had been very clear about that when she, as captain, accepted him on the team after only a few minutes of trying out. 

There was at least some familiarity to all this that helped Harry’s mind and mood. It felt good to have a sword in his hand again, even if he couldn’t bring his hook in the ring. And he did find some challenge in learning how to lunge and parry without it as a counter balance. 

“Told you so,” Jay just had to rub it in his face after their first group practice. 

“Aye, beauty and brains, you’ve got it all, haven’t you?” Harry teased, not caring in the slightest that Lonnie had her arm around Jay’s shoulder as they walked into the locker room. 

“Yes I do,” she was the one to respond proudly, tightening her hold on Jay. All three broke out in a laugh while Carlos shook his head at them and smiled. This was sort of like friends, Harry realized. This had almost been worth the grotesque blue and gold uniform, but he was still itching to get back to his own dark leather and buckles. 

He stepped to the locker he’d used, and immediately noticed it wasn’t shut all the way. His fading smile vanished. There was no way he wouldn’t have made sure it was closed. Harry swung the door open with a sinking feeling in his gut. 

Clothes were there. Boots were there. Satchel with his precious journal was there. The hook, the extension of Harry’s very soul, was not there. He felt like he’d been sucker punched in the heart, and then he saw pure red. 

“Where is it?” he growled, scaring the boy nearest him, and needing to do something with this rush of anger, he gripped the locker door firmly and yanked. The door ripped off at the hinges and Harry threw it to the floor, the resulting clatter reverberating through the room. 

It was worse than having a limb cut off, worse than a friend dying, worse than being suddenly homeless, or it least seemed so to Harry. The hook hadn’t been out of his sight for more than minutes at a time since he’d had it, since his father died. He’d been so stupid and trusting to leave it! There weren’t even locks on these lockers, since Auradon only had perfect, sweet angels living in it. Bullshit. 

“C’mon, which one of you took it?” No one answered, of course, stunned into silence by Harry’s outburst, and to be fair, no one really knew what was wrong.  

“Nobody steals from Harry Hook!” he roared, his eyes blazing. He stalked the perimeter of the locker room, aware everyone was staying away from his rage, which was a wise decision. 

He wanted to tear the entire school down. He wanted to burn it to the ground. He wanted to skewer every student on the tip of a sword. 

He looked at each of the fencing team members in turn, his nostrils flaring. It had to be one of them. Jay, Carlos, Lonnie - they wouldn’t do it. Even with his blood boiling, Harry knew that. That left six blokes that he didn’t know that well, and he began advancing on the group, ready to rip fingernails off until he got an answer and his property back. 

“What’s going on in here?!” The turney coach rushed into the room, followed by the team with Ben in the lead.  

“Harry!” Ben stepped forward, apparently unfazed by the raw anger vibrating off of the pirate.  

“Someone. Took. My hook!” Harry forced out through a clenched jaw. Ben’s eyes widened and the way the disbelief only flitted across his face, to be replaced with indignation, soothed Harry the tiniest bit. He believed him, and he was on his side, and that meant the world to Harry. 

“Okay,” the coach’s voice was calm but stern. “While it’s disappointing that anyone would take your belongings, destruction of property is not the way to respond.” Harry growled, and lunged. He did not get but a couple of inches due to Ben, Jay, and Carlos grabbing his arms and holding him back. 

“Harry,” Ben’s voice was quiet in the room crackling with murmurs and scuffling, but it was close to Harry’s ear and insistent, so the pirate focused on it. 

“Please don’t do anything you might regret,” the king nearly whispered. “We’ll find it. I promise, we’ll find it.” Harry struggled for a deep breath, then stopped straining at the boys’ holds. He stared at Ben, not blinking, his rage still plain as day. 

Ben, calm and steady as an oak tree, stared back, not challenging, but standing his ground in front of Harry. Harry had to respect that. His breathing began coming easier though his blood still burned. Ben turned from him to address the room, and Harry hadn’t known Ben’s voice could go that deep or commanding. 

“Alright, everyone!” he called out. “As your king, I am asking if anyone in this room had anything to do with the removal of Harry’s hook from his locker.” All those assembled shook their heads and swore they didn’t. 

Harry wanted to challenge them further, but he didn’t want to lose Ben’s support with this. He was impetuous, but he was far from stupid. As much as it galled, he would play by the rules, at least for a little bit. If it didn’t yield results quickly enough, then all bets would be off, and he wouldn’t care about the consequences. He focused on Ben and tried to calm down. 

“Everyone open your lockers. Just in case. And see if you all have anything missing,” the king’s voice rang. Harry’s respect for him grew, that he was not naive enough to just expect everyone to be truthful. 

Each of the fencing and tourney team members dutifully opened their lockers, reporting that nothing of theirs was gone. Jay and Carlos took it upon themselves to search them all, but came up with nothing. Meanwhile, Harry stewed, ready to erupt again. This was getting him nowhere! 

“We’ll find it,” Carlos echoed Ben as he and Jay joined Harry and the king once more. Though Harry didn’t want to admit it, he was grateful to have the former Lost Kids on his side. 

“C’mon, let’s go try to figure this out,” Ben briefly squeezed Harry’s shoulder, gently urging him towards the door. Harry resisted for a moment, still wanting to destroy everything in his path but at least able to think straight now. Stalking to his locker, he snatched his clothes and satchel up. He wasn’t going anywhere until he got dressed properly. 

“It must have been personal,” Jay surmised. The four boys, and Mal, who Ben had text, were on the steps of the school, brainstorming. Well, Harry was pacing on the stone walkway, antsy that he didn’t have a target to destroy for the crime yet. But when he did…oh when he did…

“Someone knew you were there, and knew you left it in the locker,” Carlos thought out loud. “So someone must be watching you.” 

Harry gritted his teeth at that. Not only would hardly anybody think of crossing him back on the Isle, and stalking him, he would have found them out. The rest of Uma’s crew would have had his back, and he never let anything slightly suspicious get by him. 

He was losing his touch, the same thing he’d taunted Jay with back when they’d brought Ben to the Isle. Auradon made people soft. Well, not Harry, not after this. 

“Who might have a grudge against you?” Mal asked, and immediately looked like she regretted the words. Harry twirled around to face her, head cocked and eyes mocking. 

“Everyone,” he said sardonically. Mal folded her arms and gave a jerky nod. 

“Whoever it is, would they have gone back to the Isle with it, or are they here? And what are they going to do with it?” Carlos asked the group. 

“Yeah, it’s not like everybody doesn’t know what it is,” Mal pointed out. 

“Sell it,” Harry said, thinking. “It might fetch quite a price in the right circles.”

“You mean the wrong circles,” Jay countered. 

“What if someone took it with good intentions?” Mal said. Before they could all look at her like she was crazy, she added,“What if they thought it would be best if it was in the museum?”

“It’s mine!” Harry stressed. “No one gets to decide that!” 

“Yes, of course!” Mal replied, annoyed. “I’m not saying it would be right, I’m just offering suggestions.” Harry took a couple of heavy breaths. 

“I know,” he mumbled, as contrite as Harry could get. “Sorry.”

“It’s possible,” Ben acknowledged. He pulled his phone out of his pocket. “I’ll have someone check, and I’ll have some members of the royal guard thoroughly search the school.” 

Harry slinked away from the group down one of the perfectly landscaped hedges. The fingers of his left hand flexed and extended, bereft without their metal counterpart. They snatched a flower from one of the potted arrangements and crushed the petals into his gloved palm. It was great that everyone was trying to help, and the king deploying his royal guard for a pirate’s property had to be a new one but Harry needed to go do something. 

He didn’t bother looking back as he began striding away from the school. The hook had to be back on the Isle by now, and he would go there himself and track it down; no one could do that for him. 

“Harry!” 

He ignored the call until it came again and he could hear Ben jogging after him. 

“Harry, wait up!” 

He stopped, impatience straining at him. Ben didn’t deserve to be ignored, though. 

“I need to go,” Harry told him. 

“Where?” Ben asked, catching up to him. Harry began walking again, forcing Ben to walk with him down the road now. 

“Where else? The Isle,” Harry said shortly. 

“I’ll get some of the guards to go with you,” Ben offered. “You can’t go alone.” Harry paused and turned to him, scoffing. 

“I’ll be fine alone. I’ll be better alone, in fact,” he stated. 

“Well, where are you going to go? What are you going to do?” Ben asked, true worry in his voice. Harry snapped his head away and began walking once more. 

“None of your business.” A hand brought him up short, grabbing at his forearm. Harry barely had the presence of mind to keep himself from yanking it out of Ben’s grasp. His eyes sparked as they took in the king and his audacity. 

“You can’t do everything on your own,” Ben said insistently. The king and the pirate stared at each other for a few seconds, until Harry brought his hand to Ben’s sun-warmed forearm in turn, and gently removed his hold. 

“Some things I have to,” Harry said, his tone making it clear this was no longer a debate. He turned and strode away, calculating where he was going to head on the Isle first, leaving Ben standing there, forlorn. 

“Evie, please!” Ben begged. “I have to go!”

“You remember what happened the last time you went over there.” The blue-haired beauty crossed her arms at the visitor in the middle of her workroom and gave him a stern look.

“It’s got to be different now, though,” he countered, “At least a little. Uma’s crew won’t be trying to kidnap me for one thing.” 

“There’s still plenty of other bad characters on the Isle, Ben,” Evie said, her expression softening at his naivete. “You’re basically a brother to me, and Mal would never forgive me if I helped you and something happened.” 

She leaned her hands on her work table and continued before he could respond, “Someone stole that hook for a reason, and what if this was exactly it? To draw the king into a bad situation?”

“That’s why I don’t want to look like the king this time,” he countered, his voice serious. 

“And I’m taking Carlos and Jay with me, of course,” he lied. He didn’t feel good about it, and he sucked at lying, but Evie seemed to buy it. She sighed, briefly closing her eyes. 

“Dizzy!” she called, opening them again, and the younger girl popped out of an adjacent room. “Will you help me with his hair?” 

“My hair?” Ben questioned. 

An hour later, Evie was putting the finishing touches on his eye makeup, while Dizzy added even more gel to his now black hair. She’d assured him it was temporary dye, and she hadn’t trimmed too much. But Ben’s shag was gone, hair rakishly swept in the opposite direction than usual. 

He stood up from the chair and didn’t recognize himself in the full length mirror. He was wearing almost exclusively black, with touches of silvery gray on the distressed pants, and the silver accent studs on the jacket’s sleeves, cuffs, and bottom hem. The clothes were ones that Evie had laying around, and Ben was pretty sure the pants were women’s with how tight they fit. 

His eyes were sharply accentuated with black eyeliner, and they had added some artful shadowing to his jaw and cheekbones, managing to make him look a little older. Ben stared at his reflection wide eyed. He definitely didn’t look like Auradon’s king anymore. 

“Just remember to relax your face, and look bored at everything,” Evie reminded him. “I gotta say, not bad for a rush job.” She and Dizzy high-fived while the hair stylist giggled. 

Ben smiled and profusely thanked them, preparing to depart. He wanted to get to the Isle as quickly as possible, he hated the idea of Harry over there alone. 

“No smiling!” Evie reprimanded, and he put on a scowl immediately. 

“Better,” she approved. “I’m glad the boys are going with you. Be careful.” She gave Ben a quick hug while he tried not to feel too guilty. He knew he should ask Carlos and Jay to accompany him, and they probably would. 

But there was a large part of Ben that was eager to prove something, either to himself or somebody else, he wasn’t sure which. He wasn’t helpless, needing protection everywhere he went. Just because he was a king didn’t mean he couldn’t do dangerous things. If Harry could go off on his own, so could Ben. 

Chapter Text

Ben knew to park his motorbike in a sheltered spot, and watch all around him for people lurking. He did feel vulnerable on his own, but the makeover and clothes lent him confidence and a swagger he was rather enjoying. He noticed none of the faces in the shadows gave him a second glance, and he did his best to keep his expression brooding and dark. 

Was this how Harry felt all the time? Ben tried slowing his walk to a saunter. This gave him a further boost of self-assurance, and the dagger he’d stashed in a pocket of the jacket helped. 

It was only now that Ben realized he did not have a clue on where to begin searching, or inquiring. Or where Harry would have gone first. He said something about the thieves trying to sell it, but where? 

The reports had come back from the royal guard that it had not been surrendered to the museum, and nothing so far had been found in the school, though the search continued. Ben racked his brain as he tried to blend in. He would walk every street of the Isle if he had to for a hint of where that hook had gone. 

Ben could not have said why it was so direly important to him. Watching Harry’s frantic madness and the lost look in those beautiful blue eyes was enough - Ben could tell how much the hook meant to him, and it was simply cruelly unfair. 

Harry had been beginning to trust, to relax, Ben saw it - he might not be able to say it to him, but he was proud of Harry for finally coming to school regularly, and even trying out for fencing. He was being accepted, slowly finding a place in Auradon, which Ben hadn’t been sure he would be able to do, and then this happened. 

Dragging Harry right back into a world that he was so close to growing away from. It pissed Ben off, and even though the object in question had been threateningly pointed at him the first time he met the pirate, it was still Harry’s property, and he didn’t deserve this. 

Ben found an unoccupied dark corner and discreetly brought up a map of the Isle on his phone, now that the barrier was gone and technology worked there. He briefly thought of how bad his own father had allowed conditions to get on this island, barring it and the people who lived here from all resources, and a buried anger stirred itself, but Ben pushed that down. It nagged at him as he made the connection that none of this would be happening if not for that, though, and it filled him with determination to fix what he could, starting with this. 

Hoping the majority of Harry’s old stomping grounds had been in the vicinity of Mal’s apartment, and by the same token hoping that the thief or thieves that must have a vendetta would have originated from the same area, Ben worked on trying to figure out where that was on the map. It was a long shot, but it was a start. Maybe he’d at least find Harry around there.

He came upon somewhat of a merchant’s row, and felt encouraged. But if the hook was going to be sold, Ben had a feeling it would not just be set up in a shop window. Not that these vendors had the luxury of windows. 

He would have to start talking to people, and he was tempted to do so as a king inquiring about a crime, but he had to remember he was not a king right now. While he seemed to be doing alright with lurking with the lessons Evie, Jay, and Carlos had given him, he’d been forbidden to talk to anybody last time, and it wasn’t hard to know why. This community, if it could be called that, didn’t talk to each other. There were no hellos, no how are yous, no smiles or waves as people passed each other in the street. 

Ben had his eye on a run down jewelry stand, which did have its wares set behind an old car windshield with two half trolls standing guard on either end. Ben didn’t know how to speak troll but he did see a human seated at the stand, dressed in a purple silk jacket, idly reading a magazine while he twirled the end of his long black mustache. This seemed as likely a place to start as any. 

“Hey,” Ben tried to make it sound like a grunt instead of the bright greeting in which he would use the word at home. The stand owner didn’t look up at him but the twirling stopped. 

“Heard there might be a rare piece around, one fresh on the market. Like really fresh,” Ben said, keeping his voice low. He was unwilling to ask for the hook by what it was, having the sense to know if this was the wrong path, he would be tipping people off. 

Beady black eyes studied Ben, and he tried not to look back directly, knowing eye contact was at best an insult here and at worst a challenge. 

“The newest item I have is a gold gypsy necklace from the vault of Claude Frollo,” the man replied with a hint of a French accent. “Stolen at one time, certainly, but long since cleared. I do not accept questionable merchandise. I am curious what exactly it is you are in the market for, however.” 

“Never mind,” Ben told him, trying to cover his tracks. “The piece I am inquiring about may only be a rumor.” He backed away from the stand, not wanting to incur any further suspicion.

Well, that had been a failure…or rather one measly place off the innumerable list that the hook could be in, Ben thought. He wandered down a few shops, plotting his next move. He had a feeling if he asked too many people, that would mean trouble for him and less chance of finding it. But what was he supposed to do? 

His phone vibrated in his pocket. The school had been found clear. Ben’s shoulders slumped. There’d been a decent hope that it had been a prank, that the hook would be found in someone’s dorm room, maybe of someone that didn’t necessarily like Harry, but that the act wasn’t born out of true malice. Ben debated if he shouldn’t begin to investigate the pirates’ quarter of the Isle. Harry had probably most definitely made some enemies there. 

“Look at that shiny little prize,” a deep voice leered from close by on Ben’s left. 

“Yeah, we’re talking about you, hot stuff. Yur pretty,” another male voice spoke up, and a tall, sturdy blond stepped towards Ben. The king swallowed, his heart pounding in his chest. 

He took a slow step backwards, about to run, but he could feel the two guys’ eyes watching his every move. He wasn’t sure how far he would get, and he didn’t like what seemed the intent of these two. 

“I - I’m waiting for a friend,” he got out. 

“Sure you are,” the first speaker said, “You look pretty lonely to me.” Ben worked to draw a real breath. He opened his mouth, about to declare himself as king and hope that mattered to these sleazeballs, but a feral growl with a rolling accent came out of the shadows before he could. 

“Get your eyeballs off of him, lads. This one’s mine.” The shadow moved, and Ben felt a hand grip his hip and draw him closer to a solid body. He’d never been so happy to see Harry. 

“You heard him,” Ben found his voice with Harry there to literally lean on. “Told I was waiting for someone.”

The two ruffians exchanged a glance, clearly debating if it was still worth trying. The glare they were receiving from Harry gave them pause. 

“Aren’t you a prissy Auradon bloke now?” the blond taunted. “Think we’re scared of you anymore?” Ben felt the anger vibrate off of Harry’s body, almost shooting sparks. He put his arm around Harry’s back and squeezed his side, trying to ground him for the second time that day. Harry, damn him, stepped out of it and drew his sword, keeping Ben behind him. 

“I will still paint these streets with your entrails,” he threatened, his voice darker than Ben had ever heard it, holding the blade crosswise in front of him. Ben was sure he looked quite as maniacal as he always did when someone crossed him, and he watched with a quiet joy as the two men shot Harry and Ben a dirty look but moved away. 

Harry waited till they were out of sight before he sheathed his sword and turned back to Ben. 

“Ben?” he clarified, searching the king’s eyes unabashedly. “What the hell are you doing here? Especially looking like…this?” 

The last word was said on a whisper as Harry’s gaze traveled down and then up Ben’s form slowly, making Ben feel more exposed than he had since he’d gotten to the Isle, or maybe ever. Even in the current situation, Harry found it in him to grant Ben a smirk, and Ben couldn’t help the blush that made the smirk grow wider. 

“I didn’t like the idea of you here alone,” Ben said, trying to ignore the way Harry’s smirks made his insides as well as his face warm up. “And I didn’t want to make the same mistake as last time.” 

“I told you I’m fine on my own,” Harry’s lip curled at him now, “And now I’ve got you here as a distraction. Not that I’m exactly complaining,” he added, eyes still wandering. Maybe Ben should wear these clothes at home sometimes…he shook his head at himself and at Harry for being an incorrigible flirt and putting these improper thoughts in his head. 

“So have you made any progress?” Ben asked. “It’s not at the school or the museum.” 

“I’m not so sure it’s here, either,” Harry replied with a hint of despair. “I still need to check the wharf, see if anyone has seen it there.” 

“Then let’s go,” Ben said. Harry, obviously accepting that Ben was along for the ride, started in that direction. 

“We’re going to find it,” Ben reassured him once more, sensing that Harry needed to hear it. 

“If someone threw it in the sea, Ben…I…” Harry’s voice was as close to breaking as Ben could imagine it ever had. 

“We’ll still find it even if they did,” he promised staunchly. Harry gave him a half grin of gratitude. Ben was sure he was about to mock him when a familiar scruffy little furball trotted up to them. 

“Oh yeah, I’m good,” Dude bragged. “Even under the stench of this place I found them.” Evie and Carlos jogged up behind the little terrier, Carlos unable not to stare. 

“Ben?!” he asked, then to Evie, “Good job!”

“Thanks!” she replied, “Dizzy helped.” 

“What are you doing here?” Ben asked them. Evie glared at him knowingly.

“As soon as you left my place, I texted Carlos. Did you think you were going to get away with this?”

“You know, it’s not like I haven’t been here before,” Ben reminded them. Harry cocked his head at him, a smile playing on his lips.

“Aye, you have. And I kidnapped you within an hour.” Even Carlos stifled a laugh at this. 

“It was a little longer than that!” Ben was indignant. 

Evie now tilted her head at him too, squinting. 

“Mm, not really,” she said. “Pretty much as soon as we turned around, they had you.” 

Ben’s mind flashed back to his first encounter with Harry and Gil -  having a burlap sack that stank of rotting fish suddenly over his head and being dragged away by arms much stronger than his. He’d been terrified, in truth, but he was still proud of himself for keeping his cool. 

Even when Harry had gotten in his face and taunted him and he heard that maniacal, musical laughter for the first time. He wondered if Harry was thinking about that too. The pirate could brag all he liked that he’d been about to shove Ben off the gangplank, but Ben remembered how tightly he’d held onto him whenever Ben had truly started to slip. 

Now, Ben scowled as his friends picked on him, knowing they were right. Carlos playfully punched him on the arm, silently telling him it was alright, they were here for each other. Ben brightened, the freckled blond that was a few months younger had become like the little brother he’d never had. 

After the current status of the search was shared among them, the group of four with Carlos carrying Dude, arrived at the wharf. There were merchants here too, food vendors with offerings that barely looked edible, and plenty of characters that looked like they were bad news. Shouldn’t things be improving here a little by now, Ben thought. 

“I just need to ask a few of the right people,” Harry told them. “But keep your heads down, because I don’t know where those people are,” he cautioned. Just then…

“Harry,” an appreciative feminine voice reached their ears, and a buxom redhead swung into their path. Harry gave her a flirtatious smile, and wasted no time in drawing her close. 

“Giselle,” he murmured, appreciating right back. Carlos and Evie politely averted their eyes, but though Ben tried, he still watched the interaction out of the corner of his. Harry’s lips went to the skin of the girl’s exposed upper chest, a bold move out here in public, but this was the Isle, and this was Harry Hook. His hand roamed freely over and up her back as they embraced, and Ben heard her giggle. He felt his face grow warm again without knowing why. 

Harry threw a glance back to them, then drew Giselle off to the side, apparently for some privacy. Ben had to stop himself from following. 

“I almost thought things would be getting better here, at least somewhat, with the barrier open now,” Evie echoed Ben’s thoughts, and the king worked to turn away from Harry and Giselle pressed together and talking in tones too low for him to hear over the ruckus of the seaside shantytown. 

“Maybe I need to do more with support programs,” Ben said, his mind working overtime in several different ways. “Maybe people just need some help to get started on a better path.”

“The barrier hasn’t been open for that long,” Carlos cautioned. “I think a lot of people are still getting used to the thought. And this is just what a lot of them have known for all or most of their lives, they probably like it, or don’t know that there could be more.”

“It’s okay that it’s a slow process, Ben,” Evie encouraged. “You can’t fix everything overnight. I’ve learned that.” She gave him a small smile. 

“It’s just hard to see,” he said sadly. 

“I know,” Evie and Carlos both replied. Ben’s attention was caught by the sashay of hips once more, Harry’s finally detaching from Giselle’s and making their way back to the group. 

“Was she a right person?” Ben asked before he could stop himself. A haughty grin hung on Harry’s face, and Ben wasn’t sure if he liked it or hated it at the moment. 

“Aye, she was very much a right person. In more than one way.” He was still watching her walk away down the docks. He finally spun to face Ben and the others, looking happier than he had since he’d discovered his hook gone. Ben saw Carlos roll his eyes at the pirate, and agreed with the sentiment, but stayed silent, waiting. 

“She would have heard if any of the old crew had it,” he shared, “Which narrows our options but that’s not a good thing.” He dropped his volume further. “Someone we definitely don’t want in Auradon has been lurking, and in the school on top of that. And we still don’t know where they are now.” 

His eyes suddenly flicked to three burly figures dressed in pirate gear about to walk by them, even more mistrust than usual etched on his face. Ben accordingly watched them as well, and his fingers rested near the lapel of his jacket, just in case. One of them sniggered meanly as they came close. 

“Oh look, if it isn’t the wharf rat,” he said in a bored tone as he looked straight at Harry. “Come back to beg for scraps like you used to when you were a wittle boy, now that your captain went to live the good life?” 

Ben saw Harry’s face turn bright red, but he didn’t attack. This was probably wise, given the size of these guys, though he could tell it was taking all of Harry’s control. Evie and Carlos were glaring daggers at them, and Ben tried to get ready to grab Harry if it ended up being necessary. One of the thugs threw down a half eaten biscuit at Harry’s feet. Harry shook in anger, and all three bigger pirates laughed crudely as they moved away. 

“Filthy wharf rat!” one called back over his shoulder. Harry angrily kicked the biscuit as far away from him as he could, making crumbs out of the stale thing on contact. 

“You know, rats are actually very clean and intelligent creatures with a complex social structure!” Carlos was hollering after them, apparently able to handle Harry getting insulted but not rats. 

“Shut up! And Ben!” Evie’s whispered voice was sharp. “Put that thing away! Before you get us in trouble!” Ben recovered himself and realized the knife was in his hand - he must have drawn it without even realizing it. Harry quickly stepped in front of him to hide it from view, and took his wrist, holding Ben’s gaze. 

“Careful there, mate. I’d love to slice them up too, but even I know when I’m outmatched.” Ben nodded slowly, and slid the dagger back into its place. 

“We need to get out of here,” Ben’s words were shaky. He’d had about enough of the Isle for one day. 

“Aye, you do,” Harry agreed. “Go home, Ben. All of you,” he glanced at Evie, Carlos, and Dude. “I’m not going anywhere until I have my hook. I appreciate the support but I probably really should do this alone. Like I should have in the first place,” he remonstrated, focusing back on Ben. 

“Looks like we all can go back to Auradon,” Carlos announced, his phone in his hand. “They at least know it’s there. Mal used your magic mirror, Evie.” 

“Why didn’t I think of that?!” Evie lamented. Ben was glad he hadn’t told anybody that he had talked to Mal about asking Fairy Godmother if they could briefly lift the ban on magic usage for this. He hadn’t thought she would say yes, and he didn’t want to get hopes up and lose time if that angle didn’t work.

“Who has it?” Harry asked eagerly. 

“They don’t know who they are,” Carlos said, “But it looks like they have a camp in the woods near the Enchanted Lake.” Harry grimaced. 

“Let’s go.” 

Chapter Text

Finally. Finally he was going to have his hook back on his hand where it belonged. This day had been torture, and now he would rain down wrath upon those who had made it so. 

Harry moved silently through the trees, not taking his eyes off the raggedy tent mostly hidden in the thick evergreen branches several yards away. Light was fading fast, but he had refused any suggestions of waiting until the next day, especially now that he knew his hook was in that tent. 

Mal and Evie had shown him in the magic mirror as soon as he and the others got back to the mainland. He recognized the thieves: Preston and Priscilla, brother and sister, nephew and niece of the famous poacher Percival McLeach. They were both two of the nastiest specimens Harry had ever come across, and that was saying something. The thought of them hiding out in idyllic Auradon, spoiling the natural resources, made Harry a little ill. 

He’d fought with Ben on the way to the woods. The king had wanted to send in the royal guard, to arrest the thieves properly and avoid bloodshed. But Auradon didn’t even have a jail, Harry discovered. And this pair, he assured Ben, would elude any straightforward capture that was attempted. This was a job for pirates, villains. So it was he, Gil, Jay, Evie, and Carlos that were stationed strategically throughout the brush, all capable of being as sneaky as this required. 

Ben, Mal, and the guards that Ben insisted on having nearby were all back about an eighth of a mile, ready to move in if backup was needed. Harry had agreed to that to appease the king, knowing he wanted to help further and frustrated that he couldn’t do more. He’d done plenty already, and Harry did not want Ben, even if he was getting a little sharper, anywhere near where he could be hurt. 

He could wish he had one more player. Uma - she was as stealthy and ruthless as they came, or she used to be. She had hung up her sword and was determined to focus on all the schooling she had lost out on. She and Harry had barely spoken after coming to Auradon. No matter. 

He returned his focus to where it needed to be as he signaled to the others and went to circle around behind the tent, working to move silently and also keep a sharp eye out for any traps that may be laid, especially in the falling dusk. 

There. In the undergrowth, Harry spotted a thin wire disturbing the symmetry of a wide green leaf of some kind of plant - fauna wasn’t his specialty. The wire was surrounding the tent somehow; that was why Preston and Priscilla weren’t keeping watch and Harry was close enough now to hear them talking. They sounded so alike, he couldn't tell which one was which. 

“This place is so ripe for the picking,” one laughed. 

“The animals aren’t even scared of people. It’s seriously redic.”

“We’re going to make a killing back at Moe’s. He’s always looking for wild game. The Isle gets to eat on the fat of Auradon for a change.” More laughter, evilly gleeful. 

Harry understood where the two were coming from, he did. For so long the Isle inhabitants had been so clearly not even second class citizens, but not even citizens, not even treated as people at all. He understood the anger, and the desire for revenge - it was what led him to kidnap a king and threaten his life. But the barrier was open now, and Ben was working towards equality, to fix what his father had royally screwed up. 

Harry, however, due to the course events had taken, could now call that king by his first name and had insights few people were privileged to have. That still didn’t give vermin like this the right to plunder and rape Auradon for its resources, though, not when that wasn’t the only way anymore. 

“So, how much do you think this old hook will get us?” 

Harry’s ears sharpened further, his heart beating hard, and he signaled to his cohorts to stay put. The light was almost totally gone, but that might work out better. 

“A pretty penny I’m sure. It’s the real deal, right?” 

“Does it matter? Everyone thinks it is. That’s what’s going to bring a buyer.”

“Old Smee would probably salivate over it but that old fool doesn’t have any money.” 

“What about Starkey?”

“If he’s still alive. We’ve probably got a better chance with Jukes. Heard he retired and lives on the far side of the island. We’ll ask around tomorrow.” 

The thieves felt so secure in their hideaway here that they thought they would casually wait until the next day to take their plunder back to the Isle! Harry tried to see shadows through the canvas, they must have a lantern lit inside, but the fabric was too dark and heavy. 

The poachers were not stupid. Harry still couldn’t figure out a way to avoid tripping the wire, either. But he was tired of waiting. 

One more signal to the others, that he was not sure could be seen in the near dark now, one more deep silent breath, and he nudged the wire with the stick he held in one hand exactly three seconds before his sword sliced through the canvas tent. Pandemonium ensued. 

A scream, grunts, swearing, then a rifle shot rent the crisp night air. The area was flooded with light all at once, and Harry was blinded but he saw the silver glint that he was looking for. He dove into the mass of fabric and flailing bodies, wielding his sword instinctively. Something sharp cruelly sliced into his arm as his fingers closed on the handle of his beloved hook. 

He released a war cry, his spirit renewed, and danced like the devil with his opponent, now that he could see much better. Preston had a shortsword and a mace, wherever he’d gotten that from, but he was a poacher, a sneaking thief, not a fighter, and no match for a rabid Harry Hook. He was down on the ground with the tip of Harry’s sword just about digging into his throat within moments. 

The two were clearly outnumbered, as Priscilla was already being held in a chokehold by Gil with Jay’s sword at her chest. Venom shot from both of their gazes like laser beams. Just like that, it was over, mission accomplished. 

“Uh, Harry,” Jay pointed out, “You’re bleeding.” Harry looked down at himself, noticing the blood flowing from his bicep for the first time, coating the rest of his arm and trickling onto his hook. A maniacal laugh climbed its way out of his throat as he threw his head back, the taste of a well-won battle sweet on his tongue, and his eyes shone like diamonds in the flood lights. 

“Nobody steals from Harry Hook,” he declared, and reluctantly allowed some royal guards to lift Preston from the ground and lock restraints on his and Priscilla’s wrists as well as feet. 

Carlos was wrapping a bandage around his arm, and Harry surprised him by hugging him in joy. 

There was an air of subdued celebration, given Harry’s wound and the cooler found of the murdered animals that Preston and Priscilla must have taken that day for their harvest. Harry was just happy to have his hook back. He couldn’t stop looking at it, even when Ben himself came to lead him away. 

“Okay, that’s right,” the king was saying, “Let’s get you to the hospital now for some stitches.” He would have hugged Ben as well, but he didn’t want to get blood on him, and he was suddenly starting to feel extremely tired. 

Some time later, Harry woke up in a very soft bed in an unfamiliar room, and the next thing he was aware of was that his fingers were not wrapped around his hook. He sat up, on the verge of frantic, but then saw it on the bedside table in the glow from a night light shaped like a knight’s shield with the Auradon crest on it. 

His eyes, adjusting, roamed over the rest of the luxuriously furnished room, the dark blue and gold drapery, the oversized four poster bed he was laying in, and were these sheets silk? A massive tapestry depicting a jousting tournament took up most of one wall. Harry had never slept in a room like this before. It was entirely too large, and it was this long before he even saw the armchair that was almost as big as a loveseat, with one King Benjamin curled up in it. 

Harry put the pieces together, running his fingers over the bandage on his arm and the stitches underneath. It must have been too late to take him back to the dorms by the time he was sewed up and his injury didn’t require an overnight hospital stay. So Ben, the hopeless bleeding heart that he was, had given Harry his own bed for the night. 

A pirate, a villain kid, Captain Hook’s son, nestled securely literally in the lap of royal luxury. What had Harry done to deserve this? He considered sneaking out, but he’d only been in the castle once, and he wasn’t sure he could find his own way, not without disturbing enough people to probably wake Ben. And he very much did not want to do that. 

The window maybe was an option, he could sneak out of one of those pretty quietly, but his arm gave a warning throb as he thought about it. He remembered all the blood, and figured that was probably a deep enough cut that he didn’t want to open it again. So he lay there, in the most comfortable bed he would probably ever know, and watched Ben sleep. 

The king’s hair was still dark, still shorter than before, but he’d washed his face of the makeup, and it was a sweet juxtaposition, especially in his royal blue button down pajamas. He was proving to be a deeper person than Harry had at first thought. He was still a spoiled royal rich kid that must have wanted for nothing - this room was a case in point - growing up in a charmed, safe world where all the bad had been locked out. 

But he was not blind to the struggles of people even if he had a hard time understanding them, and he was trying to be a fair and strong king. He’d already made bold changes in the short year or so he’d held the crown. Harry was curious what his next move would be.

The pirate dozed off again, and when he woke next with the dawn light now gently brightening the room, he was the one being watched. Anybody else he’d hook for that. But Ben had proven several times over that he meant him no harm, and this was simply quid pro quo. Harry saw the slight flush when Ben noticed he was awake and knew he’d been caught watching, and could not resist. 

“So all it takes is a mortal injury and stitches to get into your bed?” he quipped. 

“Hardly a mortal injury,” Ben scoffed. It was amusing when he tried to save a shred of his dignity. Harry didn’t feel like letting this one go. 

“Even better,” he leered, “You’ll use a wee nick as an excuse to get me horizontal.” He smirked and winked at the king, who huffed a laugh and shook his head at him. 

If only you would actually join me over here…Harry thought, having mercy on Ben by not saying anything else but still teasing by letting the thought show clearly in his expression. How it was interpreted could not possibly be his fault, right?

“How is the arm?” Ben asked. 

“Good,” Harry answered. “Still there so that’s a win.” 

“There was a lot of blood. By the time you let me get you out of there and to the hospital.” Of course Ben had personally accompanied him to the hospital. Cause that was normal for a king to do rather than sending a nurse or some other servant. 

“It was worth it,” Harry said, reaching over for his beloved hook. Someone had cleaned the blood off of it for him, and while he doubted that it would have been Ben, he rather liked the idea so he didn’t ask for the truth. 

“You weren’t yourself without that thing yesterday,” Ben observed. 

“It’s never gone missing like that before,” Harry told him as the light grew in the room, the sun beginning to rise and peek through the drapes covering the tall windows and the French doors that must lead to a balcony. 

“And it is a part of me. It was like my hand was gone.” He hated even remembering that feeling, and stroked the curve of the hook, vowing to try to never take it for granted again. 

“Was it actually your father’s?” The question was gentle, respectful, which was not how it was usually asked, on the rare occasion when it was. 

“Aye,” Harry replied, still looking at it, watching the way the morning light glinted off the metal like he had many, many times before. “All I have of him, in fact. Cut it off his hand when he died myself. It was what the pilferers wanted the most from our sad wee hovel, and the one thing they didn’t get. I had it modified to hold of course, rather than be anchored in bone, and Smee was the only one I would allow to do it. He offered to take me in, even though he had no real home, but I wanted to be on my own. It was how I first started being called a wharf rat. I was. Stole and begged to survive. So I guess not much changes in almost ten years. Still getting called wharf rat, and still fighting to keep my father’s hook.” 

Harry stared over at the tapestry, noting the weave of the threads. He wasn’t sure why he’d just said all that, he hadn’t told anybody since he was a kid, Uma in fact was the last one to get that much of his story out of him. Meanwhile, Ben must have been doing math. 

“You were eight when he died?” His tone was more incredulous than pitying. 

“He wasn’t a young man when I was born, but the conditions we lived in didn’t help. Not many people get to live to old age over there.” Ben’s brow bent at this, his face troubled. 

“But you’ve been on your own since then? What about your mother?” 

“Never knew her, and don’t think I’d want to know someone that could leave her baby with Captain Hook.” Harry eased his legs out from under the covers and swung them off the bed. This conversation was much too personal to be having while laying down. 

“He must have loved you,” Ben said. 

“He kept me alive,” Harry corrected. “Fed me stories of the old days, and the reign of pirates, when they were lords of the seas. Did his best to raise me in his image. You can see how I ended up like I have.” He couldn’t keep the note of confused pride out of his tone. 

Harry stood up and enjoyed a long stretch, pretty sure he could feel Ben enjoying the view as his shirt rode up his belly. Ooh, those stitches pulled. He might actually have to take it easy for a few days. 

“Do you think you’re that much like him?” was the next question in what was beginning to feel like an interrogation. Ben was lucky he was cute. That, and had stuck his neck out for Harry more than a couple times now. 

“I hope not. He was a horrible man.” To Ben’s intrigued look, Harry continued, his voice hardening, “He actively hunted children, and was happy to kill fairies and anything else that got in his way.” Yes, Captain James Hook had been his father, but Harry had no illusions about him.

“You almost killed me,” Ben challenged, with a knowing spark in his eye that made Harry want to smile but he glared back at him instead.

“Shut up,” he said almost affectionately, and this made a half grin break out on Ben’s face. Harry liked putting those there. 

“No,” Harry grew serious again as he leaned into the arm of the chair that Ben sat in. “It’s just a matter of survival. It’s an eat or be eaten world, Ben,” and this he said in a lower octave, just for the fun of seeing if the king would get the innuendo. He was surprisingly not disappointed when Ben’s breathing deepened. 

“And one must do what they must do,” he continued, spinning away and starting to restlessly pace, the hook comfortably on his hand. 

“I was only on my own for a few years, until Uma and I became friends and she was gathering her crew. I was doing alright by then, but gangs were the best way to try to make a decent life.”

“Then you came here, and you were suddenly on your own again,” Ben said thoughtfully. Harry absorbed these words and his temper flared in a heartbeat. He drew close to Ben again, fully taking advantage of the intimidation factor of standing over him while he was seated. 

“Don’t you feel sorry for me, little king, from your cushy life from up on high. I don’t need anyone,” Harry snarled with his lip curling, inches from Ben’s face. The boy didn’t flinch. 

It was interesting that some well placed words in the right purr from further away could unsettle him but not actual anger much closer. Bravery or simple stupidity? Harry brought the curve of the hook to Ben’s temple, transfixed for a moment by the hazel eyes blinking calmly back at him, then he pushed himself up and away. 

Maybe he knew that was a lie; obviously he’d needed people yesterday, and Ben taking care of him was not unwelcome. Part of him hated how well Ben seemed to be getting to know him, but another part yearned for it. 

Once upon a time, Harry had been a little boy that was starved for love, and though he’d grown past that, to build this persona that people generally knew better than to mess with, that little boy was still buried in there. He stood facing away from Ben, working his jaw, thinking it was time to leave. He supposed a ‘thank you for everything’ would be polite, but he didn’t know how to say it. 

“I’m glad you’re here, Harry,” Ben’s soft voice reached him. “I like having you around.” 

Harry glanced over at him from across the room, his turn to blink silently. No one had ever said those words to him, so open and raw and honest. It was definitely time to leave, to get back to his dorm room and his journal.  

Chapter Text

Another beautiful morning’s sunbeams streamed into the windows of the castle’s informal dining room, flooding it with light. Mal was finishing her eggs when Ben drained his glass of orange juice and then cleared his throat. He glanced at her almost nervously, piquing her curiosity, before he spoke. 

“Father, Mother, Mal,” he got their attention. “I have something I’d like to announce. I’ve been doing a lot of thinking after what happened the other day and those poachers being found in the Enchanted Forest.” 

Belle frowned, and King Beast looked expectantly at his son. The events had ruffled all of Auradon, its long lasting safety having been called into question. There was an unfamiliar unease in the air wherever one went now, which was trying on all the citizens.

“We need more protection, a stronger defense plan. The royal guards need to perhaps be more of a military,” Ben said. Belle’s frown turned into a wince at once. 

“Military is such an ugly word,” she lamented. 

“We can still call it a guard then,” Ben hurried to say. “But they need more direction, more experience than what we have.”

“You know, back in the day,” the Beast spoke up, “I was a force to be reckoned with. No one was getting within miles of my castle. I could become more involved than what I’ve been.” Ben let him finish but countered carefully. 

“Back in the day,” he acknowledged. “And that was a small village, correct? Auradon is more sizable, and…we don’t want our people scared of us.” 

Mal sat quietly as her fiance respectfully but thoroughly put his father back in his place. She’d enjoyed watching Ben’s growth over the last several months, from almost a child wearing a crown (she still often wondered what this place was thinking, to pronounce their kings at sixteen years of age) closer to a leader, developing security in his power. 

“Now, I take full responsibility for having this challenge to even deal with. It was my decision to completely bring down the barrier -”

“Well, mine too,” Mal broke in, reminding him that she was not blameless here. His hand slid to hers across the tablecloth and squeezed it tightly.

“Our decision,” he amended. “And I have no regrets about that.” Here he gave Mal a warm smile. “But that makes it my place to do whatever might need to be done to protect Auradon.” 

Mal wondered what Ben was leading up to, and how long he’d been thinking about this. She knew him, and he had a tendency to rush into things. He was getting better with the bigger decisions as he matured a bit, but it was odd that he hadn’t talked this over with her. Regardless, she would support him, as her king, her friend, and her fiance . 

“He’s right,” she told the former king and queen. “It’s smart to be safe. It’s been peaceful here for so long, I know it’s probably hard for you to think of true evil here, of fighting and war, but they are real.” Ben nodded his thanks for her support. 

“That is a wise assessment,” the Beast praised. “Unpleasant as the thought is, burying our heads in the sand isn’t the answer. We can’t assume everyone that comes here will be merely mischievous like you and your friends were.” She fought the urge to squint in annoyance at him. 

She and her friends had very much tried to collapse the entire kingdom when they first arrived, and they weren’t far from succeeding. But everyone seemed to forget that after Ben’s coronation. And to be fair, they’d never strictly found out about Ben getting kidnapped and almost killed by Uma and her pirates on the Isle…heads in the sand was an apt description.

“So I think, for starters, we need a true Captain of the Guard,” Ben continued. “I have someone in mind already.” Mal sensed the borrowed confidence he said this with, and watched him closely. 

There were some good choices she could think of off the top of her head - Jay or Lonnie would be strong contenders; Uma if she hadn’t sworn to hang up her sword, saying she was done with bloodshed; Mal had a thought that Ben would even announce her own name. 

“Harry Hook,” were the next words out of Ben’s mouth, and Mal had to blink a few times. Harry? That swaggering braggart? Who had just had a temper tantrum when his hook was stolen? Granted, he was still sticking it out here in Auradon, rather than going back to his roots on the Isle but Mal wasn’t sure if she knew why. 

“A lost kid?” Beast asked. “As our head of security?” 

“He hasn’t been here all that long, has he? And quite frankly, I didn’t think he was adjusting all that well,” Belle added.

“Mal was a lost kid, who didn’t have an easy time adjusting,” Ben pointed out quickly, “And she’s going to be our queen someday.” He flashed her another smile that she did her best to return. There was a break in the conversation as the bus person came to whisk the breakfast dishes away. As soon as they were gone, the elder king spoke again, his voice heavy with concern. 

“Would he be level headed and loyal enough, especially in a position like that?” Ben nodded firmly in response. 

“He needs a mission, that's all, and this would be the perfect thing for him,” he said. Mal wondered how well he thought he knew Harry. He might not be wrong, but…the worried looks on the king’s and queen’s faces said it all. She knew she had to make a decision of her own here. 

“Ben’s right,” she said loyally. “Just because he’s from the Isle doesn’t have to mean anything. I’m from the Isle, and you took a chance on me.” Though she wondered if there had been a similar conversation about her around a meal table after Ben had sprung the news to his parents that he’d suddenly started going out with an Isle of the Lost girl. She’d never wanted to ask.

Now Beast turned to Mal with open sincerity in his warm eyes. It was a look that said he would follow her lead, no matter what she said. 

“Do you think we can trust Harry?” he asked her. Mal had earned the king and queen’s own trust, as well as love, over the course of the last year or so and never for one second took it for granted. She could not lie to them. 

“He’s got great potential. And everyone does deserve a chance,” she said carefully. She did truly believe that, but she was going to talk to Ben in private about this as soon as breakfast was over. 

“What is your sudden fascination with Harry all about?” She didn’t miss the way Ben swallowed in surprise, or nerves, as she asked the question. 

“You needed a pet project or something? Because that’s not what we lost kids are.” 

“No. I know that. No, I - I just wanted to -” 

Ben had never really lied about anything a day in his life, er, well he'd certainly never done so to Mal, of all people. And this didn’t require a lie exactly, because he honestly didn’t know what his fascination about Harry was, or at least that’s what he was able to still tell himself.  

“Help him. He’s had a hard time here.” Did that make it a pet project like she was calling it? Maybe it was, and he thought of how enraged Harry would be to be called that. 

Mal was studying him closely, and Ben didn’t always appreciate how it seemed like she could see through him. Not because he was hiding anything, of course, it just unnerved him. 

“Captain of the Guard, though?” she asked now. “That’s a - massive - step. He might be doing better, but he’s still hot headed. I don’t know if he’s mature, or sane, enough, Ben. And why wouldn’t you run this by me first?” 

Because I knew you would do this, Ben thought but didn’t say. Was that the same as a lie? Everything was getting so muddled. 

“He’s up to it,” Ben defended Harry. “He’ll be great at it. He’s one of the best fighters I’ve ever seen. He’s smart, observant, and can think three steps ahead.” Mal pursed her lips impatiently at him. 

“So are a lot of the people that had to fight just to survive over there. No offense, Ben, but you’ve never had to evaluate true danger and how to combat it, and who would be best for the job.” Ben opened his mouth, trying to think of a comeback for that but Mal held up a hand. 

“He is good at what he does, I’m not denying that. Uma wouldn’t have kept him around as long as she did if he wasn’t, and I would take him at my side in any battle, any day. If I knew he’d stay at my side.” Her words settled into the air between them for a few moments. 

“So you don’t trust him?” 

“He’s a pirate,” she dodged the question once more. “You’re putting all of Auradon’s safety in the hands of a pirate.” 

“He was a pirate,” Ben countered. “And is there no chance a pirate can be a good man?” Mal just looked at him skeptically, then sighed. 

“What if I’d never taken a chance on you?” Ben said, reaching out for Mal’s hand and looping their fingers together. He knew he was playing his trump card, and he felt a little dirty doing so, though he couldn’t have pinpointed exactly why. But he was learning the art of negotiation, a skill he needed in his role, and while he may have been young, he was not a fool. 

She leaned into him for a few moments, enjoying being close. But then straightened up and leveled her gaze at him again. 

“If we’re going to make Harry Captain of the Guard, I think it’s only smart to take a bit of a precaution,” she stated. Ben could see the reasonableness here. 

“Such as?”

“I propose we appoint Jay as his commanding officer.” 

A flutter of unreasonable jealousy went through Ben; Harry flirted with Jay to no end, though Jay never seemed to have any of it. Realistically, he wondered how well the two could work together. They had in the past though, eventually, when it had come to defeating Audrey. And he could hardly argue; Mal was being up front with him when he hadn’t done so with her. It was a smart move, Jay would be valuable. 

“Okay,” he agreed. 

Ben was determined to tell Harry himself, with no one else around, why exactly he wasn’t sure. Maybe he wanted it to be simple, and Mal would add an undercurrent of suspicion and distrust, even if she tried not to. Maybe he just wanted to keep Harry’s initial reaction all for himself, if it was positive. And well, if it was negative, he would be the only one Harry could lash out at. 

Ben sent a driver to bring Harry from the school dorms to a quiet corner of the castle grounds to make the offer. He got to watch the pirate emerge from the car like he owned it, hips swinging in a hypnotic rhythm in his usual leather trousers, this pair with uneven studs across the thighs. His shirt was sleeveless of course - if Ben had arms like that he’d show them off too - printed to look like it was torn up and the hem was jagged. This was dressed down for him, though he still had his full eye makeup on. 

Ben had never known anyone like him, even of the kids he’d met from the Isle, no matter how tough or independent they were. Harry carried himself with a self awareness and surety that Ben was now aware had come at a high cost. He deserved to strut a little. His past might be full of more than questionable deeds, but Ben could tell that, deep down, Harry wasn’t evil.

They were walking along the edge of the south lawn when Ben made the offer. Well, to be fair, Harry hardly ever simply walked, and Ben was having to train his eyes on the ground in front of them so he wouldn’t stare at how he moved. The pirate stopped and spun on his booted heel as soon as the sentence ‘I’d like to appoint you Captain of the Royal Guard’ was out of Ben’s mouth. 

The king was suddenly quite aware of how alone they were, as Harry’s lidded gaze looked him thoroughly up and down. Ben wished he hadn’t worn his school jacket, he felt overdressed and as nerdy standing next to Harry as he usually did. 

“Why?” was the single word that issued from Harry’s lips as he stood there, one hand on a hip - Ben couldn’t help but remember how sharp those hip bones were when he’d dragged Harry out of the ocean - and his chin resting on the curve of that wicked hook. His eyes were crinkled at Ben in blatant suspicion. 

“Because,” Ben had to work to talk through his now dry throat, “I think you’d be good at it. I saw how you were the other day, with the poachers.” One of Harry’s eyebrows lifted at him. 

“Thirsty for blood? Mad with rage?” He was candid about his own emotional reaction, which impressed Ben even more. 

“Sure,” Ben allowed. “But when it came to it, you were the one who set up the ambush. You knew just what to do, and you executed it. Even when I didn’t exactly agree with you,” he recalled with warmth. “I need - the kingdom needs - more of that.” Ben wished he’d thought of these points when talking to Mal and his parents. 

Harry was eyeing him strangely, as if he wasn’t sure how to take what he was saying. Ben plunged further. 

“You’re smart, and you’re strong. You have skills that no one on my royal guard has, you’re fearless. You’ll jump into a fight but you’re still measured about it.” 

“Alright, alright, stop it before you make me sick,” and now Harry looked positively embarrassed with all the praise. In another instant though, he had mastered his expression, and was starting to smirk, his confidence returning in force. 

“Though you're not wrong.” He adjusted his stance, as smoothly fluid as ever, and his gaze went over Ben’s shoulder for several moments. Ben snuck the opportunity to study him, and wondered if he’d laid it on a bit too thick. Then Harry was moving towards him, and Ben almost thought he was going to get hugged, but the pirate swung himself next to him and looped an easy arm over Ben’s shoulder. 

“Captain of the Royal Guard, eh? I do like the sound of that.” Harry’s hearty brogue rolling out the word 'guard' that close to Ben’s ear was rather magical, and made the king’s belly do a pleased little flip that he tried to ignore. This got more difficult when he glanced over to see Harry openly leering at him. What waters was he wading into here? 

Harry released a good-natured chuckle and drew away from Ben, to turn serious once more. 

“But this is quite the offer,” he acknowledged. “I need a wee bit of time to think about it?” 

“Of course,” Ben agreed, mentally noting that this request was even more reason that he was making the right choice. 

“And if it sweetens the deal,” the king added, “This appointment would excuse you from summer school. You could have a tutor to help you catch up on your studies that could work around your schedule.” Harry gave Ben a witheringly sardonic stare. 

“Do you really think I’d be attending summer school anyway?” he asked. “School isn’t really my thing, if you hadn’t noticed.” Ben scratched uncomfortably at the back of his neck, unsure of how this next part was going to go over. 

“Well, to have a position like this for the governing body, we would have to ensure your education is not being neglected.” It was one of the only stipulations Ben’s advisors, which included his father, had placed, and it was sensible. 

Harry was at least looking thoughtful as they continued walking, which was calmer than Ben had hoped for. The pirate’s next question surprised him, though; it was probably the last one he would have expected.

“Can I still have access to the school library in the off months, if I’m not actively attending?” Ben gave him a small smile, having the sense that Harry was allowing him in on a secret. 

“I can’t see why not. But I can do you one better,” he told him, and felt a warm glow when Harry glanced at him again, curiously this time. 

“You haven’t been to the main library in Auradon?” Ben asked. “Two full stories of books. It’s my mother’s special project, she moved my father’s collection there when they moved out of his old castle and had this one built, and she’s been adding to it ever since.” Ben had inherited his mother Belle’s passion for reading, and was always proud to boast of her library. 

A light had come into Harry’s expression at Ben’s second sentence, and it was saying something that he didn’t seem able to coolly hide his reaction. Harry Hook, a bookworm…may wonders never cease. 

“Hmm, that may be an acceptable arrangement,” he mused, trying for nonchalance once more but Ben was sneaking glances, and saw the eagerness in Harry’s beautiful eyes. “I shall let you know.” 

There was only one person that Harry could really talk to about something like this, something that meant something. They may have drifted away to a certain degree since coming to Auradon, but he still very much valued her opinion. He took a deep breath and knocked on her dorm room door.

“Harry,” she said in some surprise when she answered.  

Uma was as gorgeous as ever, her eyes flashing with intelligence, her every movement graceful, her smooth face that could transform with the same abruptness as the sea. Her long braids were a shade of pink that Harry had never seen before, and they were pulled back in a loose gathering at the back of her neck.

Harry stretched an arm over his head and hugged the doorframe with his hip, his body hesitantly yearning towards her. She missed nothing, and rolled her eyes at him. 

“Come in, if you want,” she told him, taking several steps away. “Just don’t get any ideas.” 

“Who, me? Have ideas? Why, whatever could you mean, darling?” he smirked, and Uma looked like she was regretting answering the door. 

“My name’s not ‘darling’, you know that,” she returned, with a touch of playfulness that told him she wasn’t truly angry, at least yet. Harry decided to behave for once. He closed the door behind him and leaned his back against it, casually, tamely, like boring people did, and gave the room a quick once over. 

Uma had seashells everywhere …lined up on the windowsill, sprinkled on her desk, somehow attached to the headboard of her bed. There were sand colored beiges, pretty pastels, and some deep blues and greens, and they gave the room a decidedly feminine aura. There was a book about what looked like sea life open on her bed, and a thicker notebook next to it, with her wild handwriting sprawled across the pages. 

“How you been, Uma?” Harry asked, his tone sincere, though he was observant enough to know the answer from what he saw; she was happy here, she was adjusting. 

“I’m doing well,” she confirmed. “What are you really here for?” she got to the point. Uma stood next to her desk, one hand on a hip, miles away from Harry and what they had been. 

“I’m trying to make a big decision, and I’d like your opinion,” he equalled her candor. There was no point in idle chatter with those who knew each other so well anyway. She merely raised her eyebrows in the question. 

“Ben - the king, you know - offered me the position of Captain of the Royal Guard,” Harry still couldn’t quite believe the words as they came out of his mouth, but that didn’t make the shock on Uma’s face sting any less. 

“You?! Captain…of anything?” Then she seemed to temper her thoughts. She closed her eyes briefly and exhaled. 

“Thanks for the vote of confidence,” he shot, and shoved off from the door, ready to leave. 

“No, Harry, stop,” Uma ordered, and Harry did. She’d been his boss for too many years, damn the girl. But that had been his choice, too. He worked his jaw as he looked back over at her, waiting to see what she would say. Her shoulders relaxed, and she gave him an affectionate half grin. 

“What did you do to him to get that offer?” she asked, clearly teasing. He grinned back. They were on level ground again, or at least closer to it.

“I don’t kiss and tell,” he said, with an innocent inflection in his tone.

“Yes, you do!” Uma promptly returned, and laughed at him. Harry joined in, it felt good to laugh with her again and she wasn’t wrong. If only that was what had happened here, he couldn’t help the stray thought. 

“This is a big deal, though,” she acknowledged in a more serious tone.

“Why do you think I want your bloody advice?” Harry asked. His smile faded, and the real stress he was under peeked out from the roguish facade. 

“I don’t know,” Uma replied gently, if matter of fact. “Only you can make this kind of decision for yourself. I don’t call the shots anymore, Harry.” He knew that. He definitely knew that, and he felt a flame of annoyance at her flare up inside of him. 

“You could,” he challenged. “You were a good captain, you could be again.” A little full of yourself - okay a lot full of yourself - he had the sense not to say out loud - but good. Things were simple back on the Isle, back on the ship. He didn’t have to think about big stuff like this, that was Uma’s job.

“Don’t you at least sort of miss it?” He willed her to admit it. Obviously she was not going back, that idea was merely a security blanket to Harry’s unsettled existence. 

“Some of it. Sometimes,” she did acknowledge. “But I belong here now.” She looked at him steadily. 

“You know, you could go back and easily take my… our …old ship from those vermin that took it over when we left,” she suggested.

“I’ve been to the wharf,” he shared. “The old crew is completely disbanded. And do you know Gil is aiming for being an engineer?!” Uma smiled widely, her bright eyes flashing. 

“Yeah, I know! We get together for lunch at least once a week. I’m really proud of him,” she said warmly. 

“Yeah,” Harry answered thoughtfully. “I guess I am, too. It’s just that things have changed so much so quickly. We had a good life on the Isle, it wasn’t perfect, but it was ours.” He focused on a particularly detailed seashell on Uma’s desk as he got lost in thought. 

“Good?” Uma’s voice dripped disdain. “Harry, if that’s your definition of a good life, I’d hate to see what bad is,” she added, more lightly. 

“You know what I mean,” he retorted. “It was fun…” he trailed off, a bit forlornly. Uma regarded him for a moment. 

“Maybe that is more the life you were made for,” she suggested gently. Where was the old Uma, Harry thought; not even the bossy, demanding one, but he literally didn’t think he’d ever seen her this calm.  

“I thought we were both made for that life,” he said, a little wistfully. It wasn’t like him to get emotional, he avoided it as much as he could, but he and Uma went back a long way, and there had been a time when he’d really thought…

It was part of what had made him so loyal to her, regardless of the scenario he’d given Ben. That hadn’t been wrong, either, though - emotions did make you weak, unable to make the most rational calls. 

“That was my life,” Uma said. “ Was . I wanted better, so I made sure I got better. But this isn’t about me, Harry. What do you want?” 

He folded his arms across his chest, and scowled at the floor. He wasn’t used to having to think about the future, or plan for anything, or consider what the best course was. If truth be told, the fact that he had the option of those things now was overwhelming him. It’s not like he’d gotten any practice at worrying about the day after tomorrow in his old life. 

“I want to do it,” he surprised himself with the words. He couldn’t fathom how much responsibility it would be, but Jay would be a helpful and knowledgeable second in command. The corner of Harry’s mouth pulled upwards a tick when he remembered how reluctant Ben had sounded when he told him that part. Why would that be, little king, Harry had to wonder. 

“See, there you go,” Uma said. “What exactly did you need me for?” 

“To make me think,” Harry gave her a grateful look that quickly turned mocking with her next words. 

“Yeah, I do know that is hard for you,” she teased, but with a friendly smile. Harry sneered at her, not able to come up with a better reply at the moment. 

“So why does this matter to you anyway?” Uma poked, crooking an eyebrow. “Why all the seriousness?”

“I…don’t know.” Harry was truly stumped by the question. She wasn’t supposed to make him think quite this much, damn it!

“Ben asked me, and…it’s a royal position,” Harry replied, his tone heavier than perhaps it had ever been. 

“And so?” Uma continued. “You could try it on for size and just walk away if you don’t like it.” Harry was affronted by this suggestion; that honestly hadn’t even occurred to him. She gave another smile as she read his face like a book. 

“Harry Hook, doing something out of honor…” Uma let the preposterous idea float between them for a moment. “Maybe the sheer goodness of Auradon is finally working its way into you,” she added, sarcasm in every syllable. 

They laughed together again, Harry not minding in the slightest that it was at his expense once more. He had no shame, and he was rather proud of that. But it was confusing that he cared, when he stopped to examine it, and the question of why would nag at him for days. 

Uma crossed the room and surprised Harry by sweeping him into a hug. It was affectionate but measured, nothing like their old embraces but he appreciated it all the same. She broke away after a quick squeeze to his shoulder. 

“Thank you,” he told her sincerely. “Hey, maybe you could be one of my advisors,” he suggested, but she was shaking her head. 

“Nah, this is your path, Harry. Go walk it. Walk it well.”

Chapter Text

Ben was overjoyed when Harry informed him of his decision to accept the offer and become Captain of the Royal Guard. Mal had talked to Jay separately and while he made it clear he wasn’t thrilled that he was second in command to Harry, he could not turn down the opportunity. A once-thief promoted to protecting a kingdom alongside a pirate - this was history-making at the hands of a very progressive king and future queen. 

Arrangements were begun quickly; no one wanted to delay when the security of Auradon stood to benefit. All of the castle staff needed to be notified, starting with the royal guard, Harry would have to be fitted for new clothes, and of course there would be a dinner and after party following the official Pronouncement, which Jane, as the royal party planner, would masterfully arrange. A date was set for a week and a half away. 

Ben noticed Harry more than once looking like a deer caught in the headlights. 

“I don’t really need some frumpy uniform,” he told Ben. 

“You’re going to be a very high ranked royal official,” the king returned. “It’s important for you to have a good public image.”

“Have you met me, Ben?” Harry asked with a raised eyebrow. “A good public image is not precisely in my skill set.” Ben had to smile.

“It will be. You’ll get used to it.” Harry still looked plenty doubtful. 

“And I’m sure Evie will make sure you don’t look frumpy,” Ben assured. Not that you could even if you were wearing a potato sack, he thought but didn’t say. He made a point to spend more time with Harry, ostensibly to begin drawing him into the world of his soon-to-be role as gradually as he could. And well, he just liked being around the guy, so sue him. 

Ben gave Harry a full tour of the castle, from the turrets to the foundation, one day after school. Harry would be spending a lot of time there, and one of the meeting rooms was being set aside as his to use for a headquarters and office.

Ben watched Harry take it all in, running his fingers along the edges of furniture and doorways as they passed by as if trying to tactilely learn everything along with visually. Harry did this a lot, Ben had noticed, and it fascinated him to see the pirate fully immerse himself in everything he did while somehow still staying detached. 

He easily flirted with the young lady in charge of laundry when they passed through the utilitarian portion of the castle, and Ben tried to be patient. He saw the way Lorelei’s cheeks pinked when Harry smirked seductively at her and he wondered if that’s what he looked like when Harry did the same to him. Ben was hoping more responsibilities and a fuller schedule would encourage Harry into a bit more maturity where he wouldn’t do this quite all the time. It seemed to be just part of his personality, though, so Ben wasn’t sure. 

He led Harry down a winding staircase on the last piece of their tour. He pretended he was only imagining Harry’s eyes on his backside, but he added the slightest of swings to his step just in case, then immediately felt foolish. 

“And here are the kitchens,” Ben announced, rather unnecessarily, as the appliances and tools the large room was filled with did not require explanation. It was empty of staff at the moment, but still smelled of all sorts of wonderful food, and Harry drew a deep inhale, his chest expanding with air and catching Ben’s attention in spite of himself. It was impossible for him to ignore the fact that Harry was a strapping, well built young man, especially ever since that day at the edge of the sea. 

There was a pie of some variety cooling on a sideboard very near where the two stood, and it must have quite recently received a coating of whipped cream. 

Harry got a look on his face, a decidedly naughty grin that Ben was starting to recognize. He moved too quickly for Ben to have any hope of stopping him. A hand flashed and Harry had run his finger right across the middle of the pie, leaving a trough through the whipped cream. 

Ben gaped at Harry’s audacity but then he couldn’t help a dawning smile as Harry’s eyes, dancing with mischief, locked on his. Harry was too enticing, too impish, when he was like this. Then he began licking the cream off his finger with his tongue in one long, slow swipe, still watching Ben. 

The king valiantly tried to avert his gaze to the pie, to the stone floor, to literally anywhere else but Harry but he was unsuccessful. Harry’s finger disappeared into his mouth as he obscenely sucked the rest of the cream off of it, never breaking eye contact. Ben wasn’t stupid, he knew by now that Harry knew exactly what he was doing.

But knowing didn’t keep him from having trouble breathing with those ice blue eyes piercing his soul. It was like they could stop him in his tracks and Harry could get him to do whatever he wanted. Ben was pretty sure this wasn’t a spell, there was no fogginess to his brain. Harry just made it feel like it could short circuit at any time. Ben watched Harry’s finger slide wetly out of the O of his lips, and realized his stomach felt tingly. 

“You uh -” Ben started, and lifted his hand before he quite knew what he was doing. 

“You got some on your -” He stepped close to the pirate and ran his thumb over the spot of whipped cream on Harry’s cheek that he’d managed to deposit there while putting his finger in his mouth. It took a couple of swipes to clean it completely, and on the second swipe, Ben found his hand being gently pressed in place. 

His fingers molded to Harry’s jaw and as he stared at the boy, Harry’s eyes closed heavily, and Ben realized he was leaning into his touch. Harry’s dark eyelids lifted, and Ben’s heart skipped a beat to be fixed in that haunting stare again. 

Ben’s mouth was slightly open because he was trying to breathe, and his eyes flicked down to Harry’s lips, full and wet and pink. That tingly sensation was back. Ben started leaning forward, unsure of what he might do when he got there, but drawn like a moth to a flame. He felt a dangerous heat, in Harry’s palm against the back of his hand, and now in his breath as he drew even closer. 

“We shall need at least four souffles for the Pronouncement Dinner. Marian, would you procure the eggs today? And Regis -” 

Ben jumped back from Harry as the voice of Head Cook and the footsteps of a few people reached them from the staircase. His hand was too warm from being cradled between Harry’s jaw and palm, and his heart was thundering. Harry was giving him a tiny little grin with just a hint of white teeth. 

Then the three cooks were all there, all at once, and the strange moment was over. 

“Oh, your majesty, hello there,” Head Cook had clearly not been expecting anyone, least of all the king, to be in the kitchen. Ben drew himself up straight, coming back to himself. 

“Good day, Cook, Marian, Regis,” he nodded to them all respectfully in turn. 

“My pie!” Regis gave a start as he saw the groove made in the whipped cream. 

“Ah, yes, my deepest apologies for that,” Ben stepped in smoothly. “It looked so good I couldn’t resist.” He chanced a discreet glance over at Harry, who had an eyebrow raised and was looking back at him with distinct admiration. 

“Tsk, tsk,” Head Cook scolded. “You can make a king out of a boy, but you can’t take the boy out of the king. I remember when you used to come down here and ruin a pie a week.” He winked at Ben like he was still that little boy, and scooping the pie off the sideboard, handed it to him. 

“Go ahead, you might as well take it now. We’ll make another for dinner tonight.” 

“Thank you,” Ben said, “I really am sorry.” He’d been taught not to take any staff for granted, each person was valuable and needed, and he didn’t enjoy any of them having to do extra work. 

“Get along with you,” Cook said kindly, ushering the boys out of his kitchen.

They made their escape, Harry picking up the pace halfway up the curving stone steps and starting to chase Ben. The king led the way to the antechamber to the formal dining room, doing an admirable job of keeping a grip on the warm pie tin as he ran. He was laughing at the ridiculousness of all of it, and Harry, behind him, laughed too. 

Ben took a skidding seat on one of the oversized gold upholstered chairs in the antechamber, still holding the pie. Harry flopped himself down next to him, too close, true merriment in his eyes. Turning his head and seeing the pirate again made Ben’s breath catch. 

Had he almost - kissed - Harry a few minutes ago? No, surely not. 

“Nice save for me there, Benny boy,” Harry said, reclining back into the cushions of the seat, at his ease in a flash. “Could have turned me in. Thanks, chap.” Ben couldn’t help but make a face like he’d bitten into something sour. 

“Er, could you not call me that?” he asked. “Please?” Harry raised an eyebrow at him and smoothly reached out to flick Ben’s hair out of his eyes, another movement so swift Ben didn’t have time to think about it. 

“Chap?” Harry queried, “Or Benny boy?” He smirked that insufferable smirk, and Ben was tempted to recant his request; the nickname didn’t sound so bad in that lilt. 

“That one,” he clarified, finally resting the pie on his lap. He wasn’t sure what he was going to do with it now exactly, but it did smell good. 

“It’s too close to what Audrey - my ex-girlfriend - called me.” He decided not to share the -boo extension of the pet name. He could imagine Harry teasing him relentlessly about that. 

“Ah,” the pirate tilted his head and reached inside his waistcoat, drawing out a dagger. “Bad memories and all that, eh?” Ben watched the knife being revealed, then Harry bringing it to the pie and starting to slice it into haphazardly. Because of course Harry carried a dagger on him all the time, he shouldn’t be surprised. 

“Not horrible,” Ben told him. “I just never liked it even when she said it.” Harry took the liberty of lifting a large slice of pie to his mouth.

“Mmm…pecan I think,” he noted, his appreciative moan making Ben’s throat go dry. 

“Hmm, what shall I call you then?” His eyes roamed over Ben’s face, making the king feel more exposed than he should in the middle of a sunny day in an antechamber with a pirate at his side and a pie in his lap. Then those eyes lit up wickedly as only they could do, and Ben knew he was in trouble. 

“Benji,” Harry announced with a wide smile, then took another huge bite of pie. Whipped cream coated his upper lip, and Ben was almost too distracted to groan at the moniker. 

“No…” he complained half heartedly, looking down at Harry’s hand. That wasn’t much better; there was whipped cream on most of his fingers too. 

“I think yes,” Harry countered as soon as he’d chewed and swallowed. “My Benji,” and he reached out with his non-food covered hand to ruffle Ben’s hair playfully. 

Ben rolled his eyes but had to smile. He didn’t hate the nickname, and this new ease that had sprung up between them which included Harry casually touching him wasn’t anything he was going to complain about. 

He scooped up a piece of dessert himself and started munching. A hum of appreciation for warm pecan pie escaped him, and he tried not to notice how Harry’s gaze at him darkened a fraction. Nor how Harry’s knee was up against his. Nor how thoroughly Harry’s tongue cleaned his lip when he was done with his first slice.

“You know, we could have stopped off for forks,” Ben pointed out, chuckling, as they continued their private feast. 

“Overrated,” Harry scoffed, and sucked some cream off of the pad of his thumb. Why did he feel the need to make direct eye contact with Ben every time his fingers were in his mouth? 

“Messy is far more fun, anyway,” Harry said, his tone suggesting a seriousness that made that tingle dance in Ben’s belly again. 

Needing to lighten the mood and wanting to explore how far this new casualness between them went, Ben swiped his finger through a spot of whipped cream and daringly painted a stripe down the slope of Harry’s nose with it. The cool blue eyes widened in surprise, and Ben had a second to wonder if that was too far, if Harry would be truly angry, but then a deep laugh echoed through the small room. 

“There’s hope for you yet, Benji,” Harry shot, and naturally he was not about to be outdone. Ben should have expected that, really. His cheeks soon had streaks of whipped cream on them, and both boys were laughing again as they continued to nibble on the pie and also jab at each other’s faces with fingerfuls of what was left of the whipped cream. 

Some missed, and Ben ended up with sticky sugar on his neck while a bit made its way into Harry’s hair. Ben wanted to comb it out for him with his fingers, and laughed to shove that thought down. He’d never seen Harry so undone, and he hadn’t known the boy could laugh this much. There was something about seeing, or uncovering, this side of him that made Ben’s heart thump a little faster. 

Two figures suddenly made themselves known in the doorway, skirts rustling. Ben reluctantly slid his gaze from Harry’s flushed and dirty face to his mother and fiance as they walked into the room, expressions rather wary and confused. 

“I take it the tour of the castle went well?” Mal’s amused voice broke through the fading sounds of boyish laughter. Harry returned to his reclined posture on the chair, his knee still brushing Ben’s. He was as confident wearing the whipped cream as he was his dark eye makeup and Ben envied him that. The king’s smile was nervous now that they had an audience. He stayed seated, however, a quiet act of rebellion when normally he would have leapt to his feet. 

“Aye,” Harry was the one to answer Mal. “Lovely place you’ve got here, and some scrumptious goodies.” Ben only imagined that Harry’s knee pressed a bit harder into his own as he said this last, he was sure. 

“Thank you, Harry,” Belle spoke up. “We pride ourselves on warmly welcoming our guests, and we are happy to have you. Perhaps you’d like the use of one of our guest chambers to clean up a bit?” she suggested. Ben glanced over to watch Harry; he couldn’t help it. The pirate clearly looked unsure at accepting this offer of kindness. 

“I can show you where they are if you forgot,” he offered, perhaps not ready to part ways with him, even though that was ridiculous, they’d just spent two hours together. Harry slowly got to his feet, sharing a last private, lingering look with Ben before he turned away. 

“I can find them again on my own,” he said, and turning to her, gave a graceful bow to Belle, who smiled sweetly at him. He certainly knew how to play the proper gentleman at least. Mal gave him a polite smile as he passed by the ladies. 

“Actually,” Belle added before he could leave the room, “While you’re there in the east wing, why don’t you choose one of the guest chambers for yourself? If you’re going to be the captain of our guard, we can hardly have you staying at the school. You shall be a member of the household.” Ben saw the shock in Harry’s face that he unsuccessfully tried to hide at her words. 

Now the king stood up. He and his parents had talked about this, of course, but they hadn’t planned when they would tell Harry. He wished he’d done it himself earlier, when he was showing him the guest chambers. He nodded at Harry in what he hoped was an encouraging way. 

Mal was standing patiently to the side, seemingly content with the proceedings, even though she didn’t even have quarters at the castle. Maybe Ben should change that soon. 

“That’s…very generous of you, your majesty,” Harry replied, “Er, thank you.” It was as interesting to Ben to watch Harry manage to be unnerved, just as much as it was to admire him having control, or seemingly so, over most interactions.  

As Ben looked at him while trying not to be obvious about it, Harry waited a beat for the queen to look away. He then sent Ben an unmistakable wink across the room, turned, and was gone. 

“I should go and get cleaned up too,” Ben said, feeling utterly foolish still holding the now mostly empty pie tin and knowing he looked a mess.

“It’s good to see you having some fun, and a new friend,” his mother told him. “I forget sometimes you’re only seventeen. But you two better have not gotten any of that pie on that chair.” 

Mal gave him a similar affectionate smile, if a little more bemused.

Chapter Text

Opportunity or damnation? 

Oh how the lines can get blurred 

Take what you can and give nothing back

I’ll take everything you have and everything you’ll offer

But as for the rest, am I giving or are you taking? 

Harry knew his poetry wasn’t good; it didn’t have to be, no one else would ever see it. He snapped his pen shut in between the pages of the journal and stared at the rolling gray water in the barest of morning light. He needed these moments of solitude more than ever lately, especially since Gil was a snorer. 

Today Harry’s schedule included another tour, this one of as much of the perimeter of the kingdom of Auradon as could be covered in a day. Of which he would be in charge of keeping safe from marauders and villains in less than a week. The thought made him want to jump in the sea again when he let himself focus on it. 

Harry Hook wasn’t supposed to do stuff that mattered, that was the problem. He was good at bluff and bravado, and he was sure he could fake it until he made it with this too. But a tiny voice inside him, the voice that had been completely content to be a first mate instead of trying to be captain, asked him what if he couldn’t.

He would jeopardize the safety of an entire, very large, community of people who would be assured they could count on him. A darn shame, that. And he would let Ben down, horribly. 

Ah. 

There was the rub. 

Harry hated how he cared what Ben thought. He hated that being around the king made him want to do something like the right thing, whatever that was. Whatever Ben thought was the right thing. He hated feeling allegiance to a king…well, at all, but especially one whose virtues went as deep as bedrock. He hated that he actually didn’t want to see anything happen to this place that had only thrown his kind scraps for too many years. He hated that it really was beautiful, and worth something, and that he liked being here. 

When he and Uma and, to a lesser extent, Gil, had schemed and plotted over how to get to Auradon, on how to infiltrate the perfect storybook kingdom, it hadn’t been with the thought of assimilating into the society. It had been as pirates, to take what they felt was their due. 

But Uma and Gil had all but dropped the title, immersing themselves in learning and living and leaving Harry quite in the dust. Not that he needed them, he was making his own way just fine. He was going to be a captain, after all! 

Harry hated the feeling of responsibility that settled on his shoulders when he thought of that, and he hated how Ben reminded him of how important it was. How Ben would look at him with his honey-hazel eyes all serious, studying him, learning him. Admiring him. Okay, maybe Harry didn’t hate that part.

He would get to spend the whole day with Ben today. He did hate how he was looking forward to that, even if it wouldn’t be just them. Mal was coming, and she was not hard on the eyes at all, even if Harry had been there and done that. Jay was going to be there too, and Harry was not shy about how thirsty he was for that yummy piece. 

But Jay didn’t blush when Harry looked him up and down, and he didn’t stare at him when he moved, and he didn’t get all tongue tied when Harry flirted with him. Yeah, there were definitely some things about Ben that he didn’t hate. 

How much he was able to distract him was not among those things however. Harry rode along behind Jay, his arms around the thick, sturdy middle of the former thief on Jay’s motorbike, aware of how unfair this was. Even if Jay wasn’t going to take Harry up on his carnal offers, the pirate should be relishing any touch he could get, should be trying to feel Jay up a little more purposefully, just to see if he could change his mind. 

Instead, Harry’s focus was on the boy king in his oh-so-casual-for-him jeans and a light leather jacket, steering his own motorbike carefully, Mal’s arms comfortably looped around his form as she sat behind him. Obviously she was riding with Ben, she was his fiance. And she’d earned the spot. 

Harry had to give Mal credit for how she’d managed to work her way to the top of the food chain so swiftly upon first arriving in Auradon, going right after the king himself. That took major cojones, and she was clearly enjoying her status now, as she should. She’d come a long way from the Isle, from when Harry knew her as a scrappy, angsty kid. She’d grown into a strong woman, and she and Ben were just the perfect couple. Gag Harry with a spoon. 

“You know, having the king and the future queen on the same vehicle is not the best idea,” he said as soon as the bikes were parked and they were dismounting at their first stop, the westernmost border. 

“If there were an attack, you could both be taken out at the same time.” No one could argue his logic, at least not anyone with sense. It had nothing to do with the way Mal’s head rested sweetly on Ben’s shoulder once her helmet was off, or the casual kiss he brushed onto her purple hair. 

“He’s not wrong,” Jay conceded thoughtfully, giving Harry a respectful glance, which was something new. Mal tilted her head at Ben in agreement. 

“We might have to start thinking a little differently than what we’re used to,” she acknowledged. 

“That’s exactly why we need Harry,” Ben said, and Harry could have sworn there was a touch of pride in his voice. “And Jay,” he added quickly.

“We can’t live in fear, though, either,” Jay pointed out. “That’s not worth it, trust me. It ends up making people mean, into bullies,” he said, with a pointed look at Harry.

“Aye, that it does,” Harry returned and leaned towards Jay with his eyes mirroring the accusation. He wasn’t about to be the only one scrutinized. 

“Guys…” Ben’s steady voice came. Jay and Harry shared a small smirk. Their now-boss didn’t need to worry, the animosity that had been between them had mellowed to a mostly friendly teasing. Harry turned away first and sauntered towards where Ben and Mal were leading them, a silent statement that he still wasn’t scared of Jay. 

The pirate did not regret his past deeds, most of them, any more than he had intimated to Ben in their conversations about life on the Isle. He’d done what he needed to do, and he wasn’t going to apologize. Ben seemed to get that, which was another reason he respected him. 

The king, Mal, and Jay spent the day showing Harry as much of the kingdom as could be done in the time they had; it was larger than Harry had thought. Outside of the main city, much of it was villages bordering woodlands, with a few smaller cities. Everywhere they went people smiled warmly at the group of four, complete trust in their king and thereby his chosen associates. 

Harry would be part of that soon. Ben wasn’t announcing him to the people yet as the new Captain of the Guard, but in a few days they would know. The ceremony would be broadcast all over Auradon and the Isle…Harry was becoming what he had hated when he and Uma and the rest of the pirates had had nothing better to do than hang around the chip shop and ridicule the royal news channel. But the issue was... 

Harry rather liked this. The challenge of a big - no, huge - job ahead of him, the idea of people looking up to him for help, that feeling of importance, along with the glances he was garnishing from quite a few of the young ladies and some of the men in these small towns that had probably never seen a swagger like this in leather pants. 

“So how many guards do you exactly have right now?” Harry asked as they ascended the side of a small mountain, legs and lungs working steadily. 

“Somewhere between twenty and twenty-five,” came Ben’s reply from ahead of Harry. Mal and Jay were in the lead, being lighter on their feet. Harry tried not to scoff. 

“You do realize we’ll have to bump those numbers up?” he asked matter of factly. “There is simply no way that is enough to do regular patrols and have a reserve for when trouble happens.”

“Patrols? Yeah I guess that’s a good idea,” Ben replied, as if he’d never heard the term before. Harry had to physically pause for a moment to take in just how woefully underprepared this monarchy would be in the event of something serious. In doing so, he lost his footing on the next step up the rocks, not being a hiker exactly by nature. He wheeled his arms in an attempt to regain his balance and found his right hand, the one not wearing the hook, grasped tightly and he grabbed back. 

“Easy,” Ben said, his voice as warm as his touch. 

“Why are we climbing like goats, anyway?” Harry joked to hide the fact that he wouldn’t mind feeling Ben’s hand elsewhere. 

“You’ll see,” was all the king said, his expression beautiful and bright. And with the next few steps they reached the summit and joined Jay and Mal. Harry Hook, master of words and flattery, was struck dumb as he surveyed the vista before him. 

For one thing there was the green. He’d seen green by now, of course, everywhere in Auradon, the schoolyard, the castle grounds; healthy, growing trees were everywhere, which had been new to him. Gil had called it out as the culture shock it was during their first stroll through the place.

But this - this was another level. There were acres of vibrant, deep, rolling green, luxurious trees spread out in the valley before him, the fog of low lying and far off clouds kissing their tops. It was life , rich and free and gorgeous, and even Harry, who clung onto cynicism and darkness as a literal birthright, couldn’t help but be affected. 

“Whoa,” he let out on an exhale. 

“Yeah,” Mal, on his left, agreed, “It’s something, isn’t it?” 

Harry watched some dark specks that he realized were birds circling above the treeline, and spotted a river winding its way diagonally through the extensive and rich forest below them. He wished he could be one of those birds, feeling all that air that he was eagerly filling his lungs with, under his wings. It smelled clean, fresh, nothing like the stale, thin air on the Isle. This was truly a different world. 

If he’d been some sappy princess or something, Harry would have had to pinch himself to be reminded that he lived here now, this unspoiled grandeur was something he could come and gawk at whenever he liked. Harry tore his gaze away to look for Ben’s face, which he was pleased to discover was next to him. 

“This is a beautiful land you have,” he told him seriously. 

“Yeah, I know,” Ben replied solemnly, his own eyes wide, taking in the view as if he wanted to not take it for granted. He then shifted them to Harry, and his expression did not alter. He smiled, and it was as if the sun got even brighter. 

“Wait till I take you to the Enchanted Lake later,” Ben said, with the excitement of a little boy. “I mean,” he went on, more subdued, “I have dinner planned there for all of us.” 

The light in his eyes did not dim as he watched Harry, though, and the pirate was the one to look away before the king could get himself in trouble. Jay and especially Mal were too nearby for these moments between them, as fun as they were. Harry might enjoy the reactions he got out of Ben, and the high that came from knowing he could distract such a wholesome boy as him, but there was only so much fire even he was willing to play with.

The day wound on pleasantly, Harry taking in the sights for the first time while simultaneously taking note of ways in which security needed to be increased. They saw pockets of folks from the Isle, living on the edges of established communities, as if they were getting used to being around civilization, which of course they were. 

Jay recognized another reformed rival thief working at tending a farmer’s horses, and Harry saw a couple of familiar faces from the wharf wandering around and he had to wonder what they were up to. He was wary enough to be suspicious of anyone from what he guessed was beginning to be his old life, even if he could wish he didn’t have to be.  

When they passed by the now-permanent bridge between Auradon and the Isle and paused on their bikes for a few moments, Ben wondered out loud why there was hardly any traffic on it. Harry leaned away from Jay’s back while they were at a stop but kept his hands at the boy’s hips, just because, even though it wasn’t strictly necessary and even though his hands wouldn’t have minded if they were Ben’s hips. Alas, the king and his future queen had stayed on the same bike, deciding to continue to dally in danger after Harry had pointed it out. 

“What did you think would happen when you took the barrier down?” Harry asked both Ben and Mal, not ungently. Neither answered right away.

“Aye, that was a great party at first,” Harry continued. “All the people that wanted to be over here finally got to see what it was like, and to celebrate the royal pair that made it all happen.” He was trying to keep the bitterness out of his voice, he really was. 

“But so many had been ostracized for so long, that they didn’t know what to do,” he shared. “A lot of people were angry, and still are, that’s not going to change overnight. There’s no pretending that the years of lockdown didn’t happen, you know.” 

Ben’s expression had gone stricken under his helmet and Mal looked thoughtful. Harry knew that she understood what he meant. He was well aware that due to his association with Uma he’d had a rather charmed entrance into Auradon, which had led to the privileges he was enjoying now. And even with this perspective he was still angry at times about a lot from when he was trapped on the Isle.

“I know,” Ben said solemnly, his focus out on the distant buildings over the length of the yellow brick bridge. Harry began regretting his words. Maybe rubbing the king’s nose in how horrible his father’s actions were at every turn was a little cruel. Sometimes it was hard to remember that Ben was merely guilty by association, and that Mal hadn’t turned her back on her roots, no matter what it had seemed like at first. 

“We’re working on it,” she said now, to bolster Ben as well as to pacify Harry. “One step at a time.” Harry watched Ben’s face melt in relief, and was both thankful that Mal could do that for him and wishful that he himself could have done something to bring it on. 

He patted Jay’s ribs playfully as he leaned forward again. “Onward noble steed,” he commanded, earning an expected “Shut up,” from Jay. It served to break the moment, and they drove on, back in the direction of the capital city, but with one last important stop. 

On Harry’s first visit to the Enchanted Forest, there had been too much going on, like suffering through Gil and Jay starting to become friends, and getting attacked by a beastly king, to enjoy it much. Creeping through it to trap some poachers and get his hook back didn’t count either. And Harry had never properly seen the Lake. 

With the effects of the long day wearing on them, all four were quiet as they meandered down the trail through the beautiful forest, the twittering of birds beginning their evening chorus around them. Harry thought he may have to come here and hang out alone amongst the trees sometime with his journal; it was so peaceful and there was something about it that calmed his soul. Then the path opened onto the Lake and his jaw almost dropped. 

Idyllic and almost too perfect were his first impressions. It was like a paradise, and Harry rather felt he would sully it with his presence. This was where he would sit and write, right on that rock jutting into the water. His feet turned in that direction off the path without his control, and it was Ben’s voice that brought him back, half laughing and kind.

“C’mon, Harry. Let’s go eat first, we can chill by the lake after.” Between the adorable king and the promise of food, Harry’s attention was diverted. And now he caught a whiff of the delicious smells that were coming from the gazebo that the trail was leading towards. A full dinner had been carried out here and was being kept warm for them by two servers from the castle. Harry had to admit, there were perks to being friends with a king. 

He tried not to be a complete heathen as they sat down and started piling their plates with barbecued pork, chicken, roasted vegetables, scalloped potatoes and fresh baked cornbread, but his stomach had realized it was starving, and Harry never turned down decent food. Having a feast laid out like this, partially for him specifically, was new. 

“You know, grabbing some pizza would have been fine,” Jay said as he also looked rather like he was trying not to cram everything in sight into his mouth at once. Mal and Ben weren’t much better. They had foregone lunch in order to keep moving all day, after all. 

“I wanted to do something special for you guys,” Ben said, pausing between bites, and looking between Harry and Jay. Harry spotted a tiny smear of barbecue sauce in the crease of Ben’s lips; his fingers twitched before his brain reminded him that they weren’t alone and he couldn’t wipe it off.

“I’m going to be proud to have you both as the leaders of my Royal Guard,” Ben was saying. “Even though you didn’t grow up here, Auradon is your home now, and you belong here. You’re both going to do a great job, and you deserve a little royal treatment.” 

Jay got up for a moment to lean over the table and fist bump Ben and thank him, while Harry, uncharacteristically, could only manage looking sheepish at first.

“Thanks, Ben,” he got out, allowing himself to look into the deep hazel eyes for only a second, those eyes that made him want to wrap Ben around him like a blanket but also do sinful things to the boy, before he went back to his food. 

“From the Isle to this,” Mal said, her hands raised with palms up to showcase the meal and the setting. “We’ve done okay, guys,” and her voice was warm, including both Jay and Harry.  

She leaned into Jay’s shoulder companionably, their close friendship obvious, then she gave Harry a wide, sincere smile, which he returned with almost no hesitation. He’d been accepted, they thought he belonged, and he chewed on this slowly with his hearty dinner. 

There was some chatting about everything they’d seen over the course of the day while they ate, but for the most part all were tired enough that the meal was a pretty quiet one, with the sounds of the evening drawing down in the woods around them. They would not have much light left to leave by if they were there much longer. 

As soon as Harry’s hunger was sated, he announced that he was going to go check out the lake now. He couldn’t wait to see if that water felt as clean as it looked. Stepping out from under the gazebo, he spotted a pale half moon hanging in the sky, and he took a moment to appreciate the beauty of this pristine natural area as well as his place in it. He had a full stomach, he was friends with a king and almost queen, he was going to have an impressive title and a territory to protect very shortly, he now lived in a place that looked like this …Harry Hook had arrived. 

It was all a little much, and he had no doubt it would end before long, probably in a horrible way that included violence and rejection, but he was going to enjoy it while he was here. So he removed his boots, hiked up his pant legs as far as they would go, and shucked off his vest jacket as he got closer to the water’s edge. The earth between his toes and then the rocks under his feet even felt clean. 

“You know you’re not supposed to go swimming after eating!” Ben called down with a big smile from the gazebo, where he was standing against the railing, apparently watching Harry. The pirate twisted his head back to fix Ben in his sight and shot him a wide smirk and a blatant wink, knowing Mal and Jay were still at the table facing the other way. 

“And you know I’m a rebel,” he called back saucily, then stepped forward into the lake. He wasn’t actually planning on going for a swim anyway, he just wanted to see what the water felt like. He was surprised to find it was pleasantly warm, and his tired feet were instantly soothed. 

It did make him want to strip and submerge himself completely, but he knew he couldn’t at the moment. He could come here whenever he liked, though, he reminded himself, his toes enjoying the feel of the smooth rocks as he waded further out. 

Behind him, he was aware of the other three coming down to the water’s edge as well. It would be amazing to be here alone, or maybe to bring a plaything. Maybe a bit too on the romancy side, but some liked that. The place could come in handy, there was that pretty laundress that had been quite taken with him…

Harry waded out further, the water rising up over his calves as he went, soaking his pants but he didn’t care. The evening was still warm and he was no stranger to wet clothes. He stood still for some moments, watching a family of ducks glide into the weeds at the far side of the lake to bed down for the night, and over on his other side, some distance away, Mal and Jay had wandered to the stone half circle colonnade jutting out into the lake. 

They’d taken their shoes off and were dipping their toes in the water, relaxing. Harry remembered Mal had never learned to swim - something she had always been jealous of Uma for, which had helped fuel her animosity towards her, and of course, Harry’s involvement with both of them didn’t help, he thought wickedly.

Harry turned a bit, wondering where Ben had gotten to, but he already knew. Sure enough, the king had followed him, staying several feet away in case Harry wanted to be alone, but he had rolled his jeans up and was only in his white tee. As Harry surreptitiously watched him, Ben reached down to cup some water in his hands and splash it on his face, some drips finding their way to his shirt. 

How fun it would be to tackle him into the water and get him all wet, soaking that tee and seeing the cotton cling to his form again, except a little more enjoyable this time without the whole exhausted from fighting their way to shore thing. Ben was not a muscly hunk like Jay or Gil or any of the blokes that Harry was usually attracted to, but he was respectably toned, and his fresh, open face that took the world in like every moment was precious was downright magnetic. 

Harry watched Ben notice he was being watched, and continued looking him up and down for just long enough to make him squirm. Mal and Jay were yards away, and seemed to be engrossed in their conversation. Harry knew he couldn’t do more than eye the king up today, and that he had to be careful about that; Mal was plenty observant herself. 

“Hey,” Ben said simply, sweetly, shyly, and the corners of Harry’s lips quirked upwards of their own accord. Ben was just too endearing. His tone in that one little word spoke of a relief that they were away from the others for a moment, that they could just be the two of them, and more freely share the fondness that had been growing between them. Or maybe Harry’s imagination was working too hard.

“Hey, Benji,” he returned, putting a playfully flirtatious inflection on the nickname. That shade of pink on the king’s cheekbones really was quite pretty. 

“So what do you think?” Ben asked, wading closer, apparently deciding Harry was okay with company, or just unable to stay away - Harry chose to believe the latter. 

“Of…?” Harry drew out, continuing to work his eyes up and down Ben’s height, not shyly. The pink blush deepened to an almost red, and Harry giggled internally. This was just too easy. 

“Of the lake,” Ben clarified with some exasperation but with a laugh in his voice too. Harry relented, practiced in the art of just how far to push, and shifted his gaze to the body of water again instead.

“It’s something,” he said, quietly, making Ben have to move closer to him. Hey, just because Harry knew when to stop being obvious didn’t mean he didn’t know how to get more sly.

“You know,” Ben saved him from having to elaborate, at least right away, “They don’t call it the Enchanted Lake for nothing. The water actually can wash away curses and spells, like love spells.”

Harry did not miss the quick sideways glance Ben gave his fiance, who was busy watching her feet splash in the water from where she sat under the colonnade, laughing at something Jay had just said. Ah, that hadn’t been just a rumor, then, about how Mal had snagged him. Interesting. 

Now Ben was giving Harry an enigmatic, almost accusing little look, and the pirate, in return, licked his lips and gave the smallest of grins. Harry’s power to attract was all in his flirting skill and natural good looks, but if the king thought it was strong enough to be a spell, that was rather the compliment. Well, if he was standing in the water and still looking at Harry with that interest in his eyes, that should be enough proof.

“I do seem to remember a very furry royal face getting doused,” Harry reminded Ben, and they both started chuckling. They were now wading a little further out together, the cuffs of the king’s pants getting wet. 

“Oh, right, yeah,” Ben said, looking rather embarrassed. 

“I think it’s amazing,” Harry said then, returning to seriousness. “Thank you for today. Seriously, Ben,” he said sincerely. He forged on before the king could answer. 

“I have to be honest, which is hard for me,” and indeed he had to stare at the ripples they were making on the surface of the lake as he said these words, “The title, and the job, that you’re giving me here is a little scary. I don’t know that I’m up to it. I’ve only ever been a first mate, you know.” Here he raised his eyes again to Ben, wanting this to come across plainly and clear. 

“But I promise to do my best, for Auradon, and for you, Ben.” He did not know what it was about the king that loosened his tongue at times, that made him say things he normally wouldn’t. It’s because he cares about you, and he shows it, a voice inside him whispered, but Harry pretended not to notice. 

“I know you will,” Ben said solemnly, as solemnly as he could while standing in a lake in the near dusk. “I have faith in you.” Those were words that Harry had never been told before, and he had to look away again to gather himself. 

“Are you absolutely sure you want a wharf rat protecting your kingdom?” he asked then, in a lighter tone. 

“If you’re a wharf rat, then I’m a - a prep school snob,” Ben jabbed at himself playfully. 

“But you are a prep school snob,” Harry didn’t miss a beat, and gave Ben another wink to show that his ribbing was in good fun. The king released a laugh that tickled at Harry’s heart. 

“Okay, okay, fair,” Ben admitted, then he said in a tone equally playful and solemn, “And in that case yes, I will be honored to have a wharf rat as my captain of the guard.” Harry glowed as discreetly as he could. 

By now, they were halfway into the lake, both of their pants were completely soaked, and the sunlight was just about gone. Harry knew they had to leave, but the shadow of a hidden cove drew his attention. 

“Is that a waterfall?” he asked, pure awe in his voice. He felt like the little boy he’d never gotten to be, exploring all these wonders, and he had the thought that maybe the lake was purifying in that way, too. 

“Yeah it is, but we should get going, Harry,” Ben said cautiously, “Plus the water is the deepest over there.” Harry couldn’t help shooting him a haughty smile.

“A little deep water doesn’t scare me, remember, Benji?” he teased. The king’s eyes widened, and his volume dropped to a whisper. They had drawn somewhat closer to the others, who had stood up and were putting their shoes back on. 

“They don’t know. About that day. I never told them.” His eyes weren’t just wide now, they were almost desperate. Oh, that was interesting indeed…

Harry tilted his head at the king, a slight smirk on his face as he measured him. As much as he wanted to slyly torture Ben about keeping secrets, he decided to have mercy on him. He let the smirk bloom into a smile. 

“Aye. Our secret’s safe with me,” he intoned, fixing Ben in a stare. “And thank you.”

There was that reddish pink again, making Harry let out a deep, freeing laugh. He twisted around easily to dive into the cleansing water, rest of his clothes be damned, and it would be fun to hear Jay complain when he had to ride back into town with a wet pirate hanging onto his back. 

Harry ended up getting the best prize at the end of the day, though, when it was decreed that since they had both been silly enough to get wet in the lake, that he and Ben would ride together. It took all Harry had in him to be respectful as he wrapped his arms around the king, relishing his warmth and every breath, which he could have sworn was more labored than it should have been.

Chapter Text

They’d told him to make the chambers his own, and he certainly was. When Ben knocked on the open door to what was now going to be Harry’s bedroom, he saw the most handsome boy he’d ever known on a small ladder, hanging a hammock that looked like it was made out of a ship’s sail from the corner of the ceiling. 

There was a big round wooden spool where there should have been a small table, one wall was covered in a huge fishing net, and there were ropes of all sizes coiled and strewn everywhere. The room was well on its way to looking as much as what it could hope to in order to make a landlocked pirate comfortable. 

Harry hopped down from the top of the two-step ladder, backwards, landing smoothly on his bare feet. He was dressed down in a ripped dark red vee neck shirt and black cargo pants that ended at his calves. The hook hung from one of the rings on his usual belt and swung a bit as he landed and spun to face Ben. His hair was all over the place, a wild mop, and the king’s fingers itched to bury themselves in it. 

He had the sense to be aware that he’d been spending too much time with Harry. There was no precise reason for him to be checking in how he was getting on with his room, other than he simply wanted to see him. He knew this was out of hand, how he thought about Harry was out of line. 

All the guy had to do was give him a smile and size him up with that cool gaze, like he was doing now as he sauntered across the room to lean a hand on the stool, and Ben’s heart was thumping. He wanted to touch Harry - he wanted to see him without a shirt again - he wanted to be up against him - he wanted things he’d never wanted before, and it terrified him. 

“You know you could ask the staff for help,” Ben suggested, needing to speak before it was obvious he was just there to stare. “With all of this.”

“Does it look like I need help, Benji?” Harry replied, shifting his eyes to the work he’d done thus far. Ben shrugged. 

“I could always help, myself,” he offered, not sure where he was going with this. Harry hooked a thumb into a belt ring and cocked his head with a smirk…that infernal smirk.

“The king himself redecorates guest chambers?” His eyebrow came up in a sharp challenge as the smirk deepened. He stalked up to Ben and squeezed one of the king’s biceps through his button down shirt. 

“And how much physical exertion would you be up to anyway?” he teased. “I haven’t seen you in the weight room.” 

“I - I can lift stuff,” Ben faltered, causing Harry to erupt in his raucous laugh that Ben drank in. He couldn’t even mind being the object of the laughter when it sounded like that. All the same, he had to try to save some face. 

He marched over to the spool and grabbed it around the circumference as far as he could reach. Then he lifted it, or tried to. He got it to move, but only a few inches. He let go and straightened up, trying not to let Harry see that he was panting with the exertion. A hand clasped his shoulder and his breath caught. 

“Okay, okay, you’ve made your point. You’re a big strong beast,” and Ben may have felt better if there hadn’t been a giggle underneath Harry’s words. He looked at Harry’s arms for the hundredth time in admiration. 

“Weight room, huh?” he asked, turning to rest his butt on the edge of the spool. 

“How do you think I’m keeping my shape since I don’t have to fight to survive anymore? I can’t let this place make me soft. Jay and I have been training three times a week.” 

“Jay?” Ben couldn’t stop the way his voice rose on the name. Damn jealousy! The sideways look Harry gave him told Ben he’d noticed, of course nothing got past him. It’s why he was going to make a great guard and captain. 

“Aye, we’ve been working on - getting along,” he drawled. Ben felt the fire in his belly rise higher. “Figure we need to if we’re going to be working together so much. It’s going well,” he finished with a little smile. Ben keenly wanted to ask what that meant, but it made no sense to. Even if it meant what Harry made it sound like it meant, it shouldn’t matter. 

“That’s good,” he managed. 

“Ah, but it’s far less - stimulating - than a real fight,” Harry returned, and was he trying to make every sentence drip suggestion? Ben felt his face growing warm and he looked down at the floor. 

There were times lately that Harry seemed to lower his walls, and said stuff that let Ben see the real him inside, and then there were the times like this that he was nothing but sass. Ben thoroughly enjoyed both, even if this version could still unnerve him. 

“Isn’t it nice to not have to fight all the time, though?” he had to ask. Harry rolled his shoulders and spun in a circle on his heel, and when he turned back to Ben, the hook was suddenly on his hand. He gently placed the curve of it underneath the king’s chin and used it to lift his face back up to his. 

“There’s nothing like the exhilaration of taking what you want with the end of a sword,” Harry almost whispered in a dangerous lilt. Ben fought back a shiver. 

He wasn’t sure if it was more from the point of that sharp hook being so close to his throat or Harry looking like he might eat him. Either way, he didn’t try to move away. Harry wasn’t going to hurt him, and anything else he might do…maybe Ben was finally curious enough to find out. 

The skin of his throat broke out in goosebumps as the metal curve slid downwards, Harry’s eyes fixed on Ben’s pulse point. He twisted the hook just enough to catch the first closed button of Ben’s shirt on the cruel point. 

“The door is open,” Ben realized out loud, his voice on the verge of a croak. Harry’s warm, icy eyes bored into Ben’s for one long moment, then moved down again before the pirate spun away as quickly as he’d stepped close. 

Ben exhaled. He should probably go. This dance they’d been doing was getting far too risky. He crossed the room in a few quick steps and swung the door shut, then went to casually lean with his back against the net covered wall, as if nothing had happened. 

He watched Harry. The pirate looked as if he was trying not to say anything, which must be difficult for him. His eyes roamed around the room, and the silence stretched. Ben started to feel even more foolish the longer it went on, but Harry blessedly broke it. 

“Do you know what it’s like to want something so desperately that you can taste it? Right there on the tip…of your tongue.” As if to demonstrate, in the middle of this sentence, he brought just the tip of his pointed tongue to the center of his upper lip, then drew it back in an agonizingly slow move. Ben’s insides did that weird flip flop thing they did whenever Harry teased him like this. 

“But it’s just out of reach?” Harry continued. “You can look but you can’t touch?” 

Ben still couldn’t speak, he was working on attempting to think straight. He knew his life had been charmed enough that he hadn’t been desperate for anything the way Harry was talking about. Until this very recent hunger for he didn’t know what had made itself known, anyway.

“I really wanted a rabbit for my ninth birthday,” Ben said uncomfortably, wanting to say something but knowing exactly what it sounded like. 

“A wee bunny rabbit?” Harry’s voice rose on a high mocking note. “Oh you poor, poor king.” Ben felt a shiver go down his back when Harry shot him a look of venom. 

“How about food? Your next meal? A safe place to sleep? Don’t give me that look, Benji, I don’t want pity.” He lifted his hook to point it at the king. Ben would have been truly frightened of Harry in this moment, with that wild look in his eyes, if not for the use of his nickname. 

He tried to imagine growing up in those conditions but it was impossible for him. And he couldn’t help but pity. It also gave him another dose of admiration for Harry, that he had been able to grow up as strong as he did. 

“I didn’t know! I really didn’t. And as soon as I did, I started bringing you guys over.” In truth, Ben carried a lot of guilt since he’d learned how bad things had been for the Lost Kids. He was too empathetic of a soul to not feel terrible, even if he couldn’t have done anything before he was king. 

“You’re right, I can’t know what it was like, and I am sorry,” Ben added. Harry was suddenly very quiet again, his eyes cast down. 

“The room does look great,” the king said, hoping a change of subject would get them back on an even keel. “Are you actually going to sleep in the hammock?” he asked, truly curious. Harry lifted his heavy gaze and an enigmatic expression to Ben’s view. His lips twitched in mischief. 

“Aye,” he answered, walking along and trailing his non-hook-covered fingers along the canvas of the hammock. “They’re more comfortable than they look. I’ll still keep the bed for special company, o’course,” he said saucily. 

“Oh,” was all Ben could come up with, his heart speeding up now that Harry was closer to him than he had been. He definitely should have left by now. 

“And speaking of that, what are the rules on visitors? If I should want to - entertain,” he asked, his tone straight up sultry as his hips swayed towards Ben. The king was almost hypnotized by the movement, and knew his cheeks were warm, but not warmer than the feeling in the pit of his stomach. 

“Well, uh, there’s a separate entrance for this wing, so uh…I guess there really aren’t any rules,” he got out, more flustered than he’d ever been in his life. Harry had reached him now, and the pirate stretched an arm out to brace his free hand against the wall by Ben’s head. 

“No rules?” He sounded intrigued and gleeful. “Now that’s what I like to hear. Do want to make sure of these things, you know,” he said, and there was the slightest smirk as he played his eyes over Ben’s face, then leaned in closer, too close, but leaving Ben with room to get away if he chose. 

“I wouldn’t want to do anything to displease my king.” This last was said in a low, throaty, almost whisper that managed to be intimate, dirty. 

Ben was transfixed by the power, the masculine energy, rolling off of Harry, as he often was, and at this close of range he was almost getting drunk on it. He liked this feeling, he wanted more of it, and he knew that was a little insane. 

If he followed his visceral instincts right now, there would be no going back, at least for him. But there already wasn’t, and Ben really wasn’t used to wanting something so desperately for so long.

He balled a fist into the ripped shirt and pulled Harry in by it as he closed the slight distance between them, crashing his lips onto that smirk. Harry responded instantly, lips molding to Ben’s, warm and hungry. A thrill of fire and ice shot down Ben’s spine; a kiss had never felt like this. It was wrong - this was wrong, wrong, wrong, but he didn’t want to stop. 

Harry was keeping himself in check, Ben could tell, and he fell a little bit in love at that realization. Harry could be taking over by now, plundering his mouth, manhandling him, doing whatever he may want to, and Ben wouldn’t have tried to fight. Ben had expected that, in fact. 

But Harry was letting him set the pace, he’d started the kiss and Harry was following his lead. The pirate’s lips hovered on the edge of open so Ben knew he was ready to deepen the kiss when he was, but it was a suggestion, not a demand. It had to be driving Harry crazy. Ben experienced a heady rush of power at having Harry Hook - swaggering, boisterous, absolute sex-on-legs Harry Hook - at his mercy. 

Ben pulled back for a moment, possibly to make sure he could bring himself to, that he could stop if he wanted to, and opened his eyes. His vision was filled with Harry, his flushed lips, that messy hair, and those dark rimmed ocean eyes, a sinful hunger swirling in their depths that frightened Ben, if he was being honest, to be the subject of. But it was also this fear that made the heat dance through his limbs and into his belly and other areas, that he wanted more of, to see how much he could take before it burned. 

“Please don’t stop with just that tease,” Harry begged, his voice strained. It was Ben’s turn to smirk, and holy hell, did that feel good. 

“Come ‘mere,” he responded, his voice a breathless growl that he didn’t recognize. But it was definitely him that tugged on Harry’s shirt again, that canted his head so they could slot their lips together once more, that sighed into the renewed kiss like he was coming home. Then he opened himself to the fire and invited it in, running the tip of his tongue along Harry’s bottom lip. 

He’d made out with girlfriends, and it had been pleasant, thrilling in their own way, Mal somewhat more so because she had an edge that Audrey didn’t. This…this was not that. This was wicked, and wild, and hot, and dirty, and so delicious it hurt. Harry tasted like darkness and lightning, it was the kind of kiss that could make you forget your own name. 

Harry still paced himself, only answering Ben’s tongue when it swirled around his and urging him just a little further, not truly taking control. Ben was learning how to retreat and tease Harry so that the pirate urged more and more, and when his hands made their way across Harry’s belly to grasp at his sides and pull his strapping body properly into Ben’s, and Ben groaned into the kiss in desire, Harry finally let go. 

A firm but tender hand slid along Ben’s jaw to stay there possessively while Harry’s tongue dove deeper into Ben’s mouth than he thought was possible. It explored every cranny, licking, flicking, soothing, claiming. Ben melted into all of it. 

His senses full of Harry, he only dimly heard the heavy thunk near his feet, then the sound of metal rolling away on a hardwood floor. He very much was aware, however, when both of Harry’s hands cradled his face, fingers edging up into his hairline at the back of his neck as Harry’s tongue continued to swirl in a hot, wet, mad dance with Ben’s. 

Harry moaned into Ben’s mouth in turn, sending jolts of vibration through Ben’s body, something he’d never experienced before. It was a good thing he was up against a wall, because his knees were dangerously close to giving out. He was pretty sure Harry could and would catch him if that happened, but he worked to find a reserve of strength that helped him smooth his hands along Harry’s back, enjoying the hard, warm body up against his. 

He also attempted to push further into Harry’s mouth, not able to get enough. Harry allowed him to for several seconds, then wound his tongue around and around Ben’s, thoroughly dominating the king again. 

They eventually broke apart, to rest their bruised lips and draw in proper breaths, ragged as they might be, and Ben positively clutched at Harry’s back, silently begging him not to move away. Not that Harry showed any indication of it. Ben just wanted to stay here as long as possible. There was a real world on the other side of that door that he didn’t want to even try to think about yet. 

He’d never allowed his body this much reign over his actions before, had never had cause to. His life was ordered, calm, not run on a whim or by animal desires. Harry had torn through that ordered existence and turned it on its head. Ben wanted to stay here in this new upside down place with him just a little while longer. 

“You’re even more tasty than I’d dreamed, my little king,” Harry’s lilt caressed Ben’s ear, and his knees went weak again. He was hard, it was impossible to ignore that, and judging by the pressure digging into his hip, so was Harry. Ben was a seventeen year old male, he was not a complete innocent. He took care of himself when he had enough privacy to do so, but he’d never been this turned on with somebody before. 

“You dream about me?” Ben asked. 

“Aye…” was breathed into his ear, drawn out and warm against his earlobe, and Ben had no hope of holding back the shiver. His head unconsciously moved to the side, asking for things his mind couldn’t exactly name, but Harry knew. 

Lips were pressed to the spot just behind his earlobe, and Ben’s senses short circuited. He was pretty sure Harry was holding him up now, and he could not find it in him to be bothered by that. As Harry kissed his surprisingly oh-so-gentle way down his throat, the castle could have crumbled around them and Ben wouldn’t have noticed. 

He dared to slide his fingers under the hem of Harry’s shirt, the warmth of the pirate’s skin soaking into him and sending him even further into a haze of sensual delight. Ben arched his own back involuntarily, his body chasing the pleasure that Harry was showering him with. 

Harry took the opportunity to slip a hand from Ben’s hip to the small of his back and pull him impossibly closer, his lips still playing on the king’s throat, now moving to the front and towards his collarbone. 

Ben’s fingers finally found their way into the dark hair, tangling in the soft locks and holding Harry’s head in place. Ben gasped; this was more sensations than he’d ever felt at one time, all at once. He couldn’t be blamed for succumbing to something that felt sooo freaking good, right?

Harry began stepping backwards, his strong arms a sturdy frame holding Ben securely while the king followed his lead. They kissed intermittently as Harry steered them away from the wall, messy and unsteadily. Ben only realized it was the bed that was the destination when his legs backed into it and he almost tripped but for Harry’s hold around him. 

When Harry was sure Ben was standing safely on his own, he loosened his grip, putting a few inches of space between them. Ben was just aware enough to recognize what Harry must be doing; respecting him and not taking advantage as a matter of course - he was giving him the chance to decide on what the next step would be. Again, Ben was surprised and a spring of affection and something more flowed through him. His raging hormones took care of the rest. 

The king lowered himself to the bed, a big four poster queen with a mahogany frame and Egyptian cotton sheets, and scooted towards the top until he was reclined against the excessive quantity of pillows. He stared up at Harry as he moved, unable and unwilling to take his eyes off the gorgeous boy. For a short space of seconds, he wasn’t sure Harry was going to join him, although this must have been the pirate’s intention. And Ben found his heart thunking in disappointment. 

Then all at once Harry was there, on top of him, pressing his heavy, muscular body down into Ben’s as he partially held himself up against the headboard, one thick arm flexing. The fire coursed through Ben’s veins anew; there was a big difference between kissing while standing up and suddenly being in bed together. 

Their lips met again, their making out returning to wild and furious, while Ben let his hands roam wherever they could reach. Harry’s arm, his back, his hair, his hips. Ben had been wanting to touch all of it and he drank it in now like a man in the desert for too long. 

“Damn it, you’re hot,” Ben panted out when their lips parted, possibly swearing for the first time in his life. 

“You are quite the delectable morsel yourself,” Harry’s brogue was thick and managed to turn Ben on even further. Or maybe it was the way Harry’s face was caressing the side of Ben’s in an unexpectedly sweet move. Or the way his warm breath tickled Ben’s neck. It was all so much, and Ben was lost in it. 

The king slid his hands up underneath Harry’s shirt again, exploring all that skin on the tip of his fingers, feeling another rush of power when Harry stretched like a cat into his touch. Of course this pressed certain things below the belt further into each other. Ben worked his hands towards Harry’s taut belly, fingers reveling in the textured ripple of the pirate’s abs. 

Meanwhile, Harry’s free fingers were busy too, expertly unbuttoning Ben’s shirt, eyes devouring the sight of the king’s pale skin as it was revealed bit by bit. Not for the first time, Ben had the sense of being the prey of an apex predator but he was happy to be surrendering. 

Once all of the buttons were undone, Harry’s lips replaced his gaze, nose nudging aside Ben’s collar and slow, warm kisses starting at his shoulders. Ben was beginning to be sure he was going to go quite mad with the overwhelming sensations and the anticipation. He was aware that small moans and maybe even whimpers were escaping him while Harry’s aroused hums transmitted minute vibrations from his lips into Ben’s skin. 

This was, hands down, the most amazing that Ben had ever felt. His manhood was so hard it was throbbing, pressed into the groove between Harry’s hip and pelvis, and Ben tried not to think about that too much. His own hips wanted to move, to make some friction and see what that would do, of which Ben was pretty sure of the outcome. Harry’s pants were not made of leather for once, and Ben was quite aware of his thick member, long and hard against Ben’s thigh.

A wet, rough tongue suddenly licked a path over his right nipple and Ben couldn’t stop the arching of his back or the gasping moan that this resulted in. He was left panting and wondering how he hadn’t climaxed as he looked up at Harry, who had pulled back after that wicked move and was staring down at Ben with the most feral smirk ever on his face. 

“Are you sure you’re not a devil?” Ben asked once he could form words. Harry’s eyes were even more beautiful than usual, the blue a thin ring around pupils widened with lust, and that lust was for Ben, who felt like the center of the world at the moment. 

“Never claimed not to be,” Harry taunted, his voice low and the rumbling going straight to Ben’s groin. The pirate stayed still now, his eyes almost softening as he studied Ben again, and the boy king understood; he was being given another chance to decide their next move. He did his best to breathe through his own lust and focus. 

This was much further than he’d ever gone with anyone before, and he wanted it, but his mind and his conscience were fighting their way to the surface to frantically wave a red flag. They lost the battle.

Ben closed his eyes, knowingly moaned this time, and tugged upwards at Harry’s shirt. Harry answered with a lewd groan of his own, and raising up enough to do so, he divested himself of the tee. There were a few seconds in which Ben gazed wide eyed up at a half naked Harry and could barely breathe. 

He’d never known attraction or lust like this, and in that moment, as Harry slowly lowered his body back down onto Ben’s, surely pressing his hips in a sinuous movement just so on purpose, the pirate could have requested the entire kingdom and Ben would have gift wrapped it for him. Instead he seemed content to slide his bare chest and stomach along the length of Ben’s, gasping himself at the sensations of skin on skin. 

Ben held Harry close, overwhelmed by the intimacy and heat. This was far more than he’d been prepared for when he’d first admitted to himself that Harry was attractive. There was no preparing for this. He buried his face in the space between Harry’s neck and shoulder, and soaked him in. He tried to kiss at his collarbone, but like a drunk his movements were unsteady. Ben had reached the end of his control. 

He shuddered, hopelessly unable to hold back anymore, and bucked his hips. It was slow due to the weight of the boy on top of him, but that was perfect, because that made it an exquisite torture. Harry was holding him quite as tightly as what Ben was clutching onto him, and against all odds, Ben felt utterly safe and free. His hips moved again, and this time Harry’s rolled down to meet him, and the boys rutted against each other, slow and sensuous, neither wanting it to be over too quickly but both too turned on to last much longer. 

Ben felt Harry’s hand work its way down his lower back, down to the rise of a buttock, down to grab the cheek in a strong grip. This was new, but it was okay, Harry was just taking care of him.

“It’s okay, my king, you can let go,” was whispered into his ear, and between that and the even tighter pressure that the grip on his buttock caused, Ben finally came undone. 

He didn’t know the sounds he made as he released into his pants, his body undulating underneath Harry’s without his control. He shuddered again as his orgasm rode through him, stronger than any he’d experienced on his own, and still held onto Harry for dear life. 

The pirate was grunting softly, driving his hips harder and harder into Ben’s until it almost hurt, then his face shifted to the side as he filled his mouth with a hearty bite of pillow. He moan-screamed into it as Ben felt a wetness coat his upper thigh, even through two layers of cloth. He suddenly felt very dirty, but not in a bad way, and he mindlessly began laying soft kisses to Harry’s cheek, neck, hair, anywhere he could reach without moving. 

Ben’s heartbeat stuttered into a slower rhythm as they lay there recovering. He became aware of the thump-thump of Harry’s heartbeat against his chest and wasn’t sure he ever wanted to move again. 

Unfortunately, logical thinking was returning to him now that his lust had been sated. Harry nuzzled at his throat and came up for one last kiss, soft and almost sweet, before he unwound himself from Ben and rolled over onto his back. 

Ben let him go, trying to not mind how empty his arms now felt. The sun continued to stream into the windows, it was the middle of a beautiful day in Auradon, and its king was a rumpled, sticky mess laying in the bed of his yet-to-be-appointed captain of the guard. 

He was trying to keep reality at bay just a little bit longer, just long enough to get back to his own chambers and be able to think, and not start panicking in the meantime. His chambers were on the other side of the castle. Was he supposed to meet Mal for lunch today?! What time was it? Ben’s hands started shaking as he buttoned up his shirt.

To his left, Harry propped his head on his hand as he rolled to the side to study Ben. 

“Didn’t think you had that in you, to be honest,” he said playfully, his eyes twinkling. He had the luxury of treating this lightly. Ben allowed his gaze to slide over Harry’s shirtless form in bed once more - he was so heart-stoppingly gorgeous - before he worked on standing up. 

“I need to go,” Ben finally said, his voice steadier than what he’d thought it would sound. “Before I’m found here.” 

“You’re relatively safe here, no one’s going to come looking for me. You’re the only one who would be, Benji.” The king smiled at the nickname in spite of himself, there was a large part of him that did not want to leave this room.

“That’ll change after things are official, you know,” he warned. 

“I’ll get a lock for the door,” Harry replied. “I do deserve some privacy,” and even this he managed to say in a teasing way. 

“Yes,” Ben agreed, his imagination threatening. 

“Don’t worry, you can have a key, my king.” The use of those two little words almost undid Ben again. Only Harry could have taken two otherwise innocent syllables and turned them into something dirty every time he said them now.  

Ben nodded, the ground swimming underneath his feet. What arrangement was he agreeing to here? He didn’t have to use the key, he could just keep it as an option. Did that mean Harry was only an option, was that fair to him? Did the pirate even care? This was opening a swirl of questions that Ben was not ready to face. 

“Here, let me lend you some pants,” Harry said kindly, getting up and sliding open the walk-in closet door. He handed Ben a pair of short pants, similar to what he was wearing, and the king ducked gratefully into the closet in turn to change. He felt ridiculous but also better for not having certain fluids all over his front; he would still have to rush across the castle, his own pants rolled up in his hand, in hopes no one saw him. 

A quiet smirk played on Harry’s lips as he saw Ben out, and he hadn’t bothered putting a shirt back on. The king wasn’t sure whether a kiss goodbye was appropriate, of course nothing that had just happened was appropriate so he was a little lost. Harry briefly fixed his hair before he opened the door for him. 

“You’re too sweet for your own good, Benji,” he said, “But I like it.” 

His eyes still devoured the king, lazily now, until Ben muttered something about seeing him later, and finally made his escape, to hurry back to his own room and ordered life of Auradon royalty. Which naturally was now impossible.

Chapter Text

Harry stayed as still as he could in the center of Evie’s workroom of her small castle as she cinched the wide belt at his waist and adjusted the sash, royal Auradon blue of course, across his chest. He stood up a little straighter in spite of himself in the uniform. His father had always said that clothes made the man, so Harry made sure he was impeccable about his, using as much of the money that he stole as he reasonably could to have his clothes tailored. It was his only material indulgence on the Isle. 

“Hmmm,” Evie hummed, almost to herself, “I think the doublet should be brought in just a bit .” She made some quick notes on a nearby notepad while she held the garment in question pinched between two fingers. Harry had to admit, Evie had managed to fashion a uniform that he didn't hate. 

While the sash screamed classic royal colors, and the belt was the hideous gold that went with it, the doublet was a darker blue that suited Harry better. The white tunic and black dress pants he could not argue with, but the crest on the doublet was where Evie was really winning points with him. 

She had taken the usual Auradon crest with the beast head on it, added a symbol of crossed swords, and underneath that, a hook. She had also incorporated loops and snaps on the belt to hold his hook so he could take it off but keep it close. Harry was truly touched by these gestures, they helped make him feel like maybe he had some right to wear these clothes. 

“Something will need to be done with your hair, of course,” Evie was saying. Harry hadn’t done much with it since getting to Auradon, he really never did anyway, just hacked extra length off with a blade when it got annoying. He supposed they did want him to look a little more polished for this ceremony in a couple of days’ time now. 

“Dizzy!” Evie called, and the younger girl popped her bright face out of the smaller room next door. “Will you do Harry’s hair for Pronouncement?” Dizzy started squinting at Harry behind her glasses in assessment.

“I don’t think so,” he broke in, “She’ll shave my head or something.” He had not forgotten how mean he was to her back on the Isle, and she was looking at him like revenge would be sweet as she walked closer to him. Dizzy drew herself up to her full four feet four inches of height. 

“Excuse you,” she squeaked. “I am far too much of a professional for that! Not saying you wouldn’t deserve it,” she added as she glared at him. He didn’t answer. 

“She does great work, you’ll be in good hands,” Evie, always the peacemaker, attempted to smooth the air between them. Harry gritted his teeth and nodded briefly, giving Dizzy a look that he hoped approached apologetic. 

He didn’t exactly know why he couldn’t bring himself to say the words ‘I’m sorry’ to anyone. Probably because he really wasn’t. Stealing, robbing, threatening, and generally doing whatever it took to stay towards the top of the food chain was par for the course over there. The hair shop was always an easy hit when Dizzy was there alone, it was a simple fact. Nothing inherently vicious about it. 

But now, here, his belly never gnawing with hunger, not only a safe place to sleep, but a room of his own to do what he liked with, people offering help and being nice to him, even though he’d been anything but to them in the past…this was still new ground for Harry to get used to. 

He watched Dizzy almost skip to the table in the corner of the room and start happily drawing in a book, her face screwed up in concentration. She was just a little girl. They’d all only been kids, after all, making the best they could out of what they had. 

“So Harry, are you bringing a date to the pronouncement? You know you can,” Evie broke into his musing, kneeling to fuss with the way his pant cuffs fell around his boots or something. He closed his eyes and held in a sigh. A date. Dates were not quite something Harry Hook did. 

“No,” he replied shortly. Evie gave him a soft, infuriating smile. 

“Audrey would probably go with you if you asked,” she persisted. 

“Um, no,” he said again. Audrey had been fun for a couple of weeks and helped him get over Uma's initial rejection but he had gotten tired of her quickly. He scowled. And lately there wasn’t anyone else that he would want to deal with for a whole evening. Well, there was one person, but he couldn’t exactly be at this event with him on his arm. 

“Unless you’re offering,” he cheeked with a wink at Evie. She just rolled her eyes at him with a smile and wrote down some more numbers. He knew she was taken and faithful - to that dwarf’s son of all people; she could do so much better - but the flirting was second nature to him.

Harry had exaggerated to Ben that he’d been with Evie; nothing had ever happened between them, but he wouldn’t stop her hand if it wandered. On the heels of this thought, Harry felt a heavy weight settle across his shoulders, one he wasn’t familiar with. He wondered if this was what people called guilt. If so - ew. 

“Then it looks like I’ll be solo,” he told Evie. 

“Aw, it’s okay, Harry,” she cooed as she stood up again. “You’ll find someone, maybe even at the pronouncement.” Harry grit his teeth at her sweetness and eternal optimism and thinking she knew what everyone needed or wanted. He dug down for the patience not to verbally bite back - see, he was improving.  

“Please just work your magic with clothes and don’t try to give me dating advice,” he told her, in the nicest tone he could put on. To her credit, she nodded in understanding and stepped back to appraise the outfit one last time, humming thoughtfully.

“A couple of small adjustments and you’ll be all set,” she announced. “I thought you’d like the darker shades.” 

“Thank you. For real,” he said. 

“Don’t worry,” Evie replied, "Dizzy and I are going to make you look great, and you’re going to do amazing.” Harry gave her a genuine smile before he was able to stop himself. There was only so much of this being smothered in positivity before it started wearing off on a person. He hurried to remove the uniform so he could escape for a wander on the seashore.  

Pronouncement was in two days, when Harry’s life would completely change. If he was being honest, it already had, the moment he’d accepted the offer. Fittings and tours, and tomorrow was a rehearsal…he didn’t quite understand the need for all this hullabaloo, but it was rather nice to be involved in something again, to have a part to play, to be thought of as important. 

And then of course there was Ben, and the fact that he couldn’t let him down. If the king had ordered him to wear a pink taffeta dress for the ceremony - okay, Harry had some hard limits, but he would have thought about it. Which was concerning. He’d done hero worship with Uma, he didn’t want to go there again. 

But Uma and Ben were decidedly different leaders. Where she had demanded respect and recognition - to be fair she’d had to with the specimens she was working with - Ben was quietly commanding, trusting that people would do the right thing if he led by example. The kicker was that for the most part, they did, even most the Isle of the Lost riff raff that had come over. Ben exuded pure virtue and goodness. 

Which of course, was exactly the reason it was quite so much fun to corrupt him. Harry traced his toes through the sand, listening to the waves softly roll, and thinking back to yesterday evening. He’d been relaxing in his room with a book, tackling a classic novel that he knew was above his reading level, but wanting the challenge. 

A knock at his door. There weren’t too many people it would be. He swung himself out of the hammock to answer it and was not overly surprised to see an already flustered king. Harry swung the door wide and gestured magnanimously for Ben to enter. 

He closed the door behind him, pretty sure whatever Ben was going to say or do was best said or done with it shut. He noticed the boy jump at the click of the latch. I know how to get you to relax, my king, Harry thought but he remained silent, waiting to see what Ben wanted. 

“Hi,” Ben finally said. He hadn’t walked very far into the room at all, and he didn’t seem to know what to do with his hands. 

“Hello,” Harry replied smoothly, grasping one of the columns of the four poster bed and leaning his hip into it. He was trying not to be intentionally seductive, but he had a feeling anything he might do right now would make poor wee Ben squirm. 

“I just came here to - let you know that…that…” the king struggled. His lovely eyes skittered around the room, towards the bed and the wall he’d been up against when they’d first kissed two days before. 

“That can’t happen again,” he finished in a hurry. Harry lifted his chin, drawing a measured breath and continuing to study Ben. 

“Is that so?” he couldn’t help but ask. 

“Yes,” Ben said with more conviction. Harry slowly nodded. 

“Alright,” he said simply, gently. He had the idea to taunt Ben by saying something along the lines of who said he wanted to mess around with him again anyway, but he couldn’t do that to the sweet boy, and he was observant enough, or maybe knew Ben well enough already, to know he was holding something back. He would be kind and patient, like Ben inspired him to be. 

“Alright then,” and Ben appeared to exhale for the first time since he’d gotten there. “I just wanted you to know,” he added unnecessarily. 

What was he getting at? Harry was sure Ben was feeling guilty for what had happened between them, he was far too honorable to cheat and not be consumed by guilt. Harry felt somewhat bad for leading him astray…he swore it really hadn’t been supposed to go beyond flirting, a tease, a game. Harry may have opened the door, but Ben was the one who walked through it. The pirate made himself feel better with that rationalization, anyway. 

Contrary to some people’s beliefs about him, Harry was not one to pursue someone else’s partner, he had a modicum of honor when it came to that. For instance, he’d noted the beginning of the intrigued look Jane had given him when he’d met her, before Carlos had asserted himself; it would not be difficult for Harry to seduce a person away from their partner. 

But knowing that he could was enough. The practice of it was too strenuous for him, too much work and maybe, just maybe, there was the tiniest part of him that did believe love could exist, at least for other people, and he wasn’t eager to go around destroying it. 

There had always been plenty of willing playthings that came without messy strings for Harry to choose from, anyway. But - he would be lying to himself if he pretended that Ben making that move on him didn’t give him the most delightful little tickle of satisfaction, that he had driven the pure, wholesome boy to tip over the edge to where he just couldn’t resist Harry’s wiles. 

Sure, that made it all the sweeter, and Harry wasn’t exactly about to stop him once he’d started. Okay, it was more like once he got a taste he couldn’t stop himself either, especially since Ben had been so eager. 

He would also be lying to himself that he hadn’t been thinking of him and how he kissed and panted and looked when he came almost every waking moment, and some sleeping ones, ever since. 

“Why are you looking at me like that?” Ben asked him suddenly now. Harry smirked to be called out so boldly. Only Ben would do that. 

“Because I can’t help it,” he answered simply. “Because you look just as delicious as ever,” and he watched Ben’s breath get shakier, but he was just being honest.

“Why are you looking at me like that, Benji?” he asked in turn. The king’s jaw clenched, as if he was trying not to speak, his hand fumbled in and out of his pocket, and the thoughts chased each other across his troubled face like clouds. 

“Because I don’t want that to not happen again,” he finally admitted. His eyes were tortured but also hungry as they traveled all over Harry’s form. There it was. The damnation of them both. Harry knew he could tell Ben to leave, he could force himself to do the right thing, he’d been getting practice at it here in his new life. But nothing had tempted him quite as much as this sandy haired boy king in front of him. Harry was not that strong. 

The pirate drew a deep breath, and with it took a step forward, towards Ben, gauging Ben’s reaction every second. That one step was all it took; in another moment the king had closed the remaining distance between them and his arms were reaching for Harry. Harry caught him, feeling the wave of need and surrender as Ben melted into him. 

His head was on Harry’s shoulder, breath warm on his collarbone, arms clutching around his middle like Harry was a life preserver. Harry simply held him tight, relishing the closeness of the solid body and aware that this was all that was necessary right now. He drew a certain thrill and comfort himself from being needed like this, that he was someone’s, and especially Ben’s, sanctuary. This was a new thing for Harry. 

“I don’t know what I’m going to do,” Ben murmured into Harry’s shoulder as they stood there in each other’s arms. Harry’s heart, unused to such emotion, went out to Ben. 

“You don’t have to do anything,” he said gently, and his thumb rubbed up and down Ben’s spine comfortingly. There was a heat pooling in Harry’s belly, certainly, that made him want to back Ben up against the nearest wall and kiss him until the king’s lips were bruised and he was begging to be taken, but there was also a softness, a tenderness, that Harry felt flowing through him. This was rather new as well. 

“I shouldn’t even be here now,” Ben said, sensibly, though his arms tightened even further around Harry. 

“Ben,” Harry spoke seriously, his lips against the king’s soft hair, even as the words caused a bit of an ache in his chest, “Do what you feel you need to do. You…you drive me crazy in all the best ways,” he had to admit. 

“But I’m not here to get in the way of your life. You are…very taken, and it might be for the best if we stay away from each other.” He tried to brace himself for Ben to pull away, and began loosening his grip on the boy.

“No,” Ben straight up whimpered in response, clinging on even tighter, the sound going directly to Harry’s loins, which he tried his best to ignore. It was much harder to ignore the warm, wet kisses that started pressing themselves into the side of Harry’s neck. Harry shuddered, losing his composure. He’d tried; he’d just given a superhuman effort towards doing the right thing; he could not possibly be blamed for anything that happened from here. 

Harry moved his head so that his mouth could find Ben’s, and the king’s lips responded at once, further damning them both. Ben tasted like innocence served up on a platter, and he was Harry’s sweetest aphrodisiac. Harry took everything he had to offer, his tongue literally lapping it up from Ben’s. And ohh, then Ben’s fingers wound into his hair, and if there had been any last chance of Harry not falling in l…lust…it was now gone. 

He let out a soft moan and drew his head back, chasing the tingling sensation across his scalp. Ben took the opportunity to press more kisses down his throat, and Harry was now the one that had to hold on desperately. 

“You’re so damn beautiful,” Ben’s whisper tickled his ear, and Harry’s face grew warm. He wasn’t used to praise, to compliments. He knew he was attractive, sure, but his conquests usually didn’t tell him in words. And if they had, none of them were as real and sincere as Ben. ‘Beautiful’ had certainly never been a word he’d heard in relation to himself.

“Benji,” was all he could manage to groan back in response. Then this time it was Ben tugging him towards the bed, one of his hands finding Harry’s for just long enough for the pirate to wonder what that would feel like for just a little bit longer. Ben sat down on the edge of the mattress, and Harry followed suit, fighting every instinct to rip all of Ben’s clothes off. He would be good, he would follow Ben’s lead, he would appreciate every second of what he wasn’t supposed to be getting any of. 

Ben shrugged out of his school jacket, and tossed it unceremoniously to the floor, causing Harry to lift an eyebrow at him. Just because Ben was here, behind a closed door, that didn’t mean they had to get naughty. That was just a bonus. 

The swirling hazel eyes held Harry’s hostage, and that feeling that he was on the edge of something much too deep threatened again. 

“Do you really dream about me?” Ben’s voice was low, his eyes curious. 

“Aye,” Harry whispered back, much as he had last time. 

“What are they about?” Ben wanted to know, in an answering whisper. Harry wondered how much the king had been thinking about that flirtatious, if true, line, since then. 

“Are you sure you want to know?” Harry’s eyes darkened with dirty promises, his salacious mind and thoughts far beyond what the king might be able to comprehend. 

“Yes,” Ben intoned, shifting closer to Harry and bringing their legs and sides flush. Harry took a moment to measure, and then he met Ben’s lips again, meanwhile guiding the boy into a reclined position, following him down onto the bed. Some things were better said when one was laying down. Ben gave no resistance and simply gazed up at the pirate with adoration. Man, Harry was in trouble. 

“I dream about you naked,” Harry told him, his voice husky, and then watched how the pulse point in Ben’s neck sped up at his words, and his breath caught. Oh this was delectable indeed. 

“I dream about kissing every … inch …of your body,” he drew out, and his eyes flicked down to Ben’s pants, and the sureness of a tent forming there. Dare he go further? 

“I dream about you on your knees for me, my king…” and at this Ben’s eyes flew open wide, staring up into Harry’s with an innocent intensity. Harry’s hand soothed down Ben’s side, the pirate picking up on Ben’s nerves at this last. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll never ask you for anything you’re uncomfortable with,” he promised, and Ben relaxed somewhat again. Harry decided not to further divulge the depraved dreams he certainly had had about the king. 

“Harry…” Ben’s voice was shaky again, “Kiss me some more.” So Harry kissed him, pouring every ounce of reassurance and attraction into it. It was every bit as hot as it was slow and sweet, and it left them both panting. 

Harry slipped his hand underneath Ben’s shirt, appreciating the taut muscles of his belly, and the way the boy’s eyes slid closed at his touch. Harry was indescribably turned on, especially after perusing the memories of his dreams enough to share some of them with their subject. But he was determined to keep himself in check, only going as far as Ben wanted to go. 

And right now Ben seemed content to hold his hand in place against his ribs, and draw him close again, and kiss him slowly, languidly, like they had all the time in the world. Harry couldn’t complain; he was just thankful to get any time he could with Ben, as wrong as it perhaps was. 

They spent the next two hours like this, late into the evening turning into night, and even though no other clothing was removed and none of his dreams became true, Harry counted himself lucky. There was something about being in Ben’s presence that made him happier than he could ever remember being; it was better than chasing the high of enchanting the next conquest, better than the moment before he sprung a sneak attack on an enemy, better even than the moment he’d first stepped foot into Auradon. It was somehow a peace and a thrill at the same time. 

Eventually, Ben announced he really did have to go, he had to get up early the next day. Harry kissed down his throat in a gentle attempt to get him to stay, even though of course that would be far too intimate, too much, crossing a line that couldn’t be crossed. Yet there was still a part of Harry that thought about it. 

But alas, Ben sat up and made ready to leave, reaching for his jacket on the floor. Harry went and retrieved something from his desk drawer, next to his closely guarded journal. Returning to Ben, he pressed a key into the king’s palm. 

“Feel free to use it whenever you want,” he told him. Ben’s fingers curled around Harry’s one more time as he took the key, his eyes shifting to a dark honey with the acknowledgement of this further step into forbidden waters. 

Ben slipped the key into his pocket without a word, then went in for one last kiss, cradling Harry’s jaw with one hand. Being kissed by Ben was exquisite, it was feeling like you were the only soul on earth, it was like being bathed in the sunlight. Harry soaked it in. 

“Good night, Harry,” Ben murmured when they drew apart.

“Good night, Benji.” Harry’s voice was thick, with desire, affection, and maybe something else.

Chapter Text

“Presenting to the royal court, for his formal inauguration, Harry Hook!”

The announcer’s booming voice rang through the courtyard from the top of the steps leading out from the throne room. It had been decided to hold the ceremony outside, in the beautiful early summer weather of another perfect Auradon day. The royal orchestra, which was also the school band, was playing a bright but staid piece, and the yard was filled with the entirety of the royal staff, advisors, and many of their friends. 

Ben stood, proud and tall, exactly ten feet from the bottom of the stairs on the blue ceremonial carpet, facing the steps and waiting for Harry to swing into sight. His parents and Mal were arranged to his left, along one side of the carpet, the small rank of current royal guards on the other side. Ben maintained the solemnity that the occasion called for as his heart beat a staccato rhythm in anticipation. 

And there Harry was, impeccably dressed in blue and gold and stunningly handsome, even if he looked rather out of place for the first time in the royal colors. The fact that the uniform had long sleeves which fully covered his usually bare arms contributed to the noticeable difference. 

Harry’s expression was as serious as Ben had ever seen it, his gait rather stiff as he began descending the steps, but those were the only giveaways that he must be nervous. He held himself as straight and tall as Ben was, eyes roving over the gathered crowd for a few seconds before settling on the king he was walking towards. 

The afternoon sunlight glinted off the freshly polished hook at the end of his left wrist, while his right palm gently cupped the empty scabbard that hung at his hip. The light also washed over his sculpted face, with his usual full makeup, eyes rimmed in sharply defined but thick black liner and shadow making the ice blue of his irises pop. Ben wondered if Evie had even tried to dissuade him from wearing it and he bit his cheek to keep from losing his composure at the preposterous idea. 

Then he noticed Harry’s hair, trimmed and tamed back from the messy mop it had been, that Ben’s fingers had been tangled in so recently. It was short enough on the sides that the tips of Harry’s ears were visible and Ben worked to keep his thoughts strictly on the day’s program so that he didn’t lick his lips that wanted to be on those ears. 

The biggest update though, was that Harry’s almost-black hair had been streaked with deep blue highlights, making for a pleasing contrast and matching the uniform’s darker than royal blue fitted doublet. How he’d been talked into that, Ben wasn’t sure, but he really liked the rakish effect as the sun emphasized the color. 

Harry came to stand in front of King Ben, then gave him a perfectly practiced half bow as the music swelled and ended. Wide blue eyes met hazel ones as he straightened, the focus in them unnerving. Ben had to swallow before he spoke, clear and precise.

“Do you, Harry Hook, solemnly vow to uphold the laws of good and righteousness, thereby protecting Auradon, its king, and its citizens from any dangers or evils?” At this cue, Harry gracefully took a knee at his king’s feet, eyes not leaving Ben’s face. Each movement of this ceremony had been practiced by the players involved, just not with each other, and Ben was sure Harry’s boldness was his own. He couldn’t bring himself to mind, regardless of what the rest of the court might think. 

“I do solemnly vow, your majesty.” His rich brogue seemed to add to the beauty of the words. To the king’s right, the Royal Guard’s most senior member, who had been standing ready, now stepped forward. In one hand, he held a thick pair of leather gloves and in the other, with the hilt wrapped in a royal blue cloth and the blade pointing towards the ground, a newly forged longsword. 

While Harry remained kneeling, Ben took the proffered gloves and slipped them on. He could feel all eyes in the courtyard on him and Harry, and breathed steadily so he would not make a mistake. He gripped the sword, the guard smoothly transferring it to his hand while drawing the cloth away from the hilt. 

Ben stood even a bit straighter as he carefully laid the sword across his now gloved and protected palms, balancing it so that he could extend it towards Harry. He made sure the hilt was on Harry’s right side. 

“Then rise, as Auradon’s official Captain of the Royal Guard. With this sword, the monarchy and the kingdom place their full faith in you.” 

Harry did so, his eyes going appreciatively to the blade as he lifted it from Ben’s hands. He held it upright in front of him for the space of three beats, then taking exactly three steps back from the king, carefully sheathed it at his side. The courtyard erupted in a wave of applause at the sealing of the vow with the sheathing. 

King Ben and Captain Harry inclined their heads respectfully towards each other, still playing their parts of the ceremony, then Harry went to take his place standing next to Mal. The music began again, striking up the same piece, and Ben refocused his attention on the top of the stairs. 

“And now presenting to the court, Jay ibn Yahya.”

Jay was then sworn in as Commanding Officer of the Royal Guard in a similar solemn dance. He too, received a freshly forged sword from the hands of the king, and sheathed it to seal the vow. His own final part was to shake Harry’s hand, after nodding to Ben and before filing next to the Captain in line. 

There at least seemed to be nothing but respect between the two former villain kids. The full swearing in of the Commanding Officer position had not originally been planned on, but Harry had suggested it, and though Jay looked like he was probably sweating bullets of nervousness under his uniform, there was a shine of pride on his face. It was another sign that Ben had made the right choice in Harry as a Captain. And very very soon, this pomp and circumstance could be over and Ben could return to speaking to his new appointees as friends. 

The orchestra began playing once more, Doug leading them in a lighter tune this time. Ben spun on his heel and held his arm out to Mal, allowing a small smile for her to peek out now that most of the formality was behind him. She looked beyond gorgeous in a lilac gown and sparkly silver eye makeup, and besides, the people and the press ate up how much they loved each other. 

There was a surge in the applause as the king and future queen walked down the remaining length of carpet into the courtyard to join their subjects. King Beast and Queen Belle were behind the young couple at a perfectly measured pace, then Captain Harry and Commanding Officer Jay fell in behind them, except they weren’t on each other’s arms. At least Ben hoped they weren’t. 

Childishly, he wished he could be next to Harry for every step of this next part, the mingling and the assimilating with the rest of the court and the large number of guests. He knew the guy would be fine, he was confident enough to cope with this, even if it was new to him. Sure enough, Ben glanced over often to check on him, and caught that sharp, charming smile working its way through the crowd. Many hands were shaken, congratulations were said over and over again, and eventually they ran out of people immediately wanting to talk to them. 

Ben had forbidden the reporters from doing more than taking pictures today. There would have to be a press conference the next day, but he’d learned his lesson, and he did not want Harry, Jay, Mal, or himself for that matter to be accosted by questions like ‘Is Auradon in so much danger that only villain kids can save it?’ right after a perfect swearing in ceremony. They could deal with that tomorrow, after Ben and Mal had a chance to brief the guys and all agree on what they would say. 

“So now what?” Ben heard Harry ask from somewhere behind him, and he was pleased that he was so close. The four of them had stuck to the same general area while Beast and Belle had faded to the side of the gathering. 

“Now we eat and party,” Mal was the one to reply with a grin, shedding the remains of the solemn aura that hung over them. 

“Hell yeah!” Jay exclaimed, then immediately deflated, looking around as if maybe he shouldn’t have said that in the present circumstances and wearing a royally issued uniform. Ben laughed heartily, however, not wanting his guards at any rank to keep from being themselves, and he led the way to the buffet tables laid out under the massive archways on the side of the courtyard. 

As king, Ben had to get his food before anybody else could and while a servant would happily make him a plate, he preferred to do it himself. Mal was next in line, and then Harry and Jay. 

Four different kinds of souffles, roasted duck, braised beef tips, caramelized carrots, sweet potato casserole with pecans, at least five varieties of bread…there was a ridiculous amount of food laid out that the royal cooks had labored over, and then the dessert table was another whole spectacle. 

“I could get used to eating like this,” Harry said as he piled food on his plate, eyes alight at the variety and amount. 

“Well then, get used to it,” Ben told him generously. Aside from it being Harry, it truly made Ben’s heart warm to share his kingdom’s plenty with those whom it had been kept from for too long. He noticed even Jay, who’d been there longer, enjoying the honor of being one of the first to have a crack at this kind of spread. 

The four took their plates to a large round dining table in a shaded corner of the courtyard, where Ben had ensured that spots had been reserved for the rest of their companions. He was careful to leave some empty seats between himself and Harry, even though part of him wanted to do the exact opposite. 

Now that the ceremony was over, and Ben could let his mind relax somewhat, he found it extremely difficult to look at Harry and not recall kissing him, caressing him, clutching him to his body, and think about doing it again. He didn’t know what he’d been thinking when he did it in the first place…like if he did it once, he could get it out of his system or something…but all it had done was serve to make the wanting worse somehow. 

Ben was grateful when Evie and Doug sat down in the chairs between him and Harry, because he knew he’d been sneaking more peeks than he should. He shouldn’t be sneaking any! Carlos and his constant companion Dude joined them a moment later, Carlos sharing fist bumps with Jay and Harry.

“A toast to Evie!” Mal called out, as soon as her crew had gathered. She raised her glass of sparkling grape juice. 

“For being able to turn these two into respectable gentlemen!” Mal said good naturedly, “If only for a day!” Everyone laughed and the toastee blushed but was obviously pleased. Evie definitely deserved to be proud of her work. 

Ben raised his glass with them and agreed, “Here, here,” and while he drank he briefly considered the words ‘respectable gentleman’ in reference to Harry. 

“Gil!” Harry and Jay both yelled out at the same time, as the strapping young man was passing by. Ben hurried to wave him over, in response to Jay and Harry’s questioning looks and Gil’s hesitant one. There was plenty of room, though as Gil greeted his friends and sat down next to Harry, Ben’s stomach twisted when the two former pirates shared a quick smooch on the lips, as casual as you please. 

The king shoved a forkful of food that now rather tasted like ash into his mouth. He had no right to be jealous, less than no right, and it wasn’t like he and Harry were anything. He knew this. But now it was hard not to look around the table and wonder how many people seated at it had been with Harry to some degree. And to what exact degree? Ben told himself he didn’t want to know, that it would do him no good, that it was really none of his business. 

He distracted himself by staring at Mal, his beautiful fiance, watching how animated she was as she told a story about how she’d almost been late to her last exam of the just ended semester because of something Dude did. She was so sweet and wonderful and Ben had the perfect life; he needed to stop being an idiot and not risk jeopardizing that any further. 

The next one to join them was Jane, whom Carlos flagged down with some relief as she was zooming by. 

“Jane, c’mon, sit down, eat,” Carlos beseeched his girlfriend as she stopped off at the table but didn’t look like she would stay. She turned her big brown eyes on him rather sadly. 

“I can’t,” she said. “I have to make sure the timing on the -” 

“Jane.” Ben used his commanding voice, the one he did have when he tried, to cut through her lament. “As your king, I am ordering you to sit down with your boyfriend and relax for a little bit. Everything is wonderful and I am sure you have the arrangements set up to go off without a hitch. You work too hard. Sit down, please.” 

Carlos shot him a grateful look as Jane sunk into the chair next to him. He grabbed her hand for good measure, just in case she decided to get up and run off anyway. They were such a cute couple and they didn’t get enough time together. Ben could relate. He couldn’t remember the last day he and Mal had spent with just the two of them. Maybe that was something he needed to rectify.

“To King Ben!” a lilt rose from the slight lull in conversation and Ben’s eyes went to Harry, who was standing and holding his glass out now. Why did he have to be so breathtaking? It wasn’t fair. 

“For giving us Lost Kids a chance when no one else would have. For seeing what some of us couldn’t even see in ourselves,” he ended on a quieter note than he’d started, and Ben couldn’t help but meet the sterling eyes that were looking directly into his own, for just a moment. 

He hoped he wasn’t blushing. Even if he had, it would have been permissible, since a cheer for him went up around the table, everybody agreeing and toasting him. Carlos clapped him on the back, Mal squeezed his hand, and they were all smiling at him. 

Ben grinned back, looking all around the table. He caught Harry’s bold wink at him, but since he blatantly rubbed shoulders with Gil at the same time, it lost some of its meaning. 

The jovial group of ten chattered and joked and generally enjoyed each other’s company as they slowly finished their dinners. Waiters and bus people bustled around, clearing dishes and bringing a selection of desserts to each guest so they didn’t have to get up. Being a warm, outside, summer gathering, ice cream was a popular choice, though Ben went with a slice of key lime pie. 

“This is like, so good,” Gil gushed, who’d chosen both pie and ice cream, and everyone agreed. Ben looked up across the table and could not help watching Harry watch Gil lick ice cream off the back of his spoon. As if he’d felt Ben’s eyes on him, Harry’s flicked to the king suddenly and though his posture didn’t change so he was not facing Ben, he ran his oh-so-pink tongue across the entirety of his upper lip. 

Ben ripped his gaze away as an interested twitch in his pants let itself be known, restraining himself from looking around the table nervously to see who else may have seen that. A beat later, and he was able to rationalize that this was Harry, if anybody did see that, he could have been doing it for almost anybody present and no one would think it unusual.

After dessert and some more mingling while everybody digested their food and waited for the tables to be cleared away, the DJ started up. A decidedly new addition, these dance parties this fresh monarchy threw were already legendary. A warm dusk was falling over Auradon as people both young and more mature were lured out into the wide open space at the center of the courtyard, the beats already coming hot and fast out of the giant speakers. 

Ben loved watching his people have so much uninhibited fun and he was as eager to get out there as any of them. Mal was an amazing dancer and usually Ben just tried to keep up with her and her friends, but he was getting better slowly. 

Now Jane finally fully relaxed and she and Carlos were inseparable on the dance floor, Dude hanging out on the sidelines. Jay found Lonnie and drew her into the group of himself, Harry, and Gil that were in a small circle together. Ben quickly found that he could not watch Harry dance if he hoped to keep his attraction bordering on obsession, and whatever they were doing, under wraps. 

Sure, he’d seen him on the floor before, at the after party for the Isle barrier removal, and he’d noticed he was good, but that was before. Before that body had pressed against him, before those hips had undulated against his in a very similar movement to what they were doing now.

Harry had removed the fancy sash and belt and opened his doublet during dinner, as had Jay, so he could dance with a freedom that Ben could tell he was exalting in. If he strutted when just walking half the time, that was nothing to how he moved to the pumping beat of the music. He owned the dance floor, his sex appeal oozing as his body thrust and pulsed and spun around on his booted heels that were pounding out the rhythm on the courtyard stones. 

And the wide, carefree smile on his face just topped the whole thing off; Ben caught himself starting to smile just to see it, his heart inexplicably soaring as he watched Harry over Mal’s flying purple hair. The pirate turned captain caught him looking of course, and his unrestrained, rowdy laugh roared out of him, not out of place in the general wild gaiety. Ben deliberately turned away before he started drooling or someone noticed how he must have been staring. 

Evie was of course already dancing with Mal, Dizzy having joined in, too. Now Uma found them, and the girls exchanged a unique combination of fist bumps and hugs, then happily started grooving to a new song that had just begun. Ben decided to take a break and find the water cooler. As he poured his second glass after gulping the first, he heard heavy steps approach him and had a half second for his heartbeat to skip before Harry’s arm was draped over his shoulder. The pirate swiped the glass of cold water from Ben’s hand and downed it himself, arresting Ben’s eyes with the bob of his Adam’s apple right there, close enough to kiss…

“Thanks for that, Benji,” Harry quipped with a naughty grin. Or maybe it was just a grin, maybe it just seemed like everything the guy did was naughty. 

The king came back to his senses in a hurry, and frantically looked around at all the people near them. But they weren’t doing anything, this could be friend behavior, right? This was just the way Harry was, with a lot of people. 

All the same, after pouring another glass of water, Ben worked his way to a more secluded corner, behind one of the stone pillars. Harry’s arm slipped from his shoulder, but he walked with Ben anyway, as Ben had figured he would. Full dark had fallen, and there were strings of fairy lights draped along the arches of the colonnades, making for a somewhat magical atmosphere. The golden glow rested on Harry’s sweaty face quite attractively, highlighting his cheekbones and that jawline that Ben was surprised he hadn’t cut himself on yet. Well, maybe he had.  

“Having fun?” the king asked, having a harder time not smiling at Harry now that they were more alone. It was the closest they’d been all day, other than during the swearing in, and Ben knew they couldn’t stay away long before they would be missed. Everybody was busy enough that they could have a few moments, though, he supposed.  

“Aye, you know how to throw a party, sure enough. Really the only reason I’ve stayed in Auradon,” Harry joked. Ben chuckled but held up a hand. 

“Hey this is all Jane, she’s the mastermind behind all of this.” Ben would never take credit where it wasn’t due. Harry took a sip of water, leaning against the pillar casually and confidently, then passed the glass to Ben. He only hesitated a second before taking it and also drinking, hoping no one was really watching. 

“Still a shame she’s taken,” Harry said with mock sadness, then, “Carlos is a lucky man.” It took a second for these words to compute in Ben’s brain. Did Harry still want Jane? And if it mattered to him that she was taken, then why…

“I’m pretty sure you could have anyone here you wanted.” Ben really hadn’t meant that to come out with a slight bite, and he wondered if Harry noticed. But the curious way he looked at him before lifting his gaze to the crowd at large said he did. 

“You’re probably not wrong,” he said, in that loftily confident tone that drove Ben crazy in multiple ways. Then his eyes came to rest back on the king with that heaviness that made Ben feel like he was being sized up, or like he was an especially juicy piece of meat.

An awkward moment passed between them while they shared more water, both seemingly unsure what to do with themselves, other than wanting to be near each other. Ben moved in incrementally, making sure no one was close by, needing to say this but definitely not needing to be overheard. 

“You look…really good today. I like the hair,” he told Harry, knowing he sucked at flirting but trying to show his appreciation in his eyes. One of Harry’s eyebrows lifted, along with a corner of his lips. 

“I’m glad my king approves,” he replied in a low purr. Then he pushed off from the pillar and was gone, leaving Ben with the almost empty glass. Ben watched him rejoin the crowd of dancers, not getting more than a couple rows of people deep before his attention was snagged by a pretty blond girl that Ben recognized as one of the senior cheerleaders. 

She looked only too pleased to be dancing with the tall, dark, and handsome new captain, and Ben turned away deliberately, to polish off the water and set the glass down on a nearby stand. This was the way things were supposed to be, he told himself. He went off to find Mal.

Chapter Text

“I’ve literally met sharks that were nicer people than that!” Harry fumed, pacing his new office. He was tempted to be done with this whole thing already, after that circus of a press conference. 

“I’m sorry,” Ben said miserably. “I really didn’t know it would be that bad.” 

Jay leaned a hip against the stately polished table in the forefront of the room, arms crossed and frowning at the floor. Mal had escaped to Evie’s place already, and it was taking all Harry had not to rip off his uniform and go to the Lake or the sea. 

“I get why Mal hates it now,” Jay said, “They weren’t even really mean, it was just so - invasive.” He sounded as if he felt dirtied by the experience, and Harry silently agreed. 

He halted his pacing and stopped behind his big fancy desk chair, playing the edge of the point of his hook in a small pattern over the luxe leather at the top of the backrest. The old him would have let the annoyance and rage take over and he would have slashed through that leather like butter, imagining it was that one particular reporter’s face. Harry squeezed the corner of the chair in a death grip instead, keeping Ben in the corner of his eye to help calm him down. 

Harry did find some satisfaction in the way that wretch of a reporter that had dared to ask the worst question of all had taken a few steps back when Harry turned his full venomous glare on her. He was glad he still had it, and gave himself credit for refraining from outright threatening her or worse. 

Did he think his father would be proud of him? The question was bitterly laughable, but Harry hadn’t gotten to the laughing-about-it part yet. He hated that mentions of his father could still make him so angry, and that no matter what he did here in Auradon under the vow he’d just taken, no, his father would not be proud of him. 

Captain Hook had wanted his son to be ruthless, mean, downright cruel, only out for himself. Harry was some of those things, but he was also growing into more. Life was taking turns, giving him chances he’d never thought to dream of, and he wanted to see where these roads led. Even if he hated that by doing so, he would not be living up to his late father’s expectations. 

Sometimes he didn’t feel like he should even be carrying around this old hook anymore, but it was too much a part of him. At this point, he’d made it his own, and, glancing down at the crest on his uniform, maybe he was transforming the meaning of it. 

“We should have expected some of those questions,” Jay was saying, grouchily reasonable. Some of them hadn’t been so bad; Captain Harry’s plans for the future of the security of the kingdom, to which he gladly said they were working on a blueprint as a team, making sure to give Jay credit as well. Some of them were inane, such as their favorite subjects in school or their favorite things about Auradon so far. 

Harry very well couldn’t say his was the king, so he’d defaulted to the Enchanted Forest and Lake, while Jay had won points by saying something about the warm community they’d found here and how he was looking forward to watching over the people in his new capacity. But then they had started getting deeper, sharper, downright borderline offensive, which had resulted in this heated post-conference escape to Harry’s office.

“They didn’t need to go that far, though,” Ben said, and apologized once more. 

“Well, if they ever come at me like that again, I’ll -” but Harry’s threat was interrupted.

“You know what? That was enough for your guys’ first day on the job.” Ben's voice was decisive. “We can ease into this.”

“I’m fine,” Jay grunted, though his still stiffly crossed arms indicated otherwise. Harry just looked at Ben gratefully. 

“You’re not on a strict schedule, and I trust you to carry out your duties as needed,” Ben assured them. “Go enjoy the rest of the day, relax, get out of those dress uniforms.” Harry swore Ben gave him an understanding glance, and he had to smile a bit, the anger in him mostly burned out now. 

“Thanks, Ben,” Jay said in relief, pushing off from the table and heading to the door immediately. 

“Of course,” the king said, like the absolute gem he was. Jay closed the door after himself, and Ben turned to Harry. 

“Are you okay?” he asked, his true concern evident. Harry wheeled the chair out and sat down, trying to get used to the feeling of having an office of his own. He nodded, he would be alright. Then he decided to take advantage of this precious time alone, and gave Ben a smirk. 

“I’d feel better if you were over here on my lap,” he teased. 

“I can’t, you know that,” Ben replied, though in his eyes was a clear longing that said he wished he could. Harry blinked back in understanding. By dabbling with a king, a taken and engaged one at that, he knew they could not be as free as he usually liked. There was a thrill to the secrecy though, to the fact that they could only be like this when they were alone. 

He’d tried not to look at Ben during the press conference too much, fearing that if he did, it would be too obvious that he was captivated by the boy king and perhaps getting a little turned on by his bright, authoritative voice efficiently answering questions, far more used to this than Harry would ever be. 

Now he freely eyed Ben up and down, admiring the way his tailored dress clothes hung neatly on his frame, and picturing removing them one at a time. He knew Ben enjoyed his hungry stares, and Harry let himself imagine further, that Ben was naked in the middle of this stately room, erect cock begging, and Harry was standing in front of him, circling just the leaking head with his fingertips. His eyes darkened with the lust these thoughts brought on, and sure enough Ben swallowed, transfixed merely by Harry’s focus on him. And maybe also by the way one of Harry’s fingers was tracing along his own thigh, closer and closer to the slight bulge in his pants. 

He thought about releasing his hardening cock from his trousers and seeing if Ben ran away or came closer, but this door somebody certainly could walk through at any time, and he wouldn’t risk Ben’s reputation like that, as hot as the general idea of the chance of getting caught was. 

“I have to go…I have a meeting,” the king rasped, dragging his eyes away from Harry to peek at his watch. The pirate stood up, blatantly adjusting his goods through his pants so it was easier to walk again. He strode to Ben in the middle of the room, keeping one eagle eye and ear on the door. 

“Come see me tonight?” he asked in a low whisper, drawing close to the unmoving king. 

“I can’t. I don’t know. Maybe.” These all came out breathlessly in close to one word, and Ben, the sweet little thing, looked like a deer caught in headlights. Harry leaned in just a bit closer and stole a quick, forbidden kiss, which Ben returned like a man drowning. When Harry pulled away, Ben’s cheeks were flushed, and he was clearly thirsting for more. 

“You have a meeting, remember?” Harry’s voice came out huskier than he meant it to. He loved torturing the king this way, but he also managed to work himself up now that he knew how smooth that tanned skin was, until he raised goosebumps on it, and how prettily Ben squirmed when Harry kissed on his neck.

“Yeah,” the king said, giving a little cough in a valiant attempt to regain some composure. “Yeah, I really got to go.” 

“Go,” Harry urged, forcing his demeanor towards seriousness. He actually didn’t want to keep Ben from his duties, and if they both stayed in this room any longer they would surely get in trouble. Ben almost ran for the door. 

Once Ben was away from Harry, he could get his body to behave, if not his mind. He took a few deep, steadying breaths on his way to the main conference room on the ground floor of the castle, and tried to let the feel of Harry’s lips on his fade. Two meetings, dinner with a visiting earl, which Mal and his parents would also attend, and then maybe he could sneak away to see Harry tonight. The key burned a hole in his pocket every moment of his day, a constant reminder of his weakness and his greatest sin. What was he doing?!

He loved Mal without question, and every time he’d looked at her in the past few days, ever since he’d kissed Harry, a deep sense of shame and guilt had sliced through him. If he was being truly honest with at least himself, it had started even before that. When he’d realized he was captivated by the way Harry checked him out, and how Harry could make his pulse race with a few words. And Harry had probably only been playing, Ben had watched him flirt with almost every person he’d encountered, he didn’t know what made him special. The truth was, he knew he wasn’t, of course. That was just Harry. 

This was nothing more than a conquest, a fling, to the pirate, and Ben would be foolish to think otherwise, and that was just as well. He wasn’t sure if that made it better or worse, though. Ben was too genuine and soft of a soul to not have emotions tangled up in this already, and his heart felt like it was caught in a tug of war, albeit a pointless one. 

His place was with Mal, he had chosen her over a year ago and he consciously chose her each day. She was his longest relationship, and she loved him, supported him, and the people adored her, already calling her their queen. 

Ben knew the right thing to do would be to stay away from Harry as he had fairly suggested, confess to Mal, and beg forgiveness. He could get this weight off his shoulders and deal with the mess he was making head on. That’s what he had been raised to do - the right thing. Always. 

He’d never encountered the siren song of the forbidden like this, the magnetism of Harry’s eyes, the lure of his hands on his skin; even his scent, of leather and saltwater, drove Ben mad. He was a welcome distraction from the often overwhelming responsibilities of being king, that was for sure.  

Going to see him just one more time wouldn’t really hurt, right? 

Ben’s mouth was dry as he fit the key into the door lock, glancing over his shoulder for the tenth time. This was his castle, he had every right to go wherever he wanted, whenever he wanted, and this wing of guest chambers only currently held Harry. Still, he would feel better when he was out of the hallway where he could be seen. He hoped Harry was still up. 

After dinner, Ben still had work - schoolwork that his tutor had left him. Royal duties had forced him to withdraw from classes early in his last semester, so he was not able to graduate with his friends. One more sacrifice he’d made. But because a king needed to graduate and go to university, he still had to finish the semester on his own by the end of the year. 

He liked learning, the studying didn’t bother him, but Ben was tired, in more ways than just physically after a long day. He lingered over his world history final essay until past nine o’clock, his thoughts drifting to a certain set of strong arms currently in a room on the other side of the castle. He finally gave in. 

As he slowly opened Harry’s door, still feeling like he was breaking in, the warm glow of just the bedside light met his eyes, and the first thing he saw was Harry’s broad, bare shoulder. The pirate closed the leather bound journal that Ben recognized and set it on the table, twisting around to face Ben. Harry was shirtless, and Ben was surprised he remembered how to form words with the soft light falling on all that taut skin so beautifully. 

“You’re actually in the bed,” he teased Harry. The blue eyes danced with warmth and playfulness. 

“I was hoping you’d be coming for a visit, remember?” Ben smiled, relaxing somewhat. Their banter and the pull between them was becoming familiar, almost a comfort, especially after a stressful day. Harry pushed down the comforter on the open side of the bed and gave the mattress a little pat. 

“You look exhausted, Benji. Come here,” he invited, and Ben stopped hesitating. He kicked off his slippers that he’d padded over here in, and slid into the bed. He was wearing just a tee shirt and track pants, wanting to be comfortable but pajamas seemed too casual somehow.

Harry’s arms enfolded him, and it was so much better than Ben had even been daydreaming about while trying to write his essay. Here, in this room, in this solid embrace, and especially in this later hour, Ben didn’t have to be King Ben, leader of all of Auradon, destined for greatness by the virtue of being born into royalty, engaged to his future queen in what was likely a rushed decision, a student desperately trying to catch up on schoolwork that he would have preferred to stay in school for, a youth that had put many of his wants and dreams on hold in order to fulfill his expected role. He could just be Ben, Harry’s Benji, melting into the warmth and strength of his arms, feeling his muscles hard against his own, his face burrowing into his neck, and shutting out the rest of the world. He sighed deeply in contentment, holding Harry back just as tightly. 

“There you go,” that silky lilt brushed his ear. “Let me make you feel better.” Ben was not going to argue. He simply let out another soft sigh as Harry’s lips met his, so tenderly, while the pirate’s hands slid under his shirt and worked their way up his back. Ben pressed himself closer into Harry, body and soul eager for everything that the pirate could give. 

Harry’s tongue entered Ben’s mouth, sliding, twisting, licking, and the kiss turned from sweet to hungry in moments. Ben began returning the kiss just as desperately, moaning into it, reaching into Harry’s hair to hold his head in place so he could continue drowning. Harry was tugging at his shirt hard enough that he was about to rip it, so they parted just long enough to get the offending fabric lifted over Ben’s head, then their lips crashed together again. 

They were laying on their sides, awkwardly, limbs tangling and taking turns holding each other up. Harry’s hand slid down to one of Ben’s butt cheeks as his lips left Ben’s mouth and instead rubbed along his jaw. 

“I really could just eat you up,” Harry growled, making Ben’s stomach flip in desire. He had an image of himself laying spread eagle on the bed, Harry kissing every inch of his body like in the dream he’d mentioned, and he was not opposed. He moved his head to the side to give Harry better access to his neck, only slightly nervous that the pirate would actually take a bite out of him. The threat was part of what sent the tingle down his spine when Harry’s teeth did graze his jugular. Ben shivered, his whole body alight now. 

He loosened his arms from around Harry, and, feeling rather silly, laid them out in a gesture of submission as he lowered his back to the bed. He gazed up at Harry, widening his eyes in what he hoped was a seductive manner; it wasn’t like he was practiced in these things. 

But judging by Harry’s own widening pupils, he was getting the message just fine. He took a moment to simply stare down at Ben, making the king feel self conscious for just long enough that he almost began to squirm and reach for Harry again, to hide in the safety of his arms. 

And then lush lips were being pressed into his collarbone, then down the center of his chest. Fingers were tracing the sensitive inner skin of his arms, Harry’s weight heavy on his legs as he straddled them. 

Ben felt like - well, a king, as his body was worked over, Harry lavishing kisses on his shoulders, his abs, his throat, the pale skin of the fold of his elbow. Ben stared down at the blue streaked hair as it moved around, the ends of it tickling him sometimes. Harry was right, he was definitely making him feel better. 

Then with a wicked smirk and a quick glance into Ben’s eyes before flitting away again, Harry lowered his face to Ben’s belly. Ben’s manhood thickened even more than it already was, tenting his track pants noticeably. It was at the point that it very much wanted to be touched, or have some sort of friction. 

Harry wasn’t done playing, though. Ben felt his wet, muscular tongue lick a steady path starting just at the edge of his waistband, over his belly button, which the tip dipped into and flicked there for a moment in a strange but not unappealing way, then north until it reached his sternum. A hand, warm and strong, settled gently on Ben’s side, just under his ribs, then the tongue danced its way to a nipple. 

Ben almost shot off the bed, his back arching sharply, the hand tightening considerably on his side, helping anchor him as best it could while streaks of pleasure shot through Ben’s whole body. Harry’s tongue licked and circled, flicked and soothed, then he drew back and watched Ben’s nipple pebble, wet and now exposed to the comparatively cool room air. 

“Oh god, Harry…” Ben moaned, shamelessly. He had really never known anything could feel this good. 

“Mmm, my king does like that, doesn’t he?” Harry intoned, his mouth still hovering over the nipple so his breath warmed it again. 

He pressed another kiss to the center of Ben’s chest, on his way to similarly torture his other nipple. Ben was balling his fists into the pillows with this, his back arching again, his skin begging for more, his nerve endings on fire. Harry had a hand on both of his sides now and was holding him just above the hips, in complete control. He sat low on Ben’s thighs, almost on his knees, still straddling the king. 

Ben stared up at Harry, trying to take in everything at once: the beautifully hungry blue eyes, the thick arms holding him in place so he couldn’t writhe off the bed, the plane of his naked torso, so recently held against his own, the clear bulge in the shorts Harry wore. And his own erection throbbed. Ben bit his lip as he worked to loosen his fingers from the pillow, acutely aware of Harry watching his every move. 

His heart pounding in his ears at his own daring, he brought his hands to his hips and hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants. Harry’s eyebrows raised at him, and Ben knew he blushed furiously. This was new territory, and while he could probably pull Harry hard into him and they could do what they’d done the first time, Ben wanted more. He might not be sure what that was yet, he just had the general sense of more. 

He slid his pants down past his butt cheeks in as smooth of a move as he could, which wasn’t very, Harry helping lift his hips. He left his boxer briefs in place, even though his manhood was straining at the fabric, impatient for some sort of stimulation. 

As if Harry knew exactly what Ben needed, he lowered himself carefully, keeping space between their bodies, and kissed him, slowly and sensually at first. It was times like this that it was hard to keep in mind that this wasn’t supposed to mean anything. 

Ben’s nerves melted away into the kiss, especially as it became heavier and wetter and Harry suckled on his tongue like he’d sucked the whipped cream off his finger that day. Wishing he could think of something sexy to say, Ben just moaned again as they broke the kiss. His body wanted to buck, to seek friction, but Harry’s hands were still firm on his hips. 

“Can I touch you?” Harry’s tone was heavy, the control he was keeping expressed in how his words were expelled through gritted teeth, his eyes boring into Ben’s. All of this served to drive home his true meaning. 

“Yes,” Ben said at once, half breathy and half groaning. He wasn’t actually sure what was better, when he thought about it later; Harry’s fingers meeting and sliding down his erection for the first time, or the shaky breath the pirate let out in apparent ecstasy at touching him. Then there was the way Harry’s insatiable gaze fixed itself on Ben’s manhood once he’d pulled his underwear down. 

But first Harry unseated himself from Ben’s legs, pulled the track pants the rest of the way off of him, then laid down next to him again. Only then, with Ben now almost quivering in anticipation and wondering if Harry was truly going to do what he’d asked for, did the pirate smooth a hand down Ben’s belly and allow his fingertips to keep going, into the waistband of the king’s boxer briefs, just right of center, of the swollen thickness. Even this made Ben’s breath catch, the movement shifting the fabric and making it rub against him and Harry’s fingers so close, in his sparse pubic hair, on skin that no one had ever touched before. 

Finally he quit teasing, and his nimble fingertips found the velvety flesh, causing a surge of blood from Ben didn’t know where anymore to further thicken it. He spread his legs unconsciously, his stomach muscles going taut. As incredible as this felt, it was a shame it wasn’t going to last long. There was Harry’s sharp intake of breath as his fingers slid through the wetness that had been leaking out and creating a wet spot on the cotton, trailing down to the base as best they could in the limited space. Harry began peeling Ben’s underwear off, lifting the waistband gently over his erection, and then roughly shoving them down out of the way. 

Ben, shy again at this new exposure, looked over at Harry and saw how he couldn’t seem to take his eyes off of Ben’s member as it stood up proudly, clearly desperately wanting to be touched and still leaking. And any self consciousness that may have been lingering evaporated as Harry took hold of him properly for the first time. In fact any thoughts at all promptly left his brain. Ben couldn’t breathe, he had no idea what sounds he was making, all of his awareness was centered on one place, which was being stroked just right by Harry’s hand. 

As the warmth pooling in his groin spread further and further, Ben’s hand groped for something to hold onto, perhaps going for a pillow again, perhaps Harry’s arm. What it found was Harry’s free hand, and their fingers slotted together until the knuckles turned white, clutching on for dear life. 

Ben’s orgasm hit all at once and tore through him, ropes of come spilling out and over his belly, hot and dirty. He was trembling at the intensity of it, his eyes shut so tight he was seeing starbursts. Harry let go of him only when contact would have become just this side of too much to bear, and Ben felt himself slip from his grasp. He was flying, the sensations chasing themselves as he slowly came down. 

“Now that is a sight…” Harry’s voice came in a thick groan, and Ben tried to blink his eyes open again. Did Harry mean him, all drained and covered with his own…?

As Ben’s vision came back and he saw Harry staring at his pretty much naked body, and the pools of liquid on his belly, he realized that yes, that’s exactly what he meant. Ben groped for something to wipe off with, his dignity trying to return and the come now cooling uncomfortably on his skin. Harry supplied a cloth that Ben hoped wasn’t his own tee shirt but he didn’t really care at that moment. 

He barely had time to take care of things and toss the cloth to the floor before Harry was kissing him again, not that Ben minded. He was pretty sure he could do this all night, if he only had the luxury. As their tongues danced, Harry gave Ben’s free hand a tug…the other one was still locked in Harry’s right hand. 

Ben allowed him to place his hand where he would, even when where that was made Ben’s eyes widen while they kissed. Harry’s erection was thick and hot through the lightweight fabric of his shorts, and Ben had to break the kiss to gasp. 

“If it’s too much you don’t have to, but either way I really need to come,” Harry said candidly. Ben attempted to nod, he certainly understood, and after Harry had made him feel so amazing, the least he could do was help him get there too. He wasn’t exactly used to this yet, though. 

He molded his hand to the shape of Harry’s turgid shaft, testing how it felt under his fingers. It wasn’t like he didn’t have one of these too, he supposed, so this shouldn’t be that difficult. He gave it a barely there squeeze and rubbed, keeping his hand cupped around it. 

“Is this okay?” Ben asked tentatively. Harry hadn’t stopped him, but he wanted to make sure this was doing something for him. 

“Yeah,” Harry husked. “But do it harder,” he instructed, placing his hand over Ben’s then and practically shoving it further against his erection. Ben took a deep breath, his heart thudding.

“What if you take the pants off?” he asked. He knew that would have to feel better, and while it seemed like this might be escalating quickly, they were already here, and was that really going to be that much more of a step than jerking Harry off through his clothes? 

Harry wasted no time in loosening the knot that held his shorts up, and then simply letting the waistband sag open. Ben realized he was being polite, and still going at a cautious pace so Ben didn’t get freaked out. 

The king’s eyes followed the thin trail of dark hair on Harry’s belly down, down, to where the head of his fully erect member was standing at attention, yearning its way out of the confines of the shorts. Harry wasn’t wearing underwear, and this awareness brought a smirk to Ben’s face. Could the guy get any hotter? 

Ben pulled his hand out of Harry’s finally, for this he would need his right hand free. Then, before he could let himself think about it any further, he plunged into Harry’s pants and wrapped around that thick and throbbing shaft, making sure his grip was sturdy. 

“Ohhh, fuck, Ben…” Harry groaned, the words barely comprehensible. Ben had his eyes glued to Harry’s face, watching his cheeks flush pink for once, while his palm slid through pre-ejaculate as he worked his fist up and down. The heat of it felt good against the skin of his hand and Harry’s thickness took up most of his fist. 

Ben was enjoying this quite thoroughly, especially watching Harry’s face twist in pleasure from the way Ben was touching him. Harry’s grip was tight on Ben’s shoulder, almost painfully so, but Ben didn’t mind, he just tried to jerk his hand that little bit faster. Harry’s face suddenly buried itself in Ben’s neck, sweat sliding against his skin. 

A deep, almost guttural moan vibrated into the king’s collarbone and Ben’s eyes dropped lower, to watch the thick white spurts shoot out of Harry’s member, most landing on Harry but some on Ben’s hand. Harry swiftly put his hand to Ben’s, to hold it in place, but stilling it firmly against him as he rode out the last of his orgasm. 

In a moment, he began peppering Ben’s throat with tiny kisses in between panting. Ben held him close, honored somehow to have not only witnessed such a beautifully erotic spectacle, but to have played a significant part in it. Harry came to enough to reach for something to wipe off with, and this time it was Ben’s shirt, but Ben still didn’t care. Harry tucked himself back into his shorts and re-tied them, so Ben pulled his underwear up again. 

He supposed he should get going, but at least this wasn’t the middle of the day, no one would be looking for him. He could bask here for just a little bit, maybe. Harry playfully tackled Ben back into a prone position, wrapping his arms securely around him and giving his earlobe the lightest of nips. 

“You don’t have to go right away,” he echoed Ben’s thoughts, and a warmth curled itself up in Ben’s chest. He knew, he really did know, that this didn’t mean that any of this meant anything, of course not. But it was still pleasant to steal some moments of comfort and closeness.

Chapter Text

Ben watched his fiance run up the steps of the castle from his office window and hurried to meet her before she could get further than the entranceway.

“I got in!” Mal’s entire being lit up like a Christmas tree, her eyes shining at the letter she’d just unfolded clutched tightly in her hands. Ben beamed at her.

“Of course you did!” He went to her, and wrapping his arms around her, lifted her feet off the floor and spun her in a few circles, crushing the letter between them and both laughing in pure joy. He’d known she was going to be accepted at Auradon University, but in the face of her worry over the last few weeks, he hadn’t tried to assert that conviction so she couldn’t tell him he was jinxing her. She was so intelligent, and had worked extremely hard since she’d been in Auradon to catch up academically. 

So while it wasn’t a surprise exactly, it was still cause for celebration. Even though it meant attending would take Mal away for longer than they both would like. They spent long hours talking about it now that it was real. 

The university was a few hours away across Auradon, strategically placed so that most kids from the city, when they went, were moving just far enough to experience some independence, but close enough that it wasn’t totally isolating. Mal was determined to come home every weekend, and Ben took this opportunity to offer her a room in the castle. He expected her to be pleased, but instead she was cautious. 

“Do you really think we should do that?” Mal asked. “Would that be all that appropriate?” Ben’s mouth opened and closed a few times while he thought of how to answer. 

“It would be your own room,” he reinforced. “Your own whole set of chambers. I could have another wing built!” he said somewhat frantically. Mal smiled indulgently at him, like she did when he got sudden, grand, silly ideas. 

Maybe he was just trying to do this out of guilt. In fact, he was pretty sure he was. If Mal had chambers in the castle, it would make Ben feel even more wrong for sneaking away to see Harry. She would still only be here on the weekends, the new devil on his shoulder, who was getting entirely too comfortable perching there, said. 

Because despite his best intentions, and the heavy yoke of secrets and lies that had settled on his shoulders with that little devil, he hadn’t been able to stop seeing Harry. The pirate had become Ben’s escape; after the longest of days of being king - of meetings, of decisions he didn’t feel equipped to be making, of studying, even of trying to keep Mal happy - he could run away to the east wing and pretend none of it existed for a couple of hours. 

“People wouldn’t really know that, though,” Mal pointed out. “From the outside, it would look like we were just shacking up.” 

“But we could see each other more,” Ben tried one last tactic, completely sincere. “I’m going to miss you.” 

“Ben, you’re so sweet…” she told him, cradling his jaw in her hands. How different her touch was from Harry’s, softer, more subdued. 

“I’m going to miss you too, of course.” She kissed him, a nice little smooch that was a far cry from Harry’s commandeering lip locks. 

“But we really won’t see each other that much less than we do already. And I do appreciate the offer. But Lonnie and I are already planning on dorming and traveling together. She’s coming home every weekend, too, cause of Jay.” Ben hadn’t known Jay and Lonnie were that serious about each other, they kept their relationship so quiet. Not like himself, he wore his heart on his sleeve. Sometimes he wished he knew how to stop that. 

Evie was right after all, Harry had met someone at the pronouncement after party. Sherilynne was most of the things you would expect from a cheerleader - bright, perky, beautiful. Her body was just the right amount of curvy, and man, could she kiss. 

She was pretty well enamored of Harry without him having to do anything at all, which he couldn’t argue with; the attention was enjoyable. Mon Sheri , was all Harry would have to whisper in her ear, and she would giggle like he’d said something dirty and hide her face in his chest. It was cute, if a little much. 

She was also smart as a whip, and Harry considered convincing her to do his schoolwork. He was only deterred by the fact that he’d discovered he strangely liked learning, once he’d moved on to more focused classes than virtues and goodness. 

Summer was in full bloom in Auradon, and Harry took Sheri out for ice cream, and to the Enchanted Lake, and out walking at the edge of the castle grounds. Her big blue eyes widened at all of his jokes, her smile was blinding, and her laugh adorable. Harry was pretty well bored out of his mind in the first week with her. 

She knew he had his own rooms in the castle, he’d bragged about them to her at some point, and she shyly asked to see them one day. 

“Sorry, the castle is heavily secured,” he lied. “We keep it on near lockdown, and as captain especially, I can’t supersede that. Too much risk, you know.” Smart as she was, she bought it, and settled for a make out session in a corner of the botanical gardens.

As she did that thing with her tongue on his that Harry maybe wasn’t bored with, he weighed his position. This could be so easy; Sheri was a wonderful girl, maybe it was time for Harry to try out a relationship. It would probably look good for him with his new title to earn people’s trust if he was seen to be stable with her. 

He was fortunate to have his own chambers, in which he could leisurely learn those curves, and he wouldn’t be doing anything wrong. Harry could have his cake and eat it too, he was well within his rights. 

Though when he bid Sheri good evening and went to his room, he couldn’t regret not bringing her back to it. It just wouldn’t seem right somehow, and while Harry historically had only the loosest sense of ‘right’, he was aware that in this case the definition included ‘not Ben’. 

As soon as he let himself even think the bloke’s name again, Harry was distracted by the dip from Ben's head that remained in one of the too-soft pillows on Harry’s bed, from three days ago, maybe partially because Harry had been sure not to move it. His treacherous brain wondered if the pillow would still smell like him, so he pointedly did not even go near the bed and swung himself into his hammock for the night. 

He tried to imagine what having Sheri there with him would be like, and it wasn’t difficult. It would be fun, petting and giggling and kissing and he was pretty sure she’d want more than just that. She really was beautiful and desirable. 

But Ben…oh Ben…just thinking about how he looked when he lost control and came was enough to send Harry’s hand into his own shorts in the dark. From his sandy hair to his sharp, blushing cheekbones, from his lanky limbs to the corded muscles hidden underneath, from that cute little mole on his collarbone to the dip of his hip, from that thousand watt smile to oh yeah…those damn eyes…

Harry swung himself back out of the hammock with a sigh, moving easily in the near pitch blackness of the room. He grabbed a soft rag from the dresser, a small bottle from the drawer of the nightstand, and flopped onto the bed on his back. The luxury of a private room afforded him indulgences that he’d never been able to experience before, which included leisurely, comfortable wanks. 

He let some of the lube warm up in his palm before he pushed his shorts down, still not letting himself look at that pillow now so close to him. He didn’t have to, he could see Ben’s face clearly in his mind and the daring, endearing expression it had held when Ben had wrapped his fingers around Harry’s dick for the first time. 

Those soft, finely bred hands that held books and signed royal documents, that had been strong enough to pull him from the sea but were gentle enough to rest on his fiance’s shoulder lovingly - they had been on Harry’s junk, and the pirate wasn’t sure why that was as hot as it was, but oh boy it definitely was. 

Harry fisted his thickening cock, coating the entire length with the lube and catching his breath at the sensations. He’d never used lube before; again, he’d never had the luxuries he did now. It was amazing, much easier to imagine it was a mouth or something else sliding up and down his dick. Ben’s mouth, Ben’s tongue…wrapping around the flesh…so wet…so eager…

Harry came with a stutter of his hand, dreaming about the dreams he’d had of Ben and how the king had looked into his eyes three nights ago and clearly been intentionally trying to make some of them come true. Harry was sure there were some that simply wouldn’t, and he was okay with that. 

Ben was a good boy, certainly a virgin, and as Harry had promised him, he would never push him, just enjoy what did happen between them. But how wild his mind got was his own business.

He wiped up and got back into his hammock, rocking to sleep with the memory of pale, taut skin under his fingers and lips. 

Harry was proud of himself for being able to not imagine the king naked when they were in a serious meeting, as long as the meeting interested him, and this one did. Ben had called Mal, Harry, and Jay together to Harry’s office, to more formally discuss what the future of Auradon might look like, and what could be done to make the Isle inhabitants feel more welcome, while being careful to not allow criminals free reign. It was not a short order, Ben had sky-high hopes here, but they were doing their best. 

“No, I’m not saying restrict access to Auradon. That’s just going to make things worse. Trust me, I know.” Harry let a beat go by as he looked around the table.

“When something you want is unattainable, you just end up wanting it more.” He shrugged, looking at each of them in turn, last of all Ben. His face gave nothing away. 

“That’s true,” Jay spoke up. 

“Maybe a way to keep tabs on everyone,” Mal suggested. 

“Like surveillance?” Jay asked. 

“Not exactly,” Mal returned, her face scrunching. “More like…just knowing who’s who. How many people were exactly on the Isle in the first place?” 

Harry shook his hook in her direction, excitedly but far from threatening. 

“You might be onto something,” he told her. “Ben -” he pointed at the king with his right hand. “When was the last time a census was taken in Auradon?” Harry asked.

“I don’t even know,” Ben admitted. “But I can find out.” He wrote something on a pad of paper. 

“Guess I’m signing up for that super alluring statistics class at Uni,” Mal said sarcastically yet light heartedly, and everyone laughed. Harry was sitting on the edge of the table nearest Jay now, which was more fun than being normal in a chair and easier than sitting across from Ben.

“Would we be able to get a list of all of the original villains and their associates that were banished?” Jay asked, not phased by Harry’s random antics any longer. 

“That’s definitely part of our records,” Ben confirmed, making another note. 

“Then we could trace a lot of their families. We should already have some of this data from when we started doing the VK days,” Jay said. 

“The trick is going to be seeing who wants change. And if they don’t, why.” Mal said reasonably. 

A silence fell over the group at this, which Harry broke. 

“And what to do with, or for, the people who don’t want it.” 

“We’ll get there,” Ben said optimistically. “This is a great start, though.”   

He was just. So. Damn. Tasty. Harry couldn’t keep his lips off of Ben whenever they were finally able to get behind his locked bedroom door. He was already on top of him and Ben’s head was back in that dip of the pillow that Harry had not at all meant to leave there for him. Harry did not understand why he was quite so rabid for the boy, and he’d decided to stop trying to figure it out.

Lips, cheek, jawline, earlobe, back to the jawline, then down to the tender and so sensitive flesh of the royal throat. Harry tested nibbling at a spot just east of the tendon in the side of Ben’s neck, making the king almost squirm out from under him. Harry let out a low chuckle and began circling the tip of his tongue there instead. It took him a second to realize that Ben was actually trying to pull away from the teasing. 

“Hey,” Ben said, low but firm, and his hand came up to knead the back of Harry’s neck. 

“Um, you can’t leave a mark.” 

A moan of disappointment leaked out of Harry’s throat. He knew this. Of course, he knew this. But his stomach muscles were tight with the effort of controlling himself; Ben’s smooth, unblemished skin was right there , just asking for a branding. His softness made Harry want to sink his teeth into him until he just about bled. He took a breath and pulled his face away from the temptation. 

“I’m sorry,” Ben intoned, and Harry shook his head. 

“No, don’t be. I get it.” He caught a wrinkle of Ben’s shirt in his teeth instead and playfully worried it like a dog, making the king smile.  

Harry added a small, “Grrr,” and smiled back around the fabric. He then let go and continued down Ben’s body, sliding his shirt up his side with a careful hand. A sound between a purr and a growl made itself known as Harry lowered his face to the newly exposed skin.

He swore Ben smelled like cookies and sunshine, and for some reason he couldn’t put his hook on, even that drove Harry wild. He trailed his lips along the side of Ben’s firm stomach, and he was nearly salivating. Ben shivered, amping Harry up even more. 

“Can I mark you here?” he murmured into the flesh, not even knowing if Ben could hear him and not waiting for an answer anyway. He gave a small warning nip to just above Ben’s hip, which made the bloke jump, but he didn’t stop him. So the pirate opened his mouth further and drew some of that delectable flesh between his teeth, not quite biting but a lot more than licking, though he laved his tongue over the spot as he worked on it. 

Oh the sounds he could draw from his king! He wasn’t even really doing anything and Ben was moaning like a whore, body rippling under Harry’s unforgiving mouth. He wasn’t protesting, though, so Harry made this count. His cheek could feel the heat increasing in Ben’s groin at this range, and then Ben’s fingers found his hair. He had to release Ben’s skin, no longer able to focus on the job, leaving a large wet and purpling area behind. 

Ben could get him to do anything he might want by playing with his hair, and Harry had a feeling Ben knew it. He felt his limbs go boneless while Ben combed his fingers through his mane, tugging and scratching just right to give him a scalp massage. 

“You are just like a big kitty cat, aren’t you?” Ben said teasingly, his voice affectionately warm, and Harry wished he could protest. But he really couldn’t, as he was laying across the king, shamelessly surrendering while Ben combed through his hair. After a while, though Harry would have happily soaked that in forever, Ben’s fingers traveled down his neck to dip under the collar of his shirt, then he tugged upwards.

Harry took the hint and slinked back up Ben’s body, peeling his shirt off on the way. The king divested himself of his shirt as well, and both of their breaths inevitably caught as their skin slid together once more. 

“Oh wow, you really did leave a mark!” Ben’s tone seemed like it was between admiration and annoyance. Harry looked at the hickey and smirked wickedly. It was one of his better pieces of handiwork, if he did say so himself; deep purple, almost black, two fingers wide across, and raised like a welt. It was such a beautiful brand he’d put on his king. 

“I’m not going to be able to go swimming for like two weeks! Unless I can convince people that the largest mosquitoes ever have invaded Auradon. Or maybe leeches.” He ended this on a laugh, but Harry gave him a puppy dog look anyway.

“Sorry?” he offered, even though they both knew he wasn’t. Harry noticed Ben was staring at the mark, and a soft smirk grew on Ben’s face, then he looked into Harry’s eyes, the hazel swirling. 

“Don’t be, I kind of like it.” He pulled Harry into a kiss, shifting them both so that Harry’s thigh was between his legs and the hard heat that met said thigh rendered the ‘kind of’ obsolete. Harry groaned softly, feeling his own cock respond. Ben’s hips rolled upwards, his body ready for friction. 

So Harry gave it to him, wrapping his arms tight around the king, breathing in the sweet scent at the edge of his hairline and neck, and rocking his thigh just right until Ben was a gasping mess with a wet spot growing on the front of his trousers. Elegant it wasn’t but hot, oh yes, and Harry held him through it, until Ben’s breathing evened out. 

The king straight up whimpered as his lips blindly sought out the pirate’s again, and his hand met the skin of Harry’s belly and started sliding purposefully downwards. Harry’s tongue dove as deep into Ben’s mouth as it could go while Ben’s hand dove into his pants and wrapped around his cock, more confidently than last time. 

They remained in the lip lock while Ben pumped it steadily, moaning into each other’s throats. Harry was in a swirl of pleasure, riding the high of the forbidden, and he came almost embarrassingly quickly. It was worth it though, when he pulled away from Ben’s face and saw the most self satisfied little grin there. 

To be laying on top of a half naked, fit, and handsome king whose hand was covered in his jizz and he was proudly smiling about that fact...yeah, Harry’s life was good. 

Chapter Text

As much as Ben adored the library, he didn’t get to go there as often as he wanted to, so when he had a rare Saturday off with no meetings and no real obligations, he grasped at the chance to escape. He did need to study for his chemistry final, and he’d dutifully brought his books as if he might get something done, but really he just wanted to wander the rows of hardcover literature and daydream himself away. 

It was the perfect day for it; overcast, gray, it looked like it might rain any minute. Ben hoped the weather was a bit better over by Auradon U, where Mal and Lonnie were touring the campus and signing up for classes. He had offered to go with them, of course, but Mal had told him he should take the day to relax, he’d been looking tired lately, and she’d be fine. He also got the sense that she rather wanted to do this independently, that this was a step into a new world for her, and she needed to do this on her own. He could understand that. 

Due to the threatening sky, Ben would probably regret walking here but that was part of the charm, rather than taking a royal car and driver. He appreciated the option, but sometimes he needed to be just a person who could walk to the library. 

As soon as he stepped inside the spacious building he was transported to a place that almost felt better than home, in its way. Walls and walls and rows and rows of other worlds, with skylights that let in plenty of natural light, even on a day like this. The librarians all gave Ben warm, welcoming smiles, most of them having known him since he was small and learning to read. 

He had so many good memories here, a lot of them in the children’s area that he passed by on his way deeper into the library. He used to love, and still did, the constructed fake tree and its several built-in nooks that the staff would rotate books and items related to the book’s contents in and out regularly. It was always a surprise; James and the Giant Peach tucked next to a piece of the featured fruit, for instance, or feathers with The Trumpet of the Swan. There was an entire section of the children’s wing dedicated to Winnie the Pooh, and life size replicas of each character. Precocious little Roo was, and remained, Ben’s favorite. 

Now, though, the lure was in the rooms of shelves behind the graduated archways, each opening into a different time period or area of interest. The last one in succession was the reference room, and had the most tables. It was here that Ben started, figuring he would drop off his bookbag, perhaps study for at least a bit before he gave himself to just visiting the books. 

There were several people seated around in intervals at the long tables, deep in concentration with their chosen reading materials or typing steadily away on laptops. Ben always liked to wonder what wonderful scenarios and storylines were pouring from someone’s brain when he saw them like that. 

He pulled a wooden frame chair out from the end of a table and was ready to relax into the leather cushioning of it when he recognized the dark head with blue highlights bent over a large book across the spacious room. With a light blond head close enough to be brushing the always messy dark locks from its position on a broad shoulder.

The silver hook laying on the table while its owner pointed to something in the volume the two were absorbed in didn’t leave any room for pretending it could be anyone else. Harry turned his head and smiled at the girl in what could only be called an affectionate manner, and she gave a soft laugh as she looked adoringly up and over at him. 

Sherilynne. Ben recognized her from school and cheerleading, back when he’d been able to play on the tourney team. That felt like a lifetime ago, even if it had only been a few months. She’d graduated just recently with Mal, Jay, and Evie and Ben did remember Harry dancing with her at the pronouncement after party. Well, good for Harry, and her, he forced himself to think. It was good that Harry was taking yet another step towards a settled life here. All very good. 

Ben wasn’t aware that he had frozen in place and was staring until bottomless blue eyes lifted and bored directly into his across the yards between them. Those eyes that had pinned him to a bed a matter of nights ago, that wild hair that slid so smoothly through his fingers. Ben dropped his gaze as Sherilynne looked up too, and gave him a small wave. 

He fumbled through a smile and a nod to them both, and then, leaving his book bag on the chair instead of sinking into it himself and perhaps never getting up, he faded as non-obviously into the preceding room as he could. The familiar smell of old paper bindings and glue, as well as the neat, orderly rows of books standing up in their impeccable and unchanging organization, helped center him. 

Charles Dickens, Robert Louis Stevenson, Louisa May Alcott; the names welcomed him like old friends. Even if he hadn’t gotten around to reading a lot of their work quite yet, there was something about the promise of the stories between the pages, the words beckoning.

Ben was not upset. He was not jealous. That would be utterly and despicably foolish. Since he and Harry were not a thing - it was just a bit of fun they were having. It was the unspoken way things had to be. Ben was a happily engaged man, and it’s not like Harry was the relationship type anyway. 

Or was he starting to be…Ben thought, pretty sure one didn’t take casual flings to the library. Ugh, it didn’t matter! It so didn’t matter! Except it did. 

Ben started getting irrationally annoyed at Harry for interrupting what would have been an otherwise pleasant visit to one of his favorite places. It didn’t matter that the guy hadn’t done anything but be there. Ben’s shirt collar was suddenly scratching at the back of his neck, making the skin prickle. 

He took a copy of The Adventures of Tom Sawyer , one of his favorites from when he was a boy, down from the shelf.  A stroll back to a much more innocent time of his life might be what was needed here.  

“Ben.” His name in that whispered lilt should not be able to make his palms sweat in the middle of the library. A shadow behind the double sided shelf where Ben had just taken the book from, and then Harry swung around the end of the aisle, making his way towards him. Ben blinked at him, arrested against his will, stubbornly holding Tom Sawyer open as if he was still going to read it. 

“You were right, this place is pretty awesome,” Harry said, his voice low. 

“I’m glad you’re enjoying it.” Ben tried to come off as professional, detached, but he knew his face was warming under Harry’s observant gaze. Damn him! 

A swift glance up and down the aisle told Ben they were alone, at least for now, but still…he could not afford to be having these reactions to the guy in public. Harry licked his lips, and Ben could feel himself looking even though he didn’t mean to, and not able to look away when those sharp white teeth bit down on that plump bottom lip. 

“Is everything alright?” Harry asked. “You seem…” he trailed off, leaving Ben’s imagination roiling with what Harry might be thinking. 

“I’m good,” Ben said a moment too late for it to possibly come out naturally. 

“Just -” he lifted the book that he had a tight hold on now, like a life preserver - “Doing a little reading. That’s what the library is for, right?” 

He knew he was utterly botching being casual, and that Harry was seeing right through it, because he always did, even worse than Mal. Harry was like a shark, scenting the tiniest bit of weakness. A sexy, smirking shark that was every bit as dangerous as the animal.

“Just making sure. My king,” Harry said with a slight raise of one eyebrow. Ben had half a mind to call him out on being so cheeky with him, on making him feel things that he shouldn’t, on drawing him into this situation. But there were two reasons he couldn’t. One, they were in a public area, and two, Ben liked the way his knees went watery whenever Harry addressed him by those two little words. 

“Where’s Sherilynne?” Ben asked, truly curious if Harry had just left her at the table to come talk to him. 

“She, uh, went to meet up with some friends,” Harry tilted his head at Ben, blue eyes as sharp as knives. “Why?”

“I -” Ben shrugged, still pointlessly trying for nonchalance, “Just curious. She’s a nice girl.” He both enjoyed and hated how Harry’s lips twitched a bit at this. 

“Yes, she is,” he agreed, and it didn’t matter if he actually sounded smug, because that’s what Ben heard. 

He suddenly decided he couldn’t take this anymore and didn’t have to. Closing the book with a snap and carefully setting it back on the shelf, he turned abruptly away from Harry. He walked as quickly but decorously as he could back into the study room to retrieve his bag and did not look back as he headed for the door. 

Ben paused once he was outside, not because of the drips of water now sprinkling from the sky but because his heart was pounding in his ears. He was not jealous of what he couldn’t have and wasn’t even sure he would want, he was not. Except he was. 

He shut his eyes tight as he stepped into the rain, his brain befuddled. Nothing made sense anymore. He loved Mal. This was unequivocally true. So how could he do all those things with Harry and enjoy them so much? And what was it getting him? 

Some fun times that he had to work to steal, the rush of the sweet drug of arousal and release flooding his veins for the first time. And a dose of first real heartbreak because there was no way he could look at Harry after laying with him like they’d done, hell, even after kissing him once, and not get hopelessly attached. He’d done it to himself, Ben reminded his brain as he walked steadily down the road, almost oblivious to the rain wetting his hair and soaking into his tee shirt. 

Some things were just obvious: grass was green, the sky was blue, and Harry Hook was a…a fuckboy, Ben believed it was called. He didn’t even try to hide it, which Ben supposed was sort of honest of him at least, but that’s what made it all the worse that he had succumbed to him. He of course had known this wasn’t a good situation, he just usually never had the time to think about it like he was today. 

The sound of rapidly approaching footsteps on the wet pavement crept into Ben’s uneasy reflections, then fell into stride beside him. Ben didn’t look up; he knew that footfall well. 

“What’s got your knickers in a twist?” Harry asked abruptly, if amusedly. 

“Leave me alone.” The words came out before Ben could think them through, harsh and cold in the warm rain between them. He continued walking, hyper aware that Harry had stopped. 

Ben took two, three, four more steps with the rain starting to fall more steadily. The toes of his sneakers were taking on water now. He wanted to get home, and maybe it was best if this whatever-it-was between them started breaking. Even if it broke Ben in the process. 

He couldn’t help it, it was like his body and head were being pulled, turned, by an invisible force. Ben slowly pivoted on his heel to see Harry glued to the spot where he’d stopped a few paces back. His hair was flattened to his head and water was dripping into his face, bare arms shiny wet. The white poet’s shirt with the strings loosely tied across the deep vee neck was very nearly sticking to his chest above the dark red leather pants. 

He was watching Ben, of course, always watching, as he thoughtfully scratched his chin with his hook. Ben was pretty sure the rain came down even harder as they stood there silent for a few moments, until Ben recovered those four steps and was in front of Harry. 

“What are you doing?” he asked, blinking water out of his eyes. A low rumble of thunder threatened above them. 

“Following your wishes. Leaving you alone.” Harry’s response was flat, measured, the most bland Ben had ever heard his beautiful voice. And he hated it like that. 

Ben’s heart was suddenly in his throat. Those weren’t his wishes. His wishes were those bare arms around him and soft kisses and shivers in low light. The cost was high, but oh, Harry was the most exciting thing that had ever happened to him. 

“I didn’t -” He paused, doing his best to make sure this was really what he wanted, that he was willing to pay the price. Fuck it, yeah it was. 

“I didn’t mean that,” he finished. It was taking every ounce of self restraint he possessed to not take another two steps forward, into Harry, to press his body against his wet one, but the houses on this quiet street, and who might be looking out of their windows at the wrong moment, stopped him. As it was, if anyone saw, they would probably wonder why their king was out walking in the rain. Ugh, sometimes he wished he didn’t have to be in the public eye! 

“I would understand, you know,” Harry told him, his demeanor subdued, for once not in charge. 

And as Ben stared at Harry just standing there in the rain, at his guarded blue eyes and unreadable expression, he knew. He knew the boy cared, at least to some degree. The kisses might be able to lie, but the way Harry held him couldn’t. The softness in his voice that used to be cockiness when he said ‘my king’. The way he was trying desperately not to look lost right now.

He’d probably never be able to say it. But maybe that was okay. Maybe it was enough that Ben knew. And maybe it made it even more special for being unspoken. 

Or maybe Ben was just going insane. That was likely. No matter what, he knew he could not walk away from Harry. If this was his greatest sin in life, and his complete undoing, so be it. 

“I know,” Ben said, the marrow of his bones yearning. If they stayed like this any longer, he was going to lose the battle with his self control and kiss him, right out here on Oak Street. 

“C’mon,” he broke a smile at how Harry’s shirt was all but a second skin at this point as another peel of thunder came through. 

“We should probably get out of this rain,” Ben said, pleased to see a tiny spark igniting in Harry’s eyes. It in turn lit something inside of Ben. He glanced around, just in case, then leaned forward enough to be heard in a whisper over the patter of raindrops. 

“I need you.” 

His heart leaping out of his body at his boldness, Ben required an outlet by which to expel this surge of nervous energy that did not involve grabbing Harry in public. So he spun away and started running, soaked to his sneakers and splashing water as he went. 

For one uneasy moment, he didn’t think Harry was going to follow him, and Ben was just about to look back. But then he heard the heavy boots catching up to him, and he laughed, a little wildly, at the craziness of all of this. Ben put on another burst of speed, weighed down by his waterlogged bookbag digging into his shoulders but still just a bit faster than Harry.

More thunder, and the rainfall got even heavier as the captain of the royal guard chased the king through the intersection of Oak Street and Regal Drive, onto the road leading to the castle. 

“Have you lost your bloody mind, Benji?” Harry panted and laughed behind him as Ben led the way up the sloping side of the castle grounds, the grass squelching under their pounding feet. 

“I think so,” he returned, and didn’t stop running as he ascended the steps to the wide patio, finally out of the pouring rain. He skidded to a brisk walk to approach the double doors of the castle, where the guard stationed there was understandably wide eyed to see them like this. She opened the door for them to pass, trying to keep composed. 

“Thanks Beatrice,” Ben got out, and took a glance back at Harry, not pausing his entrance into the building. The shared mischief that was reflected back to him in Harry’s bright, handsome face, with no trace of the heaviness they’d shared moments ago, teased another bubbling laugh from Ben’s throat. He picked up the pace again as soon as he was inside, feeling especially reckless to be tearing through the entrance hall, up the grand staircase, and through the halls of the west wing, wet and muddy and free.

Ben was a little kid again, blood pumping through his veins, not a care in the world, and it was glorious. A shocked housekeeper jumped out of their way and hugged the wall as they flew by, water streaming off of them. 

The king reached his bedroom door and flung it open, heaving his saturated bookbag off of his shoulders and onto the thick ornate carpeting. It was just carpet, he couldn’t be bothered to worry about such things right now. 

Harry almost slid into him with the inertia of coming to a sudden stop, and Ben was able to twist quickly enough to catch him by the hips. They were both still laughing, amazed that only two people had seen the spectacle that they were. Ben paused, trying to catch his breath but it was impossible with how beautiful Harry was, now at close range, where Ben wanted him, inches from his lips. He shook the water out of his hair, making Harry yelp, and hurriedly moved to kick the door shut and lock it. 

When he turned back, Harry’s eyes were blazing, the voracious hunger in them that made Ben want to surrender his entire being to him screaming out its swan song. He couldn’t believe he’d had the thought to stop this thing they’d started; he could no more do that at this point than he could stop a freight train. 

Harry’s predatory smirk hung on his face, and Ben’s heartbeat spiked as he stepped towards him once more and they reached for each other. He knew that look, he knew how it turned Harry on when he let his more reckless side out to play. 

But. 

It was the middle of the day, in the king’s chambers, they couldn’t possibly…Ben took a shaky breath, drowning in his desire as Harry’s fingers peeled his shirt up his stomach. Well, technically they could, and it seemed that they would…why else had Ben led the way to his room? Then thinking was turned off when Harry’s mouth fiercely claimed Ben’s, tongue moving to violate him in all the best ways. 

Their hands blindly grasped and tugged and slid, pulling each other’s sodden shirts off of their goose pimpling flesh, piling them in a wet heap on the floor. More laughter, heavy and ragged between kisses, as Ben stumbled across the room backwards, his pants halfway down his thighs. Harry caught him, of course, his chuckle hot on Ben’s throat and his grip a salvation. He almost bodily carried the king to the royal bed, and Ben happily gave in to him, sinking back onto his plush, silken comforter, crossways on the bed, hopelessly lost already. 

He watched Harry carefully extract himself from his leather pants, just as transfixed by the play of his muscles as they performed such an ordinary but yet erotic task as he was by the reveal of Harry’s half hard manhood and the convex curve of his well toned behind. The pirate took the time to carefully drape his pants over a chair before turning back to his willing, waiting conquest. 

“Doesn’t dealing with all that leather get old?” Ben asked. He couldn’t imagine how uncomfortable those pants must have been as they’d gotten wetter, especially with no underwear. Harry leaned down to press a kiss to the center of Ben’s chest before he answered. 

“Are you complaining?” His piercing, hooded gaze traveled up the length of skin to Ben’s eyes, rendering the king further overcome. 

“No,” Ben breathed, completely unaware of what they were talking about now. 

“Good.” The word was kissed into the dip of Ben’s stomach, and warm, steady hands were on his sides, sliding down to the waistband of his boxers. 

“Let’s get rid of these,” Harry crooned, smoothly divesting Ben of his last article of wet clothing. They plopped to the floor and Ben was fully naked for the first time in front of his lover, for the first time in front of anybody. His heart squeezed tightly in his chest at the thought, and at the way Harry’s eyes were taking him in. 

Ben was not experienced in these things, granted, but he was pretty sure simple lust did not account for the way Harry looked at him, at the way he lowered his face back to Ben’s stomach as if he was worshiping at an illicit altar. 

Every spot of skin that Harry’s lips descended upon bloomed in a burst of swirling fireworks, drawing Ben closer and closer to an edge he would not be able to return from. And that was just fine with him. 

Lower and lower still the kisses went on, Ben so lost in basking in the feel good that he didn’t connect what Harry’s intention must have been all along, or how hard his own manhood was until it was encased in a hot wetness that he’d never dreamed of before. He bit back a gasping scream of sudden pleasure, every muscle in his body tensing, his fingers digging into the comforter. 

He could swear he was about to black out, so he tried to open his eyes and when he did, he saw what his body was already telling him: Harry’s mouth was moving fluidly up and down, up and down his hard cock, obscene and beautiful. 

“Oh god, Harry,” Ben got out, not at all sure it was comprehensible. “Oh god, that feels…” It felt like heaven, like every carnal sensation he’d never known could exist was washing over him. But of course he could not form these words or even these thoughts so he trailed off and tried to focus on the details. 

Harry was taking him almost all the way in, deep and hot, and his talented tongue was dancing over the flesh like it was the best thing he’d ever tasted. With one hand, he grazed Ben’s balls just lightly, almost sending the king through the roof, while with the other he was reaching up. He found what he must have been looking for, and slotted his fingers purposefully into Ben’s against the smooth fabric of the comforter. 

Ben’s heart stuttered again with the intimacy of this, and the further proof. No, Harry might not be able to say it, but this was all Ben needed. He held onto Harry’s hand like a port in a storm as his lust continued to be stoked and stroked. He could not possibly last much longer, which kind of sucked, because he would love for this to keep going. 

His hand was moved to Harry’s head, the pirate releasing his fingers to push them into his wet hair. Ben smiled and acquiesced to the request, finding a new thrill in doing this with his cock buried in Harry’s face. Another notch on the erotic scale that he was just discovering existed. 

He couldn’t quite help digging his fingers into Harry’s scalp, knowing he was squeezing too hard, but he couldn’t help it when the pirate drew his plump lips in a tight O up the throbbing length of Ben’s cock, his cheeks hollowing, looking like the absolute dirtiest dream anyone could have. Ben got the message loud and clear that Harry liked it though, as he moved back down his shaft with a deep moan. This sent vibrations throughout Ben’s member, his balls, into his loins, and up his spine, and it was all over from there. 

Without a chance to think, he held Harry’s head in place, fingers locked in the dark hair, cock buried almost into the boy’s throat as Ben came and came, his orgasm wrecking him in the best of ways. He became aware of Harry moving, drawing off of his softening member, the cool air bathing it as it was exposed. Ben’s fingers went slack and his eyes popped open. He stared down at Harry, his euphoria leaking away in horror. Had he just…?

“I’m…I’m so sorry -” Ben panted. 

“I didn’t mean to -” 

“Did you just -” 

Complete sentences were apparently completely beyond him. 

But while Harry was wiping the moisture out of his eyes, he was also smirking in the most self satisfied way Ben was sure anybody ever had. Talk about a cat that had gotten the cream. 

“You are fine, my king,” Harry’s voice seemed a little deeper than usual. “More than fine.” 

And his gaze caressed Ben’s nude form, but the king was too high on endorphins to feel too embarrassed. He glanced down to where Harry’s erection hung, thick and heavy, between them. He never would have thought that the sight of another guy’s penis would be so enticing, but here he was. He didn’t think he could bring himself to return the favor that Harry had just done for him, at least not yet, and probably never with that kind of skill, but he did want to touch him, wanted to undo him at least half as much. 

Ben slid his way up to the top of the bed, turning so that he was laying on it normally, head on a pillow, and beckoned to Harry to follow him. This took the form of a grabbing motion with his hand while his eyes stayed on the pirate’s dick. Harry came willing, crawling up the bed towards Ben, his smile riding the line between feral and tender. 

Ben eagerly ran his hands all over the magnificence that was a naked Harry; arms, stomach, back, thighs, easing his fingers towards where he knew Harry really wanted them. He cleared his throat and glanced at his lover rather coquettishly. 

“I don’t know if I can…” he began, still at a loss for words and feeling somewhat guilty. 

“It’s alright,” Harry murmured soothingly into his temple, lips soft and tone sweet. “Really.” 

Ben nodded gratefully, and buried his face in Harry’s neck as he took his erection fully in hand, loving how Harry’s arms wrapped around him and tightened encouragingly. He was getting better at this, or at least more comfortable, and he twisted his wrist on each downstroke, making Harry swear under his breath. As his palm worked, Ben thought about how it would feel to slip the head of Harry’s cock past his lips, how it would taste, how Harry might react…they definitely weren’t bad thoughts. 

The pirate started thrusting into Ben’s fist, his grip on the king strengthening. 

“Damn, you’re hot,” Ben couldn’t resist whispering in his ear, loving how Harry looked when he was just on the brink. Then he purposefully pumped his wrist that little bit harder, and made himself draw his head back so he could watch the way Harry’s gorgeous eyes rolled up under his eyelids as his cock spewed his release, thick and sticky and hot, all over Ben’s hand. Ben held him through the aftershocks, heads cradled in each other’s necks. 

A certain three words floated to the tip of Ben’s tongue but he caught them in time and adamantly kept them shut inside. He laid a trail of kisses along the breadth of Harry’s shoulder instead, and finally released the now soft cock from his slowly loosening grasp. Harry collapsed back onto a pillow, face slack and lazily sexy. He was still watching Ben out of the corner of one eye, and the king had a sudden wicked idea. He was curious anyway. 

Not able to help blushing, he lifted his hand, the one covered in cooling jizz, to his lips. And licked a healthy dollop up. It wasn’t that bad, actually, and he ran his tongue over more of the mess. 

A soft groan met his ears and he looked over to see Harry absolutely gawping at him. 

“Oh Benji,” he moaned, “You’re going to be the absolute death of me.” He rolled back into Ben, they wrapped their naked limbs around each other, and proceeded to burrow into the sheets of the bed, oblivious to the rest of the world and the thunderstorm now raging outside.

Chapter Text

Harry wasn’t sure what felt more exquisite against his bare skin; the silken sheets of the king’s bed, or the soft, warm skin of the naked king himself. Either way, he was in heaven. Ben had detached only long enough to retrieve his phone and send some texts presumably ensuring he wouldn’t be bothered any time soon, and promptly crawled back into Harry’s arms, almost needy. 

The way he was clearly attached to Harry would have bothered the pirate if it was anybody else. The second someone started getting clingy like this, especially if it included jealousy, was usually when Harry was out. He couldn’t help but notice he had quite willingly allowed himself to be led into the king’s chambers and he had no current desire to leave. Crap. 

He nuzzled his nose into Ben’s damp hair and received a happy little hum against his chest in response. This level of closeness with someone was new, and it was unexpectedly pleasant. There generally wasn’t much opportunity, much less desire, to cuddle, in Harry’s world. He really was going soft for this boy. This warm, sweet, gentle, strong boy who was dozing off with utter trust in the pirate’s arms. 

Harry glanced around the room, not having truly imagined the last time that he was in this bed, regardless of his jokes, that he would be here again, and like this. His instincts were too alert to allow for falling asleep - after all, the main objective of his job position was to protect the king, he thought with some amusement, feeling Ben’s heart beating against his ribs. 

This…was never exactly supposed to happen, was part of the problem. Sure, Harry gave himself a pretty hefty pat on the back for seducing an upstanding young king, when all he’d had to do was dangle the apple in front of him and smirk. He hadn’t even really thought Ben would go there, grab the apple and take a bite, but he had. And then he came back for more. And more. 

And now, he was getting dangerously close to Harry’s core, though Harry didn’t know what he would find there, quite possibly something he didn’t like. From there, it would be a matter of time before Ben discarded him, like everybody eventually did, and Harry would have to fight to make another life for himself, and it would probably be back on the Isle. 

Another reason he didn’t want to get too soft here. He inhaled Ben’s rainy, sweaty, post-sex scent and thought back to how bereft he’d looked at the library. 

He had so clearly been upset over Sheri yet unable or unwilling to say it outright. Harry almost felt bad, but that made no sense. He and Ben could not be anything, even if Harry was inclined to be anything with anybody. Would he, a tiny voice in the back of his head asked him, would he, with Ben, if he could? 

He looked down at the peaceful face next to him, the pink lips slightly open, the thin eyelids with the long lashes. And his heart gave a little squeeze. He shut his eyes and turned his head. 

He really should take Sheri to his bed; even if it might not be as good as this, it would still certainly be fun, and a good distraction. Getting off was getting off, right? 

He had no obligations here, which was the beautiful thing. He didn’t have to be here at all. If he wanted dick, there was always Gil, even if he couldn’t remember the last time they had really fooled around. And now, as Captain, he could probably pull a couple new toys of any gender if he tried a bit. 

Ben shifted against him in his sleep, hair tickling Harry’s bicep and one leg wrapping tighter around one of his. Harry sighed, slowly and imperceptibly quietly. Truthfully, it would be better to call it quits before Ben got any more hopelessly attached. There was no good way a situation like this could end. 

Now his mind wandered to what Ben and Mal got up to, perhaps in this bed; he’d never asked, and wouldn’t, but he had a strong sense that it was strictly PG at most. He knew Mal was a hell of a kisser, or had been, but she had shut Harry down when it came to much more than making out and groping. Sure, they’d been young, but Harry’s hormones had reared their heads early. 

With Ben being such an innocent, obviously having been shy to even hump Harry’s leg that first time, Harry had to wonder if he was the first person to even see Ben’s cock. He was quite sure the king had never been with a guy at all before, and the rush that it gave Harry to be Ben’s first foray in this direction, had an interested tingle brewing in Harry’s blood again. 

Try as he might, though, to restrict his musings to the physical, whenever he flicked his eyes down to Ben’s handsome face, there was that annoying little spike in his chest. Maybe he should sneak away while the boy was sleeping. But oh, this holding each other like this was a luxury they never got. A little longer couldn’t hurt, right? 

Okay. Fine. So maybe Harry Hook was hooked. Didn’t mean anything. 

I want to destroy you

I want to take care of you

I want to see you on your knees

I want you to make me beg

What are you doing to me, little king

To turn me topsy turvy like this? 

“So what are you always writing about?” Ben’s voice was as silky as his lips as he trailed them across Harry’s shoulder blade. He’d let himself in and slipped into Harry’s bed, snuggling up to his back as Harry had finished writing one last quick line and closed his journal. 

They were both tired, it had been a long day of swearing in new royal guards and getting them started with their advanced training. Jay was more so involved in that, but Harry liked to be there too, to learn about which ones were going to be best for which jobs and such. They had also held a two hour meeting about developments for the newer residents of Auradon. They were hoping to start putting some of their ideas in place soon. 

Ben just had to tell his parents and get council approval. Which made no sense to Harry; Ben was the king, shouldn’t he be able to just do what he wanted? But Harry was learning that wasn’t exactly the case. And he knew that was part of why Ben came to him late in the evening when he could - to let his own guard down, to forget, to get lost in Harry’s hands and kisses. It was starting to feel like something of an honor to be that for his king. 

“Nothing,” Harry answered automatically, rolling towards Ben and luxuriating in a slow, sensuous lip lock with his lover. He noted the shadows under Ben’s eyes from the stress of the day, and without thinking, when he was done with his lips, moved to kiss his eyelids, making the softest, most adorable smile bloom on Ben’s face. 

“I don’t believe you,” Ben whispered, and it took Harry a moment to realize he was talking about his writing. “But it’s okay. It’s your business.” 

He shouldn’t be able to keep making Harry’s heart do that stupid squeezy thing! And he almost told him. Almost spilled his entire guts right there in the king’s lap, about how so much that he wrote was about him, and his stupid eyes, and his stupid goodness, and his stupid beauty, and his own stupid feelings. 

So he kissed Ben again before he could make a sound, and fell into the rhythm of it like he was coming home, which somehow didn’t feel stupid at all. He could get used to this - hell, he already was - how Ben would move his head to the left so Harry could lick into his mouth that little bit deeper, how Ben’s fingers would creep into the hairs at the nape of his neck right…about…now…and how he would sigh in contentment as he sank into Harry’s embrace. 

Harry gathered the pieces of Ben’s trust in him and their connection to each other and tucked it into the safest corner of his being. It wasn’t a thing, they might not have been able to be a thing, but it was something Harry could hold onto even in the long hours and days in which they couldn’t even pretend Ben was his. 

Right now, though, they could, they could grab onto each other like the world was ending, like they were together, like Harry wasn’t the dirty secret that he didn’t mind being, really. It was the only way he could have any of Ben, so he would take it. 

“I can’t stay long,” Ben said apologetically, playing with a stray lock of Harry’s hair. “I have to get up early.”

“You could always get up early from here,” Harry suggested. It was silly, and kind of maudlin, and Harry didn’t even know how well he would sleep with someone in bed with him all night. He’d never done it before, but he liked Ben being here, and it was tempting to keep pretending. 

“I’d like to,” Ben replied, a bit too seriously as he gazed back at Harry, “But it’s too risky.”

Harry nodded against his pillow, he understood. He would understand no matter how difficult it might be.

“You were awesome today,” Ben was saying, his tired eyes a warm honey brown in the lamplight, full of open adoration for Harry, who had to look away. 

“I know,” he tossed out blithely. He was relatively aware he was doing a good job, but hearing Ben say it in that tone meant more than he would ever let on. Outright compliments were still tough - Harry had of course never gotten any growing up, until he joined Uma’s crew and had to prove himself. Then it was less like praise and more like grudging respect or fear. Which suited Harry just fine. 

Again, Auradon, and Ben, were getting to him. 

“And you always look so good dressed up,” Ben’s voice was almost a purr, and he shuffled closer to Harry, his head tucking under the captain’s chin. Harry soaked in each kiss being pressed to his collarbone, melting a bit more with each one. That uniform was completely worth it if it made Ben want to do this. 

“You’re no slouch there either, King Ben,” Harry murmured, smoothing his hand down Ben’s tee shirt covered back. “But I do prefer you like this.” 

“What, in old track clothes?” Ben chuckled into Harry’s throat, his breath on his skin oddly titillating and comforting at the same time. 

“In my bed. In my arms,” Harry clarified, not caring how sappy he sounded for once. He felt Ben’s smile on his shoulder - worth it. 

“I liked you in my bed too,” Ben whispered, stretching his neck up to kiss just below Harry’s earlobe, making the captain shiver. It amazed him what the king could do with his lips. Now he was simply laying little smooches along Harry’s jaw, working his way towards his chin, and Harry was turning to putty. 

Just when he got to the dip between Harry’s chin and lower lip, and Harry thought he was going to get a proper kiss, Ben pulled away. Harry opened his eyes, hazy as his sight was, to see Ben studying him softly. 

“You are so beautiful,” the king exhaled in nothing less than wonder, a tone that should be reserved for actual things of beauty, like the Enchanted Lake or other wonders of the world. Not him, not Harry. But the absolutely besotted, enthralled expression on Ben’s face that accompanied the words helped Harry accept that he was actually talking about him. 

And Harry blushed, feeling his face heat up, and a lopsided grin crept onto his face without his permission. He captured Ben’s mouth in another deep kiss before the king could say any other silly things.

Uma gave Harry a high five across the small table that the two of them and Carlos were seated at, in the library of Auradon Prep. As it turned out, as Captain of the Royal Guard, Harry could go pretty much wherever he liked, even if he wasn’t officially attending summer school like these two. 

It was optional on both of their parts, they were both driven to get that much closer to University as soon as possible. Carlos for land animal veterinary science, and Uma for marine biology. Harry didn’t know if he was going to go that far with schooling yet, he had a solid gig already without it. Carlos and Uma had invited him to study with them, though, so here he was, being quizzed on his own biology knowledge. 

“Xiphoid process?” Harry ventured to the next question he was asked, this time by Carlos, and the blond gave him an approving nod. 

“Nice!” Carlos told him. He then looked down at the anatomy textbook and frowned. “I only have to memorize the names of approximately three thousand more body parts than that.” 

“You’ll be fine,” Uma was quick to reassure him. “I’m the one that has to learn the digestive systems of everything from a coral to a whale!” 

“Can’t you like, turn into a sea creature?” Carlos checked. “That’ll probably give you some advantage. Unless that’s considered cheating.” His tone was good natured, and Uma was amenable to the teasing. Harry watched them, trying to figure out if there was anything going on between them, but he couldn’t detect any flirting. Hm, just being friends without trying to get into one another's pants…interesting concept. 

“You both realize you’re both smart enough to be fine, I’m sure, right?” Harry offered, looking at Carlos and Uma in turn. “It’s more book learning than I’d ever want to do,” and he leaned back in his chair, hands behind his head, “But you nerds will be fine.” 

Uma twirled one of her braids around a finger, and Harry, for the first time, didn’t miss how he sometimes used to do the same thing. 

“I hope you’re right,” she said, looking worriedly at the stack of books on the table next to her.

“When am I not?” Harry tossed out. Uma rolled her eyes at him, but with a smile.

“Uhh -” Carlos hummed. 

“Don’t answer that,” Harry warned. “Okay, give me another question.” 

Instead of doing so, Uma asked, “Since when do you want to learn anyway? I wasn’t even sure you knew how to read,” she ribbed. 

That one stung a bit, but Harry didn’t let it show. He had barely known how to read, which is why he was making up for lost time now. He might call them nerds but he was never far from a book himself. 

“You’re getting me and Gil confused, I think, dearie,” he shot, the affectionate term falling out with no meaning attached. “Learning’s not horrible. Better when you have a private tutor, of course,” he bragged. 

“Always a showoff,” Carlos complained, but lightly. Yeah, Harry was, but it was also true that not being expected to learn in a classroom environment was doing him well. He was actually curious about certain subjects, though math could still toss off. 

After another hour or so of quizzing each other, Harry had to meet with Jay to schedule next week’s patrols. Uma walked him to the door, Harry hoping she didn’t think getting together to study had meant anything. But she was just being nice. 

“I’m proud of you, you know,” she told him. “You’ve come a long way.” Harry pet the curve of his hook as if her words meant nothing to him.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” he replied. 

“Yeah you do.” She saw through his facade, which was why they were friends. “You’ve changed. Keep it up, Harry," she encouraged. 

Chapter Text

“Close your eyes.” 

It was a whispered lilt in an already dark room, and Ben wasn’t sure he saw the point, but he obeyed anyway. He could not resist that voice. He could hear Harry breathing, so he knew he was close, but he wasn’t doing anything other than breathing. Ben opened his mouth to ask what was going on, but a “shhh” was immediately sent into his ear, raising goosebumps down his exposed flesh, which was most of it. 

He and Harry had collided into each other when Ben had first gotten there, kissing each other like they were the last people on earth, which was not uncommon for them. They didn’t get to be alone enough, or at least Ben didn’t think so, or well, at least the naughty part of Ben didn’t think so, so when they did get together, it was usually hard and fierce for the first several moments, if not longer. 

This time, once the initial, rabid tongue battling greeting had quieted, Harry had asked Ben, “Do you trust me?” 

Ben had paused and thought about asking in what way, but his blood was already hungry, so he’d simply said, “Yes.” 

Harry had led him to the center of the room, told Ben to raise his arms, and he had stripped him down to his underwear. Then he turned the lights off, which Ben was thankful for, because he knew he was blushing profusely. He was relatively proud of his body, he tried to keep in shape, and obviously Harry found it pleasing. But there was still something embarrassing about being in the middle of a room, almost naked, while the other person wasn’t. 

Now, his eyes dutifully remained shut, and with his other senses keyed up, he shivered when the tip of Harry’s warm tongue licked a stripe up the center of the back of his neck. 

“Are you good there, my king?” Harry’s lips just barely brushed the skin where Ben’s shoulder met his neck. 

“Very good,” Ben answered breathlessly. A dirty chuckle vibrated against his throat, and then there was suddenly no contact. He could tell Harry was moving around him, and he was already wondering where he would strike next, and how. Soft lips lingered for barely a second on the left side of his stomach, making Ben start in surprise. Hot breath on his right shoulder blade. A finger pad rubbing back and forth on his pebbling nipple, which made him groan softly. 

None of the touches or kisses or licks lasted more than three seconds, just enough to tease without quite fully arousing. Teeth grazed his hip, fingers danced down the sensitive inner skin of his arms, that wicked tongue swirled circles around his belly button. 

“Harry, please,” Ben begged, unable to keep the whine at bay. 

“What is it, Benji?” Harry’s words held the special brand of warm, teasing affection that made Ben’s heart do somersaults. He had to catch his breath before he could even attempt to speak again. 

“I want you to touch me,” he said, still in a bit of a whine. 

“I am touching you,” Harry whispered into his ear, following it with a wet lick up the outer shell of said ear. 

“More. Please,” Ben got out, unsure of why he was giving Harry this much control over him. He could simply reach out and touch Harry himself, trace his fingers against his captain’s skin like he knew he liked, kiss at his neck, and Harry would surely respond in kind. 

But Ben was liking this game, he just wanted more contact…his entire body was trembling, nerve endings dancing, waiting for the next tease. 

“Hmmm,” Harry drew out the sound on a heavy breath, still keeping Ben in suspense. 

“I personally think you could stand some more if you tried,” he told him, while two of his fingers walked a path across Ben’s lower back. The king released a soft moan and attempted to brace himself for the slow, exquisite torture to continue. He already wasn’t sure how much harder he could get.  

The warm palm smoothing across his lower belly came as much of a surprise as anything because it didn’t move away but slid over to rest on his hip, a thumb dipping into the waistband of his boxer shorts. 

“But you win because I really want to touch you, anyway,” Harry whispered hungrily, and between that and the other warm hand sliding up his back, Ben melted into his lover. He reached out, having to in order to steady himself, and wrapped his arms gratefully around Harry. He’d forgotten the pirate was still fully dressed, and the roughness of fabric against his aroused skin was a new and almost overwhelming sensation. 

Still, nothing felt better than Harry’s strong arms around him. Except for what he was doing right now. Harry put some space between them, which Ben almost whined at again, but Harry’s fingertips were easing into Ben’s boxers, slowly but steadily. 

“Keep those eyes closed, Benji,” Harry commanded, and the king did, as much as he would have wanted to see Harry’s hand disappear into his underwear. In the next moment, Harry’s fingers were sliding down Ben’s shaft, unaccountably coating him in a warm wetness, but it felt so amazing that Ben didn’t have the concern to question it.  

He let out a long, low moan, which Harry swallowed with a languid kiss, lapping the sound off of his tongue. Ben didn’t think he’d last long, and he sorely wished he was laying down. He was sure he would collapse when his release came, but he did trust Harry, and really, he was too turned on and at the captain’s mercy to care anymore. Harry began stroking him properly, still in his boxers, and Ben clutched at his lover’s thick biceps, needing to hold on to something. 

“So good and hard for me, aren’t you?” Harry encouraged, his lips against the side of Ben’s neck. Ben could only whimper and moan as the hand worked him faster and then faster still. The sound of skin on skin with the slight squelch of lube against that skin, added to Ben’s feverish pleasure. 

Then a high pitched moan that it seemed might never end was being poured onto Harry’s collarbone at a gap in his shirt that Ben’s mouth had worked to find. Ben was completely melting, coming undone under Harry’s expertise. 

“I love it when you come for me, my king.” Harry’s filthy words added to Ben’s orgasm as he did just that all over Harry’s hand, himself, and his boxers. Ben had been right; he wasn’t going to be able to stay upright much longer, all his muscles were trembling and his knees were about to give out. He opened his eyes to the welcome sight of Harry staring at him while his strong grip held him in place. 

“Let’s get you set down, aye?” Harry asked gently, and helped him over to the bed. Ben flopped onto it bonelessly, looking up at Harry with what he knew was abject adoration. He couldn’t help it. Harry made him feel so much he had never felt before, and it was all just…so, so much; it bordered on worship. His brain distantly knew that wasn’t good, but his brain clearly wasn’t in control here. 

Ben’s eyes grew wide as he watched Harry lewdly rub his hand over the obvious swelling at his own groin and smile down at Ben. The king reached for the captain’s belt, but he was gently swatted away, the impishness dancing in Harry’s eyes. Ben would have been happy to help him out, but he was sure whatever Harry had in store would be just as hot; there was never any doubt about that, with his dirty mind. 

Harry undid his trousers and pulled them down, just enough for his thick, swollen cock to be revealed. Ben truly wanted to touch it. Or try sucking on it again, Harry hadn’t seemed to mind how he’d done with that when he tried it for the first time the other night. 

Only Harry’s warning stare kept his hands from reaching again. Ben tried to look at both it and Harry’s gorgeous face at the same time, but failed and his eyes settled south. It took up most of Harry’s hand as the pirate ran his fingers along the length, widening his stance to get more comfortable. 

Though Ben had jerked his lover off before, Harry stroking himself while he stared down at Ben was all sorts of erotic in entirely new ways Ben could not have begun to imagine. That dastardly half smirk hung on his face, so Ben was sure whatever Harry was seeing in his own expression must be amusing. But that was alright, because this was too fascinating to pass up. How often Ben had thought about Harry touching himself and now he was getting to watch it. 

It was different than seeing his own hand on his own member, this was hotter, this was amazing, because it was Harry. Ben took in how Harry’s breath deepened, how his eyes fluttered shut while still trying to focus on Ben’s face, how his arm muscles flexed as his fist started flying back and forth. He was getting closer, and it was strangely, obscenely beautiful. 

Harry spoke, voice low through gritted teeth.

“Can I come on you?” he asked. “Just your stomach. Please.” Ben nodded without thinking, eager to please his lover. Harry shifted a bit, his cheeks flush now, and just as the movement of his hand slowed slightly, Ben felt the squirt of the thick warm liquid hit not exactly his stomach, but his lower chest, then another splash landed on his stomach, then a third in between the first two. Harry stood over him, panting and bracing his thighs against the bed, messy cock held loosely in his now relaxed hand. 

Ben was hard again, and without thinking, shoved his boxers down and grasped his own erection. He saw Harry nod, as if urging him on, and Ben had never felt more filthy, used, or uninhibited as he did while he worked his hard member over, feeling another guy’s seed cooling on his skin, while that guy freely watched him masturbate. He wasn’t embarrassed anymore, he just chased his second orgasm, thrusting and pumping into his fist. It was crazy and amazing what Harry did to him. 

“That’s right, Benji, come again, you can do it. Oh, you're so beautiful like this.” That voice was nectar, the sweetest aphrodisiac, and Ben fell into it, his release spurting out of him to join Harry’s all over his belly. He lay back, his muscles turned to gelatin, breath heaving, still unable to care that he had far less clothes, and a lot more fluids, on him than Harry. 

As soon as he could breathe properly again, and maybe a bit before, Harry’s mouth found his and he was kissed to within an inch of his life. Ben wasn’t sure he ever wanted to move again, but this time cleaning up was going to involve a full shower. 

Mal wrapped Ben in a tight hug which he gratefully returned, his arms going around her slim form easily. She was so petite but so strong. 

“Mmm,” she breathed deeply as she pulled away from him. “You smell different. Good different. More rugged or something,” she noted with appreciation. Ben flashed back to the quick shower he’d taken in Harry’s quarters the previous night, borrowing his soap. 

“New body wash,” he half lied. 

“I like it,” Mal said, twitching her nose. Well, that would make it easier when he did need to shower when leaving Harry’s. No! That was not supposed to be an excuse for enabling this! Ben still refused to rationalize his affair - though he had come to the truth that that’s what it was - as normal or acceptable. It caused a constant battle between his heart and his conscience, yet every day he chose it.  

“Are you sleeping enough?” Mal asked as they walked hand in hand to the veranda where breakfast was being laid out for them. Ben nodded. 

“Got seven hours last night,” he assured her. Because I went to see Harry earlier than usual. 

“Okay,” she said, “You just seem a little out of it.”

“I’ve got a lot on my mind,” Ben sighed as he shrugged. Which was definitely the truth. 

“What do you need help with?” she asked at once. They sat down at the table to warm French toast and a beautiful platter of fresh fruit. Ben smiled at her, continually amazed by her support and generosity. He didn’t deserve her. Especially lately. But he couldn’t tell her that. 

“You have enough on your plate with starting University next week,” he said. Ben was torn directly down the middle of being sad that he couldn’t attend college with his fiance, and the fact that her being gone during the week would grant him more time with Harry without having to sneak it away from Mal as much. It was a horrible thought, but it was what it was.

“I could take a little more on,” Mal replied. “I’ll still be working on compiling the census data while I’m at school and I could do stuff on the weekends when I come back.”

Ben was shaking his head. 

“That’s more than enough for now. I know how important school is to you. There will be plenty of boring duties waiting for you when you become queen, trust me,” he assured her. She pursed her lips at him. 

“Okay, I guess,” she relented with a sigh. “I am glad you have Jay and Harry around. I know they’ll look out for you when I can’t.”

“Yes, your Majesty,” Ben said saucily, “Because I do need looking after.”

“You know what I mean,” Mal returned with a chuckle. 

“Wait,” Ben couldn’t help further teasing her, “Did you just say you’re glad Harry is around?” 

He had to release some of this nervous energy about the hidden side of his life in some fashion, or he feared it would become too obvious. His instinct was never to mention or acknowledge Harry’s existence to Mal, but he also feared that would be odd and raise suspicion. Being so deceitful was exhausting, he was discovering. 

“Okay, fine,” Mal said, smiling, “You were right about him. At least so far.” Ben bit the inside of his cheek to try not to look too pleased. 

“It’s a shame about him and Sherilynne, though,” Mal said then. Ben’s heart gave an extra thud and he suddenly found mopping up the syrup on his plate with the last bite of his French toast the most interesting thing in the world.

“What do you mean?” he said to his fork.

“You guys hang out enough, you must know,” Mal said. “Although I guess boys are silly and don’t talk about that stuff as much. He broke up with her,” she clarified. 

“Oh,” Ben got out, praying that it came out as he intended, only mildly interested. This didn't mean anything, he reminded his heart; there would be somebody else on Harry’s shoulder within two weeks.

“Yeah. It’s a shame actually, they were cute together. He might be getting more responsible but I guess some things just don’t change. I can’t see Harry ever settling down with anybody,” Mal didn’t sound like she was being mean, just matter of fact. Ben shrugged. 

“We’re not even eighteen yet, though. There’s nothing wrong with dating around a bit when you’re young, is there?” Ben was almost thinking out loud. Just because he hadn’t done that didn’t mean it was wrong, right? 

“No,” Mal acknowledged, her manicured fingernails peeling a clementine. “The fairy tale kind of love we have isn't for everybody,” she then said, and gave Ben the sweetest, softest look. Ben stared into her pretty green eyes, which could still hypnotize him a little, and gratefully smiled back at her. 

Mal was familiar, she was dependable, gorgeous, smart, and sexy. And she loved Ben thoroughly. He was a lucky, lucky man. His mind flashed to Harry and the sweltering look he’d given him the night before as Ben lay there naked and coated in their come, and the way he’d kissed him goodbye after his shower.

He was a lucky man, and he was also an idiot. 

Chapter Text

Ben found himself in Harry’s bed again, though this time he’d been able to stay away for a bit longer, trying to be good. He’d wanted to make sure that he got quality time with Mal during the last week of summer vacation, and it had been great. 

Fortunately the monstrous hickey Harry had laid on his hip weeks ago finally faded, so he was able to take his fiance to the Enchanted Lake and start teaching her to swim…they’d had a lot of fun and Mal was quite enticing in her purple tankini swimsuit. All graceful limbs and sweet curves, and Ben’s newly revved up hormones made themselves known. 

He’d kissed her for deeper and longer than they usually did, there in a secluded area of shallows, the late August heat pressing on them and Ben almost pressing into Mal’s leg under the water. His hands had roamed up the back of her swimsuit top, respectfully but purposefully, and he’d been about to pull her closer when she’d stopped him. 

Of course. They didn’t do that; they didn’t go that far. They’d given each other silly smiles to relieve the tension and gone back to the swimming lessons. Innocent, careful fun. 

So Ben was now splayed out in Harry’s bed, naked except for his button up shirt, flung open and framing his tanned torso, as far from innocent and careful as he could get. Harry had kissed him like a drowning man when he’d gotten there, deprived for too long apparently.

“Fuck, I missed you,” Harry had growled into Ben’s jugular after he’d gotten done bruising Ben’s lips with the demanding kisses. It was the first time he’d said that, and Ben’s heart swelled along with his dick. It had been far too long.

His brain still wanted to behave, he wanted to think he could stay away, that he could resist the overwhelming temptation of everything that Harry was. It was a vicious cycle of guilt and giving in, though the lines were getting blurry on if the guilt lay with lying with Harry at all, or when he couldn’t see him as often as they both would like. 

But in the end, Ben’s body and heart betrayed his mind, his sense, his judgment…again and again. And again. 

Two of Harry’s fingertips traced up the length of Ben’s rock hard erection, making it rise to full attention from the king’s prostrate, overheating form. Ben had to clutch at the pillows in an effort to control his hips from thrusting into air. Harry was obviously in teasing mode, as he stroked the entire rest of Ben’s body, and Ben was in ecstasy. 

He willingly and utterly surrendered to Harry’s touch, because the captain knew how to make him lose all control. And Ben loved it. His back arching up, silently begging for more, his hips straining, his every muscle tensing then relaxing as Harry’s fingers played and he smiled that wicked smile down at him. Yeah, Ben loved it all. 

His thighs fell open of their own accord as Harry snuck into the crease between his pelvis and his leg, then traced lazy circles on his inner thighs. Ben was aware of Harry watching him closely for his reactions, but his lover had helped him get past a lot of his self consciousness and now his blatant staring was as hot as the touching. 

Ben’s cock wanted that touch, yet Harry was deliberately not, of course. His fingers found Ben’s heavy balls, and the king thought he would lose his mind. He shamelessly opened his legs even wider to accommodate. 

“You tremble so beautifully for me, my king.” Harry’s lilted murmur always made Ben fall harder, and he looked up to the boy’s handsome face to see the blue eyes full of fascination for him. For Ben. 

The teasing fingers returned to his cock for a mere handful of seconds, then slid lower to his balls again, then a tad lower still, hovering just above…

“Can I touch you here?” the whisper came, and Ben barely paused, swallowed once, then nodded vigorously, opening his legs even a bit wider. Harry came back to swirl around the king’s hefty erection one more time before blazing a return trail down his ballsack and directly to his hole. Well this was utterly new and utterly amazing; Ben was pretty sure his lungs had completely stopped working. 

“Don’t tell me this is the first time you’ve been touched there,” Harry asked, another whisper, surely knowing damn well that it was. Ben just nodded again, barely able to do that as his eyes rolled back in his head with the sensations shooting through him. Harry knew just how to stroke, just how to caress, where to linger, and where to use the slightest of pressures but then flit away. 

“Will you let me try something?” 

“Anything you want,” Ben gave himself over completely. He trusted Harry implicitly, he had never made him feel anything but new heights of pure ecstasy. Harry hummed. 

“Well, that could be dangerous,” he pointed out cheekily, then his voice softened. “But I just want to make my king feel good.” 

He came in for a deep kiss, meanwhile playing with Ben’s nipples, flicking and pinching just a little. Ben’s cock was leaking by now, and Harry gently brushed the head with the side of his index finger just enough to wipe some fluid on it and bring it to his tongue, making sure Ben was watching him, then licking it up. It was things like this, so casual but so dirty, that drove Ben wild with lust. 

Harry’s fingers returned to Ben’s inner thighs, going back to work, titillating him all over again. He had the bottle of lube, which he flicked open and poured a little of its contents onto his fingertips. Now Ben had a moment of full realization of what Harry must want to try. He found he was intrigued more than apprehensive, curious along with a touch of nervousness. 

His thighs spread open from where they'd relaxed once more, his body taking any decision making away. Then Harry’s wet finger was there, on his most private of spots, just gently petting over the sensitive skin. The look of concentration and concern on Harry’s face as he made sure what he was doing felt good to Ben was just as erotic as how he moved his finger. 

Ben released a small gasp that he hoped was encouraging, because speech was beyond him at the moment. His hole quickly got wetter as Harry added lube, and spent more time stroking it, beginning to circle the ring of muscle, which was opening to him in hesitant flutters. Especially when Harry tapped right at the opening with just one finger pad, meanwhile reaching up to toy with Ben’s nipples again. 

Ben gazed at his lover in adoration, and just nodded, asking for something he didn’t quite have words for yet. The fingertip slipped just inside, then withdrew, and Ben’s hips chased it immediately. This brought the most self-satisfied smirk to Harry’s face, and Ben fell even deeper in love. 

“Someone likes that,” Harry murmured, his finger back to circling. 

“Yes,” Ben got out, his voice straining, hoping the confirmation made it clear that he wanted Harry to do it again. He got the message, and Ben’s hole was gently breached once more, just slightly further and slightly longer. 

Ben’s fingers curled into the pillow even tighter, fighting the urge to reach down and grab Harry’s hand to hold his finger in place and maybe pull it deeper into his body. Harry was the master of teasing, though, and Ben let him have the reigns. He was not disappointed, since Harry seemed to know his body and his reactions better than he did. 

He granted Ben his wish, still in slow increments, pulling out all the way, then easing back in, until the entirety of his middle finger was inside. Ben took the opportunity to clamp his muscles down, the new sensation of something inserted into him sending waves of lust throughout his whole body. Harry’s face had gone slack, his eyes hungrily trained between Ben’s legs, and the imagined visual of what he was staring at turned Ben on impossibly more. The king worked to loosen his grip, praying Harry wouldn’t take his finger out. 

“Don’t stop,” Ben begged, trying to be clear about what he wanted, when his brain hardly knew. There was suddenly more wetness, and more movement, the beginnings of a rhythm, and Ben could have died happy right then. His eyes closed to soak it all in, he felt Harry shift above him, and felt those wonderful lips on his own, which he opened to at once. 

Harry’s tongue entered his mouth while his finger worked steadily in and out of his hole now, and Ben was floating, lost in the erotic tenderness that was Harry making him feel good. 

He came, suddenly and unexpectedly, his cock shooting ropes of warm fluid all over him, untouched other than how the tip had been tapping at his abs as Harry worked. Ben released a moan, unselfconscious and unrestrained, as he soaked in his orgasm’s aftermath, Harry’s finger still inside him, sliding, rubbing, feeling so heavenly. 

Harry slowed his movement to a stop, and withdrew his finger slowly, running the tip gently back and forth over the stretch of skin between Ben’s hole and ball sack, giving Ben an extra tremble. The king lay there for only a moment, strangely sated but not, and he missed Harry immensely, even though the boy was still right there, still next to him in bed. Then Ben reached for him, using Harry’s sturdy body and strength to pull himself up into a seated position. The pirate was looking quite pleased with himself, no doubt because he’d made Ben come without a single stroke to his cock. 

The king, thoroughly enamored, went in for a kiss, and it ended up equal parts sweet and hungry. Ben was getting more comfortable doing things by feel, and his hand found Harry’s hard length between them, not breaking the kiss. Harry moaned into his mouth, and Ben had the dirtiest idea of his life thus far. 

Ben, still kissing him as much as he could, coaxed Harry to lie down, following his body with his own. 

“Where’s that stuff?” he asked, kissing along Harry’s throat. 

“You mean the lube?” Harry asked matter of factly, if breathlessly, and Ben nodded. There was some fumbling while they found the bottle tangled in the sheets, but Ben was soon back on top of Harry, being careful not to rub anything against his lover’s cock. Until now, when he ran his lube slicked hand down the shaft as loosely as he could, making Harry tremble in turn. He didn’t want Harry to get off yet. 

Feeling awkward as all get out, but hoping he didn’t look too ridiculous, Ben shuffled so that his hips were over Harry’s and he positioned himself carefully over Harry’s erection. Again, he was nervous, but the well of desire inside of him washed any more apprehensive misgivings away. Ben reached down and handled Harry’s manhood just enough to line it up with his hole. He hoped this wasn’t going to hurt too much; there was a new and thrilling hunger clawing at him. 

Harry’s hands gripped Ben’s arms suddenly just as Ben’s hole brushed the pirate’s wet hardness. 

“You don’t have to do this,” Harry whispered. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to,” and he carded a hand through Ben’s sweaty hair. There was so much tenderness in the touch and the reassurance that Ben thought his heart might burst. 

Boisterous rouge indeed…not when it was just them, like this, not anymore. 

Which was why Ben responded, “I want to,” also in a whisper, and reached in between his legs once more, blushing horribly, to steady Harry’s erection as he tried to relax his sphincter muscles at the same time as he braced his thighs against Harry’s to control his descent. 

He gasped in an open mouthed gape when he had accomplished just the tip. His eyes wide, they bored into Harry’s which were just as wide. He was grateful for his lover’s arms still around him, holding him, supporting him, but also allowing Ben to go at the pace he needed.

The lube was doing its job; he slid down the shaft relatively easily once the rim had been breached. But oh, he was so full …it was like his whole body was nothing but Harry. 

And still he slid down, taking more and more that he didn’t think he could, and there was a burning sensation he noticed, but it also felt so. Goddamn. Good…that the burning added to the pleasure. 

Harry was decently large, Ben had known this. But nothing could have prepared him for the stretch, for the sensation of being stuffed quite so thoroughly. He let gravity coax him further down and even further, until he was sure he could sink no more, and his thighs relaxed, his whole body relaxed in a giving of himself over to his lover in a way he’d never been able to dream of. 

Harry’s hands soothed over Ben’s back, drawing the king down on top of him, even as Harry panted almost painfully. 

“Beennnn,” he moaned out through gritted teeth, and Ben actually felt the cock inside him throb. A glow of pride warmed him even more than he already was. He wished he knew what to do from here, how to move so that he could give Harry maximum pleasure; but from the ecstatic look on Harry’s face, he was doing alright. 

Harry’s hands settled on his hips, and it was such a possessive, intimate touch that Ben melted afresh. His forehead went to Harry’s shoulder, sliding with the sweat on both, and then his mouth went to Harry’s collarbone without a thought. He sucked on it for several moments, his brain completely wiped of anything other than maximizing sensations. Harry’s grip on his hips tightened. 

“Can I move?” he asked, his voice rough and desperate. Ben released his flesh from his mouth enough to nod, speaking was beyond him right now. He had a feeling in what way Harry meant ‘move’, and sure enough now he started undulating his hips, driving his cock impossibly deeper into Ben and then pulling back enough into the mattress to remind the king that he preferred the whole length buried in him.

Ben whimpered, barely aware that he did and unable to help it either way, and chased Harry’s cock quite without meaning to. 

“You good?” Harry checked in, though his voice was ragged. 

“Yeah,” Ben whined breathlessly into his ear, clutching at Harry’s slick, sturdy shoulders. “It’s so much but it’s so good.” The thick, hot throb radiated from Ben’s core throughout his entire body; this was a pleasure that was creeping into his very bones. 

Harry let out a low groaning growl which served to make Ben’s blood race even faster with the joy of how good his body was making Harry’s feel. 

“Benji,” Harry mewled, “I’m not going to last. Can I come inside of you?” His cock was still driving slowly and steadily into Ben’s center, but the rhythm had gone erratic now. 

“Yes. Please.” 

Harry’s grip got even more punishing on Ben’s hips as he drove into him with a fresh sense of purpose, and the king pushed himself back up into a more erect position, using the captain’s solid chest for leverage. 

It felt like Harry was ripping him apart in the most exquisite of ways, and Ben wanted to maximize every motion, have Harry as deep inside of him as possible for as long as possible. From here, he could also watch Harry’s face contort in pleasure, as well as grab at his own re-interested cock. 

As Ben stroked himself as best he could between their bodies, Harry slammed up into him in one last brutal thrust, and his body bowed like an archer’s string, head driving back into the pillow, throat stretching open like an offering. His vise grip held Ben down as far onto his length as was possible, while his hips pressed up almost painfully. And he came…cock pulsing, shooting loads of hot, rich jizz deep into Ben’s body.

The king’s hand unconsciously worked at his own shaft, frantically stroking, wanting to chase the feel good, never wanting it to end. Just as Harry’s body sunk back to the bed in release, Ben’s second orgasm coated Harry’s chest and stomach, filthy and hot. Ben couldn’t help the way his hole clenched as he rode this high, and he wished Harry could stay stuffed in him for longer. But he was slipping out, even while Ben tried to ground down and chase it. Harry smiled rather weakly up at him, panting, as his hands moved up the king’s back, drawing him down towards him. 

“Ben…oh fuck, Ben…” was all Harry, for all his otherwise clever wording, could get out. Ben lowered himself into the captain's arms willingly, the sticky mess between them be damned. And even though Harry finished slipping out of Ben, leaving his lover’s hole gaping and clenching. There was a different kind of closeness that Ben was craving now and he sunk into it gratefully, wrapping his arms around Harry so that they had to roll to their sides. They wound their sweaty limbs around each other and held on impossibly tightly. 

“Mine. My king,” Harry growl-murmured into Ben’s ear as he possessively pulled him close. And in that moment, Ben was all Harry’s, not only thoroughly physically claimed by him in the most primal of ways, but Ben didn’t think he’d ever felt closer to another person like this, or could again. They settled into a perfect cocoon of satisfied flesh and breath, not surprisingly drifting off to sleep together. 

In Ben’s last not-quite-waking moment, he mumbled something he wasn’t even sure he had when he woke up the next day. 

“Love you.”

Chapter Text

Ben stood on one side of the conference table in Harry’s office, Beast and Belle sitting across from him, while Harry sat at the end of the table. He was glad Harry had agreed to be here for this. Ben would have liked Mal to be present too, but she was off at school and he wanted to get this out of the way and start on their ideas as soon as possible.

“So I’m proposing some strategic support systems for those residents of the Isle that might need help getting on their feet, as it were,” Ben summarized. “Until they can learn job skills, and perhaps until jobs exist for more of them. That’s something else we’re looking into.” He gave Harry a glance, much preferring to take that view in than the dark cloud that had descended upon his father’s face. 

“Support systems? How much more money are you going to pour into these people?” Beast’s words came out harshly, almost spitting at his son.

“These people?” Ben felt as if he’d been slapped across the face. This was truly how his father felt then? He swallowed, hating that this was going in this direction. 

“These people who are my friends? That deserve to have as decent of a life as anyone else?” 

“We’re not discrediting that,” Belle tried to break in, placing a firm hand on her husband's arm, but Beast only spoke the next louder, over her.  

“You’ve chosen them over us. Over your own parents.” With this, Beast stood up and walked to the center of the room, appearing to gather himself but eyeing the door. Belle stayed seated, for now.

“I will not entertain further wastes of money on this little project of yours. That is final.” His voice was hard. The air Ben drew into his lungs was heavy, suffocating. 

“I thought you supported my decisions, I thought you believed in me!” In spite of his growing anger, Ben felt a pang in his heart. Harry was now standing as well.  

“Well yes, we have,” his father replied. “We can’t appear to have a divided front. Not when we’ve been such a close knit monarchy.” He gave a fake smile, and Ben felt the dam break inside him. He’d buried this, and buried this, and buried this, for far too long, and now it came out, like a ticking time bomb. 

“You know, you were the problem all along!” Ben erupted. “Do you have any idea what it was really like on that island?! Do you know what you damned those people to?” 

“They were villains!” King Beast’s voice came out in close to a roar, and now he was suddenly much closer to Ben.  

“Not all of them!” Ben growled back, stepping forward himself. “In order to punish the few, you condemned the many! There were children starving over there!” 

“I needed to do what was in the best interests of Auradon!” 

“By being completely inhumane?!” 

At this, Beast truly roared, and crossed the remaining space between himself and Ben. He had never come close to laying a hand on his son, and Ben was not truly frightened, but that also may have been due to adrenaline. Either way, his father did not get near enough to do anything. 

Suddenly Harry had stepped in front of Ben, stance stiff and hook raised at the elder king. Ben couldn’t see the protective glare Harry was serving Beast, but he felt it pouring it off him as he shielded Ben behind him. He could see his father’s visage contort in further anger, but he stepped back. 

“I will not have my son talk to me like that.” His voice was low and dangerous. “Now call your pit bull off.” Ben had taken one step out from behind Harry, which allowed him to see the twitch of a smirk on his captain’s face at Beast’s words. 

“No,” Ben said, his voice steady now. “I don’t think I will. I think we both need to calm down, and that’s not going to happen in the same room right now. You need to leave.” 

“This is my castle,” Beast returned. 

“This is my pit bull’s office. In what is also my castle,” Ben deadpanned. Belle tugged at her husband’s arm, and with a heavy grunt he allowed her to lead him out of the room. She gave Ben a clear but soft ‘we’ll talk later’ look as she passed. 

The moment they closed the door behind them, Ben strode to it and flipped the lock, then returned to Harry, whose posture hadn’t relaxed much. Ben took hold of the hook and used it to pull Harry’s arm around to his back, then proceeded to attack him with a kiss, his hands going to Harry’s belt. 

“What are you -” Harry tried when they broke for air. 

“That was so hot,” Ben rasped, his lips moving against Harry’s throat as he worked the captain’s pants open. He nipped at Harry’s collarbone and dropped to his knees, looking up at Harry’s wide eyes looking down at him.

“I mean, you were pretty brilliant yourself,” Harry told him, then Ben pressed his face into the front of Harry’s boxer briefs, mouthing softly at the growing bulge there. 

“And…and that’s brilliant too…” 

Pulling Harry’s underwear down and balling his fist in Harry’s long shirt to keep it out of the way, Ben wasted no further time on getting his mouth around Harry’s dick. He loved feeling it plump up against his palm but against his tongue was even better. And it was helping him forget, at least for the moment, how badly that conversation had gone. 

He took Harry all the way to the root while he still could, knowing that in another few seconds it would be too hard and big to get that far, and he still had to work to not choke. He pulled back, almost all the way off, keeping his tongue flat and pressing along the underside the entire way. Just when his lips brushed over the ridge on the way to the very tip, Ben sucked it in again as far as he could go, and was rewarded by the sound of a breathless moan. 

Ben imagined the picture he must make - the king on his knees with a cock in his mouth, servicing his Captain of the Guard in the middle of his office. He’d certainly lost a lot of his inhibitions since he and Harry had started this. 

Harry deserved it after the way he’d made Ben feel so protected and invincible. If Ben couldn’t say what he might say if things between them and their situation were different, he could show him his appreciation this way. Plus, aside from making Harry feel good, Ben was really starting to like sucking his cock. It made him feel powerful and dirty at the same time, and the veins under his tongue and the press of the head on his soft palette turned him on if he was being honest. 

There they were, the fingers in his hair, the tension in them that he could tell itched to grab his head so Harry could thrust into his mouth but the way Harry held them in check, keeping his touch gentle, almost petting Ben while the king pleasured him. 

Ben drew a long steadying breath through his nose and bravely flicked his eyes up as high as he could. Harry was watching him intently, and Ben blushed, his sucking faltering, but he worked to even it out, bringing his hand to the length of cock that he couldn’t fit in his mouth. 

“That a boy,” Harry encouraged, his brogue thick like it got when he was really turned on. 

“Oh you are so pretty like this,” he continued, making Ben blush more but also suck harder. 

“With your lips wrapped around my dick. Oh god, Ben…” he trailed off, and the king could feel the tangy taste of precome coat his tongue. He worked to suck faster, and his hand jerked on the base. The fingers in his hair tightened ever so slightly. 

“I - I -” Harry got out through a soft moan, barely indistinguishable from his heavy breaths, but Ben got the point. He sucked harder. The warm sour sweetness flooded his mouth, and he had to pull back to give himself the room and air to take it in and down, but he kept his lips hovering at the smooth head, his jaw pleasantly sore. 

His hand slid down Harry’s thigh as he rested back on his heels, his knees also a bit sore. He looked up properly this time to see Harry releasing his left wrist from his mouth, leaving teeth marks above the hook where he’d had to bite down to keep himself quiet. He did his pants back up, and met Ben’s eyes. 

“As lovely as you look on your knees for me, get up here,” he husked, hand smoothing down Ben’s temple and cheekbone. Ben took Harry’s hand to steady himself as he stood back up, and was immediately drawn into a deep kiss. He loved how dirty Harry was, that he didn’t mind or maybe even liked the taste of himself afterwards on Ben’s tongue. This thought and the kiss made his pants tighter, but Harry was already undoing them. 

Knock, knock. 

“Captain, are you in there?”

Ben’s heart jumped into his throat, and he shoved Harry’s hands away to reaffix his own button and belt even as Harry stepped back. 

“One moment!” he called out to the door. 

“Sit down at the table,” he hissed to Ben, and spun to grab some papers from his desk, a few of which he tossed at a place at the conference table. Ben took the hint and the seat there, and Harry, holding a paper of his own, pulled out a chair across from Ben on his way to the door, as if he’d just risen from it. 

“Ennis,” he greeted one of his generals smoothly and with a respectful nod. The young, brown haired guard nodded back. 

“The king and I were just going over some documents,” Harry said, and Ben gave Ennis a quick smile and a nod, trying to look for all the world like he’d been sitting there for a while. 

“Your majesty, Captain, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt. I was just sent to retrieve you for a bit of a situation,” the guard told him. “At the town square.” Ben stood up at this, curious. Harry, all business, reached for his scabbard and sword where it hung by the door. 

“I’ve got this,” he reassured the king. Setting the paper he was holding down on the ones in front of Ben, he gave the blank sheets a tap with his finger. 

“Feel free to continue looking these over and let me know what you think.” Ben detected the apologetic look in Harry’s eye before the captain turned away and left with Ennis. He released a heavy sigh as soon as they were gone. That had been a little close for comfort. He could still taste Harry on the back of his tongue and he smiled to himself. 

He’d wanted nothing more than to go see Harry that night, so Harry could continue whatever he was about to do when he’d undone Ben’s pants. As well as talk about the day, and find out what the situation had been, of course. Harry had texted him that he was back and safe and everything was fine, but seeing him, touching him, was what Ben really needed. 

His mother asked him to have a late tea with her, however, and he could not possibly refuse. It had probably taken her this long to get his father calmed down. She looked tired when they met in the small dining room, but she folded him into a hug as soon as he walked in. 

“I am so sorry, Ben,” she said, her voice as soft as her hair against his chin. 

“It’s not your fault, Mom,” he told her. He fixed her tea like he knew she liked it, two sugar cubes and a splash of lemon, and brought it to her. She gazed at him thoughtfully for a while before she spoke. 

“Sometimes I think…maybe he was a beast for too long, and parts of him never recovered.” Ben had never heard her talk so frankly about his father’s temper, but it rarely came out like it did today. 

“When I told him he was being about as dense as Gaston, though, he finally shut up,” she added, taking a sip of tea. Ben smiled widely at her, proud. As he’d gotten older, he knew she must have her ways of putting her husband in his place, but again, she’d kept the curtain up for all Ben’s life thus far. 

“I always knew he wasn’t exactly happy with my involvement with the Isle, but he was still proud of me for doing what I thought was right. Today it felt like…like all of that has been a farce.” Ben set his teacup down - he’d never cared much for tea anyway - and frowned as that idea sunk in. 

Belle reached over and took his hand, making him look up at her. These close heart to hearts had gotten few and far between them the last couple of years, and it was nice to just be with his mom again. 

“He is proud of you, dear. I promise,” Belle said, holding Ben’s gaze with her warm one. “He gets stuck in his ideals, and, to be fair, you’ve shaken things up a lot since you’ve been crowned. Revolutionary ideas always upset the older generations. Trust me, I know.” He looked at her gratefully and squeezed her hand back, but her words knocked something loose inside of him. 

“Then why did he crown me?” Ben asked quietly. “Why when I was only sixteen?” He wasn’t sure how much of his long-felt, more recently admitted misery was truly showing, but it must have been a decent bit with the way his mother was looking at him.

“I don’t know,” she answered at first, then expounded. “He wanted you to get used to it early, to not have it suddenly thrust upon you if something happened to him. You seemed mature enough to be ready. But I know it hasn’t been easy on you. I would have talked him into waiting until you were at least eighteen if I could have. But he was set on it.” Belle looked more tired than ever, the lines at the corners of her mouth frowning with her. 

Ben rarely thought of his parents as getting older, but he logically knew it must be happening. Still, his father was strong and seemingly not much past his prime, he could have ruled for another ten years easily in Ben’s opinion. And of course, when they’d told Ben at fifteen that he would be crowned the following year, he’d only seen stars and not thought to question, much less try to say no. It wasn’t fair. 

But…if King Beast was still ruling, that would have been another however many years of Mal, Jay, Carlos, Evie, Uma, Gil, all of them, trapped on that island. And Harry. Maybe beyond help at that point. Maybe even dead. So Ben couldn’t be too upset when it came to that side of things. He took another sip of tea. 

“I didn’t even get to tell him about the combination shelter and school for job skills that Mal has planned, or the screening process that Harry came up with, or Jay’s campaign for training troubled teens for the guard,” Ben lamented. His friends had worked hard on these ideas, and while he knew they would do their best to put them in place regardless, Ben had wanted his father’s blessing. 

“Tell me about them,” Belle said earnestly. So they spent the next hour, drinking cooling tea, Ben spilling all the details of the programs they’d come up with so far, and his mother listening attentively, her eyes lighting up as Ben went on. 

“This is why you’re such a good king,” she said when he’d finished. “We need this kind of progress, even if some don’t think we do.” 

“I couldn’t do it without my friends,” Ben said humbly. 

“Exactly,” his mother returned. “I’m glad you have them. And that Harry is the only person I’ve ever seen stand up to your father like that,” she said, a touch of admiration in her voice. 

“Yeah,” Ben huffed, trying not to sound overly proud, “I told you he was pretty fearless.” 

Every time he’d mentioned Harry this evening, his brain had flashed to the boy, and an image of him reading himself to sleep in his hammock, or writing in his journal at his desk - what did he write about all the time, anyway? - had almost made him smile without meaning to. 

Now, in this later hour, in the cocoon of mother’s love he was wrapped in he found his lips almost wanting to speak to her of Harry, and how much he helped him, how he was his escape, and how much he looked up to him, how much he cared about him. So. Damn. Much. 

But of course he could do nothing of the sort. 

“You’ve made good choices so far, honey,” Belle said softly. “It’s all going to turn out. Just keep following your heart.” She rose from her chair and gave him a kiss on the top of his head. It was the same advice she always gave him, ultimately, had since he was a little boy, and he loved her dearly for it. 

But what was the answer when his heart was telling him two different things?

Chapter Text

‘Good morning my pit bull 🙂’ Harry rolled over and read off of his phone. 

It instantly made him smile through his grogginess. He hadn’t been sure about getting a phone at first, not having been used to them, but it was rather a required part of the job, and texts with Ben were a lovely bonus. 

‘Come see me…I miss you’ Harry texted back, words he typed more than any others. 

‘Now? I can’t, you know that’ came the expected response. 

“Fine… 🙁 I’ll see you in a little bit’ Harry sent back, and got up to get dressed for the day. 

Sometimes, only sometimes, he let himself imagine what it might be like to wake up next to Ben every day, sandy hair sticking up in all directions and eyes cloudy with sleep. He’d only gotten to experience it a couple of times, and he had discovered he slept just fine next to Ben, other than when the king woke up in the middle of the night, unsure of where he was, and had to be shushed back into dreamland, once with an orgasm. So it wasn’t the most uninterrupted sleep, but somehow Harry woke up in a better mood than he’d ever known in the mornings. 

Ben was all business when Harry got to his study, sitting at his wide desk with Jay in the chair in front of it, and the efficient nod in greeting was a one-eighty from the affectionate text sent less than an hour prior. 

This was how they operated; they managed to be nothing but professional in the presence of others and when dealing with matters of protecting the kingdom together, but get them behind a closed door and all bets were off. They’d artfully built a ruse behind which no one would have guessed that they knew each other intimately, carnally. 

Harry didn’t even let his eyes linger on the king as he said good morning to him after giving Jay a fist bump. That was rule number one, don’t look at each other more than was strictly necessary. Otherwise one would start to think of the glaze in the other's eyes when they’d come, moaning and sweating, last night or the night before or the night before that, and that would be the beginning of the distraction that they could not afford to show.

Rule number two was don’t stand too close, because it would be too difficult not to rescind on rule number one, plus it was just easier on the hormones not to tempt them too much. 

Number three was don’t appear to get along too well, but don’t argue to the point of familiarity either. Ben was King, after all, and no matter how approachable he was, there had to be that line in the sand of respect shown. There could be no indication that Harry had any control over him, because he didn’t, not here in their offices, in meetings, taking care of Auradon - only when they could be truly alone could the king turn into a slavering slut for his captain. 

The unspoken list of rules went on, but they all pointed to the main objective; hide it, don’t let on, nobody must know. That was part of the deal when you were consorting with an engaged king. 

It was early October and starting to get chilly to go down to the shoreline, but Harry put a heavy wool coat on and went anyway. He needed the quiet, the waves, the solitude, in some ways now more than ever. Maps of Auradon and its borders and rotations of guards constantly flashed through his mind. The citizens they had identified as potentially questionable and were keeping an eye on worried him, though there was nothing they could rightly do just yet. 

He knew winter would be coming to the Isle soon enough, and how brutal it could be over there, and he hoped the additional supplies the government was sending over would serve the residents better than the measly ones they’d gotten in the past under the rule of King Beast. He’d known this job as captain would be demanding, and it was, but he also really felt like he was part of something important. It made him quite proud, which was another new thing for an ex-pirate. He was even getting better at coping with the press conferences, though he refused to do any without his right-hand man, Jay. He was good as long as they stuck to questions about strategy and safety, those were business and he had answers for them. 

But there was a subset that seemed to want to make him and Jay heroes, a bit of celebrities, and in some ways they were being regarded as such by the people. Harry even saw a little boy dressed in black and red and with a small toy hook at one of the swearing in ceremonies, in which his older brother was becoming a royal guard. He was still figuring out how he felt about that one. 

More young women were openly swooning over him than before, and Jay certainly as well, and there was a fair degree of male attention too, in the form of either admiration or something else. It was a lot to take in, and he was thankful he had Jay to go through this with, to discuss how weird it was, while definitely being a hell of a compliment. 

Harry didn’t mind it exactly, he reveled in attention like this normally, it was just…a lot. More than one reporter asked if he was currently dating anybody, and since he’d been told he couldn’t tell them to go to hell, he sidestepped the question and either said that was none of their business or that he was focusing on keeping the kingdom secure and that didn’t leave much time for relationships. If he was now in the public eye so much, he guessed the curiosity made sense - this was the longest he’d not been seen with a partner, at least casually. 

Harry hadn’t taken up with anyone since ending things with Sherilynne. He had plenty of interest, to be sure, from the pretty little laundress that still made eyes at him when he passed by her in the castle to the son of a visiting duke from a nearby kingdom whom Harry had been charged with providing a tour. He’d been a dashing brunette with a chiseled face, quite the fit body, and a dazzling smile that he flashed every time Harry so much as glanced at him. 

When he deliberately brushed the back of Harry’s hand whenever they got back into the royal car that was driving them around, Harry did consider taking the offer. He could admit that he cared about Ben, but he was still a completely free agent. 

Kissing someone new and the thrill of learning the plains of a fresh body had its appeal. But something stopped Harry’s hand from wandering to the boy’s muscled thigh next to him, and they parted with a simple handshake at the end of the day. 

That night, Harry had kissed Ben especially slowly and attentively, as if to make up for something he hadn’t done remotely wrong. They came together, cocks slotting against each other in a perfect slide and Ben’s sighs music to Harry’s ears. Each time together was its own experience, Harry was not getting bored though the affair had been going on for months now. Every opportunity he got to touch his king was another chance to make Ben unravel, and Ben clearly couldn’t get enough yet either. 

Harry had also realized, quite obviously, and regardless of his first intentions, that it had never meant nothing. Ben regularly said those three little words as he drifted off to sleep now, probably too worried about Harry’s reaction to say them any other time, but they’d been growing between them without having to be spoken since Ben had come to his room the second time and said they couldn’t do this. Harry was not so blind that he hadn’t known that. But being devoted to one person in return, a person he could kiss and hold and let his guard down with - that was a new thing entirely. 

Love. It was a big word, a scary word, and a bigger and scarier emotion. Harry had never been sure it really existed. What else was this, though? 

He would lay down his life to protect Ben, even if he hadn’t taken the vow as Captain of the Guard to do so. Every moment he wasn’t kissing him he was wishing he was. Ben literally inspired him to be a better person, and along with the chance that he’d taken on him, that had completely changed Harry’s life. And when he got to hold him close, it was hard not to pretend his life was sort of complete. 

One day Harry came back to his room to find two new leather bound journals, exact matches of his, on his bed, propped against his pillow with a note. 

‘Yours has to be getting pretty full by now. I’m glad you’re getting use out of it, I wasn’t sure you would. 💙💙💙 - your Benji’

Harry could do nothing but sit down and stare at his lover’s handwriting, a forgotten question and answer clicking into place. He pulled out his phone after a few long moments of thought. 

‘Did the first notebook come from you? The one in my desk drawer at school?’

‘Yup’ came the reply within seconds. 

‘What made you think I would want one?’ After hitting send, Harry hurried to add -

‘It’s just that I wouldn’t have even known I did, then’

He didn’t want to sound as if he hadn’t appreciated it, but he did find it odd that Ben had thought of it. Ben took his time answering this, or he was busy with something else. Texting was annoying at times. Then finally - 

‘Anybody who’s in that in love with the sea and looks at it the way you do has stories to tell’ 

Harry swallowed, his heart thumping all alone in his room, and the backs of his eyes prickled. It was not just that Ben had tuned into him that early on, to guess that he might need an outlet for things he could never say aloud, but the fact that it was no longer only the sea that Harry looked at like that, or wrote about like that. Ben had become his sea, always changing and never changing, consistently there and wildly beautiful in his layers and depths. 

Harry had the urge to run to Ben’s room, or wherever he was, drop to his knees in front of his king, and confess his suddenly fervent love for him right then. Of course he couldn’t, and he balled a tight fist into a pillow with this knowledge. 

Ben wasn’t his, not completely, and never could be. And this was partially why it had been so dangerous for Harry to let himself feel. He grit his teeth and willed his eyeballs not to water. It was okay, he would deal. What were his choices, anyway? 

Gone were the not-so-long-ago days that he thought he could walk away on his own. He was Ben’s, whether he liked it or not, whether it made sense or not, and certainly whether it could ever go any further or not. 

There was some security in the fact that it couldn’t, that no matter how Ben might feel, they couldn't have a true future. Harry could care all he wanted, stretch into this unfamiliar territory of heavy emotions, but still not technically be tied down. Yes, that’s how he would make this make sense. He opened one of his new journals and his pen flew over the clean pages far into the night. 

“Okay, you’re right, this is more comfortable than I imagined,” Ben said. He’d wanted to try climbing into the hammock with Harry, who had already settled in for the night, thinking his king wasn’t coming for a visit. But sometimes Ben surprised him and said screw it, and to Harry’s delight, this was getting more frequent. He made himself never count on it, though, never hope. 

The two young men were now naturally folded into each other in the hammock, after Ben had ungracefully flopped in and they were a laughing, flailing tangle of limbs that had to sort themselves out in the pitch darkness of Harry’s room. Minimal bruising took place before they were wrapped up and pressing together tightly, which they were both just fine with. Each time one of them moved slightly, the hammock rocked them, and Harry couldn’t imagine being any cozier with someone. 

“Told you,” he had to say, his face buried in Ben’s neck. They simply lay there for a long time, tired but not too tired now that they were in each other’s arms, the sound of their breathing the only interruption to their thoughts. And Ben’s must have been all over the place. 

“Do you think the staff knows?” his soft voice crept into the dark. Harry considered for a moment, knowing what Ben meant. In truth, Harry would be surprised if none of them had seen absolutely nothing and at least had questions, but he wasn’t sure Ben wanted to hear that. 

“Aren’t they sworn to confidentiality?” he asked. 

“Yeah, true,” Ben sighed. “I just…worry sometimes, you know?” Harry did know, he didn’t want Ben to be rudely outed, both for how it would crush him and that this whole thing would have to end. Then Ben’s mind changed gears again, happily taking Harry’s mind with it off of that dark subject. 

“Wonder what it would feel like to have you fucking into me in here?” the king whispered, making a beat skip in Harry’s heart. He did love how naughty Ben had gotten with him. 

“Oh Benji, don’t tempt me like that,” he groaned, feeling the lust rise in his blood. He’d been almost asleep when Ben had come in, but now he was far from that. 

“If you want it, do it,” Ben murmured back, rather coquettishly, and Harry couldn’t help mouthing at the boy’s warm throat at this. He still wished he could bite him there, but that was of course another rule. 

“I’ll be right back,” he whispered, making himself break away. He could not turn this down. Harry retrieved a towel and the bottle of lube and, returning to the hammock, stripped all of his clothes off before carefully climbing back in, a lot more skillfully than Ben had managed. Ben had sensibly removed his clothes in that short time as well, as Harry’s bare skin gleefully discovered.

He hadn’t turned a light on, so it was still as dark as night in the room, and this added a layer of sensuality, that all of this would be by feel. Ben’s mouth found Harry’s, his tongue eager and tasting of mint toothpaste, and they made out for minutes or hours as their lust steadily mounted. Erections swelled between their pressed together bodies, and they probably easily could have come frotting against each other again. That was always fun. 

But Ben had a specific request, so Harry awkwardly slicked his fingers up and reached down around Ben’s firm ass cheek. The king shifted and wrapped his legs around Harry’s hips, giving him access in the fullest way he could, and Harry took the gift of surrender as seriously as he always did. 

“Gonna make you feel so good, Baby,” he promised Ben in a whisper. 

“I know,” Ben returned, naked trust pouring from his tone. Then he was moaning as Harry started rubbing at his puckered muscle, not needing much encouragement to turn into Harry's sexy as hell plaything. The breathy, panting, moaning, groaning sounds his lover made right into his ear, and the way he clung desperately to Harry as the captain began fingering him could make Harry come with his cock squeezed between them if he wasn’t careful. He repositioned, moving Ben up a little so that his own erection was below Ben’s ballsack, and went back to sliding his finger in and out steadily. 

“Please put it in soon,” Ben begged on a whine. Oh fuck, his king was needy and it was beyond hot!

“You need more prep first,” Harry said between gritted teeth, painfully turned on but dead set against doing anything to hurt his love. A frustrated wordless keen soaked into Harry’s shoulder. 

“Please hurry,” Ben moaned, moving his hips in encouragement. Harry removed his finger from Ben’s hole to reach behind him for where he’d tucked the bottle of lube, and the whine that issued from Ben’s throat made it sound like the boy might break in half at the temporary loss. 

Harry liberally coated his fingers as quickly as he could without getting the liquid all over the place in the dark and the cramped quarters, but some dripped onto Ben’s side anyway. Then he returned to the king’s tight hole, and heard Ben’s satisfied hiss as he slid inside again, getting bolder as it really didn’t seem like Ben wanted to wait much longer and truth be told neither did Harry.

He was not about to rush this more than he could help though. Ben took two fingers deeply and beautifully, so incredibly warm and enticing that Harry had to ground himself by burying his nose in the boy’s soft, sweet smelling hair. He pushed in and out and twisted his fingers as best he could, his wrist struggling to work properly. There were reasons this sort of activity was easier on a bed. 

“Please, please, please, please,” Ben continued to beg, and Harry wondered if it wouldn’t be best to finish bringing him to orgasm like this, then simply rub against his lover’s hip or abs until he came. But then Ben found more words, and they were horribly, deliciously naughty. 

“Please get inside of me, Harry. Now.” Well, the king knew what he wanted. Harry quickly snuck at least the tip of a third finger in, still hesitant, but then withdrew and lined up the head of his leaking cock, smearing the remaining lube from his fingers on it as he did so. Ben’s legs renewed their grip around Harry’s hips. The captain found Ben’s mouth and they moaned into each other’s tongues as Harry pressed in as gently as he could.

Stars exploded behind his eyes with the tight heat greedily taking him, encasing his dick desperately. He had to break the kiss to breathe, Ben’s skin slick under his hands as he slid further in and then further, Ben’s legs pulling him closer. He was soon all the way inside, bottomed out, loving how Ben’s hole could and happily did take all of him. He didn’t even want to thrust, just enjoy the squeeze, the warmth, this ultimate gift of Ben’s body that he gave so willingly and completely. 

“Oh, Harry,” Ben half breathed and half moaned, “God, Harry, I love you.” Ben must have been deeply lost in sensation, but so was Harry. He had to swallow to keep his erratically beating heart from jumping out of his throat. 

“I love you, too, Ben,” he murmured. The dark maybe made it safer, or maybe it was the way that for this moment they were as one that crumbled both of their defenses to the ground. 

Then they began to rock gently against each other, bodies knowing what to do, and the hammock’s resulting swaying wonderfully took care of the rest. Harry’s cock, while staying buried, was treated to a smooth, pulsing ride while Ben’s cock was hugged tightly between them, throbbing against Harry’s abs and adding to the general eroticism. 

Harry wasn’t sure who came first, lost in the fog of pleasure, the only thing keeping him from completely floating away being Ben's vise grip around his whole body. He knew he emptied himself thoroughly deep into Ben’s insides, an impossible warmth spreading all the way to his scalp and fingertips and teeth. It wasn’t his usual, raging, screaming kind of orgasm but something else completely, something deeper, more all-consuming somehow. 

Afterwards, they lay still, sticky, sweaty, used, and neither caring in the slightest, towel forgotten. They were pressed closely enough together that Harry hadn't slipped out right away, and he enjoyed this continued ownership of Ben’s very core. They literally soaked each other in, listening to their breathing, fighting sleep, working to prolong the incredible high they’d just achieved. 

Eventually, Harry had the energy to nuzzle at the spot under Ben’s ear, and Ben’s legs gradually slid down Harry’s hips and buttocks, relaxing but still staying loosely grasped around his thighs. 

“Wow,” Ben breathed. 

“Yeah,” Harry returned. He pressed his lips to Ben’s jaw, working them up his cheek to his temple, then to the corner of his eye where he found a salty wetness. Ben clung on even tighter, and now Harry noticed an unevenness to the king’s otherwise calmed down breathing. 

“Benji, Baby…are you okay?” Harry asked, slightly scared. Ben nodded against his face, but Harry felt the smear of another tear against his skin. 

“Yeah, I’m good,” he answered, “Really.” And though his voice was rough, he sounded confident enough, so Harry just held him tighter, held him through whatever intense feelings he was feeling at the moment, because for the first time, Harry thought he understood. 

“It’s you,” he then found himself whispering. “It’s you that I write about so much,” he clarified, not sure what made him say it. Blame the dark. Ben’s arms around him tightened even further. 

“Oh my god, Harry…” was all he seemed to be able to say, still barely above a breath. Oh my god indeed.

Chapter Text

The muscles between Ben’s neck and shoulders reluctantly surrendered their knots under Mal’s strong, kneading fingers, and the king hummed in grateful relaxation. He stretched his neck back until his head pushed into the top of the loveseat in his room and he was looking at Mal’s pixieish face upside down. 

“You are the best,” he gushed. She kissed the tip of his nose playfully. She was sugar and lightness, but also spice and a dash of darkness, altogether everything nice. Ben captured her wrists lightly as she rested her hands against his collarbone, and tugged them gently into the open gap of his shirt. 

She let her fingers slide pleasantly along his skin, and Ben was aware of her breath deepening a bit as she caressed the top of his chest. He let go of her arms and shifted so that he had access to be able to kiss her neck, which also moved his chest further into her touch. 

Ben hurried to pop open the next two buttons on his shirt, moving his breath against the soft, soft skin of Mal’s neck, a hair’s breadth from pressing his lips into it. He was already imagining her delicate fingertips pinching his nipples and making his cock hard, but he knew he had to move carefully. 

And just as his lips made contact and she made the tiniest of sounds, she drew away, hands returning safely to Ben’s shoulders, over the fabric of his shirt, and her throat out of reach.

Ben resolutely swallowed his frustration and slowly did his buttons back up as if nothing had happened. Mal gave the top of his head a kiss as she lovingly smoothed out his hair. 

He wasn’t frustrated with her - it was a conscious decision they’d both made, to wait for marriage, and he was fine with honoring that. With her, anyway. It was how Ben had been raised, and it wasn’t Mal’s fault that he had allowed himself to be led astray by a sexy, beautiful boy that had awakened that side of Ben in unimaginable ways. 

Did his and Mal’s promise to each other really mean that they couldn’t do anything until marriage, though? He thought of Harry’s hands and mouth and tongue and cock all over his body, teasing and teasing like he was so good at until Ben’s head was spinning and he forgot how to breathe. 

He had to wonder if it could possibly be that good with Mal someday, but he told his treacherous brain that of course it had to be even better, she was his fiance, and he loved her. It was hard to imagine higher reaches of ecstasy than what Harry could bring him to, though. He’d been trying to resist again, but he was going to have to go see his captain soon; it had been a few days. 

“So have you thought about what you want to dress up as?” Mal was asking now, and Ben’s mind was not out of the gutter yet. He would like to wear some tight leather pants for Harry and let him peel them off of him…maybe a skin tight shirt Harry could suck on his nipples right through…

“Hello? Earth to Ben?” Mal’s voice sounded again, with a wave and a giggle in front of his face. Holy crap, he needed to get back in the game! This daydreaming, especially in her presence, was far too dangerous. 

He got up from the loveseat to clear his head and went to look out the big French doors that opened onto the balcony off his room. All the trees on the castle grounds were wearing their autumn’s best, orange and red and yellow. 

That's right, the annual Halloween masquerade ball was almost upon them, which was of course the VK’s favorite party, as it let them play more than usual. Last year had been their first, and they’d had so much fun dressing up and pretending to either be much nicer or more evil than they were, or maybe just weirder. Ben and Mal had gone as an angel and devil, which everyone had ‘awwed’ over, but they needed a new theme for this year. 

“I don’t know,” he said thoughtfully, “What about a prince and a princess?” he suggested, not really serious. 

“Umm, no…” Mal laughed at him, and started swiping through her phone. “I was thinking maybe a cowboy and cowgirl?” she suggested. 

“That could be fun,” Ben agreed. “Or what about Frankenstein's monster and his bride?” he asked, getting into the spirit. Mal raised her eyebrows at that.

“Maybe,” she said. “I was also thinking maybe Superman and Lois Lane or Robin Hood and Maid Marian?” 

“You really want to put me in tights, huh?” Ben cracked. She laughed again, stretching out on the loveseat. She was so short it was a perfect fit. 

A sturdy knock sounded on the door that was over almost all of the way but not shut. It would be unseemly for the young engaged couple to be behind a closed door together, after all. 

“Come in!” Ben called. He wasn’t expecting anybody, but if it was someone that knew him well enough to knock on his bedroom door, they were allowed to interrupt. A silver hook pushed the door open. 

“Hey, Harry,” Ben greeted his captain as he stepped into the room. He steadfastly thought about the leaves on the trees instead of…anything that had recently crossed his mind concerning Harry. 

“Hi, Ben, Mal,” he gave them both a quick nod before continuing, “Sorry to barge in, but I wanted to let you know without delay that the prisoners have been moved to their new cells, as you requested. They seem comfortable.”

“You’re fine, man.” Ben had gotten used to the separation that had to exist in his mind between Harry, Captain of the Guard, employee of the monarchy, and Harry, his consort and the sexiest guy he was pretty sure to ever walk the earth. That separation made it possible to be in the same room with him and Mal, as well as to listen when Harry was capably doing his job. 

“And that’s good news for sure. They didn’t give you any trouble?” he checked. Harry took a moment to meaningfully admire the point of his hook. 

“No, they did not,” he enunciated carefully. Ben decided he didn’t want or need any details; he trusted Harry as fully with his duties as he did other things.

“Very good, then. Thank you for keeping me posted.” Ben was about to dismiss his captain but Mal spoke up. 

“Harry, what are you going to be for Halloween?” she asked. 

“Huh?” was the only reply, the blue eyes blinking at her. 

“The Halloween Masquerade Ball,” Mal clarified. “You have to come, it’s the biggest party of the year.” Ben watched the adorable confused amusement flit across Harry’s face. He grinned at him. 

“And you have to dress up,” he told him. 

“Can I dress up as a Captain of the Guard?” he asked haltingly and both Ben and Mal chuckled. 

“You know, I think you should go as a pirate,” Mal managed to say with a straight face, before all three of them burst out in laughter. 

“That might be best,” Harry said, “If I do decide to go.” 

“Aw come on, please come, it’ll be fun, I promise,” Ben said, taking the opportunity of Mal not facing him to widen his eyes ever so slightly in a silent plea. He knew Harry wouldn’t miss it and he also knew Harry couldn’t respond to it, since Mal was looking at him. 

“Fine, maybe, if the king and the queen-to-be insist,” Harry relented with a grin and made his escape. 

Ben woke up in the middle of the night, tossing and turning, a dream of miles of wet skin fading even as he realized his palm was already pressing into the heated bulge in his pants. Damn his Harry…he’d managed to stir up a hormonal beast inside of him that was now quite addicted to orgasms. 

The king glanced over at the clock, it was three-twelve in the morning, and he half debated if he could sneak over to Harry’s room so the captain could deal with what, even in his absence, he caused. But the hour was too late and Ben’s hard on too raging. 

So he shoved his pajama pants and boxers down, loving and cursing Harry in the same breath. As he gripped himself and let out a relieved sigh at the contact, he tried to remember and focus on how Mal’s fingers had smoothed along his chest before she’d stopped, gentle and sweet. The memory of how possessively Harry’s hand wrapped around his cock overrode that in an instant. 

Ben thrust into his fist, tugged on his balls, and shamelessly wished with all his might he had at least a finger of Harry’s inside of his ass. How skilled Harry was at taking him apart and putting him back together! 

If only he could have rolled over to the boy in his bed and woken him up with his need. Harry always took care of him so well. Ben came, hard and quick, to the thought of his warm load landing on Harry’s firm belly, making a mess that Harry would bask in. 

In the dark and the solitude of his own room, Ben let himself fantasize further, his newly depraved mind going to even dirtier places and things he may want Harry to do - like scoop Ben’s own come up on his fingers and feed it to him. 

He stretched out his sleep shirt to wipe his stomach and hand, then carefully pulled it off and replaced his pants on his hips, wondering how a dark haired, blue eyed pirate boy from the Isle had so thoroughly corrupted him. And further, that he loved every second of it. 

Ben and Mal eventually did decide on Superman and Lois Lane, though Ben wasn’t sure it was a strictly even playing field as far as outfits. She only had to wear a skirt and blouse and some reporter accessories, while he found himself in not-quite tights with red underwear and a cape. At least the head to toe blue was familiar. 

Ben didn’t mind, not really, it was all in the name of fun, and he didn’t look bad as a superhero, if he did say so himself, giving his reflection one last appraisal. Harry was so going to laugh at him, though. If he was there - he hadn’t told Ben for sure he would be, but the king was dearly hoping. 

Mal beamed when she saw him, looking rather sexy in her professional white button down and fake eyeglasses. She dared to squeeze Ben’s biceps through his bodysuit and smirk in appreciation. 

“Shall we, my lady?” Ben asked, and held out his arm. They entered the grand ballroom to a burst of applause, and some hoots and hollers. With giant smiles on their faces, they waved to the assembled monsters, creatures, and characters before them.  

Ben was eager to see what everybody had come up with for costumes, since part of the fun of this was the pact that they didn’t tell each other beforehand. He and Mal dove into the crowd as the music started in earnest now that they were there, with a dance mix version of “Monster Mash”.

Carlos and Jane were both sailors, all in white, her in a cute dress and him with a cap that he had to keep cramming back onto his voluminous hair. They were almost sickeningly adorable, as usual. 

Jane had outdone herself with the decorations once again, somehow fusing spooky and whimsical with the perfect balance. Black and orange streamers hung everywhere , and as the night went on, matching balloons seemed to materialize out of thin air to be tossed among the dance floor and bounced off heads and drinks and walls. 

There was a giant plastic skeleton hung in the corner of the tall ceiling, which provided occasional jump scares by inexplicably moving a bit when one walked under it. Ben caught Fairy Godmother hovering behind the refreshment table with a twinkle in her eye; he really loved how everyone got into the light hearted spirit of these parties. 

Jay was a dashing vampire, hair slicked back, ruffled white shirt, embroidered burgundy vest, and black cape swirling. It suited him oddly well. Lonnie had elegantly fused Chinese tradition and beauty with a history lesson she shared with Ben and anyone else who was curious, wearing a Hanfu dress of richly colored flowing silks. She and Jay were not ones for silly couple’s costumes, or being too obvious about their relationship, but the vampire could hardly be seen not besottedly staring at his girlfriend all night. 

Dizzy was a sweet little witch in bright green, including her pointed hat, and was clearly having the time of her life, dancing like a maniac, usually with Evie. That young lady was nothing less than stunning, in a gauzy dress that was either blue or green depending on how the light fell on it. Her radiant smile, the delicate vines painted down her temples, the iridescent wings, and the pointed ears completed the forest fairy look. Her literal knight in shining armor, Doug, would have had his gauntleted hands full keeping people away from her if Evie wasn’t so devoted to him. 

Uma was there, dressed very tongue in cheek as a beautiful mermaid, and Ben had to laugh as she flipped her fins at him and Mal. Celia, as a prancing unicorn, was hanging out close to Uma. Iron Man came up to say hello, and Ben recognized Chad Charming, with Audrey as Medusa on his arm. They must be back together this month. 

Gil, wrapped up head to toe as a mummy, had a handsome boy stuck to his side, Ben noticed, and was looking quite enamored with him. One of Doc’s grandsons, Daniel, who was dressed as a clown, which directly belied what Ben knew was one of the most intelligent young minds in Auradon. It was comical but also sweet to see the mummy and the clown together; Gil was doing something right if he was managing to snare Daniel. 

As Superman and his Lois made the rounds of all their friends, and even as Ben marveled at all the creativity and nibbled on a fresh pumpkin donut, there was one gaping absence. Had he really not shown? Ben knew Harry would think the whole thing too silly, and probably beneath someone as cool as him, but still. 

The king scanned the heads of the crowd while he stood off to the side of the tricky skeleton, trying not to be disappointed. Mal had gone to demolish the dance floor with her friends of course, and Ben had promised he would join her soon. 

He barely spotted the gray shape moving along the perimeter of the ballroom before it was next to him, and Ben was reminded to be thankful for his royal guards that would have screened people as they entered the castle for the party. So the tall, furry wolf must be someone he knew. Just as Ben turned to see if he could figure it out, a familiar brogue met his ears.

“I must say, King Ben, this little get up of yours is worth the price of admission.” 

Ben promptly forgot almost everything but his name as he met his favorite blue eyes staring at him out of a half wolf mask with what looked like real fur, pointed ears, and a realistic snout that came down over Harry’s nose. Makeup whiskers were scrawled along his cheeks, and were those fangs in his mouth? 

Superman struggled to break the eye contact and take a step back to admire the rest of the werewolf, in torn blue jeans, fur artfully puffing out of the rips, a hairy gray bodysuit covering his torso, and a plaid shirt with the sleeves roughly cut off hanging open over it. He even had gloves covered in fur that looked impressively like paws. 

It would have been amusing if it wasn’t somehow so sexy. This shouldn't be sexy. But the way Harry trained his cool gaze on Ben, which was predatory on a normal day, brought the rapacious subtleties of the animal persona he’d donned into sharp relief. And somehow Ben could still tell that behind that hunger, Harry was silently laughing at him. 

“You came!” Ben said, aware he needed to try to act normal. “You look…great.” So he might not be able to be exactly eloquent right now. 

“I had to, if only to witness this spectacle,” Harry smirked heavily, eyes safely hidden behind his mask traveling up and down Ben’s entire form in a fashion he usually didn't do in public. He sniggered openly. Ben couldn’t stop the blush, vitally aware that there were too many people around for this and that his fiance was in his sightline, if a few yards away. 

“Don’t laugh,” he begged Harry, but he secretly didn’t care. He was pretty hopeless when it came to being able to amuse or otherwise make his lover smile with those plush lips. Harry leaned closer, in order to be heard over the music. 

“You know, that cape makes me think…” 

Ben knew something naughty was following that, and he turned to peruse the dance floor, willing himself not to be affected by whatever was going to be said next in that low, sultry tone. Which was naturally an exercise in futility. 

“It’s a shame you couldn’t have been my Little Red Riding Hood, and I could just eat you up, my dear.” 

The air left Ben’s lungs. He could not get hard in these shorts, in this suit, he could not. He started alternately wondering if he should just walk away from Harry and shut down the lascivious bastard or see if he could find a closet to daringly drag him into, and if they could possibly get away with  that without anyone seeing, when dear, sweet, lovely Jane came skipping up to them, blessedly breaking the tension. 

“Ben, we’re getting ready for the costume contest,” she told him, and consulted the clipboard she held in one hand. “I’ve taken the liberty of entering you. Yours and Mal’s numbers are one-oh-one and one-oh-two.” She then paused and really looked at the werewolf. Her big brown eyes widened as Harry grinned at her. 

“Harry?! Is that you?! You look amazing!” she enthused. The captain-turned-wolf muttered a thanks at her. 

“You have to join the contest!” Jane exclaimed. Harry glanced over at Ben, looking doubtful and Ben didn’t hesitate to nod back vigorously in response. Harry gave a dramatically put-upon sigh but agreed. 

He couldn’t fool Ben, though - he loved the attention, judging by the way he strutted out into the center of the cleared floor to be appraised, all eyes on him and perfectly comfortable with it. Ben envied him that a little. He had to bite the inside of his cheek hard to tamp down the swirl of white hot jealousy at the roar of applause and whoo’s that Harry, his Harry, his man, was garnering. 

Of course that sentiment was ridiculous but all of this had stopped making sense a long time ago. 

It came down to Evie and Harry as finalists, and Evie ended up winning by a small margin. The music started banging again, and Harry and Evie danced together for one song, getting the whole crowd restarted. 

Ben found himself near Harry on the floor, wondering if he should put some distance between them, but decided he was being paranoid. Jay and Carlos were dancing in a group with Doug and Gil. Ben just tried not to look at the werewolf too much. 

It wasn’t difficult with so much going on, but he did take the excuse of a slower song that Mal didn’t especially like to take a break with Harry on the sidelines while she and Uma went out to get some air together. Everyone knew the two young men were friends as well as professional associates; to be seen talking to each other in public was not automatically damning. 

“So are you having a better time than you thought you might?” Ben asked the captain, somewhat cheekily. 

“Maybe,” Harry admitted, a rare open grin with no hidden meaning hanging on his wolfy face.  That shifted in the very next second. 

“Not as much fun as I hope to be having later, though,” he shot, with a blatant wink at Ben. The king slid his eyes away. 

“You’re incorrigible,” he told Harry. 

“Tell me something I don’t know,” the captain threw back. 

“I do have something for you. For later,” Ben said nervously, still not sure he wasn’t going to get found out, and hoping the music covered their words enough. Harry was such a bad influence on him. 

“Ohhh?” his lover dragged the syllable out, and Ben was sure an eyebrow was raised behind that half mask. 

“Come to my room at midnight,” Ben instructed, leaning in as close as he dared so that he would not be overheard, just as a faster song started playing and he saw the girls reenter the ballroom. 

“Your wish is my command, your majesty,” Harry deadpanned. 

Chapter Text

There were times that goody-goody Ben could still surprise Harry, and even though they’d talked about this, or rather, Harry had teased Ben about it, the captain didn’t think anything would come of it. They’d been hanging out in Ben’s study a few days ago, relaxing while brainstorming the best way to get supplies to the people who still needed them on the Isle - there’d been talk of manned outposts but there was a limit to the royal coffer and they had to start being sensible. Perhaps if supplies were narrowed down more to necessities, while still ensuring quality, rather than the haphazard cast offs that used to get shipped over. 

Harry had been draped, sprawling, across the lounge sofa, a leg thrown over the back of it, enjoying watching Ben try not to glance at his crotch every few moments. He’d love to have the king climb on top of him and settle his weight right there. Alas, it was the middle of the day and they both had separate meetings in less than an hour. 

“Anything you can think of that we should make sure we provide that’s more than just basics?” Ben asked, from where he was safely, annoyingly, behind his desk and not on top of Harry. “After all, ‘a man cannot live on bread alone’,” he added. 

“Grog,” Harry replied after a few seconds of thought. 

“What?” It was clear Ben didn’t know the term, and Harry barked an amused laugh. 

“Do you even have alcoholic beverages here in Auradon?” he mused. “Or was what we had on the Isle someone’s concoction?” Ben raised his eyebrows at him in eventual understanding. 

“Oh. Yeah, we have them. It’s just not a big deal here. Did you…drink often over there?” 

Harry thought about toying with him, telling him that as a pirate of course he drank a bottle of rum a day, but he’d softened too much towards him and couldn’t be that deceitful even in jest anymore. 

“No, not really actually,” he returned Ben’s serious question. “It was just a nice option sometimes if we could happen to nick some grog.”

“But you’re not old enough to drink,” the king, the darling, adorable little king, said. 

“How could I have forgotten? Shame on me, for being so bad.” And Harry’s head lolled dramatically off of the sofa, as he looked at Ben upside down and sideways, making him laugh, which was one of the most musical sounds in the world to Harry’s ears. 

“Wouldn’t mind having something every once in a while,” he went on, lowering his voice just a wee bit. “But you are right, Benji. We are underage. Wouldn’t want to do anything…improper, now would we?” His eyes sparkled as they watched Ben swallow. Teasing his king was still too much fun. 

Now Ben’s lovely hazel eyes were the ones shining with mischief as he brought two glass liter bottles out from a cooler he must have planted here in his room earlier in the day. He was no longer wearing the Superman costume, which was a slight pity...Harry wouldn’t have minded peeling it off of him. But Ben in his pj’s was just as cute, and to be fair, Harry had changed out of his costume too. 

“And what have we here?” Harry asked, tossing his small travel bag at the loveseat and making himself at home. They’d finally begun to stop fighting the desire to stay over, and started bringing changes of clothes and such with them. Even if the one who had to slink out in the morning had to do so well before daybreak. 

“Just some cider,” Ben’s lips twitched as he handed one of the bottles over to Harry. He frowned. “Crap. I forgot a bottle opener though.” Harry couldn’t help the soft smile that crept over his face while watching Ben. He stepped forward, took the bottle from him, and set them both down on the closest table. 

“I’m sorry,” Ben said, “I can probably go find one.” Without a word, Harry carefully and efficiently popped off both caps with his hook before laying the hook down next to the bottles. He then turned and reached out for Ben, sliding his hands up the smooth satin of the pj top on his way to cradle the blond’s face like the jewel that it was. 

“Baby,” he whispered in the moment before his lips met Ben’s and his heart slotted back into its rightful place, wrapped right around the king’s fingers. He gladly absorbed a melting Ben into his arms, laying another smidgen of his soul at his lover’s feet and mercy. 

“I missed you,” Ben sighed. 

“I’ve been waiting to do this all night,” Harry confessed, kissing him again. It really was his favorite hobby lately. Once he’d crept closer and closer to the edge, and then put a toe over that line, he’d fallen, hopelessly and completely, dizzyingly and drowning, in love.  

He knew it was dumb. He knew Ben was still taken by another. He knew there was no such thing as happily ever after for him. 

All his heart knew was that Ben fit perfectly in the empty space that Harry hadn’t even acknowledged he’d been walking around with all these years. But if there was anything he could count on, it’s that life wasn’t fair. So he was going to hold on to each of these precious seconds as tightly as possible. 

“C’mon, I didn’t almost get caught twice sneaking these in here for nothing,” Ben said warmly, stepping towards the table. “And I’m curious. These are like, made from our best Auradon apples and aged in oak barrels or something.” 

“Ooh, fancy,” Harry smirked. “Cheers to my naughty little king for nicking them.” Ben laughed as they clinked the bottle necks together. Ohhh. This cider was fancy; sweet and then tart, it blossomed on Harry’s tongue like a song. Infinitely better than any grog he’d ever had. It went down very easily, and before long, Ben had a rosy tint to his cheeks where he sat on the loveseat glued to Harry’s side, one leg hooked over one of the captain’s. 

They were talking about the party and the night, and how daring Ben had been to get the cider, picking on each other, laughing, comfortable and cozy. Harry was lulled into the fantasy of this being every night, of relaxing with Ben after a long day, lazy kisses and time together that didn’t have to be stolen. 

Ben had a perpetual grin and his laughs were getting giggly, and Harry’s silly heart fluttered at every one. If Harry was feeling tipsy, Ben had to be getting downright drunk. 

“You don’t have to drink all of it, you know,” Harry suggested, hoping Ben wasn’t trying to show off for him. 

“It’s yummy, though,” the king said contently, snuggling in closer to Harry and taking another swig. 

“You’re ridiculously cute, Benji,” Harry murmured as he gazed at the boy, propping his elbow on the back of the loveseat and his head on his hand. The hook remained on the table he’d set it on. He still needed it close, within sight, but with Ben he wanted both hands available more often than not. 

At the compliment, Ben bit his lower lip and blushed two shades darker than the pink that had already settled on his precious cheeks. Ugh…could he get any more irresistible? 

“And youuu…” Ben crooned back at him, his head tilting to the side, “Are fucking gorgeous.” His voice was a low purr that quickened Harry's pulse, especially when he swore. 

“You know, I’ve still got that red cape,” Ben brought up. “I could put it back on.” Harry quirked an eyebrow at him. Ben took another swig.

“Little Red Riding Hood,” he reminded the captain. Then his volume dropped even lower and his cheeks got even redder, if that was possible. 

“Eating me up,” he added sultrily, the grin gone and his eyes heavy as they met Harry’s, whose blood was now positively starting to burn. He measured Ben for a second, judging on whether he was still himself enough to be truly willing. He would be careful, go slow. He shifted enough to take Ben’s bottle from him and set them both on the floor over the arm of the loveseat. Then he returned his gaze to Ben again, and simply stared. 

How lucky was he that he got to touch this beautiful boy, that he got to kiss him and hold him! Even if he couldn’t do it all the time. The way Ben was looking at him exuded besotted love and trust, and Harry was still getting used to it. He took Ben’s hand, and even this contact made the king’s breath speed up. 

Slow. Slow. 

Harry rubbed circles into Ben’s palm with his thumbs and watched his eyelids flutter shut. Drunkenness apparently made him horny and more sensitive. Oh this was going to be interesting. 

Harry lifted Ben’s hand to his lips and the kiss that he pressed to the center of his palm made the boy’s eyes fly open in surprise. The hazel depths were almost brown, dark with alcohol and desire. 

“Oh Ben,” Harry breathed over the rise of the heel of his hand on his way to kiss Ben’s wrist. The king offered up his arm to be feasted on, so that’s what Harry did, pressing lingering kisses on every millimeter of skin until he reached the sleeve of the pj top. He moved back down to Ben’s wrist and then playfully, gently, began alternately nibbling and licking his way up his arm. Ben was squirming by the time Harry reached his sleeve again and caught it in his teeth, eyes upturned to watch his love’s face. A delightful little fascination rested there. 

“I think this needs to come off,” Harry said, fingers going to the buttons of the shirt. His lips and teeth and tongue treated Ben’s chest, ribs, and stomach to the same teasing that he’d bestowed upon his arm, ensuring he did not miss a bit of flesh. The king was making delicious huffing sounds with an occasional groan, more vocal than he usually was without alcohol. 

“Harrrrry,” Ben whined as the captain’s tongue wickedly circled a nipple, then drew it between his lips to suck. Harry knew his lover’s weaknesses well. 

“Yes, my king?” Harry intoned, moving up to trace kisses along the smooth jaw. 

“I need…I need…I need…” Each of these was punctuated by a spike of sharp breath and a rise in pitch. Ben was too worked up already. 

“Hush, baby, shhh,” Harry soothed. “I’ll take care of you, my love, you know that, right?” 

Ben nodded and squeezed out a, “Yeah,” his face still a beautiful pinkish red that had now spread down his chest. 

“You are so perfect,” Harry whispered, taking in this vision, and he began smoothing his fingers down Ben’s sides, watching the king’s breathing change at even this touch. He got to the boy’s waist, and, flicking his eyes between his face and his crotch to watch the reactions in each, dragged his fingers over the bulge in Ben’s satin pj pants oh so slowly. Ben was intently watching Harry’s movements while his cock eagerly swelled further against the fabric. 

Harry looped his thumbs into the pj pants and pulled, still monitoring Ben for any discomfort at the proceedings. He lifted his hips to aid in the removal, helping to expose his thick cock so Harry guessed that was pretty clear consent. The captain eased himself to the floor on his knees, sure that Ben was not going to be amenable to moving elsewhere at the moment. 

He gently spread the royal thighs with a palm on the inside of each one, and Ben opened for him quite willingly. His erection was big and heavy and right there, and Harry’s mouth was watering, but he wanted to tease as long as he could. So he began by licking a wide stripe up Ben’s ballsack, enjoying the slightly sweaty taste after they’d been in that Superman suit all evening. The king moaned, this motion all it took for him to spread his legs more and shift his hips down, granting Harry access to wherever he wanted to go. 

He drew one ball into his wet mouth, then both of them, and Ben was moaning long and low, an almost unbroken cadence that told Harry he was certainly doing something right. After releasing that morsel, Harry moved to the side to lay kisses along the inside of Ben’s thighs, first the right, then the left. The muscles quivered under his lips and Harry noted that for future liaisons. 

He replaced his mouth with his thumbs, softly rubbing down the sensitive skin as he made his next move. Which was to flick the tip of his tongue at the frenulum of Ben’s cock, making the king nearly scream. Harry wondered if he sucked him in in one fell swoop if Ben would be coming before he could get close to the base. Part of him wanted to try it, but a bigger part of him wanted to prolong this as long as possible. So he licked tiny circles down the underside of Ben’s dick, back to his balls, which he treated to an even wetter bath than before. 

Ben must have somehow found some motor skills, because his fingers were sliding into Harry’s hair, as much as they could with him being so buried between the king’s legs. Harry took a moment to revel in the sensations, the tingling, the soothing, before he lowered his mouth that little bit more. 

He flicked his tongue at Ben’s perineum, knowing it would feel good but still waiting for a positive reaction. The fingers tightened in his hair and Harry smiled into the warmth of Ben’s privatest of areas. Then he moved still lower, his tongue going where it never had before, and not just on Ben. Harry lapped at the pucker, not sure how far he was going to go with this, just wanting to make his king feel good. Ben’s thighs spread even wider and his heels came up to brace themselves on the edge of the loveseat, effectively shoving his hole at Harry’s mouth. Well, that was a hell of a response. 

So Harry laved and licked, his tongue soaking in the sweet musky taste as his ears soaked in the continued moans pouring out of Ben’s throat. Harry had brought lube in his travel bag, it was a matter of course especially once they’d moved to that level, but he didn’t want to halt and didn’t necessarily need it for just this. 

He tapped an index finger at Ben’s entrance, that he’d thoroughly wetted with his saliva, and it fluttered so prettily for him. The tip of his finger breached it effortlessly, the heat drawing him to want to further his advance right away but he was still determined to go slow. Ben may have had other thoughts. 

“Yesss, please,” the whine came from above. Okay then. Harry ungracefully drooled a little more onto the spot where his finger was entering his lover, and pushed just a tiny bit more into him. 

“Love you,” Ben moaned mindlessly. “Love any of you I can get inside of me.” Harry’s lips went to the crease between the king’s thigh and balls.

“Love you too, baby.” He wasn’t sure he was heard, but he was sure the vibrations were felt as he saw Ben’s cock bob up and down of its own accord out of the corner of his eye. Meanwhile, his index finger had slid in completely, taking up space in Ben’s hole and being massaged in impossible warmth. He tried not to think of how that tight heat felt encasing his dick, which was pretty hard itself at the moment. But Ben deserved the royal treatment. 

Harry began easing his finger out and then in again, drawing his face back just enough to watch the king shiver with each slight thrust. His face was beautifully tortured, ecstasy and need both etched on it. Harry wished he could keep him hovering here for a good long time. But he would get him here again, and the way Ben’s cock was leaking fluid and his face was flushed, maybe it would be better to grant him an orgasm soon. 

“More, please, more,” Ben begged, wiggling his ass awkwardly.  

Harry wetted the hole once again, and hooked the tip of his middle finger into the ring of muscle. Ben was always so eager, so desirous of being Harry’s plaything. It was quite heady and almost touching. Harry’s second finger was welcomed with even more vigor than the first, and he was able to work it in alongside with one slow, smooth motion. Ben clenched around the intrusion, and his cock bounced again. 

Harry could no longer keep his mouth off of that beloved part of Ben’s body, so he brought his face closer, with the king’s fingers weaving deeper into his hair. He then ghosted his lips up one side and then down the other, relishing in how hot the shaft felt and how it was very nearly throbbing. He ensured his fingers were buried inside as deep as they could go before he slid up to the head and made his lips into an O. 

He took Ben in infinitesimally slowly, having to hold a hip down rather forcefully to keep the king from shoving up, burying himself, and choking Harry. Not that Harry would have minded the choking part, he was kind of into that, but he wanted to make this last for Ben. 

Quick could be fun, quick was almost all that Harry had been used to a lifetime ago, but that was before Ben and languid kisses and meaningful caresses and that L word. There was something much different about all of this when you truly cared about the person you were working to get off. 

“Harry,” his name was moaned in his favorite shaky voice, his mouth was full of his favorite cock, and his fingers were shoved deep in his favorite hole, and all Harry Hook could register was that he was thoroughly in love. He began sucking in earnest, tongue pulsing as best he could in the tight quarters, and slowly thrusting his fingers in and out of Ben. 

He was right; it didn’t take long with all of that, before Ben’s head was thrashing back and forth against the headrest of the loveseat, he was garbling something unintelligible that included ‘yes’ and ‘god’ and ‘Harry’, his hold on the captain’s hair had tightened almost painfully, and his rich come was hitting the back of Harry’s tongue. 

The captain gently worked his fingers in and out of that wonderful hole a few more times while he nuzzled lovingly at Ben’s lower stomach, dragging out Ben’s aftershocks and making sure he felt taken care of. He kissed his way back up Ben’s body, wiping his fingers on his own sweatpants after he finally withdrew, and found the king eagerly awaiting a deep kiss that was equal parts dirty and soothing. Ben licked into Harry’s mouth like he was trying to taste the remains of himself, all while softly moaning. 

Hands went to the hems and buttons of the clothes that Harry was still wearing, clumsily tugging and undoing in no particularly organized way. 

“Off, off,” Ben muttered. Harry had no issue with that, so he got his feet under him and quickly stripped, staring down at a beautifully naked and boneless Ben on the loveseat underneath him. A pink flush was still on his cheeks, his eyes were half cloudy with sated lust and hard cider, his fading tan accentuated his toned muscles, and his heels had slipped off the edge of the seat to the floor, his satisfied cock flaccid, still damp, and resting towards his left hip. He made the most perfect sight, and Harry tried to burn it into his brain. 

And then, “Why don’t we get you somewhere more comfortable?” he asked. Ben looked like he could either fall asleep or like he was thinking of something dirty to do to Harry, judging by the way his eyes were trained on the captain’s crotch. Either way, Harry wanted him securely in bed, where he could be comfy no matter what he chose. 

As he helped Ben up, his palms gladly covering as much warm skin as they could over the boy’s ribs and back, Ben made it clear what he wanted, even if his movements were lagging from his orgasm and the alcohol.

“Gimme,” he purred, his hands going directly to Harry’s slightly flagging erection, which sprang back to full mast as soon as Ben was petting it. In this fashion, Harry led Ben to the bed, shuffling backwards while the king awkwardly tried to stroke him, his cock acting as a leash of sorts. He eventually got Ben situated on top of the comforter, head on a pillow, and nude body gorgeous against the luxurious blue, as always. 

Harry hovered on his knees next to him, his joints grateful for the soft bed after the floor, still deciding if Ben was in a condition to do more tonight; Harry certainly did want to come, but he didn’t need Ben to do more than was good for him to accomplish that. 

But one of Ben’s hands was reaching out in the air, clearly wanting Harry’s cock back in it while the other went between his own legs and his fingers started sliding past his balls.

“Lube?” he asked, a naughtily hopeful inflection to his tone. 

“Ben…” Harry said warmly, “No, baby, you don’t have to.” Ben’s eyes widened purposefully in a way that Harry recognized and he frowned a little. 

“But I want it,” he firmly pouted. “I want it inside me.” With an unexpected burst of energy, Ben surged up and sloppily planted his mouth on Harry’s jutting dick, taking him in as far as he could in one swoop. Harry’s hips thrust forward involuntarily, his body acting before his brain could catch up, but Ben popped off in the next second, leaving Harry wet and wanting. The most delectable smirk hung on Ben’s face and he held Harry’s gaze.

“Now fuck me,” he demanded, his voice low. Then he flipped over onto his stomach, got his knees under himself, and spread his legs, offering his body up like a sacrifice. 

“Please,” he added coquettishly, from where his face was crushed into a pillow. Harry really had no further defenses. He rushed to retrieve the bottle of lube from his bag and climbed back onto the bed. 

He smoothed a palm over the perfect rise of one of Ben’s buttocks, admiring the view. The king responded by shoving his ass back further, bending more sharply at the hips. Harry’s cock was screaming for release by this time. 

Using plenty of lube, he opened Ben up again and further than he had been, desperately wanting to get inside but he would never rush this. He made sure Ben was moaning and begging once more before he lined the head of his weeping cock up with that lovely little hole. They’d only messed around in this position before, rubbing and sliding, not full penetration. 

Harry missed being able to watch Ben’s face and the wonder on it as he slid in. The way his hands fit snugly around Ben’s hips, like handles that were made for him, helping him control the pace, and how deeply and easily he was able to sheath himself, until their balls were pressed together, made up for some of that. Every time he entered Ben’s body like this was mind blowing, soul connecting, the most vulnerable gift Ben could give, and Harry never took it for granted. This was well beyond sex anymore; no matter how they arranged their bodies on a particular night, this was making love, pure and simple. 

With the added benefit of the king giving himself over to his basest wants and acting like a gloriously beautiful slut. He was rubbing his face against the pillow while he pushed back as sturdily as he could, happy to be taking Harry all the way in. And the alcohol must have loosened his tongue even more than Harry’s teasing did. 

“Yes, yes, just like that,” he was saying. “Fill me up with that cock. Fuck, Harry, you feel so good. So big. Fuck, oh I’m so full. I love it, I love you, I love it when you fuck me.” His voice was rich and whiny and moaning and just the sound of it saying all those dirty things made Harry want to empty himself in his lover’s ass immediately. 

He slid out almost all the way before he could, then moved steadily back in. He wasn’t going to last, Ben was too tight and hot and perfect, and he dreamed of a day when he’d be able to fuck Ben’s hole for longer periods, giving him more of what he so clearly was addicted to and seeing how just how long the king could take it. 

The filthy litany continued as Harry drove his cock forward and pulled back, thrusting in earnest, his balls tightening and the heat scorching through his loins. He was aware of grunting softly, loving how animalistic Ben allowed him, encouraged him, to get, especially when Harry claimed him in this way. 

“Ohhh Benjiiiii…” Harry groaned, his load spilling into his king and his orgasm tearing through him like wildfire. He threw his head back, almost cruelly holding Ben’s hips in place so he could stay buried as deep as possible for as long as possible. 

“Yes, gimme, gimme me all of it,” Ben was muttering through yet more moans, and Harry became aware of a slight shaking motion. Then his lover was gasping raggedly, and Harry knew he must be coming again, all over that expensive royal comforter. 

Harry was never letting this boy go. Which of course was not an option, but just for the night, he wanted to keep the fantasy going. He pulled out somewhat reluctantly and helped Ben shift over so that they could cuddle off to the side of the wet spot. Ben kept his back to Harry, cocooning himself into the captain’s arms as the little spoon so sweetly it made Harry’s heart thud. He was asleep within seconds. 

Harry mentally checked that he had set the alarm on his phone that would be going off in no more than three hours so he could make his escape to the east wing before most of the castle was awake before he let himself follow him down. 

Chapter Text

Central Auradon sometimes felt like a rotating door of visiting dignitaries, all of which required a fancy dinner to be held in their honor, and the royal bells, whistles, and carpet laid out for them. Ben didn’t mind exactly, he was certainly used to it, but sometimes he wished he didn’t have to get dressed up at least every other week and host some VIP or other. 

At least he had Harry at most of these things now. Ben had been able to convince him that, as Captain, it looked good for Auradon if he was there, and though Harry grumbled, he donned the uniform and showed up more often than not. Jay would even come sometimes, though there was less pressure on him to be there, but the more of his young crew that Ben could have around him, the easier it made these dinners to get through. 

Today’s visitor had been the grand vizier of Agrabah, and he had been delighted at the small stage show portraying the classic tale of Sinbad that the Auradon elementary school had put on earlier in the day. The Middle Eastern cuisine the cooks had worked on for days was intriguing and the banquet hall looked like a sultan's palace. 

It was the royal staff that pulled off these amazing welcomes for their guests; Ben was pretty sure he could leave everything to them, pop in for a few minutes so he was seen, and go back to his books or his friends. But that wasn’t what a good king did. 

Ben went to the drink table after dinner, and decided to try something called karkadeh, intrigued by the light pink color of it. The grand vizier and Jay were in an involved conversation about the purest way to go about learning Arabic, and Ben was grateful to the commanding officer for the opportunity to slip away for a few moments.

Ben took a tentative sip of the cool tea when the attendant handed it to him. It was more tart than he’d been expecting, but still somehow refreshing after many of the heavily seasoned dishes of the meal. As he stood off to the side, enjoying his drink, and trying to remember how crammed his schedule was the next day, Harry sauntered up and ordered a rumen, which was also very pink. 

“Captain,” Ben gave Harry the standard, in-public, professional nod, giving nothing away of how his heart started beating a little faster like it always did to be near him. He only let himself watch Harry out of the corner of his eye as he otherwise appeared to be appreciating the decor. 

“Your majesty,” Harry returned, but there was the hint of a playful inflection in his tone that Ben knew meant trouble. In spite of himself, he glanced over at the captain, but Harry was dutifully looking elsewhere, for all the world an upstanding member of the royal court. Ben took another sip of his drink, and held it up to Harry.

“How’s yours?” he asked politely. Harry’s eyes locked on his over the rim of his glass as he drank, and Ben knew there was something going on in that brain of his. 

“Excellent,” he replied, shifting his eyes away and looking around once more. Maybe Ben was being paranoid, just hoping something interesting would happen to keep him entertained for the remainder of this evening. All at once, Harry was leaning towards him and before Ben’s heart even had time to speed up, he was whispering in his ear. 

“Does your majesty have any idea what I would give to bend him over this table and take him right here?” Ben quickly looked at the floor, desperately trying to keep his expression neutral. Damn Harry! But oh, he wasn’t done. 

After another quick glance around to make sure no one was near, he continued, “Pull your pants down just enough, open you up, and slide right in. Mm, so deep and so tight…” 

Ben had made the mistake of taking another sip of tea when Harry was halfway through this part, drawing an ice cube into his mouth, hoping the cold there would help cool other parts of his warming body somehow. At the word ‘tight’ the cube promptly fell back into the glass with a small splash, Ben having lost control of fine motor skills for a second. 

Harry handed him a napkin with an innocent smile, as if he hadn’t just suggested the most depraved thing. Ben shot him a wide eyed warning glance, fully knowing it wouldn’t faze the captain, as he patted at the lapel of his dress jacket, hoping it wouldn’t stain. He received a tiny smirk in return, and a low, sexy chuckle that went right to his groin. 

Ben walked away and went to sit down again before Harry could torture him any further, and also so could better hide his threatening erection. Harry was usually not quite this bold. Granted, Mal wasn’t here tonight, this being during the week and her being at University, but there were other people that could easily have seen that. 

Ben still smiled to himself behind his glass at Harry’s audacity, though. It was one of the things he loved most about him, and it definitely had made the night more interesting for him, at least in his own head. 

The amount of confidential information in Harry’s office made him especially thankful that there was a lock on the door, which the captain now opened in the near dark. The only light came from the glow of the electric torches in the hallway, turned low since it was so late. Earlier, he had carefully deposited the thick stack of documents he’d been handed by the vizier that evening in his desk drawer, and he just wanted to make sure he’d also locked the drawer before he headed to bed. 

More maps to go over. The vizier wanted his opinion on his border security, if there was a way they could keep better watch in the far northern mountains. He was definitely not tackling that tonight, but he was paranoid about keeping them safe. It still felt surreal that he was trusted this much. 

He flipped the overheard light on to his right before stepping into the room, suddenly on edge. He could always sense the presence of another person where they shouldn't be before he saw them, it was one of his instincts. His hand went to the hilt of his sword as his eye fell on the figure sitting on his desk. 

“What are you doing in here?!” Harry couldn’t help the bite in his voice even as he recognized the king and his hand fell from his sword. Of course Ben was the only other one with a key, but he was supposed to be tucked away in bed by now, or at least getting ready for it. Not spooking Harry in his own office in the dark!

“I missed you,” Ben smiled at him, “We didn’t get to see each other a whole lot tonight.” 

“You could have warned me,” Harry told him, having locked the door carefully behind him again, his adrenaline ebbing away slowly. 

“Sorry,” Ben pouted, and there was something about the way his gaze settled on Harry from across the room as the captain walked towards him, about the way his dress shirt had been unbuttoned even though there was a thin vee neck shirt underneath, about the way that he’d been sitting on the desk in the dark room, waiting for Harry…

The captain had removed his belt and scabbard in a practiced motion, laying them on the conference table on his way by, along with his hook. Now he stepped in between Ben’s slightly spread legs, one hand going to the king’s thigh, one hand to card through his soft hair. He went in for a kiss, knowing Ben would open to him immediately, and he did. Harry made it slow and sensuous, teasing and smooth, until Ben was completely putty. 

The king’s fingers worked clumsily at the wide buttons to the side of Harry’s doublet, and Harry let him struggle as he nuzzled at his hair, wondering what exactly Ben’s goal was tonight, but happy to go along with whatever it might be.

Ben’s hands eventually found their way fully inside the leather, and Harry relished the feel of them even through his dress shirt. He stepped back to slide the doublet from his body, noting how Ben watched him move, then he closed the gap again, his hands going to Ben’s hips, and gripping firmly.

“So what naughty thoughts are coursing through my king’s head tonight, hmm?” Harry murmured, resting his forehead against Ben’s and locking the swirling hazel eyes with his own. Ben certainly had something on his mind; Harry could tell by the flecks of blue that only came out in his irises when he felt really daring. 

“What you said earlier,” Ben’s voice was a low purr, “At the drink table.” Between the tone of his lover’s voice and the memory of Harry’s own depraved whispered suggestion that Ben was referring to, a tickle of fire shot down Harry’s spine and then lower. 

“I want it,” Ben said throatily, still meeting Harry’s eyes, as serious as a heart attack. The captain let out a growl and pressed his lips to Ben’s again, this time bruising, feral, and rough. Ben took it, surrendering to the way Harry’s tongue plundered and violated his mouth as the lust mounted in the captain’s blood. 

Harry was obsessed with how the king gave himself to him, over and over again, but also how he could still manage to surprise him. He broke the kiss, pausing to suckle at Ben’s bottom lip, something he knew Ben loved. Then in a quick, strong move, he yanked Ben forward to the edge of the desk, hands still firm on his hips, forcing their hard cocks together in their trousers. Ben’s thighs instinctively came up to hug Harry’s hips, his breath ragged.

“You’re sure, baby?” Harry checked, his tone soft and one hand going back to Ben’s hair. 

“Yes,” Ben’s voice was low and steady. “I want you to fuck me, Harry.” 

Ohh, how proud Harry was of just how far his innocent little king had fallen! He took a moment to enjoy the next wave of lust this response in that sweet growl sent through him, then he leaned back enough to reach for and grab Ben’s belt buckle. He half pulled and half lifted him off of the desk, waiting for Ben to get his feet under him. 

“Then turn around,” he commanded, giving Ben just enough room between him and the desk to do so. The king dutifully turned towards the desk, starting to slip his dress shirt off of his shoulders.

“No, leave it,” Harry told him, so Ben did. The captain wrapped his arms around Ben for a moment, kissing his neck softly, wanting this to be as sweet as he could make it, but he also wanted to absolutely violate his king. 

Harry slipped his hands into both front pockets of Ben’s trousers, trying to keep his hips back from him for now so he didn’t stimulate his own cock too much. He could feel the stiff warmth of Ben’s erection through the fabric of his pockets while he dug for what he was looking for. 

Ben had planned this out. Harry made sure he just lightly dragged his thumbs along either side of the king’s hard cock as he drew the small bottle of lube out of his pocket, pulling a breathy moan from Ben. Setting the bottle on the desk within easy reach, and stretching to the side to move the lamp and some pens out of the way, Harry’s hands then went back to his lover. 

He could feel the anticipation rising off of Ben like an electric current. Harry smoothed his hands around Ben’s sides, fingers going to his belt buckle. He made quick work of that, as well as Ben’s pant button and fly, the king’s heavy breathing music to his ears in the quiet, well lit room. He’d considered turning the overhead light off and one of the softer lamps on, but no, he wanted to fully see every moment of this as clearly as he could. 

Harry took a few seconds to nuzzle at the back of Ben’s sweet neck, his nose brushing at his hairline, before he eased his lover’s pants and underwear downwards, just past the swell of his ass cheeks. He made sure he kept a foot between Ben’s so the pants could not fall all the way to the floor. Ben gasped and gave a little jerk, probably at having his cock suddenly exposed. 

Harry’s hand itched to wrap around it, honestly, to fist it and feel it grow even heavier against his palm. He made himself resist, and instead slid a hand under Ben’s shirt and laid a palm flat against Ben’s belly, enjoying how the muscles quivered at his touch. The king was a coiled spring, just waiting for Harry to have his way with him. 

Harry leaned back, his eyes taking in the tops of the pale globes of Ben’s cheeks and how they were flexing too in the bright light. He reinforced where he wanted Ben’s feet to stay with a gentle nudge to the insides of his heels, then stepped to the side, so he could whisper in his ear. 

“Now, my king,” he commanded darkly, “Bend over for me, please.” 

Ben lowered his chest to the desk rather awkwardly but still so beautifully, his arms coming up to brace himself, and Harry helped guide him with a hand on his shoulder. Hmm, this needed something more…

“You’re so gorgeous like this,” Harry praised, as he gently took one of Ben’s arms and then the other and folded them loosely behind his back. There was no resistance in the boy’s muscles as he did so, though this left only the king’s chest and cheek supporting his body on the desk. 

“Is this okay?” Harry asked tenderly, his lust going wild at the submissive posture of Ben like this, but he needed to know that Ben was enjoying himself too.

“Yeah,” the shaky answer came, and Harry made sure he made eye contact with Ben. The utter and absolute trust he saw pouring out of them made Harry’s knees weak and his chest squeeze, like it always did. He eased the button down shirt off of the king’s shoulders, down to his wrists, effectively trapping his arms, all while doing his best to watch his face and eyes for his reaction to this. Ben swallowed once, but his expression was relaxed, his breathing heavy but smooth. 

“Ben,” Harry said clearly, still fighting his hormones that wanted to get on with proceedings, “If at any point this is too much, you let me know, okay?” He grazed a hand across Ben’s lower back as he waited for the reply. 

“I will, I promise,” Ben told him, his eyes wide. Then the king flexed his body into Harry’s touch, pressing his chest harder into the desk and accentuating the curve of his ass. The captain’s hand traveled down the rise of Ben’s firm buttock, his own breath catching. 

“You are perfect, my king,” he husked, then he divested himself of his own clothes as quickly as possible, leaving only the white tank top that had been under his formal shirt. His cock had half softened again while he’d tended to Ben, and now it shrunk even a bit more in the room air. As Harry’s gaze returned to the smooth line of Ben’s body bent over for him it began swelling again. 

Ben was trussed up, laid out like the most savory dish that Harry could think of, because he wanted Harry, wanted him to enter him, to penetrate him, wanted to be at his mercy like this. Harry began by trailing his fingertips all over Ben’s hips, buttocks, lower back and everywhere on his thighs, raising delectable goose bumps on every bit of exposed skin while he contemplated how rich of a man he was to be given this gift. 

He reached around, and going by feel, grazed his fingers along Ben’s respectable erection but did not linger. He then cupped his own, still staring at his lover, not able to get enough. 

“Fuck me, Ben, you really are beautiful like this,” Harry murmured as he squeezed a buttock, not even sure Ben could hear him. But the king arched his body again, pushing his ass towards Harry, making it clear what he wanted. 

Harry reached for the lube, though he just kept it in one hand for now. He rested a finger into the groove at the top of Ben’s cheeks, applying a little pressure, then moved down slowly. Ben’s buttocks were just far enough apart that Harry could see his hole and as his finger traveled down over it, he eased up so that he was just ghosting over it. It fluttered for him as Ben left out a soft moan. He must really want it. 

So Harry flipped the cap up on the lube with his thumb, while spreading one of Ben’s cheeks to the side. Ben arched his back even more when the lube dripped down the crack of his ass and Harry hurried to catch as much of it as he could before it went all the way down Ben’s taut balls. He decided to trail a path of the wetness along the seam of Ben’s scrotum anyway, and was glad he did when he heard a moan coming from the desk. 

Then he took his well lubed middle finger and circled Ben’s hole with the tip of it, his eyes wide at how on display it was for him, and his cock was back at full attention. 

“Please,” Ben asked him shamelessly, his hole begging too. Well, then. Harry exhaled as he slid his finger inside as slowly as he could, fascinated with the way Ben took it in one smooth motion as far as it would go. He squeezed some more lube on the area for good measure before he started moving his finger back and forth, holding one cheek out of the way still. 

“Uhmm, yes, just like that…” Ben moaned. Harry loved how much more expressive he’d gotten since they’d started; every sound that fell out of Ben’s delectable mouth while they were together was beautiful, every breath was treasured. But there was something about the young king finding his sexual voice, along with his preferences, that drove Harry extra wild. 

He began moving his finger faster, and started to twist it, knowing how Ben would nearly swoon at that. Sure enough, he was pressing his hips back with as much traction as he could get, and Harry knew he was good to move things along. His index finger joined his middle one, gently at first, then they were both eagerly being taken by Ben’s hole. Harry’s cock was just as eager, precome beginning to ooze out of the slit. Not yet, not yet. 

Now that his fingers were firmly anchored inside, Harry could let go of Ben’s ass cheek and his palm smoothed back up the king’s skin towards his lower back, then up further to grasp at Ben’s restrained arms. 

Harry stayed like that for a few moments, somewhat bent over Ben’s form, pushing his lover’s arms against his back while fucking two fingers vigorously in and out of his wet hole. Ben whimpered obscenely, making Harry’s cock beg even more. The tip brushed against Ben’s ass cheek, sending a jolt through Harry and leaving a smear of precome on the king’s skin. Harry took a few, deep, steadying breaths to calm down, and slowed his fingers’ thrusting. Ben was too hot, too enticing - if Harry wasn’t careful he could almost come untouched. 

“You’re so good for me, aren’t you?” Harry intoned. “You love when I open you up, don’t you?” 

He took in the now sweaty sandy hair resting against the rich grain of the wood of the desk, and how Ben’s shoulders were heaving with the boy’s deep breaths. 

“Yes,” Ben agreed, moaning, “You’re so good at it.” And he pushed back yet again. Harry knew Ben didn’t need any more than two fingers’ worth of stretching - how, he didn’t know, but Ben had sworn to him he liked the burn - but he was trying to stall so he didn’t come as soon as he was inside, so he dripped more lube and added a third finger. 

Ben released a long, whiny groan at this, and Harry smirked to himself at what he could do to his king. He reached around Ben’s hip and was met with his lover’s thick, heavy, weeping cock filling up his hand. Harry would have loved to pump him to orgasm while his fingers fucked in and out of his loosening hole, but Ben was begging him to stop. 

“No, no, no, please…” He hissed through his teeth, fighting for control. Harry released his cock at once. 

“I don’t want to come until you’re inside,” Ben got out. 

“As you wish, my king,” Harry agreed in his own low timbre, withdrawing his fingers as slowly as he could and wiping them on his tank top. He guessed his office would be one more place they should probably both stash a change of clothes. 

He stepped behind Ben once more, hands reverently going to Ben’s ass cheeks and spreading them open, his eyes greedily taking in his lover’s quivering hole, just waiting for him. He suddenly thought of something else and released them, then, turning away, he picked his dress shirt up from the floor.

Harry went back to Ben’s shoulder, and leaned down, pressing a kiss into the king's hair just above his ear. 

“Here,” he said softly. “This might be more comfortable,” and he slipped the shirt between Ben’s cheek and the wood of the desk. The way Ben looked at him in return made Harry incongruently blush, considering what they were currently engaging in. He pinched the skin of Ben’s ass cheek playfully, making the boy jump, and returned to his position behind him, exposing Ben’s hole again. 

Harry rutted the length of his shaft lightly against the opening, teasing Ben just as much as himself, watching how prettily and eagerly it fluttered. Then he finally took his cock in hand and lined the head up, slipping into the ring of muscle. 

“Yes, yes,” Ben groaned through gritted teeth and tried to push back. The captain swallowed, panting, his mouth dry as he sheathed himself as slowly as humanly possible, watching every inch of his cock sink into Ben’s hole. They’d been doing this a while now, and the boy was as exquisitely tight as the first time, and somehow able to take all of Harry. 

Ben was still trying to thrust backwards, and Harry finally tore his eyes away from Ben’s hole stretched wide around the base of his cock, as erotic as it was, and, grabbing Ben’s trapped arms, pulled him backwards so hard Harry’s thighs vibrated with the force. 

Ben let out a long, low groan, and Harry had the idea that he would have preferred to scream. He began fucking into Ben with a leverage that they weren’t able to get when they were in bed, and he determined they would definitely have to do this again. He hoped the sound of their flesh slapping together could not be heard outside of these walls.  

“Please,” the plea came, in that sweet breathless voice, and Harry tried to surface from his own wild pleasure for a second. Of course. He slowed his thrusting, fighting not to come while Ben’s hole clenched around him. He concentrated on getting Ben’s dress shirt the rest of the way off, undoing the buttons at the sleeves and sliding the sweaty and twisted fabric off of the king.

He did miss Ben’s arms around him while they fucked, but they weren’t going to last much longer and then they could hold each other. 

Only now did he reach for Ben’s cock again, while the boy brought his arms to the surface of the desk to brace himself. Harry’s hand wrapped around the full thickness, loving that the whole length was soaked from precome dripping down it this entire time. He wondered how close Ben had been to coming untouched himself. 

“Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,” fell from Ben’s mouth in breathy, panty little moans that Harry’s ears ate up. The king pushed back with a strength Harry was surprised he still had, making Harry have to work to stand his ground as Ben tried to impale himself impossibly deeper, at the same time as his ejaculate splashed all over the front of the desk, Harry’s hand, his own shoes, and the carpet. His hole positively clamped down around Harry’s cock, so tight it was almost painful as he came and came. It had barely taken five strokes.

Not caring about the mess on his hand, Harry gripped both of Ben’s hips firmly and pistoned into him, also not caring about the furious sound of slapping flesh any longer. He drove himself into the king as hard and as deep as he could, over and over and then he was coming, his balls emptying themselves inside of Ben, his cock pulsing out its thick, hot release. It took everything Harry had not to scream in pleasure too. 

His legs about to give out, he threw his arms wide so he could catch himself on the desk over Ben’s back as he finished unloading inside him. He was suddenly jealous of Ben for having the desk to hold him up. They were both panting and even now, Ben tried to push back into him, desperate for contact. 

This motion made Harry’s now spent cock slip from his hole, and Harry took the opportunity to glue himself to Ben’s back, arms looping around the king in a tight embrace. They stayed like that for several long moments, until they could both breathe normally again. Harry eased himself upright first, keeping a hand on Ben’s lower back until he knew he was steady enough to help the king stand if he needed it. 

Also, so he could take one last, lingering look over the curve of his lover’s body bent over the desk, ass out, legs spread, utterly debauched like never before. Feeling especially dirty after that round, Harry spread one of Ben’s buttocks again to reveal his open and used hole, and this sight was going in the spank bank for sure - Harry’s come was oozing out of Ben and down his now relaxed balls. 

If Harry had any energy left, he would have been tempted to fuck the liquid back into him with his fingers, just to see if Ben could take the further stimulation. Maybe next time. For now, he leaned down and pressed a tender kiss to Ben’s lower back.

“You’re so fucking beautiful, my king. I love you so much,” he told him, too many emotions to register filling his voice. He helped Ben stand, and pull his pants up, but they both shortly ended up sitting up on the floor off to the side of the desk, because once Ben turned around and was able to wrap his arms around Harry again, Harry’s knees started shaking. 

They held each other there on the floor of the office that now reeked of sex, the light still on, sweat drying on their skin, both trying to recover.

“So I surprised you?” Ben asked after a little while, his head tucked into its favorite spot between Harry’s neck and collarbone. The captain chuckled, as soft and low as he could.

“Aye, that you did. But still not quite the same as being able to actually bend you over the table at the function would have,” he said cheekily. Ben let out an exasperated, amused huff of a sigh.

“You’re incorrigible,” he told Harry, not for the first time. 

“You knew this,” Harry returned with a smirk in his voice and a kiss to his lover’s messy honey hair. He somehow still remembered to double check the lock on his desk after they’d cleaned their mess up. 

Chapter Text

Winter came to Auradon slowly, in gentle increments, snow falling a bit every day until the city was blanketed, the castle a picture out of a magazine as usual. Harry had never seen snow, not like this, not clean and white and pristine, because nothing had been clean on the Isle. It sparked fresh fuel for his writing, as it did for plenty of poets before him. 

He was grateful for the slower pace that winter seemed to bring with it, too. The kingdom’s borders were secure…there were now enough trained guards to have three to four for every ten square miles of Auradon, positive feedback had been coming out of the Isle from the plainclothes officers that were stationed there, they hadn’t heard any rumblings of hatred or dissent towards the mainland. 

A lot had changed since King Ben had decided to trust a pirate to protect Auradon, and Harry remained thankful for the opportunity for a life he sometimes still couldn’t believe was real. He was happy to continue to work to make sure it stayed that way. 

The only current hiccup in Harry’s life was that Mal was home from University for the holiday break so he wasn’t getting to see his lover as much, but he was trying to keep this in perspective. He and Ben spent more nights together now than not, and Harry was aware he’d gotten spoiled. He still enjoyed his solitude though, and having the extra time to write and read and yes, even study, was not the worst thing by any means. 

There were no less than five Christmas trees set up and decorated throughout the castle, the one in the entrance hall that was twelve feet tall, another mere seven footer in the family sitting room, one in the entryways of both east and west wings, and even a modest one in the council meeting room. Giant wreaths were on every exterior door, garland wrapped around every banister, and soft classical holiday music wafted throughout the whole place. 

Auradon definitely knew how to do the festive season properly. This all added up to a difference in the very air, a closer knit feeling among the people of the kingdom, who were always ready to smile at one another, but now there was even an extra warmth. 

And these were the parts that sucked. It was Harry’s first Christmas in Auradon, his first Christmas, in a way, at all, since the days were all the same on the Isle and there was no point in acknowledging calendar holidays. And he had to spend the nights alone, even though he had, also for the first time, someone he loved. It was just that that someone had another, more important someone that demanded and deserved his presence so Ben was not as free to sneak away. 

That was alright, he convinced himself, which he found he had to do more and more of lately. 

He wondered how it would feel to be the one whom Ben got cozy with in front of the Christmas tree, probably eating popcorn and drinking hot chocolate, watching movies and making eyes at each other. 

To be able to go ice skating together with their friends, and hold hands, and not have to pretend they had no idea what it was like to kiss the other. To not have to calculate when to avert their gazes. To go on a romantic sleigh ride, snuggled under a quilt, their heads resting together, for the whole kingdom to see. Together. For the world to see. 

It was alright that he couldn’t have these things, Harry rationalized because, for one, was that really him? Would he enjoy all that sappy couple stuff? It was easier to tell himself he wouldn’t, since he couldn’t do them anyway. But he still wondered. 

He did get something Mal didn’t - not Ben, the groomed fiance - but Benji, the little king turned part-time dirty rebel. Harry was the one who got his wickedly passionate kisses and his begging in the dark, his naked flesh sweaty under Harry’s touch. Their whispered love and need for each other, their breathless quaking. Their hands and bodies slotting together, riding the waves of lust and release. Together. For none of the world to see.

What could it possibly be like to have all of it, the public and the private? Harry couldn’t quite fuse the two, even in his imagination. So he wrote…of the snow, and the Christmas lights, and the children’s laughter that floated over the castle grounds as the youngest citizens of Auradon played in the winter wonderland. This was pretty charming to be a part of all on its own. 

Of course the royal family threw a Christmas party, a slightly more intimate affair than their Halloween ball had been, mainly for themselves, the castle staff, and government employees. As such, Harry and Jay and most of their guards went, Harry determined to only make an appearance and then dip. 

Mal looked stunning in a sparkly purple and silver gown, Ben painfully handsome in a dark green departure in jacket color from the usual blue, the perfect couple as always. The rules remained in place; Harry did not allow his gaze to linger too long on the king, especially since at the moment he was missing him more than usual. Ben did not disappoint, however, and was able to find Harry loitering near the dessert table while Jay and Mal shared a dance. 

Ben wasn’t sure if this was such a good idea, since Harry looked so dashing in his black suit with a red handkerchief in his breast pocket, hair neatly slicked back, that not staring was difficult. It always was, though. 

“So have you discovered the rum balls yet?” Ben opened with, and held a small plate of treats that he’d swiped when no one was really looking. Since this was a more closed party than they usually held, the rum balls had been laid out with the rest of the desserts, with the expectation of honesty on the underage attendees and the spirit of the holiday. 

“Rum, hmm? You do know the way to a pirate’s heart, your majesty.” Harry’s voice was warm and low, and when he popped one of the orbs in his mouth and his eyes widened with surprised pleasure like they always did when he first tasted something particularly good, it was impossible not to imagine a different sort of ball in its place. 

“You’re not a pirate anymore, though,” Ben reminded him, forcing his mind to behave. 

“Oh, sweetie,” Harry returned teasingly, after the usual glance around to make sure no one was too close, “Once a pirate, always a pirate.” 

He winked at Ben, and downed another rum ball. Ben took one himself, enjoying the hint of heat tickling his throat on the way down. One of the newer royal guards came up and snagged two cookies from the table near where Ben and Harry stood, and they both impatiently waited for her to move away. 

“You should wear green more often. It brings out your lovely eyes.”

Ben tried to hide the delight this compliment caused, but the corners of his lips quirked in spite of his best control. He knew Harry wouldn’t miss it. 

“Noted,” he was able to reply evenly, as if Harry had made a remark about the weather. 

“It is a shame about those pants, though,” Harry continued smoothly, nibbling on another rum ball. Ben immediately looked down, paranoid. Had he spilled something on the new pair of khakis? 

“Why? What’s wrong with them?” He didn’t see anything amiss. Harry huffed a singular note of amusement at him and quickly turned his expression serious.

“The fact that they’re on,” Harry’s tone was straight forward, almost bored. Ben fought the urge to grab Harry and kiss him, wind his fingers into the dark hair, lick the taste of chocolate and rum from his tongue…

“Hey Harry,” Mal said as she and Jay joined them. “You two better not be talking work, it’s Christmas time, none of that allowed.” Ben and Harry both chuckled. 

“I promise we are not,” Harry replied, suave as ever. “Just admiring the desserts.” 

“Yeah, I swear I’m still not used to all this chocolate,” Jay said, reaching between Ben and Harry in order to pluck a truffle ribboned with white chocolate off of a platter. 

“We’re going to have to do some extra hours in the gym once all this is over,” the commanding officer told Harry as he playfully patted the captain on the belly and downed the truffle. 

“Speak for yourself,” Harry shot, poking Jay in the side, “I mean, that might be a whole extra half pound right there,” he joked and winked, making all four of them laugh. 

Ben noticed how the wink, while done facing Jay, went over the officer’s head and on to himself. There was a distinct lack of the jealousy bubbling through him that used to whenever Harry would tease and flirt with Jay. 

Ben did not get the impression that anyone was really much of a threat to him anymore when it came to Harry’s eyes and hands wandering anywhere but over him. The king guiltily put a light palm on his fiance’s waist and led her down the table to her favorite, chocolate covered strawberries. 

It was three days into the new year, and the holiday feeling hadn’t quite dissipated but the fresh semester at Auradon University was starting regardless. Ben and Mal held hands in the limo that was about to take her and Lonnie back, saying goodbye for the week. 

“Just think,” she was saying as Ben held her hand and rubbed his thumb over the back of it. 

“Next Christmas we don’t have to do this. You can be at Uni with me and we can get an apartment nearby. We’ll be able to be together all the time.” They’d talked about it - Ben could rule as efficiently from a few hours away as he did from Auradon Center, and his council and guards could certainly be counted on in his absence. 

“No more missing each other,” Ben said warmly as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear, and meant it. He did miss her when she was away, her bright smile and her sharp mind, but something unclenched in his spine all the same after he’d given her a lingering kiss and gotten out of the limo. 

As soon as the car had pulled out of sight, Ben looked at his phone to check his schedule for the next day. Good, nothing early had been dropped in, and he proceeded to block off until noon. He’d been waiting and planning too long for tonight not to be able to fully enjoy it. 

Half past midnight, and the castle was asleep, save for two young men, one sandy haired, one dark haired, hands wound together as they snuck into the kitchen and used their phones to cast at least some light. Ben moved as quietly as he could to pour milk into a small pot and put it on a stove burner. 

“You ever have hot chocolate made with milk? It’s so rich and good,” he whispered to Harry, who was leaning against a counter, looking like he was impatiently waiting until he could touch Ben again. There would be plenty of that in a bit, but Ben wanted to treat him to something else first. 

“I’ve never had hot chocolate at all, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy it either way.” 

“Tell me when it’s too much,” Ben said as he added powdered cocoa mix to the oversized mugs of now steaming milk. 

“No such thing as too much,” Harry’s voice was low and suggestive of things other than cocoa as he came up close behind Ben. The king tried not to squirm; late as it was, they were in a common area and someone could come down. He trusted Harry’s ears and attentiveness, though, and continued stirring. 

“Ow!” In the dimness, he’d misjudged where the too-short spoon met the hot milk. His hand was in Harry’s and the captain was drawing his fingers into the cavern of his mouth before Ben could draw another breath. Apparently he could not bring Harry to the kitchen without him sucking food off of fingers. 

“Mmh, you can’t do that,” he said on a soft groan. Harry eased the two digits out of his mouth after obscenely fellating them to the knuckle when Ben had only gotten hot chocolate on the tips. 

“I believe I just did, my king,” Harry purred, his lips distractingly soft and wet. Ben allowed himself one quick press to them with his own before he pulled back and picked up the mugs. 

“C’mon, let’s get up to my room,” he whispered. 

“No complaints from me on that,” Harry said as he followed. 

It was second nature for Ben to lock the door behind them as they gained his room. Something further loosened in his spine now that they were alone in private again, finally. 

“So how is it?” he asked Harry, taking another sip of his own hot chocolate. 

“Tastes almost as good as you,” Harry said, straightforward and with a beatific glaze in his eyes. Ben loved when he could manage to be dirty and sweet at the same time. Oh how he’d missed him!

“I’m so sorry we haven’t been able to get together for the last couple of weeks,” he started. “I didn’t want to not, but it was safer and there was so much -” 

“Baby, it’s fine,” Harry interrupted. He stepped close and caressed the back of his finger down Ben’s cheek, a gesture that almost made Ben’s heart stop. It was only due to the mugs of hot chocolate they were both enjoying that they weren’t all over each other yet. 

“It sucked of course,” Harry told Ben, “But I understand. I dealt with it.” There was a rare melancholy in his voice, and part of Ben wished Harry didn’t have to deal with it, that they could see each other whenever they wished. But that was impossible.

“Hey, you want to see something amazing?” Ben asked, to get both of their minds away from the subject. 

“I’m already looking at it,” Harry said, staring at him. 

Ben smiled bashfully - this newer, adoring, enchanting side of Harry never failed to make him feel like the center of the world. He didn’t deserve it. Harry began moving in for a kiss but Ben leaned away. He took his man’s hand again and led him to the French doors that opened onto a small balcony. 

“What are you doing, Benji? It’s winter.” 

“I want you to kiss me under the stars,” Ben requested, and opening one of the doors, tugged on Harry’s hand. 

He led him out into the crisp January night air, the freshly fallen snow reflecting a full moon’s light so brilliantly it was almost as bright as day out there once the eyes adjusted. The blanket of white transformed the west lawn, dotted here and there with its copses of pine trees and beyond them the glowing lights of the town, though not many of them at this hour. 

Ben would never be able to bring Harry onto the balcony and do this during the day; it was relatively private but there were always groundskeepers about and the town was only a couple of stone throws away so if someone had sharp eyesight…

But right now, it was silent, and serene, a hundred thousand stars shining down on the two of them, their own world, their own terms, just for one night. Ben felt Harry’s arms snake around him from the back, looping around his middle and drawing him close. His heart ached with the sense of security this brought, the walls he could allow to crash down. With Harry he could simply be. 

Ben wanted to stand here under the silver moon and listen to his beloved’s slow steady breath right by his ear for…forever. He leaned his head back into Harry’s chest and released a measured sigh, not wanting to disturb the silence with even that much sound. The reassuring hold around him tightened, and Ben brought his hands up to hang them on Harry’s thick forearms through his sweater. It was chilly, yes, but Harry would keep him warm. 

They stood that way for they didn’t know how long, eyes on the moon and stars and snow, and minds on each other. Eventually Harry turned Ben around in his arms, never letting go, and tipped his chin up with a finger. The kiss was slow, purposeful, reverent. Ben was definitely not feeling the cold anymore, or the stone underneath his feet for that matter.

“Is that what you were going for?” Harry breathed into his temple. Heart squeezing too hard to speak, Ben just nodded. 

They went back inside, to the remains of their now cool hot chocolate, which they finished anyway. Ben could feel Harry watching him as he drew the long curtains on the French doors, and ensured the rest of the windows were fully covered, taking no chances. He could tell Harry wanted to ravish him, but was being patient, following Ben’s lead, like he always did. 

For as domineering and almost overbearing of a temperament that Harry projected, Ben felt privileged to be the only one who got to see underneath that rough veneer. To experience Harry Hook like he was right now, no heavy black eyeliner on, late at night, gaze following Ben’s every move like a puppy dog. 

Ben continued to be surprised by the former pirate’s tender whispers against his skin in the dark, the sweet nothings, or rather, sweet everythings, that Harry wrote in his journal about him…him, a guy who was, sure, a king, but that was just by chance of birth - there was nothing special about him. But Harry was somehow enamored. 

Ben took the gift of Harry’s love, and his secret, intimate, passionately romantic side, these intangible offerings, and held them tight. Not too tightly, because he sensed they could squeeze through his clenched fingers and slip away. But rather like an injured bird cradled to his chest, that knows it needs help but would flutter and scream if it felt confined. 

Ben retrieved a small package wrapped in Christmas paper from his dresser and coyly handed it to Harry. Before the captain could start protesting, Ben spoke quickly.

“Here. Open this and put them on, and then meet me in there.” He jerked his head in the direction indicated. As the words went on, they faded into a whisper; Ben dearly hoped Harry wouldn’t think him too silly. He almost ran away into his bathroom and the small room off of it. 

In his bustle of readying the last minute things as quickly and safely as possible, he heard the explosion of precious, raucous laughter from his bedroom. He wished he could see Harry’s face as he opened his gift but he also wanted to see his face when he walked in. Ben stripped quickly, thinking of Harry doing the same. 

Then Harry padded barefoot into the room, looking exactly as Ben had imagined. For once his broad chest, thick arms, and well developed abs weren’t the most noticeable thing. 

“You. Are. Ridiculous,” Harry told him but the fondness in his gaze and tone made it clear he was fine with not only wearing the swim trunks Ben had given him but also seeing Ben in his own. Or maybe it was due to the candles lit around the perimeter of the bubbling hot tub. 

The king was proud of his gift to his lover: the trunks were black with a pattern of little silver hooks all over them, styled like Harry’s, with the domed base that indicated the handheld nature of it. They looked good on him - of course anything did. Ben tried not to feel foolish as he stood there in his blue shorts with the gold crowns on them, and wondered if he shouldn’t have jumped in the hot tub before Harry could come in. 

“You like them?” he asked shyly, rubbing at the back of his neck for something to do with his hands. In the next moment, he was in Harry’s arms again and their skin was so warm where it pressed together that it sent a thrill through Ben. 

“I love them, and I love you. And…fuck.” Okay, yeah, that was fair, because that’s about what was also going through Ben’s brain. 

“Want to get in?” the king asked, fingers toying with the little hairs at the nape of Harry’s neck. 

“ Yes, ” and Harry’s voice was black velvet wrapped in barbed wire, practically setting fire to Ben’s ear. 

“Oh,” he went on, turning playful with dizzying ease, but voice still smoky, “You mean the hot tub.”

Ben tugged at Harry’s hips, urging him closer to the bubbling water. They sank into it with appreciative sighs after the cold of the balcony and the recent seemingly endless days without each other. Now that they could touch each other, Ben didn’t want to waste another minute, since  Harry’s skin was a paradise he couldn’t get enough of. 

They started out sitting cross legged in front of each other in the water, toes wiggling together and fingers tracing along wet skin but that didn’t last long. Harry looked good enough to lick. So Ben did. 

He lunged towards him, grabbing ahold of the captain’s arm to steady himself, and eagerly ran his tongue up the entire side of Harry’s exposed throat, from the dip just above his collarbone, in a diagonal line up to just behind his ear. 

Harry’s head fell back as soon as the tip of Ben’s tongue started traveling upwards, granting him access wherever he wanted to go. This, along with the sweet tang on his tongue that was distinctly Harry, Ben started positively salivating. 

“Ohhh,” a husky moan escaped Harry, and just like that, Ben’s body was yearning. It was amazing, and ridiculous, what this boy, this man , could make him feel. He would have thought he’d be at least somewhat used to this by now, that he maybe would have gotten the thrill out of his system. But it wasn’t fading. 

He clutched at Harry, climbing into his lap, being careful not to slip and fall on anything vital, pulling him into him, burying his face into his lover’s neck. Sometimes he simply had to draw him as close as humanly possible, and then closer still. 

Hiding? Yeah, maybe he was. From the shame and the knowledge that what he was doing was the most sinful thing he could ever conceive of. But it was that same knowledge, that same sin, that drew him to press his chest into Harry’s, to feel the muscles under his own, to let himself go, utterly and completely. 

“Oh, baby,” were the only words that Harry seemed to be able to form at the moment, surrendering to Ben’s touches and kisses and weight. Their bodies as well as their souls slowly wrapped around the other, having moved well beyond teasing and lust in the last months. That didn’t mean those things weren’t still a part of what they were though. 

“So tell me,” Harry eventually got his speech back even as their cocks were thickening, “How many times can I make my king come tonight?” 

Ben also really would have thought he would be used to that irresistible rolling lilt by now, but if anything it was even more able to send a shiver down his back every time he heard it. Especially when it was accompanied by Harry’s hand slipping into Ben’s swim trunks, reaching for his erection.  

By the end of the night, the answer to Harry's question was three times. Ben’s favorite bit was losing his sanity in Harry’s fathomless eyes as he gripped his lover’s shoulders tight and lowered his body onto and around Harry’s cock, taking and giving in equal measure, until they couldn’t tell where one ended and the other began. 

And so the winter wore on and blossomed into early spring in Auradon, with its king and captain of the royal guard giving and taking of each other, over and over again…playing a dangerous game that could no longer slightly be considered a game.

Chapter Text

Harry - You are so hot when you take charge of the council meeting like that 

Ben - 🙄 but thank you 😊 I’m just doing my job

Harry - And you’re spectacular at it

Ben - Wish my dad thought so…

Harry - He’s coming around, isn’t he? 

Ben - Sort of. Slowly

Harry - He’d be a fool not to. You’re doing more for this place, and the Isle, than anyone ever dreamed of 

Ben - Just wish I could do more

Harry - You’re too hard on yourself, baby…we’re working on it, we’ll get there, remember? 

Ben - I know. Thank you

Harry - For?

Ben - Being so damn supportive

Ben - Are you okay? You seemed kinda out of it this morning

Harry - I didn’t sleep a lot. Which is your fault, you know

Ben - Hey I didn’t start it last night! And we were done by midnight, I think…you should have been able to get decent sleep

Harry - I can’t help it if you glow with the beauty of a thousand stars when you sleep, like an angel come to earth for a night. I kinda couldn’t stop staring

Ben - Oh…baby you really are too sweet sometimes

Harry - Don’t you dare tell anybody

Ben - Wouldn’t dream of it lol. But seriously be careful out there today if you’re tired. I can’t afford to have anything happen to you

Harry - Are you saying that as my boss or my boyfriend? 

Ben - Both 🙂

Ben - Wait…boyfriend…?

Harry - …maybe…? 

Ben - Yes ❤️ 🥰 😘

Ben - Where are you patrolling today? Jay’s with you, right?

Harry - Yes, Jay is with me, babe, and five other good guards, I’ll be safe, I promise. We’re on the edge of Camelot

Ben - That’s so far 😕 that’s almost a whole day away

Harry - Yeah, we’re doing an overnight. Sorry I didn’t tell you

Ben - It’s okay. Can’t see each other every day I guess. Miss you though, especially knowing you’re that far 

Harry - I miss you too Benji. Every minute that my skin isn’t against yours I miss you

Ben - Ugh, same. Gotta go though. Be careful. Love you

Harry - I will be. Love you too. Boyfriend 🥰

Harry - Do you want to know what I think about when I masturbate? 

Ben - Yes. But maybe not right now…I’m at a ribbon cutting ceremony

Harry - 😏 ooh that could be all the more fun to torture you

Ben - Please don’t 😳

Harry - Ugh. Fine. Only cause you’re cute. Text me when you’re done

• Two hours later - 

Ben - Okay, I’m done and home. Tell me? 

Harry - Finally…your hard, thick dick of course…rubbing all over my body

Ben - Really? 

Harry - Yes. But especially my face. And you begging me to suck on it

Ben - And do you? 

Harry - Oh, gladly my king. You taste so good

Ben - You make it feel so good

Harry - Why thank you. I love the way it fills up my mouth

Ben - Man, you’re so naughty

Harry - Oh and like you’re not…just wait…I love sucking you right down as deep as I can get it

Ben - Fuck

Harry - Something like that. You know what? 

Ben - What? 

Harry - Sometimes I think about you holding my head in place and just fucking my mouth while I drool on your balls 

Ben - Harry…

Harry - Yes, my king? 

Ben - You’re making me hard.

Harry - Good. I’ve been hard. 

Ben - Are you really touching yourself? 

Harry - *pic sent

Ben - God that’s hot. 

Harry - I’m glad you think so 

Ben - Wish you were here

Harry - Me too. But this is fun

Ben - Yeah it is

Harry - Where would you want my tongue if you could have it wherever you wanted right now? 

Ben - On my nipples…

Harry - I do love how that turns you into my little slut. What if I nibbled on them a little bit?

Ben - I’d probably come just from that lol

Harry - That would be okay. We should try that sometime, aye? 

Ben - That’d be so hot

Harry - Are you touching yourself yet, Benji? 

Ben - Yes

Harry - Can I see? 

Ben - *pic sent

Harry - Oh that’s such a beautiful dick. Still wish it was being shoved down my throat right now 

Ben - It’d make your eyes water

Harry - That’s fine. I can take it, you know that

Ben - You suck me so good

Harry - Anything for my king 

Ben - Now who’s the slut? 😉

Harry - For you…yes…choke me with your cock

Ben - Harry, I’m gonna come soon…

Harry - The thought of you coming is gonna make me come…too bad your load isn’t going down my throat

Ben - Maybe the next one can.

Harry - Yes, please. 

• a long pause   -

Harry - Benji? 

Ben - Yeah? 

Harry - Have you cleaned up yet? 

Ben - Haha no

Harry - Send me a pic? 

Ben - *pic sent

Harry - Dammit that’s hot. Wish I could lick you clean 

Harry - My favorite part of spring is you, just so you know

Ben - ?

Harry - I watch the sun come up, and the way it shines on the water, and I have to laugh. It thinks it can be as lovely and warm as you but it’s so wrong 

Ben - Where did this side of you come from? Like for real

Harry - From you. I don’t think I’ve told you enough that you are the most exquisitely beautiful thing that I’ve ever seen. My heart sings every time I see you, a song I’m still learning but one that calls me to the edge of sanity and then brings me back. Like the tide. You are my sea, Benji, and I love you. I love you so much it scares me. 

Ben - Are you drunk? Lol 

Harry - Just on you

Ben - I love you so much too…I hope you know that. This is probably wrong to say, but I’ve never felt this way about somebody. You make me feel things I didn’t know were possible. 

Ben - Wow. I didn’t know you’d been working on helping the vizier with Agrabah’s border security

Harry - Is that bad? He asked me to, and I saw where they had some weaker spots…

Ben - No! You’re fine. You just helped make Auradon and Agrabah even stronger allies. The vizier sent me a letter of appreciation for your services 

Harry - Oh. Yeah, it was something I took a look at for him in some spare time, that was all

Ben - You deserve one hell of a raise, Captain lol 

Harry - Can I get that in orgasms? 😉

Ben - Maybe 😏 lol 

Harry - I wish I could kiss you every day. Every time I see you

Ben - Me too

Harry - You drove me to distraction today, you know

Ben - At the Easter egg hunt? How? 

Harry - The way you kept licking your lips…

Ben - They’re chapped! That’s probably partly your fault lol 

Harry - Hmm, maybe…but I can also help with that. I have something to moisturize them with… 

Ben - OMG I’m at dinner with my parents. You’re a brat 

Harry - Yeah. You knew this already. And you like it

Ben - Yeah you’re not wrong 

Harry - 😁

Harry - Please tell me you can get away tonight, I really really really miss you

Ben - I shouldn’t, but I miss you too, baby. I’ll see what I can do

Harry - Please 🥺

Ben - I do love it when you beg…

Harry - You come see me tonight and I’ll make sure to get on my knees for you, my king

Ben - Oh now that’s a temptation I can’t resist. Although I’m sure you’ll figure out how to get me begging too

Harry - You bet your sweet ass I will. Which, btw, should already be in my bed with at least one finger in it

Ben - Goddamn you, Harry…I’ll be there in a few minutes but I can’t stay all night

Harry - I’m opening the lube now…

Harry - Psst

Ben - What? 

Harry - Nothing. Just love you

Ben - 😊 Love you too 

Chapter Text

Mal, Evie, and Jane all had Ben trapped in his study, looking over color schemes. Wait, trapped was unfair. He wanted to be here, deciding on the colors of his upcoming wedding. 

“Purple and green of course,” he said generously, looking at Mal. 

“It’s your wedding too,” Evie said, her tone almost reprimanding. “We need to at least incorporate blue into that somehow.” 

“The right shades of blue and purple could definitely work well together,” Jane said, tapping a few keys on her laptop they were gathered around and bringing up some appealing combinations.

“Oooh, I like that,” Mal gushed. 

“Let’s do it,” Ben said warmly. A smile was etched on his face, his eyes purposefully bright and interested, and his stomach was hollow.

This wedding that had been an abstract idea was suddenly only a couple months, a mere eight weeks, away. He would be eighteen in one month, and Mal the month after that. That’s when they had planned on getting married, back when they’d gotten engaged about eighteen months ago. Where had that time gone? 

A good portion of it had dripped away, moment by moment, between dark looks full of longing, stolen kisses and forbidden caresses behind locked doors, aching lust and orgasm after orgasm that added up to a wholly hidden life, and finally a deep, passionate love that Ben didn’t know how he’d ever lived without. 

And now it was time to marry the person that none of those things had happened with. 

“Are you excited?” Mal asked after they’d finally decided on what style and flavor for their wedding cake and were relaxing in the castle sitting room. Seven weeks now. 

“Yeah, of course,” Ben replied, pretty sure it sounded convincing. 

“Are you…thinking about after…? The…honeymoon?” And she blushed such a pretty shade of rose red, along with a subtle smirk. 

“Oh. I mean, well, yeah,” Ben hitched out. She had never brought this up in conversation before. He didn’t want her to think he was too eager, or not eager enough, since, well, he was now far from a virgin himself. Mal bit her bottom lip and looked at him shyly. It was cute. 

Ben was dimly aware that ‘cute’ was not the term he would generally use for the person that usually bit his lip at him. Irresistible. Insatiable. So sexy it made his bones sweat. Slightly different. But he put that out of his mind as best he could. 

“Are you nervous?” he asked his fiance, putting his arm around her on the sofa. 

“Maybe a little,” she admitted. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll do my best to take care of you.” He just had to mimic what Harry had done and did for him, and then he wondered if it would be obvious that he had more experience than he should. His mind lingering further, he also wondered a bit how it would feel to be the giver as it were, instead of the receiver. Different enough, he hoped, that it would actually seem like his first time too. 

He didn’t have to think about that for a while yet, though. One day at a time. But those days were passing too swiftly. 

Evie was positively ecstatic to be designing her best friend’s wedding dress, Belle was starting to tear up with a smile every time she saw her son, Carlos was promising one hell of a bachelor party, Jay was proudly getting outfitted for his best man tuxedo. The upcoming royal wedding was all the people were talking about, on both the mainland and the Isle.

Everyone was just so, so happy…well, mostly everyone.

“Harry should be your best man,” he was told by a few people, including Mal. It made sense, from the outside; it was clear they’d grown into good, trusted friends, but Ben said Jay and he had been friends longer and anyway, Harry would need to concentrate on overseeing security for the wedding. The captain and the commanding officer could not both be spared for the day. 

In reality, of course, Ben was pretty sure his boyfriend would not be excited about watching him get married from that close of range. He wasn’t sure he was excited about Harry having to watch it from any range. 

The king’s eighteenth birthday celebration was a party to end all parties, only anticipated to be topped by the soon-to-be queen’s, and then of course the kingdom-wide wedding reception. Ben was tired of these parties, these status showcases, the fancy dress, the spreads of food, the people, people, people everywhere. He respected the work that went into them, and knew he had to appear to have a good time, but at just eighteen, he was rather burnt out on parties. 

Ben spent most of the night watching Harry as discreetly as he could and fantasizing about finding a closet and stealing some kisses - they’d never actually done that, but it was getting more and more tempting. When the party finally wound down, and Ben was allowed to go to bed, he dragged himself to the opposite wing and Harry’s bed instead, falling into his captain’s somewhat surprised but definitely welcoming arms for a few hours. 

Harry squeezed his boyfriend closer to him in his not-quite-awake-yet state, sighing with the cozy warmth of their skin pressing together, Ben’s smooth back to Harry’s chest and stomach. He fit so wonderfully in Harry’s arms, and the captain stalled on opening his eyes before Ben’s phone alarm went off and even once it did. As much as he hated to feel the lithe body slip out of his grasp enough to reach for the device on the stand that had long ago been placed on Ben’s side of the bed, he knew he would hit snooze and slide back towards him. 

Harry gathered up the adorable little sleepy groan that Ben gave as the blond spun over on his back, the kiss he planted on Harry’s pec since that was the first part of Harry his lips happened to be near, the groggy look he blinked at Harry as he opened his eyes, even the waft of morning breath when he spoke, into a private treasure chest he kept in his heart, little sparkling pieces of a beautiful soul that he would hold onto forever. 

“Morning, baby,” Ben murmured, and grinned lazily up at Harry, who tucked that away too, even if there was a sadness to Ben’s smile lately, a slightly haunted look to his eyes that Harry had a feeling only he got to see.

Harry knew why of course. 

“Ugh, I’ve got to help order flowers today. There’s too many moving parts to a wedding,” Ben grumbled with a sigh. Yeah. That. 

“I’m sure there is,” Harry returned, almost absently, while he tried to dam the flood that was rising inside of him. Ben’s alarm screamed again, and this time it was dull in Harry’s ears. Ben turned it off but came back to Harry’s warmth. 

“Sometimes I wish I didn’t have to deal with any of it,” Ben confessed quietly, as if it was sacrilege to say; in a way, it was. Harry paused for a long moment, turning what he was about to say over in his mind. Just out with it; he was usually not one to be at a loss for words.

“What if you didn’t? What if…you maybe didn’t get married?” Harry suggested, his tone hushed and his fingers tracing circles on Ben’s inner arm. He couldn’t look at his lover’s face; he knew what he’d find but he had to ask. A long silence stretched between them, and Harry could almost hear Ben’s heart thunking against his ribs. He still refused to look up, staring instead at the king’s belly button. 

“You know I can’t do that,” came the expected reply, awash in melancholy. Harry’s fingers stopped their affectionate motion, his own heart ripping. 

The thing was, Ben could make the choice. Harry was sure it wouldn’t be easy, of course, he would never suggest that. But if Ben loved him as much as he said he did, was Harry really not worth more than continuously being kept in the shadows? He moved away from Ben, not sure what he was doing but needing to do something. 

“Hey,” Ben said immediately, like Harry mattered so much to him. Harry steeled himself to say the next words.

“Maybe you should go. For good.” He finally looked at the king’s face, and it had gone pale, his pretty eyes wide. Harry looked away again. 

“You’re serious?!” Ben’s voice hovered on the edge of shock turning into annoyance. Instead of answering, Harry got out of bed and reached for his shirt draped over his desk chair to pull it back on. Ben openly blinked at him, clearly processing. 

“I see,” he got out. 

It felt like the rubber band that seemed to exist between them, which normally stretched just enough to allow them to move through the rest of their lives but always drew them together whenever they got the chance, was now stretching and stretching impossibly thinner. When it fully snapped, Harry knew he was in for one hell of a screamingly painful bite but, he reminded himself, there’d always been only one way this could end. They should have come to it sooner, well before this, before it would have hurt quite this much. 

Ben was on his feet now, sliding back into his own tee shirt. 

“It’s been fun, yeah?” Harry tried for nonchalance, leaning against the spool table that Ben had tried to move once upon a time. His voice threatened to crack. 

“Are you really doing this?” Ben asked, and Harry could tell he was also trying to sound indifferent. He grit his teeth, wishing in some ways that the king would just get it and go and not prolong this. 

“What did you think was going to happen? Seriously Ben-” he had to stop himself from saying the beloved nickname even though it made his tongue suddenly heavy in his mouth. 

“You’re getting bloody married!” he rushed on, to cover his abrupt halt. “Did you think we could just keep going like this forever?” That forever word, like the nickname, settled into his chest as if they were anvils. Especially with Ben staring at him like that. 

“I guess not,” he admitted quietly. “But I - I don’t want to have to give us up,” he said desperately. Harry’s temper flared in a way that it never had at Ben, not in too long to remember anyway. 

“Then don’t,” he said firmly. “Call off the wedding.” Choose me, he silently screamed. A thick, painful silence filling the room was the loudest, clearest answer he could have received. 

“I’m sorry…” Ben’s voice was distant, an echo in the cracks of the chasm that was opening in Harry’s heart. 

“Don’t be. Just go.” 

And Ben did, closing the door quietly behind him. 

No one saw Harry for three days. He shut off his phone, and nearly threw it into the ocean. He did let fly his key to Ben’s room, watching as the rolling whitecaps swallowed it up. 

He’d known. He’d known. He’d known. 

It pulsed through his brain like a mantra. He had known it was only temporary. Right? He hadn't let himself be foolish enough to actually hope that he and Ben could be…

It was Uma all over again, except far worse. Harry had let his heart get fully entangled this time, and for fuck’s sake, Ben obviously felt the same, or had. 

He had also walked away, out of that door. Harry spent long hours sitting in the sand, not seeing the water, replaying that scene over and over in his memory. He had to have known Ben was never going to leave her for him. He’d truly never expected it. So this was just the way things had to be.

Harry didn’t do pain, he didn’t do heartache, he didn’t do moping. Except, now, he did. Logic and what had to be suddenly didn’t matter. There was simply a passionate young man with a bleeding heart left adrift, desperately wishing to be able to go numb. 

He wanted to burn his journals. He wanted to burn the pillow that insisted on smelling like cookies and sunshine. He wanted to burn the whole bed, and the hammock to boot. Everything here in Auradon for him was connected to Ben, he’d allowed his life to weave entirely too thoroughly with the king’s.

He could walk away. Abandon his position - there was nothing saying he had to remain honorable, really. He thought of going back to the Isle, but he didn’t like the idea of going backwards, and with all the developments that he’d helped Ben put in place, it wasn’t the same dark Isle that was easy to hide in anymore. He’d made good connections with most of the neighboring kingdoms; perhaps he could emigrate and offer his services somewhere else. 

It was Jay that dragged him back to at least a semblance of sanity and stability. Knocking on his door and stubbornly refusing to leave until Harry put clean clothes on and joined him on a patrol and the quarterly assessment of the level one guards. These were things Jay could have taken care of on his own, and it would make him look good if he wanted to advance his position. 

But even through the gray fog that Harry now lived in he saw Jay’s furrowed brow and the way he watched Harry closely when he did get him out past the castle walls. As they walked the perimeter of the main city, throwing an obligatory wave up at the citizens they passed, Jay cleared his throat. 

“Look man,” he started, “I’ve known you since we were kids. That doesn’t mean I liked you then, but…I actually do now. You’re alright.” Great, he was getting mushy. 

“And this -” he gestured to Harry’s general demeanor, “Is not like you. I don’t know what’s going on, but…if you need to talk, I’m here, ‘kay?” Harry gave Jay a long appraising look, then just nodded. 

“Thanks, Jay,” he said. He had no plans on opening up about any of this to anybody - how could he without potentially collapsing a monarchy anyway - but he truly did appreciate the offer, as well as the deeper meaning it pointed to.  

It was a loud and needed reminder that Harry’s life here wasn’t just Ben and what they couldn’t have anymore; it had grown exponentially larger than that. He had friends, and a job he did care about, and…an actual home. He didn’t want to give that up, he wasn’t going to. He would deal with this like he dealt with everything life had thrown at him - by simply putting his head down and his hook up and pushing through. 

The same could not quite be said for the fortitude of the king. When Harry entered a room, Ben left it, no matter what was going on, who else was around. Even in the throes of his grief, Harry knew that didn’t look good, was not in keeping with the appearances that were so bloody important. That was all Ben, though - Harry was merely doing his job, delivering his reports, requesting his orders for the day, and so on. 

What the king did, how he chose to conduct himself, was no longer any of Harry’s concern. 

Chapter Text

Another event. More people. Ben had almost forgotten he, his council, and his closest advisors had planned this intentional get together, inviting all the kids of the Isle, and their parents, to Auradon Prep, for a tour that ended in the gymnasium for refreshments and questions. The goal was to encourage as many new applications as possible for the next school year, and thereby continue to help shape the upcoming generations and guide them towards peaceful unity. 

It had only been two weeks since Ben’s birthday party and having to be super social. Two interminably long weeks and that horrible day after. Lilies and forget-me-nots - that was what Ben was pretty sure he and Mal had decided on for flowers for the wedding but really he had no idea. He’d been a zombie that day and he still was. But he dug down and worked to put on that act of the welcoming king and alumni of the school.

Ben hadn’t been sure Harry would show, though the captain had not shirked any of his other duties thus far, and this one was important. Given the history of some of the invited guests, the plan was for Harry to essentially be Ben’s shadow. They had mostly been able to avoid being around each other in the last two weeks, or rather Ben had successfully mostly avoided Harry. 

The captain did show, almost acting as if nothing had changed, other than he barely spoke to Ben. Since the king was busy greeting families, this did not draw as much attention as it otherwise might have. Harry dutifully did his part as bodyguard and also emissary for some of the Isle inhabitants that felt more comfortable chatting with him, helping make the event a success. 

Only because Ben knew him as well as he did could he see the slight gray tint to his face, the fakeness of his smile, the distance from everyone behind the wall he was building back up. Ben was reminded of how talented Harry was at deceit, in a way that Ben himself never would be.

Mal could tell something was up, and asked her fiance twice if he was feeling alright. Ben tried to lie, acutely conscious of Harry close enough to hear whatever he said, but he was so tired of lies and hiding. So the second time she asked, he told her he actually didn’t necessarily feel all that well. That was, after all, the truth. 

“You should go, then,” she decreed, her brow furrowed in concern. “Jay and I can finish up here. Have Harry take you home. Get some rest.” Ben’s stomach dropped at her choice of words and he hoped his face didn’t show anything; if only that could truly happen! 

“Thank you,” he told her sincerely and gave her a small hug that he didn’t feel at all. He turned and went to sneak out of a side door of the gymnasium, knowing it was a coward’s exit, but unable to any longer give any more of what he didn’t have to a crowd. Also he was hoping maybe Harry wouldn’t follow him, would have been looking away at the moment he ran for it. 

But of course he wasn’t, he was right there on Ben’s heels, as the door closed and the low roar of a big room of voices was hushed. Ben walked down the school hallway, stoutly not looking up. 

“What are you doing?” he asked unnecessarily. 

“My job. Protecting the king.” Stiff. Professional. His accent even seemed wilted. 

How Ben missed the other word that usually went with that one! The ‘my king’. He knew he was doing the right thing, the thing that must be done, but he wasn’t sure he was going to survive it. The silence was a living presence between them as they walked. Ben had to say something, he had to. 

“Harry. I - I mi-”

“Don’t.” 

Harsh, fierce. It was a punch to the throat and as if it had been a physical punch, Ben’s airway was suddenly cut off, his chest constricted painfully, and he couldn’t help the stagger as his whole body nearly deflated. It was all he could do to stay on his feet. 

Harry was finally looking at him, and the awareness of that brought tears to Ben’s eyes, as much as he tried not to let them. He stopped walking, stumbling, and worked to draw in a breath. He had to fold his arms, involuntarily hunching his shoulders together, in an attempt to keep himself in one piece. 

Harry wasn’t saying anything, but he was still there. Ben wasn’t sure if he wanted him there any longer, or if he just wanted him to leave him alone so he didn’t have to see this, so Ben could be alone with his pain. It was far from the first time he’d cried over him, but he’d been able to keep it in private, assembling a mask that was at least neutral before he let the rest of the world see him, a skill he had tried to learn from Harry. 

Ben stared at the floor through his tears, his face currently scrunched up, a mask being a hopeless attainability in that moment. And Harry was watching this, as he always watched him. Except this time Ben knew it wouldn’t be with his old softness and care. Responding to some instinct of self preservation that told him it would do him good to confront the necessary lack of warmth in Harry’s countenance, Ben forced himself to glance at the captain. 

Harry’s expression, as expected, was careful, controlled, impassive. Just a royal guard doing his job. 

But. His eyes - oh those bottomless, ocean blue eyes! - held a spark of concern and indecision, a yearning and hunger that hadn’t managed to die, that Ben could detect even with cloudy, watery vision. 

“Harry,” he expelled more than said, and not able to think straight, shuffled forward, closer to the captain, arms still folded, blindly hoping Harry would catch him as he had so many times before. He at least didn’t move away. 

“Ben, you can’t do this here,” Harry’s voice was a low warning, and it gave the illusion of some warmth. 

“I know,” Ben returned shakily, and was able to straighten up a bit and swipe at his eyes with a hand to try to clear them. This only served to bring Harry’s now slightly furrowed brow into better view. He couldn’t fully pretend this wasn’t killing him too. Ben locked gazes with him and couldn’t move. 

“Harry. Please.” 

Every ounce of agony he’d experienced since they’d last been them an uncountable number of days ago filled the two little words to bursting. It had been twelve days, to be exact, but Ben’s life had become a fog with numbers and counting beyond him. 

“God fucking dammit, Ben.” Harry’s voice was strained, clearly fighting against the emotions. He lost. Those strong, wonderful arms were suddenly around Ben again, crushing the king to his chest, and Ben swore even through the leather doublet of the captain's dress duds that he could feel Harry’s heartbeat. 

Fresh tears sprang to Ben’s eyes at how good it felt to be held again, he’d missed this exponentially more than he’d even thought. He began working his arms open to be able to loop them around Harry in turn, terrified the man would vanish before he could. He did start pulling away and Ben may have whimpered. 

“C’mon,” Harry hissed, not unkindly, as he guided Ben down the corridor and opened the first door they came to, keeping an arm around Ben’s shoulders. The music room, in muted light with the shades drawn, the big bass drum and upright piano the only witnesses as Harry dragged Ben in and closed the door. 

And now he allowed Ben to fall apart the rest of the way, the king twisting in the sturdy grip to snake his arms around his - ex? that was too cruel of a term to ponder - pulling, yanking him closer, squeezing with all his might because he knew Harry could take it. And for right now, he was taking it, he was allowing Ben to need him, so Ben gave himself to the love that he wasn’t supposed to feel, no matter how it tore his heart to shreds. 

There were chairs arranged in a semicircle on the floor that was partially constructed of graduated steps, but the two young men found themselves simply lowering themselves onto one of those carpeted steps, not having gotten far from the door. Harry had made sure he was safe, and was taking care of him, like he always did, like Ben wanted him to always do. 

They sat there wrapped around each other, foreheads pressed together, tears unashamedly trickling down Ben’s face, and just listened to the other’s breathing for some time. One of Harry’s thumbs began soothing down the king’s temple, cheekbone, under his eye, the side of his mouth, his chin, making dry tracks through the tears. He traced Ben’s lips with the tenderest of touches, and this was the most real thing Ben had felt since the last time he’d touched him. 

Ben pressed a soft kiss to the pad of Harry’s thumb, and he heard the captain’s heartbreaking and beautiful sigh in return. Harry’s hand went to cup his jaw, making Ben’s heart thunder against his ribs, his soul so desperate for a real kiss he was dizzy with it. 

But Harry only lifted his own head and laid a warm kiss to the center of his forehead. Sweet, affectionate, nice, yes, but god Ben wanted more. Ben wanted all of what they’d been, and his heart sustained a new crack, when it had to be already shot through with them. He wasn’t sure how it was still working at all. 

“We can’t stay here,” Harry broke the mood as gently as he could in a whisper. Ben managed to draw a couple of deep breaths and slowly nod. Harry was right, as usual. With the way he’d left the mingle, people would surely be wanting to check on him shortly, with Mal at the top of the list. 

He looked into the beloved blue eyes again, and saw the welling moisture there, the unending pain reflected back. 

Maybe Ben didn’t care anymore if Mal didn’t find him safely in his room. Maybe he didn’t care what the wedding invitations looked like, or the wedding itself. Maybe there was a reason he hadn’t started writing or even seriously thinking about writing his vows, even though he needed them in less than two weeks’ time now. Maybe…

“I don’t know what to do,” Ben muttered, almost more to himself than to Harry. 

“You’re going to wipe off that -” Harry paused, obviously biting his tongue, but then consciously continued, “That pretty face of yours, and I’m going to walk you back to the castle. You’re going to settle in and relax for the night, and go on with your life tomorrow.” His voice was calm, if a bit rough, and Ben could tell the mask was sliding back into place. 

He lunged before he could let himself think about it. His lips crashed into Harry’s, and there was a horrible moment that the captain’s mouth was stiff, unyielding, the same as his hands on Ben’s shoulders. But only for a moment, and then in the next one it was almost like they had never stopped this, this melting, this union, this utter surrender. They knew each other’s mouths too intimately for this not to be a comfort, even if they kept it to merely lips with no tongue and teeth. 

But Harry broke the kiss too soon, his grip tightening on Ben’s arms and pushing him away, albeit politely. He leaned purposefully away, and then as the king watched in redawning suffering, Harry slowly stood up. He dug a royally issued handkerchief out of his pocket and pushed it into Ben’s hand. Ben got the hint and rose as well, beginning to scrub at his face. 

“Is there any way I can come see you, later, tomorrow, soon? Something?” Ben asked, unable to help it. He wanted to fix that hurt he saw in Harry’s lovely eyes, even if, especially since, he was the one who’d put it there. Harry took a deep breath while he studied him for a long moment, then straightened his spine. 

“Look, Ben. I don’t know what you don’t understand about this. I cannot do this. I cannot watch you marry her, at least not and not be the version of me you’ve seen over the last week. I can maybe deal with it happening, but I need to go to a different place mentally. And I got there, Ben! I was at least mostly there. But you can’t do this to me, you can’t fall apart every time we’re alone.” 

“I’m sorry,” Ben said miserably.  

“I know you are,” Harry said kindly. “But it doesn’t change anything. I can’t do this. Either you have to get it together or I’m going to have to leave.” 

At the last word, Ben felt a chill go through his body. Leave? Harry leave? Harry gone? 

“No…” It came out of him like a petulant, terrified whine, because it was. Ben was sure he would not survive never seeing Harry again. 

“This isn’t doing either of us any good,” Harry pointed out, and stepped towards the door. “C’mon, let’s get you home.” Ben followed Harry out of the room, his eyes downcast, and heart even heavier than it had been before. 

Blessedly, they did not pass anybody on the short walk from the school to the castle, and all Ben had to do was put one foot in front of the other and keep Harry’s feet in sight. He trusted him without end, so he felt secure enough to let his mind meander as he physically trudged. 

He was dimly aware of the guard at the castle door asking if he was alright, and Harry answering for him. Then they were in the entrance hall, in a lit room again. Ben wanted dark, and if he couldn’t have Harry, to be alone with the ramifications of all of his actions. 

“Walk me to my room?” he asked his captain in a whisper, eyes not quite meeting Harry’s face. 

“To the door,” Harry clarified. “Alright.” They continued on up the stairs together, Ben’s brain still a muddle but becoming clearer. They reached the door to his chambers too soon. No one was in the hallway, but Harry was back in professional mode and staying there. 

“Good evening, your majesty,” he said evenly, “I hope you will feel better tomorrow.” Just as he began to turn away, Ben grabbed his hand. A look of panic shot across Harry’s face; anyone, including Ben’s parents or Mal, could enter the hallway at any second. 

“Ben -” he hissed urgently. 

“Harry,” Ben started, his heart knocking in his throat, “I can’t do this. I won’t do this. I can’t - I can’t live without you,” and the words, the truth of them, soaked into his marrow as he spoke them. 

“I don’t know what that means right now, I don’t know what to do about it. But - maybe - give me a chance to figure it out? Please?” He implored Harry with his eyes and with his now two handed death grip on his hand. 

“Ben,” Harry repeated, layers of warning in his tone. “What are you saying? And you know this is too dangerous.” He tugged at his hand, but only half heartedly, and Ben wasn’t letting go anyway. 

“I know it is,” the king replied, his voice strengthening. “And maybe I don’t care anymore.” 

“Well, you should,” came Harry’s answer. 

“Maybe I can’t,” Ben said recklessly. “Maybe I’m making a choice.” He watched a hopeful light flicker in Harry’s baby blues, then melt away. 

“Don’t do anything rash after one little kiss. Like I said, if you can keep yourself together, I can deal with things.” Harry, Harry Hook, telling someone not to be rash?! Here was a switch Ben never thought he’d see! 

“Is that what you want? Just keeping ourselves together, dealing with things?” Ben asked him, gaze boring into Harry’s eyes so he wouldn’t miss any reactions there. He swore they darkened for a second. 

“Of course not,” Harry admitted. And he squeezed Ben’s hand back. 

“But I can’t handle empty hope. Don’t ask me to, Ben. Now, get in your room before someone sees us.” 

“Can I come see you soon?” Ben asked again, “I want to talk, and I miss you so much it hurts,” he confessed openly. Harry pulled on his hand more forcefully now, and Ben finally let it go. He wouldn’t try to hold Harry if he really didn’t want to be. 

“Tell you what,” Harry sounded like he was barely holding onto his patience, or maybe sanity. “Give it a few days. Give yourself some time, some rest. Do some real thinking. Then text me and we’ll see, okay?” 

It was more than they’d had, it was a door cracking open, and Ben knew he wasn’t going to feel any differently in a few days, but Harry wasn’t wrong in knowing he needed some time to figure things out a little more. He nodded. 

“Good night, your Majesty,” Harry said again, and almost ran away down the hall before Ben could possibly say or do anything else. 

Ben walked long miles through the Enchanted Forest over the ensuing couple of days, canceling any obligations he possibly could, intentionally meditating with a seriousness he’d never done before. At first his head was filled with a jumble of Harry’s voice, Mal’s hair, Harry’s scent, Mal’s precociousness, Harry’s teasing and tender touches, Mal’s button nose, back and forth like ping pong balls. 

He’d worked to never compare the two; everything about them, and how Ben cared about each of them was distinctly different and separate. His relationship with each of them was like living in two different worlds. No wonder he’d been tired for months. And now, no matter what he did, if he forced himself to weigh and measure, one of the people he loved was going to lose. And he would lose them. 

As his forest wandering alternated with sitting and staring into the Enchanted Lake, it was undeniable that it was Harry that was taking up most of the space in his brain and heart. He swore he loved Mal, he really did. He trailed his fingers in the water and the fond memories of his and Mal’s first date here easily came back to him. 

Sure, he’d been under her love spell for the first half of it but once he’d gone swimming and saw her clearly again, she had still been amazing, and beautiful, and he probably would have fallen for her anyway. Probably. Truthfully, it had always bothered him a little bit that he would never be able to be completely sure that being spelled hadn’t had an effect on his feelings. 

Or was it just that when she came over from the Isle, all mistrust and scheming, she was new, exotic, a brand of exciting Ben had never seen? But then wasn’t that all that Harry was, a wild eyed pirate with the added spice of forbidden? How could he be sure he truly loved either of them, much less figure out which one he loved more?! 

He slept fitfully of course, dreaming about Harry’s skin, and beautifully shining rocks getting tossed back into a lake in annoyance, and Harry’s name next to his on a wedding invitation, and Mal, wearing a crown and sobbing. Ben woke up from these wanting to pack a bag and run away from it all. Missing Harry was a gnawing ache in his core, and the guilt over what he’d been doing to Mal for so long was a heavy shadow in his chest. 

Ben hid in a corner of the library as soon as they opened, curled up in a chair with a copy of Romeo and Juliet , words wholly unread as his head continued to swim. He’d been raised to think one true love was a real thing. Impossibly, at one point he’d thought Audrey had been that, but he’d also been a measly fifteen. Now, at barely eighteen, he wasn’t sure he could trust himself all that much more. 

He took some long, deep breaths, inhaling the comforting smell of the millions of book pages around him, and tried to order his thoughts into the story that his life would end up telling. 

He’d never felt as strongly about Audrey or Mal as he did for Harry. This was a core truth he could hold onto. 

Of course, he’d never been as intimate with them, and he was mature enough to know that may affect feelings. Then he directed his imagination to Mal in his bed, hands under clothes and lips on skin, and…he couldn’t. He couldn’t imagine what it would be like, and even trying to think about it was making the guilty shadow heavier, it would be cheating on Harry now to touch Mal that way. Like a lot of this, it didn’t exactly make sense, but there it was. 

He pressed a bit into the imagined scenario, to make sure, and found a spike of pain at the thought of doing that to Harry. 

On the other side of that coin, he realized being with the guy had somehow stopped feeling all that wrong at some point. Was it when they’d gone all the way, when Ben took Harry physically into his body and it felt like their souls merged? 

Was it when they’d started staying the night together, falling into the comfort and building the familiarity of wrapped together limbs and drool on each other's pillows? Was it those three little words that had taken so long for them both to say but when they did it was like opening a dam that they could no longer shut? The memories of falling for Harry gave him nothing but warm, sweet, yearning vibes, and he smiled at the unturned pages of the book he still held. 

But…Mal - Lady Mal, who was due in a matter of almost days to be crowned Queen Mal in a ceremony tied into their wedding. It would be horrendous enough to leave someone at this stage in a relationship, a wedding and honeymoon planned, a bright, hopeful future ahead of them. 

But the added weight of what it would mean for the kingdom…this made an agonizing private decision into an impossible public one. 

The people had followed and supported him when he’d chosen Mal over Audrey, but this situation was a little different. They liked Harry, too, Ben reminded himself, but they adored Mal. They already called her their queen.

He searched the word ‘abdicate’ more than once online, not proud of it, but wondering if it really might not be the best option. The only thing that kept him from giving it more serious consideration was that he would be nervous his father would set Auradon back in time if he were forced to take up the throne again. 

He would have to stick by the repercussions of his decision as king, unless of course, there was an uprising and his subjects turned on him. Which he didn’t think would happen, but, as a ruler, he’d been trained to think of any outcome. 

Yeah, he loved Mal, he just…didn’t love her enough, and that honestly hurt. She didn’t deserve this, she was looking forward to being the people of Auradon’s queen, and Ben was going to take that from her. He wasn’t looking forward to any of what he was going to have to do next, but he also knew he couldn’t go on without being able to take Harry’s hand and say he loved him fully, completely, all in, no matter what. 

He took another walk, this time on Harry’s isolated stretch of shore, partially hoping to find him there, but also okay with not. His mind was still a swirl, but there was a ray of light peeking out at the end of the wall of clouds, something that felt a whole lot like relief, even if it had a cost, and a glimmer of hope. Ben pulled out his phone and found the text chain with Harry he hadn’t been able to delete.  

‘Hey. So. It's been a few days…’

Chapter Text

Harry heard the key click in the lock and tore the door open himself. It wasn’t like he’d been waiting, pacing, since Ben texted him and told him he needed to see him, no, not at all. Except he had been. He dragged the king into his room by his collar, his blood racing in his veins. 

“Yeah?” he asked, his voice rough and his hands as gentle as they could be on Ben’s jaw. “Really, yeah? You’re sure?” He needed to know what Ben had said in his texts - that he needed and wanted Harry, no matter what, no matter what it took - that that was true, and real. 

“Yeah,” Ben said, or more like groaned, “Harry, I love you -” 

But that was all Harry let him get out before he devoured his lips, mouth, tongue in a searing kiss. He’d never desired to completely own Ben as thoroughly as he did now, when there was actually cause to hope that he might get to keep him. They kissed until their faces hurt, desperately grabbing at hair and clothes, until they were sprawled on Harry’s bed, half naked and panting. 

“Mine?” Harry dared to ask, gripping Ben’s side, his forehead pressing into the king’s while he lay on top of his baby.

“Yes,” Ben told him again. “Now…” and his eyes shifted to the side but came right back to Harry’s, “I haven’t told her yet. I don’t know how I’m going to.” Harry drew a breath, willing to listen. 

“But I will. I’ll figure out a way, I promise. I just need to maybe do it in pieces, gently.” Harry didn’t like that, but he did understand. This wasn’t a simple thing, it never had been. 

“Did the few days help?” Harry asked, rolling them both to their sides, sure he never wanted to let Ben out of his sight or hold ever again. He’d come to him. He came back to him. He was the first person in Harry’s world that ever came back for him, that had ever chosen him, and he was going to be damned if he was ever going to let him go again. 

“They did,” he replied, “Helped clear my head, made me think.” Ben gazed up at Harry, eyes full of hopeless devotion. 

“And all I could think was how much I loved you and how I didn’t want to live without you.” Harry found himself blinking back tears and he had to shove his tongue into Ben’s mouth again to process all of this. The king, his king, his precious little king responded hungrily, willingly, clinging onto him like a life preserver in a storm. 

“Ben, Ben, oh Benji,” Harry murmured into his lover’s neck as Ben’s fingers wound wickedly into his hair. “I love you, you know that? I love you I love you I love you I love you I love you,” he chanted - him, Harry Hook, who'd never found it in him to say those words to anyone else in his life, couldn’t stop them now from spilling out of him like an uncontrolled litany. 

Remaining clothes were yanked and torn and pulled the rest of the way off, the wearers too needy for each other to care about the hows or the wheres that they landed. They’d gone all the way before, and they’d had sex before, and they’d made love…but this, this was something beyond all of that. 

It was demanding arms and opening legs and clamping thighs. It was exposed throats and head rushes and trails of fire along slicked skin. Curling toes and straining calf muscles, sweat beaded brows and heaving lungs. Everything beautiful and primal and lovely and insistent that they’d given themselves over to, bit by bit, till there was no end and beginning to each, just a continuous fusing of souls.

“Harrryyyy!” Ben called out, utterly unmindful of his volume in a way he’d never been before, as he bucked wildly upwards, Harry driving down into him. 

“Beeeennnnn,” Harry’s orgasm rode out on a long groan, the sight of Ben’s come splattered over his stomach heightening his climax, and he thrust forward as hard as he could one last time, ensuring his load stayed buried deep in his love, his boyfriend, his man, as long as it could. 

It was as they laid there, panting, sweating on each other, just barely having orgasmed, that the knock and the call came.

It all happened too fast to register as separate pieces:

The sturdy knock. The call of his name. “Harry!” Jay’s voice. Urgency. “Harry! We need you!” The door bursting open. Harry still inside of Ben. Pulling back. Scrambling, a tangle of bruising limbs. “Oh god!” This from Jay. “Ben! Ben?!” 

“Harry!” Breathless. “We need you! Auradon’s being attacked. We don’t know where it’s coming from.” Then a tremor rocked the very castle, as Ben pulled the sheets up to cover himself and Harry tumbled out of bed onto his knees, casting wildly around for pants, any pants. 

“When did this start?” the captain asked, already shifting into professional mode, though he was still naked and would much rather be soaking in how good of an orgasm he’d been able to both give and get. 

He came across Ben’s pants first and threw them to him, all embarrassment lost in the initial flush of Jay walking in and seeing what he’d already seen, and the fact that the castle was shaking again.

“Just a few minutes ago. I tried calling but…” Jay was obviously aware now of why he hadn’t gotten an answer. Harry hadn’t even heard his phone, as lost as he’d been in Ben. 

He pulled on a pair of trousers from his closet since he couldn’t find the ones he’d been wearing, threw the closest leather vest on, and grabbed his scabbard, sword, and hook. Ben had managed to get dressed too, and was looking ready to run for…something. 

“What is it? Who is it?” Harry asked Jay, needing any information he could get. 

“We don’t know. We think it’s coming from underground, though,” was the not at all comforting answer. 

“Ben,” Harry nothing less than commanded, in the deepest voice he was capable of, “I need you to contact the rest of the royal guard, send them to the perimeter of the castle grounds. Tell them to look for me or Jay for their next orders.” 

The king nodded, fumbling for his phone. 

“Listen to me,” Harry continued, trying to pin Ben with his stare, and convey both authority and reassurance with it in one, “Do not come out there. No matter what you hear or see. I don’t know what we’re up against -” Here another tremor shook the castle, rattling the glass in the windows. 

“And I don’t want you out there,” Harry finished heavily. His heart was throwing itself out of his chest and onto the floor at Ben’s feet. It was clear from the king’s expression that he did not want to follow his captain’s orders, that he wanted to follow his captain bodily. 

“Harry! We have to go!” Jay yelled, one foot already out of the door. Harry gave Ben one last wild eyed look, fervently wanting to kiss him but knowing there was no time, “I love you,” he said, all pretenses gone.

“I love you, too,” Ben returned, and Harry’s heart swelled, ready for whatever lay ahead, or so he thought. 

He ran to follow Jay down the hall and out of the castle to the grounds, a different kind of fire filling his veins than what had less than an hour ago. As they gained the damp spring air outside, Harry’s ears rang with the sound of a distant roar. 

“What the hell was that?” he asked, to which Jay only shook his head. Harry was reminded of when he’d heard a dragon roar, once in his life prior, a dragon that had actually been Mal, on her way to defeat a power hungry Audrey but this sound seemed to be coming from underground, causing the very earth to tremble.

Royal guards were fearlessly filing into position, covering the castle grounds, spaced at three foot intervals, following the training that Harry and Jay had put them through to the letter, even if they didn’t know where the threat was. Then the creatures burst forth from the lawn itself, and all the protocol went out the window. 

They seemed to be everywhere all at once, and ‘creatures’ was hardly even a proper word - more like skeletons and shadows, wisps and wights, demons and dregs of the night. The beings were seeping out of the very ground, from fissures that must have been caused by the earthquakes and that could barely be seen in the light of a half moon through the clouds in the night sky.  

Harry and Jay shared a wild, determined look before they did the only thing they could do:

“ATTACK!” they commanded their troops in one unified yell, and both threw themselves into the fray, at the creatures of nightmares and terrors. 

Sword blades and bo staff ends collided with bone, shapeless forms, and what seemed in some cases to be mist, but it sustained hits and damage, so the soldiers didn’t really care what they were made out of. The noise was terrific, the sounds of impact, the grunting and swearing of the guards, and wound through all of that, the unsettling laughter of the horrific creatures, even as they were taken down. 

In one particularly satisfying move, Harry’s hook neatly removed a skull from the rest of its body with a well placed upward swoop at the chin of the mandible. The head went rolling away and the skeleton collapsed, all while Harry was also stabbing his sword through the bat-like wings of a demon that was trying to fly away. 

This was almost fun, free reign to cause as much damage as he could to a very decisive enemy. All around him, his guards were fighting steadily, in spite of the dark and the cracks in the ground and the sheer number of creatures that were continuing to crawl out. And this only got worse when the ground shook violently again and another fissure opened up. 

Jay could be seen swinging his bo staff every which way with lightning speed, taking off heads, limbs, and bringing vermin down left and right. Harry was proud of them all, but he could see it wasn’t enough. 

For every two they took down, another three skulked out of the earth. He tried to think while he slashed; what monster, what villain, could be behind this? He could tell the demons and ghouls they were fighting were empty heads, mere minions with no real drive of their own. 

“Simmons!” Harry called to the nearest higher ranked guard he saw, “Fall back! Take your squad and get us lights out here!” The lieutenant obeyed, as Harry heard Jay ask another guard to get them reports as quickly as possible on the status of the rest of the city, the kingdom. 

This was an unfathomable battle; how did you fight a seemingly endless army of nightmare beings with no motives? Harry hated that plenty of them were getting past his guards and going to be loose in Auradon. He knew he needed to fall back himself to assess the situation, but the bloodlust that had risen inside of him made that difficult. He still enjoyed being at the frontlines, using his hook for what it was meant for and swinging a blade with practiced ease.

He had not been working to master his baser impulses this last year with no success, however. Harry took a deep breath and a step back, then another, watching how the guards that had been fighting closest to him moved to bridge the gap he was leaving. 

“Keep it up!” He yelled as heartily as he could, to boost morale, which was difficult when he couldn’t see the end game or ten yards in front of him. That changed suddenly, though, as flood lights were turned on, shining down from the turrets of the castle. It still wasn’t as bright as what they could have used but it gave them something to see by. 

And what Harry could see was not encouraging. There were even more creatures escaping the ground and the guards’ blades than he’d thought. Harpy-type beings were outlined in the flood lights as they flew toward the castle and out further into the kingdom, some being ridden by skeletons. 

What was this madness?! How was he supposed to stem this flood, to save Auradon from this sorcery? Harry had to admit that he was now nothing short of terrified. This might not be something he could stop, he was beginning to think this was going to require magical intervention. 

The ground heaved again with the largest surge yet and the road, which Harry was now standing on the edge of, simply disappeared. He was thrown to the dirt, barely being quick enough to cast his sword to the side so he didn’t get sliced by it, and tucking his hook in tight. He was used to fighting on a ship, so he was good at keeping his balance - he had the reflexes of a cat after all - but this hemorrhaging of the very earth was a new and horrible experience.

A sharp pain tore through Harry’s leg as he got his feet under him again, the scrapes on his hands and arms from the rubble of the destroyed road minimal in comparison. He found he could stand though, so nothing was broken, and as he moved to pick up his sword again, the pain faded to a dull roar. It could be dealt with later. 

He had to get to a place where he could see more of what was going on, and retreating to the castle to get up on one of those turrets seemed like the best option. He began skirting the ongoing battle, trying not to limp and taking out a few demons and wights on his way. He’d only gotten about ten paces away when he saw a figure running towards him, sandy haired with a scabbard at its side. 

“Harry!” No, no, he wasn’t supposed to be out here.

“Ben, what the fuck are you doing? I told you to -”

“It wasn’t safe in the castle anymore, it started collapsing,” the king hurried to explain. “I sent my mother and the staff off in the cars. The rest of Auradon seems okay, at least for now. What is going on out here?” 

“I don’t know,” Harry admitted. Part of him wanted to grab Ben and run away with him, get his love to safety and screw the rest of everything. But that wouldn’t solve the problem, and he was sure it was a matter of time before enough of these nightmare creatures got far enough that the rest of Auradon would no longer be okay. This was a full scale invasion and they simply didn’t have the kind of military force needed!

Ben watched the raging battle for about three more seconds, then he drew his sword and waded in, to Harry’s stomach-churning horror. He was the kind of leader that would fight alongside his troops, and he was no slouch; his sword rang true, lopping off heads and wings and tails. 

It was beautiful in its way, and Harry would be lying if he said he didn’t admire it and find it damn sexy, that his studious, tender, righteous king could unleash his own steadfast fury. 

But Harry could not afford to have him here. He found himself glued to him, drawn back into the fighting and slashing, not about to leave Ben unattended but knowing he still needed to figure out the bigger picture. 

“You can’t be out here,” Harry yelled to him. “Let’s go, we need to find out where these things are coming from.” He at least needed to keep Ben with him if the king was not willing to leave completely. 

Ben nodded just as another quake came rolling through, not as large as the last one but enough to open a foot and a half wide fissure right between where Harry and Ben were standing. Both young men watched in renewed disgust as more creatures crawled out of this fresh crack. Ben started fighting again, but Harry’s attention was arrested by something else. 

They still weren’t far from the pile of rubble that had been the road, and ever since the surge that had thrown him down, Harry had felt compelled by that area. Now he was beginning to see why. Was that a fire in the jumble of broken pavement? No, it was too steady for that but it was definitely glowing. 

He spotted rocks that looked too jagged for how the road had cracked, and they were almost reflecting the light from the spotlights, which was odd. Then the rocks moved. Those weren’t rocks. That was a claw, and it was as long as Harry’s whole leg. 

Another roar, this one loud enough to be almost deafening and holding a decidedly triumphant note, rumbled from beneath the earth. At the same time, the glowing that Harry had mistaken for fire brightened and flared, two giant yellow orbs fixed in what appeared to be the side of a mountain rising out of the destroyed earth. 

It was a face, Harry realized with a whole new brand of horror, almost dropping his sword. A face of every evil nightmare put together. Behind him, he noted the sounds of fighting fade as the guards no doubt watched in rapt fascination and terror as well. 

Horns as thick as fully grown tree trunks at their base crowned a bald head and came to no less cruel of a point than did the claws that were tearing at the ground, gouging careless trenches in the fresh spring soil. Harry stepped back, trying to keep Ben behind him and also not step into the chasm that he was now aware probably reached far deeper than he wanted to think about.

Like a shadow of a memory, a word, a name, tickled at Harry’s brain. 

“Chernabog,” he breathed, unable to tear his eyes away from the most terrifying thing he’d ever seen. 

It wasn’t supposed to be real. Chernabog was a legend, a bogeyman story that villain parents told their kids to get them to shut up when they were being annoying. It was said the creature was hibernating in a cave deep underground, being made of stone mostly himself, and one Walspurgis night, he would rise again to destroy all he could reach. 

Well, whether Harry had ever believed the story or not, the monster was rising, and continued to, clawing its way out of the earth. Then Harry spotted the wings, also topped with sharp points where the bat-like appendages came to peaks. It was like a mountain emerging from underground, too large for the mind to comprehend, to take in all at once. It was far too massive to even think about fighting. And Harry and Ben were far too close to the thing. 

The captain crossed over to Ben’s side of the chasm, merely sidestepping a demon working its way to the surface. There was no point in exerting any more energy on the small fry. Harry had a sense that their only hope was to take out the vermin’s big boss. 

This kingdom had to have dynamite somewhere. His mind working furiously on the next possible tactics, he was not prepared for the war cry that met his ears and Ben flashing past him, towards the giant nightmare. 

Had the king lost his mind? 

“BEN!” Harry screamed, feeling his soul leaving his body in fear. 

Later, everything that Harry had once told Ben about it being an extraordinarily bad idea for a captain and a first mate to get romantically involved echoed endlessly through his head. Right now he took off running after the man he loved without a drop of self preservation or sense.

Chapter Text

“Come on!” Ben yelled, “I think we might be able to get at his eyes before he’s all the way out!” And he began to climb the pile of road debris and dirt, a scant couple of yards from where it became Chernabog’s body. 

“No! We need to get out of here!” Harry argued, even as was on Ben’s heels. 

“Ben, what are you doing?” a shout sounded behind them. Jay was a bruised and bloody mess, a snapshot of how all of the guards must be feeling. But he stood straight with his bo staff still raised, and looked ready for more. Harry counted his lucky stars to call this man a colleague and a friend. 

“Jay, dynamite!” he called down to him, “Can we get some explosives over here?” It was the only thing he could think of that might be able to make a dent in a being made of stone. 

“Hey!” This suddenly from Ben, but he wasn’t talking to either Harry or Jay. Not like their adversary probably heard, or cared. The monster did notice what Ben did next, however. 

Harry watched in equal horror and admiration as the king drew back his sword and, aiming for the nearest of the glowing yellow eyes, threw it like a javelin, straight and true. It stuck, in the bottom corner of what must have been some kind of real eyeball. Harry had to grin, though it only lasted a second. His boyfriend was absolutely insane. Harry loved it, and him, endlessly. 

A roar, like a thousand lions and harpies at the same time, issued from Chernabog, the vibration of the resulting quake knocking Ben and Harry down from the height they’d gained. Harry caught his already injured leg at a bad angle, twisting it further, and he watched Ben slide awkwardly and land on his wrist. 

The king let out a howl of pain that made Harry’s heart bleed. He had to get him out of here. He wasn’t sure what bloodlust had come over Ben - he had to respect his determination to try to protect his kingdom, but this was not going to work. Harry called down to Jay again as he worked his way towards Ben, his ankle screaming and throbbing once more.  

“Jay, get our archers on those eyes!” Ben’s idea wasn’t bad, and he’d proven it might do something, however it was sheer madness to attempt it like this.

Jay remained standing frozen for a moment, staring at the scene before him of his friends, the king and his captain, at the would-be feet of a giant, now-angry monster. 

He could see what Harry and Ben were too close to the subject to notice; Chernabog had figured out where the sword had come from, that there were pesky little humans that had dared to approach him. An unfathomably deep laugh shook the earth, causing the rocks, dirt, and pieces of road around him to further slide, partially burying Harry and Ben while they tried to struggle to their feet. 

Blessedly, Ben seemed to now realize that they weren’t going to be able to cause enough damage at close range, and was understanding that retreat would be a wise course. But it was going to be difficult enough to gain what was left of solid ground before they ended up completely buried here.

“Guys, watch out!” Jay called, and then he, too, was charging at the monster. A resounding smack rang out, as Jay’s staff met the stone hand that had been about to crush Harry. 

The commanding officer’s grip and hearty tug on the captain’s bicep almost dislocated Harry’s shoulder as Jay yanked him out from under rubble. At the same time, Ben was able to shove the rock that had rolled onto his foot away and free himself. They weren’t going to be in one piece much longer if they didn’t get away from the living mountain. 

Harry looked down. He didn’t like the idea, but he saw a massive demon’s wing fully unfurl itself from the earth. If Chernabog gained the air, the three humans were going to be immediately embedded in the pit that he would leave behind. 

“Go! I’ve got him,” Harry told Jay, and scrambled his way over to Ben as quickly as he could. 

He reached the king and didn’t even take a moment to really look at his dirt streaked, pain filled, beautiful face before he wrapped his arms around him as tightly as he could, moving one hand up to protect Ben’s skull, and squeezing his torso into his own. 

Trying to cover the most vital parts, surprised that his hook was still on his hand, Harry took a deep breath and, pushing off with his good leg, threw himself and Ben towards the bottom of the growing hill of rubble. 

He landed how he’d hoped, even though he was pretty sure a couple of his ribs cracked and the air was knocked out of his lungs. Ben still seemed in one piece, which had been the goal, and Harry himself was still conscious, which was a bonus. 

“Are you okay?” Ben asked him, his voice shaking with concern or fear or both. Harry, unable to speak just yet, gave a creaky nod. Now Chernabog was completely looming over them again, and Harry spotted a long haired figure leaping like a goat down the sliding rocks, and taking a last flying jump that ended in a roll. Jay bounced up immediately and ran off to carry out the captain’s orders. Maybe they could end this before all of Auradon was destroyed. Big maybe. 

Ben had extricated himself from Harry’s hold, and was working on standing up, the ground continuously slightly shifting now, with Chernabog having much more freedom of movement. He held out a hand to help Harry up, and Harry asked him a question he should have been asking himself.

“Can you run?” 

Ben nodded in the affirmative, so Harry would figure it out. The pain in his ankle pierced upwards to his stomach, making him want to throw up as he tried to put weight on it. He could breathe again, but with every inhale it felt like a knife was sinking into his right lung. He did his best to put on a stoic face and hide all this from his lover for now. He knew Ben wouldn’t go anywhere without him at this point any more than he would without Ben. 

The sounds of utter chaos had become a backdrop as they began to run towards the general direction of the castle, hand in hand. There were demons and skeletons and all the other assorted minions cackling and dancing across the cracked and muddy lawns, seemingly thrilled to just be free. 

A few guards were still trying to take them out but most had fallen back and Harry was gratified to see the few archers they had getting into position. He did wish they had more.

It happened with no warning - no roar, no further major quake, no rumbling terrifying laughter. There was some extra yelling as a couple of people must have seen it coming, but that mixed with the general cacophony and did not stand out. 

The next thing Harry knew, Ben released a blood curdling scream as he was being lifted off his feet by some force, rising higher and higher in the air. Harry clung to his hand of course, and rose with him even as he felt Ben’s shoulder pop out of its socket. But both their palms were slick with sweat and dirt, and now to Harry’s nearly uncomprehending horror, blood as well as it poured from Ben’s body where the cruel claws had pierced his shoulder and somewhere else that Harry couldn’t make out as they got lifted through the night sky. 

Harry lost his grip and was aware of wishing for death for a split second as he fell back to the ground. His eyes never left Ben’s form, until his own body slammed down with a whump, and his vision blacked out as the air was knocked out of him for a second time. A new pain blossomed somewhere on his left side but Harry was on his feet the moment his eyes were open again. 

Even though they didn’t want to see what they were seeing: Ben’s slumped body, far above Harry’s head, suspended in Chernabog’s talons as the monster’s eyes glowed brighter than ever with malice and glee. 

“You dick!” Harry yelled at the monster, pointlessly, for he had almost no voice and even if he did, the mountain wouldn’t have heard him or cared. Then Chernabog flicked his wrist, opening his claws. Ben’s body flew wide, no limbs flailing, no sound coming from him; he may as well have been a sack of wheat. 

“NOOOOOO!!!!” Harry’s vocal cords tore with the effort of the howl but that was the least of his pain at the moment. Time really did feel like it slowed down when one’s world was ending. As Harry fruitlessly moved in the direction that Ben’s body had been flung, he watched his beloved fall towards the earth, and it felt like his head was going to explode with the scream that was trapped in his skull. 

Then suddenly time was speeding by again in a blur. A giant purple, scaly blur that was heading right for Ben. Harry was still trying to run, valiantly forcing his body closer to his beloved, even though he knew in a withering part of his brain, that there wasn’t a damn thing he was going to be able to do if he got there. 

There was a reptilian scream, and the dragon’s wings flapped across the beams of the spotlights as it rose again. It was Mal of course, she must have transformed and flown here as soon as she’d been alerted. It was hard to see in the uneven light, especially since Harry was pretty sure he was fine with never seeing anything again, but was that a limp shape hanging from Mal’s claws? 

It was, and it was Ben, and it was being laid down gently on the ground in front of him as Chernabog’s roar thundered across the land again, but Harry barely heard that. Dragon Mal gave Harry a look he didn’t see as she flapped her wings and gave a roar of her own, flying directly at the living mountain. Harry collapsed to his hands and knees, sobs heaving themselves out of his battered lungs. 

Ben, his Ben, his Benji, his king, his baby…he was covered in blood, his clothes sliced open and Harry couldn’t tell where clothes and blood and torn flesh ended and began. He didn’t see any up and down movement of the strong chest he’d laid his head on so many times, and the pretty face that was his sunshine was pale and lifeless. 

Harry grabbed Ben’s limp hand with his free one and with his hook began gouging at the ground much as Chernabog’s evil claws had. If he’d been able to think at all, he may have had the terrible thought to bring the point down on his own throat. Harry was no longer a captain, a pirate, a man, or even a boy. He was nothing but a screaming, wailing black hole of wild grief. 

He did not hear the battle raging behind him, the roar of the dragon fire or the reptilian tail thwacking against a stone head. The swoosh of arrows and the annoyed growls of a nightmare as many hit their target. Harry didn’t even hear himself crying out, or the guards' voices as they clustered around him and Ben. 

But then they were trying to take Ben away, and that Harry registered. Dead or not, he refused to be separated from him. He may not have had the wherewithal to bring it on himself but maybe if he laid out here with him for long enough his own pain filled body would succumb as well, and he could follow Ben wherever he’d gone. 

They hadn’t come this far to lose each other now, damn it! Harry blindly struck outwards with his hook, using the last of his adrenaline to ward off the thieves, cursing and swearing and crying, not even aware he was still on his knees. His vision was blurry and while his body was crumbling in pain, his consciousness was going numb, its last ditch defense to attempt to preserve sanity. 

So Harry didn’t even notice when the needle slid into his vein and the sedative began easing through his bloodstream on the way to his overworked heart. The world went blissfully quiet, and warm, and dark. 

Chapter Text

Before he opened his eyes, Ben was aware of the soft pillow under his head and the cool sheets he was on top of as he shifted his hand a few inches over. He could hear low voices nearby, and soothing classical music playing from somewhere. His nose drew in the scent of medicine and bandages but it wasn’t unpleasant. 

Wait. He could feel. He could hear. He could smell. He had the option of opening his eyes. He was thinking. That meant he was alive. 

He made a sound in his throat as he cracked his eyes open, wanting to experience continued and blessed life all at once, but his body slowed him down to what it could handle. 

“ Ben, ” came a rushed voice, one with an exquisite lilt to it, absolutely the one Ben would have chosen to hear first upon waking up from the blackness he’d been stuck in. As his sensitive eyes adjusted to even the low light in the room, he heard rustling, shifting, as of people moving around suddenly. 

“Ben, Ben, oh Ben,” his favorite voice, soft as it was, rose to the foreground again, and now Ben’s eyes settled on a knee, then a familiar shiny hook, then a hand. He found the strength to reach for that hand and grasp it as tightly as he could. 

Harry’s face finally swam into view, and Ben smiled, even his facial muscles tired from disuse but this vision was the most wonderful thing he’d ever seen. 

“Harry,” he got out, his voice sounding creaky. “Oh Harry, my love.” Ben cared not one whit for anything or anybody else in that moment. His Harry was here, next to him, also alive, able to speak and hold his hand, and that was plenty for the king right now. 

The next time he woke up Harry wasn’t there, the room was darker, and Ben tried looking around for him. He may have whimpered his name. 

“Hush, baby, you’re okay,” his mother’s sweet voice soothed. “He had to go have another procedure done at the hospital.” A rush of fear swooped through Ben, and it must have shown on his face, because his mother smiled reassuringly. 

“Don’t worry, he’s fine, they just have to fix the bone in his ankle. I know he’ll be back as soon as he can.” Her hand caressed his hair, and Ben relaxed somewhat. He tried to smile back at her. 

“I love him, Mom,” the words leaked out, though he hadn’t quite meant to say them. 

“I know you do, sweetie,” she replied gently. “And I love you. So much.” Tears collected at the corners of her eyes and Ben reached out for her hand. 

“I love you too, Mom,” he murmured, and drifted again. He couldn’t understand why, and was slightly annoyed, at the fact that he couldn’t stay awake for long. 

There was pain the next time he woke up, and something poking at him, at his shoulder. Ben grunted in protest, but a strong, familiar hand gripping his helped calm him down. He wanted to open his eyes, to see Harry again if for no other reason, but the pain was a lot and he had a feeling it might get worse if he let the rest of his surroundings in at that moment. So he gripped Harry’s hand tightly and just listened.

“He’s extremely lucky to be alive.” A voice he’d never heard - that wasn’t right, though - he’d heard it, just not while he’d been able to understand what it was saying. A doctor, presumably. 

“I know.” His father. 

“If Fairy Godmother and Hades hadn’t both stepped in, our medical practices wouldn’t have been enough.” The doctor. 

Harry’s grip intensified at these words. Hades had gotten involved…? Well, the last thing Ben had been conscious of was a searing pain that he now remembered he didn’t think he was going to survive, so…he guessed that might make sense. Had he died, then? He had so many questions but no energy to ask them, yet. 

Morning light filling the room the next time he woke up. He was oddly proud of himself that he was able to discern between general daylight and the rough time of day now. He wondered what it was doing outside, how long had he been bed ridden, wounded, bandaged? 

This wasn’t his room, he realized. Why wouldn't he be in his room? Oh that’s right, almost the entire west wing of the castle had collapsed that night before he’d given up and gone to find Harry…

“Harry?” he called now, and was rewarded with a warm press of well known lips to the back of his hand. Ben smiled and fell back asleep, feeling safe and secure. 

More voices and seemingly random sounds as he drifted in and out of consciousness and sleep.  

“You know, son, you would recover faster if you stayed on bed rest instead of trying to sit up in this chair or on the floor.” The doctor.

“Yeah, I don’t care.” His love, of course. 

“I see that.” 

A little later in the day there were sounds of something heavy being moved, shuffled…Ben was lost in a deep sea of pain meds, too relaxed to open his eyes just then, but he could make out some sentences from his parents. 

“It’s the least we can do, dear. You’ve seen the way he looks at him. The way they look at each other. And we all owe our lives to him.” His mother. 

“Chernabog…who would have thought that was even a possibility?” Beast, sounding stunned. 

“I can’t believe we almost lost him.” His father’s voice was heavy, tortured. “You know, if he’d never opened up this can of worms with the Isle, this may never have happened.” 

“Shut up.” Straightforward but somehow not harsh. “It still very well may have. You know that. Harry said there were tunnels, caves…that monster must have been down there all this time…we couldn’t have known.” Belle, reflective. “But it’s gone now.”

“Yes. You’re right. If they hadn’t directly attacked, if Harry hadn’t come up with the idea to literally blow that thing to smithereens, I don’t know if Auradon would still be here, or at least if we would be.”

“Ben chooses his friends well, thank goodness.”  

A sigh from his father that shoved at all the air in the room. 

“We almost lost him, Bella…we almost lost him.” Ben had never heard his father cry, much less sob like he was doing now.

Dark when he opened his eyes next. Well, not completely, there was a low lamplight coming from the corner of the room. Ben was pretty sure he hadn’t been left alone since being set up in what must be one of the guest rooms. He decided to test rolling over, very aware of how the skin over his whole torso was uncomfortably stretching as he moved even slightly. 

“Hey, you be careful. Don’t make me come over there.” That beautiful brogue that gave him life…that meant Harry was still with him, and he was with Harry. Ben smiled widely as he looked over and saw his boyfriend laid out a few feet away in a bed that he was pretty sure wasn’t there the day before. 

“Don’t you dare,” Ben told him. “The doctor said bed rest, right?” He wanted to ask exactly what Harry’s injuries included, but he was too tired and was slipping under again. He was okay enough to be there with him and able to tease him; the rest would work itself out. 

“Thank you. For being there for him, for protecting him.” That was Mal. Oh god…

“Hardly…I didn’t do enough. I shouldn’t have let him get that close.” 

“No, you did plenty.” Her voice was firm. “He would surely be dead if not for you.” 

A lengthy silence. 

“I couldn’t do any less.” 

“I know. I know you care. That’s why I brought him to you before I went after Chernabog, I knew you’d look after him.” 

“I tried.” 

“You were amazing, officer.” Harry, full of respect and admiration.

“Thanks. I just - I did what I had to, you know.” Jay. Oh thank goodness he was alright! “So, uh, how long have you and…”

“Oh. A while.” A touch of discomfort but also relief. 

“Hm.” A long pause. “I mean…I love Mal like a sister, so, it’s not cool, man." 

"I know." It was strange to hear that generally boisterous accent hold contrition. "It wasn't anything we exactly meant to -" 

"You guys really care about each other, huh?" A huff of breath. "I mean, you both almost died trying to save each other out there." 

"We do." 

A heavy sigh from Jay and another pause. 

“Kind of wish I’d had warning before I barged in on you, though.” Nervous, unsure laughter. 

“Yeah, uhh…” 

“But I guess I should have seen it. In retrospect, I totally can’t believe I didn’t pick up on it.”

“What? Why?”

“I should have guessed as soon as you stopped hitting on me.” 

“Do you need anything?” His mother, and Ben tried to rise to the surface to answer her. But Harry did first, and Ben realized the question must have been for him. 

“I’m fine, really. You’ve done a lot already.”

“Well, you let us know if there’s anything else, okay? We want you to heal up, too.” 

Ben worked to open his eyes, and was able to just in time to watch his mother lean down to kiss the top of Harry’s head, a gesture that the young man looked positively embarrassed about. Then Belle drew away, to leave the room, and Ben, pretending to still be asleep, covertly fell in love with the way Harry’s facial expression shifted from confused, to melancholic, to cautiously content. 

Oh how he wished he could climb into that bed with him, press their bodies together once more, and show him, over and over and over again, how loved he was, how worthy of love he was!

Eventually he would be able to again, he knew by now; he was pretty well restricted from moving while his million stitches healed, which was why he was on quite so many pain meds and was sleeping so much, in an effort to keep him as immobile as possible. He wanted to be awake more now, though, he was sick of floating and, as daunting as going back to the world felt, he preferred it to the alternative. 

“Harry,” Ben whispered into the dark, hoping he was there, and that he was awake enough. 

“Benji,” came the blessed answering whisper, an ocean of longing in the short word. They spent several long moments simply inhaling each other’s presence, both quite sure they would never be able to get enough. 

“I’ve missed you,” Ben said. 

“I’ve been here. As much as I can, anyway,” Harry replied. 

“I know,” Ben reassured. “Harry? 

“Yes?” 

“I love you.”

“Fuck, I love you, too.” 

Gradually, Ben started being able to stay awake for longer periods, and convinced the doctor to back off some with the pain relief. He was still grateful for it, having learned how he’d been sliced open from the center of his back to his shoulder blade, and had narrowly missed having his chest cavity fully punctured. Every breath he took, each time he opened his eyes, Ben thanked his lucky stars that he was still in the world. 

It was a victory when he could remain conscious for a few hours at a time, and be propped up in bed, and read, and be able to have full conversations with people. His arm was in a sling, and it would be another few days before the doctor would let him attempt walking, but the mood in the room had finally shifted towards the rich promise of recovery instead of tentatively cautious hope.

Through Harry’s and Jay’s recounts, the night came back to Ben - the earthquakes, the castle crumbling, finding Harry and seeing what they were up against, charging at that monstrous demon like an idiot, Harry literally dragging him away, pain, then a lot more pain, and then nothing. 

“I put you in danger,” Ben guiltily lamented for the third time in the two days since he’d been able to remember his actions that were the cause of most of his beloved’s injuries. Harry was strong, and he was healing well, but Ben berated himself for being so reckless.

“We were all already in pretty bad danger,” Harry insisted, “You did what you thought you had to.” 

“It was a fight and it was crazy. You don’t get to make the most rational decisions right then.”

“You were just trying to protect your kingdom. Yeah, you were insane but it was wonderful. And hot.” 

Different versions of reassurance as Harry laid there, feet away, with an all but shattered and now rebuilt ankle, cracked ribs and a bruised spleen, that, if they hadn’t sedated him and gotten him into surgery right away, would have surely killed him. 

The enormity of realization threatened to crush Ben mentally as surely as Chernabog almost had physically. He spent long hours that didn’t feel long at all staring at Harry across the space between their beds, watching his man sleep, or stare back at him, and they talked endlessly when they were both awake. 

Ironically, this was the most continuous time they’d ever spent together, and they couldn’t even cuddle. To be sure, Harry had flirtingly suggested it, that indomitable smirk hung on his handsome face making Ben’s heart rate speed up. 

“We could always push these beds together,” the captain teasingly suggested. 

“I don’t think either of us are in a condition to do that right now,” Ben chuckled. 

“I could figure it out,” Harry returned, and there was no doubt that he would. But obviously, even if they could, they couldn’t, for it wasn't like they were left alone for very long stretches at all. Ben’s parents were naturally there the most, bringing them both books and treats, whatever they asked for, or rather, whatever Ben asked for for both of them. 

Belle had thoroughly taken Harry under her wing, but the young man was understandably shy about the attention. Ben’s heart melted a little more every time Harry awkwardly thanked her with a little smile Ben had never seen before. He clearly remembered that the boy had never known a mother, and the king was happy to share his, and loved his own mother all the more for her acceptance of Harry. 

Beast was quieter about it of course, but Ben saw the respect he’d gained for the captain in his father’s eyes and demeanor. They weren’t talking about the almost literal elephant in the room yet, however…the whole reason that they’d moved a bed into the room for Harry…how Ben, in his barely alive state, had unashamedly claimed Harry upon waking…how Harry had resolutely refused to leave Ben’s side for anything but medical necessity, and barely that. 

In the midst of the joy and relief that they were going to live, there was an undercurrent of impending fallout that Ben rather just wanted to get it fully over with. Everyone Ben knew came to see him, and most were there for Harry as well, and if they thought it odd that the two were in the same room, they either didn’t question it or they were already aware.

Jay and Evie, Lonnie and Doug, Carlos brought Dude of course, Fairy Godmother and Jane; Gil brought Daniel, both still sweetly smitten; Uma came and spent a long while next to Harry’s bed, it was clear the two of them would always be close friends and Ben was thankful for it; even Audrey and Chad came to wish them well. It was an exhausting and appreciated rotating door of visitors, with one notable absence. 

Ben knew she’d been there at points; he could remember her voice and he imagined she’d probably been among those very few keeping the initial vigil. In the same space as Harry, who’d won the spot next to him, to be the first person he saw. Ben wasn’t sure he ever really wanted to know the particulars of those couple days that he had not been conscious for and what had been said in this room before he could hear it. 

But now, in a rare hour that Ben had been left alone, Harry at his first round of physical therapy that Ben had talked him into agreeing to, the door quietly opened and shut and a head of purple hair made its way towards the king. 

“Hi,” Mal opened with, standing near his bed but not too close. Ben slid back and sat up as straight as his many stitches would allow. 

“Hi,” he returned, unsure of what to say otherwise. Mal’s face was somber, smooth, almost unblinking. Any last corner of Ben’s mind that may have been harboring illusions of her not fully knowing was bathed with the light of harsh recognition. 

“I’m glad you’re going to live,” she said, seeming as if she didn’t quite know what to say either. The air between them had never been so awkward. 

“Yeah, me too,” Ben replied, attempting a small smile. His chest hurt, and it had nothing to do with the hole that was still closing up from the giant claw. 

“So it turns out your Captain Harry was all you could hope for, huh? And maybe more?” Her voice was hollow, on the edge of mocking. And here they were, finally, ready or not. 

“Mal, I - I can explain,” Ben stuttered, knowing this, too, was a lie. There was no way he could explain away the last, what? Year? 

Then Mal spoke the words that broke Ben’s heart further. 

“Did you really think I didn’t know?” She suddenly looked older, paler, and her eyes were haunted. Ben’s eyes widened, a weight pushing on him, a cold wave crashing into him. She’d known? When…how…how long…? It was too much. 

“I’m sorry,” Ben pushed out. “I’m sorry I didn’t get a chance to do this the right way.”

“What way was that going to be? Ben, we were supposed to get married in a few weeks, well, before all this. When were you going to tell me?” 

“That night. Maybe the next day,” he had to amend, knowing he wouldn’t have left Harry’s arms that night without the attack. Well, he had been at least planning to start breaking up with her, if not come completely clean, as soon as he’d promised Harry he would. 

“I swear,” he told her, knowing she had no reason to believe him. “Wait. If you knew, why didn’t you say anything?” 

She grew very quiet and stayed that way for many long minutes, playing with the ends of a lock of her hair. 

“I thought about it. Maybe I should have, but I was kind of waiting for you to want to be honest with me.” That cut, but Ben definitely deserved the wound. She went on. 

“Plus I was more or less shocked when I first found out, pretty well in denial. But then I noticed you were acting differently, mood swings that weren’t like you, and a certain distance in your eyes.” She paused, and Ben wasn’t sure if more was coming, or what to say anyway if it wasn’t, so he didn’t try to reply. 

“And then, I started University,” she continued with a half shrug, “I’d accepted it by then, and I guess it was easier to deal with because I wasn’t around all the time. I really thought it would just be a phase, especially with him. I didn’t know he was capable of actually being that tied to somebody.” 

In spite of everything, Ben felt a surge of pride and warmth in the center of his belly, that he was the only person Harry had ever wanted to stay with. 

“You’re even thinking about him right now,” Mal remarked flatly. Ben had thought his face had stayed blank, but he was tired again so maybe he hadn’t been able to keep it that way. If Mal could read him this easily, no wonder he hadn’t been able to hide it completely from her; he’d been stupid to even try! 

“Wait. How did you find out?” Ben wanted to know, and also to get off the direct subject of Harry. 

“Does it matter?” Mal asked, but then said, “Lorelei. Girl code. She saw you leaving his room a couple nights and mornings and…I won’t say what she told me about the laundry.” 

Ben’s face burned and he stared at the floor. He wanted to be mad at himself for being seen, for not being more careful, but those thoughts were tied to the old situation, they had no place here in the painfully exposed truth. 

He tried to think of something, anything, to say in the face of that, into the chasm that was now between him and Mal, but he wasn’t coming up with anything. More apologies, while they wanted to trip off his tongue, would be fruitless at best and insulting at worst. There was no going back from this, and Ben didn’t remotely want that, he’d made his choice, he just hadn’t thought the execution was going to be ripped from under him like this. 

“I’m sorry,” his lips formed anyway, again, barely able to look at his ex fiance for embarrassment and shame. 

“Yeah me too,” Mal returned. Ben watched wordlessly as she removed her engagement ring, set it down on the bedside table with finality, and slipped back out of the room. 

Chapter Text

Sixty-oneish weeks. Fifteen months. More days than he was going to try to figure out, even though he certainly could. 

However many days of being blessed enough to be in a place Harry could finally call home, among people who respected and cared for him, and that he was proud to look after. In particular, one sandy haired not so little king that had quite thoroughly changed his life. 

Sixty-three days since the night that Chernabog had attacked. Now, that - Harry had counted, because it had been sixty-three days that he couldn’t walk without assistance. Now he could, though, even if he’d been forbidden to run or do anything else that would put undue stress on his injured ankle until it was stronger. 

Likewise, Ben’s stitches had finally been able to come out and meanwhile, crews had been hard at work repairing and rebuilding the west wing of the castle. The king could have his chambers back, and Regal Drive, after the dust and boulders that Chernabog had been blown into had been cleared away, was smoothed out and repaved. 

Things were slowly returning to normal, and at the same time, there was no semblance of normalcy to much of the aftermath. The news had to be given out that the royal wedding had gone from understandably postponed to suddenly canceled. The public was saddened and confused, especially since they were craving stability after the events of that night. Mal was already the queen of their hearts, and she’d helped save them. Action figures of purple dragons started being made and sold. 

Harry, too, was being lauded as a hero, and he saw more toy hooks on the hands of little boys and girls. There was talk of erecting a monument on the side of Regal Drive on the castle grounds in honor of the night that he saved the kingdom from the most fearsome monster ever. He was quite sure all this admiration would come to a screeching halt once the truth worked its way out. 

Because for all of the possible repercussions, Ben and Harry refused to stay in the shadows any longer. The people closest to them knew, and they’d agreed to keep it amongst themselves for the moment, but Harry knew that would only work for so long. Especially when the king dragged the captain out of the replaced French doors on his rebuilt balcony, this time for a lunch he’d had laid out for them in the middle of the day. 

“I refuse for you to be a dirty little secret anymore,” Ben told him, his fingers looped around Harry’s. “You deserve so much more than that. You deserve the world, and you shall have it.” 

Harry’s heart swelled, unused to such open devotion, and he felt his face grow warm. He tried to protest, but Ben silenced him with a kiss, right there on the balcony, the late July sun soaking into them. Harry needed the reassurance that this was all okay, and he constantly hoped Ben wouldn’t become impatient with giving that to him, but he didn’t seem like he would. 

They’d talked at length after Mal had confronted Ben, about how they didn’t want to hide anymore, and how they just wanted to simply be together. They were both tired of sneaking time, and since almost losing each other and outing themselves, there was an unspoken refusal to be anything less than transparent. Ben had suggested an official press release, and Harry was still mulling the idea over, hating it but wondering if it wouldn’t be best. 

As they’d gotten closer to fuller recovery in that convalescent room together, the inevitable happened; they got caught snuggling, wrapped around each other as best they could with their injuries in the same bed, the first time by the doctor, the second time by Belle, and by the third time they stopped thinking of it as being caught. 

Harry had never been more impressed by the king, or slightly mortified, than when Ben had candidly told his parents, “We’re eighteen, and we love each other. And…we’ve been doing this for a while. We’re not stopping.” 

The elder king and queen voiced their moral concerns about premarital relations in an awkward conversation all the way around, but Ben thoroughly hinted that it was too late to be concerned about that. When they left the room, rather speechless, Harry pulled Ben into him and kissed him as deeply as he’d been dreaming about for weeks. 

So while Harry’s room was still kept for him in the east wing, it was understood that the Captain of the Guard would be seen coming and going from the king’s chambers just as much as his own. Ben was right, there was no earthly way they could have gone back to a time before touching each other, laying together, moaning each other’s names, had become normal. They hadn’t just risked everything, and still were, to not hold onto that. 

“Do it,” Harry told Ben one day, when they were just waking up, stretching luxuriously against the silk sheets.

“Hmm?” Ben inquired, half asleep, lazily pressing a few kisses into the edge of Harry’s chest.

“Hold your press release.” 

He knew his boyfriend’s conscience wouldn’t be fully clear until he’d gotten the worst over, and that part of being with a king was sharing him with the entire kingdom. Harry didn’t love that part, but he did love Ben unequivocally. And he was gradually getting it through his skull that this king really was his, that Ben had laid everything on the line for him, for Harry, for a wharf rat, and that he wasn’t going anywhere. 

“I love you so much,” Ben murmured into Harry’s neck as he pulled him tighter, one of his hands smoothing southward. Harry wasn’t even hard when Ben started stroking him but he came, his breath stuttering out I love you’s, a few minutes later, and Harry desperately hoped he never got used to this royal treatment. 

“I know many people, if not all, are wondering what happened and why a certain wedding was canceled.” Ben’s voice was firm and strong in the microphone. Harry sat behind him for now, focusing on the king’s profile instead of the recording cameras and the eager reporters’ faces. 

“Instead of allowing any more speculation to run wild, I have decided to announce the truth. Mal and I are not getting married because we are no longer together.” He paused for the expected rumble of surprised whispers these words caused, but dove back in before they’d died down. 

“While Mal and I still care about each other very much, and I hope to remain lifelong friends with the amazing and beautiful person that she is, my heart was stolen fair and square by another equally amazing and beautiful person. At the end of the day, the heart wants what the heart wants, and it doesn’t always give you warning of what it wants. 

“I am pleased, and nervous, to share with you that my heart has chosen Captain Harry Hook.” Here, looking both pale and too pink, Ben looked back and held out his hand for Harry to take, which the captain stood up and did, holding on as tightly as he ever had. This had been the intended presentation, but the rush of shock rolling off of the assembled reporters was still a lot to take.

“No questions yet, please,” Ben told them, turning back to the mics and pulling Harry closer to him by his hand. 

“I am pleased,” he continued with his prepared script, “Because Harry makes me indescribably happy. With him, I have found a love that I did not know could exist.” Harry tried not to blink as the camera flashes went off in their faces. People were going to find out, and this was just efficiency, and it was for Ben, he reminded himself. 

“The love that Mal and I shared was sweet, and wonderful, and precious.” This was for Ben, this was for Ben, this was for Ben…

“But it was also a little naive. We were sixteen, and I’m not going to try to pretend that eighteen is that much more mature, but I will say that when you’re that young, it’s easy to let yourself get wrapped up in romantic ideals and fantasies. As I’ve grown these past two years into learning how to best be your king, one of the things I’ve realized is that it is utter folly not to continuously ask yourself how you can be true to yourself, and be brave enough to answer that question.” He pulled Harry even closer. 

“And yet I am nervous to stand here and tell you all this, not because I think you will trust my - our -  Captain of the Guard, any less, or judge my heart for its love, even if it took an unexpected course. But because I know Mal has woven her way into your hearts, and rightfully so. She is a strong, intelligent, brave, and kind soul, who would have brought all those qualities and more into her reign as queen. I can say with confidence that she was deeply looking forward to helping me lead the people of the kingdom.” Ben took a deep breath, and Harry gave his hand an extra squeeze. 

“And so, as king of Auradon, I decree that there is no reason, unrelated to marital status, that Mal would not be able to be crowned Queen, completely on her own merit. Mal, consider this an official offer.” He spoke clearly into the microphones, expression smooth and voice confident. 

He and Harry had talked about this, too, at length, after Ben had suggested, all those hours in beds next to each other, thinking. Why couldn’t Mal still be Queen, if she wanted to, that was? It was only tradition that said a queen only became such through birth or marriage. If the king and the people decreed that someone was worthy to be crowned on their own, why couldn’t they? It wouldn’t be the first time this monarchy had broken a rule or two. 

“You were brilliant,” Harry gushed, kissing along Ben’s jaw to his chin that night. 

“You helped me write most of that,” Ben reminded him, tipping his head back further into the pillow. 

“Maybe, but you were the one who had to stand there and deliver it like a boss. To those sharks.” Harry worked his way down Ben’s throat to his chest, licking at the still fresh starburst of the puncture wound scar. He never looked at that blemish and didn’t think of how his love had literally been torn from him. The nightmares were getting better, but only because he could now hold Ben close all night, every night, his body able to absorb the knowledge that Ben was still safe, still here, still his. 

And what was even better, was that he could keep him. There was no longer a murky expiration date somewhere in their future, the threat of their corner of paradise crashing. It already had, in a most spectacular way, they had both survived, Mal somehow at least didn’t hate them, and Ben had now claimed him in front of the world. Harry reveled in all of this in the kisses he covered his king with, in the trails of sensation he left along his lover’s skin. 

No more having to get up extra early to sneak back to their rightful rooms, no more looking over their shoulders constantly to make sure no one saw or heard anything untoward, no more not being able to stare. No more rules. 

In celebration, Harry sucked a hickey into Ben’s soft flesh right above his collarbone, just a small one, distracting him by gently flicking a thumb at one of his nipples. Ben’s fingernails dug into Harry’s lower back as he started to moan, his cock thickening and lengthening where it was pressing into Harry’s stomach. The captain moved up to drown further memories of the press release in a swirling kiss, especially the questions that he had consented to help Ben answer. 

Yes, he supposed this meant they were both bisexual, not that it was anybody’s business but their own. They’d had feelings for each other for a while - anything further than that concerning a timeline they adamantly refused to discuss. Yes, they knew this was love, Harry used the night of the attack as a way to illustrate that, knowing his reaction to Ben’s near death was already out there. This segued the reporters into questions about that night and the battle, which were a little easier to deal with. 

Harry shifted, his lips continuing to explore the map of Ben’s body, moving over his shoulder and around to his side. One of his hands remained clasped in Ben’s, as if the king never wanted to let go, the same as it had during the press release, except now it was clutched just underneath his chest. 

“You’re mine,” Harry crooned into the top of Ben’s spine, “All mine,” into his overgrown shag of hair at the back of his neck. 

“All yours,” Ben agreed on a long, warm whisper, melting into Harry’s love like he always did. Earlier, in front of the cameras, to close out the questions, Ben had stolen a kiss, a quick one, from Harry’s surprised lips, but one that solidified everything they’d said. An ‘aww’ went up from the assembled reporters. 

It felt odd to be so public, but Harry recognized what was happening: the people had wanted to know more, they hadn’t crucified him for stealing a man from his fiance, they were still treating him as a hero that had helped save Auradon. They didn’t question Ben’s loyalty to them or his decree, just speculated if Mal would accept, to which Ben and Harry both said they hoped so. There were plans they’d all made for the future of the kingdom that wouldn't work without her. 

And with that, Ben had ended the session, leaving the reporters wanting more on that topic, and leaving the decision with Mal. He really was brilliant, and Harry was only too happy to show him how appreciated he was, all night long. 

Harry purposefully began at the top of the long white scar that ran down Ben’s back, and kissed every inch of it methodically, tenderly, making Ben sigh and shiver in the best way. The thing was hellacious, as wide as two inches in spots, starkly white and pink against what had been flawless skin, and Harry knew Ben hated it. 

“You’re so damn beautiful,” Harry reinforced in words as his lips included this new terrain on the map that made up his perfect lover. This scar meant that his king, his world, was alive, and Harry loved it dearly for that. He felt Ben shudder slightly in his arms, and shifted again so that he could look the man in the face. 

Sure enough, tears were dancing on his delicate eyelashes. Harry kissed them off, bringing a soft smile to Ben’s lips and a happy extra beat to his own heart. 

“Make love to me, Harry,” Ben requested, his gorgeous hazel eyes hooded and begging, “I need you.”

“I need you too, baby,” Harry murmured back. “Don’t worry, I’m going to take good care of you.” He smoothed a hand down Ben’s side to his hip and gave it a gentle squeeze. 

“I know. You always do.” Ben’s voice was full of ultimate trust, and Harry, as always, held that honor close. Ben’s mouth found his, and they kissed endlessly, deeply, hungrily, as Harry’s hand and fingers soothed and circled and finally opened his lover up as slowly as he wanted to, because they had all the time in the world now. 

He teased until Ben was panting, begging, desperate, the most beautifully pliant that Harry had ever seen. And when Harry held his breath while holding one of Ben’s legs up, and pushed in, sunk into Ben's willing body, neither of them allowed their eyes to close, even though Ben was sending up the sweetest keening whine. 

“I love you,” the king whimpered as soon as Harry was fully sheathed, and dug his fingers, all of them, tightly into Harry’s hair. The captain all but collapsed on top of him, melting into Ben in turn. 

“I love you, too,” he replied, the words nectar on his tongue as his hips began thrusting, not stopping until Ben had spilled obscenely all over himself, writhing in pleasure, and begging for Harry to come. 

“Yes, my king,” he breathlessly groaned, and emptied himself deep inside of Ben, trembling with the intensity of his release. His lover held him through it, his anchor and his sea, his utter salvation. 

Innumerable kisses, far more than Harry could count, had gotten them here as they walked hand in hand along the most desolate shoreline Auradon had to offer. Harry’s ankle had strengthened enough for the short trek down the uneven terrain, and being able to get out to his favorite spots with his favorite person made him happier than he’d ever been in his life. 

There was still work to do; a quarter of the new student body in the fall would be made up of kids from the Isle, and they would need a measured balance of guidance and a watchful eye. Most of their parents and guardians were going to be living in Auradon too, among them Lady Lilith, who had a thirteen year old daughter and was rumored to be no better than her sister Madame Medusa, and a certain Prince Hans, who had ended up as godfather of two of his nephews, for some questionable reason. 

Thankfully Mal had graciously accepted Ben’s offer to be crowned queen in an unprecedented governmental move. Many of the king’s advisors hadn’t been sure this would work, given the circumstances, but after her last conversation with Ben, Mal had spent as much time away as she could, and she said that space helped. 

If things weren’t quite comfortable between her and Ben and Harry, they at least weren’t antagonistic, and the three of them, with Jay, had worked too hard on all their ideas for development for her to not want to see them through. Harry admired her strength, not for the first time; it could not have been easy to sit in the same meetings as her former fiance and the man that he had chosen instead. 

She seemed to somehow take it in stride for the greater good, though she rarely lingered in group settings. Which was just as well.

Ben and Harry kept it professional during meetings of course, but as soon as they’d dismissed the attendees, and stepped close to gather papers or discuss a particular topic more in depth, they no longer thought about brushing hips, leaning into each other’s space, or casual touches with the door open and stragglers still leaving. They were together, and they weren’t going to hide anymore.  

Ben, Harry, Jay, and Mal were all hoping that the programs they had put in place to help show the Isle inhabitants that there could be a better way would continue to be successful, and things did look promising. They’d already proven the support for those who wanted to learn job skills and learn in general was helping. 

Having a former villain kid as Auradon’s queen had to have an impact, and perhaps more so because she had not gained it by marriage. If the daughter of Maleficent herself could do so well, then there was no telling what prosperous lives others had a chance to build for themselves now. 

Additionally, Chernabog had been a legendary threat that even the villains had hated and feared, and that a villain kid had triumphed over. Jafar’s son was now a co-captain of a still expanding royal guard, and the position of commanding officer was open. It was hoped that Lonnie would accept, and Jay was doing his best to convince her. 

Evie and Dizzy’s fashion business was booming as well as ever, and while Doug and Evie were starting to seriously get questioned on if they were going to get married, it was Gil and Daniel that came out of left field with their engagement announcement in early August. Harry was truly happy for his friend, if surprised. But Gil had always been the settling down type, and the two said they were both going to finish school first. For an aspiring engineer and doctor, this was going to be a long engagement. 

As for Harry’s other best friend, Uma had spent the last few months questioning if marine biologist was really her calling. Carlos was so sure about his veterinary path, and he was ready, excited to tackle University in the fall finally. He and Jane were going to have a tough time since she was not going to college, but they were both planning to visit as much as possible and they were used to working their relationship around being so busy. Dude would switch off every other week between them.

Uma had confessed to Harry that she wasn’t really feeling higher education anymore, but she didn’t know what else she should do yet. He’d told her not to stress about it, and then he’d talked to Ben of his concern for his friend. Head of the Oceanic Environmental Conservancy of Auradon was going to look good on her. 

But for right now, Harry could focus on the feel of Ben’s hand in his, out in the open, free to be together, to bask in a blazing sunset, watching the reflection of colors against the water play over his boyfriend’s soft, open face. 

“Remember that day I startled you here?” Ben asked as they passed the rock that had a perfect crevasse for leaning one’s body into. Of course Harry did, and he now detached his hand from Ben’s to lean into the crevasse again, jauntily cocking his hips the best his ankle would allow. Ben smiled at him, and he smirked back, raising an eyebrow for good measure. 

“I remember no such thing,” Harry shot. 

“Oh you were a sexy little spitfire,” Ben recalled, his eyes sweeping Harry’s form a lot more openly than they had that day. “I mean, you still are.” 

“And you were such a dick thirsty little king,” Harry mocked, his eyes darkening with possessiveness. 

“I was not!” Ben deflected. “Well, at least not yet.” Harry threw his head back and released a wild peel of laughter. 

“I just thought you were fascinating,” Ben added truthfully, “And I kind of wondered if there was any taming you.” His eyes danced with impishness and it was adorable. 

“Oh-hoh! The truth comes out, finally!” It felt so good to laugh and be free with each other after…everything. 

“ Taming me. Pfft!” Harry mocked and Ben pushed his way into his space, not that the former pirate minded in the slightest. 

“I mean, it kind of worked, didn’t it?” Ben teased, his voice low and saucy as he leaned in close enough to steal Harry’s breath. His sparkling eyes were devilish at this range. 

“More like I took you and thoroughly seduced you, my king,” Harry purred, sneaking his free hand to Ben’s hip to keep him in place and canting his face to not quite brush his lips, waiting for Ben to not be able to resist.

“Okay that too,” Ben admitted, “But it still took a king to capture Harry Hook.” His smirk finally met his lover’s lips, and they shared even more innumerable passionate kisses, the sunset, the sea, and the rest of the world forgotten for the moment.