It was embarrassing, to say the least. Standing alone in a party full of people. There were three other people with him just a second ago, but he may have gotten a bit too excited and jumped the gun on one of them.

Harry Hook, a week prior to this day, had gone more than half a year without his captain, and boy was he miserable. As next in command, he was in charge of the crew, but every time he had to think like a captain, he only thought of his captain.

When they finally reunited, everything was just fine. Normal, in fact. They'd acted like the last handful of months never happened, that she never dove through the barrier to spell King Ben into loving her, resulting in losing yet another battle to Mal and getting lost at sea. In fact, they were closer than ever.

They were no longer limited to hook grabs and reflexive instants of contact. They were hugging.

And not like the usual hand-grab-chest-bump 'thanks for the sparring match' hug. These were real hugs. The kind where he held her against his chest while she clung to his shoulders for a brief moment in time, or the kind where he lifted her into the air and spun her around as though she were weightless. It was new, and it was great.

Maybe things are different now, Harry thought as he was dancing with her. Well, not with her with her. She was dancing with Evie, and he was behind her, at a respectful distance of course. Yet he yearned to be next to her again, to hug her close as he had before. There was something new there, but he had to be sure before he asked her directly.

Villain Kids aren't the best with things like 'love' or 'affection'. However, they knew of something very close to both: Jealousy.

"So she's definitely taken?"

He could already feel Uma's incredulous glare boring into the side of his face at his question about Mal. He almost didn't hear Evie's response. He was too busy gauging Uma's reaction out of his peripheral vision.

He had her attention, that was for sure, so he moved onto making eyes at Evie. Dopey's son was the first one to say anything, reminding Harry that he was in fact her boyfriend. For a moment, Harry couldn't help but admire that title. He wished he could bear it in someone else's name.

He felt a hard slap against his arm.

Speaking of names.

"What's my name?"

There's the reaction he was looking for, the demand for his attention. That had to count for something, right? Six months ago, he would have bowed down on one knee and whispered her name as though it were his last breath, but when he turned to her and realized just how close they were, he didn't want to risk any further separation. He also didn't want to waste another moment on flare like he usually did. He wanted to seize the moment.

"Uma," he said simply before leaning in for a kiss.

She dodged it.

She dodged him.

She recoiled, shoved him back, and walked away, a sense of urgency in her step as though she needed to be somewhere else–or just anywhere but with him.

Now, Harry was alone. Doug and Evie had taken their leave after Uma left, leaving him in a pitifully open space in the crowd. He straightened out, cleared his throat, and looked around for something, anything that he could do to get his mind off that blunder. Unfortunately, he was surrounded by upbeat Auradonians, none of which were people he knew or could easily approach with a pointy hook in his hand.

Until one approached him.

Well, danced into him would be more accurate. A blur of pink spun right up to him, and he had to extend a hand to the stranger to keep them from knocking them both over. When he finally caught a glimpse of their face, he realized it was Princess Audrey, clad in a much less terrifying attire than the last time he saw her.

"Hi," was all he could muster up. No cunning flirt came to mind after being brutally stunted by Uma.

"Hi," said Audrey in return before giving him a small curtsy in greeting. Before Harry could react, she took his hand, spun under his arm, and pulled him back into the dancing crowd.

"What are ye doin'?" Harry laughed nervously, already on the lookout for Uma. If she caught him dancing with yet another girl, it'd be the end of…whatever they've been doing.

"You looked like you needed saving," Audrey replied, a kind gleam in her eye. They fell into rhythm with the music, blending in with the crowd of dancing teens around them. "I know I wouldn't want to be caught standing alone at a party as big as this, so I thought you might want a friend."

"Ye want to be my friend?" Harry asked, narrowing his eyes in suspicion. "From what I've heard, ye were never too fond of the vks, even before ye went all dark no stars."

Audrey's small smile faltered, and her gaze fell to her feet in guilt. When she looked back up at him, her expression was solemn. "Perhaps I too was hoping to make a friend." She cleared her throat. "Or at the very least, apologize for all the trouble I caused and thank you for saving Auradon from me."

Now Harry felt awkward. He wasn't used to someone looking so hopeful for repentance. Usually, after a comment like his, he'd face an equally bitter challenge about his own shady past. Then again, this was Auradon, land of the good. Perhaps he needed to adjust his attitude as well.

"For a princess, ye sure know how to dampen the mood on a party," Harry tried for a joke, offering a lopsided smile to Audrey. She chuckled just a little at his comment and shook her head in good humor.

"Well, at least I didn't scare away my bae at a party," Audrey poked mischievously, though the meaning of her comment fell on deaf ears.

"Me what?" Harry quirked an eyebrow.

"Your bae," Audrey repeated, a little surprised he didn't know what she meant. "You know, 'Before Anyone Else'? That special someone?"

Harry only continued to look confused. Audrey rolled her eyes.

"Uma," she clarified. "I'm talking about Uma."

"Oh," Harry mumbled, embarrassed as he reflected on what just went down between him and his captain. "Ye saw that?"

Audrey nodded, humming in affirmation.

Harry scratched the back of his neck sheepishly. "Was it really that bad?"

"She ran to the other side of the crowd," Audrey answered earnestly. "You tell me."

Harry sighed, once more taking a look around to make sure Uma wasn't able to see him. Audrey noticed his anxious behavior and tried to think of a way to ease his tension, but his situation was very…one-sided at the moment.

"Hey, I'm sure it's not that big a deal," Audrey offered as consolation, though she might not have totally meant it. "I mean, I wouldn't be too happy if my boyfriend was asking about other girls, but I'm sure you have a reasonable explanation."

"Boyfriend?" That one word caught Harry's attention in Audrey's rambling. He shook his head vigorously. "No no, Uma and I are not–we haven't–we don't–"

He took a deep breath, recollecting his thoughts and organizing his words before he said them, this time very carefully. "We are just mates."

"Really?" Audrey asked incredulously.

"Yep."

"Wow," Audrey pondered aloud. "I apologize for assuming, but I remember when I had the scepter, I always saw you guys together, so I just thought you were…together."

"Yeah, well." Harry took on a downtrodden disposition. "Ye aren't the only one who made false assumptions."

Audrey took on a puzzled expression for a moment, decoding the underlying meaning in his words. Then, she noticed the yearning in his eyes as he gazed to the other end of the clearing, where she saw none other than Uma, dancing with the rest of her pirate crew.

"Ooooh," Audrey smirked knowingly. "You guys are 'just friends', but you wish you two were a little more."

Keeping his eyes on Uma, where they were so used to remaining, Harry pressed his mouth into a firm line. He'd kept his feelings unspoken for so long. The only person close enough to him to tell would be Uma herself, and the thought of telling her was terrifying. Now he had the chance to tell someone he barely knew, and he was actually considering it.

"On the Isle," he began in his low brogue. "We don't really do 'feelings' or 'dating' or any of that stuff." He spun his hook around in his hands, prying his eyes away from his captain in favor of the silver instrument. "But she was acting differently in Auradon, so I thought maybe we were different."

Audrey's lips tugged into a small smile. Ever since Hades saved her life, she'd thought long and hard about her opinions of VKs, and this brooding pirate with a soft spot for his friend clearly proved what she concluded even further: they're all people with feelings. A villain has the capacity to love just as much as a hero has the capacity to be mean.

"Well, if I've learned anything these past few days," Audrey spoke wisely. "It's that holding your feelings inside you will not benefit anyone." He looked down at her in bewilderment, and she nodded her head in Uma's direction. "Go talk to her."

"Where would I even start?" Harry wondered, feeling like a useless tool.

"Well, an apology for being a doofus might be a good start," Audrey quipped. Then she took a quick look around. "However, I might recommend a more private location if you want to get real with her."

"Ye seriously think that would work?" Harry was doubtful, but then again, he was raised by villains. He had no alternative in his back pocket.

"Only one way to find out." Audrey gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder, effectively nudging him in the direction of the girl of his dreams.

"Thanks, Audrey," he said with a small smile before remembering one thing he forgot to mention. "I'm Harry, by the way."

"Go!" Audrey encouraged, now full-on pushing Harry away. As nice as it was to talk to someone without status or history being an issue, she felt excitement when thinking she could help someone else be happy.

Now she truly felt like one of the heroes.

Harry approached the rowdy bunch of pirates as though nothing totally out of the ordinary had happened. He bumped shoulders with Jonas, gave Desiree a playfully rough slap on the back, and kept up with the buzzing thrill they all felt from being in Auradon for the first time. He almost forgot about his personal mission until he nearly walked right into Uma.

"Hi," he said quickly, urgent to get her attention before she shrugs him off again. She crossed her arms and dropped her hip, waiting expectantly for whatever he was going to say. He cleared his throat, nearly choking on the foreign words. "I'm sorry."

"Wow, Harry Hook is apologizing to me?" Uma gasped, pressing a hand to her chest in exaggerated shock. There was a hint of a smile playing at her lips, betraying her bitter tone. "I guess that Auradon goodness works faster than we thought."

"I am sorry," Harry began again, maintaining eye contact with a fierce determination. "For bein' a doofus earlier."

Uma nodded, impressed by the gesture but still hesitant to respond. She herself couldn't actually explain what was going on with them, but she knew just as well as he did that there was something. Lost in thought, she didn't notice when Harry took hold of her hand with his free one.

"Uma," he said softly, throwing Uma off for a moment. She almost couldn't hear him over the commotion. "I really want to enjoy today with ye, and with our crew." He took a deep breath, gaining resolve from just the slightest softening of her expression. "But there is definitely somethin' we need to talk about later."

Uma took a moment to think, pursing her lips together and looking Harry up and down until she eventually lifted her other hand and wrapped a finger around the curve of his hook. "Then save the talking for later," she smirked. "Let's enjoy the day."

Harry cracked a smile, relieved that he actually survived the encounter, and did as his captain said. They danced with their crew, chatted with friends, old and new, and at the end of the party, they all made their way under the castle arch in groups. Walking side by side with Uma was natural for Harry. What also felt natural to both of them was linking arms right as they passed under the arch. It was a motion as fluid as swinging a cutlass, and neither of them questioned it. Harry just stood up straighter as Uma leaned into him, laughing the whole way through the tunnel.

They would have one interesting talk indeed.

Night had quickly fallen over Auradon, the day being swept away by constant partying followed by ravenous eating, and now came the logistical part: Where were the new arrivals going to stay?

Uma was working with Ben and Mal to put every villain kid in a dorm and every villain in a temporary living space. Harry understood that they needed the extra help with organization, so he left Uma to do her work. They agreed to meet up later for their 'talk'. In the meantime, Harry decided to stroll around the school, taking in the evening air as he passed over the luscious grass. It was hard to believe that in a few hours, he would be staying in one of those rooms, air conditioning and silk sheets galore. It had been a long time coming. A really long time, but they were finally in Auradon.

A flash of pink in the corner of Harry's vision caught his eye. He glanced over at the stairs and saw Audrey standing on the steps, one hand hanging loosely on the railing. Figuring he had some time to spare, he ambled over to her. When his footsteps reached Audrey's ears, she turned to him, a friendly smile welcoming him into her company.

"And what might a princess like yerself be doin' out here all alone?" Harry inquired with a mocking sense of chivalry. Still, part of him was actually curious.

Audrey returned her attention to where it was: above. Harry followed her eyes and found that she was looking at the highest tower of Auradon Prep, where she stood only a few nights before when she was still out for revenge. Harry could tell this was a tense time for her, as the silence lasted longer than he expected. Eventually, Audrey let out a deep sigh.

"I liked feeling powerful," she admitted, a guilty edge seeping into her tone. "I actually relished the thought of destroying Auradon if it meant I could be the Queen, but…" She trailed off, biting her lip against a wave of sadness. "…I also never felt more ugly in my life."

Harry quirked an eyebrow in question but didn't say anything. This personal confession was unprompted, and he knew better than to pry into a vulnerable woman's past baggage (speaking from experience, of course). She was telling him only what she was ready to, and he was okay being that friendly ear.

That friend, in fact.

"All my life, I thought being a princess and having status was what made me beautiful," she continued, looking down at her hands. "But I never realized that I was actually hideous on the inside."

Now, Harry was a bit lost. He didn't know her that well, so he didn't know that she had a history of being a bit obsessed with her royal status. As far as he knew, she tried to take revenge on Auradon, and that's her whole story. He can't blame her. He supported Uma in the same endeavor.

"Well, I dunno about that, lass," Harry sighed, trying to sound sincere. He ascended one step so he could rest a hand reassuringly on her arm. "But from what I've seen today, I'd say ye've got some beauty to spare."

Audrey gave him a thankful smile. She was lucky to have danced into him. She had to admit, he was a bit of a looker, but she could tell from a mile away that his heart lies with someone else. She wouldn't want to come between people in love. She knew what that felt like.

Audrey rested a hand over Harry's, a silent thank you to her new friend. Their comfortable moment came to a screeching halt when they heard someone else clear their throat.

"Am I interrupting something?"

Harry whirled around, pulling his arm away from Audrey, and found Uma standing behind him, arms crossed with a disapproving glare plastered onto her face. Her apparent agitation went unnoticed by Harry, as he only got excited by the sight of her.

"Hey Uma," he greeted her with an enthusiastic wave of his hook. He took a deep breath and deliberately relaxed his shoulders to appear in control despite the wasps in his stomach. "Ready for that talk?"

"Save your talk," Uma deflected, her tone low and monotonous. Harry's smile fell when he saw her glance between him and Audrey. "I've heard enough from you for one day."

Uma turned around and started to make her way out of the clearing. Harry was frozen in place, unable to make a move or even say a word. What changed? he wondered, running the scene back in his head. Even in the dark of night, he was able to clearly recall a hint of emotion in her expression.

Was that hurt?

He looked up at Audrey, panic as evident on her face as it was in his gut. "I'm really sorry, Audrey," he quickly apologized. "I need to run off and work this out."

"What are you still doing here then?" Audrey asked rhetorically, shooing him away with her hands. "Go get her!"

With a gracious nod to the princess, Harry spun on his heel and bolted in the direction Uma was headed. She clearly made haste to get out of there fast because Harry felt like he had sprinted a marathon by the time he found Uma nearing the edge of the Royal Garden.

"Uma!" She ignored his calls, picking up the pace in an attempt to evade him or at least convey that she didn't want to talk. "Uma!"

"Leave me alone, Harry," Uma growled when he finally caught up with her. Harry ran in front of her to block her route, and the first thing she tried to do was walk around him. He sidestepped, keeping her in front of him. He held his arms up in both an extra measure of halting her and as a first line of defense.

"Uma, please," he begged. "Just hear me out."

"You just can't help yourself, can you?" Uma rebuked accusingly. "You just gotta go for anything with a pulse, like that kinda stuff means nothing."

"I swear it wasn't what ye think," Harry explained desperately. "Audrey and I were just talking."

"Okay, sure," Uma nodded, but she maintained an edge to her voice. "You and Audrey were just talking, but what about asking about Mal and Evie earlier, huh?" Harry could no longer meet her eye, unable to deny what he did. "And what's this I'm hearing about Jane?"

Harry squeezed his fists tight, forcing himself to regain eye contact. Despite the ferocity in her glare, he held it with determination. "Uma, It's not what ye think," he reiterated.

"Forget it," Uma conceded with a defeated shrug. She bit her lip and suddenly took on a softer tone. "I honestly thought that things were different between us for a minute, and that's on me."

"Different?" Harry repeated. So she saw it, too?

"But the fact is, I was gone for a while," Uma noted, and Harry caught a flash of what he saw earlier. It was definitely a pain of some kind. "And now I see that you've clearly got better things to do than hang with me."

Harry furrowed his brow, confused on how Uma could ever even consider that a possibility. However, before he could object, Uma raised her hands in surrender and slapped on a bitter smile. "You know what? Have fun with that."

She made a swift stride around him, but Harry quickly caught her arm.

"Uma," he spoke her name with as much sincerity and respect as he could muster. She stopped walking, but she still refused to face him. Still, he went on with his plea. "Please let me explain."

Uma reluctantly turned around, still not looking directly at him, and shrugged her shoulders indifferently. Harry nodded towards a stone bench in the garden. He released her arm in favor of taking her hand and led her over. They both took a seat, Harry never once letting go of her hand.

There was a beat of silence, only tainted by the low hum of crickets and electric lamps around the garden. Harry eventually broke the silence between them.

"I also noticed somethin' was…" He flipped his brain trying to find the right word. "…changing between us, but I was too afraid to ask."

He leaned forward, trying to catch her eye, but she kept her gaze locked on the cobblestone path. He settled for rubbing small circles on the back of her hand with his thumb. He cracked a smirk.

"I'm not dumb, Uma," he chuckled half-heartedly. "I know that Mal is gettin' married, and Evie was clearly involved with that green guy."

"Then why'd you ask about them?" Uma countered, keeping her voice low so she wouldn't betray any emotion.

Harry shrugged sheepishly. "I wanted to see how ye'd react." His answer was honest, but it made Uma narrow her eyes. He knew it sounded bad despite his well-ending intentions. "I was thinkin' that maybe if ye saw me interested in other people, yer reaction might give me a clue to how ye feel about me."

Uma didn't respond immediately. She was digesting his confession slowly, trying to decide on an appropriate reaction. Should she be mad or…flattered?

"And what about Jane?" she deflected, finally looking up at him.

"In truth, I just wanted to frighten the lass," Harry chuckled. "We may be in Auradon now, but I still get a kick out of a wee scare."

To Harry's surprise, his jest managed to coax a laugh out of Uma. It was brief, but it was something.

"But that's irrelevant right now," Harry proceded once their shared amusement died down. He gave her hand a gentle squeeze to emphasize his sincerity. "Right now, I'm tellin' ye that I'm sorry for playin' ye like that."

Her eyes darted between his, searching for a crack in his resolve, but all she saw was the earnest will of her first mate. The corner of her mouth tugged into a small smile. "You've been in Auradon too long."

"Ye've been here longer than I have," Harry pointed out.

"Fair enough," Uma chuckled, and Harry relished in the sight of her smile. She let out a deep sigh, something heavy on her mind. "And I guess I owe you an apology, too."

Harry quirked an eyebrow at the statement, unable to think of anything she needed to be sorry for.

"For always running off instead of just talking things through with you," she went on, shaking her head at her own ridiculous antics. "I just get so…" She trailed off, crinkling her nose and grinding her teeth as she tried to find the right word. "…angry when you talk to people in that way."

Harry tilted his head, gazing upon her with a bizarre feeling in his gut. The wasps in his stomach were gone, but something else was there. Something light. Something he'd been feeling all week but hadn't acknowledged it until that day.

"Well, if it'll put yer mind at ease," Harry offered, letting go of his hook to take her other hand and place both of them atop their knees, which were pressed against each other. "I promise not to flirt with everyone I lay eyes on."

Uma snorted and rolled her eyes. The promise was stupid, but she couldn't deny the pleasure it brought her to hear it. "That would make me feel better," she admitted as a mischievous smirk took its place on her lips. Her voice took on a mocking tone. "Though, if you don't, how on earth is the great Harry Hook ever gonna get a date ever again?"

Harry shot her a lopsided smile. "I have a few ideas."

He leaned forward, much slower this time in order to measure her approval. She didn't move back or to the side or even forward. She just sat still and waited. Even as he got closer, nothing changed. Her brows were raised expectantly, as though she were still waiting for him to explain his 'idea'.

Until eventually, his lips connected with hers. It sent a shock through Harry's body, only making that light feeling more prominent, as though he were flying. It wasn't like kissing a sleeping princess. She was kissing him back, returning just the slightest bit of pressure.

When he eventually pulled back, staring down at her beautiful face in nervous awe, he was pleased to find her once stony expression melting into one of happiness. She failed to hide the smallest chuckle as she shook her head.

"That might work," she smiled, biting her lip. She scooted closer to him so she could rest her head on his shoulder, and Harry released one of her hands to wrap an arm across her shoulders. He placed his chin atop her head and held her close, replaying their moment over and over in his mind with excitement and hope for their future.

Over Uma's head, Harry noticed a rustle in the bushes. Uma didn't seem to hear it, but Harry narrowed his eyes at the bush. It wasn't until he saw a blonde, pink, and blue mix of hair pop out the bush that he relaxed.

Audrey gave him a thumbs up and a proud smile, and he winked in return. He was just as excited to have her as a friend as he was to have Uma as his own.

SO IF YOU WERE STRESSED ABOUT THAT HARRY / AUDREY SCENE, just remember that we can stan them as Best Friends and Huma still won in D3, thank you and GOOD NIGHT! - JoJo, who literally freaked out over the End Credits of the movie, YAS CHINA THAT'S THE COVER WE DESERVE!