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Harry awoke with a gasp, heart pounding as he struggled to get air into his lungs. The darkness of the room was disorienting but the steady sway of the Lost Revenge soothed his panic. Running a hand over his face he let out a long sigh before freezing: the sleeping spell, Mal and her beast boy, the barrier, Uma! Jumping up he pulled his boots on and ran out of his cabin.
It couldn’t have been a dream, it was much too vivid but the lingering anxiety propelled him forward, dodging the hammocks of sleeping pirates and climbing up to the deck. He needed to make sure it hadn’t been a dream, that she had come back to them- to him.
Harry paused in front of the Captain’s quarters steadying himself to face the sting of disappointment if he found the cabin empty. It hadn’t been the first time he’d dreamt of her return and been bitterly disappointed to discover it’d been just that- a dream.
Reaching for the doorknob, he slowly pushed the door open with bated breath. Shafts of moonlight streamed through the open window, illuminating the room. His eyes swept the space- his Captain always was a stickler for order and Harry had made sure to keep her quarters in ship shape throughout her absence- there! Curled up on the bed in the corner of the room was Uma, Teal hair peeking out of the blankets. Slumping against the doorframe in relief Harry let himself drink her in. The sight of her eased the tightness in his chest that made it hard to draw air.
As if she’d felt his stare, Uma stirred deep brown eyes blinking open blearily to fix on him.
“Harry? What’s wrong?”
Clearing his throat he said, “Jus’ thought I’d check in on ye Captain, make sure ye recovered from your jealous outburst earlier”.
Her rejection, while disappointing, had not surprised him, after all, he’d been testing her patience all day with his incessant flirting. Of course, he wasn’t serious about his advances, no one could even begin to compare to Uma, he just needed to know she still cared, that he was still hers.
Uma sat up and patted the spot next to her. Harry didn’t need to be told twice, closing the door and quickly making his way to the bed.
“Oh please, I was just trying to keep my first mate from making a fool of himself” she sniped.
“Ye sure luv? Ye seemed quite ready to tear poor Audrey’s arm off today.”
Uma rolled her eyes, shoving his shoulder playfully. A calm silence fell over them for a few minutes before she broke it.
“Want to tell me the truth now?”
Picking at a piece of lint on the blanket Harry stalled a few heartbeats trying to collect his thoughts.
“Jus’ needed to make sure ye were here, that I wasn’t dreamin’ ” not again. The unspoken words hung heavily between them. Uma kept her eyes downcast as the weight of her guilt threatened to choke her.
“Sorry I was gone for so long. I just couldn’t come back with nothing again, I couldn’t stand to fail you guys again”
Harry’s brow furrowed, bright blue eyes practically glowing in the dimly lit cabin. “Ye could never fail us, luv.”
Uma felt her chest throb at his quiet admission, her loyal first mate.
“I missed you “
Harry’s eyes snapped up, lips curving into a soft smile “Yeah?”
Uma smiled back at him and nodded “The sea is everything we dreamed it would be- wind and waves and all kinds of creatures . But every time I’d try a strange fruit or go someplace new, it felt off.”
Uma moved to face him “I couldn’t enjoy anything knowing you were stuck here. I needed my crew and my first mate”.
Eyes soft with affection, Harry reached across the covers for her hand, thumb brushing over her knuckles.
“I use’ to dream about ye when ye were gone. I’d walk onto the ship and see you sitting on the quarterdeck yelling at Gil like nothing ever happened.” His eyes dropped, “And then I’d wake up”.
Growing up on the isle it was easy to lose yourself in the chaos, but Uma had been Harry’s anchor since they were kids, and every day she was gone Harry felt cast adrift.
Uma raised her hand to cup his cheek, turning his face towards hers. For a moment they just stared at each other, at how far they’d come since they were those two wild kids terrorizing the docks.
“I’m here. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere, Harry.”
He merely nodded in response and turned his head to kiss her wrist, basking at the contact.
“Besides,'' she added with mock exasperation, “someone has to keep you in line.”
He let out a humorless laugh “Are ye sure ye won’t be too busy, lass? Now that yer a fancy ambassador and all”
Mal and Ben had appointed her ambassador to the Isle, to oversee the transfer of the rest of the villain kids as well as improving the living conditions of the older villains. There was no better choice for the job, but Harry knew it would mean he would have less time with her.
“Hey,” she tapped his chin, “What’s my name?”
Swallowing thickly he murmured “Uma,” voice rough and filled with conviction.
“Exactly, and ambassador or not you will always be my first mate.”
His answering smile could have shamed the sun and she couldn’t help but smile back at him, feeling lighter than she had in months. She’d missed him far more than she cared to admit and she sure as hell wasn’t going to let him slip through her fingers now.
Pulling his face closer to hers she leaned forward and captured his lips. The kiss was soft and sweet and all the things they’d never been allowed to be. When they pulled away Harry’s stunned face greeted her.
“Does this mean- are we” he sputtered
“I’d suggest you stop flirting with those pretty pink princesses, Hook.”
“I knew ye were jealous” he smirked.
When the morning sun roused him from sleep the next day, he simply pulled Uma closer and drifted off again.