Heâs down on one knee, hat sweeping off his head in a glorious flourish as blue eyes gaze up at the girl sitting before him. âYe know, Uma - I think Iâve been in love with ye since the day I cracked open."  ( @piraticalheirâ )
                 â   youâre   a   fucking  idiot   ⌠  â  Â
        itâs   impossible   to   conceal  the   smile   that   threatens   to   curve   on   her  lips,   even   as  she   rolls   her   eyes,   (  itâs   impossible   because   he   knows   her,   and  she   doesnât   feel   the   need   to   pretend   around  him   as   much   anymore   ).   it  should   be   the   other   way   around,   she   thinks  â   the   captain   is   the   one   in   charge   of  the   sailors,   and   Uma   has   made   it     a   habit  and   a   duty   to   carry   her   crew   upon   her  shoulders.   However,   when   it   comes   to   Harry,  it   never   is   â   when   it   comes   to   Harry,  itâs   as   if   he   was   the   one   keeping   her  steady   (   his   eyes   are   storm   and   hurricane,  and   yet,   in   them,   she   finds   the   calmest   of  tides   ).
         he   kneels   before   her   in  dramatic   display,   she   sits   on   the   lowest  staircase   of   the   ship   (   he   knows   where  to   find   her;   sheâll   always   be   where   she  feels   at   ease,   and   when   the   tide   is   high,  Uma   likes   to   watch   the   waves   crash   against  the   hull   and   imagine   the   ship   in   motion,  sailing   far   away   from   the   Isle   ).   and   he  jokes   around   â   what   are   you   giving  that  boy  that   he   keeps   trailing   after   you   like   a   lost  pup?   Her   motherâs   viper   tongue   always   calls  the   worst   in   everything   (   she   once  congratulated   Uma   for   keeping   Harry   at   her   beck  and   call,   until   she   realized   they   were  actually   friends,   and   that   she   actually   cared  about   him   and   that   it   wasnât   just  pretend   on  her   part   ). Â
        â   iâm   gonna   crack   open  your is skull   with   a   rock   if   you   donât  knock   it   off   â   â   sheâs   laughing,   however,  glassy   surface  of   her   eyes   concealed   behind   beaded   hair  (   Harryâs   smile   holds   a   glint   of   mischief  and   itâs   contagious   ).     and   after   she  reaches   to   deliver   a   punch   to   his   shoulder,  their   gazes   linger   for   a   moment,   yet   sheâs  the   first   to   withdraw   (   it   always   happens  like   that   â   Uma   is   terrified   of   anyone  seeing   her   show   any   sign   of   affection   ).
           â   yeah,   youâre   in   love  with   me,   all   right   â   guess   we   gonna   have  to   get   married   now,   âcause   iâm   sure   you  wonât   give   it   away   without   me   puttinâ   a  ring   on   it   first,   â   a   loud   snort,   a  moment   of   realization   that   one   of   her   tears  has   actually   escaped,   and   she   cannot   tell   if  itâs   because   sheâs   still   upset,   or   simply   a  reminder   that   they   wonât   really   get   a   happy  ending   of   any  kind   at   all,   â   you  always   find   me   here   ⌠  guess   i   need   a  better   hideout.   â
Sunlight glitters over the waves that lap against their shipâs hull as if teasing, mocking her and crew alike with the lure of a freedom they will never know and for a moment the boy feels an ache in his chest, a longing for a thing that will forever be out of his reach - a longing for the thing that will make the captain sitting in front of him smile like she deserves. But such a thing is lost to his questing fingertips so instead Harry does what he can, smile twitching at corners of his lips as he takes her in, blue eyes studying each and every detail. He knows her by heart, can commit her very essence to a piece of paper without second thought - the curve of her smile, eyes that shine with ambition and determination despite the hell they have grown up in, and that fighting spirit that has lured him in since day one.
Fingers allow the hat to fall from his grasp, head cocking to the side as gaze never wavers. He has been raised in darkness and regret by an all but dead pirate - a father who let his bitterness trickle into the lives of his children until it lodges itself in the back of Harryâs throat. There is no escape from what he is, from the darkness that is his destiny, but Uma is a flash of hope, a star shining even in the blackest of nights - and he will do anything to defend her. Black boots had strode upon the pier in his search for her, thoughts never sure to what heâd find - and the lingering sadness hiding just below the surface of an otherwise unchanged demeanor all but breaks his heart in two. The silence stretches between them for a moment as teeth chew on his bottom lip, the metallic tang of blood something heâs so used to that the pirate barely takes notice of it.
Curved steel swings at his waist as weight shifts, a reminder of what heâs overcome, of every challenge heâs faced. Once it had been a symbol of his father, something the old man had cast away with nary a thought - but Harry has twisted it, changed it, made it his own .. and he will use every ounce of the reputation he has so carefully constructed to protect the one before him. Eyes linger when they reach her own, blinking only when she looks away first - he could stare into those ocean depths for the rest of his life. Thereâs a hope there, a hint of promise hidden behind the tough shell that every child of the isle learns in order to survive .. but such a wall is not needed with Uma, so he lets his guard relax. âIâm yer idiot.â The words allude to her very first statement, tone light with a lilt to his voice that he hopes mars the truth disguised in them.
Sheâs the captain. Heâs the first mate. A title and position at her side that he will fight for until his grave - last breath will be the whisper of her name across the lips. Whenever that may be - even stuck in this hell, forever by her side seems not near long enough. Hat lays forgotten against the wood at his feet (immaculate, even if old, unlike anything else that has ever been part of his life) and Harry moves to sit next to her, tongue sweeping out and head rolling on his shoulders until a crack brings him some sort of relief from tension. One ringed finger reaches out to catch her chin, bracelet dangling on a scarred wrist as he pulls slightly until she faces him once more.
âYouâll figure a way outta here.. â If anyone can, its you. âAnâ .. until then...â Lips part in a genuine smile, kohl covered eyes searching out her own. â .. ye know Iâll do what I can.â Finger trails from her chin to rest a full palm on her knee. Itâs not often he allows his heart to show itself so plainly out of his chest - but this moment, just the two of them, it brings the only feeling of peace heâs ever thought possible. Gaze turns back to the water as the ship rocks slightly, displaying her own insistence that they break free of the barrierâs hold, and Harry presses tongue to a singular cheek. The words that fall between them are a reflective hum, faith belied by the jest that surrounds them. âWe could always try Gothel or Hades .. we can give âem Gil thâ next time he calls ya Shrimpy.â