The Greatest Sea Witch

Rewrite the Stars

After Harry requested to speak with Uma, she opted for a more private location incase another royal or some random lowlife decided to walk in on their no-doubt emotional banter. They walked to the Lost Revenge in relative silence, only disrupted by Harry's few attempts at small talk and Uma's one word answers. When they finally arrived at the ship, Uma made sure no one was around to see her let Harry into her room. Her reputation was, albeit holding up, hanging by a thread. The last thing she needed was someone spreading false rumors about her.

"Okay, what did you want to talk about?" Uma asked boredly as she rushed over to her desk. She busied herself with whatever was on the wooden surface at the moment, for anything was better than looking Harry in the eye.

"Why was Ben here?" Harry asked from his place on the other side of the room, his back pressed against the closed door. He was trying to sound indifferent, but he was filled with animosity towards the king after he a) freed a handful of villain kids and left the rest of them to fend for themselves and b) had Uma be his date for Cotillion. Sure, it was a love spell, but he still held a grudge.

"I know that's not it," Uma noted monotonously, "You came to the shoppe without knowing Ben was there, so you must've had something else on your mind. Out with it."

She was reviewing a map of the Isle, trying to find any missing scripture or quest that could get her off the Isle. She had seven days to find her own way off the Isle, or she'd have to give into Ben's deal. No matter how much pride she had, she couldn't bring herself to let it get in the way of the future of so many innocent children and teenagers. Still, if she could find a way out before then, Ben might give up on her and free the other kids regardless. That was her best bet.

Harry swallowed hard and stood up straight, shoving his hands into his pockets before saying, "I want to talk about the other night."

"I don't," Uma shot back.

"But I do," Harry pressed, taking a step forward. Uma finally looked up and gave him a threatening glare, warning him not to take another step. Without his pirate hat, his guyliner, or his red jacket, he looked a lot less intimidating. He could pass for a regular teenager if he lived anywhere else, "So if it's alright with you, I'll talk and get everything out in the open, and then you can decide whether or not you want to talk, too." Harry offered.

Uma didn't reply. She went back to staring at her maps. Harry took her silence as permission and cleared his throat before speaking.

"Just so you know, the way I feel isn't something new," Harry began, fidgeting his fingers in front of him as he talked, "I've felt this way for a while, but I was afraid you'd cast me off if I told you."

Uma closed her eyes and sighed, moving her concentration from escape to Harry. He was leaving himself completely vulnerable, something you should never do in a world of villains. He trusted her completely, knowing she wouldn't exploit this information for his undoing. He was right, of course. She would never intentionally hurt him.

"I wasn't all that discreet about it either," Harry continued bashfully, scratching the back of his neck, "And then recently, I thought you were getting more comfortable with me, so I figured you felt the same. I was...surprised when you told me you didn't."

Uma breathed in deeply through her nose, a sick combination of regret and pity welling up inside her. She leaned her hand onto the desk to ground herself physically while she was mentally spinning. With her eyes still shut, she didn't notice Harry slowly moving towards her until his voice sounded right beside her, "So I apologize if I'm overstepping any boundaries, but I was just curious if you, at any point, saw me as more than a friend or a first mate."

Finally opening her eyes, Uma turned to face him. He was a good step away from her, but she still felt he was too close. The unpredictability violent pirate was gone, and the boy that stuck by her side for so many years without reservation was all that remained. As much as Uma wanted to embrace him, take comfort in the sound of his heart beating like a soft drum, she knew it would only spell out trouble for both of them. After a heavy pause, she answered in a steady tone, "I can't."