Tidal Vitality (Ben x Harry Hook)

Chapter Eighteen

A/N: SPOILERS for those who have not seen 'Descendants 3'.

✨✨✨

Twilight melted away, majestic sunrise, red orange glow seeping over the Auradon horizon as if the light itself was being poured from a molten sun. Powerful rays flood over the landscape lighting every blade of grass, shining from each leaf. And one rose as soon as the sun.

Harry rolled out of the luscious bed gently, stretching away before clothing himself. Ready to head back to the Isle of the Lost to fetch some of his personal possessions. Again. He had been going returning to and fro. Retrieving his "clothes", "watches" or "keepsakes".

"You know," Ben mused softly under the soft, puffy comforter, "...sneaking out again do you no justice."

Ben groggily sat up from the bed, pushing the duvet covers off. He ran his fingers through his outgrown, brunette hair and yawned. Harry spun around from the dresser, "—Ah, Princess!"

He laughed nervously, giving Ben a don't-look-suspicious smile.

"I need me... um," he bit his lower lip, "spoons!"

There was a long pause before Ben sighed hopelessly. The pirate got up to his feet, adjusting his cravat. If only he could show him what he was up to... If he did, it would not be called a surprise anymore.

"Ouwhhh..." Harry whined, squirming in a playful tantrum, "...I just really miss my own cutlery and sometimes..."

Just a second into his explanation, Ben's head throbbed. The pain felt like someone had taken a knife to his skull. He leant his head against the headrest. Squeezing his eyes shut, he willed the pain to go away. The rest of the world became detached, all he could concentrate on was the pain rooted deep in his head. He could barely hear Harry's chatting. All he felt, all he knew was the pain of that moment.

"Arh..."

Harry paused, "...did I say something wrong?"

Ben brought his hands up to massage his temples, seriously groaning. Harry began to panic. But he did not show it, of course. His eyes showed the kind of strong concern. And inside he was screaming all kinds of worry. He laid his hand lightly on Ben's shoulder and was soothed by it. The pirate left his hand there and spoke with such a steady and gentle voice that Ben felt his words calming him more by the way they were said than the actual words. It felt as if he was wrapped in a blanket of his caring. How could Ben not consider his actions now, now that he could see how profoundly they effected Harry too.

"Breathe in... and out, just slowly..." Harry carefully left Ben, heading towards the butler's pantry in the room to fetch a glass of water.

As he did, Ben lifted his gaze to observe and if his eyes were playing tricks on him now, he wouldn't believe one bit of it. Bottles. Lots and lots of beer bottles.

"What the heck happened last night?"

It was funny how the smell of the beer last night was intoxicating, yet this morning it adds to the nausea. The thirst stayed after each slow drink of water and Ben's head felt fit to crack open.

From the pounding head and dehydrated feeling he figured he must have been drinking heavily last night. Ben's throat felt like sandpaper. It hurt to move. It was like the flu only self-inflicted, which meant he would get no sympathy from anyone. At least the curtains were still closed. Maybe he could sleep it off. He curled under the duvet and closed his eyes.

"Why aren't y-you affected, huh?" Ben groaned from under the covers, regretting his actions.

Harry tried to hide his chuckles. Never had he ever seen Ben overreact to a simple hangover.