An Unexpected Turn

Chapter 5

Harry was already in the water when Mal reached the beach. She wouldn't have been surprised if he had been there for hours already. That was one thing that Mal admired about him. He was very guarded with his feelings and emotions, but when it came to the ocean, he was as proud as the father of an Olympic medalist. With every wave, he could tell you what was beautiful or unique about it. He could talk for hours about the depths and treasures the ocean held. It almost made Mal jealous that he had something like that.

When Harry caught sight of her, he swam back to shore, tossing his hair out of his eyes. "Is the wee dragon ready?" He smirked, knowing Mal's aversion to the water.

"My dad is Hades. Think about it. Fire, water. They don't exactly mix. As for my mother, we both know she would've tried to drown me, if given the chance. So no, I'm not ready, but I'm as close to it as I'll ever get." Mal kicked off her shoes before pulling off her jeans and top, leaving her in one of Evie's latest swimsuits. "And if you say one word about what I'm wearing, I'll make your life a living hell."

The smirk didn't leave Harry's face as he took her hand and led her into the water. "Aye, I'll keep that in mind."

The second the water hit Mal's stomach, she started to panic. Harry noticed immediately and took her other hand before stepping further into the water. "It's alright. I've got you." He mumbled, stopping when the water was at Mal's shoulder's. "I'll keep hold of your hands. I want you to start kicking your feet while I walk backwards."

Mal reluctantly obeyed, knowing she had to get over her fear of the ocean. She had grown since the incident a few years before. With Harry keeping her above water and her determination, she knew she could do this.

After about an hour or so, Mal was starting to get the hang of swimming, even being able to swim around without Harry having to hold her, much to Harry's displeasure. They both decided to take a break and relax on the sand for a bit. Mal pulled out two sandwiches she had packed, handing one to Harry.

"Thanks for this." She said, looking out at the water. "I didn't think I'd be able to get into the water again, after what happened."

Harry just shrugged, taking a bite of the sandwich. "It's been three years. I thought it would be best to get you over that fear. You never know when you're going to want to leave Auradon and come ask me to take you with me when I finally get my ship. Can't be afraid of the water for your entire life."

Mal nodded before standing back up. "Finish your sandwich. I'll be in the water." She winked at him as she walked backwards into the water.

When she began floating on top of the water, Harry recognized the relaxed expression on her face. It was something he hadn't seen in a very long time. An expression he only ever saw when she was around Evie, Carlos, and Jay. Now, here it was when she was in the water, when she was with him. Harry felt his chest start to tighten again, just like it had when he saw her again in Curl Up & Dye.

Harry grabbed their trash and walked it over to the bin before hearing Mal yell for him. When he turned around, he saw a large wave crash over Mal's head, sending her deep underwater.

"Mal!" He yelled, immediately running into the water and diving down to get her. He opened his eyes to look for her, ignoring the slight stinging in his eyes the water caused. The second he saw her hair, he kicked as hard as he could, trying to get to her as quickly as possible. When he finally got to her, he wrapped his arm around her waist, his stomach twisting at the limpness of her body. Ignoring the burning in his lungs, he kept kicking until they finally broke the surface of the water.

Harry looked down at Mal's lifeless body as fear started to fill him. "Come on, wake up. Mal, wake up!" He yelled, pressing down on her chest. He couldn't lose her again. Not like this. He leaned down and pressed his mouth to hers, breathing into her, before continuing with his compressions. Only when she started coughing up water did he finally relax.