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After a few more hours, Harry comes to more peaceful than the last, except for one little fact about him waking up to Will. The Alpha is emitting concern from every pore of his body, and Harry knows he's at fault for it. Why did he need to pull that stunt yesterday? Whether the captain will believe him or not, Harry's learned his lesson. He may not like it, especially as a prince that is meant to take no orders from anyone other than his father, but Harry needs to listen to the captain. The Prince has been putting his own life in danger by choosing not to.
"Oh," the Alpha says when the Omega's eyes open. "How did you sleep."
Sitting up first before he answers, Harry says, "Horribly, to be quite honest with you."
"Because of what you saw last night?"
"No," the Prince admits. "Some other stuff actually."
"I see," the captain barely lifts his eyes to glance at the Omega, and Harry only sees it as more of a reason to be further disappointed in himself.
"Why are you not at Port Royal with the crew?"
"I wanted to make sure you were alright. Niall offered to take you back but...Port Royal doesn't fascinate me like it used to. I'd rather spend the night back at the ship, so why not kill two birds with one stone? Besides, I could tell Niall wanted to stay out."
"That was very kind of you."
The Alpha appears to be over having small talk as his next sentence releases with irritation, "You could have gotten yourself killed last night, Harry. Do you realize that," he asks, burning his gaze into the Omega to emphasize how serious he is.
"I...yes. But-"
"There are no buts! I gave you an order, and you went against me! If you were my crew member I'd leave you behind without a second thought, but you're not. And it's making it incredibly difficult for me to figure out how to handle this."
"You seemed to have no trouble the first time you tried to punish me," Harry snaps.
"Yeah, except for the fact that I pushed you into an unsafe subdrop. I refuse to do that again."
"Because of Liam?"
"What does Liam have anything do with this," Will's brows furrow with confusion. "I refuse because I don't want to put you through that again. I can't explain what it was like not being able to get you out of there, and not knowing if you were going to come out alright. I never meant to push you that far, and I don't want to ever again."
The care in the captain's voice does something to Harry's heart, but the Omega doesn't want it to. Will has already made his peace about love, why would Harry allow himself to further any feelings for an Alpha that will never return it back?
"I never meant to upset you either, so you know," the Omega confides. "I mean, I obviously intended to frustrate you because you frustrated me, but...not in the ways that I actually had. I am incredibly ashamed of my behavior, and I know it is not worth much, but I am indebted to you for saving my life – twice. And I am sorry, so so sorry, for betraying you last night and going out when you told me not to. But maybe, maybe instead of demanding something of me, in the future, you could just simply ask?"
"That's all it takes?" Will wonders.
"That is all it will take."
"And you," Will returns, "Will you please listen in return, if I ask you for something? Even if it's not what you want? I just," the Alpha exhales, initially seeming to be further aggravated until light chuckles are produced from his breath, "I can't keep saving you princess, every time you get yourself into a bit of trouble. I can't always be the one to rescue you."
Harry rolls his eyes playfully at the damsel in distress insinuation, though he understands. "Yes, I promise to listen better. I...I never meant to cause you any stress."
Stirring between them, the anger subsides into something new, though the Omega doesn't know what. While he doesn't want to fall prey to the captain's cold heart, maybe if they tried, they could be friends? Well, friendly. Harry doesn't think that he could ever attribute the term of friendship to what they have, but at least something better than what was before.
That can't be so bad, right?
The Alpha huffs, "You know, Harry – maybe you're not so bad after all."
"I guess I could say the same to you," the Prince teases.
"Oi!"
"Alright, alright," Harry giggles. "You're not so bad either, captain. But to be fair, I already knew that."
"What do you mean?"
"I already knew that you were not as bad as the rumors that surround you. At least not to me."
The room falls into a quiet hum of breathing between the two. Maybe Harry shouldn't have said what he did? It had been an innocent afterthought as it parted from his mouth, but maybe it was too honest? Too close to something that neither one will ever actually have? When Harry's sure he's ruined the beginning of something good for them, a whisper is dropped like a grenade onto Harry's heart.
"No," Will carelessly confesses, "Never to you."
Like a feeling Harry lost long ago, dusty butterflies awaken from their hibernation at the sudden admittance. They fly unhinged, rampant in the Omega's stomach, rejuvenated after all these years by something so simple, yet meaningful. Harry doesn't convey anything differently upon his features, but his insides are chaotic, wild, untamed. Outwardly, he sticks to the conversation as he jokes along, but inwardly he's emotionally charged.
"It must be my incredible charm."
"Ay," the captain responds unaware to Harry's struggle. "Something like that. Uh, Harry?"
"Yes?"
Scratching at the nape of his neck, shifting the feathery pieces of his hair, the Alpha timidly questions, "Do you...do you perhaps wanna go back to Port Royal?"
"I...wait," the Omega's head tilts in turmoil. "I thought...I thought we were resolving things? I thought this was going well? You want to leave me here? I...I cannot be left here captain, I -"
"No! That's not what I meant, I meant...with me? Do you wanna go back and see Port Royal with me?"
"Oh," Harry relaxes. "You would take me with you?"
"Yeah, darlin'. As long as you want me to?"
The Omega doesn't even stop to think, "Yes."
It's strange how rapid the change in atmosphere becomes, but it's welcomed. With the Omega's confirmation, peace settles amongst them, lifting their frowns into hesitant grins and judgmental eyes into eager orbs. Harry quite likes this, likes having Will look at him with something other than disdain. Likes openly expressing feelings for the Alpha other than aggravation. Likes that whatever has shifted this day, their minds, their hearts - that it's mutual. It's not just the Omega that has an altered perspective, but the Alpha too, that's converted.
Together, when the two head back towards the city, it appears to Harry strikingly different from when he went with Niall last night. He had been excited but scared, sticking close to the Beta to be unseen. But with Will by his side there is nothing to fear as he courageously follows the captain's stride, not hiding his Omega status even once as they walk.
It's liberating not to care, Harry realizes. All his life that's all he's done, all his family taught him to do - to care about what others thought of him. Well not tonight, not here and not now. The Omega rushes towards the bars to drink every drop, rushes to the restaurants to eat everything, and every time he hears the sound of music call his name, he rushes to the floor and dances and sways.
And no matter where he goes, no matter which edge of the city Harry runs to, Will is close behind.
Side by side, they eat and drink and dance the day away. And at some point Harry grabs Will's hand, and at some point the captain tells the Omega that he's more beautiful than the sea, and at some point between midnight and morning - when their inebriated minds can't keep them apart - they return back to the ship attached together like vines, even as they fall into bed.
The following morning Harry wakes up once again without Will, but it's not like the last. Instead, there's a note in replace of the Alpha's body notifying Harry to sleep as long as he needs, and it's signed at the bottom with an 'x.'
For Harry, that symbol is a promise of only better things to come, and for a while, it seems to be so.
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Blue skies are infinite as Harry wakes up to another clear day. The crew is back from their somewhat holiday at the port, and Harry and Will are amicable with one another. There's speculation behind their backs every time they pass one another and smile, soft murmurs from the crew who want to know the reasoning behind the sudden change in their treatment – but no one asks. And to be honest, it's probably best that way.
Harry's currently on his way to Liam when he bumps into someone else that he hasn't adequately talked to in a while.
"Ed."
The red-headed pirate grins, "Harry! How d'ya enjoy Port Royal?"
"It was incredible," the Prince says. "Did you make good use of the break?"
The Alpha blushes while he answers with a wink, "I don't kiss and tell, mate."
"That is for the best," the Omega jokes. "I have come to learn that there are quite a few gossips aboard."
"Ay, you have no idea."
Harry giggles, "I am sure."
"You know," the Alpha adds, "I'm glad I ran into you, 've been meanin' to talk to you for the past couple days."
"Oh?"
"Ay, nothin' bad or anythin', just wanted to say that if you're ever bored, you should stop by to see me. I mostly just steer the ship unless I have a break like now, but it's not so bad in there. At least I like it."
Harry grins, "I would be happy to."
"Great! Well, you're welcome anytime."
"Alright, I will come by soon," the Prince promises.
"Oi," Ed adds when he's about to leave, "And this may be random, but I never got a chance to apologize by the way, for makin' you scared that first day. I just wanted to get it out there, that I'm sorry - I really never meant to."
"Ed, I have not even thought about it."
"Okay well...thanks. See you later."
"Bye!"
As Ed walks away, the Omega speculates all the numerous reasons for the apology. Harry has been here for a while now, and there has been ample time to make his feelings known. But maybe the Alpha never thought Harry would last this long? It could explain why he hadn't bothered if he didn't think the Prince was going to be sticking around. To be honest, the Omega is a little amazed too, by how long he's lasted.
Really amazed.
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Harry spends nearly all of his next morning with Niall, who goes into incredible detail over his weekend away. Strange moans are erupting from his mouth when he talks about the turtle soup he had, to which Harry expresses his disgust. And after, he tells of meeting a wonderful female Beta that 'put his broken heart back to use,' as Niall had so admiringly reported. Harry is happy for his friend for having found someone to spend the few days with, especially since Niall seems entirely renewed. He must have really needed the break.
"Speaking of hearts and all that, what's goin' on with you and Will?"
Harry chokes, "Nothing."
Niall laughs aloud, "Ah, you know you're terrible at lyin', right?"
"We are cordial towards one another, is that not enough?"
"For us crew members possibly. Not for you."
"Why is that," he asks.
"I see the way you stare longingly at him. You might be foolin' yourself, but you're doin' a terrible job tryin' to fool me."
"Do I really," the Omega wonders.
"All the time."
"Well then."
Niall continues past Harry's embarrassment, "What are you gonna do about it, hm?"
"I am afraid there is nothing I can do. Even you said so yourself, pirates do not want love."
"Yeah, but that was before."
"Before what?"
"Before Port Royal," Niall answers as though obvious.
"Why does it matter what happened at Port Royal?"
"One," Niall emphasizes by lifting up his fingers each time he counts, "He came to save you. Two, he didn't punish you for your actions. Three, somethin' happened between you two, and it's why you're acting nicer round one another. Four, he looks at you the same way you look at him. I've seen more affection from the captain towards you than I've ever seen from him in me whole life."
"That all means nothing if he is dead set in his ways," the Omega sadly replies. Niall's list does tug at Harry's heartstrings and makes him want to run directly into the captain's arms and tell him to just do it. Just take a chance. Just see what happens, because what could be so wrong about falling in love? But Harry shoves it all away, refusing to give it any more attention than he has.
"Alright, I understand," Niall says until he pipes up, "Oi! I almost forgot, I need a favor, and I'm only askin' you cause you're my best friend." Harry warms incredibly at the label Niall's given him, and listens intently as the Beta goes on, "Maybe not today, but someday this week, I need you to go in the captain's office. That's where he's been sleepin' since you got here, so just make sure he's not there when you go in. I need you to find me a document with a dog on it."
"Dog," Harry asks bewildered.
"Yes."
"You want me to sneak into the captain's office for a parchment with a dog on it?"
"Yes."
"Well okay," the Omega shrugs. "The captain cannot know?"
"Will can't know."
Harry sighs heavily, "Alright...I just started to gain his trust back, but you called me your best friend and I have never had one before so I feel completely cornered. But Niall, for you – I will."
"Ay! That's me boy!"
Harry doesn't feel the same excitement that Niall does, but now having a best friend makes up for that.
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are you all still liking it?
Also, not sure you're ready for what's about to happen next!