Wings of the Forgotten ~ Harry Hook

Dorian knew they had won the moment Uma practically skipped into the kitchen, her words tumbling out in excitement about how the wand was finally theirs, and how they would soon be free from the Isle. Gil followed close behind, his face lit up with a grin so wide it was contagious. If there were anyone who could claim the title of 'most excited,' it would be Gil. Bless him, he had been dreaming about Auradon's food for as long as Dorian could remember.

When Gil had first confided this in him—Dorian had been the first to hear, after all—he had done so in a hushed tone, too nervous to tell anyone else for fear of being judged. Dorian, of course, had feigned offense, pretending to be hurt that Gil found Auradon's cuisine more appealing than his own cooking. That was clearly the wrong move. Gil, ever the earnest and gullible one, believed he had genuinely upset Dorian, pleading for forgiveness and insisting that Dorian's cooking was far superior and that he didn't need anything from Bore-adon. Dorian was certain he had waved off at least fifty 'apologies' in a span of five minutes.

But that was beside the point. They were finally leaving this cursed Isle. They would soon be free to roam the seas as they pleased. As a crew.

Perhaps if Dorian were more inclined to talk about his feelings, he might admit that, somewhere deep down, he believed their little crew was fated—meant to be. He felt a sense of belonging here with them, a feeling he had never quite experienced with the 'core four.' Maybe that was because they had always been the 'core four' - four, not five. He had always been on the outskirts, an extra piece that didn't quite fit. For a while, he had liked it that way, preferred to keep his distance.

But now it felt... different. He felt different. Changed, even. With these three pirates, he could speak freely, without fear of being just the muscle or the protector. This time, he was a part of them, not just lurking in the background as a menacing shadow, just the scary face behind them. None of them had ever called him a monster—at least, not with any real malice behind it.

He felt lo... apart of them.

~~~

As the excitement in the room built, Uma practically threw herself onto one of the rickety chairs in the kitchen, still riding the high of anticipation. "She's bringing it. That witch is bringing the wand, and we're finally getting off this cursed rock," she announced with confidence, as though it were already a done deal.

Gil, ever the optimist, nodded eagerly. "I told you we'd get it!" he said, practically bouncing in his seat. "We're so close, I can almost taste the feast we're going to have in Auradon."

Dorian leaned against the counter, arms crossed but lips curling into a small smile at Gil's enthusiasm. He couldn't help it—despite everything, seeing Gil so genuinely excited warmed his heart. "Still planning to hit up every buffet they've got?" he teased, eyes glinting.

"You bet I am," Gil shot back with a grin. "I'm starting with the chocolate fountains. I heard Carlos saying he missed it when I was spying on them."

Uma rolled her eyes, although there was an undeniable air of excitement running through her too. "We'll worry about the food later. First, we get the wand, and then we get off this prison of an island."

Despite her bold words, Dorian could sense the tension beneath them. They all wanted to believe that Mal would bring the wand, but the truth was, they wouldn't know for sure until it was in their hands. There was still so much that could go wrong. But for now, they had hope—and that was more than they'd had in years.

Harry, who had been standing by the door, wandered over to Dorian and slipped his arm around his waist in a casual, familiar motion. Dorian's heart did the usual little flip it always did when Harry got close, but it was a comfortable feeling now. His hand came to rest on Harry's shoulder as the pirate leaned into him, smirking.

"Ya hear that, love? We're this close to gettin' outta here," Harry murmured, his voice low enough that only Dorian could hear. "Just imagine it—us, sailin' the seas, free to go wherever we want."

Dorian's fingers absentmindedly played with a strand of Harry's hair, a content smile creeping onto his face. "Yeah. No more Isle. No more dirty treatment from Auradon. Just... freedom." He liked the way that word felt on his tongue, like it was just out of reach but real enough to dream about.

"Don't forget the part where we take what's rightfully ours," Harry added, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "We'll have the sea, the wand, and whatever else we want. Just like we deserve."

Dorian chuckled softly, but the thought of having that kind of power again - real power, not whatever watered down version he had now - made his heart beat a little faster. Harry had always been good at stoking that fire in him, pushing him to embrace the parts of himself he had once tried to hide. With Harry, Dorian felt stronger, more himself.

"And you're gonna look damn good ruling beside me," Harry said, his voice dropping even lower, his smirk widening as he pulled Dorian just a bit closer.

Dorian rolled his eyes playfully but couldn't help the warmth that spread through his chest. "You think we'll rule Auradon too?"

Harry shrugged. "Why not? Isle, Auradon, the whole damn sea. We'll take it all if we want to."

Before Dorian could reply, Uma's voice cut through the moment. "Harry, Dorian, you two done with your little moment? We've got a lot to plan if Mal actually shows up with that wand."

"Just enjoyin' the view, captain," Harry shot back with a grin, though he made no move to leave Dorian's side.

Uma snorted but didn't press the issue. She knew as well as anyone that having Harry and Dorian by her side made their crew stronger. "We're not counting our victories until the wand's in our hands. So let's not get ahead of ourselves."

Gil, ever the optimist, chimed in again. "She's going to bring it. I know she will. And then, it's chocolate fountains and cake for days."

Harry let out a low chuckle, his arm still wrapped around Dorian. "Aye, Gil, first we get the wand, then we'll talk about desserts."

Dorian smiled softly, feeling Harry's hand warm on his waist, grounding him in the moment. Despite everything, despite the uncertainty, he felt at peace. Whatever happened next, they'd face it together, as a crew. But more than that, he and Harry would face it together.

That was the only certainty he needed.

~~~~~

A/N: sorry this took so long guys😀🫣 kinda got into my ST faze again, so most likely a fic coming out (wink wink) very soon for that. Dunno who the love interest should be tho🤔🤔 any suggestions or requests please tell me!

Also need to know the context for the smut chapter! So if you haven't answered the question from the last chapter please do! Any suggestions would be amazing!

As always, any errors please let me know!