dollymixtures | Now's your moment, floating in a blue lagoon (Harry and Mal)

Mal could not fix Harry. She had tried everything she could think of. Magic was not working. Nothing was working. She was so frustrated. And she was dealing with a lot of other stuff too. She and Ben were no longer together and things were so awkward. She didn't know what was going to happen, but she tried to focus most of her time on helping Harry.

She was annoyed and frustrated and honestly just feeling down on herself. It had been weeks and she couldn't fix Harry. There was a VK in Auradon who wasn't on the "approved list" and people were talking about it. Talking about her. Talking about her breakup with Ben. It was just too much.

She had been spending a lot of time with Harry lately, mainly just to keep him company since none of the solutions they'd tried had restored him to his non-merself. At least it was something that helped keep her distracted from everything else.

She showed up around the usual time, and he was already waiting for her. "Hey, Harry." She said trying to sound as cheerful as she could. She was dealing with a lot but that was not his problem. Though she was sure he'd heard things when people talked by the lake. She just wanted things to go back to normal.

Harry could tell immediately that something was up with her - he'd been noticing it more and more every time she came to visit him. He'd put it down to her just being frustrated that they couldn't do anything about his situation, but he'd overheard his share of gossip - not a lot, since people knew he was there, but enough to give him a few ideas about what might be on her mind.

What he still hadn't decided, however, was whether or not he should mention it - it seemed like the kind of thing Mal might want to talk about, with someone, but he just wasn't sure if she'd want that someone to be him.

"Hey," he commented, watching her for a moment before deciding to get the difficult part over with "Any ideas for today, or are we just here for a wee chat?"

"I don't know what else to try," Mal admitted. She wasn't giving up. But it was obvious this was going to take time. It already was taking time. She hoped he knew how frustrated she was over all of it too. That she wasn't content to just...leave him like this despite everything that happened. Maybe the old Mal would have been, but that was not her anymore.

"But I figured you could use some company," She offered. They'd figure out how to turn him back eventually. In the meantime, she'd continue to visit him. She actually liked spending time out here, not that she was about to admit it.

"How are things going?" She knew he had to miss Uma and his friends on the Isle.

Harry tried to keep the disappointment from his face - he knew Mal was trying her best, he knew she was doing everything she could and he appreciated that, he didn't want her to feel worse that she hadn't been able to figure this out, he knew she was just as frustrated as he was already.

Honestly, there was a tiny part of him that treacherously was pleased they hadn't found anything yet, no doubt as soon as he got his legs back he'd get thrown back through the barrier, and then... he'd like to claim that even that small part of him would be lamenting the missed opportunity or the potential for freedom that being here represented, he knew that the real disappointment would be leaving Mal.

He shrugged at the question.

"About the same... Chad and Audrey tried to have a romantic moment. It didn't last long," he smirked - he didn't get a whole lot of entertainment so occasionally he took the chances when he could. Most of the time when people came down here he avoided them, but soaking a couple of pompous royals with a splash of his fins was just funny.

Mal wished there was more that she could do to help Harry. She was probably just as frustrated as he was. She knew he probably hated being stuck here. Most of the pirates had a pretty negative view of Auradon and she couldn't blame them. Auradon was responsible for some terrible things happening on the Isle. Ben was working on changing that but it was a process.

"I bet Chad was screwing it up anyway," Mal said. That kid had some serious issues. And he was dumber than a bag of hammers. Mal was not his biggest fan for sure. So while normally she might have scolded such behavior from Harry, right now she didn't mind.

She felt bad that she didn't have any good news for him. But at least she could sit here and keep him company for awhile. "What else have you heard about?" Lots of people talked by the lake. And Mal was curious as to what was being said about her when people thought no one was listening.

The decision of whether or not to bring up Mal's breakup was still going round in his head, but the question did kind of give him the perfect opportunity to mention it, and if she didn't want to talk about it she only had to say.

"Well I did hear a rumour that you and dear old king Ben are, shall we say, on the outs?" of course he was still Harry, so he wasn't very good at putting things delicately, but hey, maybe treating it with a little irreverence might help, rather than tiptoeing around the matter. At least he had the tact not to mention that at least one student had wondered if Ben was going to throw all the VKs back to the isle now his 'fling' was over with.

"What happened, work out you can do better?" he teased gently, nudging her with his shoulder.

If Harry already knew about her and Ben that was not a great sign. Of course, rumors traveled fast but she didn't really want him to rub it in her face or anything. Maybe once upon a time that would have been what happened, but spending all this time with him now had proven that Harry wasn't as bad as he made himself out to be.

"More like the other way around," Mal shook her head. "I mean who was I kidding?" She'd once been the worst of the worst. Ben deserved better than her. She didn't really see what he could see in her anyway.

"But you know, it's fine. We're still friends." And that was better than nothing for sure.

Harry shook his head.

"The other way round? Don't make me laugh. He was lucky to have you, Mal, he's an idiot for letting you go."

He got it, though, where she was coming from made perfect sense to him - he would have felt the same, if he'd ended up with somebody from Auradon, that constant feeling of not being good enough, of wondering what part of your past might be the dealbreaker, of not knowing if they'd ever really get you.

"You need somebody from the Isle, somebody who understands how amazing you are." The words slipped out without him even really thinking about it, his intent had been to reassure her but he actually meant what he was saying.

Mal didn't know if Harry was right. Ben was a prince. There was no way a girl from the isle would ever be good enough for him. Or that's how she felt anyway. Ben was different from his parents, he believed in the VKs, but he and Mal were just not meant to be. And that was okay.

She was surprised by Harry's words and if she hadn't heard the tone behind them, the sincerity, she would have thought he was messing her or something. But no, she could tell he was being honest with her right now.

"I don't feel amazing," she admitted. "And everyone on the Isle aren't my biggest fans." Not that she could blame them really. Maybe Mal just wasn't meant to be with anyone. It wasn't like her parents had even stayed together.

"Well, okay, you've got a point there," he's not going to deny that fact, plenty of kids on the Isle - himself included, before now - had reacted to the news of Mal and the others with jealousy. Why did they get to go to Auradon, leaving the rest of the VKs behind to rot? It's easy for that jealousy to morph into a kind of hatred, even though it really isn't Mal's fault - or Evie's or Jay's or Carlos's, for that matter - they're not the people who decided the rest of the kids deserved to stay behind.

"But not everybody from the Isle hates you... " he says slowly, and he's not talking about the others that came here with her. He'd never really disliked Mal, not personally, he'd just been loyal to Uma, and being away from his captain and getting to know what Mal was like really had shifted his opinion quite significantly. A little too significantly, if he was honest with himself.

Mal had really only accepted going to Auradon because of her mother. Maleficent had been so obsessed with getting revenge and needed Mal to achieve it. And there was definitely some resentment that people in Auradon were living it up while the kids on the Isle had to fight for everything they had. But being in Auradon had changed her.

"Most people do," Mal said. "And I really can't blame them." She wasn't sure if Harry was trying to make her feel better or if it was something else. "But I'm really trying." She admitted. She was more than the girl from the Isle, she was part Auradon too. But she was still trying to figure everything out too.

"You should be furious with me, you're stuck here because I can't find a way to give you back your legs."

"Mal, if it wasn't for you they probably would have thrown me back through the barrier and left me like this," which was, if he was honest, kind of a terrifying thought. Living on the isle was bad enough without being stuck in the water. "You haven't found anything yet, but you're trying... I..."

He hesitated, then, looking away for a second. Sincerity had never been Harry's strong suit, but it seemed important to let Mal know how much it meant to him that she was doing this. He looked back up at her and shrugged a little awkwardly.

"I'm not really used to having someone who won't give up on me." he admitted.

"Let me be clear about one thing, Harry. I would never ever let them do that." Mal said. And if they tried, she'd go back on the other side of the barrier with him. But Ben was not like his father, and he would never allow that. So Harry didn't have to worry too much.

"It'd be really messed up to just give up on you," Mal said. That might've been the old Mal. But she wasn't like that anymore. She wanted to be good, even if it sounded cheesy. She loved living in Auradon and all the changes Ben was making to make things better for the kids on the Isle.

"I just hate feeling so helpless. I should be able to fix this for you." It was the least she could do after everything.

"I know you wouldn't," Harry replied simply, and he did, somewhere along the way he'd come to trust Mal, he knew he could rely on her. He trusted very few people in his life - even with Uma, though she was his closest friend in the world, he knew her loyalty came with strings attached. There was something about Mal's insistence that made him wonder if there was anything he could do to change her mind, because honestly he didn't think there was.

"Mal," he reached out without thinking, grabbing her hand and squeezing it slightly "you'll figure it out." He didn't want to give up on her either, he genuinely did believe in her, but it also slightly helped that the longer this went on, the more he wondered if it would really be so terrible to be stuck here, as long as she stuck around. Well, he'd miss the sea before long, he knew he would, but somehow that didn't bother him as much as he thought it would.

She hoped he was right. It was strange, Harry being so nice to her. Touching her hand like that. Believing in her. Even when she didn't believe in herself. She had to solve this for him. She couldn't just leave him as a merman forever. Even if she was...enjoying his company.

"Thanks, Harry. You don't know how much it means to hear that." Even if he was just saying it to make her feel better. But she felt like he was genuine, that he believed the words he was saying. And that meant that she had to keep trying, to do everything she could to make this better for him.

"I'm sorry it's taking so long."

He gave her a lopsided grin, trying not to look as pleased as he felt that his words had actually reassured her - he'd never been very good at the whole encouraging thing, it wasn't exactly a skill one learned on the isle, so the fact he'd actually managed to get it right was something of a triumph.

"Oh take all the time you need, it allows me to complete my nefarious plan, don't you know." he teased playfully - of course there was no nefarious plan, but he was fully prepared, should she ask, to come up with something ridiculous and dramatic on the spot, just to make her smile. He couldn't really do serious for too long, and she had such a beautiful smile...

"Nefarious plan, huh?" Mal asked, a bit skeptically but with a very light tone that obviously meant she was teasing him. "And what would that be?" Was this flirting? Was she flirting with Harry of all people right now? Maybe she was. And part of her felt a bit guilty about it all, but another part of her was just happy to smile again. If just for a moment she could allow herself to relax and be happy, that wasn't a bad thing, right?

Harry was letting her off the hook in a big way. She didn't have to have the solution to his problem just yet. And while she was far from giving up by any means, it was nice to know he wasn't pressuring her to fix him. She'd think of something, somehow she always did.

"Well first I was going to stay here long enough to lull everybody into a false sense of security," he begins, and yes he's absolutely making this up as he goes along "and then I'll do something endearing and delightful, they're already used to having me around so they'll be charmed by it. Maybe... ask someone out in a grand romantic gesture." he's going to ignore why he decided on that thing in particular "Once everybody loves me, and I have my romantic ally, I'll be so popular and beloved that Ben will have no chance but to become my friend. Then I'll steal his crown and rule all of Auradon."

It's a stupid, overly vague plan that doesn't make any sense when you actually think about it, but it's a deliberate choice - he doesn't want to give her a plan that sound plausible in case she thinks he's actually thinking of doing it, but mostly he just wants to make her laugh.

Mal couldn't help laughing at that. That...was quite the plan he was hatching. Of course, she didn't take him seriously, he was obviously joking. But she'd needed a laugh. Harry probably knew that. He heard a lot more of what went on in Auradon than most did. People just loved to come and talk by the lake.

"Well, that's a plan," Mal said, shaking her head a bit. "And just who would this romantic ally be?" She couldn't wait to hear who he come up with for that. Audrey did like him, after all. And he was...way more intelligent than Chad was. Not that that was saying very much. Chad wasn't known for his intelligence.

Honestly, Mal always kind of thought that Uma and Harry would end up together. Or maybe Harry and Gil. There was one thing she was sure of though, and that was that Harry deserved someone. He deserved to be happy as much as anyone in Auradon did. All the Isle kids deserved a chance. And hopefully with Ben as King, they could get that chance.

Harry was a different story though, he was stuck here until they could find a way to turn him back. He couldn't exactly go back over the barrier in the condition he was in right now. Well, Mal supposed he could have, but it was highly unlikely he'd want Uma or any of the pirate crew to see him like this.

Mal didn't really want to admit it, but she was going to be a little sad and lonely when they did find a cure and Harry went back to the Isle. She'd grown used to his company. And she would miss him when this was all over.

For a moment, Harry is silent, weighing up his options. It's the perfect opportunity, really, to test the waters and still be able to pass it off as a joke if her reaction isn't favourable, so there's only a short pause before he throws caution to the wind and runs with it.

"Why you, of course, my dear Mal," he flashes her his very best charming grin "who else would it be? Think about it, you're the one spending all this time with me, they'll be less likely to think it some kind of potion or trick than if I set my sights on an Auradon girl, and who better to stand beside me as proof that kids from the Isle aren't so bad than the girl who's already won them all over?"

The risk, of course, is that she brushes it off entirely as a joke, but he'd still rather take that risk than not say anything - what kind of pirate would he be, after all, if he couldn't be bold? He'd stand by his words, unless she seemed entirely put off by them.

Mal might've thought he was joking, if not for the fact he was being so nice to her. If not for him saying what he had about her and Ben. About her needing someone from the Isle. He'd literally called her amazing. And he seemed sincere. He could have been working some kind of angle here, but she didn't think he was.

Harry had to know upsetting Mal wouldn't be good for him. Sure, she would help him anyway because that was who she was now but...he didn't know for sure she would. He couldn't count on it if this was just a cruel joke. She was still the daughter of Maleficent and Hades and had quite a temper in her own right.

So if it wasn't a joke, then it had to be real. And Harry was saying that he was into her. And...she didn't hate the idea. Maybe things hadn't worked out with Ben because Ben wasn't who she was supposed to be with. Harry certainly understood a lot more about Mal because he had also grown up with her on the Isle.

"Well," She said, shaking her head just a bit with a smile. "I wouldn't say...won them over exactly." But Ben did listen to her. And the VKs that were there in Auradon now tried to advocate for more kids from the Isle coming over. Evie had a list. "But I do think, they can see we're not all bad."

She moved a little closer to him now, thinking seriously about if there was something there. The way he'd just grabbed her hand a bit ago...

"And you'd better not be messing with me, Harry Hook."

There was something in her eyes, in the way she shifted closer to him, something that told him she not only understood what he was really saying beneath the jokes, but also believed him, and might even possibly feel the same way.

Or, at least, she wasn't opposed to it.

He flashed her a cocky grin, but beneath the usual facade there was something softer and more sincere in his face.

"As delightful fun as messing with you usually is... no, in this instance I'm not." his words began teasing, but shifted into a more serious tone, making sure she knew he meant it.

"Of course I would have to plan my grand gesture," he was back to teasing, even as his eyes searched her face for a sign that he could allow himself to hope "it's the least you deserve..."

Mal honestly didn't know what to do about this. Her breakup with Ben was still fresh in her mind. In everyone's minds. Part of her wondered what everyone would think if she...moved on quickly. But another part of her didn't really care so much. Maybe she just deserved to be happy, no matter what anyone else thought. And it was time for her to stop trying to be everything for everyone and to just be herself.

And Harry was not messing with her at all. She had been reasonably sure already that he wasn't, but it was nice to hear him say it. And this wasn't some love spell like Uma had done to Ben. This was..genuine.

"Oh I don't know, an intimate setting by an Enchanted Lake is pretty grand." Mal pointed out. If he was going to make a move here, she was certainly open to it and she hoped she was conveying that well enough.

"Plus you know, kind of limited with the whole merman thing." She added with a small smile. Her heart was beating pretty fast. The last thing she'd expected today was that she was going to have a moment with Harry Hook. Let alone that feelings were going to be confessed and quite possibly reciprocated.

"Hmm, I suppose you're right," he agreed - and honestly he was kind of glad of her saying it. Not only did it confirm that, actually, she wouldn't mind so much if he did have feelings for her (and confessed them), but also let him off the hook. She was right, he was kind of limited by his tail and as much as he might actually want to stage something over the top and ridiculous, he really didn't have the option to.

Intimate and romantic, on the other hand, that he could do just fine right here, right now.

He lifted a hand slowly, still searching her expression for any sign that she wasn't completely okay with what was happening, and brushed some hair back from her face gently.

"You really are quite beautiful, Mal, I hope you know that." he said quietly, his hand moving to cup her cheek as he stared at her as though entranced for a moment.

He smiled, softly, and leaned in to press his lips to hers.

Mal couldn't really believe this was happening. She never would have thought about it in a million years. Her and Harry Hook. They didn't even really like each other on the Isle. He was part of Uma's crew so had to hate Mal by default. Even if Mal had brought Uma's hatred of her on herself. They weren;t just silly kids anymore. They were all growing...hopefully into better people.

She knew she'd been better since coming to Auradon. And Harry seemed better too, spending time here. Spending time with her. They'd never be Auradon level goody two shoes or anything, but she'd definitely changed for the better.

Mal was definitely okay with what was happening, even if it was...surprising to her in a way. It wasn't as surprising as it would have been if it happened weeks ago. But she still was a little taken aback that he had basically confessed his feelings.

She blushed a little when he told her she was beautiful and touched her face. Her heart was beating so fast and she definitely had that butterfly feeling.

When he leaned in to kiss her, she leaned up to meet him, their lips touching and her heart fluttered. Maybe this was not something she'd have thought would happen before, but she was really glad for it now.

It was not, by a long shot, Harry's first kiss. Somehow, though, it felt like it. He had expected kissing Mal to be nice, of course, to be pleasant and sweet and kind of exciting, the way first kisses with a new person often were, the way kisses felt when you really had feelings for someone. He hadn't expected it to feel so... right. To feel like coming home.

He definitely hadn't expected the tingling sensation. It started at his lips and spread down his body and made his stomach flip and his skin feel strange. He broke away in surprise, staring at her for a moment in confusion as he realised that something was happening, something odd. The strange feeling ran down his body to his tail, and intensified until it was almost painful - a very familiar pain.

"Mal!" he said urgently, grabbing her hand suddenly as the pain flashed white hot and then, just as it had before, it disappeared entirely. Slowly, he looked down.

His legs were back.

It wasn't Mal's first kiss either. She expected it to be nice enough but she didn't expect things to ignite the way they did. Kissing Harry just felt...right. And in that moment Mal realized maybe things hadn't worked out with Ben because she and Ben were not meant to be. But maybe...she and Harry were.

The old Mal would have laughed at her right now. Believing in all that true love stuff. It hadn't been who she was before. But being here had changed her. These people had changed her. And Harry was one of them, honestly.

When he pulled away suddenly, she wondered if she'd done something wrong and her face started to flush red. But then she saw what was happening. Harry...had legs again.

"Wait, does that mean..."

At first, Harry wasn't coming to the same conclusion as Mal, he was busy staring at his legs and wondering what the hell - after everything they'd done, everything they'd tried, and they just come back on their own? It wasn't even a particular length of time since he'd first changed, absolutely nothing had changed, the only thing that had happened was that he'd kissed Mal, and-

That was when it clicked and instead of staring at his legs his head shot up to stare at Mal instead, realising what she was saying.

"...True love's kiss..." he said in hushed tones. That had to be it, right? Nothing else had worked, and okay this wasn't a curse in the traditional sense he didn't think, but it was an irreversible magical problem and that was almost the same thing, so of course true love's kiss would work - they just hadn't thought to suggest it because, well, it wasn't as though there was a likely candidate around - or so they'd thought.

This was comletely crazy. Only it also made perfect sense. Nothing else they tried had any effect up to this point. And nothing else was going to work because this was something only a kiss could reverse. And not just...any kiss. She never would have imagined that Harry would be her true love. Honestly, she wasn't even sure she believed in true love. Until now.

The irony was not lost on her that her mother had cursed Aurora and only true love's kiss could awaken her, and now Harry had been a merman for weeks...and it was Mal's kiss that brought him back to himself. But where did they go from here?

"I...don't even know what to say." Mal said. It wasn't often she felt like this, but this was huge. They were still just kids and now they were each others true loves? That was a lot to absorb at once. But on the plus side, Harry had legs again. She was sure he was happy for that, even if he was likely just as confused as she was.

Harry didn't blame her - it was clear they'd both been kind of blindsided by this revelation. Even just a few months ago they'd barely even liked each other, and while he'd definitely become far more fond of Mal over the time he'd been stuck here, the idea that she was his true love was still going to take some getting used to. He didn't mind, he realised, but that didn't make it any less massive.

They just needed a little time to get used to the idea, that was all. Only... well, the stark reality of the situation dawned on him, then, and he realised that they might have a little too much time to get used to it.

"Mal...if I'm cured they're going to want to send me back, aren't they?" Figuring out the whole true love thing was going to be a little harder if he was stuck on the Isle, and he had no idea if this new revelation would change anything - if Mal would even want to tell anybody about it. Maybe she'd be happier throwing him back across the barrier and trying to forget this ever happened.

"No.," Mal said firmly. "I am not going to let that happen." She didn't know exactly what she could do to prevent it. But if Harry was sent back, well then Mal had already decided she would be going with him. They needed to figure out what all of this meant and they couldn't do that if they were on different sides of a barrier.

She'd already been appealing to Ben to take the barrier down. He was not his father. King Beast had made a lot of mistakes, but Ben didn't have to rule as his father had. He was better than that. And if things were ever to truly be repaired between Auradon and the Isle, if Ben could hope to make up for the mistakes of his father...the barrier had to come down.

It would take some time of course for that to happen. But Ben was willing and he listened to Mal. Maybe they weren't dating anymore but they were still friends. There was no way he would just send Harry back. That wasn't good for anyone involved.

"I don't...want you to worry, we're gonna figure this out."

Harry was a little surprised by the firmness in her voice - even after all the effort she'd gone to for him, even after learning she was his true love, it still surprised him that she'd be so willing to fight for him. Not because he doubted her, but because he doubted his own worth.

"Well I suppose I should take your word for it," he said, his tone glib but his eyes serious "You said you'd fix my little tail problem and you did..." he smiled a little teasingly. He knew she'd figure it out in the end, and even if the kiss hadn't been part of that plan, it had still been fixed because of her, he was willing to give her the credit.

"At least I don't have to stay in the lake anymore..." he added

She had fixed it. Or rather, they had fixed it. In a very surprising way. She was really going to have to process what all of this meant more later, but for now she didn't stay focused on that. There was a lot they'd need to figure out. Like where...exactly he was going to stay.

"Nope, no more lake for you." She was sure that he was sick of it after all the time he'd had to spend in it. She was a little surprised he didn't want to just go back to Uma. She figured he missed her. She was his Captain, after all.

"We do need to figure out where you will be staying though." And if he'd be enrolling in school.

She wasn't wrong in thinking he would be missing Uma - he did, he missed her a lot, and even Gil too, if things were different he might not have minded so much getting thrown back if it meant he could be with them again. Now? He'd always wonder what might have been. Besides, he definitely didn't miss the Isle, and he'd much rather find a way to get them out rather than get him back in.

"I'd quite like some clothes, too." He pointed out with an unashamedly rakish grin. The sodden shirt he'd been wearing pretty much this whole time was about the only item of clothing that had survived his transformation, apart from the boots and coat that had been left at the bottom of the ocean, and while he was mostly covered up by the way he was sitting, it wasn't exactly suitable attire for, well, moving. At all.

"I guess that leaves me hanging around here a little longer until you talk to some people..."

"Oh...right," Mal blushed. She wasn't even thinking about Harry now being...pantsless since he no longer had a tail. If he moved slightly she was going to see a lot more of him than either of them would likely be comfortable with at this time.

"I'll...be right back." Mal said. She left for just a few moments to get some of Jay's clothes for now. Maybe Evie could make him some later, but this would work for the moment.

She tried to get back a quickly as she could, gently setting the clothes down and then turning her back so he could put them on. Hopefully no one else had come across the naked guy while she was gone. That would be...something to explain.

"This is just for now," Mal said. "I'll talk to Evie about making you some that are more...your style." Thankfully Jay hadn't asked too many questions about why she needed the clothes.

"Don't be too long." Harry called lightly, and though his tone was casual he really meant it - he didn't want to run the risk of seeing anybody else while he was like this. He stayed seated where he was, though he was ready to jump back in the water to preserve his dignity should anyone appear - he almost did when Mal returned, though he realised it was her just in time.

"Thanks." he nodded, recognising the clothes as Jay's almost immediately. They'd be a little big on him, but better too big than too small, which Carlos' would have been, and he'd have felt really weird wearing something of Ben's, so it made sense.

"Uh, do you mind turning your back? Damp and cold's not exactly the most flattering look." he commented jokingly. That, he had rapidly begun to notice while waiting for her, was one downside to his transformation back - the cold water that hadn't really been a bother before suddenly was again, and he'd been starting to shiver. He couldn't wait to get into the dry clothes.

As soon as she turned away, he stood and pulled on the clothes, stripping off his still-damp shirt and swapping it for the one of Jay's she'd brought.

"Alright, it's safe to look again." he grinned "What do we do now?"

Mal had figured if she gave him any of Ben's clothes, that would have been super awkward. Especially considering what only the two of them now knew. She hadn't even had a chance to tell Evie about it yet. She'd gotten the clothes and gone straight back to Harry. He needed her more than she needed to unpack everything that happened with Evie right now.

"Of course," Mal said, giving him some privacy so he could put on the set of Jay's clothes she'd brought him. She was so glad that no one had come along while Harry was essentially just sitting here nearly naked. And she was sure he was too.

When it was alright to turn around, she looked him over. He looked kind of weird in Jay's clothes but they'd work for now. "I'll talk to Evie about making you some other clothes." But she didn't think that was what he was asking.

"Honestly Harry, I have no idea. All of this is new to me." She couldn't believe that it had been a kiss that turned him back to himself. Never would Mal have imagined that they were each other's true love. There was a lot to deal with here. Where Harry would stay, what he'd do here, and then of course whatever was happening between them right now.

"You um, well I'll make sure it's alright for you to stay in Auradon but if you wanted to go back to the Isle...to see everyone, you could do that too."

He wanted to step forward, to loop his arms around her waist and pull her closer to him. He wanted to kiss her again - but the transformation, and what it meant, had thrown everything into turmoil. He didn't know where they stood, right now, and he wasn't sure this was the right time to find out - they had a lot on their plate all of a sudden, and while Harry was the type to throw caution to the wind and go with his gut feeling, he wasn't sure if Mal was.

"You'll figure it out. We'll figure it out," he said, his tone almost gentle, and he did step a little closer to her. He resisted the urge to reach out, shoving his hands in the pockets of his borrowed pants instead.

"I don't... I don't want to go back, not now, not without you. ...I want to figure this out first, if I can." There was too much keeping him here now, not just the longing for freedom "If you think they'll let me stay, I want to stay."

"We will," Mal said in agreement. She kind of wanted to kiss him again and see what happened. It was definitely not just about him becoming himself again. They'd started something here, and it made sense to see where it was going to go. And he was sticking around Auradon so they could do that.

She reached for his hand just as he put it into his pocket. She pulled hers back, awkwardly. They were navigating some new waters here. It was definitely going to be a process. But she was confident that they would be able to figure things out together.

"I'll make sure you get to stay," Mal said. "But if you want to go to the Isle just to see your crewmates, and then come back...I'll go with you." She was sure Uma would just love that. But she was willing to do that for Harry. She new she would have missed her friends if she'd been the one stuck as a mermaid for weeks.

Harry hesitated for a moment, noticing the way Mal almost reached for his hand, the way she seemed so awkward - he didn't like it, didn't like seeing her so uncertain, unsure what to do. He was uncertain, too, but hearing her say she'd be willing to go back to the isle with him, to face the people there - to face Uma - for his sake? He could certainly deal with his own nerves.

So he pulled his hand from his pocket and reached out to grab hers, squeezing it reassuringly.

"Actually, since they don't know what happened to me, if we could arrange that I'd really appreciate it." he admitted, as much as it would be kind of terrifying to go back to the isle and say 'hey Uma I've actually been totally fine and I'm getting off the Isle probably for good and oh by the way Mal's my true love' - and the prospect of that is definitely terrifying - he really didn't want his friends stuck not knowing where he was or if he was even alive. He has no idea if word ever got back to them that he was okay.

Mal offered a small smile when Harry squeezed her hand. This was definitely an awkward situation they'd found themselves in. Neither of them expected it or even could have guessed. And now they had to figure out how to navigate it together.

In a way, Mal felt lost but that was only because she didn't know what exactly to do here. But part of her also felt like she'd found her...home. And her home was not Auradon like she previously thought. Her home was Harry. There was something about being with him that just felt right. Something about the way he held her hand that told her everything was going to be okay. And they would face this together.

She nodded. "Of course," She knew Uma would want to see him. She'd probably accuse Mal of kidnapping him or something. She definitely was not looking forward to seeing Uma. But she would do it, for Harry. She kind of felt like she'd do anything for him. And that in itself was a bit scary. "We'll go to the Isle, then."

The fact that she was willing to do so much for him, he didn't know how to thank her, how to even begin to express how grateful he was for everything - but he had a few ideas.

Grinning roguishly, he tugged on her hand with the intention of pulling her in close so he could wrap his other arm around her waist and kiss her again. Okay, so it wasn't totally about thanking her and more about wanting to kiss her again, but he was hopeful she would enjoy it as well.

Once he was settled - as long as he actually got to stay in Auradon - then he could make a start on actually repaying her for everything.

Now's your moment, floating in a blue lagoon (Harry and Mal)

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