A/N: It's been just about two years ?? Idk where that time has gone but I finally have time to update fics so here's this !! I haven't seen descendants 3 so pls don't mind the utter lack of canon, not that i had much of that anyway...

"You can't stay up here overnight," Harry sighs for the third time in as many minutes.

To his credit, he'd stayed with Ben all day, the two of them settled in the crow's nest of the ship as if it were something they did all the time. But it couldn't last forever, of course.

Ben just frantically nods his head, blinking away the slight dizzy feeling that comes with the action, and pulls his knees closer to his chest.

"Yes, I can. Please, I don't want to climb down... I don't think I can make it."

He knows he must sound ridiculous but he can't help it, he hates heights and he hates the pirates on deck that seem to hate him and he hates how humiliating it is to seem so weak when he's meant to be strong, be a leader, be a king.

Harry kneels beside him and makes a face. "Come on, Princess, you really don't want to stay up here overnight, trust me."

There's something in his tone that makes Ben stop panicking and look up for a second. "What do you mean?" He asks nervously, fiddling with his fingers.

There's a bell somewhere below them and Ben gets the feeling that it's more of a warning than a reminder but he says nothing, his attention roped to the pirate in front of him.

With something like dread on his face, Harry shakes his head. "Listen, princess. I'm not staying here a second longer. If you want to face the crow's nest at night, I'm not responsible for it."

And with that, Harry flips open the trapdoor and starts climbing down, his feet flying over the rope as if he's done this a million times before. Which, all things considered, he probably has.

As much as the thought of climbing down makes him nauseous, Ben just really wants to stay with Harry. So, gritting his teeth and all but praying that he doesn't fall, he starts to climb down as well.

He's just over halfway when the whole structure jerks to one side and he loses his grip, his eyes shutting instinctively as he loses contact with the ladder and tumbles downwards, landing with a very solid thud and an extremely embarrassing noise.

Everything about that hurts.

"Oh, hell," Harry mutters, having suddenly appeared at his side, pulling him up before he can do it himself.

He hears mocking laughter echo behind them as Harry pulls him to his room, not stopping until they're inside and the door is closed.

"I'm sorry," Ben says immediately, then groans as everything on the left side of his body starts aching, throbbing.

Harry gives him an odd look. "That's going to hurt for a while and I can't do anything about it, I'm afraid. I'll be back soon."

"Wait!" Ben calls, then clears his throat, hating the desperation in his voice. "Where are you going?"

A pause, then Harry turns back to him with what Ben may have called sympathy if he didn't know better. "Food. We skipped lunch, in case you forgot."

Ben ducks his head, sliding to the floor as guilt burns through his blood. He'd always been the one to make sure others were getting lunch back at school and to have done the exact opposite makes him feel awful, especially since Harry had done nothing malicious towards him yet.

"Try not to die before I get back," Harry tells him, but there's a playful undertone to his words.

Exhaling softly in relief, Ben looks up with a small smile. "Aye aye, captain."

The possible ghost of a smile and then Harry's gone.

He's gone for too long.

He's gone and he's not coming back, just like Mal and her friends, and he was a fool to think that he could help anyone, that he could make a change, that he was capable of being a King and ruling, and he's probably going to die in this oddly beautiful room without knowing why he can't seem to figure a certain pirate out and nobody will even miss him and-

And Harry's back.

With a sandwich and a lopsided smile.

It's possibly one of the best smiles Ben has ever seen, and he's seen an awful lot of smiles. He's not even sure what exactly it is about the smile that makes it so charming but it's one he never wants to forget.

"Oh," Ben manages.

Harry cocks his head to one side, his smile fading a little as he glances over Ben. "What's wrong, princess?"

Ben shakes his head, sitting up as properly as he can. "Nothing, I just- I was just thinking."

"What's the fun in that?" Harry laughs, then throws him the sandwich, which promptly falls apart on his lap.

As he picks up the cheese, he frowns up at Harry. "What about you?"

He doesn't get a reply until Harry's placed his hook in the cabinet and settled on his hammock, a smirk playing on his lips. "What about me, exactly?"

Ben swallows. "Aren't you, um, eating?"

Harry just laughs loudly, raising an eyebrow. "Used to eating surrounded by friends, aren't you? Well, I have my own people, princess, and you're not on the list."

It's the first time that nickname has hurt and Ben can't help but flinch.

Either Harry doesn't see or ignores the action, choosing instead to shrug off the article of clothing that appears to be a blend of a jacket and a waistcoat as he makes himself comfortable.

Ben just exhales and gives in to his hunger, eating the sandwich as slowly as he can to try and savour it, after which he offers Harry a smile. "Thank you."

"What?

Wincing as he shifts, Ben repeats himself, "Thank you. For the sandwich."

For all the underlying venom in Harry's voice earlier, there's nothing but sincerity in his voice when he turns to face Ben and shrugs. "It was nothing."

Deciding not to push his luck, Ben nods quickly, leaning his head back, his eyes falling shut.

And somehow, despite the rattle of life above them that should be disruptive, Ben finds that sleep in Harry's presence comes quickly, smoothly, with ease.

I'm truly sorry for the time it took to update this, if anyone's even still interested... but thank you so, so much for 5k reads and all the comments, i never thought this would go anywhere but i'm inspired again so hopefully look forward to more :)