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steddieas-shegoes · 1 year

Note

Hey! I love your writing so much so I figured I’d send a little request!

Could you doing something like Steve hase always noticed Eddie but Eddie is completely oblivious? With some first kiss/love confession?

OH ANYTIME!!! Thank you :) I am always here for pining and love confessions. The sappier, the better. The more nauseating, the better. The more I want to punch a wall, the better. I hope that happens here for you with this one! - Mickala ❤️

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Steve Harrington’s bisexual awakening was Eddie Munson.

He was 14 years old at summer camp for the last time because “teenagers just don’t go to summer camp, Steven.” Which was ridiculous because it was a summer camp for teenagers, but whatever, not worth arguing with his father about.

Eddie was there, hair longer than most of the other boys, floppy and curly like he was trying to grow it out but didn’t know how to manage it.

If there was anything Steve could do, it was manage hair.

So he walked up to him and offered to show him his routine.

Eddie laughed, honest to god tears falling from his eyes as he slapped his leg.

Steve just stared at him, not used to being laughed at, only with.

But Eddie seemed to sense that he was serious, so he calmed down, but kept a small smile on his face.

“Thanks man, but I can’t afford the shit you do. I just gotta deal with it.”

“I mean, you can have mine at the end of camp if you want. I’ll just buy more.”

Which felt like the right thing to say, but Eddie just looked down at the ground and shook his head.

“Nah. Don’t really need your charity, dude.”

He walked away before Steve could explain it wasn’t charity, he just really like his curls and wanted him to take care of them.

------------

It was hard not to notice Eddie at school. He made sure he was noticed.

Everyone said it was because he was a “fairy” and thrived off the attention, even when he was getting beat up.

One particularly nasty rumor said he liked being beat up.

So when 15 year old Steve heard all this, he obviously knew he couldn’t ever say a damn thing about himself or any interaction he’d had with Eddie.

Which was really just the one time he’d accidentally insulted him.

His hair was longer now, just past his chin. The curls looked a bit better, though Steve could tell he didn’t use any type of conditioner, and he tried not to let that bother him.

He watched him though, secretly, when he could get away with it. In the halls or the cafeteria was easiest since he could always say he was staring at a girl if someone asked.

The way he just always walked with his head high, his confidence unlike anything Steve had seen from anyone that wasn’t a jock, made Steve’s stomach flutter.

He heard Carol say “confidence is sexy” enough times to start believing it was true, and that was before he watched Eddie strut around the school like he wasn’t constantly being thrown insults.

He watched as Eddie formed his own little ragtag group of friends, all outcasts because of one thing or another, only building his confidence more.

He watched as Eddie started driving a beat up van to school, making a name for himself as the guy who would sell liquor out of the back on Fridays.

People still teased him, still beat him up, but they were giving him money for liquor for their house parties left and right.

Steve watched.

------------

Nancy was amazing, everything Steve wanted and everything his parents wanted.

She was going to have an incredible future, and encouraged Steve to work hard to have one too.

He loved her. He did.

But he still watched Eddie.

Eddie who was standing on tables in the cafeteria, giving speeches that honestly, weren’t that dramatic. Maybe if he was anyone else, people would actually listen.

Eddie who started dealing weed in the woods behind school a few days a week, admitting the liquor thing wasn’t for him when he saw how many idiot kids still got behind the wheel to drive home after the parties he supplied.

Eddie who was unapologetically himself in all the ways Steve wished he could be.

Nancy was beautiful, she was smart, she was determined.

But Eddie was like a forest fire, a small spark that ignited with just a small fan of the flame, his best qualities hidden behind the smoke.

And Steve wanted to burn.

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Steve graduated. Eddie didn’t.

He didn’t get into college, so his dad made him get a summer job.

Eddie didn’t really hang out at the mall, wasn’t really his scene, but he did come into Scoops occasionally, and apparently only when Steve worked.

His coworker, Robin, rolled her eyes when Steve insisted on scooping his ice cream into the cone, ringing him out at the register, and watching him walk out.

“Are you poisoning him slowly or something? Are you planning on doing something stupid? What’s happening?”

He never told her anything, just shrugged in response.

Until the Russians. Until their stupid truth serum made him spill his guts literally and figuratively in the mall bathroom.

Robin listened as he talked about every moment, every look, every doubt he ever had about his feelings. About how he loved Nancy, he did, but she would never be the one he thought of first when someone talked about a future, about love, about a life.

Robin listened as he cried, sobbed really, explained how he knew it would never happen, but it didn’t stop him from wanting.

She listened until she couldn’t anymore.

“Steve, you’re not alone in this okay? I’m…You know Tammy?”

“Thompson?” He sniffled, finally looking up at Robin.

“Yeah. I’ve had a crush on her for like, two years.”

“What? Really?”

“Yeah.”

“But why her? She’s kind of awful.”

Robin laughed, a real laugh, not a drug-induced one.

“Yeah, but she’s also kind of not.”

Steve nodded.

“I know what you mean.”

They were trauma bonded, sure, but they were also just bonded through life’s fucked up ways of bringing people with similar qualities and interests together.

------------

If Steve knew the next time he saw Eddie Munson would be when he was wanted for murder, a small part of him actually may have believed you.

Not because he thought Eddie was actually a murderer, but more because he knew what the town thought of him, and would have expected nothing less in the face of the unexplainable.

The three-time senior was kind of fucked if they didn’t figure this out, looking at a lifetime in prison for a murder he didn’t commit.

Steve focused on thinking about that anytime his mind wandered to how Eddie held a broken bottle to his neck, his other hand pushing him back, his leg between Steve’s to keep him there.

Robin pinched him when she could see his mind starting to drift. She was the best.

And as they worked to figure things out, and fight their way through Vecna’s curse, Steve managed to have actual conversations with Eddie.

They weren’t really ever completely alone, no one was while they were figuring things out and making a plan, but they still managed to talk.

It was enough for Steve. Enough to know he could maybe be friends with him when this was over and done. Maybe go to his graduation, maybe help him leave the town that was ready to burn him at the stake.

He didn’t expect it to be it. To be all he got.

So when he saw Dustin sobbing over a bloody body, he didn’t waste time. He had Nancy put pressure on the worst of the wounds, made Robin get Dustin out, he needs to go, started begging, pleading quietly with Eddie to just survive.

“You can’t let the fire burn out yet, idiot. Not now, not like this.”

Nancy didn’t acknowledge what he was saying, but he knew she knew.

He was tearing his shirt into pieces, makeshift bandages the only option for holding him together as Steve found a way to carry him to the trailer and through the gate.

It wasn’t easy, but nothing about any of their Upside Down trauma had been, and Eddie was worth it.

------------

Steve waited hours.

Then he waited days.

When a week had gone by, Wayne pulled him into a hug and practically begged him to go home and get some rest.

“Our boy will wake up and we wanna look our best when he does, right?”

He couldn’t really argue with Wayne, not when he’d let him sit by Eddie’s bed with him for days.

He didn’t tell Wayne about his feelings, didn’t really know if Wayne was a safe person to tell, but he figured Wayne knew anyway.

When he managed to sleep for a few hours in his own bed, shower in his own bathroom, and eat an actual cooked meal, he found his way back to Eddie’s room. The nurses no longer paid any attention once Owens and his government buddies cleared Eddie’s name.

He walked into the same scene he’d watched for a week now; Eddie asleep, hooked up to more machines that any human should have to, chest rising and falling slowly.

But Wayne hadn’t made it back yet, hopefully getting more sleep than Steve had been able to.

So he took the chair closest to Eddie’s head, gently brushing some of his hair from his face and reaching down to hold his hand.

Even like this, bruises and scars littering his body and face, he was beautiful.

His fire was still burning, Steve could see it.

He managed to fall asleep like that, holding Eddie’s less injured hand in his, head on the bed against his leg.

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A hand in his hair woke him up.

Expecting it to be Wayne or Robin, he blinked his eyes open and slowly sat up, ready for another long day of waiting.

But it wasn’t Wayne or Robin.

“Eddie!”

Steve resisted throwing himself at him, knowing he would be in pain, but he let his hands hover over him to show he wanted to.

“Hey Stevie.”

God, his voice was so nice. It was like actual music to his ears. He never wanted to go so long without hearing it again.

“How long have you been awake? Do you need the nurse? Pain meds? Where is the pain?”

Eddie chuckled quietly, small smile visible under his oxygen mask.

“I don’t really know but the pain is everywhere.”

“Shit, okay. Let me go get someone. I don’t even know who’s on shift right now. I don’t know how long I slept.”

“Stevie.”

“Yeah?”

“Calm down.”

Steve let out a disbelieving laugh, barely more than a huff of air.

“You almost died, Eddie! And you’re hurting. I almost-” Steve choked on a wet sob, his throat closing up as tears flooded his eyes.

“You didn’t though. You saved me. I’m here right?”

Eddie’s voice was barely above a whisper, and it clearly pained him to even talk, but he was doing it for Steve.

Steve suddenly realized there was far too much space between them, that if he wasn’t feeling the heat of Eddie’s flames against his skin, he couldn’t convince himself he was still alight.

He gently sat on the edge of the bed, taking Eddie’s hand back in his own.

“I almost didn’t make it in time. You were so pale, Eds. So bloody.”

“But you did. You made it.”

Steve took a shaky breath.

He knew he needed to say it. He needed to tell Eddie why he did everything he could to save him, why he hasn’t left his side except at Wayne’s insistence, why he was panicking so much now.

Eddie squeezed his hand.

“Stevie, you think I didn’t see you watching me? I started to think you were gonna kill me sometimes with how often you just stared at me.” Eddie took a few breaths, closing his eyes as he focused on what he wanted to say and not the pain. “I figured it out there. After Nancy. That’s why I came to Scoops so much. Loved that little outfit.”

Eddie was smirking at him and Steve let out a snort.

“I hated that thing. Robin did too.”

“Don’t think I didn’t notice that Robin never helped me when I came in either. It was always you.”

Steve couldn’t look at him, not while he was being seen so clearly.

“And all this? With the monsters and crazy people in this town trying to kill me? But you were the quickest to believe me. The one making sure I wasn’t going crazy. And then the one who got me out of there alive, even though I didn’t think there was any way I would.”

“Why didn’t you stick to the plan? You could’ve escaped with Dustin, been safe.”

“Because the world couldn’t lose Steve Harrington.”

“It couldn’t lose Eddie Munson, either.”

Eddie shook his head.

“I think you’re the only one who feels that way.”

“Really? You think Dustin could have handled losing you? Or Mike? He’s a shit, but he cares. And me? How was I supposed to?”

“Steve…”

“No! You don’t get to decide that you don’t matter to people. Everyone loves you and everyone would have been devastated to lose you. Wayne’s been sitting in this stupid plastic chair for a week waiting for you to wake up. You think he would have been okay with losing you?”

“Eventually, yeah.”

“You’re an idiot.”

“I’ve heard.”

Steve shook his head.

“How do you not see how much people love you?”

“I could ask you the same thing.”

Steve didn’t quite know what to say to that. It’s not that he believed he was expendable, it’s just that if it came down to someone having to die, he’d rather it be him. Not to play hero, but because picturing anyone else dying was too much to bear.

“You’re loved, too. Every single one of those kids love you like a brother. Robin would probably marry you if you had boobs. I was willing to die to keep you safe, Steve. How can you not see it?”

“It wasn’t just me.”

“No. I wanted all of you to be safe. But I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t the thought of you dying that made me cut the rope.”

“Why?”

“Because I watched you, too. All the time. I did things for your attention. I thought that was obvious.”

Steve shook his head. No way he was telling the truth. He constantly ranted about the popular kids, about how much he hated them and everything they represented. The hierarchy of high school continued into life and he wanted no part of it.

Eddie groaned as he adjusted a bit in the bed.

“I may need to continue this later, Stevie.”

“Yeah. Yeah, of course. Let me get the nurse,” Steve muttered as he got up.

The nurse bustled in only a minute later, followed by Steve, who thought through the entire conversation he just had with Eddie.

Did Eddie…like him?

No way. He couldn’t possibly like Steve. He hated the whole King Steve thing. He’d said so multiple times over the years.

But so did Steve.

He zoned out while the nurse asked Eddie questions and checked his vitals, thinking back to all the times he’d been watching Eddie in school.

How almost every time, Eddie had already been watching him.

How Eddie’s theatrics always waited until Steve was in the same room.

How Eddie glared at Nancy, even when she was helping him.

Steve watched as the nurse put a new bag on his IV pole, explaining to him that this would be a morphine drip that would probably knock him out for another 12-24 hours.

He watched Eddie nod along, past the point of caring what was happening and just wanting the pain to stop.

The nurse finally left, and Steve didn’t wait.

He walked over to the bed, leaning over Eddie.

“You are an idiot,” Steve said, leaning in closer to his lips, grateful that the nurse had removed the oxygen mask and replaced it with a small nasal cannula.

“Am I?’ Eddie asked with a smirk, the lids of his eyes slowly getting heavier.

“Yeah. And I can’t believe I love an idiot so much.”

Eddie’s eyes widened for a second before they started to close again.

“You gonna kiss the idiot or make him fall asleep without one?”

Steve rolled his eyes, but leaned in to place a soft kiss on Eddie’s dry and cracked lips.

Eddie smiled into it, but didn’t seem to have the energy to kiss back right now.

Steve pulled away and rested his forehead against Eddie’s, gently, like he would break if he put too much of himself against him.

“You owe me a good one when you’re not high on morphine, deal?”

“Mhm. Deal, sweetheart.”

Steve blushed at the name, but Eddie’s eyes were closed.

Wayne walked in only a few minutes later, eyes wide.

“The nurse said he was awake?”

Steve nodded from his spot in the chair, Eddie’s hand in his, fond smile on his face.

“Yeah, she gave him morphine so he can rest some more.”

“Good,” Wayne visibly relaxed. “He tell you he’s in love with you yet or do I have to keep waitin’?”

“Well, not in so many words, but, kinda.”

“And you? You told him?”

“I called him an idiot.”

“Close enough.”

Steve laughed. It felt so good to laugh.

Eddie’s fire had spread quickly, the smoke clearing away just enough to let Steve be engulfed in his flames.

Steve was burning, and it was everything he hoped it would be.

#steddie #steve harrington #eddie munson #stranger things #robin buckley #wayne munson #steve pining after eddie is maybe my favorite trope actually #some time skips to show steve's pining over the years #i got carried away a bit #what else is new #hope this makes sense #my brain is barely functioning

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gayashelljatp · 8 days

Text

James Hook x Morgie Le Fay | You Look Like A Dumb Boy, My Favorite Type Chapter 5/5 + 1

GIF by menheim

Tags Fluff, Roommate, Flirting, Friends to Lovers, Magic, Banter, Hook Is Flirty that's cannon btw , I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, Boys In Love, Sad and Sweet, Short & Sweet , Himbo Morgie, Bisexual Disaster James Hook, Morgie Has Golden Retriever Energy (Disney), Oblivious Morgie (Disney), Boys Kissing, Love Confessions, No Beta Read we die like Brandy Cinderalla, 5+1 Things

Summary:

Hook flirts with everyone in a five-mile radius. That means the people around him are victims of his often excessive advances. Morgie, however, was unaware that he was Hook’s favorite for a special reason. Or 5 times Hook was flirting with Morgie and it went completely over his head and the 1 time it didn’t.

Content Rating: Teen and Up.

Wordcount: 13, 771

Notes:

Hi, I'm Ace. This is where this fic gets so long. If your here from the first part hi!!! I recommend y'all read on ao3 for better reading experience.

But here's the playlist that inspired this fic that you can enjoy:

Chapter 4

All that scheming finally came to fruition. It was the night of the school's infamous slumber party, hosted in the girls' dormitory where princesses and princes, heroes and villains were all together in one space. In their sleepwear and vulnerable—a perfect setup for Uliana’s plans.

Uliana wanted to scheme bigger than her older sister. Her older sister was legendary for being a menace to students, though usually one at a time. Uliana dreamed big; she was going to ruin multiple people's nights, pulling a prank that would turn the one night the school had this sleepover event into a snooze fest.

She had planned to replace the balloons that came down at midnight with balloons filled with sleeping fairy dust, courtesy of Maleficent. They could go and mess with the students and staff while they were asleep, making this sleepover party a true sleeper hit.

As they gathered outside the dormitories, dressed in their individual sleepwear fit for the occasion, Uliana explained the plan with her usual authority. "Alright, listen up, crew," she said softly, her tentacles swaying behind her. Unfortunately, the villains were too busy chatting with one another to notice her voice.

“I said listen!” Uliana repeated, screaming. “Thank you for finally paying attention to my fabulousity.”

“What’s the plan, Uli?” Hook asked, stopping his chat with Morgie to pay attention to their friend group. It was more of a clique than a friend group at times.

“Thank you, Hook, for being so attentive and vocal,” Uliana said dripping in sarcasm. "So, we get in, we set the balloons, and we get out. It’s simple. Maleficent and Morgie, you’re on balloon duty. Don’t mess it up."

The group soon got to work, consisting of a few other villain kids who were supposed to help set everything up. Maleficent, who was part fairy herself, found this task easy—it was like breathing fire to her, something she was accustomed to.

Morgie, on the other hand, was eager to prove himself, wanting to impress Uliana and the others. He managed to transform some of the confetti inside the balloons into the powder. As he watched the shimmering powder mix seamlessly, he felt a sense of accomplishment wash over him. Maybe this wasn’t as nerve-wracking as he thought it would be.

But relaxing proved to be a mistake. Morgie accidentally recited a spell wrong, causing an unexpected burst of dark magic. The magic hit the other VKs, whose bodies fell instantly to the floor, their sleepwear fluttering as they collapsed.

Uliana’s eyes widened with fury. "Morgie! What did you do? How could you be so stupid? Maleficent, can you fix this?”

“Uli, you know these spells are irreversible. They’ll be knocked out till the morning,” Maleficent responded, her voice tinged with frustration.

Morgie felt sick with guilt. He had just ruined the plan for tonight. Before he could even open his mouth to utter an apology, Uliana interrupted. “Instead of making this task easy, you made it ten times more difficult,” she snapped.

Maleficent gave Morgie a sympathetic look that quickly turned mean. "You tried,” she said, attempting to offer her support. She knew magic was difficult, but her words came off as more hollow and forced.

Hades made a sly comment, "Well, at least they’ll be well-rested for tomorrow."

Hook chimed in, trying to fit in with the group's disdain. "Yeah, Morgie, you should probably just stay out of this one." Morgie knew Hook was just trying to fit in with the others, but those words coming from him: hurt ten times more than from the others.

Uliana threatened to speak again, but Hook cut her off, saving Morgie from another reprimand. “Uli, tick-tock—it’s almost midnight,” he reminded her.

Uliana's tentacles twitched with irritation. "We don’t have time for this. Morgie, you’re on the lookout. Don’t mess that up too, or we’re all screwed."

“Maleficent, you're on magic duty. Just spell them when we get there. Let’s hit it,” Uliana commanded, her voice firm.

On lookout duty again. Morgie wasn’t surprised. He had messed this up for himself, and instead of being able to enjoy the mischief with the others, he was demoted to lookout duty again. Morgie sighed heavily, putting his hands in his face, feeling the weight of his mistake.

As Uliana, Maleficent, and Hades left to proceed with the plan, Hook hesitated. He shot a glance back at Morgie, who sat on the bench, looking utterly defeated.

After a few moments of darkness and silence. Morgie felt a hand running through his styled hair. He knew who it was immediately.

“Hook, I don’t have the time for this. Go and have a jolly good time with the others.”

“Can you leave your little dark, sad manhole first?” Hook replied, his tone light but concerned.

Nothing but silence from Morgie, but he eventually turned to face Hook. The aspiring pirate of the seven seas was running his hand—well, his hook—through Morgie’s hair. “Stop, James, you're messing the style up!”

“I’ll let that James slide since you’re in a bad mood right now,” Hook said with a smirk.

“Come on, Hook, it was my fault. Why don’t you ski-daddle along already?”

“A pirate does not ski-daddle along—that’s utterly ridiculous,” Hook shot back, a playful glint in his eye.

“Like you said, maybe I should stay out of this one,” Morgie said, mocking Hook’s accent exaggerating it’s poshness.

“I don’t sound like that—I’m not a total 1910s Brit,” Hook said, trying to intervene but getting interrupted. “But yeah, that was a mean thing to say. I only said it—”

“Because Uli and the others actually like you,” Morgie finished, his voice tinged with bitterness.

Hook sighed, his facade dropping for a moment. “Peer pressure gets to me too, Morgs. Sometimes it’s easier to just go along with them. But I didn’t mean it, you know that right?”

Morgie looked away, his heart heavy. “I just wanted to be a part of something, to prove I could do it. Make Uli see I am valuable to this team,”

Hook scooched closer, his voice gentle. “You are a part of something. Maybe it doesn’t feel like it right now, but you are. And you don’t have to prove anything to me.”

Morgie finally met Hook’s gaze, his hazel eyes filled with a mix of frustration and sadness. “I’m tired of always being the one who messes things up.”

“You’re not always the one who messes things up,” Hook replied softly. “You’re just the one who tries the hardest. And that counts for something.”

Morgie blinked, taken aback by Hook’s words. “You really think so?”

Hook smiled, his usual cockiness tempered with sincerity. “I know so. And for what it’s worth, I think your spell was pretty impressive. A bit too impressive, maybe.”

The two boys looked around to see all the VKs asleep around them. Instead of looking threatening, they all looked peaceful for once.

Morgie couldn’t help but laugh, the tension easing slightly. “Yeah, a bit too impressive.”

"Don't tell anyone this, but out of all of us, you're the only VK who has the most heart. The rest of us are heartless crooks," Hook said, his tone softening. "But don't get me wrong—you can bite too."

Morgie couldn’t even respond to that; he just had a huge grin. Being alone with Hook felt much better than spending this lookout alone. Well, less of a lookout and more of a punishment. Morgie blinked, taken aback by Hook’s words. For a moment, he saw the pirate’s tough-boy act fall away, revealing the genuine concern beneath. Hook looked towards Morgie, his eyes locking onto the other boy's hazel eyes.

“You know,” Hook said, a teasing smile creeping onto his lips, “you look pretty adorable when you were all serious, sad, and brooding in your crocodile pyjamas.”

Morgie's cheeks felt that burning sensation once again as he tried to hide his embarrassment behind the reptile designs in his pajamas. “You- you look- Yeah, I got nothing.”

What could Morgie say when Hook wore a black tank top (that showed off his arms) and pajama pants that were red and black checkered? There was nothing to make fun of in Hook's carefully chosen ensemble. He looked good in Morgie’s eyes.

“Insulting perfection is hard, Serpentine,” Hook said, his voice dropping to a playful whisper. He reached out, brushing a strand of hair from Morgie’s face. “You’ve got no idea what you do to me, do you?”

Before Morgie could respond, the clock struck twelve. The loud school bell rang, and after a few moments, they heard the sound of loud footsteps and cheering. The other VKs were running out of the dorm, and their prank was successfully executed. Morgie and Hook quickly widened the space between them as the group arrived.

“We did it, well, thanks to my brilliant mind,” Uliana gloated, her tentacles twitching with excitement. Maleficent flashed her green eyes at Uliana.

“And Maleficent’s idea,” Uliana said, correcting herself with a huff. Hades pulled Maleficent closer affectionately, a rare display of warmth from the god of the underworld.

“Let’s go in there and mess with them,” Hades suggested, a wicked grin spreading across his face.

“Let’s go, crew. And Morgie, you can come too,” Uliana said, somewhat begrudgingly.

“I can go?” Morgie asked, disbelief evident in his voice before Hook shushed him.

“Just celebrate this before she changes her mind, my little troublemaker,” Hook whispered, giving Morgie a quick, reassuring smile.

Morgie’s heart swelled with a mix of relief and excitement. He felt Hook’s hand linger on his shoulder for a moment longer than necessary before the pirate pulled away, maintaining his cocky demeanor.

As they moved towards the dormitory, Morgie couldn’t help but feel a sense of belonging. For once, he wasn’t just the funny one on the lookout or the one who messed things up. He was part of the group, even if it was just for tonight. And Hook’s words kept echoing in his mind, giving him a newfound confidence.

Chapter 5

The aftermath of a successful prank did come with consequences. As a response to the mysterious perpetrators, the academy had tightened its curfew and increased security at night, which meant no more trips to the Black Lagoon for the time being.

This was particularly tough on the VKs, who were naturally night owls due to their nocturnal outings. For now, they needed to keep a low profile.

Morgie buried himself in magical textbooks, determined to learn more spells that he could recite flawlessly. He didn’t want another familiar-turned-unfamiliar situation in the courtyard. His side of the room was a mess of open books and scrolls, glowing faintly with the essence of dark magic.

The pirates' side of the room was currently dark and quiet. This was rare, as Hook often used his full-length mirror, which had the brightest lights in the magical kingdom, to plan his clothing choices and parade around like a runway model. Morgie couldn't deny that he enjoyed those impromptu fashion shows, despite Hook's vanity.

Recently, Hook had been spending more and more time outside their shared room. Morgie thought nothing of it at first. Maybe Hook was practicing sword fighting, exercising at odd hours, performing some bizarre moonlight skincare ritual, or flirting up a storm with another student. Morgie shook his head, trying to stop thinking about Hook and focus on reciting spells correctly. Enunciation was key.

Moments passed, and Morgie heard the dormitory door creak ever so slightly. The footsteps of boots on the hardwood floor were quiet, more controlled than usual as if the person was trying not to draw attention to themselves. This was not a skill Hook had mastered—he was more adept at the opposite.

“If you’re trying to sneak up on me to scare me, it’s not going to work. I heard you,” Morgie said without looking up.

“Yeah, I was trying to scare you, lad. You ruined the fun,” Hook said, rushing to his side of the room.

Morgie whipped his head around. “What are you in such a rush for?”

“Um, just wanted to get these clothes off as quickly as possible,” Hook said, letting out a nervous laugh. Hook, nervous? That was odd. Morgie never heard Hook want to take off his fashions; it was usually the opposite.

Hook often took his precious time with his items, as if they might be stolen back at any moment. The pirate also kept his hands behind his back—or rather, his hand and hook.

“Are you just gonna stare at me, love?” Hook's voice cut through Morgie’s thoughts.

Morgie realized he was indeed staring hard at Hook. “I...uh, sorry. I didn’t mean to.”

Hook's eyes sparkled with mischief. “I know it’s hard to look away, but if you want me to put on a little show for you, I would.” His voice was suave, the accent ringing melodiously, but he still kept his hand and hook behind him.

Morgie felt his cheeks burn, quickly looking away and pretending to focus on his books. “Don’t flatter yourself,” he muttered, but the thought of Hook hiding something from him gnawed at his mind. What could that eyeliner-wearing teen be hiding?

Trying to sound casual, Morgie ventured, “You know, if you need help with anything, you can just ask. I’m pretty good with...whatever it is you’re doing.”

Hook chuckled, a deep, throaty sound. “Oh, I’m sure you are, Serpentine. But this is something I’ve got to handle myself.”

“Come on, Hook. You can’t keep secrets from me. I’ll find out sooner or later.”

Hook's smile widened, but his eyes were cautious. “That’s the thing about surprises, sunshine. They’re meant to be discovered at the right moment, not a second before.” He turned slightly, as if to hide whatever he was holding even more.

Morgie sighed, his mind racing. “Well, if you’re not going to tell me, I might just have to use a little magic to find out.”

Hook's expression turned serious for a moment. “No spells, Morgie. Trust me, you’ll ruin it.”

This only made Morgie more determined. “Ruin what exactly? Come on, Hook, just tell me. I promise I won’t ruin anything.”

Hook shook his head, his usual playful demeanor returning. “Nice try, lad. But my lips are sealed. Now, go back to your spells and stop trying to pry.”

Morgie huffed, flipping through his textbook in frustration. “Fine. But don’t think this is over. I’ll get it out of you eventually.”

Hook laughed softly, a secretive glint in his eye. “We’ll see about that, won’t we, darling?”

As Hook busied himself on his side of the room, Morgie couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever his roommate was hiding, it was something significant. And no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t help but wonder what Hook was up to and why he was being so secretive about it.

..............................................................................................................................

Morgie woke up in the wee hours of the morning to Hook’s side of the room, which was lit by Hook’s oil candle lamp—the one he’d stolen from one of the pirate sophomores.

Morgie closed his eyes, trying to doze off again. But then he realized the lack of snoring. The silence was odd. Hook was a snorer, whether he liked to admit it or not. The pirate was not the most peaceful sleeper, but as Hook said, the beauty rest was worth it, and you can't hear it on the sea anyway.

In the absence of Hook’s snoring, Morgie rolled over and looked at Hook's side of the room, facing the bright light. Hook was nowhere to be found in his bed. His silk sheets were empty. But then Morgie heard Hook hissing through his teeth; the sound was coming from Hook's side of the room.

Morgie thought casting a teleportation spell he'd been practicing would be a fun way to sneak up on the pirate. But before he could even recite the words, Hook's voice interrupted his thoughts.

"Having nightmares, darling?" Hook was on the other side of his bed, his head resting in his palm.

Morgie closed his eyes tight shut. "I'm fine. Totally asleep," he muttered.

"If the sleep could talk?" Hook teased.

"Your little bright light woke me up and the lack of snoring," Morgie grumbled.

"You like it when I snore?" Hook asked, his voice laced with a mix of curiosity and amusement.

"Not like—more tolerate it. I kinda get used to the sound of it," Morgie admitted, feeling his cheeks heat up slightly.

"And I'm sorry for waking you up, lad," Hook said, his voice softer now as he bent down to put something away.

"What are you up to? You've been strange lately. This whole curfew got you cuckoo?" Morgie asked, trying to sound casual but failing to hide his curiosity.

Hook chuckled, the sound low and smooth, but there was a hint of weariness to it. "Cuckoo, am I? Well, it's not just the curfew, love. I've got...projects. Important ones."

Morgie squinted at Hook, trying to decode his words. "Important like what?"

Hook's laugh was louder this time, but it quickly turned into a more serious tone. "If you must know, I've been working on something."

Morgie’s curiosity was now fully piqued. "Something special? Like what? Can you at least give me a hint?"

Hook hesitated, then shook his head. "Patience, Serpentine. Let’s head back to bed."

Morgie huffed, rolling his eyes. "You know, you're really good at keeping secrets. It's annoying."

Hook smirked, his usual flirtatious glint returning to his eyes despite the early hour. "And you’re really good at being adorable when you're annoyed. Now, go back to sleep. You'll find out soon enough."

Morgie muttered something under his breath, but he couldn't help the small smile that tugged at his lips. Hook had that effect on him—making him feel both frustrated and charmed at the same time. Is this how you’re supposed to feel with your best friend?

Hook walked towards the bathroom with a bit more pep in his step, his red robe shimmying like he was celebrating a silent victory. He was presumably doing his night skincare routine. Morgie was so tempted to sneak a peek at Hook’s side of the room. What could he be hiding? Why the sudden secrecy?

But instead, Morgie tried to settle back into bed. He couldn’t shake the feeling that whatever Hook was up to was going to be worth it. The anticipation of the surprise kept him awake a little while longer, his mind racing with possibilities.

Hook returned from the bathroom, his face glowing slightly from whatever potion he’d applied. He moved with an air of mystery, almost theatrical in his silence. Morgie couldn’t help but watch him, his curiosity burning stronger than ever.

“Why do you always have to be so cryptic?”

Hook turned, his eyes glinting in the dim light. “It’s part of my charm, darling. Keeps things interesting.”

Morgie snorted. “Interesting? More like infuriating.”

“"Harpoon, doubloon—it's all the same tune",” Hook replied, his tone playful yet elusive. “Now, close those pretty eyes and get some sleep.”

Morgie sighed, turning over and trying to relax. But his mind was a whirlwind of questions and theories. What was Hook hiding? And why did it feel like this secret was different from the usual mischief?

As the night stretched on, Morgie found himself drifting in and out of sleep, each time with thoughts of Hook and his mysterious behavior. (He was obsessing over this in a not so platonic nor healthy amount.)

..............................................................................................................................

After a few days of Hook sneaking around. Morgie woke up, Hook was once again nowhere to be found in their room. This was very odd behavior; Hook was usually the last one to leave the room, due to quote-on-quote being fashionably late. "You don't ever rush perfection," he'd always say. Morgie was starting to think this whole surprise thing was just a cover-up.

Throughout the day, Morgie couldn't shake his unease. Hook's absence gnawed at him, making it hard to focus on anything else. Was this surprise really worth all the secrecy? Why wouldn’t Hook want to spend time with him? Why was Hook being so unlike himself? Did Morgie do something wrong? The questions spiraled in his mind, and he found himself overthinking every little detail of their recent interactions.

By lunchtime, Morgie was noticeably less peppy than usual. Maleficent and Hades, always keen observers (They loved teasing Morgie he was an easy target), quickly picked up on his mood.

“What’s up with you, Morgie?” Maleficent teased, her voice dripping with mock concern. “You look like someone stole your spellbook.”

“Yeah, cheer up,” Hades added with a smirk. “Where’s that stupid smile of yours?”

Morgie forced a smile, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “I’m fine, just tired,” he muttered, pushing his food around on his plate.

Maleficent and Hades exchanged glances but didn’t press further. It wasn’t like Morgie to be so down, but everyone had off days. Morgie barely noticed their exchange, his mind still tangled up in thoughts of Hook. The rest of the day dragged on, with Morgie’s usual spark dimmed by his growing worries.

By the time Morgie returned to their dorm room, the sun was setting, casting long shadows across the floor. Only this time, the pirate in red was waiting for him. Hook stood by his bed, hands behind his back, a familiar mischievous smile playing on his lips.

“If you’re going to dangle the surprise over my head again, I don’t wanna hear it,” Morgie snapped, not even trying to mask his irritation as he dropped his bag onto the floor.

“I can dangle it all day on my hook, love. I’m the taller one, remember?” Hook quipped, unfazed by Morgie’s tone.

“Yeah, only ‘cause you’re wearing boots,”

“Sunshine, don’t get all snappy on me,” Hook replied, his tone still light, though he took a step closer, his eyes narrowing slightly as he tried to gauge Morgie’s mood.

Morgie huffed, crossing his arms. “You’ve been acting so weird lately! First, you disappear for days, and now you’re all secretive. Do you even care how that makes me feel? You just—”

He paused, his emotions bubbling up faster than he could control. He wasn’t used to feeling this way, wasn’t used to being left in the dark by his best friend, and the more he thought about it, the more upset he became.

“You just waltz in here like nothing happened, like I’m supposed to just be okay with you being all cryptic and… and it’s not fair, James!”

Hook remained composed, letting Morgie’s words wash over him without reacting. He simply stood there, waiting patiently as the little sorcerer tried to sort through his feelings. When Morgie finally trailed off, his breath hitching slightly from the intensity of his outburst, Hook raised an eyebrow and tilted his head.

“Are you done?” he asked calmly, his voice steady, as though he had all the time in the world.

Morgie blinked, the anger that had flared up within him now flickering out under Hook’s steady gaze. He found himself face-to-face with the pirate, his heart racing not from the argument but from the proximity. Hook’s composed demeanor only made Morgie feel more foolish for lashing out, and he realized with a start that he had stepped closer without even noticing.

The room was quiet, the tension between the roommates palpable as Morgie struggled to come up with something to throw back at Hook, something that wouldn’t sound ridiculous after his outburst. But Hook didn’t seem annoyed or angry—instead, he looked almost… amused, his brown eyes twinkling as he waited for Morgie’s next move.

“May I have a moment to intervene?” Hook’s accent, smooth and teasing, cut through the silence.

Morgie stuttered, caught off guard. “O-Okay.”

“Well, I apologize I haven’t been a very good roommate or friend,” He continued, his tone softening. “But I’ll make it up to you sooner or later and you’ll understand, love.”

The word "love" hung in the air a little longer than usual, lingering in Morgie’s mind. It was a staple of Hook’s vocabulary, but this time it felt different. It irked the teenage warlock in a way he couldn’t quite explain.

“And you’ll be doing that how?” Morgie asked, trying to regain some composure.

Hook finally removed his hands from behind his back, revealing a sleek black gift box wrapped with a crimson red ribbon. It was perfectly on brand for the fashionable eyeliner-wearing pirate, every detail meticulously chosen.

“A gift? Is it my birthday? Did I forget my birthday?” Morgie’s mood shifted in an instant, the curiosity and excitement bubbling up despite himself.

“Just open it, save the blubber for later,”.

“What did you steal this time, Hook?” Morgie asked, narrowing his eyes, though the corners of his mouth twitched with a smile.

“Morgie, enough chit-chat or I’m going to make you walk the plank,” Hook threatened, but there was no real menace in his voice. As if to emphasize his point, he softly grazed his hook against Morgie’s cheek, the cold metal sending a shiver down Morgie’s spine.

“Before I—” Morgie began, but Hook cut him off.

“No.”

“James—”

“Open it before I take it back,”

“Fine,” Morgie huffed, though he couldn’t suppress the flicker of anticipation that ran through him.

Morgie tore into the box, barely noticing as the lid clattered to the floor. His heart raced as he peered inside, eyes widening at the sight of the crochet plushie nestled in black tissue paper.

It was a quirky, endearing mix of the golden retriever familiar he summoned in the courtyard and the serpentine creature it had become. The creature Hook defeated for Morgie.

The plushie's golden yarn fur was soft to the touch, with tiny, rounded wings stitched onto its back— one was more whimsical the other one was bat-like from Morgie's botched spell. The stuff toy’s large button eye was innocent and sweet, and the other had that menacing red eyes.

The elongated body hinted at its serpent transformation, but in Hook’s hands, it had become more puppy-like, with pastel green scales adding a gentle touch.

Morgie's jaw dropped. Speechless, he did the only thing that felt right—he flung himself at Hook, wrapping his arms around the pirate in an impulsive, tight hug. Hook stiffened for a moment, caught off guard, but quickly melted into the embrace, trying to keep his cool despite the warmth spreading through him.

“Do you like it?” Hook asked, his voice wavering as he struggled to maintain his usual bravado. The tough, pretty-boy facade was slipping under Morgie's touch.

“This is what you’ve been working on?” Morgie pulled back just enough to look up at Hook, his eyes wide with disbelief and admiration.

“Well, I know you’ve been going through a lot with the curfew, so I thought it would be nice to do something for you and I had to do something with all that free time,” Hook said, scratching the back of his head with his hook, trying desperately not to sound too sentimental.

“But how? Like, how! When did you learn to crochet?” Morgie’s eyes were practically sparkling with curiosity.

“I took a home economics class. You know, a pirate needs to know how to sew up his own sails. But… Mali helped me out a bit,” Hook admitted, a sheepish grin tugging at his lips.

“Maleficent? That witch” Morgie’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

“That girl is obsessed with sharp things, and she knows her way around a crochet needle,” Hook explained. “But don’t tell her I told you that, or she’ll put me to sleep for a thousand years.”

“All the avoiding me… so worth it,” Morgie said, his earlier irritation completely evaporated.

“I’m still sorry,” Hook offered, sincerity in his voice.

“Apology accepted, in all the seven seas, or whatever you say,” Morgie teased, mimicking Hook’s accent with a playful grin.

Hook chuckled, but his heart was pounding. “I know this plushie isn’t as good as the real thing or entirely accurate, but I tried my best.”

“It’s better than I Imagined or conjured up… It’s perfect. You’re the best roommate and best friend ever!” Morgie declared with the kind of enthusiasm that made Hook’s heart swell.

Without thinking, Morgie leaned in and planted a quick kiss on Hook’s cheek, before twirling away with the plushie in his arms. The sorcerer was completely oblivious to the effect his gesture had on Hook, who stood frozen in place, a deep blush spreading across his face. The usually composed pirate looked like he was about to fall apart like a shipwreck, his mind reeling from the unexpected kiss.

Morgie, meanwhile, was blissfully unaware, his scarf flying around him as he danced around the room with his new gift. To him, this was just another display of affection for his best friend—but to Hook, it was something far more complicated. Hook, utterly smitten, could only watch Morgie with a dazed expression, wondering how someone so clueless could have such a devastating effect on him.

Morgana Le Fay’s son had done the impossible—he had broken James Hook. Not in a literal sense, of course, but the once unflappable pirate was now a flustered, blushing mess, thanks to Morgie’s innocent, yet devastating, kiss on the cheek.

As the very next day rolled around, Hook rushed to Maleficent and Uliana’s dorm room, his mind buzzing with thoughts he couldn't quite untangle. The leader of their little clique, Uliana, was nowhere to be found, leaving only Maleficent in bed, her eye mask securely in place as she slept away in the afternoon.

Hook didn’t even bother knocking, his boots clattering against the floor as he stormed in. "May I interrupt the beauty rest?" he asked, not bothering to lower his voice.

Maleficent didn’t even flinch, though her lips curled into a smirk under the eye mask. "You interrupted as soon as your loud boots walked in. James, leave me alone, or I'll spell you to sleep for a century."

"Do you have a thorn up your-" Hook retorted, his tone laced with teasing, but before he could continue.

Maleficent interrupted him with a groan, finally pulling off her eye mask to glare at him. "This better be good. What’s got you in such a tizzy that you’re willing to face my wrath?"

Hook flopped onto the edge of her bed, running a hand through his hair. "It's an S.O.S. situation, Mali."

Maleficent rolled her eyes but sat up, intrigued despite herself. "Well, spit it out, Hook. Or I’ll have to read your mind—not that you’d have much going on up there to read."

Hook shot her a look but took a deep breath, trying to find the right words. "It’s Morgie. Remember you helped me make this—" he gestured vaguely, "—plush thing for him, and he just… he kissed me on the cheek like it was nothing. And now I can’t even think straight."

Maleficent blinked at him, then let out a laugh that was more mocking than anything. “This why I don’t teach you how to crochet I told you crocheting is stronger than any love potion,”

Hook just pouted at Maleficent.

"Oh, poor Hook. You, the great pirate, undone by a kiss on the cheek?" Maleficent continued taunting Hook.

Hook scowled, crossing his arms. "I’m serious, Mali. I don’t know what to do. I’ve been trying to get him to notice me for ages, and now that he has, I’m the one who’s a mess."

"Of course you are. You’ve spent so long being the one in control, the one doing the chasing, that you’ve completely forgotten how to handle it when someone chases you in your own boots," Maleficent said, clearly enjoying his discomfort.

"I don’t know if he even realizes what he’s doing,"

"Maybe he does, maybe he doesn’t. Morgie may be dense, you can only be dense for so long. He’ll figure it out soon enough, and then you’ll be in real trouble," Maleficent said, her tone almost gleeful.

"I’m doomed, aren’t I?"

Maleficent patted him on the back, though the smirk never left her face. "Completely. But don’t worry, James. Watching you squirm is the highlight of my day. Now, if you’re done whining, I’d like to go back to my beauty rest. Some of us need it."

Hook stood up, brushing off her teasing as best he could. "Thanks, Mali. Now go back to being awful."

"Anytime, you wretched soul. Just remember, when you finally get your act together, I want to be in your wedding party," She called after him as he left the room. Oh, Maleficent, that girl always wanted to be invited to things.

..............................................................................................................................

When the chestnut brown-haired teen finally returned to the dormitory after his “girls talk” he opened the door, to a loud, enthusiastic bark echoing through the room, startling him so much he nearly dropped his cool.

His eyes darted around, landing on the source of the noise For a moment, Hook’s mind reeled. Had Morgie somehow managed to shape-shift into a dog? Maybe by accident another spell went wrong. It wouldn’t be the weirdest thing that could happen, but still…

“Morgie?” Hook called out cautiously, his heart pounding. The puppy barked again, bounding toward him with an energy that was almost too real.

As the creature got closer, Hook’s eyes narrowed. The puppy had an odd, stitched-together look as if someone had tried to sew a living being out of yarn and magic. Then it clicked—this was Morgie’s toy, which Hook spent hours making.

“Well, I’ll be,” Hook muttered, a bemused grin tugging at his lips as the plushie-dog started sniffing around his boots. “Looks like you’re barking up the wrong tree, little one.”

Morgie’s voice came from the corner, where he was lounging on his bed, clearly pleased with himself. “It’s not too bad, right? I mean, I know I didn’t get the spell quite right, but look how cute it turned out!”

Hook glanced up at the sandy-haired boy, who was watching the puppy with the same lips stuck on a grin the same lips that had melted Hook’s heart earlier.

“It’s, uh…Nice,” Hook replied, trying and failing to keep his cool. He could feel his composure slipping, like sand through his fingers, especially when Morgie hopped off the bed and sauntered over to him, that signature sweet smile on his lips.

“Nice, huh?” Morgie teased, his tone light and playful as he bent down to scoop up the plushie, holding it close to his chest. “You know, you’re the one who made it. Don’t be too proud, Jamie.”

Hook’s heart went into overdrive over a nickname? — never in Neverland did Morgie ever use another nickname for Hook. Despite Hook’s plethora of nicknames for the sorcerer.

Hook swallowed hard, trying to focus on anything other than the fact that Morgie was standing way too close, looking way too cute, and too oblivious for his own bad.

“I was just… commenting on your spellwork not on my craft,” Hook managed to say, though his voice was a little too breathless for his liking. “You’ve really outdone yourself this time, sunshine.”

Morgie beamed at the praise, his eyes sparkling with pride almost giddy. “Well, I had some inspiration, I guess,”

He scratched behind the plushie’s ears. The thing let out a soft, almost purring sound, like it was the happiest little thing in the world.

Hook bit his lip, trying to pull himself together. He wanted to talk about the — situation, about what it meant, but every time he opened his mouth to say something, Morgie would do something else that made him a lovesick fool.

Like now, when Morgie reached out to fix Hook’s collar, his fingers grazed the skin just above his collarbone. It was such a small, innocent friendly gesture, but it made Hook’s heart race like he was facing down a kraken.

“There,” Morgie said softly, his voice laced with satisfaction. “Much better. You said I should always keep you portrait perfect.”

Hook felt like he was going to lose it. He was supposed to be the suave, smooth-talking pirate, that could have any person in the school but here he was, being completely undone by a few simple touches and actions that was far too sweet for someone who was supposed to be a villain.

“Thanks la-ad,” Hook replied, though his voice cracked slightly on the word lad. He cleared his throat, trying to regain some semblance of control. “You know, Morgie, you really—”

But Morgie wasn’t listening. He was too busy playing with the plushie, now cradling it in his arms like a real puppy. The sorcerer was so lost in his own world.

Hook took a deep breath, trying to steady himself. This was not how he’d imagined this conversation going. He’d planned to be direct, maybe even a little teasing, but now… now he was the one who was a flustered mess, the one who couldn’t get his thoughts straight.

Morgie looked up then, his eyes meeting Hook’s with a gaze that was so innocent, so unassuming, that it nearly broke Hook all over again. “You were saying something?” Morgie prompted, tilting his head slightly, the plushie still clutched to his chest.

Hook swallowed hard. “Uh, nothing important,” he mumbled, suddenly feeling like he needed to get out of the building before he completely lost his cool. “Just, uh, keep working on that spell. You’re gonna get the hang of it.”

“Really?”

Hook nodded, trying to ignore the way the wave of feelings hit at the sight of Morgie’s smile. He was in too deep, and the worst part was that Morgie didn’t even realize it. Or maybe he did, and he was just that good at pretending.

Either way, Hook was in trouble. Big trouble.

..............................................................................................................................

Days after the yet-to-be-named, reanimated, living, breathing (though thankfully not eating) dog had entered Hook and Morgie’s life, the two villains found themselves spending a lot of time alone in their dorm room, playing with their peculiar new pet.

Unfortunately, the villain roommates couldn’t play puppy parents for too long before being tasked with something. They were glorified henchmen, of course, and senior year was coming to a close. With the end of the year looming, the pressure to pull off something big—something legendary—was mounting.

Enough time had passed since their last successful sleep prank, and it was time for Uli’s grand, dramatic, epic final scheme. Her own words, of course. The sea witch had devised a new scheme. She’d only given Morgie a vague task: scout the area before the others follow.

But in reality, everyone knew Uliana was simply using Morgie as a test dummy, a guinea pig to make sure the area was safe. Morgie, ever eager to please and maybe a little too trusting, had agreed without hesitation.

The area in question was inside the enchanted forest, situated right next to the academy. Merlin had dubbed it the Forbidden Forest until now, and it had remained off-limits to students for as long as anyone could remember. But with a new event on the horizon— called the Flower Forest Fest—the forest was about to be opened to the public. Or rather, to the rule abiding students.

The whole event was really just an excuse to have all the teenagers corralled in one place so the academy staff could have a break from them.

This party in the deep, dark woods with no supervision was the perfect opportunity for mischief, and Uliana wasn’t going to let it go to waste. Days before the event itself the VK crew rounded up by the entrance of the forest.

Uliana was leaning against a tree, her tentacles twitching with barely contained excitement. "Morgie, you know what to do," she said, her voice laced with anticipation. "Follow the map, scout the area and make sure it's safe. And don't mess it up."

"Totally, I won’t disappoint," Morgie said excitedly, He turned to leave, only to find Hook standing there at the entrance of the woods, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Don’t leave without me," Hook said almost melodically, his accent ringing.

"I'm tagging along. Gotta make sure you don't get into too much trouble." Hook added running his hands through his hair.

Morgie raised an eyebrow, caught off guard by Hook's sudden insistence. "Did Uli ask you to come? Tell her I can do this on my own I promise."

"Oh, I don't doubt it. But you may need a pirate's help with map navigation,”

Maleficent chuckled from her perch on a bench in the distance. "Just try not to get caught, boys. I’d hate to have to spell you out of trouble." She yelled out to the two.

"Or watch Uli lose her mind if the plan goes south." Hades whispered to the dark fairy as they chuckled.

Uliana shot them both a glare before turning back to Morgie. "Just do your job, and we'll be fine. Hook try to keep Morgie alive!”

Morgie nodded, still a bit baffled by Hook’s sudden interest in tagging along. But he didn’t have time to question it further. He turned and headed towards the forest, Hook following closely behind.

As dusk fell, the two found themselves sneaking through the overgrown path leading to the forest. The trees loomed overhead, their branches twisting together like gnarled fingers, blocking out what little light remained.

“Watch where you’re stepping, sugar,” Hook said, his voice slightly gruff. He sidestepped a twisted root and glanced back at Morgie, who was following close behind him.

“We wouldn’t want you to trip and alert your Uncle Merlin, now would we?”

Morgie snorted, wrinkling his nose in mock disgust. “Ew, Hook, please don’t remind me that my mother tried to seduce our headmaster,” he replied, shaking his head as if to clear the unwanted image from his mind.

The story was infamous, practically a chapter in their history books, and unfortunately for Morgie, it was unavoidable—Hook had read all about it.

“ Still gotta be careful,”

Morgie rolled his eyes, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips despite himself. “I think you’re just trying to make me nervous so I mess up, and you can look like the hero.”

“Oh, come on now,” Hook replied, a smirk creeping onto his face. “If I were trying to be heroic, I’d be carrying you over my shoulder right now like some precious cargo.”

Morgie laughed, the sound echoing through the darkening woods. “Please, let’s be honest—it’d be me carrying you,”

Hook’s smirk widened, but there was a flicker of something softer in his eyes, something that Morgie, in his usual obliviousness, didn’t catch. “Spoil me too much, and I might start expecting it,” Hook quipped, though his voice had a slight edge to it, like he was hiding something beneath the banter.

Morgie was too busy trying to decipher the map of the forest to notice the subtle shift in Hook’s tone. He ducked under a low-hanging branch, then turned to make sure Hook was following. “Come on, James, you’re falling behind!”

Hook huffed, picking up the pace to catch up to Morgie. “I’m just giving you a head start,” he retorted, though he couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at his lips. Being around Morgie was like that—he found himself smiling more often than he cared to admit.

As they walked deeper into the forest, the sounds of the academy faded away, replaced by crickets and cicadas. The air was thick with the scent of earth and damp leaves, and somewhere in the distance, an owl hooted.

“Are we there yet?” Morgie asked, his voice breaking the silence.

“Almost there sugar,” Hook replied, his eyes flicking to the map he’d brought with them, it was Uliana’s hand-drawn self proclaimed master.

“These boots are not made for walking” Hook was going to jokingly complain more. Then Morgie suddenly stopped, turning to face him with a serious expression.

“Hook, can I ask you something?” Morgie’s voice was soft, almost hesitant, like he was weighing his words carefully. Which was rare for the wizard; he looked like he was thinking too hard.

“Yeah?” Hook replied, his voice a little too eager, betraying the hope that had been building up inside him. He took a step closer, his dark cold heart pounding in his chest. “What is it, serpentine?”

Morgie hesitated, biting his lip as if he was trying to decide how to phrase his question. This was it. This was the moment Hook had been waiting for. Then, finally, he looked up at Hook, his eyes wide and innocent.

“What should we name the dog?”

“Wait, what?”

Morgie’s serious expression melted into a smirk, as if he hadn’t just completely turned Hook’s world upside down. “Well, you made it and we’d had them for a few days and I was just thinking as its parents what should we name our child?”

Hook just stared at him, trying to process the emotional whiplash. “You’re asking me about the dog’s name? Now? When we’re trekking in the woods?” The darker haired boy tried not to sound too baffled.

Morgie nodded, completely ignorant to the turmoil he’d just put Hook through. “It feels wrong not to give him a name. Don’t you think so?”

Hook opened his mouth to say something, anything, but all that came out was a strangled laugh. He shook his head, running a hand through his hair in disbelief. “You really are something else, you know that?”

They arrived at where x was marked on the map, but instead of the dark and murky black lagoon they were used to, they found themselves in front of a big body of water. The lake before them was surrounded by vibrant flowers. The water shimmered like liquid silver, reflecting the semi-dark sky, now painted with hues of deep blue and violet.

Morgie’s eyes widened in awe, taking in the beauty of the scene. He couldn’t believe that the bumbling fool of a wizard—his mother’s words, not his—had been keeping this kind of beauty hidden from the students. If only the villains could have hung out here instead of the fish carcass-filled lagoons they were used to. But a sorcerer could dream.

“Uli wants us to ruin all of this beauty?”

“It is a beauty,” Hook agreed, his eyes lingering on Morgie for a moment longer than necessary. “But not as beautiful as—“

“The seven seas,” Morgie finished Hook’s sentence, attempting to mimic his accent but ending up sounding more posh than the pirate's accent.

Hook chuckled, shaking his head. “Am I that predictable?”

“Maybe you are, Captain,” Morgie replied with a grin, he also added a wink at the end.

Hook cleared his throat “Enough chit chat, let’s do this,” the pirate declared, though there was a reluctance in his voice, as if he didn’t really want to disturb the moment.

The pair soon split up around the lake, each taking a different section to look for any magical traps. There were already a few chairs and tables set up, indicating that the employees had been there before them, likely preparing for the upcoming festivities. But the two ended up finding nothing.

But the mood between them was different tonight, less focused on mischief and more on simply being together in this strangely beautiful place. As they worked, Hook found himself glancing over at Morgie mindlessly for too long, his mind not fully on the task at hand.

“Hook, focus,” Morgie called out from across the lake, snapping Hook from the one-man staring contest he was winning.

“I am focused,” Hook shot back, lying through his perfectly white teeth. His mind was racing with thoughts that had nothing to do with their villainous mission.

Eventually, they ended up near the water’s edge, the moonlight casting a soft glow over the lake. Hook stood beside Morgie, trying to find the right moment to say what had been on his mind for weeks now.

“You know, Morgie…” Hook began, his voice uncharacteristically hesitant. “There’s something I’ve been meaning to tell you.”

Morgie turned to face him, wide eyes and just happy. It was clear there were no thoughts behind those eyes, just pure curiosity and unabashed happiness. “What is it?”

Then footsteps, the sound of them put the two villains on high alert. It sounded like there was a group approaching. Then they heard metal clanking against the stony path. It was the school's security knights.

As the sound grew louder, Morgie’s heart raced. "We’re running right?" he whispered urgently, grabbing Hook's hand.

"Right behind you, sugar,"

The two villains bolted as if they were living on the run like Bonnie and Clyde. Hand in hand, they attempted to navigate between trees, until they skidded to a halt at the water’s edge.

“A dead end? Seriously?” Morgie panted, his eyes wide with panic as he looked back over his shoulder. The footsteps and metal clanging were getting closer, echoing through the trees. They had nowhere to go.

“Guess we’re going for a dip,” Hook said with a wry grin, without any warning pulling Morgie with him as he splashed into the lake, soaking them both.

Hook glanced at Morgie, who was still scanning their surroundings, his panic evident in his wide eyes.

“Don’t you have a spell to get us out of here?”

“I don’t know... What if it doesn’t work or teleports us somewhere else?” Morgie’s voice trembled as he voiced his concern.

“Just give it a try,” Hook urged, his usual confidence faltering just slightly.

Morgie raised his hands, beginning to mutter the incantation. But after a few moments, nothing happened, not even a flicker of magic. “Why isn't it working? It should be working! Why isn't it—"

“Easy, love,” Hook interrupted, chuckling softly to hide his growing concern. Then, as if a ship crashed into the shore, Hook smacked his own forehead in realization. “The lake is enchanted. Spells don’t work here. Duh.”

He had known this—Uliana had mentioned it while laying out her plan—but Hook had been too distracted, stealing glances at Morgie, to process the information fully. Now, that lapse in attention was coming back to haunt him.

Morgie’s eyes widened in alarm. “How was I supposed to know that?!”

“It’s called an enchanted lake, darling,” Hook replied, trying to keep his tone light. But while Morgie was freaking out for one reason, Hook was freaking out for another entirely. His gaze kept slipping back to Morgie’s wet form, the way his clothes clung to his frame. The way the water glistened on his skin.

“You knew that the whole time? This is no time for jokes”

But Morgie, ever oblivious to Hook’s not-so-subtle ogling, ran a hand through his drenched light brown hair, groaning in frustration. “This is just great. We’re going to get caught because I stupidly—”

“Hey, hey,” Hook cut him off, stepping closer until they were nearly chest to chest, water dripping from his shirt and revealing the toned muscles beneath. He tried to keep his cool, but the sight of Morgie soaked was making it difficult to concentrate on anything else. “We’ll figure this out. You’re not stupid.”

“They’re getting closer,”

Morgie finally noticed the way Hook’s shirt clung to his chest, revealing his toned physique, but it was just a fleeting observation as his worries took over again. “What do we do now? We can’t swim our way out of here,”

“We don’t need to, do you trust me?” Hook whispered urgently, their faces inches apart.

“Of course I do,”

“Then hold your breath,” Hook instructed, and they both submerged beneath the surface, the water cool and oddly calming despite the danger. Hook just hoped that they wouldn’t be detected in the crystal clear waters.

They stayed underwater for what felt like an eternity, the tension building as they waited for the footsteps to pass. When they finally resurfaced, dripping and breathless, the coast was clear. Hook couldn’t help but grin at Morgie, who was still panting slightly, his hair a mess of wet curls.

“See? We’re fine,” Hook said, trying to maintain his usual cocky demeanor, though his heart was pounding for reasons beyond just the chase.

Morgie shook his head, a faint smile finally breaking through his earlier panic. “You’re too cocky for your own good.”

“Part of my charm,” Hook replied smoothly, though his thoughts were far from smooth as he took in Morgie’s disheveled appearance. He had to remind himself to breathe.

With a quick, whispered incantation, Morgie tried the teleportation spell once more. This time, the spell worked, though instead of teleporting them directly to their dorm room, they arrived at the entrance of the forest in a flash of light, still soaking wet and shivering slightly.

“I still need to get the hang of that spell,” Morgie muttered, slightly frustrated.

“You did your best, my little spell caster,” Hook teased, though there was a fondness in his tone that belied his words.

“I never thought there’d be a day I’d miss concrete pathways,” The sorcerer looked like he wanted to kiss the pavement beneath him.

“Come on, let’s get back to the dorm before trouble comes knocking at our door,” Hook said before dragging Morgie all the way back to their room.

..............................................................................................................................

On the morning of the flower festival instead of skipping class and preparing outfits as Hook suggested. Both of them were in alchemy. The Alchemy class was, according to the legend himself, an “Honors” course, though most of the VKs privately agreed that the only thing honorable about it was their patience in tolerating the old wizard's droning voice.

Morgie sat at the very front, his brow furrowed in concentration as he half-heartedly attempted to focus on the day's lesson.

His mother had always insisted that listening to “bumbling fools” like Merlin was a waste of time, but Morgie was starting to think that maybe—just maybe—there was some merit in learning the craft properly. (Or his mom was just very jaded with Merlin.)

After all, his spells were a bit hit-or-miss, and Alchemy seemed like a skill worth learning. He was determined to at least make some sense of it.

Meanwhile, Hook had taken up his usual spot at the back of the class, lounging as if he owned the place. His crimson blazer was draped lazily over the back of his chair, and he seemed more interested in staring than listening to Merlin’s lecture.

His eyeliner-heavy lids kept drifting from the clock to Morgie, who was diligently—or as diligently as the boy could manage—taking notes.

Morgie, feeling the weight of Hook’s stare even from across the room, decided to liven things up. It wasn’t like he was getting anything useful out of the lecture anyway.

He quickly folded a piece of parchment into an origami shape, whispering a quick spell under his breath. The paper crane floated up, flapping its wings gently as it made its way across the room to Hook.

Morgie couldn’t resist a small, mischievous smile as he watched it land gracefully on Hook’s desk. Hook glanced down at the crane, his brows lifting in mild surprise before he unfolded the paper.

Morgie: Wherefore art thou, James-eo?

Hook couldn't help but smirk. Morgie practicing Shakespearean soliloquies caught Hook’s interest. Moments later Morgie received a paper cannonball to the head.

Hook: What is this nonsense? Go back 2 studying, u nerd no Xo, Hook

Morgie rolled his eyes. He quickly folded the paper, this time into the shape of a flower, and sent it floating back to Hook.

Morgie: You wound me, sir! Such harsh criticism from one so noble

Hook suppressed a laugh, shaking his head. He pretended to be irritated but couldn’t resist playing along. He picked up his ostrich feather quill and scribbled another reply.

Hook: Noble? I’m more like the dashing thief stealing the <3’s

Morgie’s heart did a little somersault when he looked at the pirate’s little heart doodle. He felt a strange hot feeling lingering in his face. Is this how you're supposed to feel when you're passing notes with your friend?

Morgie: Thief, you say? More like a dashing rogue who can’t help but be charmed by my wit.

As Hook read the note, he was about to pen a response when Maleficent, who was sitting next to him, caught the exchange. She elbowed Hook, whispering with a smirk, “Stop it, you love birds.”

Maybe it was Morgie growing a bit too lax, or maybe his spellcasting was just off today, but instead of landing on Hook’s desk, the paper crane began to shimmer and shift. In a flash, it transformed into a real, live messenger dove, cooing softly as it flapped its wings and landed on Hook’s shoulder.

Hook’s eyes widened in surprise, and Morgie’s heart dropped into his stomach. The entire class turned to look, and Merlin’s voice, which had been droning on about the properties of transmutation, came to an abrupt halt.

Morgie’s eyes widened in panic, and he desperately tried to recast the spell to no avail.

“Mr. le Fay!” Merlin’s voice boomed across the classroom, making Morgie jump in his seat. “What, pray tell, is the meaning of this interruption?”

“I… uh… I didn’t mean to…” Morgie stammered, his face flushing with heat as he tried to explain. The dove on Hook’s shoulder gave a soft, accusatory coo, as if to say You’ve really done it this time

Morgie stammered, “I-I… It was just a note! I didn’t mean for—”

“Not our fault you can’t keep our attention,” Hook cut in with a smirk, his tone dripping with mockery. “Maybe if your lectures weren’t as dull as dishwater, we wouldn’t have to entertain ourselves.”

Morgie’s eyes widened in shock. He had never expected Hook to defend him, let alone by taking a jab at Merlin. He barely had time to process it before Merlin’s voice cut through the moment.

“You’re passing notes in my class?” Merlin asked, his eyes narrowing as he waved his hand dismissively. “You and Mr. B artholomew-Hook can explain yourselves at the library in detention, Tonight.”

Morgie’s heart sank even further. Not only had he messed up his spell, but now he had ruined Uliana’s plans as well. He could already imagine her fury, and it was enough to make him want to sink through the floor. Hook, on the other hand, seemed entirely unbothered.

“Great,” Hook muttered under his breath as Merlin turned back to the blackboard,As the class resumed, Hook threw one final note to Morgie.

Hook: See u In date-ention <3

Morgie unfolded the note, his earlier irritation melting into reluctant amusement. His lips curled into a small smile, at the heart doodle at the end. He quickly folded the note back up, shoving it into his pocket. After more boring lectures the bell soon rang.

“You better thank the Gods Uli wasn’t in that class or she would have done a number on both of you,” Maleficent commented. It didn’t sound like she herself was scared of Uliana but more fed up with hearing Uliana’s constant reprimands to others.

“Pfft, not like she can do much to them. Hook is her favorite,” Hades added, a smirk playing on his lips as his eyes flicked to Morgie, the flame in his hair flaring slightly with amusement.

“Who’s gonna tell her?” Maleficent asked, her gaze turning serious as all eyes fell on Morgie.

Morgie opened his mouth to speak, dread creeping in, but before he could say a word, Hook stepped forward. “I’ll tell her,” he said confidently, not a trace of fear in his voice.

Morgie blinked, taken aback. Hook had always been a bit of a smooth-talker, but standing up to Uliana for him? That was new.

..............................................................................................................................

Later, in the shadowy corner of the courtyard, Uliana’s eight tentacles rippled with barely contained anger. Hook and Morgie stood in front of her, trying not to flinch under her intense gaze.

“Detention? Detention” Uliana hissed, her voice venomous. “How could you two idiots let yourselves get caught passing notes? You're not children!” Her tentacles flared out, emphasizing her frustration.

Morgie shrunk under her words, guilt bubbling up inside him. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, the weight of her anger almost too much to bear. But before he could apologize, Hook stepped forward.

“Uli, ease up,” Hook said, his tone as calm as shores with no waves. “It wasn’t all Morgie’s fault. I was the one who got us caught up in the notes. If you’re mad at anyone, be mad at me.”

Uliana’s eyes narrowed, her anger now directed at Hook. “I am mad at you, James! You think you can just talk your way out of this?” she snapped, “This is serious!”

“I know it is,” Hook replied smoothly, not backing down. “But you’re coming down way too hard. We’ll handle it.” His eyes met hers with a steady confidence, refusing to be intimidated.

Uliana’s lips pressed into a thin line, her frustration mounting as she felt her control over the situation slipping.

“You two—” Uliana started, but Hook interjected quickly, “Uh uh, we’ll figure out how to get out of magical detention. We always do,” he said with a casual shrug, as if it were the easiest thing in the world.

Then, with a playful smirk, he added, “Don’t yell too much, you’ll get wrinkles. And you’re scaring Morgie, so like… stop.”

Hades chuckled under his breath, “The pirate is talking back,” His voice dripped with sarcasm, the flames on his head flickering as he spoke.

Maleficent rolled her eyes, leaning closer to Hook and whispering, “You’ve got guts today, Hook. Didn’t think you’d actually stand up to her.

Hook shrugged, but his eyes softened as he glanced back at Morgie. “Had to be done.”

Uliana, sensing the moment was slipping from her control, took a deep breath, her anger simmering down to a more manageable level. Her tentacles slowly relaxed behind her, though her eyes still burned with residual frustration. “Just… don’t let it happen again. You know how important tonight was. And Morgie,” she added, her gaze hardening as it landed on him, “next time, don’t let yourself get so easily distracted.”

Morgie nodded, his cheeks flushing with a mix of embarrassment and something else—gratitude, maybe? He glanced at Hook, who was still standing protectively by his side, and he felt a flicker of something more than just friendship, something he wasn’t quite ready to name yet.

Uliana, having said her piece, finally stormed out, her anger leaving the air heavy with tension. Once she was gone, Morgie let out a breath he didn’t realize he’d been holding. The courtyard seemed quieter, almost peaceful, now that her storm had passed.

“Thanks,” Morgie mumbled, glancing shyly at Hook. “I didn’t expect you to—”

“Don’t mention it,” Hook interrupted, a soft smile tugging at his lips. He reached out and ruffled Morgie’s hair, the gesture light but filled with warmth. “Can’t let you take all the heat, can I?”

..............................................................................................................................

Being magically locked inside the library was the worst. Well, for the not as bad as doing manual labor or being forced to be good against their will. Just being locked inside a room that was fun-proof was going to be punishment enough for them.

“This sucks,” Hook groaned, slumping against a bookshelf.

“Well, at least we have… yeah, I got nothing,” Morgie tried to stay positive, searching for a silver lining, but even he was stumped.

Hook shot him a sidelong glance, amused by Morgie’s attempt at optimism.

“I could try this magician trick I’m working on,” Morgie suggested, perking up a bit at the thought.

“Magician? Seriously, sunshine, you’ve downgraded to magician tricks?” Hook teased, unable to resist ribbing Morgie just a little.

“Hey, they’re cool! And less dangerous when you mess up,” Morgie defended, his tone brightening. He reached toward Hook’s ear with a playful smile. “You’ve got something in your ear,”

Even in the dullest moments, Morgie found ways to entertain. His sandy-brown hair fell into his eyes as he concentrated, trying to pull off his trick with a flourish. Hook tried to suppress the smile that tugged at his lips, finding it increasingly difficult to hide just how cute he thought Morgie was in these moments.

“Ta-da!” Morgie exclaimed, triumphantly holding out his hand—empty. “Huh, it was supposed to be a coin,” he said, furrowing his brow in confusion.

“A for effort,” Hook smirked, though his eyeliner covered eyes softened with fondness.

“It should be A for… for… Amazing! ” Morgie insisted, puffing out his chest with exaggerated pride.

Hook chuckled, but as Morgie’s words faded into the silence of the library, he realized that they had a lot of time to kill. And with nothing to do but stare at dusty old books or each other, it hit him—this was the perfect opportunity to talk about the big boat in the room.

But was Hook really ready? He’d built this moment up in his head for what felt like forever, but did Morgie actually like him back after all this time? Hook hated overthinking. He’d always been content with being pretty, being a reckless himbo, and knowing he was good at things. But the sorcerer definitely changed that for him—made him want to think, to feel, to be more.

Lost in his thoughts, Hook found himself staring off into space, his mind racing with all the possible outcomes of this conversation. The scenarios played out in his head like scenes from a movie, each one more nerve-wracking than the last.

When he blinked back into reality, Morgie was suddenly inches away from his face, their noses almost touching. Hook hadn’t even noticed him move closer. Morgie’s wide, concerned eyes bore into his, and before Hook could register what was happening, the other boy began to shake him—violently.

“Hook, are you okay? Did I upset you or something?” Morgie’s voice was filled with worry, his hands gripping Hook’s shoulders tightly.

“You looked like you were thinking too hard—I got scared, honestly,” Morgie added, his voice small, as if he were afraid of the answer.

But before Hook could respond, he felt himself tipping backward. He’d been leaning too far off his chair, and now, gravity was pulling them down—fast. Morgie’s eyes widened in alarm as he realized what was happening, but it was too late. With a loud crash, the pair went tumbling to the floor, a tangle of limbs and startled yelps.

Hook landed with a grunt, Morgie sprawled across his chest, their faces just inches apart once again. For a moment, neither of them moved, both too stunned by the sudden fall. Hook’s heart was pounding hard and he hoped the wizard didn’t notice.

Morgie’s cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink, and he quickly scrambled off of Hook, mumbling apologies under his breath. Hook, still lying on the floor, couldn’t help but laugh—a genuine, carefree laugh that echoed through the silent library.

“You okay, love?”

Instead of the response Hook was expecting, Morgie groaned, “I should have transformed into a cat. I could have landed on my feet.”

Hook laughed, still chuckling as he sat up and rubbed the back of his head where he’d hit the ground. “I wish you weighed like a cat,

As they both got to their feet, dusting themselves off, Hook noticed that Morgie’s scarf had started to untie around his neck. The pirate’s eyes lit up with a mischievous glint, and a smirk spread across his face as he reached out fixing the scarf.

“What’d you do that for?”

“I can’t be the only one who’s portrait perfect. I can’t have a disheveled wizard standing next to me, can I?” Hook retorted, his tone teasing, though there was an undertone of genuine care.

Morgie shook his head, a small smile tugging at his lips. The other teen however did not stop staring at the pirate. His expression could only be described as pure wonder.

“All done. I know it’s hard but you can stop staring at me lad,” Hook added, though in reality, he could stare into Morgie’s hazel eyes for hours on end if given the chance.

“Oh, I’m just admiring your eyeliner,” Morgie bit back. “It looks on point today… not that it was bad before, but you get the point.”

Hook shook his head, trying to suppress the warmth rising in his chest. “Morgie, you’re not gonna get mad if I told you a secret?”

“Why would I be, James?”

“Don’t—” Hook started to correct him but stopped, a rare flicker of uncertainty crossing his features. “I just have been feeling things for this person, and I don’t know how to handle it.”

“Who?” Morgie asked, his voice catching slightly. The sorcerer didn’t know why hearing those words coming out of the pirate stung so much, but it did. The fuzzy warmth he’d been feeling suddenly twisted into something else, something more intense and painful.

Hook’s golden hook grazed against Morgie’s cheek, the cold metal a stark contrast to the warmth between them. It was a surprisingly gentle gesture, almost affectionate, but instead of calming Morgie, the unexpected touch sent a shock through him. His emotions, already teetering on the edge, tipped over into something uncontrollable.

Before Hook could say more, the air around them crackled with dark magic as Morgie’s pent-up feelings surged to the surface. A heavy book, glowing ominously with a dark aura, suddenly dislodged itself from a nearby shelf and came crashing down on Hook’s head.

“Hook!” Morgie gasped, his heart racing in panic as he rushed to his friend’s side. But as he knelt down, he noticed the book opened to a page but decided to save that for later.

Hook groaned, rubbing his head where the book had struck him. “Next time, just tell me you don’t want to hear it,” he muttered with a half-smile, trying to lighten the mood despite the throbbing pain in his skull.

Morgie’s heart was pounding, not just from the shock but from the realization of what he was feeling. He looked at Hook, still reeling from the rush of emotions. Maybe, just maybe, those fuzzy feelings were more than just friendship after all.

“I didn’t mean to do that,” Morgie stammered, feeling a wave of guilt wash over him.

“I know,” Hook said with a small, forgiving smile. “But can’t you play nurse and find something for me?” He pouted, looking up at Morgie with those big, imploring eyes that always seemed to get him whatever he wanted.

He carefully grabbed hold of Hook’s head, pushing back the pirate’s chin-length chestnut mane. He quickly recited a simple healing spell, concentrating on getting it right. He wasn’t about to mess this up and hurt Hook even more.

“How are you feeling?”

“Better that you’re here,” Hook replied, his words carrying a weight that made Morgie’s breath hitch.

“I’ve been here the whole time,” Morgie said, his voice barely above a whisper.

“You should lay down,” Morgie suggested, and before Hook could argue, Morgie lay down beside him on the floor, the cold stone beneath them doing nothing to quell the warmth between them.

They were so close now, lying side by side, and Morgie could feel his heart pounding in his chest, loud and fast. The reality of his feelings hit him like a wave, overwhelming and undeniable.

“Morgie, what’s wrong?”

“I think I like you,” Morgie blurted out, the words tumbling from his lips before he could stop them. His eyes widened as he realized what he’d just said, his face flushing with embarrassment. “I mean, I really like you… like, more than just as a friend and I know you don’t like me like that.”

Hook blinked, clearly flabbergasted. “You think I don’t have feelings for you?” he asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice. “Morgyn Le Fay, I’ve been flirting with you since I've known you!”

“You flirt with everyone,”

“That’s beside the point, you��you’re only just realizing you like me?! Now after everything” Hook couldn’t help but laugh, a mixture of relief and astonishment coloring his tone.

“Well… yeah,” Morgie admitted, feeling both sheepish and exhilarated at the same time. “But I do. I really, really do.

For a moment, they just stared at each other, the air between them charged with a newfound intensity. Slowly, instinctively, they began to lean in, their lips inches apart. Morgie’s heart raced, anticipation thrumming in his veins. He could feel Hook’s breath on his skin, warm and inviting.

But just as their lips were about to meet, something caught Morgie’s eye. He glanced over and saw the spell book lying open on the floor beside them. He could barely read but the page it was opened to glowed faintly.

Wait,” Morgie murmured, pulling back slightly, his eyes fixated on the page. He reached for it with trembling fingers, his curiosity piqued.

“It’s a spellbook,” Morgie said, his voice laced with surprise.

“You’ve got plenty of those,” Hook replied with a smirk, watching him closely.

“But look at this page,” Morgie insisted, his excitement growing. “It’s a teleportation spell and it looks like a strong one. We can get out of here!”

Hook leaned back, a mischievous grin tugging at his lips. “Wouldn’t that get us into more trouble? We could just wait it out and enjoy each other's company here…” His voice trailed off, his eyes full of suggestion.

Morgie huffed playfully. “Since when have you cared about getting into trouble?”

“Touché.”

“Besides, we have a dance to get to, remember? I really want to go and dance,” Morgie added with a sweet smile. “Pretty please?”

Hook’s resolve crumbled at that, unable to resist Morgie’s infectious excitement. That smile could bend even the most hardened pirate. “Alright, alright,” he relented with a chuckle. “You win.”

Morgie’s smile broadened as he began to recite the teleportation spell. His voice, though steady, carried the weight of the magic he was summoning. The spell tugged at his energy, each word making him feel more and more drained. But this time, there was a motivation that went beyond mere escape—he wanted this, not just for himself but for Hook too.

With the final words, the spell was complete, and they were enveloped in a swirl of dark energy. In an instant, they poofed into their dorm room, greeted by the loud, excited barks of the dog.

“Are you okay, love?” Hook asked, his voice softer than usual, the word love carrying more weight than it ever had before. It wasn’t playful this time—it was full of genuine concern.

Morgie blinked, still feeling the dizziness that came with powerful magic. “Just a bit woozy,” he admitted.

“Sit down for a minute, breathe,” Hook instructed, moving quickly to help Morgie to his bed. The wizard looked like he was about to tumble down, and Hook didn’t want to risk another fall.

As soon as Morgie sat down, the pup leaped into his lap, wagging its half snake tail enthusiastically. Morgie petted the dog gently, his fingers running through the soft polyster. The exertion from the teleportation spell had taken more out of him than he anticipated.

Strong dark magic was exhausting, especially for someone who was still relatively new to it. But Morgie didn’t regret using it. Not this time. He glanced up at Hook, whose usual smirk had softened into something more genuine, more vulnerable.

“I’m sitting too. I’ve fallen way too many times today,” Hook said, dropping down beside Morgie on the edge of the bed.

Morgie laughed at that. “You’ve definitely fallen… literally and romantically,”

Hook, who would usually fire back with a cocky retort, simply smiled. There was no act anymore—no bravado, no sarcasm. This was Hook, laid bare. Vulnerable, eager, caring. It made Morgie’s heart swell with warmth. Hook wasn’t the ruthless pirate he always presented. He was more than that, and seeing him like this—seeing him care—made Morgie feel something he hadn’t expected. It was more than just attraction. It was affection, and it was real.

“Can we finally talk about it?” Hook asked, his voice breaking the comfortable silence. “No more distractions?”

“I didn’t get to say all I wanted to say earlier.”

Hook nodded, taking a deep breath. “I didn’t either.”

But before they could dive into their long-overdue conversation, Morgie’s eyes lit up with another spontaneous idea. “Wait! Before we say anything else, I finally know what to name our little pupparoo!”

Hook raised an eyebrow, amused but not surprised by Morgie’s sudden shift. “Of course you do,” he said with a fond smile. “Go on then.”

“M.J.—for Morgyn and James!” Morgie beamed, clearly proud of his idea even if it was just a combination of their first names. “It’s perfect, don’t you think?”

Hook’s expression softened even more, his eyes filled with warmth. “It’s perfect,” he agreed, not even needing further explanation. “You can call me James now,” he added, his voice quieter, more intimate. “You have the privilege now, even if you say it all the time already.”

Morgie let out a satisfied humm, a shy but genuine smile spreading across his face. “James,” he repeated softly, savoring the sound of it on his lips.

Hook—no, James —smiled back, and in that moment, everything between them seemed to fall into place.

"James Hook, I like you,"

“What a revolutionary idea.”

Morgie frowned, a bit more serious than usual. “No sarcasm, please.”

Hook’s smirk faded, and for once, the pirate looked… nervous. “Yeah, I like you too much for my own good,” he confessed, his throat suddenly dry. He shifted his weight uncomfortably, avoiding Morgie’s gaze. “Liking you is terrifying. You’re the one person I smile too much at, and honestly? It hurts.” His voice was quieter now. “I was scared you’d think I was just sleazy, that I was flirting with you for fun.”

Morgie opened his mouth, but no words came out. There was so much he wanted to say—to thank Hook for sticking by him even when he felt like a loser in the villain gang, for not moving out despite Morgie being a clueless, oblivious mess of a roommate. But all of that was too much. All that came out instead was, “Can I kiss you?”

Hook’s expression softened, his smirk returning just slightly. “I thought you’d never ask.” With the confirmation, Hook leaned over meeting Morgie’s lips.

Their kiss was short, tentative, but sweet. James tasted like that vanilla chapstick he put on every morning. Meanwhile, Hook was enjoying this kiss way more than any of the kisses he's stolen from others. But before things could get steamier, Morgie pulled back, his face flushed.

Hook, breathless but amused, cocked his head. “Was that any good?”

Morgie stared at him, wide-eyed. “We could’ve been kissing this whole time? Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

Hook couldn’t help but roll his eyes. Of course, the boy he liked was an absolute idiot when it came to love. But it was his idiot. “Stop thinking and more kissing, please,” he teased.

This time, the kiss deepened, turning into something far more passionate. To Morgie’s surprise, Hook was gentle, far gentler than he would’ve expected from the experienced pirate. His touch was light but sure, guiding Morgie through it as if savoring every moment.

When they finally broke apart, both of them breathless, Hook chuckled, still holding Morgie close. “As much as I’m enjoying this,” he said, glancing down at the pup staring up at them, “our child is watching. And we’ve got a party to crash.”

Morgie smiled, though it was softer, less mischievous than usual. “I’m not really in the mood to be villainous with the others today.”

Hook shook his head, brushing a stray lock of hair from Morgie’s face. “Who said anything about being villainous? Let’s just go and have fun, yeah?”

The two of them started getting ready for the Flower Forest Fest, though unsurprisingly, Hook took the longest. Morgie was about to walk out in his usual green ensemble when Hook stopped him, gently draping his favorite crimson blazer over the wizard’s shoulders.

Morgie blinked, looking down at the jacket. “You sure? This is your favorite.”

“And it looks good on you. You should wear it,” Hook said, his voice low and full of pride.

Morgie was about to protest, but when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror, he realized how well the jacket suited him. He looked… nice. Nicer than usual. And if it made Hook happy, he wasn’t going to argue.

When Hook finally decided his own outfit was up to standard—after about ten more minutes of preening—Morgie picked up MJ, their little doll-like dog, giving him one last scratch behind the ears. “Be good, MJ. Don’t tear up the place,” Morgie said softly looking at it button eyes.

Hook raised an eyebrow as Morgie rummaged through his things, finally pulling out two flower crowns. “We’re supposed to be festive, right?”

Hook chuckled, amused but indulgent, letting Morgie place one on his head. He even smoothed his hair as Morgie adjusted the flowers, looking ridiculously pleased with himself. However, when Morgie put his own crown on, the flowers wilted almost immediately, their bright petals curling in on themselves.

Hook snorted. “Perfect,” he said, giving Morgie a once-over. “You’re looking drop-dead beautiful.”

Morgie pouted, fiddling with the dead flowers. “Just my luck, huh?”

“Hey, don’t be mean to my serpentine,” Hook teased, playfully bumping his shoulder against Morgie’s.

They both stood there, Hook in his meticulously curated outfit and Morgie in Hook’s crimson blazer, a wilted flower crown perched on his head. The sight of the two of them like this, after everything—after all the teasing, the near-misses, the flirting—it felt... right.

"You know," Hook began, his voice soft but still carrying that teasing lilt, “I like dumb boys like you.”

Morgie laughed, the sound light and easy. “I guess that’s fitting, considering you’re my dumb pirate.”

Hook grinned, pulling Morgie closer, the space between them disappearing as their lips met again, a sweet kiss that lingered just long enough to feel like a promise. When they pulled apart, Hook brushed his thumb along Morgie’s cheek.

“And don’t you forget it.”

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