Chapter Text
It was like a perfect fairytale.
The chimneys expel the warm smoke from the fire, the cobbled path aligned, the sparkling snow on the ground… It looked like they were inside a snow globe. Well, more like a whole crew of pirates were the intruders in that snow globe. Because Uma’s crew did not belong to that landscape. They didn’t wear warm fur coats, nor wool hats or gloves that covered every finger. They were pirates. Proudly they would wear leather coats, fingerless gloves and, of course, pirate hats to a snowy town. Although it was quite cold…
But after all, they had been invited to spend the holidays in a village, with many other people of familiar faces. And when Uma read that invitation, it didn’t seem like a bad idea. They would all spend Christmas together. Their first Christmas ever. In the Isle, there was no such thing as Christmas. If anything, they told scary stories of Krampus by the fire, and half of the kids were not scared by it. But Santa Claus? They barely even knew about him. So this could be the perfect occasion to discover this curious holiday everyone was talking about.
“What’s that?” Gil appeared at Uma’s side, pointing at the floor.
“It’s called snow,” Uma said. “But don’t touch it with bare hands. You’ll regret it”.
“Are you talking from experience, captain?” Harry mocked her on the other side.
She glanced at him.
“I’m talking from common sense”.
Harry grinned.
“Uma! You arrived!” Ben—or beasty boy, as Uma secretly liked to call him—approached all of them with open arms and a wide smile. He too was disguised as an Eskimo. “I’m so glad you decided to come”.
“Well” Uma looked around. “I think I’m starting to regret that decision…”.
Ben chuckled.
“You’ll get used to it. Look, I’ll lead you to your villa”.
And so the crew followed him through this magical village where everyone was happy and all those strange things… They still hadn’t gotten used to how overwhelmingly jovial everybody was in Auradon. It was a bit exhausting for a villain kid with a not-so-rotten heart.
“And here it is,” Ben stopped in front of a rustic, wood three-story villa. “You’ll be staying here. We made sure there’s room for everyone. And the villa next door is for Harriet, CJ, Anthony and Freddie. We thought you’d want to be close to each other”.
When Harry heard that, he almost dropped to his knees, devastated.
“And we’re staying right there,” Ben pointed to another villa in front of them. “In case you need anything, or help decorating, just knock and someone will answer” He then leaned in closer to Uma, whispering. “And hopefully not Carlos in his pajamas.”
Uma stifled a laugh.
Once Ben had waved goodbye, the whole crew attacked the door like animals. But it was only Uma, to whom Ben had given the golden key, who successfully opened the door.
It was… surprisingly cozy.
The wood cracks, the smell of pine and cinnamon, the red cushions and elegant curtains. It all reminded them of home. That place resembled the Lost Revenge so much it seemed to have been done on purpose. Of course, it was fancier, but at least the house wasn’t covered in luxury and gold.
Like kids, Uma watched her pirates run upstairs to choose the biggest bedrooms, test the couches to see how comfortable they were, approach the fireplace and almost hang from the ceiling lights. That was an old habit, Uma had yet to get them used to not doing it…
She unpacked some of their clothes when she picked a bedroom—the one with a double bed, but not because she was selfish: they would need it—and put on something warmer. When Uma felt the familiar embrace of two arms around her waist, she pressed her lips together to try to hide the smile.
He hid his face on her neck, breathing there.
“You’re like a cat with emotional attachment, you know that?” She said softly, although she made no effort to move away.
“I’m just cold” Harry mumbled, his voice muffled.
Uma’s attempt to hide her smile failed.
“Sure,” she laughed, and turned around between his arms to place a quick kiss on his lips.
Harry’s face lit up, his ocean eyes shining in a way that made Uma’s heart race. So she pulled away quickly before he could notice the ridiculous rosy cheeks. And don’t get her wrong: Harry did not make her nervous. But then again, when he looked at her as if she were the brightest star of the firmament…
The lovebirds—a nickname established by the crew—went downstairs to find the rest of their crewmates all gathered in the living room. They all looked pleased, except Jonas, who had gotten the smallest bedroom in the villa. Uma sat down on the couch, and sighed.
“So?” Desiree asked. “What do we do now?”.
Good question.
“Shall we tell stories of Krampus?” Gonzo suggested, already giggling while looking at Gil’s horrified face.
“I think what people do is decorate their houses,” Uma said. “Ben said there are some Christmas decorations in the attic”.
Uma pointed at the attic rope hanging in the air, there, in the hallway. Ordered by their captain, Jonas and Gonzo headed to the attic.
The dark, dusty attic…