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The soft cheerful singing of birds woke him up.
Harry was in absolute calm. He had gotten his comfortable position in bed, felt the warmth radiating from Uma next to him. A cool morning breeze made the curtains flutter and some of his hair move.
A Saturday morning in Auradon.
If that wasn't heaven, it was something very much like it.
He turned to Uma, a stupidly sweet smile set on his face. He gently put his arm around her waist and pulled her to him. Uma easily crossed her arms around the back of Harry's neck and draped a leg over him, something he didn't mind at all.
He placed a kiss so softly on her forehead that it almost passed for a fluke. Harry didn't try to wake her and instead closed his eyes again. It was Saturday, they didn't have to attend classes anyway. They could stay in bed as long as they wanted.
Just as he thought he was going to fall asleep again, a loud ringing noise startled the couple. Uma grunted in annoyance, hiding under the covers. In turn, Harry frowned and moved vaguely over to the bedside table, where a digital clock was waking them up.
Harry was struck by the plastic hearts sticking out of the top. No decoration ever appeared, it just beeped. Why was this day different?
He listened to what the alarm said, and what caught his attention the most was the mention of “Valentine's Day”.
"Turn that off" a sleepy Uma muttered, still under the covers.
Harry did.
"What's Valentine's Day?" he asked her as he lay down again. He was amused then to hear Uma mumble something unintelligible, hugging him again. So Harry didn't pay any attention to whatever that strange term was, surely invented by those from Auradon.
Whatever it was, he would find out later.
~
A few hours passed.
They both managed to get some more sleep after that interruption. When the laziness and the newly awakened kisses were gone, they got up at last. They dressed in clothes appropriate to their styles on the Isle, because they really didn't care at all that people there dressed in ridiculous strappy shirts or pompous pink dresses.
They left the rooms and crossed the corridors filled with teenagers, as always. But this time, they saw multiple hearts everywhere. Almost everyone's clothes were summed up in shades of pastel pink, hot pink, or garish red; sometimes white. And most of these clothes had decorations with hearts.
"Is it World Corny Day?" Uma asked the air.
"Something like that” one of the students said as he walked past her with balloons in the shape of.... oh, hearts...
They finally left the building and, after picking up breakfast, went to the outdoor courtyard with picnic tables, where everyone was now. They were both struck by the sight of a table under a large tree, bursting with red, pink and white balloons and other gifts still hidden.
A blue-haired girl greeted them.
Uma and Harry had no choice but to join everyone at that table. The space was large, so they still had room for them to sit comfortably on the benches. One thing they noticed quickly was that they were all seated next to their respective partners, something that almost never happened.
"Okay, we need a goddamn explanation” Uma put both hands on the table. Evie looked at her with a big smile that would soften even the iciest heart.
"It's Valentine's Day!"
"And what's that?" Harry insisted more loudly.
"I forgot this didn't exist on the Isle” mentioned Ben, who stood next to Mal with almost heart eyes. "It's Valentine's Day."
Uma gave the little beast a death stare.
"Love and friendship are celebrated” Jane added.
"I'm going to throw up..." The sea witch shook her head slightly.
Lonnie, who was in front of her, laughed in amusement. It was suspicious to everyone at the table to see her and Jay together, since they had never made anything official.
"Couples get each other nice gifts, usually adorned with hearts. And they spend all day together” Lonnie sighed dreamily.
"Gifts?" Harry muttered, watching as Ben suddenly stood up to bring a huge gift.
The table witnessed a corny act between Mal and Ben, and when the dragon girl finally unwrapped it, she found a cute giant stuffed beast with a heart between its paws. That unchained all the couples.
Jane gave Carlos a necklace that had the word “Cane” on it, the alternate name Carlos found by putting the two names together. That way they would both have a different necklace with the same meaning.
Dough gave Evie chocolates and recited some sort of short, pathetic poem. Harry really got worried when he saw Uma looking nauseous.
Chad gifted Audrey with the keys to a pink car. Their thing seemed more like a dramatic movie show. He got down on his knees and almost cried. Audrey had to get him out of there.
Harriet and Anthony Tremaine, a couple perhaps more similar to the dynamic of Uma and Harry, were the most striking. Anthony gave Harriet a gold hook that she had sometimes told him about. Of course, she wasn't as obsessed as her brother, she wouldn't carry it in her hand all the time. It was just for display in her room.
Harry almost drooled as he looked at the glittering gold hook.
Meanwhile, Harriet presented him with a sword. A promise that she would teach him how to fight a pirate.
Once everyone was done with their cheesy moments, the table was quiet again.
"So..." Uma spoke up. "Do couples just give each other gifts and that's it?"
Evie denied.
"It doesn't have to be material. Sometimes just affection is enough” she explained. "Still, it's not just gifts. Couples usually go on private dates and spend the whole day together."
"Dates to do what?" Uma asked, genuinely confused about the whole dating thing.
"Buy matching necklaces” Mal said.
"Get a matching tattoo” Jay looked at them a little more boldly.
"Give stuffed animals as gifts” Jane spoke, cuddling a stuffed mouse that Carlos had given her.
After that breakfast, Harry thought about everything he had been told. Now he wanted to do something with Uma, to go on a date. But it was impossible for him to decide on one thing to do on the date.
So he mixed them all up.
~
The day had gone on until late afternoon, and Harry was all set.
"A biker pirate?" Uma laughed a little, getting on the motorcycle Harry had probably stolen.
"I've got a surprise for ye” he answered as the girl hugged him around the waist.
"I think I already know what you're planning."
After a few minutes speeding through the streets, they arrived at a jewelry store. Uma was already expecting it, as she admitted to Harry. She knew him very well, too well perhaps. Uma made fun of her boyfriend's corny attitude, but she agreed to go to all the dates he prepared for her.
They left that store with matching necklaces, of course. Harry got one in silver with Uma's initial, while she in turn got one in gold with Harry's initial.
The next thing was a bit more reckless and painful. They ended up at a tattoo center. They both seemed very confident about getting matching tattoos. They didn't fear the breakup because they really didn't even think about ever having one. They complemented each other too perfectly.
So they both ended up getting an anchor tattooed on the bicep of their right arm.
Finally, as the sun was setting, Harry took her to what for them was the best place in the world: the beach.
There they sat on the shore and spent the time talking, totally missing the point.
"Wait” Harry turned to his back in search of the gift. "I still got something for ye."
Uma frowned slightly and smiled.
"Still more?"
And many more that he would now give her every year. She knew that for Harry, no gift was enough for a goddess, as he usually called her. He pulled something from his side and held it out to Uma. It was quite sweet for her to see how poorly it was wrapped in wrapping paper.
Tearing the paper apart, Uma wasn't able to believe what she was seeing. A stuffed seahorse, the color of her hair, with a violet belly and a little golden shiny crown on her head. She didn't squeal because it would make Harry deaf.
"I hope ye like it. I know how much ye love those creatures, and seeing it made me think of ye" Uma was still unable to look away from the stuffed animal. So, worried, Harry quickly followed: "But if ye don't like it I can..."
His words were cut off when she pressed her lips tightly against his. As she kissed him, she threw herself on top of him, causing them both to fall to the sand in laughter.
"This,” Uma lifted the stuffed animal high, unable to stop smiling, ”is the best gift I'll ever get in my life."
And that night, Harry cuddled up in bed with Uma, as usual.
Only this time there was a squashed seahorse stuffed animal in between them.