It started with a look.
Just as he emerged from under those poor souls that Cora had killed, and he looked around frantically as if he was actually scared, his eyes crossed hers. Something immediately grabbed him by the throat and practically suffocated him.
He recognized her.
He could swear to the Gods above he had never seen her before in his life, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he knew her. Those green eyes, so haunted and suspicious, pierced into his and suddenly he found himself with a heart that was beating like it hadn't done for nearly 300 years. He found himself struggling to remember why he was here.
He found himself forgetting about his revenge.
It scared the crap out of him.
When he stayed with their company, as ordered by Cora, he got to know the lass with the wild eyes and the blonde tresses that captivated him. And what a lass she was. He admired her strength, her passion to return to her son, and even had to laugh when she pressed a blade to his throat, accusing him of lying.
I can tell when you're lying, buddy. And you're doing it.
She was good, but not good enough for him.
Well done! You bested me!
So when he ended up tied to a tree, he was somewhat surprised, and even angry. Nobody had bested him in a very long time. It infuriated him. And yet, he couldn't help but feel a little proud of the Swan girl when she practically tortured his true identity out of him. She looked like she'd heard of him, but not in a flattering way at all. Her green eyes said enough, the laughter in them slightly wounding him, but he stayed cocky. He gave her the answers she demanded – she'd bested him after all – and got them to give him a ride back to this Storybrooke. Where the crocodile was.
Finally.
When she demanded she go on the beanstalk with him, he felt strangely giddy. He wanted to know more of this strangely familiar woman. Why she had this haunted look in her eyes, why she was so desperate to get back to a land without Magic.
He wanted to get to know Emma Swan intimately.
I was hoping it'd be you.
He told himself he just wanted to bed her. He did love a challenge, after all. And she was a challenge like he'd never encountered before. He loved the bantering between them, it warmed him up inside. Defrosted his heart a bit.
So when she told him she'd loved...perhaps once before, and he saw that pain in her eyes, he knew she wasn't used to being cherished. He saw she'd been abandoned one too many times in her life. Talking to her made him feel less...evil. And he ached for a chance to really cherish her. Like she deserved.
It continued when she chained him atop the beanstalk – and thus bested him again – his heart felt like it had been ripped out of his chest again. He hadn't lied to her. Not once. Why couldn't she believe him?
Swan, look at me. Have I told you a lie?
He saw in her eyes that she knew he wasn't lying. And it hurt him all the more that she left him anyway. She did trust him. She just didn't trust herself.
As he sat there for hours and hours on end, with only a grumpy Giant as company, he wanted to know why she didn't trust herself. Who had hurt her so much in the past that she couldn't allow anyone to creep past those enormous walls of hers? He was surprised to notice that he wanted to hurt the person that had.
When he snatched the naive princess's heart, and took it to Cora, he watched the witch use it to manipulate Emma.
I think he might fancy you.
It stung him. He didn't know why, but something in those words got under his skin and made his heart jump. Did he fancy the Swan girl? He smiled to hear Emma deny it quite fiercely. That was the Emma he knew and admired.
Cora took him to the cell the merry company were captured in, and seeing the Swan girl again made his heart jump up into his throat. The feeling of recognition washed over him again, and he had to work hard to push it down and hide it behind swagger and sass.
Dried up, dead, useless. Much like you.
He didn't mean it. Yes, he was angry and hurt that she'd left him. But there was so much life inside of this wonderful woman, and useless...well, she thawed his heart, didn't she? If anything, she was the most useful and most wonderful person in his life at the moment. But he couldn't...he couldn't work past his anger at her, his thirst for vengeance against the one who took his first love.
And so he left Emma behind in that cell.
Their attraction came to a boiling point when they fought at Lake Nostos, where he admired her form. She'd obviously not held a sword often, she was sloppy, but passionate. He loved sparring with her. He teased her non-stop, and enjoyed watching her blush.
When I jab you with my sword you'll feel it.
She flushed with anger, and then he saw her hand move to the compass beneath her. He was going to give her this one. She had a son to get back to after all. She clocked him with a pretty good right hook, and left him unconscious on the beach to return to her young lad, Henry. He came to about a minute after she hit him, but he stayed down a bit longer, to fool Cora into believing Swan was dangerous.
He admired her passion, her strength and her passion and fierce desire to return to her son. He admired that in her. She took nobody's shit and fought hard. It was hard to think of, but Milah – while hurting constantly over the loss of her Bae – had never wanted to give up her life for her son. Emma had.
They met again after weeks, at the Storybrooke town line, after he was hit by a moving vehicle with dragon eyes. She looks worried, and he is hurting, but he can't help but feel the connection again. Why does he recognize her?He is sure he knows her, the fiery woman with the blonde hair. He calls her beautiful, because she is, she just blushes and tells the medics to take him somewhere safe, where Gold couldn't find him.
She came to his bed when he woke, all smiles and threats, but he didn't mind. He still loved to banter with her, even after all these weeks. She caused him pain in more ways than one, and not all were unpleasant.
Dead man of the year.
Of course, but Captain Hook isn't so simply taken down.
The next time they see each other is in the lounge of this hospital. He broke free of those so-called handcuffs and demanded to know about the squishy blue stuff that looked like mud with a colour. They were all there, Emma, the Queen, the girl with the red streaks of hair (was it the Wolf girl? He couldn't remember). They all looked annoyed, but he couldn't help but notice how cute Swan looked when she was annoyed.
Go. Eat. Your Jell-O.
She rolled her eyes when she grabbed his shoulder, making both his skin tingle and his face contort with pain. She pushed him back to his room and re-shackled him to the hospital bed. He made some innuendo that earned him another push in the ribs, but Gods, was it worth it.
After that he remembers little of the times they've seen each other. His focus was on the Crocodile. Plus he was captured. But he remembers clearly enough how, quite suddenly, she swayed him to 'the good side'.
You and I, we understand each other.
Her young lad was gone again. And she needed the bean in his hand. He was so conflicted. She and him were alike, in many ways, and he was glad she saw that, too. But to give up that bean, the only way to get out of this godforsaken land...? That was asking a bit much.
But when he stood there upon the deck of his faithful Jolly, and he stared at the bean in his hand, he thought of Liam. And Milah. And Bae. All dead. They would all, each and every one of them, be very disappointed in him for not helping these people. For not helping himself.
I thought you didn't care about anyone but yourself.
Maybe just I needed a reminder that I could.
Their story unfolded more in Neverland, where he saw her not only as the tough lass he had come to love – yes, love. Killian shuddered at the guilt wrecking him – not only that, but also as the lost girl she started out as. The parentless, abandoned girl. And he wanted so much to care for her. To show her that he would never abandon her, if she took him in.
Perhaps I would.
And when he found out her father was dying, he knew he had to do something. It would destroy Emma. So he saved the prince. Brought him back to his family in one piece. Everyone was grateful (save for the Evil Queen, but who even considered that?), and they toasted to him. Killian felt strange when they did that. Never had he felt so respected by such a large group of people (they were three, so that's saying something).
She took him apart after that, inquiring if he'd really saved David's life. He'd been slightly hurt, but considerate of her feelings. She thanked him, and he smirked.
Please. You couldn't handle it.
Indeed he couldn't. His body felt like it was on fire when her lips suddenly descended on his. His hand disappeared in her hair, and she leaned into him. Her warmth spread through him, and he swore he felt something inside him click right into place. His soul being mended back to his whole state. He suddenly knew he was meant to love her so deeply and purely as she deserved.
But he also knew she was a stubborn lass. God, she was.
A one-time thing.
Lie.
As you wish, m'lady.
It came to an end at the Storybrooke, where Emma and her little lad were forced to leave without their memories because of a bloody curse.
Good.
He would think of her. Every day, all day.
And he did.
Swan. At last.
How foolish he was to try True Love's Kiss on her. There was no way it would work. Not while she couldn't even remember meeting him. Not when her memories were completely gone. He ended up with a severe limp for a few days, but he never stopped trying.
The potion he received, worked like clock-work, and within two days, she was wrapped in his arms again, whispering his name, his real name in his shoulder. He held her tightly, feeling his sanity slowly return to his mind – he hadn't even realized he'd lost it.
The day she stood before him in a marvellous white dress, and a big smile on her face, he saw that she knew, too. They matched in every single way, knew what the other was thinking half of the time and the most important thing: they healed each other.
She looked like a bloody Queen in that dress, and the way she walked towards him with her father beside her, radiated her royal blood off her as well. He loved her deeply, and everyone knew it.
I do, precious Swan. I do.
It ended with pain and love. If he thought losing Milah, getting his hand cut off and watching Emma break down in front of him was painful, he'd been bloody wrong. Cursing beneath his breath, he held onto Emma's hand as she screamed profanities at his head. She was crushing his bones, but he hardly felt it. He just wanted to take all of her pain away right now.
If he'd known that this would inflict so much pain on her, he would've been more careful.
Whale encouraged her to push harder, to hold on just a little while, and Killian had to hold himself back. He just wanted to punch the doctor in the face for yelling at his wife.
And then the most beautiful thing in the world was suddenly in his wife's arms and he forgot all about his anger and his pain of seeing Emma suffer. How could a human be so small and fragile?
Serena Milah Jones.
His little girl. His and Emma's beautiful miracle.
Killian was complete. He had a family. His story was done. From now on he'd only be a husband and a father, and for the first time in his life, he never wanted anything else.
What did the people in this world say at this point?
Oh, right.
And they lived happily ever after.