I'll stay for Henry's mom – the other one

"I'm sorry for you, but this adventure didn't end well"

The captain turned slightly his head, just enough to glance at little Henry in his two mothers' arms and then he looked up again at the man who had just spoken, with a half smile.

"It seems to me that the lad is fine"

"Oh, stop it! You didn't leave for my son, you left for his mother and in the end you'll stay to try to win her love"

Hook sighed heavily and kept on smiling. His intentions were too clear to even try to deny them.

"Mi dispiace per te ma quest'avventura non è finita bene"

"It's all the beginning, Baelfire"

Neal burst into a joyless laughter.

"It isn't a game and if it is for you, then you will end it as a looser. I love Emma and I will always fight for her"

The time of that confession and the Dark One's son was already gone, leaving behind him Killian, more thoughtful and bitter than the usual.

The intensity of the love between Emma and Neal was showing up more and more every passing moment, and suddenly he seemed to have lost a reason to stay in Storybrooke.

But at least for now he would have stayed.

In the end, Baelfire was right, in the end it had been him to win Emma's love and Killian had nothing to do but leave and look for a new unknown adventure. But too many things had happened in the meanwhile and that end had even seemed for a moment as a promising start.

It had been the unexpected friendship with her, it had been the kisses and the secret nights shared together: that was what exactly had led him to change his mind for a moment, but he had been a fool to really believe that.

"Captain"

Hook almost jumped hearing that voice behind him and turned in a twitch.

"Lad"

Young Henry was in front of him now, with a slight awkward smile on his face while he was trying to climb on board.

"I've learnt about your departure, so I came to say goodbye"

Hook hinted a sincere smile at those words and approached his guest, leaving for a moment the preparations for the departure.

"It's very kind from you" he thanked, sitting and motion to him to sit down too.

Henry looked for a moment hesitant, but then he nodded and walked on the ship.

"Can I ask you a question?"

"You are already making one"

The boy smiled at that predictable clarification, but pretended to ignore it.

"Are you leaving for my mom?"

The pirate found himself widening his eyes, caught by surprise and murmured something incoherent before he could finally form a sentence that made sense.

"How do you know that?" he finally asked.

"Actually, everybody knows" the boy noted smoothly, confused on his part by that reaction.

It had been four moths since the return from Neverland and he perfectly remembered, as anyone, his attempt of courting the Savior.

"Everybody knows about me and Regina?"

"What?! I was referring to my mom Emma"

It was Henry's turn to be speechless now. That was a real surprise... He didn't feel like that since the sheriff Graham told him to have kissed Emma.

A long minute of silence followed that confession, until it was the boy again the one who broke it.

"So… Do you like my mom – Regina?"

The man turned slowly to look him in the eyes and sighed with a sudden serious expression.

"I think I really do, lad"

The captain looked thoughtful for a moment, then he took his inseparable flask of rum and handed it to him, but something in Henry's eyes made him stop.

"No, you are right… Otherwise your mother would kill me" he said, retracting the arm and took a sip for him instead "And before you can ask me which one… I believe that this time there wouldn't be any difference"

Henry giggled and stood up again.

"Maybe… You shouldn't leave… Maybe you should give yourself a chance of happiness"

With that last eloquent suggestion, he came back on dry land and started to walk to his grandparents' house. It would have been wonderful if also his mom Regina would have found a happy ending and he wouldn't have complained if it was with Captain Hook.

There were just two things that he still didn't understand. Why his moms ended up liking the same men, and what was the problem that Hook had with the women of his family, starting with his dead grandmother.

Regina was clearly lost in thought that morning: her almost uncertain walk suggested it, her appearant total lack of sarcasm revealed it and the almost friendly smile – and strangely sad – that he made to Ruby, confirmed it. And yet, she wasn't that much to not notice that what was put on her table wasn't what she had previously ordered.

"I think I've only asked for a coffee" she said, raising an eyebrow.

The waiter simply smiled and turned back, heading to another customer of the diner.

"I ordered this one for you"

The major of Storybrooke looked up and finding exactly the person she had been thinking about since she had woken up, she couldn't help but open her eyes wide for a moment, astonished. A part of her wanted to hiss some insult to him to have reduce her to such a state, another one wanted instead to hug him and finally, there was a part that simply wanted to ask him an explanation for that change of plan. Had he decided to stay or was it just a chance to say goodbye?

None of the three instincts prevailed and the woman only pressed her lips and stared at the plate.

"Why a lemon cheese cake? I believe you know that I prefer…"

"Apple cake, I perfectly know that of course, but everyone knows it" the captain finished her sentence, taking a sit in front of her "But you also like lemon cheese cake and maybe I only know that"

Regina looked at him for some moments, unsure about the meaning of those words and that action, until the diffidence that she had developed all those years and that had become part of her nature, emerged in an annoyed puff.

"Of course, and maybe that's the only thing you know about me" she commented with sharp irony.

Killian didn't look hurt at all and grinned even more, approaching his face towards hers.

"I know, for example, that you are dying to know why I'm here and I also know that you will never ask me" he replied, starting to caress the back of her hand with his fingertips.

"Hook…" she whispered in a warning tone, trying to back out of that contact, but a stronger grip prevented her to do that and forced her to look up to him.

"You know… Baelfire said something funny to me…" he started, letting their fingers interwine.

A feeling of déjà-vu run over them: the last time that they had a similar conversations, they were on his ship and they had ended up talking about happy endings and chances of happiness.

"He said that in the end I would have stayed in Storybrooke for Henry's mother and that's true…" he continued staring at her intensely "What he didn't know - neither of us – is that it would have been for the other one"

Regina felt tears forming in her eyes and before she could stop herself, one fell slowly on her cheek. She wasn't used to being loved and somehow a concrete possibility of happiness was making her suffer. She was scared.

"I don't know what… Are you sure that… Maybe Emma… The two of us, real-"

A quick kiss hushed up that incoherent attempt f speech and another more passionate one served to void any doubt.

"Now eat this cake, love… Otherwise it will chill" he said then, continuino to hold her hand.

The woman raised an eyebrow and burst slowly into a laugh.

"Killian, are you aware that it is to be eaten cold, right?" You are really idiot sometimes" she addressed him clearly amused.

"say it again"

"What? That you are an idiot?"

"No…" he clarified giggling too "Say again my name, love"

"Only if you do that too"

They remained to look at each other for a while in silence, until their lips moved almost at the same time.

"Killian"

"Regina"

And in that moment they felt, for the first time after a log time, simply themselves.

Just Killian and just Regina.

Here it is my new Hooked Queen one-shot! I wanted to see Hook have a conversation both with Neal and Henry... So this came out of my mind LoL I hope you liked it:) See you soon!