Decided to have a little study break and see what happened when I combined Once Upon a Time with The Civil Wars' "Dust to Dust." One shot?
It's not your eyes
It's not what you say
It's not your laughter that gives you away
You're just lonely
You've been lonely, too long
"Hook."
But he had turned to look at her before she said his name. When he was being honest with himself, which he tried not to do very often, he knew that Emma Swan, everyone else's savior, would be his downfall.
"Hook," she repeated. Her voice was softer the second time. She had her hands on her knees, uncharacteristically out of breath. Even in the dim light, he could see the sweat glistening on her forehead. The enchanted forest surrounded them, so much more oppressive than the open sea-so much more like a grave. The scent of pine and fire permeated the air, and smoke crept around their ankles.
"I'd love to stop and chat, love, but the magical fire you set seems to be hell bent on catching us."
"You have to go back to the ship without me. You have to get the antidote back to Henry." She didn't even pause as she said the words. Her voice was hard- stubborn.
"I'm not leaving you here." But even as he said it, he knew. He knew because he had known from the time she had kissed him in Neverland- the only dream of his that had ever come true on that godforsaken island. He knew he would do as she asked, just as he knew the edge in her voice was as close as she got to pleading.
Emma took a deep breath, swaying slightly. She reached out to steady herself against a tree, but he stepped closer, and her eyes snapped open when her hand rested on his chest instead of wood. She was too close, her eyes searching his, her forehead creased with worry and resolve. He wrapped his hands around her bare shoulders, and he felt the taught muscles relax slightly beneath his fingers.
"You know I can't get there fast enough. Not like this," she whispered, her eyes flicking down toward the blood staining the side of her white tank top. "We have to save him."
All your actin'
Your thin disguise
All your perfectly delivered lies
They don't fool me
You've been lonely, too long
And Hook was suddenly, irrationally angry. His voice came out in a low hiss. "You hero types are really into that whole saving business, aren't you?"
"Sorta comes with the job description of being the savior," she answered, her tone far darker than her words. Her breath caught in her throat, but he couldn't tell if it from the pain or from the smoke. "And Henry is my son. He's.. He's all that matters to me. We have to save him, even if the only way to do that is you going on without me."
"We will save him, Swan." He forced his eyes away from her side, where fresh blood kept seeping through and mingling with the old. He quickly realized her eyes, suddenly full of tears, weren't any easier to look at. "But you can't possibly think I'm going to agree to leave you here to burn in a forest fire."
She shook her head, wincing again. "I won't. I'll take the other trail. It's close, and it'll lead me to that lake my parents are always talking about." Her words were quick, desperate. She was trying to convince him she would be fine so he would leave- but he knew her too well.
He closed his eyes and pressed his forehead against hers, wishing they were on the deck of his ship, wishing they were back in Storybrooke. Or, better yet, wishing they had never met at all. Because he knew love, and love was pain. "Do you remember what you once told me, Swan?" he whispered, feeling her breath along with his own, willing himself to memorize the gentle scent of cinnamon. "You told me we understand each other." He shuttered as he felt her fingers trace the line of his jaw. He opened his eyes. "I know you."
Let me in the wall, you've built around
And we can light a match and burn it down
Let me hold your hand and dance 'round and 'round the flame
In front of us
Dust to Dust
She slid her hand beneath his ear, the strength of her grip on the back of his neck the only indication of her fear in that moment. "I know you, too. And I know you'll take this antidote home and save Henry."
Slowly, carefully, he moved his hand to her injured side, swallowing back the fear he felt at the severity of the injury. She covered his hand with her own. "I'll take the antidote home and save Henry," he repeated, his anger vanishing as quickly as it had come. The panic melted from her eyes, and he hadn't even realized it was there until it was gone.
"Thank you," she whispered.
"And then I'm going to come back and save you, Savior."
The ghost of her usual smirk passed across her face. The smoke, dark with magic, rose and swirled around their knees.
"I'm sorry I got hurt," she murmured, almost so low he didn't hear.
He tipped her face back up toward his, placing his hook under chin more delicately than he ever thought was possible. "You're apologizing for needing saving?"
You've held your head up
You've fought the fight
You bear the scars
You've done your time
Listen to me
You've been lonely, too long
She laughed, just a little, and it surprised them both. "Yeah, I guess I am."
He grinned, unable to stop himself. "Well, you should have been quicker, now that you mention it."
Emma pushed against his chest, almost playfully, but when he refused to step back she collapsed into his arms, just for a second. She let him hold her, and he felt her body pressed against his, the subtle rhythm of her heartbeat just below his own. He gripped harder, relishing the feeling of her breath against his neck, of her hair against his face. And then, as he knew she would, she pulled back.
"Go save Henry."
He would never forget the color of the ocean as long as he had her eyes to look into it. It reflected out of them, beckoning him in, all of its mysteries between greens and blues. "Swan," he said, and his voice sounded far away, even to him.
Her hands found the collar of his leather jacket, and, like she had in Neverland, she kissed him. It was harder this time, more desperate. More like goodbye. His lips met hers, and they parted slightly, the soft warmth of her tongue tracing the contours of his own. He stepped in and let himself sink deeper, savoring the taste of her, the intensity of her passion. Like everything else she did, she was good at this. He ran his hand through her hair. He tangled his fingers in it, wanting nothing more or less than every bit of her. And then, as quickly as she was there, she was gone.
Her eyes were dry. The smoke wrapped around their waists.
You're like a mirror, reflecting me,
Takes one to know one
so take it from me
"Go save Henry."
He nodded, his face spasming into something that was supposed to be a reassuring smile. And then, while the smoke continued to rise, he ran. He ran toward his ship and away from the woman who was so hell bent on saving everyone, she would kill him. He ran to save her son. And, hours later as he watched the shoreline disappear, he prayed to whatever gods were listening that he would find a way to get back in time to save the woman who held the only part of his heart left worth saving.
You've been lonely,
You've been lonely, too long
We've been lonely
We've been lonely, too long
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