A/N: Just a short fic that takes placed after Zelena curses Hook. Ooooo I hate that witch!

"Emma!"

The young woman giggled mischievously. She crouched low to the ground behind the bar in Granny's Diner, right hand wrapped around a cool, silver hook.

"This isn't funny, Emma."

Emma furrowed her brows. The pirate didn't sound angry. There wasn't even a trace of mild annoyance. He just sounded tired. The scrape of a bar stool signaled his defeat. Emma bit her bottom lip and slowly rose to her feet. Blue eyes were instantly fixated on her and for a moment her throat restricted, trapping air in her lungs. She cursed herself for letting a man have that effect on her. Particularly this man. First of all, Captain Hook, really? Imagine introducing him as her boyfriend to strangers. Awkward. Second, she'd been hurt before. She was too stubborn to admit it, but Neal had really done a number on her. She could never trust a man with her feelings again. And yet…

His eyes put the deepest oceans to shame. Not only could she so easily lose herself in them, but she trusted them. She had spent years believing that home was a thing of fairytales, and now she felt she'd found it at last, in this man's eyes. She lifted her hand to place the hook on the counter between them. She offered him her best puppy dog face. The corner of Killian's mouth twitched but he didn't smile. He simply placed the hook where his left hand once was and said "thank you, Swan."

Emma frowned. "What's with you lately?"

Hook shook his head "How do you mean?"

Emma rested her elbows on the counter and leaned forward. "I mean, you're way less obnoxious. Almost tolerable. I can't have that."

The pirate nodded, "Aye, perhaps I should head on out, then." He rose from the bar stool. Panicked, Emma reached out and wrapped her fingers firmly around his hand. For several moments the only movement either made was the subtle rise and fall of their chests as they breathed. Then Killian laced his fingers with hers and Emma felt a surge of heat through her entire body.

"Why are you rushing off? That's not like you, Killian."

When he lifted his eyes to meet hers she could see all evidence of a man with a broken heart. Someone had hurt him. Emma was surprised at the amount of rage she felt on Killian's behalf. She couldn't remember raising her free hand to trace his jaw with her fingertips, but there it was. He leaned into her touch and breathed in deeply.

"Emma" he sighed, then forced himself away from her. "I can't."

"You…can't?" The rejection stung.

He read her face and shook his head desperately. "It's not like that. Emma, you know how I feel about you. From the moment I first saw you, I knew that my life would never be the same again. When I had to let you go and you lost all memory of me, it killed me. All the pain you've suffered. The curse, Neal, I would give anything to take that pain for you."

Emma felt her bottom lip tremble. Embarrassed, she covered her mouth with her hands. Then she cleared her throat and said "if that's how you really feel, don't go. Please."

Killian smiled. "You have no idea how happy it makes me that you want me to stay but Emma, something I've learned from falling in love with you is selflessness. I just want to do right by you, even if that means letting you go." He trailed his fingers through her hair and turned towards the door.

Emma's mind reeled. None of this made any sense. The only thing that could make him act like this would be—

"Killian!" She followed him into the night. It had gotten chilly and rain began to paint the cement black.

"Emma, it's freezing out here, get back inside, will you?"

Emma crossed her arms over her chest. "No. Not until you tell me what Zelena did to you."

"Emma, I don't—"

"And save yourself some time and bypass the lies."

"Sometimes people lie to protect the ones they love." Killian shrugged off his coat and draped it around Emma's shoulders.

Emma gazed up at him. "Killian, tell me."

"You are a stubborn lass, aren't you? Alright, then. Zelena put a curse on me."

"A curse. What kind of curse?" Emma spoke slowly, afraid of the answer she'd receive.

"She cursed my lips so should they happen to touch yours, you would lose all of your magic. Necessary for defeating Zelena, not to mention a huge, beautiful part of who you are."

Emma was horrified. Zelena cursed Killian's lips to take away her magic?

"There's more. Zelena threatened to kill everyone you love if I don't utilize her curse."

Emma was about to explode. How dare that witch do this to them? Emma recalled the last time she and Killian had shared a kiss and longed for that magic again. Magic. Suddenly the problem at hand melted away and Emma laughed.

Killian raised an eyebrow. "Well, I'm glad you can find the humor in all this."

Emma smiled. "No, Killian listen. Zelena's curse supposedly takes my magic when we kiss, right?"

"Yes." His expression became thoughtful.

"That's impossible." She said.

"Impossible, what makes you so sure?"

Emma hated cheesy. Watching her parents often made her nauseous, but at that moment she didn't care. She placed her cold hands on Killian's face, cupping his chin in her palms.

"Don't you see? This. You and I. We are magic. I'd love to see her try to destroy this."

"Em—"

The pirate began to protest but it was too late. Emma's lips covered his and when he kissed her back, the light in her heart, dim for so long, pulsed brighter than ever with magic.

The End