Drinking in Storybrooke

This is my third one-shot involving Will Scarlet. Since we didn't see much of him during the first part of season 4, I thought I'd give him something to do.

Own not these characters I do.

Chapter 1

"Will! Will Scarlet!" Robin's voice rang out as he strolled down Monckton Street, and Will, who seemed to have appeared out of nowhere, ambled over to him in the evening light. "Wot ya want, Robin?" he asked, swaying slightly. "Join us for a drink," he invited, grasping Will by the shoulder and grinning, "although I think you've already had a couple."

"Us?" Will questioned, swaying slightly. He peered into the darkness that was beginning to surround Storybrooke's main thoroughfare, but didn't see anyone else nearby. "Come on," Robin urged as they started down the street, "we haven't had a guys' night out in ages—I'll even buy!" Will nodded and grinned; Robin hated to leave Regina's side so much anymore that it was ridiculous, so this was a rare occasion. And for Robin to offer to buy, well, that was an invitation Will Scarlet would never refuse. He fell into step alongside Robin, and continued down the street.

As they rounded a corner, suddenly Killian loomed up in front of them. "Robin," he greeted with a sardonic smile. "Killian!" Robin beamed at the new arrival, "Glad you agreed to join me tonight!" "My pleasure," Killian replied with a nod. Will pulled up short. "Bloody 'ell, the pirate's coming with us?" he sneered. "You're bringing the little thief along?" Killian asked Robin, one eyebrow raised, disdain and boredom creeping into his voice. Robin grinned at both men, who stood glaring at each other. "Killian," Robin reminded him, you told me this afternoon you'd come out for a drink, and Will, you just agreed to this, so come on, we're going."

Robin wrapped an arm around each man's shoulders, and propelled them through the quiet twilight towards the bar. "You two boys have been trading dirty looks for quite a while," Robin reminded them, as he towed the two reluctant men along, "and I think it's time you both made amends. No—"his voice grew louder as his friends both started to grumble, "it's better for you, it's better for me, it's better for the whole town."

They stopped at the entrance to their destination, and could hear the music and raucous laughter from inside.

Well," Will growled, defiant and more than a little cautious, "if he wants another go at me like that night at the library, he better know that even though he's got his sharp shiny hook back, I'm not 'alf as drunk as I was before, and I won't go down so easy this time."

"Will," Robin sighed, but Killian cut him off. "It's all right, thief," he said dismissively, "I don't want to fight you." Will stared at him, not believing. 'I have other matters more important than continuing our stupid feud." He added. " And actually," Killian rubbed his jaw thoughtfully, "I wanted to thank you for not telling Emma about our previous encounter."

The evening light had faded too much for the other two to notice that Will's face had turned a shade of red. "Well," he accused, still not totally trusting the pirate, "there was somethin' about a death threat, if I remember." "Right," Killian shrugged, "What can I say? Sorry about that."

"But," Will shifted his feet, "that wasn't the reason I kept me mouth shut anyways though." He cleared his throat.

"Really?" Killian shot back, a grin flashing across his face, "you weren't shaking in your shoes over a death threat from a pirate?"

'Maybe,' Will thought to himself. "No," he huffed, "It just wasn't me place to tell her, that's all. I figured you'd get around to it yourself, sometime." Robin smiled and looked from one friend to the other. "See how easy that was?" He laughed and clapped them both on their backs. "So are we going in or not? Like I said, the first round's on me." Killian reached for the door, while Will nodded, "Sure. I've been down a Rabbit Hole a time or two in me life."

The Rabbit Hole was just that, a dive of a bar of a hole in the wall, dark, rowdy, and catering mostly to dwarves and the rather unsavory element of Storybrooke, although from time to time the upstanding citizenry used it for quiet and often clandestine evenings out. The inside was dimly lit, with a bar extending along one side of the room, and a pool table in an opposite corner. Music from the jukebox was blaring. Robin waved to Dr. Hopper, who was sitting nervously in a dark corner booth, then the three men each grabbed a barstool and Robin signaled to the bartender. They kept the conversation light, and as the evening wore on, they even managed to stay out of the altercation that popped up between Leroy and Happy at the pool table.

It was a few hours later when Robin slid off his stool. "Well, gents, that's it for me, I'd better be getting home," he told the other two men as he settled his tab. "No," he gestured as Killian started to rise, "you don't have to call it a night just because I'm leaving. Stay, don't break up the party." He gently pushed Killian back down on the bar stool. "You two can get to know each other better." With that, he was out the door, leaving Will and Killian in each other's awkward company.

Will watched his friend head out the door, then glanced over at the pirate. "He's got Regina on the brain, that's for sure."

"Well," Killian retorted, his arms crossed casually on the bar, "that's what true love will do to you. Those two were made for each other. A perfect fit. They're soul mates."

Will nodded, and grinned slyly. "So, you an' me, pirate, are we mates now—regular, not soul?" Will was a little sarcastic, after yet another shot of whiskey. He felt braver with almost a bottleful of liquid courage whirling around inside him. Even with a smile, Hook's eyes glared at him cooly. "Not yet," he replied, draining his glass and signaling the bartender for another refill. They both drank in silence for another moment.

"Robin and Regina are soul mates," Will began again, making wet rings on the bar surface with the bottom of his glass, "you and Swan—are you two perfect for each other?"

"Tread lightly, thief," Killian's voice was calm but covered a menace that made most people back off when they heard it.

Will shrugged. He was feeling the effects of drinking most of the day and now the night away, and he was struggling to keep his eyes in focus. "I'm just saying, a pirate and a bloody sheriff, more like bleedin'natural enemies, innit?"

Hook frowned over his glass at the other man. "Tell me, thief, have you ever even been in love?"

Will froze for a moment, and wondered if Hook had noticed, but the pirate turned his gaze to his own drink, and continued. "Even when I was fighting against her, helping Cora—" Will shivered at that name. "Even then, there was still something about Swan I couldn't shake off. She was on my mind constantly, even when she couldn't stand me. She worked her way deep into my heart, I couldn't get her out no matter what I did, and I finally quit trying. I couldn't fight it any more—I didn't want to fight it. I wanted her, I craved her, right there," he tapped his chest with his hook, "and she filled up my heart completely."

Will took another long drink. "Sounds like true love to me."

Hook scoffed and looked at him, "And what would you know about true love?" Will gulped down the rest of his whiskey, and welcomed the burning sensation that shot all the way to his stomach, aware that Hook was now watching him a little more closely than he would have preferred. He called for the bartender, trying to avoid Hook's critical stare. A few moments passed, moments that Will hoped would help clear away the sudden sadness that washed over him. "You got burned by true love, didn't you?" the pirate abruptly asked him.

Will hunched his shoulders, balled his fists, and took a deep breath, "Falling for her was the best bleedin' decision of me life, and it just about ruined me."

Killian could almost feel the pain that was radiating off Will. "Sorry,' his voice was low, sympathetic. Will straightened. "Is she here in Storybrooke now?" Killian pressed him.

Will grimaced, "Nope, she's somewhere I can't get to." He wanted desperately to not think of Anastasia right now. "But you and the sheriff, the real thing, eh?"

A little smile played across Hook's face, a smile that seemed to appear by magic whenever he thought of Swan. "I want to be everything for her. I would die for her."

Will's mind flashed without warning to a beautiful blonde woman, dressed all in crimson, peacefully prone on a bed, lost to the world. He fought against the image. "Well, it would be a bloody pity if it came to that," Will raised his now full glass. "But here's to Swan," he held his glass towards Killian, who tapped his own glass against Will's, and they both drained their drinks.

Chapter 2

Will stretched slowly, his head throbbing. 'A hangover,' he thought, he knew all the familiar symptoms. He tried to figure out just where he was without moving an inch. The bed he lay on was small, narrow, and hard. The air was cold, he noticed, colder than he was used to when he normally awoke with a hangover. He debated whether or not to open his eyes, deciding that was way too much movement for his aching head. The air smelled different too, not like his apartment, where the smell of stale whiskey was always floating around. What had happened last night? He tried to clear his mind. He'd been with Robin and Killian Jones, they'd had a few drinks—a lot of drinks—Robin had left, then he and Killian…. Will groaned softly as he finally realized just exactly where he was.

From the next cell over came the bellow, "Swan! When the devil are you going to let me out of here?" "Bloody 'ell," Will whispered, and pulled the flat pillow over his head to muffle the noise. Drinking the night away with a pirate was never, ever a good idea, he realized belatedly. "SWAN!" The shout was like a white hot poker assaulting Will's aching head, and he tossed the pillow on the floor and growled, "Shut it! Me bloody head's heaved in two!"

"Can't hold your rum, thief?" Killian scoffed, leaning against the cell door.

"Excuse me, pirate, but it was bleedin'whiskey, not rum, and I seem to remember there was a right lot of it too." Will knuckled his eyes.

Emma Swan strolled in, "Well, well, "she scoffed sternly, "the pirate and his merry man. Had a good time last night, did we, boys?" Killian tried to soften his glare, while Will put his palms over his face, and tried vainly to stop his head from feeling like it was going to explode. "Let's see," she continued, reading from the clipboard she had removed from the desk. "Drunk and disorderly on a public thoroughfare, destruction of private property, partial nudity in a public place—" Will's eyes flew open at that—the last time he had been charged with public nudity he'd been stripped and tied to a tree…had it happened again? He quickly felt for his jacket and jeans—nope, he was still covered properly. Must have been Hook this time.

"Swan, please," the pirate lowered his voice and turned on as much charm as he possessed at that hour. "We were only celebrating you getting your own place."

"By trampling on my rosebushes and singing dirty songs at the top of your lungs? My new neighbors were not amused."

"Love songs," he corrected her, "they were love songs all for you." There was a twinkle in his eye and a smile turning up the corners of his mouth.

"And then," she pretended to read the clipboard, but she knew exactly what had happened next. "You threatened to take off all your clothes unless I let you come inside." He smiled seductively, completely unashamed, "Well, that was the rum talking." He lowered his head slightly, ran a thumb slowly across his lower lip, and gazed at her through upturned eyes.

"Bloody 'ell!" Will rolled off the cot and tried to stand on his wobbly legs. "Either kill me or cure me, but stop the bleedin' noise!" He leaned against the bars, holding his head. He was not sure he could stand up on his own two feet right at that moment.

"You see, Swan," Killian was smooth, his charm at full power, "my mate here—" "Mate?" Will rolled his sorry head sideways to look towards the other cell as Killian continued. "My mate and I were just getting to know each other, building a friendship, making… amends as it were." Emma was immediately suspicious, "Amends for what, exactly?"

Killian shrugged, "well, I may have…accidentally…punched him in the face a while back."

"Really?" Emma was suddenly furious. "That was your doing?" She spun towards Will. "And you didn't tell me?"

Will managed a grin, no small feat considering his current condition, "no worries, sheriff, just a little misunderstanding was all." He waved his hand dismissively. "Water under the old bridge," he drawled, "yep, the old Storybrooke troll bridge." For some ungodly reason that sounded so hilarious that Will couldn't help laughing, and he grabbed at the bars of the cell as he realized how difficult it was right now for him to both laugh and stand up at the same time. Killian snorted and made a tremendous effort to not join in.

"So," Emma tapped the clipboard. "Do you two want to go before the magistrate?" "Magistrate?" Will looked blankly at Hook. "Her mum," Hook offered. "Oh," Will mused, "the mayor! She likes me, she does, even though she called me short and dumb once. Gave me that right lovely pardon, too, she did."

"OR," Emma interrupted, sounding stern, "you can take a plea bargain and be released to do community service." Both men eyed her cautiously. "The sheriff's office needs repainting," she motioned to the walls around her.

"Done," Hook replied quickly. They both looked at Will, who sighed heavily. "Wot he said," he agreed. Anything to get out of here. Will knew he would end up doing most of the work, while the pirate made good use of being in the same room with his true love every day for at least a week. 'And I'll have to watch,' he thought darkly, as Emma unlocked his cell. The things he would do for a new mate.