Title: Hooked on Her
Author: Steph aka CaptainSwanLuver
Rating: G
Pairing: Hook/Emma
Category: Romance/Drama
Disclaimer: I do this out of a love for this couple. No infringement is intended.
Spoilers: Nope.
Summary: Hook plans a special Valentine's Day for Emma, but things do not go as planned.
Note: Happy Valentine's Day! Couldn't let this day pass without writing a little something about our favorite couple. I hope you enjoy it! ~Steph
….Hooked on Her: Part 1/1.…
Henry entered Granny's diner and spotted Hook sitting at a booth. He walked over and slid in across from him.
Hook smiled at him. "Hello, mate. To what do I owe the pleasure?"
"I just wanted to tell you that I know tomorrow is a big night for you and my mom, so I'll be spending it at my other mom's."
Hook's brow creased in confusion. "I'm sorry, lad, I'm afraid I haven't a clue what you're talking about."
Henry's eyes widened. "Tomorrow. You know, Valentine's Day."
Hook shrugged his shoulders. "I can tell from your tone that I should know what that is."
Henry sighed. "February 14th is Valentine's Day in this land. It's a day to celebrate love. Kids give Valentine cards out to their friends at school. Couples go out to dinner and exchange gifts, like flowers, candy, cards, and jewelry."
Hook stared at him blankly. Henry gestured to all of the red and pink hearts that decorated Granny's Diner. "Haven't you noticed all of the heart decorations up for the last couple of weeks?"
"I just assumed Granny had decided to redecorate. So let me see if I have this straight. This land sets aside one day to show how much you love someone, rather than just showing them everyday as one should."
Henry groaned. "Well, yes, but Valentine's Day is pretty important to girls."
Hook leaned forward, suddenly concerned. "There's only one lass I care about. Does your mother consider Valentine's Day important?"
Henry shook his head. "I don't know. She's hasn't been with anyone on Valentine's Day since I met her."
"I see."
"But if you don't do something and she expects it, then you're going to be in big trouble. We're talking in the dog house."
"Your mother doesn't possess a dog."
"It's a figure of speech," he replied, before sliding out of the booth. "Good luck."
Hook ran a hand down his face and sighed.
….
An hour later, Emma slid into the same spot Henry had occupied. She leaned over and gave Hook a kiss.
"Hi."
"Hi, love," he said softly.
Her eyes narrowed at him. "What's wrong?"
"It's nothing. It's just…Well, Henry informed me it's Valentine's Day tomorrow and…"
Emma groaned and rolled her eyes. "Ugh, I hate Valentine's Day."
Hook's eyes widened. "You do? Why?"
"It's a made-up holiday designed to benefit the card, flower, candy, and jewelry industries."
"Aye, but it is also about celebrating love, right?"
Emma lowered her eyes. "So I've heard. I wouldn't really know. I've never celebrated it."
Hook reached his hand out and covered it with hers. "I'm sorry."
She sighed heavily. "I moved around so much as a kid that I either missed it or I was the new kid everyone forgot to give a Valentine too. I sat there and watched as boys gave girls hearts cut out of construction paper with some silly saying on it. I never got one. As a freshman in high school, I decided to try to go to a dance on Valentine's Day. I'd been at that school for a couple of months, so I figured I'd put myself out there. I got my hair done and put on this fancy red dress. When I got there, everyone was dressed in jeans, maybe a few girls in a skirt. Everyone took one look at me and burst out laughing. I was so embarrassed I ran out of there and went to the movies alone instead. That was when I swore off Valentine's Day for good. I haven't celebrated it since. I never had anyone to share it with anyway, so it's always been just another day to me."
Hook reached over the table and cupped her cheek, so that she lifted her eyes to meet his. "You have someone to share it with now, Emma."
She moved away from his touch and stood up abruptly. "Killian, I have no interest in celebrating Valentine's Day, so, if you'll excuse the pun, you're off the hook."
With that, she headed for the door. Hook's eyes followed her until she disappeared.
….
Hook reluctantly raised his hand and knocked on the loft's door.
David answered on the second knock. "Hook, what are you doing here?"
"May I come in? I'm seeking some advice."
David's eyes widened in surprise, but he moved aside to allow him entrance.
He eyed Hook curiously. "So how can I help you?"
"I just learned that Valentine's Day is tomorrow. You're Prince Charming so I assume you have some knowledge of romance and women."
He nodded. "I do."
"Emma says she hates Valentine's Day and doesn't want to celebrate it. I want to respect her wishes, but her disdain for Valentine's Day stems from traumas suffered as a child. I'm wondering if she is just saying she does not wish to celebrate it, when she secretly does."
David bobbed his head. "I see your dilemma. I asked Mary Margaret what she wanted for her birthday once. She said she didn't want anything except a card. So I just bought her a card. She didn't speak to me for two weeks. She said that she shouldn't have to tell me what she wants for her birthday, I should just know."
Hook groaned. "The women of this land can be quite confusing."
"Yes, they can."
"So you think I should do something for Emma for Valentine's Day then?"
David chuckled. "If you want to continue to date her, then yes." David suddenly grew serious. "Emma is a complicated woman, Hook. Her past has made her scared of a lot of things. She was so used to running away. But she's not running anymore and a lot of that is thanks to you. Emma never had anyone to show her how much they care about her on Valentine's Day, but now she has you. She may have said she didn't want to celebrate it, but in her heart I bet she would like nothing more."
Hook nodded. "Thanks, mate."
"Anytime."
Hook stepped outside the loft and took a deep breath, as he ran a through his hair. He had less than 24 hours to figure out how what to do for Valentine's Day for Emma.
….
The idea had come to him rather quickly and he was quite proud of himself for thinking of it. With the help of Henry, David, and Mary Margaret, he was able to pull it off.
And now here he stood, palms sweaty, heart racing, awaiting her arrival.
Emma sighed at her son as they walked down the halls of Storybrooke Middle School.
"I just don't understand what is so important that we had to come down here at night."
"I told you. I have a huge math test on Monday and I forgot my book." He smiled up at her. "This is one of the perks of having a mother who is the sheriff."
Emma glared at him. "Don't get used to it. This is a one time thing. You need to be more responsible."
Henry shrugged and gestured to the gym doors. "Come on, let's cut through the gym. It's a shortcut to my locker."
"Okay," she said, as she reached the door and pulled it open.
As she stepped inside, her eyes widened at the sight before her. The gym was filled with heart balloons. Red and pink streamers hung from the ceiling. The walls were covered with hearts. Music filled the air.
And in the middle of the gym, decked out in a tux and a thousand watt smile, stood Hook. He was holding a single red rose, a nod to their first date.
Emma stood rooted to her spot. She finally turned around to find Henry smiling at her.
"What the hell is this?" she asked through clenched teeth.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Mom," he said, before closing the door behind him.
"Henry, wait!" she called after him.
With an annoyed sigh, she slowly turned back around. She was surprised to find herself face to face with Hook. She swallowed hard.
"Happy Valentine's Day, Emma," he said, as he held the rose up to her.
She made no move to take it from him. "Killian, what is going on? What is all of this?"
He smiled. "You never got to have that Valentine's Day dance, so I figured better late than never." He pointed over to the bleachers. "Your mother even brought you a dress from home."
She gritted her teeth. "I told you I hate Valentine's Day. I told you I didn't want to celebrate it."
Hook's smile faded and he felt his throat begin to burn. This was not going as planned. Maybe this was a mistake, he thought.
"I know, love, but I assumed you had soured on the holiday because of your experiences as a young lass and because you never had anyone to share it with before. But now you have me."
He made a move to kiss her, but she put her hand on his chest and shook her head, as tears filled her eyes. "I meant what I said. I want no part of this holiday. I'm sorry you went to all of this trouble."
With that, Emma sprinted across the gym toward a door, threw it open, and disappeared behind it.
"Emma!" Hook screamed after her.
He couldn't believe how wrong everything had gone. He wanted tonight to be special and now it was turning into a disaster.
"Emma!" he called again, as he headed for the door she had vanished behind.
He pulled it open and found it to be a storage room. She was sitting on a box, wiping away tears. Hook entered, the door closing behind him.
"I thought this door led outside," she said softly, as he came to sit beside her.
"I figured as much," he replied. "Do you care to tell me what caused that reaction?"
Emma met his eyes. "I told you. I hate Valentine's Day. You went against my wishes."
"My apologies, love. I hadn't even heard of this holiday until yesterday. My first reaction when learning of it was that it's ridiculous to have a day set aside to show how much you love someone. You should do that everyday. But after talking to your father, I-…"
She cut him off. "You talked to my father about this? Why?"
Hook sighed heavily. "I needed his advice. This may surprise you, Emma, but I live in fear of doing something that will cause me to lose you. I am painfully aware I don't deserve you. And I didn't want my ignorance about some ridiculous holiday to cause a problem between us. However, it appears I have done exactly that."
Emma's expression softened and she took his hand, linking her fingers with his. "I'm sorry, Killian. I know you were just trying to do something special for me. It was very sweet. I'm sorry I reacted the way I did."
Hook leaned forward and placed a kiss to her forehead. "It's okay, love. But I need you to be honest with me. What really provoked such a reaction?"
Emma let out a breath. "The thing about growing up with no one, is there's no one to lose, no one to disappoint you. The first person I ever let in, the first person I ever let get close to me, was Neal. And he broke my heart. I swore I would never let that happen again. When I came to Storybrooke, I suddenly had an instant family. I had people to depend on and who depended on me. But with that came people to lose, to hurt me, to disappoint me. Letting them in was really hard. Then I met you and with that came the possibility of getting my heart broken all over again." She paused and swallowed against the lump in her throat. "Killian, Valentine's Day is one day, but it's supposed to be about celebrating love that lasts. Things have been going so well with us and I just…I don't want to jinx what we have. If I celebrate Valentine's Day with you today, then I am going to want to celebrate it with you next year and the year after that and…" Her voice lowered. "Our relationship is too new to put that kind of pressure on."
Hook stared at her for a long moment, realizing that although she was strong and brave, in many ways she was still that lonely little girl who never got a Valentine.
He brought his hand up to her chin so she met his eyes. "I love you, Emma."
Emma sucked in a breath, as he admitted he loved her for the first time. "Killian-…"
He cut her off with a shake of his head. "Please, Emma, I need to say this. Our relationship may be new, but a part of me has loved you since we climbed up that beanstalk. And I know love is frightening. I've lost too and it turned me into someone I didn't like. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared too, but if there's one thing I'm sure of it's that love is worth the risk."
He paused and licked at his lips nervously, as Emma stared into his eyes. "That's why I did this today. The last thing I wanted to do was hurt you or disappoint you. And even though I just learned what this holiday is all about, I want to spend it with you every year. I want to spend everyday with you, Emma. I apologize if you feel that puts pressure on you, but I need you to know how I feel."
A slow smile pulled at Emma's lips. "I love you too, Killian."
His eyes widened. He hadn't expected her to say those words. "You don't have to say it just because I did, Emma."
She shook her head. "I'm not. I'm saying it because I mean it. And, yes, I'm scared and I can't promise you that I won't freak out again at some point, but all that matters right now is how I feel about you. How we feel about each other."
Hook grinned and Emma snaked her arms around his neck, pressing her lips to his.
When she pulled back, she said, "You are amazing and I can't believe you did all of this for me."
"I'd do anything for you, love," he said softly.
She nodded. "I know."
Then she stood up, extended her hand, and smiled down at him. "Killian Jones, would you like to go to a dance with me?"
He grinned and placed his hand in hers. "Nothing would make me happier."
They moved to the door and Hook gripped the knob. He turned it, but the knob came off in his hand.
"Bloody hell!" he screamed.
Emma groaned, as they both began to push on the door.
"We're stuck!" she said.
He placed his hook in the hole and tried to jimmy the door open.
"This isn't happening," he muttered under his breath.
When that didn't work, they both took out their cell phones. Not surprisingly, they couldn't get a signal in the storage room.
As a last resort, Emma even tried using her magic to no avail.
In defeat, she sat down on the box and placed her face in her hands. "This is all my fault. You did all of this work and planned this special Valentine's Day and I ruined it."
Hook sat down beside her and put his arm around her shoulders. "Shh, love, this isn't your fault. And you haven't ruined a thing." He brought his thumb up and wiped away her tears. "We're together and that's all that matters."
Emma smiled up at him and then placed her head on his shoulder.
"You look really hot in that tux, by the way," she said.
He grinned. "Glad you approve."
After a few moments, Emma stood up. "We are going to make the best of this evening if it kills us. Care to dance?"
He smiled, as she extended her hand and he slipped it into hers. Emma pressed a button on her phone and music filled the small space. Hook pulled her close to him, his arms encircling her waist, as she placed her head on his shoulder. They swayed to the music and it didn't matter one bit that they were trapped in a room filled with sporting equipment.
They danced to Emma's entire play list before finally tiring. Hook found some gymnastic mats and laid them down on the floor in the small space. Emma located some beanbags and arranged them to make a pillow. Hook sat down and then extended his hand to Emma. He laid down and pulled Emma close to him, wrapping his arm around her waist, as she settled her head on his shoulder.
"Thank you for tonight," she whispered.
"It didn't go exactly as planned, but I wouldn't change a thing," he said.
Emma smiled and placed a kiss to his lips. "Neither would I."
"Happy Valentine's Day, Emma."
"Happy Valentine's Day, Killian."
…
The sun had just come up when Emma and Hook were awakened by the door opening. It was the cleaning crew.
They sat straight up, startled by the two who stood in the doorway.
Emma stammered. "Sorry, we got stuck in here when the handle came off."
Hook nodded. "Yes, thank you for arriving when you did."
They quickly gathered their things and exited the storage room. Emma smiled sadly at the decorated gym.
"I'm really sorry we didn't get to enjoy all of your hard work. I'll help you clean it all up."
Hook shook his head and took her hand in his. "Actually, we have some place to be, so this can wait."
Emma's eyes widened in surprise. "What are you talking about?"
"You'll see," he said, as he wiggled his eyebrows at her.
He led her out of the gym and out of the school. They headed to Granny's.
"Killian, Granny's isn't even open yet," Emma said, gesturing to the darkened diner.
He took a key out and held it up to her. "Doesn't need to be."
"Granny gave you a key?" she asked skeptically.
"She let me borrow a key to be returned promptly."
"Why?"
"Patience, love," he said, as he opened the door.
They stepped inside and Hook led Emma to the counter. On the counter, sat a pink bag with a homemade red heart pasted on the front and Emma scrawled across it.
"What is this?" she asked.
"Open it," he replied with a smile.
Emma opened the bag, her mouth dropping open at what was inside. There were at least a hundred Valentine's Day cards inside from the residents of Storybrooke. They ranged from the store bought to the homemade, but every one was addressed to her.
Emma felt tears well up in her eyes, as she looked up at him. "You did all of this?"
"I had some help from Henry. We thought it was about time you got your first Valentines. We wanted to show you that you're not alone anymore, Emma. You're very important to everyone in Storybrooke."
Emma threw her arms around him and buried her face in his neck. "Thank you."
She pulled back and then pressed a kiss to his lips. When they parted, he held an envelope up to her.
She shook her head. "Killian, you've given me enough."
"This is my Valentine to you," he said.
She took the envelope and opened it. Inside, was a homemade card. He had taken pink construction paper and cut it into a heart. In the middle, he had written I'M HOOKED ON YOU, EMMA in big red letters. Then he had drawn a hook and swan interlocking to form a heart.
"I know it's not much and I am a dreadful artist, but-…" he began.
Emma cut him off with a smile, as she blinked back tears. "It's beautiful, Killian. Thank you."
He offered her a gentle smile, as he said softly, "If I were a boy in your class when you were a child, there's no bloody way I would've forgotten to give you a Valentine, Emma. You're unforgettable."
Emma brought her hand up to caress his cheek and then grinned, "And if you had been a boy in my class, then I wouldn't have been able to pay a bit of attention."
They both chuckled, before Emma's smile faded.
"What is it, love?" Hook asked.
She shrugged her shoulders. "I just feel really bad. You did all of this for me and I don't have anything to give to you."
Hook grinned and shook his head. "You already gave me everything I could ever want."
Emma smiled, as she closed the distance between them and kissed him. "I love you, Killian."
"I love you too, Emma."
He then took her hand in his and led her upstairs to his room.
…...
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it! Please let me know what you thought. ~Steph