When, a couple of weeks after they had returned to Storybrooke, David had suggested that he took Killian to get him some more-appropriate-for-that-realm clothes, Emma had nearly jumped out of her chair and said that she'd race her father to the door, if she had to. Thankfully, she had managed to restrain herself. For the most part.
She would deny it to Neverland and back, if anyone asked, but the truth was that Sheriff Swan had been having some rather… interesting fantasies, musings really, about Captain Killian Jones in a pair of jeans. And, most of the time, in nothing else.
Fortunately, after she pointed out that David's birthday was coming up, which Snow had been thoughtful enough to let her know well in advance, and she had to do some shopping anyway, no racing was required. Plus, Killian had seemed rather taken with the idea of 'playing dress up', as he called it, with her instead of her father. Yeah, go figure.
So that's how Emma Swan ended up inside a changing room, putting on a pair of black leather pants and a red shirt, which she was pretty sure was missing at least a couple of buttons.
"This is ridiculous," she said, probably for the 10th time that day.
"I fail to see your point, lass," came Killian's voice from the cubicle next to hers. "Since you have demanded that I alter my whole style of dress to fit better into your realm, I think it's only fair that you undergo the same process."
"First, I haven't demanded anything. It's just the sensible thing to do." she shrugged into a black leather jacket, the one item she could actually see herself purchasing. "Second, this is the absolute opposite of fair. Or logical, for that matter! If I was the one trapped in your world, I would have dressed appropriately without making you 'compensate' me in any way."
"Oh, yes, I can just see it. Emma I-do-as-I-please-and-don't-care-what-you-think Swan would have put on a ball grown the second she set foot in the Enchanted Forest. No, wait, I was with you and, shockingly enough, you weren't in a hurry to switch wardrobes."
"That is SO not the same," exclaimed Emma. "Are you even for real right now? When we met, Snow and I were trying to fight our way OUT of the Enchanted Forest, we weren't planning on setting up house and wondering how to fit in and-"
Emma zipped up the black high-heeled booths Killian had picked out for her and stepped out of the dressing room in the exact same moment that he did. Which was why she never got to finish her sentence.
The blonde would be lying, if she said that she minded the whole leather pirate style, but she could most definitely get on board with this modern version of Killian Jones. A blue shirt that matched his eyes, a perfectly fitting pair of dark blue jeans, a pair of sneakers that gave him a very carefree and slightly vulnerable look and a matching leather jacket, much shorter than his coat but preserving his dangerous edge. Oh, yeah, she could definitely board that ship.
That thought would have made Emma blush, something that she hadn't done in ages, especially not because of a guy, if Killian hadn't looked like he was entertaining very similar ideas.
She managed to tear her eyes away from him long enough to glance in one of the dozen mirrors around them and see the reason for his wide-eyed lust-filled gaze. Well, who knew? She really did make one hell of a pirate, if she dared say so herself.
"So I'm setting up house?" his husky voice drew her gaze back to the transformed pirate in front of her.
He had reduced the distance between them and was eyeing her as if she was a completely new kind of treat that he had never tasted before. And was dying to.
"Well, you know," replied Emma, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear and unconsciously taking a couple of steps towards him too. "In the sense that you're not going anywhere."
"Aren't I?"
And suddenly he was looking into her eyes, searching her very soul for something she wasn't sure she possessed. Was he? No. Emma was floored by the certainty she felt. The one thing she had always doubted was people's willingness to remain by her side. But Killian couldn't rightly leave now, could he? It just seemed absolutely ridiculous. The idea of him, somewhere in the world, without her. If he was going somewhere, it would be because they needed to do something, save someone, retrieve some freaky potion or fulfill some new crazy mission. But he couldn't just go off somewhere and leave her behind, it simply wasn't a scenario that Emma could even imagine. And that managed to both shock her to her very core and make her feel more at peace than she ever had in her life.
"Well," her tongue darted out to lick her lips and she watched his eyes follow the movement. "personally, I think it would be a shame, seeing as these fit you pretty well."
She waved her hand in his general direction and saw his eyes light up with amusement, a slow grin stretching over his lips.
"'Pretty well'?" Killian faced the mirror to inspect his own reflection too. "I'd say this is quite an understatement, love."
Emma rolled her eyes.
"I see your ego hasn't been affected by the switch in worlds."
"Why should it? I seem to attract the… attention I desire wherever I go," he replied, moving even closer until they were nearly touching.
Emma was just coming up with a retort and, at the same time, leaning towards his warmth, when Killian moved back and started taking off his jacket.
"I'll cut you a deal, love," he said, grinning at her obvious confusion at his sudden change of course. "I purchase these."
He began unbuttoning his shirt, a naughty glint in his eyes.
"And you - those," he nodded towards her outfit, giving her another appreciative once-over and effectively snapping Emma out of her daze.
She huffed, crossing her arms in front of her chest and dragging her eyes away from his capable fingers.
"And what exactly am I supposed to do with a pair of leather pants and a shirt that even Ruby would probably consider inappropriate for Granny's?" she demanded, lifting a questioning eyebrow.
"Hmm," Killian undid his last two buttons before she even realized that he had almost underdressed himself and was suddenly right in front of her again. "Tell you what. You buy them, Emma..."
He paused and looked into her eyes, giving her quite a challenge as her eyes darted between his exposed chest, his full lips, wrapping around her name, and his penetrating ocean-blue eyes.
"And I'll make sure you have a reason to put them on."
And with that Captain Hook winked at her and disappeared inside his changing room.
Emma stood still for a few seconds, contemplating what had just taken place before growling in frustration and storming back into her own cubicle.
She should have just let David deal with him.
And she should have taken more cash with her because these booths were damn expensive and she would have to use her credit card now.
