A/N: Based off a "kiss in the rain" manip I put together a while back and a request from Xarrya on Tumblr, although it took a bit of a different turn than I had originally planned! Wrote before 2x22, hence why it's an AU situation with Emma confronting Hook about his plans with Greg and Tamara, rather than Hook going and finding them.
Emma's boots clapped frivolously against the docks as she strode towards the ship that was peacefully floating among the waves. His ship. She felt a million different emotions swelling in her as she approached; confused that he had somehow made it back to Storybrooke, angry that he was working with Greg and Tamara, but relieved that he was alive. Whatever Greg and Tamara were planning, whatever devastation they hoped to cause; he knew what it was. And she knew that with a little prodding he would tell her; at least she hoped he would.
She quickly bounded up the creaky stairs, standing firmly on the deck as her eyes darted around. Dimly she was aware of the clouds beginning to tighten in the sky, their color fading to a dark gray, but she ignored the tingling feeling of a rain drop on her face when her gaze suddenly met his. She hadn't realized he emerged from the door to his cabin to lean himself against the wooden frame, cross his arms against his chest, and tuck his right foot in front of his left.
"Afternoon lass," he drawled out, his accented voice causing the hairs on her arm to stand on end. "It's been a while."
"Hook," she said firmly. "Do I even want to know how you managed to get back here?"
He let out a dark laugh that caused her eyes to widen a bit. "Well, after you tied me up and left me, that lass Tamara brought me back to your quaint little town." The emphasis he spoke with when he mentioned her leaving him wasn't lost on her and suddenly a wrench of guilt pooled in her gut. "Been here a few days."
Emma nodded silently, cupping her hands around her arms. "Speaking of Tamara," Emma said, keeping her exterior strong as she began to slowly close the space between them. "We need to talk about that," he prodded her with the slight raise of his eyebrow, "about what they're planning."
The devilish smile that spread on his face made her heart skip a few beats, stopping her in her tracks. "What makes you think I know anything of the sort?"
"I know you're working with them Hook. I'm not an idiot" His eyes lifted towards her and held her gaze, for only a moment, before falling back to the deck of the ship.
"Even if I did know something," he started while beginning to saunter towards her, his noticeable limp catching her attention. She cringed at the thought that Tamara might have done something to him; something she could have avoided had she just ignored that screaming voice in her head and brought him back to Storybrooke with them. "Why the bloody hell do you think I would tell you anything?"
She was silent, not entirely sure how to answer it. "Because you owe me this," she finally said simply, furrowing her eyebrows as he rolled his eyes dramatically.
"Contrary to what you think, milady, I owe you nothing." Emma saw his demeanor change, his eyes turned to a lifeless shade; everything about him was dark, almost malicious.
"You do-"
"Would you like to know what I have in this awful world?" he said suddenly, taking a few hard steps in her direction. "Absolutely nothing." The words dripped off his tongue full of spite. "My life is empty; I've nothing to live for, nothing to give me a guilty conscious that will render me to tell you what it is you want to hear." Emma's eyes fell downcast, his words hitting her over and over, the hopeless tone in his voice seeping into her brain, her memories.
"Nothing to live for?" she repeated softly, letting her eyes fall shut. "Do you honestly believe that?"
"Aye lass, that I do. Look around," he said while gesturing to the confines of the ship. "Look at my life. No one cares about me; about what happens to me or what I plan to do. Tell me Emma, why wouldn't I believe that?"
The silence was deafening. She could clearly hear the sound of the waves slapping the side of the ship, creating a rhythmic pattern, lullabying her thoughts. As she contemplated what to say, a quick rain drop caught her eye as it fell to the deck. And another; and another. The rain fell calmly, spaced out in small droplets, gently wetting the deck of the ship and nothing more.
What had only been a minute or two felt like hours to Emma; the tension in the air with neither of them speaking was beginning to get to her, racking away her train of thought and throwing her ability to think straight out the window. "People care for you." She finally said quietly, shocked at the dark laugh that fell from his lips.
"That's a good joke, lass. I'm a pirate; ruthless, rugged. People could care less if I left this bloody town and never came back." He turned on his heels, facing his cabin and nearing the door, not seeing the look of disappointment falling on Emma's face. "You're getting nothing from me, love, so I suggest you show yourself off my ship. And rather quickly, it appears the rain is going to pick up."
"I would care."
Her voice was so quiet, so inaudible, that even she herself wasn't sure if she said it out loud. But as Killian immediately stopped and slowly turned back towards her, she knew he heard her.
"Come again?"
Emma took a deep breath, running her hands along her arms to create warmth under her jacket, the rain beginning to numb her body. "I would care… if you left town."
Killian shook his head, letting his tongue run quickly over his bottom lip. "You know lass, for someone with massive trust issues you sure tend to lie a lot."
Emma's face fell as the words tumbled from his lips. She would have been angry, in any other situation, and as the words first hit her she was. Angry that someone would use something she struggled with against her. But before she could let her words keep that wall straightened up around her, she met his gaze; a mistake as it was. She saw his eyes; the look he gave her, the pain behind them. He honestly, truly believed there was no one that cared for him and clearly didn't believe she ever would. It was written on his face; that look of hopeless abandonment, the look she knew too well.
"I'm not lying to you Hook," Emma said with a sharp tone, straightening her body as upright as she could. "As shocking as it might be to you, I actually care about what happens to you."
"You sure have a bloody confusing way of showing it!" Killian nearly screamed and her body tensed. "You constantly leave me to fend for myself, you lock me up any chance you get, and even on certain occasions you take the opportunity to knock me out cold." The emphasis he added to leave caught her attention; he had done it earlier and she realized the aftermath of her actions affected him more than she thought. "But aye, if that's how people in your world show that they care then yes, you care immensely."
She couldn't stop her feet as they advanced towards him. "What about making damn sure that Anton would allow you to leave the beanstalk safely? Or hiding you from Gold, Rumplestiltskin, whatever the hell his name is, while you were in the hospital?" As much as she was hoping to hide what she admitted next, her lack of judgment while around him caused it to fall from her lips so quickly that she couldn't retract it. "I even went to New York to save your damn life!"
It was almost like it was on cue that the rain began falling harder, pounding the deck and falling into a continuous rhythm, washing away the sounds of the waves. It was all she could hear as Killian kept his gaze downcast, refusing to look at her, keeping completely silent.
"Are you happy now? Is that what you needed to hear?" Emma asked while throwing her arms to her sides in a frustrated huff. She wasn't planning on telling him, although the idea of him finding out was constantly lingering in her mind. But not like this.
"Why would you do that?" he finally said quietly, looking at her under his lashes, his face going nearly pale; he looked broken, fragile, but still in disbelief. His changed appearance caused her breath to hitch in her throat.
"I told you why Killian," she said, the sound of his name falling effortlessly from her lips shocking him. "I care about you. I care about what happens to you. I don't want to see you throw your life away or get yourself killed because of 300 year old revenge you're so insistent on keeping!" The rain had picked up more, and it was nearly a torrential downpour now, soaking her clothes tightly against her skin. But in the moment she didn't care; all she cared about was getting his stubborn pirate to believe her for once. "Your life is not empty and you are not alone." She closed the gap between them, feeling a burst of his hot breath against her skin. "You have me."
Everything that happened next was a complete blur to her. One second she was staring at him, holding his gaze, letting the rain wash over her face and the next he was in her personal space, wrapping his hooked arm around her back and pulling her against him. His good hand cupped her cheek and before she could react, or object, he claimed her lips with his. It was fierce, passionate, and the falling rain around them only fueled the intensity. She groaned in surprise when his tongue trailed along her bottom lip and she gladly parted her lips, granting him access to tangle his tongue with hers.
Emma was the first to pull back, her lungs threatening to give out had she not. They stood silently catching their breath and Killian planted a few quick chaste kisses against her lips again and again. He smiled down at her, and she dimly noted the change in his facial expressions; especially his eyes. They were full of life again, shining a bright shade of blue; hopeful.
"Please tell you mean that Emma and you're not just lying to get information out of me." His tone was breathless yet broken as he spoke and rubbed her cheek continuously, as if he was trying to wipe the falling water from her face. "Please."
"I do. I mean it Killian. I promise."
He smiled so wide it could have lit up a completely dark room; and her heart skipped a few beats as he did. "Well it's about bloody time." He smirked down at her as she laughed. "Come lass, let's get you out of the rain." He extended his hand out for her, a look of need and hopefulness filling his eyes. She quickly glanced down at his opened hand as flashbacks from the beanstalk flooded her mind.
On the beanstalk she had accepted his hand… and then chained him up; left him.
But this time she laced her fingers with his, smiling up at him, with no intentions of going anywhere anytime soon.