It's spring time in Storybrooke, Maine: the flowers begin to bloom and Regina's apple tree begins to blossom once more even though Emma had taken a chainsaw to it years ago. It also means skies absent of any cloud bearing snow or rain, walks across the seaside and unfortunately, allergies.
Emma has become accustomed to them over the years. It's no big surprise that once spring hit, her sneezes came three or four times in a single sitting. When these sneezing attacks happened, Hook gave her a look between pure fear and bewilderment.
"Do you have the flu, Miss Swan?"
Emma glares at him, blowing her reddened nose into the sixth napkin that she had torn from the napkin dispenser. Her and Killian met up at Granny's diner for their weekly afternoon lunch approximately fifteen minutes ago and she was already six napkins in. "It's allergies."
"Ought you see a doctor? You been sick for days."
"It's allergies," Emma persists, thanking the good heavens when Red arrived with her tea and honey. Hook grabs his black coffee, bringing it to his lips instantly regardless of the scalding heat while Emma lets the steam warm her from the inside out. "It happens when the pollen gets in the air. No pollen in Neverland?"
"I guess when you're on the sea most of your life, you're not surrounded much by plants. Aside from the illegal kinds," he adds with a wink while Emma rolls her eyes. She smiles softly to herself, hoping that Killian doesn't notice. He does, though, but keeps to himself. He knows that prodding Emma would only make her retreat.
The two are far from their fairytale happily ever after, but now that both Emma and Regina were occupied with their significant others, they got along much better when it came to Henry. Besides, he was getting older at this point and wanted to do more things with either Charming or even Dr. Hopper than his mothers. But most of the time, he was cooped up in the Charming apartment glued to Diablo III on the television. Hook tried to play once but ended up throwing the controller.
Emma bought another one that same week.
"Gotta love those illegal plants," Emma smirks, finally bringing her tea to her lips for a sip. It scalds her mouth and caused her to wince, but it feels so damn good sliding down her throat that she had to go back for another sip seconds afterwards. "What have you done today?"
"Pirate things, making repairs on the Jolly Roger while you were doing sheriff things."
Emma nods, her mouth still glued to the mug.
"Also, I've been wondering if you would like to go on a little trip with me."
A cocked eyebrow from the Lost Girl makes Killian's inside churn with excitement. You see, he had been previously introduced to this wondrous site called Groupon the other day when he dropped Henry off at the Charming apartment. Snow was using the site to get discounts at restaurants around town and purchasing goods like recipe books and heaven knows what else. She took a moment to show Killian the website, and when he saw that there were trips, he got the idea.
"You see, Swan, the last trip that we went on was to save Henry from Neverland. Never once have we gone on a holiday to relax and you know...enjoy each others company."
He makes a good point, Emma thinks to herself, still using the hot tea as a nasal treatment. Perhaps it would be nice to get away.
Alas, never does Emma Swan give in easily to anything.
"Who will watch the town while I'm gone?"
"That lad Hood said he would. He seems in touch with the law."
"The last time I heard of Robin Hood was that he was a thief."
"He gave to the needy, Miss Swan. And you've had your fair trouble with the law and you're Sheriff."
Touche.
She gives a deep sigh and downs the rest of the tea before pulling a couple singles out of her wallet and placing them on the table. Hook has his eyes staring into her skull because he knows so damn well that she's still thinking of any possible way to get out of this escapade.
But he has things figured out. Perfectly figured out.
"What about Henry?"
"He'll go with Regina, of course."
Too easy, she thought.
"Well, how are we going to pay for this?"
Leaning back in his booth, Hook crosses his leather clad arms over his chest. He actually smiles without even a small hint of a smug attitude, and Emma melts at the look. A small smile creeps on her face too.
"I took care of it, Miss Swan. You and I will be going to New York first thing in the morning."
Whether Emma was nauseous from the tea or the amount allergy medicine she didn't know, but all she knew was that there was this fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach that Hook had implanted. It was always there, and she knew that from the first time that she had left him on top of the beanstalk, but it felt different. It was something about the anticipation of this trip, spending time together just them, and the fact that he went out of his way to be sweet and not smug that made Emma just want to be with him that much more.
Perhaps this is what love is, but Emma wouldn't admit it.
Not yet.
Hook's pacing in front of the yellow bug first thing in the morning. His hands a sweaty mess, slightly trembling and they smell like the remnants of his hair gel that he used just minutes ago. Emma had reminded him to wear something 'normal,' meaning no pirate attire. So he had managed to get Henry to take him to the nearest clothing shop to help pick him out some clothing.
He just hoped Emma thought that he looked okay. Normally the pirate wouldn't care, but this trip was about her and getting her to open up to him. She's a tough nut, but Hook loved the challenge and the chase.
So he waits outside in a red flannel shirt, jeans and some boots, a duffel bag at his feet. He kicks it lightly until he hears the door swing open. Emma emerges in her typical jeans and tank top, sans her leather jacket but has a blue baseball jacket covering her shoulders. She smiles at him and kisses his cheek, throwing their belongings in the trunk to before beginning their journey.
"How far away in New York, Miss Swan?"
Emma presses on the gas to speed onto the freeway by time Hook asks, so she shakes her head and laughs. Hook is taken aback and cocks his head to the side, "What's so funny?"
"You plan this trip and you don't know how far away the city is?"
He's silent. He's been outwitted by Swan and he has nothing to say besides a shrug.
"It's about six hours."
"Six hours?!"
"Yes."
He kicks his feet up on the dash. Within ten seconds Emma pushes them off with a side glare. "Don't even think about it. Make yourself comfortable."
With a sigh, she adds, "It's going to be a long drive."
"Miss Swan?"
"Yes, Killian?"
"Where are we now?"
"Massachusetts."
Hook looks out the window into the downtown area of Boston; coated in ivy plants with from what he could see, many joggers. What catches his eye what was coming up slowly into view - a grand stadium with a green wall reaching hundreds of feet tall.
"That's the green giant." Emma instinctively chimes, knowing exactly what Killian was looking at out of the window. His eyes are lit up with the spirit of a child as they travelled.
The blonde refuses to acknowledge that it was one of the cutest things she's ever seen.
"I don't see a giant, Miss Swan."
She chuckled, "Well the stadium is called Fenway Park. And the Boston Red Sox play there. They're a baseball team."
Hook turns his eyes away from the window to Emma. When their eyes lock, Emma blushes slightly before returning her eyes to the road. "And the stadium is known for the green wall you saw, which is called the Green Monster. That and drunken men screaming at the umpire."
"How much longer?"
Emma leans her head back against the seat of the car, sighing deeply. Her legs were getting tired and her ass was slowly losing it's blood supply. "Four more hours, just about. Maybe five."
"...So can we get food?"
The two finally arrive in New York with their stomachs full of fast food around three in the afternoon. With the day still young, Emma already has her head buzzing with the different things she wants to do.
The last time she had been to New York was to find Neal. She barely had time to explore.
Hook instructed her to park in the parking lot of a hotel near Times Square since he had found out that it was the cheapest and safest way to go. "Though no one would probably want to steal a beat up yellow buggie, you still want to be safe" he said as he smirked, shutting the car door.
Her list was seemingly endless, though: the M&M store, along with the Hershey Store right across the street. She wanted to stand in the middle of Times Square and absorb her surroundings, walk through the crowds and maybe get a pretzel from one of those junky looking stands.
For once, Emma Swan wanted to just relax and have a good time.
And it was all thanks to Killian.
She grabs his hand and pulls him in the direction of the three floor M&M Store. He jerks at her sudden burst of energy, but he smiles to himself as he follows her speed into the land of chocolate. When they walk in, the store is coated in bright colors and expensive plushies of various M&M characters and bags of candies. But Emma has another thing in mind; leading Hook to the second floor, her eyes widen at the large array of chocolate coated candies.
There must have been over fifty colors of different M&Ms. Immediately grabbing a bag, she hands one to Hook before beginning to fill her bag.
But Hook just stood in amazement, his hip placed against the array of machines.
Never had he seen Emma acting so...child-like. He just watches her pile color upon color of candies in her bag which could probably total twenty dollars alone.
She could feel his eyes on her, though, and it made her slightly uncomfortable. Emma flashes Hook a coy smile before popping a couple of the candies into her mouth.
Probably need to pay for it before eating it, but oh well.
"I used to eat these all the time when I was in foster care," she says softly, making her way over to the blues where Hook was standing. "When I would be upset, the woman who was watching us for the day would give us some. And she always gave me a little extra. So growing up she told me about this store and how she came here. I didn't get to go when we came to find Neal.."
Hook wraps his hand around Emma's lower back, pulling her close to his side. Emma doesn't reject the public sign of affection, but embraces it and places her head on his shoulder. Maybe it was because she was feeling vulnerable and sentimental, or maybe it was the long car ride and the laughs they had shared on the way up, but she felt closer to Hook than she had in a while. Since their kiss at Granny's, in fact.
"I always wanted to come here." She looks up into his brown eyes and smiles, "And it's thanks to you."
"Just being a gentleman, Miss Swan. You needed a getaway."
He hugs her tightly, not wanting to possibly make her feel uncomfortable in a public display of affection. As Killian pushes off the machine, he hits one of the levers of the M&M dispensers, sending a sea of seafoam green candies flying across the floor. Both of their eyes widen as they look at each other; the eyes of ten other people are on them before they boot downstairs to pay for the M&M's.
Hook tried to grab a plush of the Green M&M but Emma grabbed his arm to pull him out of the store.
"Why aren't you running?" Killian asks, turning his head over his shoulder. Emma walks peacefully through the crowded streets, her hand buried deep in her maroon colored m&m candies. She doesn't look up but mutters something incoherent. It sounded close to 'damn these are good.'
"Miss Swan," he turns around and watches her walk straight into him before she looks up and swallows the remnants of her candy. "Why didn't you run?"
"Because they're not going to chase us for breaking a machine.." she replies, raising her eyebrow. "Even if I stole something I wouldn't run. It makes you stand out from the crowd."
"Ah right, I forgot," Hook taps Emma's nose with a snide smirk, "You're an ex convict, Swan."
Emma tilts her head from side to side with her upper lip cocked, mocking Hook as she pushes past him with a slight smile on her face. He speeds up to keep up with her pace, keeping close to her in the crowds.
They're about a block away from the candy stores at this point, but still in the middle of Times Square.
The candies are stashed in Emma's oversized purse before she grabs a map and pulls it apart. Both her and Killian lean against the brick building closest to them, examining the map and choosing where to go next.
"Is there anywhere you want to go?" she asks, looking up at him. She never noticed how beautiful his eyes were in the sunlight. Normally they're darker, but the sunlight is hitting them just right beneath the slight shade of the building. There are slight green flecks surrounded in a sea of blue that makes them look just like the sea. Emma turns her head to the side, staring deeper before blushing, realizing that she probably looks like a freak.
Hook just smirks, "Anywhere you want to go, my lady." He adds a slight bow in her direction, followed by a light chuckle. "Though I am getting slightly famished."
"It is almost six...let's get some food."
"What about your pretzel?"
"How did you know I wanted a pretzel?"
The pirate shrugs, "I remember you said one time at Granny's that you wished they had pretzels like in New York."
"...Why is it that you can be a complete jackass one moment and the next it's like you know exactly what to say to make a woman swoon?"
He smirks, "The life of a pirate."
The two end up at a small restaurant a few blocks away from the center of New York minutes later. It's small and quaint, but also has pictures of numerous celebrities eating their food. Some are actual pictures while others are animated drawings with the big heads. All of them are autographed, saying thanks for the great service and amazing food. For some reason, seeing all of this makes Emma feel more relaxed that the food seems promising.
"Bloody hell this food is expensive...a piece of cheesecake is almost ten dollars!" Hook sighs, realizing that he alone simply can't pay for this dinner. He wanted to be chivalrous, which is why he planned this whole thing in the first place but obviously his pricing and budgeting was way off.
Meanwhile Emma was mentally debating what the difference was between a grilled cheese and an 'open faced toasted cheese sandwich.' It's all she wanted since she wasn't starving due to the chocolate coma she was sure to fall into later tonight.
"Hello and welcome to the deli, my name is Cyndi and I'll be your waitress. What do you want to drink?"
Emma looks up and mentally cringes at the woman in front of her. She has a gob full of blue gum, heavy eyeliner which accents her deep crows feet. She must have been in her forties, but her makeup and blue streaked hair stated differently.
"I'll have a water...please." she states before Hook chimes in and asks for a beer. She shakes her head as 'Cyndi' walks away to retrieve their drinks.
"She looks like a real prize," Emma says, closing her menu.
I hope an open face heated cheese sandwich is a grilled cheese…
"She looks like the woman you would find on a corner to make ends meet."
"A water, and a beer." Cyndi slams the two drinks onto the table, causing Emma's water to slightly spit across the table. She wipes it up sloppily before grabbing her pad and pen, looking at the two. "Ready to order?"
"Yeah, mate do you have just a plain grilled cheese?"
How the hell did he know I wanted a grilled cheese, Emma thinks to herself. Is he a psychic?
"We have an open faced heated cheese sandwich. It's with cheddar and sourdough bread." the waitress replies, the gum tumbling around in her mouth. Emma couldn't look away and she knew it was rude but this waitress was an accident waiting to happen.
"...So it's an open grilled cheese."
"No, it's a heated cheese sandwich."
"Well, lass, if you just put the two open sides together like this," Hook claps his hands together and stares at the waitress with the smuggest smirk on his face, "That's a grilled cheese sandwich. We'll have two with a slice of cheesecake."
He hands the menus to the waitress as she glares and scoffs at the pirate, storming away and leaving the two.
Emma is trying her hardest not to giggle, because she knew by doing so she was enforcing Hook's behavior. But man, it was funny watching the waitress look at him like he was inferior to her.
Stupid people.
"How did you know I wanted a grilled cheese?"
"Well," he leans forward and takes a swig of his beer, making a disgusted face at the taste. "That tastes like shit. Anyways, you normally order a burger. But they don't have those here, so your second choice is normally a grilled cheese."
She nods slowly, smiling softly before twiddling her thumbs in her lap. They wait for their order silently, because it's okay for them not to talk. It's calming to Emma and Hook likes to observe his surroundings anyways. She looks up, though, and watches him look around from one corner of the room to the other, looking at the people scarfing down their food mid conversation. He makes a disgusted face at some and others he judges with a raised eyebrow.
When their food is slid in front of them, Hook immediately pushes the two slices of open face bread together, sending the waitress a cheeky ass smile before she rolls her eyes and walks away. Emma does giggle at this, doing the same with her bread before digging in.
It's surprisingly good for a grilled cheese, but it's nothing that Emma knew she would remember. It was just another sandwich in a downtown New York restaurant, but she would however remember the waitress and how Hook challenged her with the two pieces of bread being pushed together.
She also knew that she would always remember when that they paid the bill, the waitress got rude and said that they had to tip her fifteen percent of the whole bill. It was then that Hook stated she was a "shit waitress with a gob full of gum and chalk streaks in her hair."
That was the only time that Emma ran out of somewhere in New York City with Hook, laughing with their fingers intertwined.
In that moment, Emma felt free...something she hadn't felt in very long. And it was intoxicating.
Hook was intoxicating.
Never would she admit that to him aloud, though.
It was too much to admit to herself.
The bed was like quicksand but Emma didn't mind. Hook was taking a shower to wash the stench of the city off of his body while Emma curled up in her oversized tee shirt beneath the plush comforter. In the background, the food network played Hooks favorite show, Cutthroat Kitchen, which is only his favorite because he has a slight gambling problem. Emma didn't mind though; she loved cooking shows.
Even watching Mary Margaret cook was a show to her.
Hook emerges from the bathroom in a muscle tee and some oversized sweatpants. The scent of his shower gel floods Emma's senses as he gets closer and ultimately kneels in front of her on the side of the bed.
With a smirk, he takes her hand and makes her lean up, "I have something for you."
She pulls the covers up to her chin, her knees bent and leaning against her cheek. From beneath the bed, Hook pulls out a large leather case. When Emma realizes it's a guitar case, her heart beats slightly faster and her cheeks heat up.
The guitar was a deep brown, seemingly new with a shine that Emma could see herself in. Hook seats himself on the ground, cross legged as he sets the pick in his hand and the guitar in his lap. "I've practiced this a lot, so don't laugh."
He was serious when he looked at her; whether or not it made her nervous or excited or scared, she didn't know. There was too much buzzing in her head at this moment but when the first strum rang in her ears, it was silent.
And there was his voice...still the thick Irish accent but…
The pirate could sing.
"I just want to see you when you're all alone. I just want to catch you if I can; I just want to be there when the morning light explodes; on your face it radiates - I can't escape - I love you 'till the end…"
He kept going, with the guitar resting in between his fingers so damn perfect. The transition between cords was seamless, so effortless that it made Emma jealous for anyone else that had ever seen Killian with a musical instrument. But this show was just for her and her alone. She was privileged. And special. And those things she had never felt before.
"I just want to tell you nothing you don't want to hear. All I want is for you to say 'why don't you just take me where I've never been before?' I know you want to hear me catch my breath. I love you 'till the end."
Did he love her? He had never said it before.
Emma moves closer, bringing a single pillow with her onto the floor. She sits across from Killian, who is strumming at the same pace and speed. The pillow is clutched tight to her chest, her chin buried into the goose feathers beneath the pillowcase. He looks up with her and smiles. It's not a smirk, or a cocky grin - a smile. Something that Emma has only seen him do to her a handful of times.
She didn't know what to say when he was done. Whether she should kiss him, tell him she loves him too, because whether or not Emma wanted to admit it, she loves Killian Jones. It's scary to say, considering her last love died before she got a chance to fully love him. She didn't want to jump, to fall in love, to have it ripped from her arms.
But she knew...that if she didn't jump, she would never know love again.
"I just want to be there when we're caught in the rain. I just want to see you laugh, not cry. I just want to feel you when the night puts on its cloak. I'm lost for words don't tell me; All I can say, I love you 'till the end…"
As he inhales deeply, Hook looks up to Emma with child-like eyes. Pleading almost.
"...I wanted to get you away...because I know when things are just you and I, you're not as...frigid. You're my girl, Miss Swan. And I don't want to scare you away because I know how guarded you are. But today I've proved how well I know you, and how much I love you," he twitched the guitar with his knee to add to the sentence, "And I just wanted to tell you. You deserve the romance. Even though it's not my style."
It was then he added a smirk, placing the guitar back in his case. Emma was still silent, watching his every move. She could tell it was making him nervous so she scooted forward and smiled at him, leaning in and brushing her lips against his.
"I'm not much for romance myself...and I don't know what to say." Their eyes meet for a split second before Emma places her forehead against his. "...I love you too, Killian."
That was all that Hook wanted. So he scooped her up in his arms and threw her into bed. She squealed for a second as Hook climbed into bed on the other side while she cuddled back into the comforter. He settles in as well, wrapping his arm around her and pulling her close.
He went for the remote, turning up the volume.
Emma leans forward and stares at him, "You play me a romantic song declaring your love for me and then you watch tv?"
"What?" Hook replies, holding his hands up in defense, "This asshole just spent $5,000 on taking away ingredients when he's a shit cook himself. I need to see how this happens!"
She crosses her arms and Hook raises an eyebrow.
"Don't tell me you want to go to bed with me, Miss Swan?"
"It's either the tv or me. Pick."
"I can't have both?"
Emma sighs lightly, cuddling back into Hook's arms. "I guess you can have both...as long as I can eat the rest of my M&M's."
"Go right ahead. Half the bag is gone already. Might as well finish it."
"I didn't eat that much…"
"...Must have been the waitress."
Authors Note: So I wrote this for a friend who ships Captain Swan pretty hard, and it's the first thing I've posted in about a year. Obviously it's not the best but its a start. I don't own the song that Killian sings, but it's called "I'll Love you 'Till the End" by the Pogues.
Thanks for reading!