Emma had just said goodbye to her parents and flopped onto the couch for a moment of silence when there was an unwelcome knock on the door. She closed her eyes and threw her head back with a sigh, but wasn't too surprised that she was to never be allowed time alone. Dragging herself to the door, she relaxed ever so slightly when she saw the leather behind it.
"Why hello there, Swan," Hook greeted her with a smirk at how irritated she looked at the moment. "I don't suppose you were planning on being uninterrupted, now were you?" He lowered his chin and raised an eyebrow at her.
Emma put her eyes to ceiling, wondering why he's the one who can read her like a book. "What are you here for, Hook," she grumbled.
"Well, as I would have loved to have had a tale of excitement and adventure cross my mind on my stroll here, the fact remains that I am bored and seek entertainment. And, as it seems to be, the excitement and adventure of this town seems to follow you."
He's giving her that stare that makes her feel like she's being challenged. "So you want me to babysit you?" Emma questioned as she crossed her arms in a huff.
"Whatever you want to call it, as long as I'm not sitting in my cabin awaiting you to come begging for my assistance." He waggled his eyebrows at her, no sense of doubt crossing his face that she'll grant him his wish.
"No." The door slammed on his face.
On her way back to the couch, it opens and in comes Captain Hook.
"Hey!" she shouted. "That's trespassing!"
"Aye," Hook agreed, "but how could I leave someone to be as equally bored as I am when we could at least be bored together?" His look of hope never faded from his face.
Rolling her eyes again, Emma thought that it was better than him getting a bit too tipsy on some rum and causing some sort of havoc in the streets. "Fine," she decided. "However, I'm just going to be lying on this couch and staring at the ceiling until some new monster or villain comes barreling through the town."
"Well that's just wonderful," Hook said. He fell into the nearest arm chair and propped an ankle on a knee while leaning back. "I shall await here until that moment arrives, ready to assist you in ridding this bloody town of evil."
Emma stared with confusion into his face for a few moments before regaining her prior positioning on her couch. She was able to close her eyes and take a single deep breath before realizing that she wouldn't be able to achieve any sort of relaxation with this pirate in the room. She sat up, looked at Hook again, and asked, "How about we watch a movie."
"Excuse me?" His face finally showed a different emotion at his confusion of the term.
Emma was already up and looking for Peter Pan, what she thought would take the shit-eating grin off his face. "It's also called a motion picture, if that helps. It's what we use these big screens for in our houses. They're used for entertainment and to tell stories, some make people laugh, cry, scared, happy, or a combination of those. It can help pass the time."
"And what emotions shall this motion picture make me feel?" Gosh darn it, he's looking optimistic again.
Emma involuntarily smirked and said, "Depends on how you feel about perms."
They sat side by side enjoying some popcorn Emma microwaved while the movie started. Hook was less than amused to see how childish and heroic this world's Peter Pan was portrayed as, but enjoyed seeing how temperate Tinkerbell was. Emma was sure to watch his face as Captain Hook was introduced, watching a grin slowly turn into confusion and finally disappointment.
"Not as devilishly handsome as you predicted?" Emma laughed.
Tilting his head towards her, he admitted, "I do believe that detail got lost in translation, yes." There was still however a glimmer of amusement in his eyes.
Emma looked him over a moment longer. "If it makes you feel any better, I like your version much better."
"Is that so, Swan?" He raised an eyebrow to her, changing his optimism into a more seductive manner.
Rolling her eyes, she assured him, "Don't let it go to your head. I just mean you're easier to work with."
"I'd love to see this world's version of you, if that exists."
"What do you mean?" she asked.
"Well," he began, "I would assume it would be somewhat along the same lines of who you truly are, as I must be related to this nitwit in some way. But there's some sort of twist, and I desire to know how you would be represented."
"Go ahead," she told him, intrigued. "How do you think I'd be represented?"
She realized her mistake too soon as she saw the twinkle in his eye, she was giving him too much control. "Oh, Swan, I am so glad you asked. I envision you as still the daughter of the lovely Snow White and Prince Charming, but they do not lose you as an infant. Instead, you grow up the life of a princess, complete with corsets, tiaras, and lace gloves."
She lowered her chin, "You're joking."
"Ah, far from it, princess." Hook continued his interpretation of her with far more amusement than she originally intended to allow him. "Yes, you would be raised as the type to sing to the birds in the early morning, being waited on for every single need. However," he continued before she could interject his absurdities, "you would not have for any of it. No, you would much rather enjoy exploring the kingdom and breaking away from the chains placed onto royalty. Your story would be of a girl raising herself, in a way, by earning the respect of her subjects instead of forcing your title upon them. And then, when the time comes that your kingdom is under attack, they will willingly turn to you and entrust you as their savior. After all, that is one of the few unchangeable things about you, love. You are the savior."
Emma pondered this for a moment. She was content with a Disneyesque life in the enchanted forest with her lovely family, minus the dancing and singing that usually accompanies such movies. However, she couldn't help herself. "So what, you didn't find a way to add yourself into this story? No dashing rescue from the renown Captain Hook?"
"I'm honored you'd ask," he answered. "But no, no dashing rescue from a dashing rapscallion as myself. But don't look so disappointed, love, I'm still involved. Instead, you would seek me out upon one of your travels, asking for my assistance in one of your endeavors to save some innocent villagers or whoever. I, of course, am nothing like this oaf that this dastardly tale portrays me to be, and agree to help, on the condition that you are to grant me one thing."
After a pause, Emma dared to ask, "And what is that one thing?"
Staring into her eyes, he spoke in nearly a whisper, "A second chance at what happened in Neverland."
They continued to stare at each other while Emma was lost in thought. He had already changed so much since they first met in the Enchanted Forest. He was nowhere near a hero, but he certainly was more than a pirate at this point. And how could anyone pass up an opportunity like this? With his blue eyes to match his beloved sea and his intoxicating scent from his intimidating proximity. She also noticed him waiting, waiting for her to make the move. He has never forced her into anything thus far, something no one had ever done for her before.
She closed the distance between them, in a slower pace much different than the hasty decision made in their first kiss. He immediately responded to her touch, but allowed her to set the pace. She brought her hands up to his shoulder while he twirled his right hand in her hair, allowing his Hook to rest at her hip. They broke for air, and Hook was prepared for that to be the end of it, but soon she returned to his lips and started where they left off. He couldn't help but smile at her touch, and she smiled back as she finally, even if just for these short moments, let her walls down for him.