AN: I love the idea of Killian/Belle friendship. Because Rumple's reaction would be great, and because I think they could get along. So, between that and Killian knowing about electricity in 4x02, this was born. This is pure Killian/Belle fledgling friendship with mentions of Captain Swan and Rumbelle.
The pirate in the library
Belle entered the library, not particularly focused on her surroundings. She and Rumple had just returned from their honeymoon, and she wanted to get back to him, not quite ready to return to reality just yet. She needed to just do a quick check, make sure that everything was in order, and then she would return to the pawn shop and her husband.
Husband.
The word made her grin.
She ducked behind the desk and rifled through her catalogue when she heard the scrap of a chair from down one of the rows. She froze at the noise, and slowly, very slowly, peeked over the top of the counter. She couldn't see anyone, but she heard the scrape again. She ducked down once more, grabbed the bat Rumple had given her, just in case, and slowly tiptoed toward the book shelves. She made her way down them, eyes darting about, looking for the intruder.
She heard the scrape again and jumped around the shelf, bringing the bat down as she did so.
Captain Hook caught the back, stopping it from hitting him just inches from her forehead.
"What are you doing here?" Belle demanded, taking a step back, but keeping the bat at the ready. He had apologized (though she hadn't been particularly impressed with it), and he had also assisted her, thought to keep her safe during the debacle with Zelena, but that didn't mean she trusted him. Belle, of all people, knew how difficult it could be for a man to change, and this particular man had spent three hundred years seeking revenge against her husband (husband, husband, husband!).
Yes, she would keep her bat handy.
"Ah, Lady Belle… Miss French… er- Mrs. Gold?" The Captain scratched behind his ear, a sheepish smirk on his face, and Belle recognized the expression as being similar to the one he wore the day he made his apology. The expression that, she was quite sure, meant he was incredibly uncomfortable.
"Just Belle is fine," Belle said after a moment, slowly lowering the bat, though not releasing her tight grip on it. "And you didn't answer my question, Captain. What are you doing here. How are you here?"
"Er – pirate?" he replied, holding up his hook, as though in answer. "I, ah… I picked the lock. I would have asked you to let me in, but I thought you would likely wish to enjoy your honeymoon. And I was in need of some reading material."
He motioned behind him with the hook, and Belle peeked around him, to see that the table was covered in several tomes. She caught sight of one that was placed face down to mark his place. Electricity for Dummies. She raised a brow at him, and Hook scratched his ear again, and gave a sheepish shrug.
"I'm afraid I'm rather at a loss," he offered. "When it comes to this realm."
He hadn't come with the curse, Belle remembered, and understanding began to dawn. He hadn't come with the curse, so he didn't have twenty-eight years of memories and knowledge of this realm to tell him what everything was. She herself hadn't been given much of that knowledge. She hadn't needed it, locked in the asylum as she had been. Belle carefully placed the bat against one of the shelves, stepped around the pirate to look at the other books he had chosen.
"You're missing some," she told him after perusing the titles. "Here, Great Inventions of the 20th Century. It helped me a lot. And this textbook. They use it at the school. I felt a little foolish at first, using a textbook children read, but it is really very helpful."
She handed the books back to him, and he accepted them with a grateful smile. She then frowned up at the many books thoughtfully, trying to think of anymore that could help.
"I suppose congratulations are in order," Hook said, his voice cutting through her considerations, and Belle looked back at him in surprise, so he continued. "Your marriage to the Croc – the Dark – to Mr. Gold, I mean. Congratulations."
"You hardly choked on that," Belle remarked thoughtfully, and Hook shrugged uncomfortably looking away from her. "You hate him."
"We won't be exchanging Christmas cards," Hook acknowledged dryly, and Belle shot him a surprised look at the reference, so he motioned back to the table. "There was a book on holiday traditions."
"Well, thank-you for your well wishes," Belle said after a moment, stepping down from the small ladder. "I suppose there's no need for me to offer to allow you free entry to the library since you can, apparently, get in any time you wish. But I will say you have my blessing to do so."
"Thank-you," Hook said again, looking at her with an expression of clear surprise, and Belle simply chuckled lightly.
"I know about men trying to improve themselves, Captain," she told him, before looking at his table full of books again. "She wouldn't expect this of you, you know. Emma, I mean. She's a good woman, and I know she would likely be perfectly happy to help you learn about all this. You wouldn't have to do it alone."
"She's busy," Hook replied with a simple shrug. "And I don't want to interfere with that. And I shouldn't interfere with you making your escape, either. Newlyweds, I imagine you're eager to return to your husband."
"You didn't choke on that, I'm impressed," Belle told him pertly, and Hook merely chuckled and shrugged. "If you get tired of learning about the modern miracles of this realm, there's a collection of nautical texts you may find interesting two rows over."
"I'll look at it," Hook promised. Belle made to leave, but she noticed his expression, troubled, as though he wanted to say something, so she paused briefly to allow him the chance. "I said it once before, but I perhaps wasn't as sincere as I should have been. I am sorry, m'lad – Belle. For the things I did to you."
Not the things he did to Rumple was the unspoken meaning behind the emphasis, but Belle remembered what he had told her, about how Milah had died. Belle knew that Rumple wasn't perfect, that not everyone would forgive him as she had, and Hook really had no reason to. But this time his apology was truly sincere, and she found herself nodding slowly.
"You're forgiven," she said. "You want to be a better man now, Hook. I can see that."
"Killian," Hook replied, and Belled looked at him in confusion. He scratched his ear once more, avoided her gaze. "My name, it's Killian. I'm trying to leave Hook behind. For Emma, and for me. He… I wasn't a good man when I was Hook. I'd like to find my way back to Killian."
"Killian, then," Belle agreed, turning away once more. She paused just before turning around the book shelf. "The computers are free for patron use. I saw that you have a book on how to work one. You can feel free, to try out what you learn."
Then she left to return to Rumple and the honeymoon, but she wore a tiny smile.
Her husband (husband, husband, husband!) and the pirate might never become friends… but Belle thought she might.
AN: And there it is. Hope you enjoyed!