"So, Swan, show me how this thing works again."
"Really?"
He flashed her his most disarming grin, with the flash of teeth and one raised eyebrow. She couldn't resist it these days, not like she used to, and so he pressed his advantage. Of course it worked. She walked over to him with her hand outstretched.
"Okay, give it here. What are you trying to do?" She frowned down at the cell phone.
He handed it over to her and then crowded in close beside her, his chin close to her cheek and his hand reaching around to point at the screen. "This image here. What is that?" He wasn't really looking at the phone, not when she was so much more pleasant to watch.
She smirked up at him, but didn't move away. "It's a camera."
"For?"
"Taking pictures. Here, watch." She pushed the little drawing and the screen went gray, and then resolved to show the storefront across the street from them. "You get the shot you want and then push this button here." She demonstrated and the phone made a strange series of sounds and the screen turned black, and then the image appeared again. "See?"
He took the phone from her and studied it. "Can I use this for people, too?"
"Sure. For anything, as long as the light is good."
He moved in front of her and positioned the camera in front of her face.
"Hook, what are you doing? No!"
"You said…"
"No, not of me. I don't like having my picture taken."
"Why on earth not? You're by far the fairest sight in this town."
She studied him, her expression softening. "How about we take one of you?"
"Okay!"
She took the phone, pushed all the right buttons, and then showed him the result.
Hook frowned at it. "Is that really how I appear?"
Emma craned her head around to look at the display. "It's not bad. Pictures are kind of weird like that, and it takes a few tries to get it right."
"Will you take one with me?" He was afraid she would decline, but after considering it for a moment, she nodded and stood beside him. She took the phone and held it in front of them as far as her arm could reach. Hook wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in close. Her thumb moved and the phone made the strange noises and it was done.
Emma gazed at the image. "Killian, you were supposed to look at the camera."
He snagged the phone up from her and saw the picture of the two of them, Emma's glowing face smiling out and his own face in profile, looking at her in open adoration. He wrapped his fingers tightly around it and felt around for his coat pocket, depositing it there.
"Don't you want to try again?" she asked him.
"It's fine," he said.
Emma reached into her pocket and produced her own phone. "Just one more picture," she said, "You take it this time." She moved in close and he felt her arm reach around his waist. He pulled her to him, reached out his arm, and pressed the button.
Candles, drink, a starry night and a warm fire had their places in his world, but he decided that modern technology could be quite romantic as well.