CS. Emma spots Hook with a beautiful female stranger. Jealousy ensues. [Post 3x12. Slightly AU]
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The first time Emma hears her it's aboard the Jolly Roger.
It's past midnight, but Henry and her parents just fell asleep a short while ago, their family reunion dinner quickly devolving into a long catch-up session, with her parents updating her on the status of her new as yet unborn sibling.
But after everything she's been through in the past twenty-four hours, and her parents' recent revelation, Emma simply cannot fall asleep.
So she seeks out the one person she knows she can call a friend: Hook.
Emma smiles to herself as she pulls up to the harbour. The Jolly Roger is parked exactly where they'd left it after returning from Neverland. She's never been happier to see a ship.
She walks on board, unsure of what she will say to him. It's funny, but she's never felt anxious when talking to him – even when he's pinpointed her darkest thoughts about herself. No, conversation has always come easy to her when it comes to the stormy-eyed pirate. Even though, come to think of it, they seem to know every deep dark secret the other has to offer. That alone should encourage her to steer clear of him. Hasn't she spent her entire life pushing people away?
Well that was before he spent a year in search of her and Henry, battling a curse and goodness-knows what else on his way to her. If actions speak louder than words, the man has written a novel in her name.
As she nears his quarters she tries to quash all the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Because Emma Swan does not get 'nervous'. No. She slays dragons and knocks out pirates all without batting an eye.
So there's no reason she should hesitate when it comes to simply knocking on Hook's door.
But as she nears his door she's hit with a very unexpected sound – woman's laughter.
Emma freezes instantly, listening intently.
But all she hears is Hook's rumble, his voice carrying through the wooden walls of the ship. That immediately strikes her as strange. Hook is not one for talking to himself. Clearly there's someone else on the other end of that conversation.
A moment later, she's proved right when the sound of a woman laughing is carried through the door.
Emma frowns. Who would be in Hook's room at this hour?
The laugh sounds like no one she's ever heard before. Could Hook have met someone during the year they were apart?
But that makes no sense. He'd tried True Love's Kiss when he'd first found her at her apartment. He'd all but declared his feelings for her again when they'd met in the park. He hasn't stopped calling her Love since the drive back. Why would he do that if he had some other woman waiting for him?
His voice starts again, something within it resonating through her. Emma stares at the door, almost expecting to suddenly see right through it, eager to catch sight of the woman on the other side. Unfortunately her magic does not kick in and she's left standing in a dark hallway.
Hearing the woman exclaim snaps her out of it. Emma can't be sure, but she thinks she heard her say "Killian!"
Emma isn't sure what stings more – the fact that the woman can refer to the pirate with his given name, or that she herself can't seem to form the word in reference to him.
As Hook starts talking once again, she can't seem to be able to find her breath. Confused, the saviour heads upstairs, hoping the fresh air will clear her head. She never expected the idea of Hook with anyone else to affect her this badly, but clearly it has. Her butterflies have all turned to bats, and Emma feels like someone has kicked her in the gut.
Later as she lies in bed, Emma is plagued with the thought of Hook in the arms of some mystery woman, the two of them sailing off into the sunset together…
That night her sleep is restless, her dreams invaded by a certain one armed pirate.
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The first time Emma sees her it's at Granny's.
It's been a few days since that night and she's run into Hook a few times since then, each interaction confusing her more. His relationship with this woman seems to have no effect on his interactions with her. Every time he sees Emma he gives her a soft smile, his eyes lighting up like a little boy who's finally found his treasure. Each time he says her name, there's an added reverence to it.
But as much as Emma enjoys it, she can't stop thinking of the woman's laughter, and what Killian must have done to cause it.
When he asks her to meet him for dinner she's not sure what to do, because she's not sure if she can take any more of it. Instead she makes some kind of excuse and mentally adds him to the list of people she's currently avoiding – alongside her very pregnant mother and Neal. She hasn't seen the pirate since then and she makes it a point to avoid going to places he might be.
So she isn't thrilled when she catches sight of him at the diner. He's sitting in a booth with his back turned to the door. Emma frowns. That's her booth. But there's nothing she can do about that now, so she immediately heads to a table in the corner. As she sits down she notes that while she has a very good view of the seated pirate, he can't see her unless he turns around and specifically looks for her. She sighs in frustration. The last thing she needs this morning is to see him.
But she puts her feelings aside as Ruby approaches the table. She hadn't realised how much she'd missed her friend until she'd seen her again.
"Staying or going Sheriff Swan?" The waitress asks teasingly, a playful glint in her eye.
"Going." Emma answers. "I'll just have a hot chocolate and a toasted bagel."
"Sure. You want butter or cream cheese?"
Just as Emma's about to reply, she walks in.
She isn't sure how she knows it's her, but Emma just does. Somehow she's everything like she'd imagined – not that Emma has spent much time picturing what she must look like.
Her chin-length hair frames her face in dark, messy waves. Her smooth, caramel skin seems to radiate the second she smiles – which she does the instant she slides into the booth across from Hook.
"Who's that?" Emma asks.
Despite the woman's cream tunic top and jeans Emma can make out her warrior's build - the kind built from years living in the wild. She probably met Killian in the Enchanted Forest, Emma's mind suggests. What's more, the way she walks suggests she's used to having a weapon at her side. Emma frowns. Could she be a fellow pirate?
"Oh. That's Jane," Ruby points out. "She's the town veterinarian. You must have seen her. She helps out at the zoo."
"I didn't know Storybrooke had a zoo." Emma says lamely, rethinking her theory. If not a pirate, then who was this mystery woman? Clearly she'd met Killian in the Enchanted Forest. She'd go up and talk to this Jane if she wasn't seated at the same table as the pirate.
Emma watches as this Jane reaches forward and takes a bite of Hook's toast, the gesture both intimate and casual. Then something that Hook says makes her laugh. Her head tipping back as her shoulders shudder. Seeing this, something deep within Emma aches. The pirate has always made her smile, but she's never graced him with a laugh. Not like that.
In fact it's been quite a while since she's seen that side of herself. Emma Swan does not laugh freely. She hasn't for a long time. Not since New York and Henry and… Walsh.
"So… Butter or cheese?" Ruby asks again. Her voice snaps Emma out of her stare. She tears her eyes away from this new woman.
"I'll take cream cheese." She says, answering the question. But then she catches sight of the way Hook is listening patiently to every word this Jane is saying. Something about it makes her skin shift. That's her look. That's the way he gazes at her each time she opens up to him. Suddenly there's a bitter taste in her mouth, like burned coffee.
"Actually. Cancel that. I just got buzzed." Emma lies, quickly getting to her feet. The taste only gets stronger.
"Oh. Okay…" Ruby answers, a look of confusion on her face. "I'll catch you later then…"
"Yeah… Later." Emma throws out, distractedly making a beeline for the door.
The fresh air makes her feel better, the cool, morning chill reminding her that there's more to her world than some leather-clad pirate.
The very thought takes her breath away. When did Killian Jones start having this effect on her? She swallows breathlessly. When did she start calling him Killian Jones?
After you heard Jane say it, a small voice inside her answers, and Emma has to stop herself from picturing him with that woman.
She shakes her head. She's being unfair. There's probably nothing going on between Hook and Jane. She's simply jumping to conclusions. He probably wanted to invite Emma to dinner so they could talk. They still hadn't really discussed his attempt to kiss her in New York. He probably wanted to apologize…
And tell you that he's found someone new, her mind adds. She shakes her head again, willing the thought away as far as she can. He probably wants to introduce her to Jane.
And invite you to their wedding…
Emma's not sure what she hates more, how the thought of Hook with this woman makes her insides burn like wild fire, or how much worse it will hurt when he finally tells her about this new relationship, putting into words what she dreads. She'd expected something different from him. From the moment they'd met, her gut had told her that this man wasn't like all the others before. This makes it hurt all the more.
She tries to push these thoughts away as she begins walking to the sheriff's station. But they follow her there, Jane's laugh ringing in her ears.
That afternoon Emma doesn't get any work done, her mind still in the diner with the pirate and his new lady friend.
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The first time Emma smells her it's in her car, the scent of sandalwood and incense slowly infusing the small space.
She's on a stakeout when suddenly the door of the passenger side opens up and Hook slides into the seat before she can protest, quickly shutting the door behind him.
"Hello Swan," he says, flashing her a flirtatious grin. "Thought I'd bring you dinner."
That's when she notices the beverage holder in his hands, and the plastic bag dangling off his hook. She frowns and tries to think of an excuse to get him out of the beetle. That's when her nose detects the new smells, both of which she knows doesn't belong to the pirate. No, Killian smells of sea salt and singed gunpowder, a combination she's simply named danger. She blushes at the thought of it.
Looking up she sees that he's been silently watching her, single eyebrow quirked upward like an extension of his thoughts. Emma learned a long time ago that everything about this man is expressive and he's not afraid of wearing his feelings on his face – like he's doing now, the mischief twinkling in his eyes as he awaits her response.
She didn't think it was possible, but her cheeks are burning and she can't seem to locate her tongue. She frowns inwardly.
However, like anything she actually does say to him, he takes her silence in stride. I like a challenge. She can hear his voice repeating it, the words echoing through her mind. He simply puts down the carrier on his lap, balancing it with his knees, and uses his good hand to hold out a to-go cup.
"It's what you call 'hot chocolate'?" he explains. "I know you prefer yours with cinnamon."
"How did you know?" Emma asks, finally finding her words. She reaches out and takes it from him. It's still very hot.
Clearly he just picked everything up.
"You made me some in New York," he replies, the twinkle in his eyes only getting brighter. "Or don't you remember?"
She smiles despite herself.
She remembers that long terrible night and the chilling reminder that not everything would ever be okay. She remembers coming back to the apartment and making them hot chocolate because for the first time in a year she remembers her parents' hugs and in that moment that is what she'd craves somewhere deep in her bones – a need that renders her a lost girl again. She remembers the pirate who literally stood by her side as she silently poured them mugs of the soothingly delicious smelling concoction, his mere presence grounding her even as years worth of memories and emotions swirled inside of her – bedtime stories and play dates fading into the non-existence they'd come from.
Looking at him now she remembers a memory- No, the reality that had stood out, louder than the buzzing of all the others swirling around in her head - a mish mosh of the real and not real. A memory rooted in the truth that was slowly sinking in. She can still feel his warmth as he leans forward to kiss her, and how for a quick second in that brief moment when their lips met, there had been a tingling deep within her gut, like a seed planted deep within her mind – a tingling her senses insisted was the truth, as they screamed out 'Swan!' furious at being forgotten.
It's what had brought her back to him time and time again, something inside her unable to leave him. But right now, she's not ready to have that conversation. Especially now that the man who'd attempted true love's kiss on her has found someone else.
Jane.
Now her face burns for a different reason – one that she does her best to hide from him. If he's not going to tell Emma about her, then she's not going to ask him. In fact, she's not going to ask him about anything. She's already been hurt twice within the span of a week. She's not sure she can go through that a second time. So she does what she does best, she pushes him away.
"You didn't need to bring me dinner. I've already eaten."
As if on cue, her stomach rumbles, giving away her lie. The twinkle vanishes as a confused look comes into his eyes. She can almost hear him thinking Swan as he tries to puzzle out this change in her emotional temperature.
"Did I do something wrong, Love?"
Emma inwardly bristles at his term of endearment for her. While his nickname for her slips on as easily as one of her leather jackets, it now feels used, probably because she can hear him using it with her.
Suddenly the smells everywhere and her stomach is tying itself into tighter knots, a clear reminder that this Jane has taken her happy ending off the table.
Her last thought surprises her, but it's true. Somewhere between the drive from New York to Storybrooke, the pirate had earned himself a place in her future. In fact her mind constantly wanders to him any time it's idle. She isn't sure what to make of the fact that her thoughts keep flashing back to that fateful night in Neverland.
Her eyes flash down to his lips, as his tongue slowly licks them, somehow slowing down time with its mere movement before they form her last name the way only he says it.
"Swan?"
Emma swallows, as her eyes go back up to meet his, her mind trying to picture how he must say her name. Has he ever had to scream out 'Jane' as a simultaneous command and cry of pain? Or does he whisper it gently, like draping a coat around her shoulders? Or maybe he prefers to throw it around teasingly, all at once publicly affectionate and privately intimate?
All this does is fuel Emma's imagination, as she wonders if Killian would cross realms for her like he has for Emma. Do they have even half the connection she knows she and the one-handed pirate have. She stops herself from thinking about it any more, though her blood is still running hot. She wants to yell at him, and maybe smack some sense into him. He can't move on from her without giving her a chance to prove herself.
That's when Emma Swan decides to give herself her best chance… by putting up a fight for the pirate's heart.
Before he can say anything she reaches out and grabs a hold of his collar, the soft leather feeling familiar in her hands as she pulls his face to hers.
As their lips meet for the second time it's no different from that night in the Neverland jungle. Except this time she can't seem to get enough of him, the kiss going deeper and deeper – almost as if she's branding him. Her lips seem to remember him, awakening from their last encounter with his. Her head certainly does as he brings his left hand up to cup it, his fingers entwining with her hair.
But a moment later he's the one pulling away. Realising what he's doing she quickly lets go of his lapels, and in the process catching a glimpse of what can only be described as a thoroughly kissed pirate. Hook's cheeks are flushed pink and his eyes are the darkest she's ever seen them. And despite not going anywhere near his hair, it still looks wind-tossed.
Emma sits there with her cheeks burning, her embarrassment leaving her unable to look him in the eye. Why did she try to kiss him knowing full well he has a girlfriend?
Out of the corner of her eye she sees him turn towards her, also out of breath as well.
Good. She thinks. Maybe that will remind him of the promise he'd made her at the town line a year ago. To never go a day without thinking about her.
Now, she's angry about the broken promise. It serves as fuel, allowing her to turn and face him. But seeing him sitting there and looking at her, it's as if he was always meant to sit in her passenger seat. Somehow this man dressed all in leather looks as if he belongs there.
The realisation jolts her, kick-starting her ability to speak. But before she can say anything he's already talking.
"Let me guess, just another 'one time thing'?"
No! She wants to say. A long time ago he said they'd get together because she would want him. Well, she wants him. She wants him now.
But she still has Henry to think about, and he has Jane. So she remains silent, despite everything in her screaming otherwise.
A glimmer of a smile dances on his lips, even if his eyes remain dangerously dark and inscrutable. Emma's suddenly unsure about her ability to control herself. Yet again her eyes are drawn to his lips. But she forces them back to his eyes.
"You need to go."
He looks as if he's going to ask her something. She doesn't think she'll be able to hold out if he says another word. She's on the edge of either kissing him again, or yelling at him and asking what she has that Emma doesn't; If Jane makes him feel the same way. All she can think about now is Hook following heraround. It's funny what you miss the second it's taken away from you.
Instead, he just looks at her and says, "As you wish…"
With that, he opens the door and steps out of the car. But before he walks away he fishes into the plastig bag he'd brought with him and hands her a paper package.
"Tuna salad. I heard it was your favorite."
She doesn't say anything but her stomach rumbles in gratitude. He shuts the door and walks away, leaving her to herself once again.
For the rest of the night Emma slowly sips at her hot chocolate and picks at her sandwich, neither is unable to remove the faint taste of rum out of her mouth. As a result, she doesn't notice that her car now smells distinctly of pirate.
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The first time Emma tastes her, it's at a bakery with Mary Margaret and Ariel, helping the part-time mermaid plan her wedding to her former prince. On today's agenda, is the cake tasting. And right now they're all digging into slices of red velvet.
Looking at her mother and Ariel's faces, Emma can't seem to muster up similar enthusiasm for what's taking place. Even though all she has to do is take bites of various samples and tell them what she likes.
No, Emma Swan was not made to sit around and eat cake. She was made to go out and help others get their cake; to help them find their happy endings. Because that what saviours do.
But that isn't the reason behind her lack of excitement for the upcoming nuptials.
Part of it is that even as a kid, Emma never dreamed of becoming a bride. She'd never really thought marriage was in the cards for her. Not even when she'd met Neal. Despite her love for him, she'd never seen them walking down the aisle and settling down. Even if they'd made it to Tallahassee. No, you needed roots for that – something neither of them possessed. Besides, you don't just need someone you want to marry, you also need family and friends you'd want to invite to the ceremony. Back then she'd had neither of that. So it had seemed silly to dream of a white dress and a multi-layered cake.
The other part of it is the fact that Mary Margaret seems to be hinting at possible choices for Emma's wedding. While her mother isn't saying so outright, Emma knows that she's clearly planning for the day Emma decides to get married. Except that Emma doesn't know if that will ever happen. After all, between saving Storybrooke from another curse, and helping plan Ariel's wedding, she doesn't really have time to go out and meet men. Not that she wants to, Walsh was a terrible experience she is determined to never repeat again. Her only options would be Neal and Hook. And she's currently working to avoid both.
"Is everything alright?" Ariel asks, her voice laced with concern.
Being pulled out of her thoughts, Emma is surprised. "Huh?"
"I was asking if you think the cake is alright…" Ariel repeats herself. "You looked as if it was turning your stomach inside out."
Emma turns looks at both their faces, comprehending the mermaid's words as they slowly sink in.
"Oh. Yeah. No. It's great. I was just thinking." She doesn't elaborate any further.
"Well, I think we should try another cake," says Mary Margaret. As she waves down the baker to bring them another option, she turns to Emma. "You know, at our wedding, your father and I had a chocolate cake with vanilla frosting. One of the fairies actually made the most delicate icing snowflakes for it."
The baker brings over slices of what looks like chocolate cake, but smells slightly different.
"This is a chocolate sponge, with a spiced chai frosting." He announces.
Emma digs and takes a bite before anyone asks her to say anything. Instantly her taste buds are hit with intense flavour, the chocolate perfectly complimenting the creamy frosting. Within second almost half the slice is gone.
"This is delicious!" Mary Margaret exclaims after a bite. "However did you come up with this idea?"
The baker blushes slightly, taking a step back bashfully.
"Actually it was Dr. Porter's idea. She wanted to get something special for her fiancée's birthday and she came up with this," he says with a shy smile. "It's become quite popular. Our chai-spiced chocolate cupcakes sell quite well."
Emma can see why. She has to remind herself to slow down.
"Who's Dr. Porter?" Ariel asks, her brow furrowing as she tries to place the face.
"Oh! Jane Porter." The baker clarifies. "She's the town veterinarian."
Emma chokes at the mention of her name. She quickly looks down at the remains of the cake on her plate as her coughing brings tears to her eyes.
Jane had invented this cake for Hook.
So Emma'd been right. He had wanted to tell her he'd moved on, and that he'd found his true love; that he didn't want to be with Emma.
She puts her fork down and sits back. Her chest feels like someone kicked it, hard. Suddenly she can't breathe, the faint scent of sea salt and gunpowder that's been following her around for the past few days is choking her now. She wants nothing more than to sink into the ground.
Mary Margaret seems to notice this, reacting to her daughter's mood shift almost immediately. "Emma, what's the matter? Is everything alright?"
No… Emma wants to tell her. Nothing's alright. A pirate stole my heart and I don't know how to get it back.
Slowly, the pain turns into a burning sensation, and Emma Swan feels a fire come alive within her as her gut tells her to go to him and demand it back.
"I need to go." She says, getting up abruptly, without an explanation. She's out of the door before Mary Margaret or Ariel can say anything to stop her.
A few minutes later she's storming aboard the Jolly Roger, angrily marching downstairs, her inner temperature rising to a boil. She bangs on his door and throws it open, barely giving him the chance to open it himself. She walks in to find him in bed, clearly in the midst of a midday nap.
He wakes with a start at the sound of his door slamming against the wall. He regards her presence with sleep-filled eyes. "… Swan? What in the blazes are you doing here?"
For a second, the sight of him dressed in a white night shirt and white non-leather pants throws Emma, who was not expecting to find a groggy pirate with a serious case of bedhead.
"What's the matter Love?" He grins as he pats the empty space beside him with his good hand. "You come to join me?"
At his words she snaps back to herself, trembling with anger once more.
"Don't call me 'Love'!"
That wakes him up. He sits up, his eyes alert now.
"You-You can't just make promises and go back on them! That's not how this works!" She reaches for words to correctly express what she feels. "I thought we had an understanding!"
"We do, Swan. Though I must admit I have no idea as to what you're referring to at the moment."
She stares at him for a moment, unsure how to begin. Her senses say he's telling her the truth. He genuinely doesn't know what she's talking about. So she shakes hear head and turns to leave.
"Emma!"
As he calls out her name she feels it reverberate through her, bringing her exit to a halt. He's faster than she remembers because a second later his hand is wrapped around her arm as he spins her around to face him.
Emma turns to find Hook standing closer than he ever has – close enough for her to feel his breath on her lips. Surprisingly it doesn't smell of rum. Instead she detects notes of chai. With that her anger at the man in front of her comes rushing back. But she doesn't know where to look so she focuses on his eyes.
"I know about her, alright?!" She pulls her arm out of his grasp. He lets her. "You don't need to break up with me. I saw you two together. I know you love her."
As she says the last few words she feels a pain in her chest that she can only describe as her heart breaking. She didn't realise how much admitting what she'd lost to herself would hurt. It's like when Neal left her, but somehow worse, because at least then she'd been young and foolish. She can't stand to look at him any more so she looks away.
"Emma, what are you talking about?"
His voice is gentle, but still confused.
Emma hates this, having to repeat it out loud yet again.
"Jane. I'm talking about Jane okay?"
When he doesn't say anything she looks back at his face, only to see a realisation dawning in his eyes as a smile blooms on lips. A moment later he throws his head back and laughs.
A small part of her is thrilled to hear the barking sound that is his laugh, another, much larger part of her, is annoyed at his reaction. She turns to leave, fuming. But is prevented from doing so when he grabs hold of her arm again.
"Just let me go…" Her voice comes out more weak and defeated than she means for it to. But she can't help it.
Everything hurts.
Instead of complying he pulls her to him, causing her to turn around and bump into him slightly.
Seeing her expression, he stops laughing, but the smile remains on his face.
"Swan, you're a bloody idiot."
"Yeah, well let me go." She tugs at her arm but this time he doesn't let go.
His smile fades as he looks into her eyes. "Emma, of course I love Jane. She's my sister."
It takes a minute for that to sink in.
"Your sister?"
"Don't sound so shocked love. You're not the only one with a family."
Once he's sure she's not going to run, he lets go of her arm. But Emma doesn't step back.
"It's just… You never mentioned having a sister."
Hook smiles at that.
"Aye, I do. I found her in my search of you." He walks over to a shelf where he keeps his flask. He takes a sip before continuing. "We share a father. Luckily she's nothing like him. But then again, neither was Liam."
"Your brother."
She fills in the blanks from their time on Neverland. His eyes grow sad at the mention of the name, but he doesn't look away. He just nods.
It's Emma's turn to look sad.
"I'm sorry."
He just smiles sadly. "It's been more than three hundred years Love. I'm fine now."
She just nods in response. She can't imagine his pain. Having her family stripped away by a curse was bad enough, actually losing them to death is unimaginable.
"But that's not the issue here…" The mischievous twinkle is back in his eyes. "What we really need to talk about is your little outburst here… Sounds to me like you were quite upset at the thought of me and another woman. Care to explain Swan?"
Emma mock glares at him as she studies his face, wracking her brains for a suitable excuse. Hook takes the opportunity to grin at her suggestively while arching his eyebrow – not unlike how he had before the first time she'd kissed him.
Watching him, she realises that there's no point in denying how she feels. They're both aware of how they feel about one another. One of them simply has to make the first move. Or rather, she has to make the first move. So she does the only thing she can think of. She tugs at his shirt and kisses him for the second time in days. Except that this time, she takes her time, showing instead of telling him how she feels. After all, he's always been the one who's better at wordplay.
Though as the kiss deepens, Emma's convinced his tongue is good at other things besides teasing her. His good hand finds its way into her hair, the way it always seems to when they kiss, while his other arm pulls her closer to him.
Just then her phone goes off, vibrating furiously in her back pocket.
She stops, groaning against his mouth. She pulls her mouth away from his, and reaches for the offending device, while still remaining in his arms.
A quick glance up at him reveals that he's beaming at her.
Just as her fingers wrap around her cell phone the buzzing stops, causing her to sigh in frustration. She fishes it out anyway and checks the number.
Mary Margaret.
"It's my mother," she explains with a sigh. "I need to go. This could be important."
"It would appear that I've won then," Hook says while still embracing her. At her questioning look he elaborates. "Your heart, Swan."
Now it's her time to smile. It's funny, but her cheeks start to burn as she blushes under his non-teasing gaze. They stand there simply smiling at one another until Emma's phone buzzes from a text. At the sound Hook loosens his grip on her and Emma reluctantly steps back.
"You should go back to sleep." She says, looking at his bed.
He grins at her. "I shall. But I can't promise I won't be dreaming of you, Love."
She turns to him before leaving and returns his smile.
"Good."
For the rest of the day Emma can't seem to think about anything but how much she enjoys the lips of a certain one-handed pirate.
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The first time Emma touches her is at Ariel's wedding. When Hook introduces them she sweeps Emma into a giant hug despite the large gowns they're both wearing – Emma in red, Jane in gold.
Up close, Emma can indeed make out the family resemblance. Both their eyes sparkle when they're happy. Not to mention their similar smiles.
"Killian's told us SO much about you! I feel like I know you already."
When Emma looks at Hook he shrugs.
"I may have mentioned you in passing."
There's a snort at his words. That's when Emma notices the man standing behind Jane. He has long dark hair, and a surfer-grade tan, and as Emma discovers a moment later, a deep voice.
"If by 'in passing' you mean every other moment."
Grinning in agreement, Jane introduces them.
"This is my fiancée, John."
Emma can feel her beginning to match her dress as her cheeks begin to burn. So this is the cake-loving fiancée. She wants to kick herself.
"It's an honour to meet you Ms. Swan," he says, before turning to Hook. "I can see why you fought your way back to her, Killian."
"I couldn't have done it without either of you," Hook replies. Looking at Emma he explains, "John and Jane here helped me navigate through the Dark Jungle so I could get back to the Jolly Roger and come for you."
"Well, you did help me rid the jungle of those hideous winged monkeys." Jane points out. "They were infecting the animals, turning them into monsterous hybrids."
John puts his arm around as she looks away sadly. "Jane lost a few of her friends that way."
"You know, Emma almost married one of those monsters." Hook says, with a big grin on his face.
Emma rolls her eyes at him. "Now you're just being silly. I didn't have my memories!"
Hook simply smiles. "I'm afraid being silly is when you almost marry a winged monkey. So maybe you're the silly one."
She elbows him in response. Turning to Jane and John she shakes her head and says. "He just won't seem to let that go."
"Come on Swan, I'm just teasing you." He says giving her the new smile he's been sporting since the afternoon she'd stormed into his room. She's come to refer to it as his I know you know you love me smile. Allowing herself to bask in it for a moment, she reaches down and takes his hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. Somehow that smile grows wider, lighting up his eyes as well.
They've been taking it slow since the kiss and Emma's confirmation of her feelings for him, weekly lunch dates at the diner, long walks around Storybrooke, even stakeouts in her car where he brings a book and then proceeds to not read it when she begins questioning him about it. Lately he's taken to reading out loud from it, so she can share another story with him. She doesn't tell him, but she enjoys being read to. It's a luxury she never had as a child. Besides, his voice makes everything seem better. For a pirate, he makes every story seem like it's a fairytale and bit by bit she's beginning to believe.
She doesn't notice Jane and John walk away with a smiles on their faces. She only stops musing when when she feels a tug at her arm. She looks up at the man in question.
"Care to dance, Love?"
The way he looks at her takes her breath away. So she nods, allowing him to take her by the hand and lead her into the crowd of dancers.
Once in a suitable spot, he brings up their entangled fingers and wraps his other arm around her waist. Slowly they begin to waltz to the music, his feet moving effortlessly as they glide across the dance floor.
"I didn't know you could dance."
His response is a suggestive smile as he raises an eyebrow. "There's a lot you don't know about me Swan."
"Good thing I want to find out." She says, meaning every word.
This time it's his turn to look surprised. Then he's silent for a moment, before saying "I'd quite like that."
She smiles at his response. Over his shoulder she catches sight of her father, watching the two of them. His expression is a mixture of accepting and watchful. She smiles even wider in an effort to allay his fears. He nods in return.
Emma still remembers his words about picking the good moments in life. And looking back up at the man that's leading her around the dance floor she decides she's picked a very good moment.
That night she sleeps quite peacefully, happy to see the pirate in her dreams.
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A/N: So this fic was written for the ever-patient love-captainswan who was the nicest person ever and waited for what seemed like forever for this to come out. I hope you like it. And that I gave you what you wanted. I had a lot of fun working on it and my only regret was that I couldn't have it done for you faster. =D
But overall, this was a tricky fic for me, because I was trying something new. After a few more passes through, I'm quite pleased with it. John and Jane are characters I intend to use in my other fic. They're story characters I decided to have my own license on – namely Tarzan and Mowgli. I know it's not very obvious in this story, but that's who they are.
As usual, any thoughts, comments, questions or concerns, feel free to message me. I may have written this for someone, but I'd still love feedback. Thanks for reading!