It was yet another night of broken sleep for Emma. She had nightmares of finding Henry, but having him ripped away from her by "the shadow" that Hook had spoke of. She had other nightmares of finding him and he had no idea who she was due to the fact it had taken them so long to find him. He had forgotten about who his Mom was and where home was just like the Lost Boys did after an extended period of time in Neverland. Tonight's nightmare featured the shadow taking over Henry's body. Emma had finally found him and was reaching out to hug him when coal black eyes stared up at her. "Henry?" She questioned softly, touching his cheek. His face then broke into an evil smile as he brought up a blade and sliced it down her arm.
Emma had woken up in a cold sweat. She kicked the scratchy sheets off her clammy body. She swung her bare feet to the floor and stood. Her lack of sleep was beginning to thin her patience. As was evident with the small fights she was picking on board with everyone including her parents. Wanting to clear her head a bit as she had done the last few nights, she headed to the deck of the Jolly Roger.
Emma came up to see another beautiful starry night above her. The stars here in Neverland were brighter than any star she had ever seen. She often like to lay down on the deck at night with her jacket under her head and just stare at the sky as the JR floated gently on the waves. Tonight was no different. She lay down and looked upwards, wondering how they got that bright. Wondering about the strange things they had already encountered here in Neverland. Emma was thinking about all the vibrant and deadly flowers when a voice called out to her.
"Emma..." It called out gently, sounding like Mary Margaret's a little. Soft and gentle. Emma tossed her head from side to side and saw no one. "Emma..." It called out again, causing her to sit up. "Mom?" She responded softly. It was silent. She must be hearing things, her Mother was most likely still fast asleep down below. Emma started to lay back down till she heard her name called a third time. Getting to her feet, Emma glanced around the deck seeing no one. Then the voice called her name a fourth time, sounding a little more frantic but it sounded like it was coming from the right. So she stepped over to the side of the ship and looked into the blue waters below.
A young girl was treading water and Emma cried out in shock. The little girl was blond with the greenest eyes and she looked frightened. How in the hell did she end up in the ocean Emma wondered as she extended a hand down to her. "Grab my hand." She called out, trying to get a hold of the girl. The girl reached out for her but found that she was too far away. "Help me, please." The little girl cried out, looking around afraid. Emma hoisted herself up over the railing a bit to be able to extend her hand down further. Her fingertips were just touching the girls' hand when the girl opened her mouth wide. A lovely voice came out singing the most haunting song about the ocean. Emma froze for a moment, entranced by the voice. She tried to shake herself out of it, knowing that his meant trouble. Hook had warned them of the mermaids and sirens and their lovely voices but this had looked like a normal girl. Next thing she knew, Emma was looking down at the girl and she had transformed into a mermaid.
The savior's eyes glazed over, taken under by the mermaid's song. All of a sudden there were two, three and then four mermaids by the little girl's side. Emma looked in them in wonder, they were all so beautiful. It was then that Emma's arm was yanked on by two at a time and she tumbled over the side of the ship into the water below.
Emma sank into the cold water to find herself surrounded by what appeared to be six mermaids. Oh shit, she thought to herself, knowing this was not a good scenario because no one knew she was awake, much less in the ocean. She struggled to reach the surface and was able to break it for a second but was unable to yell for help due to the little girl yanking her downwards once more. The mermaids all began yanking at her clothing and pulling her down deeper into the depths of the ocean. Emma put up a fight, kicking and clawing at them but they seemed to be able to dodge her flailing hands. Her lungs began to burn, the need for oxygen becoming urgent. This is it, Emma thought. She had braved dangerous parts of Neverland in their quest for Henry but this is how she was going to die. She prayed that Snow and Charming and Regina could find her son and take care of him. Emma's last thoughts were of her son. Then Hook's face flashed in her mind's eye and she found herself regretting that she hadn't told him how she felt. She felt herself begin to lose consciousness. Emma's eyes drifted shut as the last of her air ran last thing Emma heard was the mermaid's song change to the death of the savior in the sea.
"Damn it, breathe Emma." A commanding voice said as Emma felt her wet hair being pushed out of her face. She struggled to open her eyes as she leaned to the left and choked out what felt like a bucket of sea water. Coughing violently, Emma leaned back and looked up into a pair of very worried ocean blue eyes.
"Gods Swan, for a moment there I thought you had left us." Hook said as he gathered Emma up into his arms and patted her back, trying to get all of the water out of her had never been more afraid in his very long life then when he saw Emma go overboard the railing of the Jolly Roger into the unforgiving sea. After pulling out his dagger from his belt and leaving his coat behind, he had followed her over without a second thought.
"Wha, what happened?" Emma chattered as she began to shiver. Her wet clothes doing nothing to keep her warm at this moment. She rubbed her hands together and looked at Hook. "Mermaids, love. Remember what I warned you about, their ability to lure you in and take you under. Well, unfortunately for you lass, they used one of their oldest tricks in the book. A young girl lost out on the sea." He held her closer to his body as he rubbed his hand over her arms in an attempt to get her warmer. "Let's get you back to your cabin and warmed up."
"No, no." Emma argued, struggling to sit up on her own and failing miserably. "I don't want to disturb anyone else in there and have to explain my own stupidity." Hook, who had wrapped his arm around her, ended up helping her to her feet. He contemplated it for a moment and then nodded silently.
He aided her back to his cabin and shoed her in, shutting the door behind them. She sat at his desk, rubbing her hands up and down her own arms to create some friction and warmth. She watched Hook bustle around the cabin, lighting candles and searching for something. Finally, he came back to her and wrapped a big blanket around her. Their eyes met and Emma told him thank you very softly. She was embarrassed by what had happened and that Hook had to save her again. It seemed to be becoming their thing. Emma would be stupid and do something she shouldn't be doing which would then lead to Hook having to get her out of the situation she put herself into.
He had moved away from her, back to searching for something. The next time he came back to her side, he set two shot glasses down with a dark bottle of rum. He filled each shot glass to the rim, set the rum down and then slammed the shot. His eyes closed as the liquor burned it's way down his throat, creating a feeling he was familiar with. He needed that to balance the emotion he had just been feeling when Emma was in the water. Fear. It was suffocating and unfamiliar and it made Hook feel things he didn't want to feel. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose, inhaling deeply. Then he stared at Emma dead on and growled. "What the hell were you thinking Swan?"
Her eyes flashed to him, surprised by the anger evident in his voice. "I couldn't sleep. So I was up on the deck getting some fresh air. Trying to escape…you know what? I don't have to explain myself to you." She snapped back, standing, letting the blanket drop to the floor
.
Hook noticed the catch in her voice. "Trying to escape what Swan?" He questioned, softening his voice. He had a pretty good idea but he wanted to hear her say it.
Emma heard the subtle change and she felt anger flare up in her. "Listen buddy, I don't need your pity. I'm sorry for being fooled by the mermaid and for being out there on my own. Thanks for saving me. If you'll excuse me, I am going back to my bed." She spat out, preparing to march out of his cabin.
She went to turn before she felt her wrist be grasped by a warm hand. Gently, he brought her back to face him. "Pity? I could never pity you Swan." He took a deep breath and continued onwards. "Nightmares, love? You're dreaming of losing Henry, aren't you? I've heard you crying out for him on more than one occasion."
Emma refused to meet his gaze. How was it that he always read her like a damn book? Was she really that obvious all the time? But if he had heard her crying out, she guessed that his deduction wasn't too difficult. "Tonight I dreamed that the shadow took over his body just as we found him. I watched the light go out of his eyes. I was losing my little boy all over again even though he was standing right in front of me and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it. I was helpless…" She revealed, speaking so low that Hook almost didn't hear her.
The information didn't take him surprise. But her posture did. The way her shoulders slumped. Her voice so quiet, obviously not wanting to reveal what she had been dreaming about. When she finally looked up, he saw how tired she was. Emma was always so full of fire, sass and life. Here, in this moment, she looked defeated and this shattered Hook in ways he couldn't explain.
He leaned forward, closing the gap between them and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. "Don't lose hope Swan. We are going to find your boy. And when we do, we will get out of here and you will have the chance you deserve to be a family."
Hook sounded so sure, that Emma felt a flicker of hope restart in her heart. She looked at him gratefully. It seemed he always knew what to say to her. And she never took that for granted. No one ever spoke to her like he did. Truthfully, with nothing but conviction in his words. Emerald eyes met sapphire blue as she reached a palm up and laid it against his cheek. "Thank you." She whispered.
He smiled at her and it took her breath away. It was a smile of his she had never seen before. A good, honest to god smile. Not the smirk he usually employed when he was flirting with her or the teasing grin he used to piss her off. "My pleasure Swan. The next time something is bothering you, there is no need to throw yourself off my ship. Try coming and talking to me." And there it was. The infuriating pirate bit...Emma marveled at how effortlessly he could switch between the flirty Captain Hook and the passionate, caring Killian.
Emma rolled her eyes and went to smack his chest. He caught her hand before it made contact with his bare skin peeking out from under his shirt. He brought her knuckles up to his mouth so that he could brush his lips across the top of eyes locked and something in the air shifted. So many emotions had already filled this cabin from relief to anger, to irritation, to gratitude that it was no surprise that arousal now be added to that very long list.
Hook took a step closer to Emma. His body warmth was radiating off him in waves, warming her ocean soaked skin. Her wet clothes clung to her body, displaying her curves prominently. Hook being the red blooded male that he was couldn't help himself from his eyes trailing downward to see Emma's nipples poking through her thin grey tank. When they trailed back upwards, they caught Emma's gaze. If Hook wasn't mistaken, he could swear that he saw desire and lust flashing in their green depths. Going out on a limb, Hook leaned forward and brushed his lips across her cheek, catching a drop of water that had dropped from her hair. Her skin tasted like honey and vanilla. Killian savored the taste for as long as he could.
Emma's body shook and she knew it wasn't from being cold any longer. It was Hook's proximity to her and how he made her feel. It was time for her to finally throw caution to the wind. Unable to deny her body's needs any longer, she reached up and threaded a hand through his hair, bringing his mouth down to meet hers in a heated kiss. His hair was softer than she had imagined and she ran her fingers through it, scratching lightly at his scalp. Her eyes drifted shut as she let herself go and enjoyed the kiss. A strangled moan left Hook as her tongue tentatively made it's way into his mouth. She was content to explore the caverns of his mouth and savor the taste of rum on his tongue. Emma could taste the alcohol, sea salt and something that was uniquely him. It was spicy and extremely intoxicating. So much so that Emma had to remind herself to breathe. She pulled back, sucking in deep breaths.
So rarely in his very long life was Hook taken by surprise. And the person that seemed to pull off that surprise on multiple occasions was the blond savior. His blond savior. The only woman to come into his life since Milah to make him feel something else other than anger and revenge at the card life had dealt him. Gods, he wanted nothing more than to lean in, kiss her sweet mouth again and lose himself in her. But he knew she was vulnerable, and being the gentleman that he was, he couldn't do this to her. Not tonight.
"Listen, Emma…" He started, getting ready to escort her back to her cabin and make sure that their fragile partnership/friendship stayed in tact.
It was then that surprise washed over his features once more as a finger leaned against his lips, effectively quieting him. "I know what you are going to say. And I appreciate your taking my virtue into account. I am of sound mind right now and I want you. I need you tonight Killian. I know I ask a lot of you and I push you and I frustrate you. And this is probably very wrong of me to ask you to do this for me but I need you to make me feel something other than hopelessness and desperation. Can you do that for me?"
While he heard everything she said, one word stuck out to him. "Say it again love." He responded.
She quirked an eyebrow. "Say what again?"
"My real name Emma. Say it…"
Emma smiled, genuinely. "Please Killian, help me to feel alive tonight. I almost drowned. But you saved me. Just like you are always doing. Save me again Killian."
He was powerless to deny her what she wanted in this moment. He knew he might hate himself in the morning for giving in when she was vulnerable and at this point, so was he. He wanted to wait till the time was right. Till Henry was home, safe in his own bed. Till Emma's heart was open to love again. She wasn't there yet and he knew that yet he couldn't tell her no. Hook would give her everything he had to give and more. He was beyond the point of reason with Emma. If she demanded that he rip his heart from his chest and hand it to her on a silver platter, he would do so.
No words needed to be said. Hook took her hand and led her to his bed. He faced her, reaching for the hem of her wet shirt. Slowly, he peeled it from her body, revealing her smooth white skin underneath. Dropping the wet fabric on the floor, he leaned in and kissed a line from the corner of her mouth down to her collarbone. Emma closed her eyes as she savored the feeling of his mouth on her skin. He had barely touched her and heat was racing up her spine, warming her body from inside out.
Emma lifted her hands to start unbuttoning the vest Hook managed to get that off, then starting work on his black shirt. The buttons were hard to work due to his clothing being wet as well. Finally, frustration overtook Emma and she used all her strength to rip the shirt apart. A low growl emanated from Hook's throat. Her excitement was palpable. He lifted his head away from her to see the need for him flushing her cheeks a rosy pink. He reached up, caressing her face, marveling at how soft her skin was. He leaned down and kissed her once, then twice more. He wanted to ease the desperation she was feeling and slow things down. This wasn't going to be a wham bam, thank you mam type deal. It was his intention to take good care of the savior and treat her like a Princess. He pushed her back till she was laying down in the middle of his bed.
He managed to remove her shoes, socks and leggings that had been plastered onto her body. At this point, the only thing covering her was a thin scrap of black lace. Hook felt his mouth go dry as he stared down at her in awe. Her still damp hair had began to curl. It was laid out all around her on his pillow and he wondered if his pillow would smell like her in the morning. He was taking his time and it was Emma that snapped him out of his thoughts.
"I need more. Killian, I need…" It was then that he looked at her and shushed her. "I know what you need love and don't worry. I am going to give it to you. Your mine for tonight."
His words caused a chill to creep over her skin. She watched him from under heavy lids as he removed the rest of his soaked clothes, leaving them in a pile on the floor next to the bed. Finally, he was naked and Emma couldn't help but think that all the hype had been correct. It would appear that Captain Hook lived up to the expectation. Emma licked her lips in anticipation and that one act nearly caused Hook to lose it. His eyes watched as her tongue trailed over her plump, sensuous bottom lip.
Reaching down, Hook removed her panties, baring her body to his eyes. The breath caught in his throat. "You are beyond words love. Absolute perfection."
Emma blushed and the color caused her to look even more beautiful in the dim candle light.
Hook laid his body over the top of hers gingerly and he suckled her tongue into his hot mouth. His hand began a slow, extensive exploration of her body. Hook wanted to find all the spots that his touch would make feel good. Emma was very vocal. "Oh god" meant she liked it. A soft moan or murmur meant it felt good but his favorite was "Killian, again!" He watched the expressions of satisfaction play over her face as he kept bringing her close to the brink. Deciding to take pity on her, he slipped one finger into her. Her body writhed underneath his and he began to crave the friction their heated bodies were creating. "More, Killian." Emma said breathily. So he slid another finger into her warm heat. He began a moderately fast rhythm that had the blond bucking her hips up into his. He was as hard as steel at this point and he figured they had both had enough foreplay.
Emma ran her hands down Killian's back, feeling the scars litter his skin. If they had more time, Emma would have Killian lay on his stomach. And she would trail her lips and tongue over every scar, asking Killian about them all. She wanted to kiss away his pain and his bad memories. She knew that what they were doing should be waiting till Henry was safe but Emma felt she couldn't continue on any more at the rate she was going. She needed this to hold onto her sanity, to continue on and find her son. She needed this release with her Pirate. The thought stunned her for a moment, that she considered him hers. It was then that she felt his body shift and he was in between her spread legs at the perfect angle.
"Don't be a tease Pirate." She moaned on as they locked eyes once more. He gave his sure fire cocky grin. "But I'm so good at it love." He responded while slipping into her a few inches. Any retort that would have been spoke disappeared as Emma groaned in dissatisfaction.
"Damn it Killian. I need all of you, please." He was entering her slow, feeling how tight she was. It had been a while for her and he didn't wish to hurt her. But his angel was no fragile china doll. He was confident she could take what he was about to give so with one final snap of his hips, he seated himself fully inside of her.
A breathy sigh of relief came out into the silence. God, he was huge and he stretched her painfully but the tinge of pain was delicious and Emma found herself drowning in the ecstasy that was Killian being deep inside of her. Closing her eyes, Emma arched her back, spurring Killian on. She felt his mouth on her right breast, his tongue flicking at it. It was then that he began to move and Emma cried out with each thrust. He quickly found what did it for her. Killian was deliberate in which angle he thrusted and in making sure he hit that spot each time that caused her to moan sexily. He moved to the other breast, paying it equal attention.
Finally, he slid his hand between their bodies, rubbing at Emma's bundle of nerves. Liquid fire was rushing through her veins. God, Killian was a master in the bedroom. He hadn't been lying every time he teased her about his sexual prowess. Her eyes opened wide, staring up at him in the darkness. "I'm going to come." She said, her voice strained, her hips coming up to meet his with every thrust. Emma reached around and held Killian's body to hers with everything she had in her. Not only did she need a release but she needed to feel close to Killian. Something needed to tether her to this world right now and he was was as if he sensed that.
"I'm right here Emma, and I'm not going any where. Come for me love." He instructed softly, his accent thickening in the heat of the moment. His soft, loving words with the strokes of his fingers pushed her over the edge. The clenching of her muscles dragged Killian over the edge with her. With one final slam of his hips, he buried his essence deep inside of her body. Not wanting to collapse on top of Emma, Killian went to move. If he were to be honest, he was shaking with the intensity of what had just happened. It was then that her arms wrapped even tighter around him, keeping his weight on top of her.
"Not yet, I'm not ready for you to leave me." She whispered in his ear as he rested his forehead on her shoulder. He lifted his head so that he could look at her. Emma looked thoroughly loved and Killian was proud to have put that look there. The realization washed over him in this moment that this wouldn't be a one time thing. What had just transpired would become an addiction for him. He would need Emma now like he never needed anything before. Being inside of her had been like seeing Nirvana. It was his version of heaven.
"Thank you for this." He heard her say, bringing him back to the current reality of him still being buried inside of her. "My pleasure, love. I hope I was able to give you what you needed." He offered, finally withdrawing from her and moving to his side. He reached out and brought her body closer to his. Emma curled up in the crook of his body, staring up at him.
"You always do." She whispered back, her eyes closing as she let herself drift away into the land of slumber. One that was finally nightmare free.