Once Upon A Time

Hooked On You

Chapter Rating: T

Music Inspired:

Metric - Empty (SizzleBird Remix) [Dedicated to Hook & Emma]

Emily Underhill - Lost In Me (Splinter's eMotion Pictures Remix) [Dedicated to Hook & Emma]

Chapter One

The Voyage To Redemption

~oOo~

It was a chilly night for a mid-summer's voyage out to sea, Regina and Rumple were busy discussing Neal's possible whereabouts, and Snow alongside Charming were below the ship, putting Henry to bed in one of the cabins. Emma had just walked into the cozy little cabin to kiss her son goodnight.

"Hey—"

Snow White turned her head and looked at her daughter. She was beautiful, a radiating reflection of herself, replaced with long golden locks instead of short chestnut hair. She looked tired, but the foreboding dread that she carried within her had disappeared the night Hook saved Henry from Pan and The Lost Boys.

"He's almost asleep."

Emma smiled warmly at her parents and approached Henry. "Sweet dreams little guy."

"Hook's going to show me how to steer the ship tomorrow!" He said in a burst of excitement.

"Whoa, easy there. The idea is to try and go to sleep, not to stay so hyper that you can't." Charming said to his grandson.

Emma smiled and caressed the side of Henry's face. "Did he now?"

He nodded vigorously with a grin. "Mhm, I can't wait!"

"Well in the meantime, you need to catch up on your sleep. You have the entire day tomorrow to run around the ship and be captain in training for a day." She said to her son.

Henry shifted around a bit, finding his comfy spot, before finally surrendering to his exhaustion.

"I love you guys."

The enchanted family felt the warmth of his heartfelt words as they each looked at one another.

"We love you too Henry." Charming kissed his grandson's head and left the cabin with his wife Snow White.

"See you around in the morning kid-o. I love you." Emma gently squeezed his hand and then stood up to leave.

~oOo~

Hook was at the wheel steering the ship under the starlit sky. The winds had settled down to a gentle breeze dancing around him, and just like the calm waters they were sailing in, so was his mind; calm and relaxed.

Regina and Rumple were way over on the other end of the deck, but from what the Captain could see, no one was getting homicidal…yet.

He was content inside, because ever since he turned his ship around six months ago, he closed a dark chapter in his life; a chapter that was filled with hate, hurt and revenge. Killian had no idea just how deeply Emma had touched his heart until that moment when he set out for sail, holding the magic bean in the palm of his hand, contemplating a life changing destiny. He no longer desired revenge, he no longer mourned over Milah's death, Killian had moved on. After many years wasted on blood thirsty revenge, the Captain had allowed his enemy aboard his vessel, within plain sight, and yet he felt no urge to draw his sword to end the dark one's life. His attempts would be wasted anyway.

His train of thought completely evaporated when he saw Emma ascend from a flight of stairs that led to the deck. She was a vision of beauty alright, and unlike her usual wardrobe choices, Emma looked absolutely ravishing in the long red gown that she was wearing. It was pure silk, wrapped tightly around her body, accentuating every curve, and her slim hour glass figure. The sleeves were long and she had just a hint of cleavage showing. The gold trimmings around her hem line and sleeves really flattered her skin tone and hair. She took his breath away. Killian had to force himself not to stare, lest she noticed.

His heart began to race when she approached him.

"God, I'm still not used to walking around in these things…" she paused and looked at Hook. "I don't think I'll ever be."

"Aye, well it seems you have no choice luv, it's the only way to blend in within this world."

It used to annoy her every time he used any sort of words of endearment, but for some reason, it had really grew on her and she didn't mind much anymore. In the back of Emma's subconscious mind, Hook had redeemed himself the moment he did something unselfish for once; saving Henry's life.

"I can't wait to go back." Emma muttered to herself.

Hook watched her from the corner of his eye as he she leaned over the railing of the ship.

"Be careful not to slip, there are crocs in these oceans. Would be a shame if you met your demise in an undeserving way."

"Oh yeah? And what sort of demise do I deserve?" Emma whipped her head around and looked at him.

"You deserve a hero's death." What he really wanted to say was; You don't deserve to die, ever. I would see to that and protect you with my life.

"I'm not a hero. I couldn't even save my own son." She frowned and leaned against the railing, folding her arms against her chest.

Hook turned the wheel a couple notches and then abandoned it, walking towards Emma.

She tensed a bit and straightened her posture when he stood in front of her. His face was only a few inches away from hers. It bothered her that he affected her this way.

"If it wasn't for you, I would've lost him." Emma was terribly vulnerable at the moment. He could see it in her misty blue eyes.

Killian was at a loss for words, all he wanted to do was physically comfort her, but he wouldn't dare cross that line. "I've been at war with that Pan bastard for as long as I can remember, I didn't do it for you, I can assure you my intentions were strictly self-serving." His gaze was cold and his tone glacial as he turned around.

Emma wasn't sure why he was sabotaging all his efforts to redeem himself so suddenly, but she knew his words weren't true.

"You're lying Killian."

Hook froze. "What did you just call me?"

Emma ignored his question. "You were worried about Henry just as much as I was. You risked your own life to save him."

"I don't believe my ears," a wolfish grin appeared on his face. "Did you just call me by my first name Miss Swan?"

"That's beside the point Hook." She rolled her eyes, somewhat frustrated.

"Ah, then my ears do deceive me, for a second there I was almost positive you called me Killian, that would definitely be a first." He was teasing her and she knew it, but it certainly was the first time she called him by his proper name. Emma wasn't sure why.

He was wearing his red vest underneath his black leather trench coat that evening, and he looked devastatingly handsome. Despite all the times he crossed her, Emma knew that there was a silent understanding of another, a mutual respect.

"Regina and Rumple aren't arguing for once." She rubbed her arms, feeling the cold chill of the sea breeze.

Hook noticed this and he immediately took off his trench coat, gently throwing it over her shoulders so he could shelter her shivering arms from the cold.

Emma was taken by surprise.

"Thanks…"

He showed a hint of a smile. "Don't mention it," and then took to the wheel again.

"You know, that's quite unselfish of you to hand me your coat. Where is the self-serving purpose in that?"

"Maybe I just want to get on your good side so that I can double cross you later. Manipulation has always been my strong suit."

Emma sighed. "Already been there and done that with you, and I'm not buying your whole I don't care about anyone attitude as of late. You do care. That's been proven to me."

He grinned to himself. Hook had definitely met his match. Emma had a miraculous way of seeing right through him.

"You seem so sure that you know me that well, eh luv?"

"I think I know you better than you know yourself." She replied with confidence.

"Touché."

Emma couldn't help but smile. He just had this magical charisma about him, and she found herself immensely attracted to his personality aside from his dashing, debonair looks.

Regina and Rumple soon appeared before them.

"We're going to get some sleep now." Rumplestiltskin waved his hand, as purple smoke appeared around the Captain's wheel. "You can sleep tonight as well. You need the rest Captain."

Hook was astonished for a moment. Rumple had spelled the wheel so that he wouldn't have to steer through the night. Usually he split shifts with Prince Charming.

"Rest well." Emma said.

"I'm going to check in on Henry before I go to bed. Goodnight Emma," Regina said politely and then warily looked at the pirate. "Hook."

"Sweet dreams your evil queenlyness." He bowed before her in a very amusing, animated way.

"I'm going to pretend I didn't hear that." Regina replied, walking away with her back turned.

Emma tried to stifle her laughter. "Go easy on her, she's trying to make amends as well."

"Aren't we all…" He muttered under his breath.

"Well I guess this means we can all have a good night's rest now. That was nice of Mr. Gold."

Hook said nothing, instead he leaned back against the railing of the ship and looked away from Emma.

"What? Don't tell me you still have some sort of secret murder plot against him—"

"He's the last of my worries at the moment."

Emma took a few steps forward and stood in front of him.

"So then something is troubling you?"

He arched an eyebrow at her. "Stop trying to get in my head luv, it's an ugly mess I assure you. No sunshine and roses in here," he raised his hand and tapped the side of his temple with his index finger.

Emma could sense a deep despair within him, there was sadness in his eyes. And then it hit her, Milah.

"You miss her don't you?"

"Who?" He gave her a puzzled look, leaning forward and resting his elbows over his knees.

Emma paused briefly and then said her name, almost in a whisper. "Milah."

Hook frowned and parted his lips to say something, but then stopped himself.

"I understand the pain of losing someone—"

"I'm over her." He interjected, meeting her eyes with a cold stare that was void of any emotion.

"It's okay to still hold on. She was the love of your life." There was a lump in the back of Emma's throat while she was saying this. For some reason she wanted to cry and had no idea why.

Killian watched her face carefully, completely in tune to her body language. He was able to read Emma just as well as she was able to read him…most of the time.

One of the things they both shared in common; was that they hid their inner most feelings from everyone. A locked up emotional well. It was their ultimate vulnerability and weakness, one they preferred not to expose to just anybody.

"I'm not holding on to her, Emma…" There was such sincerity in his eyes that it made her shiver in reaction, the way he said it, as if he was secretly trying to confess something.

I'm not holding on to her…Emma repeated the words in her head.

"What's wrong then?" She didn't like to see him so wreaked.

"I am a man with many demons in my past, much to which I struggle with on a daily basis." He lowered his head and fixed his eyes on the metal hook he had poorly substituted for a functioning hand.

Emma gently cupped his face and slowly raised his chin so he would look at her.

"You're not the same person, not anymore."

"My mistake is that I always want and pursue the unattainable."

"What do you mean?"

He took a deep breath. There was so much his heart desired to confess to her, but he just couldn't bring himself to say the words out loud. He couldn't tell her that he wanted her, that he was in love with her.

"Talk to me—" Emma softened her tone and her expression. She could tell that he was in turmoil. All she wanted to do was help.

Killian wrapped his arm around her waist, pulling her in closer so that he could rest his forehead against her stomach. Emma gasped slightly, but relaxed when she understood what he needed; comfort.

It was the first time they had gotten so intimate with one another, and yet she couldn't deny the natural impulses of her body as her hands found a will of their own, hugging him closer to her, running her fingers through his silky brown hair.

The energy in the air shifted between them, as they sailed into the night, under a starlit sky, with a big full moon hovering above them, casting its beautiful reflection into the dark waters below. There was nothing and no one in that picture frame of perfection; only Hook and Emma.

"Killian…" She whispered his name, coaxing his head up so he would look at her once more.

"We're going to find him luv, don't worry." He tried to smile, but the sadness in his eyes betrayed his poker face.

"I wasn't thinking about Neal." She revealed.

He slowly elevated himself on his feet, standing before her.

Emma's heart was racing, there were a couple encounters when she and Hook were very close in proximity, but he was always goading her in some sort of way, this time was different.

"What were you thinking about then?" The sexual tension between them was so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"Not what, who," she hesitated. "I…I was just worried about you." The intensity of his ocean blue eyes was making her heart skip a beat.

"No need sweetheart, I can take care of myself. Always have, always will."

A shooting star shot across the diamond studded sky. Emma noticed it right away and was wonderstruck. She wasn't sure if it was the allure of the magic in the air that was making her feel this way, or if it was the alluring attraction she felt towards Hook that was drawing her into him.

"You're so stubborn. Why can't you just accept that someone cares about you?"

"Are you insinuating that someone is you?"

"Isn't it obvious?" She blushed.

[Music Inspired for this scene: Emily Underhill - Lost In Me (Splinter's eMotion Pictures Remix)]

Emma suddenly heard soft music all around them.

"They're sirens, sirens of the sea; songstresses of the night." He informed her.

"It's beautiful." Her eyes scanned the darkness, trying to find the source of the beautiful music.

"You can't see them."

"Oh."

The lovely melodies echoed around them in a low reverberating hum.

"They echo and mime music they have heard in other dimensions they've travelled to."

"I guess anything's possible in this magical realm huh?"

"May I have this dance Miss Swan?"

All the colour suddenly drained from Emma's face.

"Have I offended you?" He asked uneasily.

"No…I just…I can't dance."

"It's not that difficult of a task." He stepped forward and pulled her in closer, wrapping his arm around her slender waist, resting his open palm on the small of her back. "Wrap your arms around my shoulders." His voice was low, deep and seductive. Emma couldn't resist him.

She felt his leather trench coat slowly shrug off her shoulders, but he caught it with his hook and carefully placed it over the railing before he returned his undivided attention back on her.

"Now just follow my movement, we're not going to do any fancy footwork I promise." He smiled charismatically at her.

Emma let out a short, yet slightly embarrassed laugh as she moved in unison with his movement side to side. His body felt warm, and even though this kind of closeness was completely foreign to her, she didn't want to pull back and run the other way. She convinced herself that even if this was the influence of the music, putting her under some sort of spell, she didn't want to slip out of its enchantment. Dancing under the stars on Hook's big pirate ship felt so right.

He smelled of the earth mixed with masculine cologne. It was intoxicating her senses.

Killian felt her shiver, so he pulled her closer so that Emma's soft breasts were pressed right against his hard muscular chest. "Rest your head on my shoulder luv," he gently traced the curve of her back with his hand, rubbing with gentle friction to warm her up.

Emma's breath quivered slightly as she rested her head against his shoulder, closing her eyes, letting the music and his tender caresses carry her away to someplace that made her feel warm and fuzzy in all the right places. She nuzzled her face into his neck and danced with him slowly under the moonlight.

Something beautiful was transpiring between them, something that they had long denied for so long, yet both were too afraid to be bold enough to make a move.

"I think you're too hard on yourself Miss Swan."

She opened her eyes and pulled back to meet his gaze, tilting her head to the side.

"You haven't stepped on my feet." He chuckled lightly.

"Yet." She admitted with dread, fearing she would psych herself out and stupidly stomp on his feet like a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The Sirens continued to sing their soul riveting song, setting the mood and adding to the romantic ambiance surrounding Hook and Emma.

There were unlit paper lanterns that were floating above them way up around the sails of the ship, and they suddenly glowed to life, slowly hovering down around them. The lanterns were magical. Killian had obtained them from a merchant to surprise Milah when she was aboard his ship, travelling with him. The merchant who sold him the lamps told him that they would only glow at night if his true love was by his side. He was so positive that Milah was his true love that he paid the merchant handsomely without a moment's hesitation to bargain. And so when Killian planned a romantic evening to surprise her with the lamps, he was extremely disappointed to find that they would not light up. The magical paper lanterns remained there for years upon end, until that fateful night when they finally lit up, descending towards the dancing couple below.

"Wow…" Emma looked up, taking in the glowing light around her.

Hook was shocked as the overwhelming truth dawned on him. Emma Swan was his one true love, she was his destiny and he made a silent promise to himself that he would move heaven and earth if he had to, to be with her. Fate had brought them together, it made sense as to why the lanterns never glowed when Milah was on his ship. She wasn't his true love. Maybe this meant that Emma was in love with him as well. He only hoped it was true and not some cruel joke that magic was playing on him.

Overcome with the intense desire to kiss her, Killian gently pulled her in with his arm that bared the hook and cupped her face with his free hand. Emma's heart was beating loud and fast like a Japanese drum, because she knew what he was going to do, she just couldn't find the strength to pull away, nor did she want to reject his affections.

"You'll be lost in me…

You'll be lost in me…"

The Sirens sang on.

Killian slowly caressed her bottom lip with his as their mouths collided into the most sensual, passionate kiss. The lanterns began to glow even brighter, adding a radiating warmth to the darkness that had shrouded the sky. Emma felt like her heart was bursting into life as their kiss grew more fervent, she decided not to hold back and kissed him with everything she had. The feelings that she had for Hook were consuming her, his kiss was consuming her like a fiery inferno blazing within her body.

He desired her, he needed her, he wanted to love her and protect her forever. Emma Swan brought out the best in Killian Jones and even fate itself had smiled down on them, giving him the most obvious sign that she was for him and only for him. He was overwhelmed with emotion. Kissing Milah never felt anything like this. She never had the same effect on him the way Emma did. Emma always got under his skin, she pushed him to the limit and challenged him.

"Killian…" Emma breathed in between slow, passionate kisses.

"Don't talk luv," he kissed her deeper and longer. "Just let me kiss you."

~oOo~

Snow White had woken up from a nightmare. With a dreadful worry in her heart, she decided to get up and go check on her grandson and daughter. When she noticed that Emma wasn't in her cabin, she ran back and woke Charming up. They were about to search the deck when they saw their daughter lip locked with the sly Captain Hook.

"I'm going to kill him…" Charming growled.

Snow White was in shock of course, she hadn't even entertained the thought that her daughter may have carried feelings for the pirate, but as soon as she saw the glowing lamps, she knew exactly what it meant. Her mother had told her stories about the magical love lanterns. They were stolen from the realm of the Faery.

"Charming no!"

He stopped and looked crossly at his wife. "He's making a mockery of her virtue!"

"The lamps! He's her true love."

"Like I'm really going to believe that." He yanked his arm away from Snow White's clutch and rushed over to rescue his daughter, not that she needed any rescuing, but his protective fatherly instincts had kicked in.

"Emma!"

She was disappointed when she felt the loss of contact from Killian's soft lips. Emma turned around and faced her father.

"I need to talk to you."

If looks could kill, it was as if he was throwing invisible daggers at Hook.

The song of the Sirens had ended and so had the romantic mood upon Prince Charming's unwelcomed presence.

"Is Henry alright?"

"Henry's fine. Your mother and I need to speak with you. It's urgent."

"Sure, okay." Emma turned around and gave Killian an apologetic look. He didn't want her to leave, he felt as if his heart was walking away with her. But he took comfort knowing that there wasn't any place her father could steal her away to. They were in the middle of the ocean, where could he possibly take her?

"Sleep well, luv. Thank you for the dance." He folded his arm over his chest and bowed before her like a gentleman. There was a silent communication between them, before Charming broke the trance Emma was under.

"Emma! Now please!"

"Goodnight…" She breathed and disappeared down the deck.

The paper lamps suddenly floated back up into their original position, before losing their luminescent glow.

Captain Hook was in love, and he wasn't going to allow anyone to rip Emma away from his arms. He realized then and there that he needed her like he needed air to breathe. Without Emma, he was nothing.

~oOo~

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, to be continued! Please feel free to leave me a review and let me know how you liked this first chapter :)