Sleeping Hook consumes me. I own nothing and mean no harm.
Closing her eyes, even for a moment longer than a breath was unimaginable.
Mulan had commented on the dark circles creeping up under her eyes, but Aurora had had no answer for her other than a light shrug of her shoulders. The others could worry, could plead and beg, but they could not make her sleep.
'You would do well to watch your step little Princess,' his voice was low and mocking in her ear. Tugging away from the grip he held on her arm she continued down the path Mulan had made with her sword.
'And you'll take care to watch you hands, Captain,' the disdain with which she spoke his title made him laugh.
'So the little Princess has some bite, well done luv,' he grinned back at the cold look she tossed over her shoulder. Aurora was too tired to deal with Hook, she simply wanted to put one foot in front of the other until they could make it to camp.
'Leave me be pirate,' there was not enough heat behind her words and she could feel him moving closer behind her.
'And what pray tell will you do if I don't, you can hardly walk, much less follow through on an empty threat.'
Spinning around to face him she withdrew her dagger and held it before her, ignoring the shake in her grip, 'You would do well to remember who is in chains.'
'How could I hope to forget when my captor is so very lovely,' Hook smirked ignoring the weapon in her trembling hand, 'If not very, very tired.'
She gasped, he missed nothing, had seen her struggles to stay awake through the nights and her companions insistent that she rest. There was a tug in what he supposed was a remnant of his heart when he thought of her fighting sleep, afraid of never waking.
'I myself have no use for magic,' the abrupt change in topic threw her, she readjusted her grip on the weapon, all of her attention focused on his eyes, so very blue.
'Magic sir, cannot ever be avoided,' she spoke with a weariness beyond her years.
Hook shrugged, 'True but to live in fear of it is to not live at all.'
Living afraid of sleeping and never waking was a kind of half life, 'I suppose it isn't,' she murmured. Lowering her weapon she nodded her appreciation for his words and they moved along the path the rest of the way in amicable silence.
That night, when the campfire had died down to embers and the the camp was under first watch, Hook had offered swearing that to let them die when he was chained up was foolish on his part, Aurora found herself settling down to sleep.
'Not to worry little Princess, I'll be sure to watch you for the next watch,' Hook smiled.
Aurora found herself nodding, trusting perhaps foolishly that he would in fact be able to wake her.
That night it was eyes of the deepest blues that kept her company in her dreams and of the same color that woke her as dawn rose.