Great Fire

Killian Jones had always had a fondness for the colour red. The way it hugged the curves of his ship, the way it glistened on his blade after a fight from a worthy foe, while sailing towards the sun on an early morn.

And then there was Milah. Oh, how he loved the colour red on Milah and it seemed to agree with her as well.

But that was long ago, for Hook hated the colour and shed his red vest trading it in for a black one as soon as the sun set on that ill-fated day. Lost in a state of forever mourning. And mourn he did, for some odd three hundred years during a trip or two to the place they called Neverland, the home of the lost boys.

Those bloody lost boys, always causing a raucous and wreaking havoc on his beloved ship. He quickly gained popularity as a cantankerous pirate Captain and would threaten the boys as soon as they would set foot on deck. Of course he would never bring harm to a child, especially ones with such loss and longing in their eyes; he only wanted a moment's peace to seek out his revenge on the Crocodile. But there is always one in the group isn't there? One who squeezes their way in despite your efforts to keep them out. Not that Hook tried hard to do so.

.

His breath caught in his throat the moment he saw the boy; mop full of brown hair and eyes to match, his clothes battered from his recent life of hiding in the woods. There was no denying his identity for he held the same pique of curiosity that she had. The same fire, a great fire within his eyes for adventure.

The boy never caused trouble with the rest, he just sat back and watched with a smirk as Hook shooed them away aimlessly from the bow of the Jolly Roger.

Eventually that Pan boy and his pixie showed up and gave the boys something else to chase and bother, all of them but the one that was haunting Hook's past.

"You might as well come aboard, lad," the pirate droned, his eyes staring out at the setting sun. Hook heard the soft footsteps upon the wooden planks approaching him from behind and he closed his eyes with a sigh.

"I…I know who you are," the boy whispered, twisting his hands together.

"Aye lad, I remember you as well," Hook replied, keeping his eyes straight ahead, not ready to face the memories head on just yet.

The boy was silent for a time with the exception of shuffling feet moving slowly over to his side. He could feel a pair of young eyes occasionally glancing up at him, yet still he said nothing. Not for a while anyway.

"W-why did you do it? Why did you take her away?" the lad's voice was barely audible, carried into his ears only by the aid of the wind.

Hook scoffed, his eyes finally wandering over to him, orbs of blue landing on a pooling shade of chestnut. "Is that what he told you," Hook leaned closer to his face, "that I took her?"

The boy nodded quickly, taking a stumbling step back.

Hook pushed out a dark laugh and ran his hand through his hair, pinching the bridge of his nose. He took a moment to collect his breath before addressing him again.

"Your mother chose to be with me, lad. She wanted a life of adventure and fell in love with the sea, something your father couldn't give to her." Hook licked his lips and sighed at the memory at his lost Milah. "But she loved you, very much. There wasn't a day that went by that she didn't tell me some tale of your youth."

The boy took a step closer and cocked his head in curiosity, "Did you love her?"

Hook smiled down at the boy, something he wasn't aware he knew how to do anymore, "Aye lad, I believe I did." He jerked his head towards the Captain's quarters, "I have something you might like, stay here."

Hook returned and took a knee, placing a small object in his palm and folding his fingers over it. The lad uncurled his hand to reveal the matching earing that dangled in the pirate's ear and the Captain grinned.

"It's not much, but it's what I've got." Hook stood and smirked at the boy who was still staring at the small token in his palm with wide eyes. Fast as a blink his legs were enveloped by a pair of small arms and Hook felt a clenching in his chest. He patted the lad's back awkwardly with his hand and gave his hair a ruffle when he released him.

"So, how'd you get to Neverland anyway? There's not exactly a road map." Hook arched a brow and crossed his arms over his chest.

"There was a portal, father was to come with me, to the land without magic," the lad's voice dropped and his eyes fell to the deck, "but he turned to his cowardice and let me go and I wished to go to a place where he could never find me." He looked back up at Hook, "I ended up here, and then years later, so did you." He nodded to the Captain's hook, "Is my father responsible for that as well?"

"Aye, lad, he is." He felt a compassion for the boy, both Milah and her son had been let down by that coward of a crocodile and both had found solace in the company of a pirate.

"Can…can I stay here? On the ship, I mean. I don't exactly fit in with all the other boys."

Hook raised a brow, his instincts telling him to send the lad away but something stronger telling him that this was Milah's blood and what type of man would he be to expel him from his mother's second home.

"You'd have to work hard, no funny business. On my ship I make the demands, you follow them," he said in a firm tone.

The boy straightened up his back and nodded vigorously.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Yes _?" Hook drew out.

The boy's eyes darted around the deck until they reached Hooks face, "Um, Sir…Captain…Yes, Captain!"

Hook smirked and ruffled his hair, "There's a good, lad. Now run along, fetch your things. Be sure to get plenty of rest, we'll have many a busy day ahead of us if I'm to teach you to be a proper pirate."

.

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A/N: First off this is my first OUAT fic, but I'm no stranger to fic. I apoligize if our dear Killian is a little OOC but this is early Milah mourning and hi is still a bit mopey. This was intended to be a CS one shot that ran away...there isn't even any Emma here, so obviously I'll continue. So Here is my theory, If Nealfire knows Hook and turned out to be a thief...um hello...PIRATE! Hook might as well be his second father. So yeah, I have unresolved Bae/Hook feels. I'm a firm CS shipper, but I don't hate Neal. Sure I hate what he did to Emma, but from that poor kid had a rough childhood. As for Milah...I don't know how I feel about Milah. Did she do wrong by leaving her family behind? Yes. Do I blame her...not really. Did she deserve to die for it? Probably not. I have all the feels for my poor Killy though :( Even if he is a bit on the warpath for Rumple. END RANT and apologies for this hideously long AN but shits needed to be said.