Lena, I must confess that the story was not intended for you at first. You deserve a great story with Liam as the protagonist, but it seems that lately I can only write about Captain Charming and their upcoming adventures. So I hope you like this little story with our favorite brotp. Happy Birthday!
No Beta, so, apologize for all the mistakes.
The flames of the campfire offered a glimmer of light amid the dense darkness of the forest, the shadows moving around in a strange dance. The logs crackling as they burned, a hoot of a bird in the distance, the slow and quiet breathing of two of his companions while they slept. Those were the only sounds that Killian could hear in the quiet night.
He looked up from the flames, directing his gaze around. Sitting beside him, David watched the fire in silence, his face marked with a wave of concentration. Behind David, Zelena and Snow lied on a makeshift bed.
The calm of the moment was in stark contrast to the frenetic chaos lived a few hours earlier. That bloody portal had sucked all them by accident, transporting them to an uncertain destination, living moments of confusion, surprise and frustration. Still, now that he belonged to Heroes Team, there was no time for regrets but to seek an action plan. After a few hours walking, they had reached near what looked like a large building. But the night was approaching, so they had decided to leave the raid on it to the first few hours of next morning.
Now, despite the external calm, his mind was a whirlwind of emotions. Just twenty-four hours ago he had returned from the dead, literally. Previously, with all the pain in his heart, he had already lost hope of ever seeing Emma's face again, of stroking her soft golden hair, of losing himself in the green sea of her eyes. When he was at peace with himself, ready to move on, the gods, better, the Supreme God, had given him a new chance. What had he done to deserve this? That is something that he would be asking himself for the rest of his life. Still, he would not miss that opportunity. Now that he had found his way, he was more aware than ever of what would be his role back in the world of the living.
That role meant to be The Savior's partner. That meant love her, help her and protect both her and her family, who had risked everything to try to rescue him. From now on, that would be his purpose in life, making sure by all means that they were safe.
And yet, after their amazing reunion, everything had returned to normal. After a few seconds of delight with her kisses, her smile, her gaze, a new crisis got to separate them again.
His lips curled into a half smile of resignation. He could still feel the warmth of her lips on his skin when their paths diverged once again. He had no choice but to accept that this would be his life from now on. In fact, this pattern was repeated from the moment he met Emma. His life would be peppered with small moments of tranquility amid the chaos of the day. But if that was the price he had to pay for being madly in love with The Savior he was more than willing to accept it.
A deep sigh escaped his mouth, his brow furrowed with determination. At that time, he made a promise to himself. He would do his best to get the most out of those little moments of tranquility, make them worthwhile.
And here he was, living a moment of calm before the storm, but unable to enjoy it at all, as he was trapped in an unknown location while Emma was facing new dangers.
While he let his thoughts wander freely, his thumb absently stroked the ring he wore on his index finger, enjoying the familiarity of the metal touch. At that time, something caught his attention. The firelight impinged directly on the stone ring, causing a small flash. He extended his hand, staring at his rings, his train of thought beginning to change. With a swift movement of his fingers, he managed to extract the ring of his index, curious to feel the effect of its absence. Holding the ring between the thumb and the index finger, Killian looked at it in the firelight, as an idea begun to appear in his mind.
He had kept the rings as a trophy for many years. Then, they became a memory of the man he had been. Now that he was at peace with his past, maybe the extra weight of these reminders was no longer necessary.
Killian kept the ring in his pocket, setting back the sight to his hand. A strange feeling came over him, he suddenly felt exposed, naked, for the lack of something that had been with him for too long. But at the same time, he felt lighter. He wondered how it would feel to get rid of all these old trophies, replacing them with a simple band in his ring finger...
He shook his head in an attempt to expel these new thoughts that were pouring. It was too soon... Yeah, but, from his own experience, soon could become late in just a split second. So maybe if they returned... Wait a moment. Better, when we return, maybe it will be time to make decisions and do some proposals…
"What are you thinking?" David's calm voice broke his train of thought.
As Killian did not respond immediately, David insisted, giving him a curious look. "Being so long in silence is unusual in you."
Killian smirked. "Glad to see you appreciate my eloquent speech, mate." He was about to continue when an image came into his head. The memory of a similar scene. A scene in which Prince Charles and Prince Charming, talked in the light of a campfire in The Enchanted Forest.
"I was remembering a conversation between Prince Charming and Prince Charles some time ago. Does it sound familiar to you?"
David's eyes widened, his lips curling into a smile of recognition. "Well, it certainly has been a long time for me, but yes, I have a slight reminder of that conversation." David paused, taking a deep breath. "I guess Prince Charles got a clear answer to his doubts." Killian could not distinguish David's features with exactitude due to the semi-darkness, but he seemed to notice a slight nod from David, as he held his gaze encouraging him to reply.
Of course, all doubts had been resolved. Emma had shown him her love in all possible ways, had shown him that she not only would go to the end of the world or time for him but to the selfsame hell. "Yes, it's quite clear that Princess Leia is able to fight the very God of the Dead in order to rescue his devilishly handsome Prince." Killian grinned at David, unable to hide the pride in his voice.
"But there's something I have not yet clear." Killian continued tentatively. "I think Prince Charles's doubts about his Princess's parents are not yet resolved." As he spoke, he glanced sideways at David, waiting for his reaction.
David did not respond at first, staring back into the flames. After a pause that seemed eternal, his voice calm came up with an answer that Killian was not expecting. "As a father, I can say that Princess Leia's parents should be proud. She looks like a strong woman, ready to do anything to be with her prince. And the same thing about him, besides that he seems to make her happy. That's all that matters."
Killian's smile grew even wider. After so many years living in solitude, that feeling of belonging to something still overwhelmed him.
A quiet hush fell over them again after these small confessions masked behind the facade of Prince Charles. After a few seconds, however, David broke the silence, surprising him again with his words.
"I saw you before, staring at your hand. I have a feeling I'll regret later, but I must admit I'm curious. What do you have in mind?"
Killian's lips pressed together, trying to hide the smirk that was forming. David did not know where he was in. But he was going to seize the opportunity.
"Well, mate, seeing those rings, I was thinking that Prince Charles might already be prepared to take the next step in his relationship with Princess Leia."
David's face turned into a grimace of horror visible despite the gloom. "You aren't going to do anything with those rings, are you?"
Killian chuckled at David's reaction, hesitating for a moment whether to continue with the joke or not. Finally, he took pity on him. "You disappoint me, mate, I thought you had Prince Charles in more esteem."
"Enough of jokes, Hook, tell me what you have in mind."
Okay. It was time for confessions and David unwittingly, had opened a path that Killian was more than willing to take.
"Well. I was watching these rings and thinking that maybe I need something from you before making any proposal."
David frowned, confused. "You're asking my blessing?"
Killian shook his head. "Of course not, I'm asking for your help."
David's voice came loaded with more confusion. "My help? For what?"
The jokes had given way to a more serious conversation, which could play an important role in his future. Killian took a deep breath before continuing as raised his hand, showing it to David. "These rings are one of my few belongings. I have nothing to offer to Emma more than a ship loaded with memories. So I need your help. I need you to help me find a worthy ring for a princess."
David's response was again surprising. Without hesitation, firmly holding his gaze, he replied. "Maybe you're right, Emma deserves it. So, when we return we'll work on it."