Everyone seemed to like them.
He'd seen people buying them for breakfast or before going to work. He had seen his mate, David, getting some as well but hadn't paid that much attention until he found out a certain blonde was very fond of them too. It had been only a different kind of pastry to him at first, something new from the Land Without Magic, nothing to dwell on. But now, he was wondering what made them so special.
He went to the Storybrooke Bakery early that morning to buy two of those "bear claws". He thought it could be a good enough excuse to see the woman who captured his heart completely. He didn't really need a reason anymore though; he was very much welcome in the Charming family.
David didn't remember the past year they spent back in their land but they still had some sort of friendship. It was thanks to bringing his daughter back to them, Killian assumed. What he had with Emma was a bit more complicated. He didn't want to call it only a friendship, they both knew Killian was in love with her, hell, the entire town knew he was in love with her but to everybody's surprise (especially to her mother's) Emma never pushed him away; the opposite actually. She always seemed to like his company. She visited him on his ship a couple of times and invited him for dinner once to her place, with her family of course. They were friends and being around her was enough for Killian. He never dared to push her which Emma appreciated very much. On the other hand, it was Snow who was wary of him at first, expecting him to do something unspeakable. It broke his heart a little to see the fair queen like that again, especially after the year in which he totally gained her trust.
He went to the Sheriff's station, knowing all too well that she would be there alone. After what happened with Neal last week, David was spending most of his time with Henry, trying to cheer him up and at least make him forget about his loss for a while. He didn't choose the safest ways, the entire town would agree with that after the truck incident but no one could claim he didn't succeed. Emma was so worried and angry when she heard David was trying to teach Henry how to drive his truck but all her anger vanished when she saw Henry smiling for the first time since his father died.
She didn't notice him until he put the brown carton box down in front of her. Startled, she looked up to see the town's favorite pirate with a smile on his face.
"Good morning, lass," he said. She couldn't stop herself from returning his smile. Telling him good morning back, she looked at the box in front of her.
"What is that?" Emma asked, already starting to open the box, peering at its contents.
"Bear claws. That's what I've been told at least," he answered. "People seem to like them very much so I thought to purchasing some."
She took one of the pastries from the box, motioning to the chair in front of her for him to take a seat, not questioning his motives. She knew them very well anyway and that would be a dangerous territory for her heart; it was falling for him even more with each passing day.
"Well, thank you. I was starving actually."
His only answer was a "Don't mention it."
She took several bites from the bear claw in her hand but stopped suddenly, eyeing him carefully.
"What did you do?" she asked with a glint in her eyes and head tilted to the right a bit.
He could see the little smile on her lips but still couldn't shake the feeling he did something horribly wrong without knowing.
"Why would you assume I did something?" Killian replied with a hidden hurt in his tone only she could hear.
"Well, people tend to bring me bear claws if they want to ask me to do something for them or if they did something wrong. The latter mostly applies to Henry though, but he always brings hot cocoa too." She answered with a light tone, sitting back on her chair, the smile on her face growing despite herself as he relaxed slightly.
"Hot cocoa. I'll keep that in mind in case I decide to do something awful then."
She rolled her eyes to that, wondering if they could keep up a conversation without her rolling her eyes at him. Secretly, she liked that, though. It was so natural to be around him. It terrified her at first, not being able to keep her façade when it came to him but she got used to it, to the idea that she didn't have to pretend she was indestructible around him.
She ate her bear claw in silence, not the kind of silence that felt uncomfortable but the kind that felt like them; whatever they were. She didn't want to dwell on that, not now.
He pushed the carton box on the table closer to her when she finished the bear claw. Emma looked at him with raised eyebrows but his only answer was a shrug that told her to eat the other one too. She said she was hungry, it would be bad form not to give her the other one as well, he thought.
"How is the lad?" He could see her eyes instantly cloud with sadness, the light fading a bit at his question.
"He's trying to get over it. He lost his father once, I mean he thought he did but he didn't have time to mourn back then, the whole Neverland and all that. Now he's aware he'll never see him again." She bit her lip, trying to decide if she should ask him or not.
"What is it, lass?" He read her mind, frowning at her uncertainty. She wasn't surprised that he saw right through her inner struggle, he always did.
"Henry seemed really happy about you teaching him how to navigate by the stars the other night. All he talked about the next day was how you taught him how to tie knots and use sextants and recognize the constellations… So I was wondering if you can teach him a bit more?"
His face lightened up visibly, a huge smile capturing his face. Killian looked at her, his happiness at the new knowledge was evident from a mile away.
"Of course, that would be my pleasure. Bring him to the Jolly Roger whenever he wishes."
Emma smiled at that, not only with gratitude but with something else Killian didn't dare to name, however much he wished it. It looked more like love. Oh, how he wanted it to be love!
Later that night, after walking his Swan to her apartment, Killian took a different path to the Jolly Roger, deciding to go somewhere else first.
He stopped in front of the Bakery just like he did that morning. He opened the wooden door to be welcomed by the smell of bread and to the sight of a few workers who were preparing the place to close. He eyed the tired looking cashier behind the wooden counter, pretending not to notice the lasses' flirty looks who were cleaning the place. He was used to the attention but he didn't care that much anymore. All the attention he wanted could only come from the one lass that became his entire life. Though he couldn't say he didn't like it.
He asked for one bear claw. Thinking he paid more than required, ignored the curses the cashier muttered about currencies and royals who liked pirates very much after he gave the golden coins to him.
He went back to his ship after that, his steps sure, demeanor screaming confidence and his joy apparent thanks to the huge smile on his face. He let himself into his cabin and sat on his bed, getting the pastry out of its paper bag. He didn't wait much longer to taste the food Emma seemed to like very much while thinking of the lunch he had with her, of her smiles that he was convinced were brought out by him. It was nice to see her happy again. They never talked about her breakdown last week, when she cried for hours in his arms about Neal and that it was all her fault, that it happened because she wished it so, that Henry had to grow up without his father because of her. That night, she cried, they talked and held into each other, whispering soothing reassurances into welcoming ears. The next day, they both acted like it never happened. He knew her too well not to ask if she was okay. She wasn't. Death of a loved one didn't go away that easily and there was no need to touch a healing wound. He knew that from experience. He'd touched his own for hundreds of years and it only brought more agony to his heart.
He looked at the half eaten pastry in his hand, smiling to himself. He took another bite. Bear claws are quite good. I should go taste this "cocoa" Swan mentioned tomorrow.