A/N: OH MY GOD! I never in a million years imagined this kind of reaction. You guys basically have made my life with every comment, every review, every favorite. Everything, I'm so honored, thank you so much for all for your love and support. I love you so much!
Special thanks to Griffin, who helped with the ideas and corrections. She's an amazing beta!
This goes to all the amazing Hookriel shippers and graphic makers, let's keep shipping guys.
My beloved was weighed down
He wakes up just at the right time; the sun creeps through the linen curtains, warming his face, and it's the perfect illumination to suit the miniature freckles sprinkled across her pale cheeks. She's breathing softly, her delicate puffs stirring his hair over his eyes, and he pushes it, annoyed at his spiky hair. She's constantly pushing it off his eyes just before she kisses him.
His heart starts doing that thing, that pounding, threatening to jump out his chest, like that horrible time so long ago. But this thing, it always happens whenever she's around him and mesmerizes him with her loveliness, this beating out of control is the best thing that has happened to him. She twitches and he presses a soothing kiss to her brow; she smiles a little bit and her reddish lashes flicker for a second, but she remains asleep.
He stares as the sunlight pours over her cheekbones and her lips, and he grins faintly. He should be used to her beauty, after all this time he's gotten to wake up next to it every day, but he hasn't; her wide, bee stung mouth still renders him speechless. He knows that in the mornings, her lips are a faint carnation pink color, like the rose gown she wears to bed. In the afternoons, when the sun is setting, they get a reddish glow from the dying daylight and it makes him think of apples and cider. But his favorite color is the strong pink, almost crimson, that his lips cause after hours of pecking and kissing.
He props himself over his left elbow, careful to not rip the sheets with the hook. "Since she didn't find it very funny the last time. Or the time before." he thinks to himself and smirks. He moves slowly and quietly, like a fox, and pushes her strawberry blonde curls from her chest. He looks back at her face to see if she's still sleeping, and when he notices nothing, he puts his hand on her chest, like she did some nights ago.
Tha-thump. Tha-thump. Tha-thump.
"Love you, my sweet girl," he whispers as softly as he can and his heart stops for a second, then kicks back, imitating her rhythm. He shudders thinking he could lose her heart; he wakes up some nights, drenched in cold sweat, and when he stretches his hand and doesn't find her there, he believes nightmares are real, and this demon-filled land took his beloved's heart once more.
But she's always close by, usually watching the sea, sometimes feeding seagulls, others making the cook laugh. Even though it nearly kills him every time it happens, whenever he finds her making others happy, his love for her just swells and grows. Ariel is too kind, too delightful, always considerate, always touching others with her warmth, she's like gold. No, he shudders, gold is flashy and heavy. Her heart is not too heavy for him to carry, it's just perfect; her heart is light as clouds compared to his. She freed him from his bitterness; yet, he wonders: why? Why is she with him?
He had rested his head on her chest during his inner battle without noticing, so his elbow almost gives out when he hears her voice, raspy from the sleep, utter "Morning Ki." She laughs when he almost falls completely over her, surprised. Oh, she truly was still a mermaid at heart sometimes; but if her heart was still mermaid, his was pirate.
"Morning precious," he says lightheartedly and starts kissing her breast, chest and collarbone, playfully nipping at her neck and shoulders, taking his hand from her heart and moving it over her hip, tickling her merciless.
"STOP! KI! YOU OAF CEASE THAT RIGHT NOW" she laughs and screams, but he just laughs and laughs until there are tears in his eyes, and he just keeps on kissing her neck, carefully biting her sometimes, eliciting a shriek. Her laugher is loud and tinkling, like seashells carried by the current; it was one of his favorite sounds, topped only by her singing.
"You terrible, terrible man! End that, I'm hungry, I want to get up! Stop it!" she whines, but he knows his playfulness is a favorite of hers. He had discovered her to be such a ticklish creature, her smooth legs oversensitive from the curse that brought her to him. He had devoted many hours of his courtship kissing, licking, tickling, and awakening every inch of her alabaster legs. He was very familiar with her feet; she wiggled her toes like a fish out of the water whenever he nuzzled her ankles. He knew that behind her knees was her breaking point.
So, he travels down her chest, petting and playing with her; passes over her navel and teases her with his tongue; and drops kisses over her hipbone, his journey to her knee wicked, slow and torturous for them both. When his mouth gets there, he does his little trick: he puts the hook beneath one knee, the coldness of the metal startling her and he carefully sucks behind her other knee. Her body shakes up like a firecracker over the bed and she squeals so loud his ears ring.
"Killian…" she whimpers tenderly this time, like a moan.
As he kisses her, every sigh and soft giggle pierces the dark veil that covers his battered heart and protects him from caring about the outside world. As he scrubs his beard over her knee, and she dissolves in another round of giggles, he feels free, but he knows he's undeserving of this joy.
"This right here, your legs around me, your heart beating for me, my name whispered in your little tender voice, I'm home. This ship is not my home anymore, Neverland is not my home anymore, this land is not my home anymore. You, you, you, only you." he thinks and his blood pours faster, magic flowing between his body and hers.
He nibbles at her calf and she half groans, half laughs, and he gets dizzy with delight.
"Do you know you saved me? Not the other way around. When you came to me, you gave me back a dream, a purpose, ease. You gave me a heart again. There is no justice for me to have this sort of happiness. After everything I've done… I'm a thief. But you unbreak me, you fix me. I'm enthralled by you. What will I do if you go back to the sea? What will I become? A murderer again, scum, pure evil. I was just a bully, a vindictive arse. You make me better Ari. I'm sorry love, I'm so sorry my heart is such a heavy burden for you to carry. I'm so heavy in your arms." he thinks, wishing desperately that he could show her how much she holds him together.
He looks up and their gazes find each other over the plane of her stomach and she smiles, uninhibited and adoring, and her lips have that crimson tone and he swears softly, fascinated.
"I love you, Ki," she says reverently.
"You've bewitched me, mermaid."
She ruffles his hair, winks and crooks her finger at him. He crawls over her and is lowering his head to kiss the living daylights out of her, when a voice over them interrupts them: "Land in sight!"
She giggles when she sees his disappointment and bites his chin, causing him to grunt.
"Hold that thought, darling" and he leaves the bed in a hurry.
He's talking to his second in command, stirring them away from the swamps, when he sees her come out of his chamber. "Theirs," he corrects himself and smiles. He waves and holds up one finger, telling her he just needs a moment.
Oh, but his little tease is just as bad as him. She runs across the ship, her white dress flying in the breeze; beaming, her face is open and impish; her red curls crazy and flowing around her green eyes, like the leaves in autumn. The sailors laugh and whistle as they see her go by, and before he can react, she throws herself at him and he catches her and stumbles, trying to steady himself with the hook, pulling on the wheel. The ship shakes, rickety and turns to the side; the men yell and stumble as well. With that, she bursts out laughing, glad her naughtiness caught him off guard.
"Careful missy, you about to throw us to the crocs," Mr. Smee tells her, smiling but nervously looking over the railing.
"Oh don't worry, the crocs don't want pirate meat," she taunts. With the mention of crocodiles, Killian tenses and holds her closer. She senses it, leans and bites his ear, and he chuckles.
"Oi, Mr. Smee, I believe there's a croc right here!" and she nibbles him again, laughs and presses a kiss into his ear, leaving him deaf for a moment.
"Aye, she's evil, this croc" he says and lifts her over his shoulder, her head hanging upside down, her curls almost touching the ship floor. "She must be locked away and punished".
As he struts toward the chamber, she squeals "Save Mr. Smee. John, stop him! Help me!"
The cook laughs, glad to see the little lady and his Captain in such high spirits. "Sorry Miss Ariel. I don't have my pan to hit him in the head"
She sighs melodramatically and mutters "Pirates" but giggles and winks at them before she disappears behind closed doors.
