Hook and Emma stroll in silence until they reach the harbor. The night sky is clear except for the handful of gray clouds which litter the vast expanse of stars. Walking along in the cool evening air, Emma's eyes begin to glisten as she gazes off into the distance.
"Are you okay, Swan?" Killian finally asks, pulling on her arm and bringing her to a halt.
She deliberately avoids his concerned gaze. "I am so sorry, Killian."
"For what?" he asks, unsure what she could possibly be referring to.
"Everything," she confesses, her hot breath visible in the night. "The coldness, the snarky comments, the cost of saving me-"
Hook shakes his head in comforting disagreement.
"You have done so much for Henry and I, and my entire family," Emma continues, "I just-"
"Emma dear," Hook interrupts. "It's really not worth upsetting yourself over." He cups her face in his hand and brushes his thumb underneath her eye, wiping away the beginnings of a tear. "I don't want you in any way to feel indebted to me. What I did started out as a meager, pathetic attempt to win your affection. I quickly realized it was a futile effort- that you deserve so much better than what I have to offer- but that didn't stop me from caring."
Emma looks deep into his eyes and she can see that his feelings are genuine. With but a couple seconds hesitation, she grabs ahold of his collar and pulls Killian into a passionate kiss, not unlike the one they'd shared in Neverland.
After overcoming his initial surprise, Killian winds his good hand behind Emma's neck, pulling her into him even closer. His hook rests gently on the small of her back as they lose themselves in the moment.
Emma finally has to break the kiss in order to catch her breath, but her face doesn't stray far from his. The captain leans down and presses his forehead to hers and they stand in peaceful tranquility.
Looking down, he entwines their fingers and begins leading her back toward the beach. They stroll in the moonlight for awhile and eventually take a seat side by side on the sand. Emma admires Killian as he stares intently at the stars.
"Truth or dare?" she eventually asks, breaking the numbness of their silence.
"What?" Killian inquires, confused.
"It's a game," Emma explains. "Pick one. You either have to answer a question truthfully, or you have to carry out whatever I dare you to do. If you refuse, you lose the game."
"That sounds quite dangerous," Killian remarks, raising one eyebrow playfully.
"Depends on you opponent," Emma admits, flashing him a mischievous smile.
"Truth," Hook says reluctantly, deciding to engage in her little battle.
"Okay. How old are you?" Emma asks.
"Well now, that depends…"
"You know what I mean," Emma says, rolling her eyes. "Disregarding the various curses and time travel," she clarifies.
"Thirty-one," he confesses, and Emma nods her approval. "Alright, your turn lass."
Emma eyes him suspiciously, wondering what sort of question or challenge he would pose.
"Dare," she finally states with narrowed eyes.
"Mmm," Hook muses, rubbing his chin in over-exaggerated contemplation. He knew that anything too personal might cause Emma to pull away from him, so he went with a decidedly different tactic. "I dare you to turn Smee back into a rat for twenty-four hours."
Emma's eyes widen. "That's not fair," she objects. "I can't abuse my magic for your personal amusement."
Killian cocks his head and narrows his brow in jest. Emma sighs, closing her eyes and focusing hard to harness her powers. Biting her lip, she slowly begins to chuckle.
"Did you really do it?" Hook asks, clearly amused. She nods and they both fall into a fit of joyous laughter.
"Okay," Emma says, gathering her composure. "Truth or dare?"
"Truth."
"Were you jealous?" she asks in a small but flirtatious tone as she nudges Killian in the shoulder. "When I kissed 'the other you'?"
The captain eyes her sideways. "Immensely," he retorts in a low, gravelly voice. And with that, Hook leans over Emma's body and begins placing a series of kisses down her neck. She closes her eyes and bites her lip in pleasure.
"Truth or dare?" Killian asks, his lips upon her throat.
"Dare," Emma replies, trying her best to focus on their game and distract herself from his addicting touch.
"I dare you to stay here all night. Watch the sunrise with me," Killian proposes gently.
"Sunrise?" Emma asks with a smile, curious but not opposed. "It's 1am."
"That gives us four hours. I'm sure we can find some way to pass the time," Hook says with a smirk. Emma's heart pounds in her chest.
"You're on," she agrees, once again bringing her lips to his.
Despite the good company, Emma eventually falls asleep, her head resting lightly upon Killian's chest. Hook is lying still, deep in thought when she begins to stir.
"Good morning Swan," he says softly, brushing the hair out of Emma's face with his hook.
She smiles up at him contently. "What time is it?" she groans.
"Nearly daybreak," he assures her.
She nods and closes her eyes as Killian watches her expression carefully.
"What?" she asks, feeling the weight of his lingering gaze upon her.
"Nothing. I just half expected you to find some excuse to leave by now."
Emma raises her head and meets his eyes guiltily. "No more," she promises softly. "I'm done running."
"It's about bloody time," Hook teases.
Emma grins. Killian leans in slowly and places a chaste kiss upon her mouth. As he pulls away, a smile overtakes his face. "Look," Hook prompts, nodding towards the horizon. "Sunrise."