It had been five days since their first meeting, and Hazel still thinks of him constantly. "Honestly, I think the idea you have of this man is more flattering than he deserves." Tanner keeps making witty remarks about her "experience" and she has been more annoyed than anything my them. Hazel and Tanner have been friends since birth, and have decided to lodge together until one of them could make due on their own. Their cabin isn't much, but it's comfortable and quiet roomy. They make due. Many have been known to gossip about how disgraceful it is for them to be living together, given that Tanner is a young man, but they can rest assured since their relationship has been and still remains completely platonic.
"Tanner, I've moved on, okay? Why don't you? This is starting to get obnoxious," she says as she readies her things for a day to shop in the market and square. Tanner holds up his hands in surrender and walks into his small bedroom. Hazel hasn't moved on. She finds it how completely odd it was that in her first experiences with pirates she had met the worst of them and the best of them. A gentleman pirate. He's more of a gentleman than Tanner ever could be, she thinks to herself.
"Afternoon, Beverly!"
"Well, you seem awfully chipper today, don't yah, dear!" Beverly exclaims, sounding surprised by her demeanor.
"Well, I've had a good week."
"It's a boy isn't it?"
Hazel's taken aback, surprised at how she could've guessed that, given her cryptic reason for being so happy. "Of course, it is," Widow Beverly mumbles to herself. "Make sure he's kind to you. Too many cruel men in the world. Don't want to end up with someone like my husband. Right bastard, he was." Hazel smiles at Beverly's bluntness accepting her usual loaf of bread from her, making sure to give her more shillings than the bread is worth. Beverly's told her to stop that, but she can't seem to help herself.
Walking out of the bakery, Hazel finds that Meldon was outside waiting for her. "Oh, well hello, little knight," she greats him warmly. Her polite expression turns in to one of suspicion when she sees the mischievous grin on his face. "What have you gotten yourself into now, huh?" she squints at him playfully. Suddenly, he sprints down the market, clutching his satchel, in which she suspects he's hiding whatever he's stolen. She breaks into a sprint and chases after him, her basket annoying her with it's jostling. The people of the market gasp as they try and move out of the way of the two hooligans who are acting out disruptively. She finds herself laughing wildly and laughs even harder when he does the name. "You can't catch me!" he mocks her. "Oh, just wait and see, little man!" she calls to him.
Upon seeing the trail that leads to his home in the woods and assuming that's where he was headed, she's surprised when he makes a hard turn down an alleyway. She catches on quickly, though, and makes an even sharper turn, colliding with a solid man, and dropping her basket. The man lets out a breathy "oof" as he instinctively grabs hold of her in order to steady himself as well as her. In turn, Hazel instinctively clutched the lapels of his jacket in order to keep herself from falling. He hardly seemed to lose his balance. "I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't see where I was going! I should've been more careful-." She goes silent when she notices that the man she now stands in front of is her savior from the other night. Killian. "Oh," is all she manages as she becomes all too aware of their "almost" embrace, with his hand having hold of her arm and her hands laying gently on his chest, their bodies pushed together as she is leaning into him from her nearly falling. She clears her throat and steps back, awkwardly smoothing out her dress.
"Maybe you should consider asking first before throwing yourself on top of me." Hazel rolls her eyes and bends down to pick up her toppled basket. "I haven't the time for questions I already know the answer to." What? Did I say that? Her surprise at her own quip showed slightly and he chuckled at her with an adoring smile. "Um. Well, it was nice running into you again, literally." She begins to turn her back and walk when he hastily calls out to her. "Am I allowed your name?" he jokes. She smiles. "Hazel. Hazel Pierce." He offers his hand to her and she accepts, lightly placing her small hand in his strong one, as he slowly pulls it up it to his lips, keeping his eyes on hers. She stares at him with this pathetically embarrassed look. He smirks as he brings her hand down when he sees notices her red cheeks. "Pleasure to meet your acquaintance, Miss Pierce." God's be with me, she silently prays.
She just so happens to look down when she noticed something out of place. "Your hook?" she inquires, sounding slightly worried. "Aye," he sighs, "I was in the tavern cleaning it when I turned my head and it had disappeared." He holds up his left arm for observation as he explains. Hazel can't help but marvel at how intricate and beautiful the craftsmanship of his metal covering is. Tiny, spiraling, metal branches that all seem to end up pointing to the hole where his hook would otherwise be. Who would ever steal something as useless as a hook? They're not worth much if anything at all. Petty, little thief, he must be. Suddenly, Hazel's eyes widen with her discovery of the culprit's identity. "I know who has your hook."
Hazel knocks on the wooden door of a cosy cottage in the woods. Mr. Fray, opens the door in a matter of seconds, and instantly welcomes her. "Hello, sir. I was wondering if I could visit Meldon for a moment." She asks as she steps inside. "Oh, of course Hazel. My boy adores you so. I hope he hasn't been pestering you." Hazel offers a polite smile. "Never! Weldon is just a dear." After some more polite words, Hazel makes her way to Meldon's room, intent on taking back what he's stolen. As she steps inside, she sees him standing in the middle of his room, hands crossed in front of him, with an untrustworthy smile. "Meldon," she says accusingly. "Where did you put it?" Meldon wears a faux look of confusion. "Whatever could you mean, Hazel?" She slowly walks around his room, looking around for whatever he could've stolen. She looks at him as soon as he averted his eyes from the bed to look at her. Immediately, she quickly walks over to the bed and begins poking around at it. She lifts up the pillow. Nothing. She pulls up the sheets. Nothing. She looks under the bed. Nothing. Finally, with a grunt, she lifts up the heavy mattress and spots it. Killian's hook. "You're coming with me, little one."
"Would you like to meet your culprit?" Hazel puts her hand on top of Meldon's head, gently pushing him in front of Killian. "Apologize," Hazel says through gritted teeth, in a low warning voice. With a sigh, Meldon says his apologies and pouts afterward. "You move with impressive speed, lad." Wait. Is he complimenting the boy who just stole his famous hook? "I had to. I could tell you really liked the thing." Killian nods his head in confirmation as he inserts the hook into it's slot, and twists it to lock it into place. "However," Killian says, "I can't have you stealing it again. So, if you promise to keep your hands to yourself, I promise I won't get you in trouble with her." She crosses her arms playfully. "Scary one, she is," Killian adds. Meldon laughs and Hazel flicks his ear, causing him to stop immediately.
After Meldon said his goodbyes to the two, Killian, once again, offered to walk Hazel home. "I take it that's only hook you have," she inquired. "Actually, I have plenty onboard. This just happens to be my favorite." More light conversation and pleasant topics are discussed as they make their way to her cottage. "It appears that I was the one who did a good deed today. Helping a pirate? I should be rewarded for my bravery," she says as they arrive at her door. "Indeed you should. Forcing a thief to return the stolen item first-hand was an act of justice unheard of by any pirate. I am forever in your debt." He bows exaggeratedly. "I'll remember that, pirate." Mustering up some small amount of courage, she stands on her toes and leans in to place a gentle kiss on his cheek. "Goodnight, Killian." He nods respectfully with an idiotic close-mouthed grin on his face as she walks inside her home.