Day 3. Gaming


"Bloody hell!" he mutters at the television, his hand tightening its grip around the controller; his knuckles turn white and Emma can't help but snicker.

"Didn't take you for a sore loser." She cocks her head at him, a challenge in her eyes, and meets his grin with one of her own, equally wide. He tries again, and this time the avatar actually shoots the bowling ball in the right lane and six pins topples – he cheers at himself shamelessly, while Emma thinks, I can do way better than that. She takes the controller from his hand, wraps her fingers around it and goes to stand in front of the TV as Killian sits down in the couch behind her.

"You know," she starts, stretching her neck to face him. "This is how it's really done." She turns back to the game, snickering at her own remark as she tells the avatar she is ready - and doesn't have time to react before he is right there, body not quite touching hers but close enough for her to feel his heartbeat against her back and his warm breath on her ear. She shivers, and her avatar drops the ball right on the spot.

He grins proudly. "Great job, love."

"Oh, if that's how you want to play it," she says, dragging up the sleeves of her sweatshirt to her elbows. "It's game on."

On her next shot, she makes sure he's in no way near her and manages to get eight of the pins.

He groans quietly, before accepting the controller from her with a very small pout - it's hardly noticeable by anyone else but she sees it as clear as daylight, and feels somewhat proud that she managed to get Captain Hook himself to pout.

When he has his back towards her, she stands up to move closer.

"You won't be able to distract me, love," he says easily when she is right next to him. "I've had many years practice to steer a ship in the midst of a storm. Nothing can distract me, I assure you."

"Oh, but you've never been distracted by me," she retorts with a sly grin, and he laughs.

"Aye." He nudges her once on the nose with his finger. "Shall I play then?"

"By all means." She reaches out her arms in a gesture to tell him to go ahead, and he starts his round.

When he is mere seconds from throwing the ball, she reaches forward - careful not to touch him anywhere else - and presses a light kiss at the hollow beneath his ear; he shudders, and the bowling ball falls to the animated floor on the television.

He turns his face to her and raises an eyebrow. "You cheated."

She shakes her head, smiling innocently. "We never stated the rules." When he frowns, she smacks him lightly on the chest. "Oh, come on, you're just upset you didn't get to cheat first."

He shrugs, but doesn't deny her statement, even though he does give her a lopsided smile. "Two out of three?"

She takes a step back from him to get a better look before crossing her arms across her chest and narrowing her eyes at him. "What does the winner get?"

He wiggles his eyebrows and points in the direction of their bedroom.

She laughs, because how can she not? "Oh, okay. And the loser then?"

He takes a step towards her and wraps his bad arm around her waist, pulling her closer for a lazy kiss, their lips moving from years of habit; he doesn't move away after, their lips still almost touching. "I'm not sure there are any losers here."

She lets their lips touch again, before she presses a finger right onto the spot where he is the most ticklish. He squirms away quickly.

Sure, he was telling the truth in a way, but she's not stupid.

"Nice try, mister I-hate-to-lose-so-I-try-to-trick-my-girlfriend." She cocks an eyebrow at him, and he shakes his head in defeat.

"Worth a shot, aye?"

"Sure it was," she teases. Suddenly, she gets an idea, which is probably the most perfect idea she has ever had, which is saying something since she more often than not is rather proud of her own ideas. "Care to try a different game?" He watches her suspiciously, so she clarifies. "Something you're used to."

"I'm intrigued," he teases back, catches a strand of her hair between her fingers as he speaks.

"Poker."

He continues to fiddle with her hair, clearly not impressed. "Love, I'm a pirate. Any and all card games puts me at an unfair advantage and - "

"Strip poker," she says as if she is repeating herself, and gets the pleasure of watching him drop her hair as a smirk spreads across his face.

"It's on."