Title: Permanent Measures
Part: 4/?
Author: Roguie – and all my other alternate personalities.
Fandom: Once Upon A Time
Pairing: Hook/Emma
Rating: Eventual M.
Spoilers: Up to and including 3x19 – A Curious Thing
Summary: Hook never stopped to realize the damage inflicted on his soul with each of his Swan's casual rejections until bitterness threatened to turn his love for her into something less than pure. Nothing worth fighting for comes without pain; tonight, he's ready to go to war.
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time most certainly doesn't belong to me. If it did, I'd have had Hook and Emma defile Rumpelstiltskin's cage in the EF, rather than use it to betray each other. But since it's not on HBO, and well, I don't get paid for anything I do with it, I can truly say, not it!
A/N: What's this you say? Hook and Emma are in the same chapter? Omg! It IS a Captain Swan fic. ;) So, you know that moment in time where your little one shot, Hook gets an Emma tattoo idea, takes off and breaks 10k words? Yeah. We're pretty much there. Fair warning, I have dubbed this chapter as "What in the World is Wrong With Killian Jones?" Anyone care to hazard a guess? ;)
For those of you waiting for the conclusion to Precursor to a Kiss, it should be up in the next day or so, I'm about halfway through... I've been distracted by pretty Tumblr photosets, and my muse seems to want to work on this fic above all else. ;) Your favorites, follows, likes, reviews, comments, bookmarks, re-blogs, etc, mean the world to me and to my muse, who is a slave to knowing people are enjoying what she's provided.
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He knew something was off before he opened his eyes. The familiar lull and sway of the Jolly Roger was gone and rather than the comfort of his soft mattress, something hard and sharp jabbed distinctly into his side.
"The hell?"
His body stiffened as he startled awake, immediately snapping into a seated position, his hand moving to his hip only to realize that his sword was not attached. Mercifully whatever had taken him had neglected to remove his hook, so he was left with some way of protecting himself, but still, a feeling of unease crept over him as his eyes began to adjust to the darkness.
Something shifted nearby him, the rustling of movement as loud as a gunshot in the otherwise silent room.
"The hell?"
His body immediately relaxed at the sound of her voice, the sweet sound sending tendrils of comfort over his brain, reminding him instantly that wherever she is, he's home.
His disbelieving chuckle filled the chamber with throaty vibrations, and he moved awkwardly to stand to his feet.
"Seriously, that's like the creepiest shit ever, so can it with the laughter. Who the hell is there?"
He chuckled again, unable to help himself as he shook his head at the bravado in her voice. "Just me, love."
He heard the breath escape her lungs in relief and practically felt the tension bleed from her body as she shifted and rose in the dark. "Jesus, you scared the shit out of me. What's going on?"
"I'm not exactly sure at the moment, though if I were to hazard a guess, I'd say we've been kidnapped." He paused. "This is much more pleasant than my last abduction, at least. I've discovered that I don't fit very well into the trunk of automobiles. It was awkward and somewhat painful." He grinned into the dark, allowing levity to lighten his tone. "At least our captor had the good sense to give us room to move in here."
He listened as she laughed softly, her hands cutting through air until she found the hard rock of the tunnel wall and began following it towards the sound of his voice. He couldn't protect either of them from the hitch in his breath as her fingers found his arm, sliding further over his body, splaying out across his warm chest and anchoring herself to him in the inky darkness. The hurt from the last few days of silence surged but for a brief moment he allowed himself the mere pleasure of having her close to him once again.
"Any ideas who we've pissed off this time?"
His laughter rolled through his chest in a soft rumble, her gentle touch setting him inexplicably at ease, even given their situation. "Not a clue, love. Though perhaps you're better to answer that query as I have found myself somewhat out of the loop in the days past." His tone was pointed and he braced himself for the withdraw of her touch. He was legitimately surprised when her fingers remained in place, even as a deep sigh passed her lips.
"Can we put a hold on this conversation until we get out of here?" she asked gently.
"As you wish." He paused, fighting his next words but unable to stop them from escaping through the heartache that had manifested in the hours since his conversation with Regina. "So long as you vow to have said conversation prior to running off to New York. I'd hate to have to maneuver the Jolly Roger back through that dreaded harbor. Once was more than bloody enough."
He left the cutting tease between them, but he felt her stiffen. "Hook…"
The blasted moniker broke what was left of his battered resolve and his shoulders slumped in resignation before he even realized how much it meant to hear his true name on her lips, or how badly it hurt to have her deny him that. She felt him break, it was impossible to miss, as was the sharp intake of her breath in realization.
"Killian…"
"Right you are, love. Best to focus on the situation at hand, sort the rest out later." The words were spoken with a light tone, but even in the darkness she could tell they came through a jaw clenched with tension.
Her hand fell slowly from his chest as she bit back words of apology that she didn't know if he wanted to hear. He groaned as she took her touch from him, the sudden sound loud and harsh in the enclosed space.
"Are you hurt?" she asked sharply, immediately bringing both hands back to him, running gentle fingers over his chest and arms, feeling for anything out of the ordinary. She couldn't help but feel the instant relaxation in his muscles as she touched him again, a small furrow of confusion appearing between her brows.
He swallowed thickly, breathing through the new feeling that came with her touch. Just the brush of her fingers across his arm was enough to bleed away the wounded anger he'd been harboring. The tattoo made itself known once again, a low burn now, almost comforting while she remained in contact. When she stole her touch from him, however, that low burn was more like a brand, reminding him of exactly the choice he'd made. His breath was heavy upon his lips as he closed his eyes in the darkness, wondering if perhaps this time he'd gambled with more than he could afford. He'd been warned. All magic comes with a price; if she indeed left for New York, he realized now, he would not yet have come close to paying the dues demanded. Pushing those thoughts to the side for the moment, he considered his next words carefully, ensuring to tell her the most truth as possible.
"Nothing of concern. I felt the urge for a new tattoo to commemorate the new path my life has taken since the last. The dampness in this cavern is adversely affecting the fresh wound. A dull ache only. It will fade in time."
She couldn't see his eyes to tell if he was lying to her, but since she'd been taken with no ill effects, she had to assume he was speaking the truth.
"A new tattoo? What'd you get? The Jolly Roger across your back?" she teased lightly, trying desperately to get back to the light hearted back and forth they'd always shared.
"No, love, something far more dear to me than my ship." It was said with such seriousness that a chill ran down her spine, and she immediately pulled her hands back to herself. She listened carefully as this time he smothered his groan of discomfort behind a deep chuckle that lacked any kind of true mirth.
"You love that ship more than anything," she murmured, sudden doubt making her voice rough with unasked questions.
"More than most, but not everything," he corrected gently, turning in place and feeling along the wall, stepping forward to indicate the end of the conversation. "Think you can come up with a little of that white magic to lead the way, Swan?" he asked lightly as he moved deftly out of her reach, following the wall along what he realized now was an underground corridor.
"Uh, sure?" She bit back the hurt that threatened to cut through her voice and focused on the tips of her fingers. Sure enough, a dim light began to fill the tunnel, growing brighter with each passing moment.
He couldn't help himself as the deep pride he felt for her shone in his blue eyes, keeping his gaze firmly set to the tunnel ahead of them so she wouldn't see the depths she could affect him with so very little. "Very nice work, love," he murmured, and in the shadows, the slightest hint of a smile softened his features.
"Next time ask for something difficult," she grinned back at him saucily.
A sharp bark of laughter passed his lips and he shook his head as they moved forward.
"Hey, is this starting to look familiar to you?" she asked suddenly, as the mouth of the tunnel slowly began to open into a chamber filled with rock debris.
Killian's jaw tightened as he nodded. "Quite, unfortunately."
"You don't think…"
"Best to keep your voice down, love, just in case."
His hand immediately went to his hip, a low curse passing his lips as he realized yet again he was left without his sword.
"Were you left with anything to protect yourself? A weapon of any sort?"
Emma sucked her lower lip between her teeth as she shook her head slowly. "I didn't have my gun on when I went to sleep," she shrugged quietly. "So, little glowing ball of white light, it is."
Killian glanced down at himself, realizing he'd fallen asleep fully clothed the night before. He must have been exhausted; he couldn't even remember climbing from the deck to his cabin after he'd worked long into the night, mapping the stars of this realm. He'd not even removed his coat or hook. A random thought struck him and he froze in place, swallowing thickly as a fog of poorly disguised desire filled his mind. "You were taken from sleep?" he queried.
"Yeah, y'know, Henry was staying with Regina for the night, so Ruby and I were up pretty late. It's been a while since I've spent any time just drinking and talking with someone. I couldn't have gotten ready for bed before two or three in the morning."
He groaned softly, remaining in place long enough that Emma, not realizing he'd not started walking again, walked directly into him, darting out the hand that wasn't controlling their only light source and wrapping it around his body to steady herself. When she was sure she wasn't going to fall, she went to remove her hand, only to find her fingers suddenly covered by his and held firmly against his chest.
"What?" She immediately dropped her voice to a whisper, shifting to speak directly by his ear. "Did you see something?"
Killian drew in a long breath, shaking his head lightly in an attempt to free himself from the sudden haze that clouded his thoughts as he dragged his warm fingers over her hand, pausing to stroke a feather light touch across the inside of her wrist, swallowing heavily at the feel of her incredibly soft skin under the calluses that layered his long fingers. He knew it was inappropriate, but he couldn't seem to stop himself from touching her. He'd been denied so bloody long.
"Quite the opposite, love," he swallowed against the rough growl his voice adopted as he trailed his fingers further up her arm, meeting nothing but bare flesh every inch of the journey. "It's what I didn't see that brought pause to my step."
He released her arm the second he'd gone far enough to realize that whatever she was wearing covered no more than those infernal tops she insisted on sporting beneath her daily blouse. Only this time, she wore nothing to hide the scantity of the fabric that acted as a second skin. Keeping his back to her, he pressed his hook against the tunnel wall, running his hand through his hair and down his face as he struggled in vain to rid his mind of its suddenly lascivious imaginings of what she could consider proper sleepwear.
She moved beside him, laying a hand on his shoulder, bringing the light between them. She couldn't piece together what was going on inside of him; he kept cycling through emotions, over reacting in humor, in anger, in hurt, and now? "Okay, seriously, what is your problem?"
He opened his eyes only to be met with the sight of her long legs, bare as far up as he could see. He almost whimpered as he drank in the view of her skin, glowing in the strange iridescent light of her magic. She wore only a small pair of royal blue boy shorts that hid nothing from his rampant imagination. The matching tank top barely reached her hips, covering so little that it was more a tease than clothing. His undoing, however, was the sight of her perfectly manicured toes, bare of any footwear, nails painted the same exact shade of blue as her sleeping attire. The woman was dressed for seduction, and Killian couldn't help but harden painfully as he finally realized how little lay between his hand and her warm flesh.
"By the gods, woman, what are you bloody well wearing?"
She stiffened immediately in response, slow to catch up but not to react as she stepped away from him and tugged at the tank top uselessly, only managing to bare a great deal more cleavage to his starving gaze. "Hey! Get a hold of yourself, buddy, it's not like I planned to be taken from my bed in the middle of the goddamned night!"
He struggled to regain control over the pirate inside of him. He struggled not to take the opening and run away with it. His history with Emma had taught him nothing if it hadn't taught him that lewd commentary only got him punched in the face. It was funny, though, how little control he had of his mouth in that very moment.
"I could get a hold of myself, love, and I'm sure you'd not be able to tear your eyes away given the option, however I'd much rather you do the task for me."
And there he was, the pirate she knew so very well as he straightened his stance and turned to face her full on, making no attempt to hide his body's reaction to the sight of her. Emma's mouth immediately went dry as her traitorous eyes skimmed downward, widening at the impressive strain being pressed upon the meager ties of his leather pants.
"Killian," she tried, a note of wary warning in her voice. "This is so not the time for this conversation."
His eyes narrowed and he stalked towards her slowly, backing her against the opposite wall, lowering his head until his breath burned a warm trail across her collar bone. His hook moved between her breasts, hooking the hem of her shirt lightly and pulling it ever so gently away from her body as his eyes followed, stealing a shadowed view. "I'm sorry, love, I hadn't realized we were conversing. I find acting much more pleasant than idle chatter."
"Killian, back off. I'm serious!"
He sighed deeply, allowing her shirt to snap back in place, lowering his hook to her hip instead. "Of course you are, princess, you're never anything but bloody serious, are you?"
"This is not the place…"
His eyes flashed with dangerous darkness as all amusement fled his features and he was left towering over her, his body trembling with the force of his control. "Then tell me where the hell is? Certainly not aboard my ship, given we've had plenty of opportunity there. Definitely not at the inn where there are doors you can lock yourself behind. Not in the bloody Enchanted Forest or in the jungles of sodding Neverland, either. There will never be a right place for you to lower yourself to play with the love sick pirate, will there?"
"I never said…"
"Quite right. You've never said. You've never said a god forsaken word about anything, Swan. Not even your actions speak for you anymore. Were you going to tell me you were leaving for New York? Or were you just going to keep on avoiding me until it was too late? Was I just supposed to wake up one morning and find you gone? Well, guess what, love, I've done that once already and had a piss poor time about it, too."
Emma gaped at him in surprise, words escaping her as she shook her head slowly, lifting a hand to his chin and forcing him to meet her eyes. Truth, desperation and utter devastation warred for supremacy in his gaze, all underlied by lust tinged with something darker, something deeper, something to which she was afraid to give name. Tears filled her eyes in response to what she saw in him, and the fight immediately fled from his frame as once again defeat set in above all else.
"Not to worry, love, I'll put the pieces back together myself when we're done here." He sighed, turning away from her and starting down the tunnel once more. "Though if you've any interest in escaping here with your honor intact, I'd suggest dimming that bloody light. You're far too sweet a temptation for this old pirate to resist for long."
He made it less than ten feet down the tunnel before Emma snapped. If she'd had on shoes she would have stomped her foot like a child. Instead, she settled for growling in rage and frustration, clenching her fists so hard that her light fully extinguished, leaving them deep in the darkness that remained.
"You just wait one goddamned minute, Killian Jones! You don't get to just lose your shit on me and then walk away! I may have something to say about this, you know!"
A low moan sounded somewhere ahead of them in the dark, sending chills down both their spines as it was followed by the unmistakable sound of flesh slapping against hard rock.
Killian cleared his throat and spun back towards her, his heart thumping wildly in his chest as he tried to determine how close the sounds were to them, his spiraling emotions once again firmly under control as self preservation overcame anything else at hand. "To borrow one of your turns of phrase, I'll have to insist that this is not the time."
"Agreed!" She squeaked, softly.
He was back in her personal space in the blink of an eye, his arms coming around her as he faced her back the way they came and away from the approach of the squelching footsteps of Maleficent's rotting corpse.
"I suggest we run, love."
~~~TBC~~~
Much like magic, all muses come with a price. My muse's price is the little box down below. Please don't make her chase you for payment.