Prompt from Tumblr: Emma often sneaks onto the Jolly Rodger after returning back from Neverland just to think. Killian finds her one time in the crows nest and joins her. They talk about the kiss (Maybe they kiss again...? :D) and then improvise because these two are awesome doing whatever :)

Emma sighed before making her well-known walk through the docks until finding the big ship resting calmly in her harbor -she wasn't really hard to miss, she was about five times bigger than all the other vessels around. The air was colder in the misty area by the sea, illuminated only by a bright full moon, so she pulled her red leather jacket tighter around her as she walked up the gangplank. As silently as possible, she made her way to the huge net made of ropes and started climbing it.

She knew it was wrong to break into someone else's home, especially for her, being the sheriff and the face of the law in the small Maine town, but ever since their journey back to Storybrooke, she had found that the Jolly was the place that calmed her the most. Neverland had taken her toll on her, and it had taken it bad. Learning that his father was actually doomed to spend eternity in that hellhole or die automatically as soon as they made it out of there; finding Neal alive, with his empty love promises and darker ways that she had ever imagined of him; dealing with Pan and Rumplestiltskin and that creepy-as-hell Shadow; almost exhausting all the magic within her to break Pan's curse on the island and end the darkness in it; convincing Henry that he wasn't a Lost Boy; and finding the necessary pixie dust to fly back to this realm with Tinkerbell, Felix and freaking Wendy Darling on tow...you couldn't really blame her for wanting a break and yearning for some peace of mind. Normally, Kil-Hook would have offered her a swig of his never-ending rum, but they hadn't really spoken after their kiss, except for his telling her that Neal was alive. Afterwards, they hadn't really had time to dwell on it with Gold's surprising return to them and their final battle with Pan and the Shadow.

They had returned to Storybrooke three days before, but he remained distant and serious. Even though she could always find his eyes burning holes in the back of her head, still in Neverland and now here too, Emma found herself missing his smirk and his inappropriate remarks, his rum and his company, his support and appraisal. She hadn't really realized how much she craved them until she lost them.

The first night back, she couldn't sleep. Images of Henry running away from her claiming that he was a Lost Boy and that they had abandoned him, of Mary Margaret's horror-stricken face when David told her that he had to stay in the island or else die on the journey back, the Shadow attempting to kill Killian until she sent it away with an unexpected beam of magic; all those images invaded her mind and kept her from the blissful oblivion she longed for. She got up and wandered around town, letting her feet take her, mind numb, and she couldn't say she was surprised when she saw that they had taken her to the helm of the Jolly. She didn't want to go down to the bunks so as not to wake Hook, especially when he was still giving her the cold shoulder, so she sat on a crate on deck and relaxed as her mind wandered.

She woke up two hours later feeling completely refreshed and left quickly before Hook noticed.

After that, she had spent a few hours on the ship every night, with the only company of the sea breeze and her thoughts. And tonight was no exception.

She reached the crow's nest and settled there. She saw a lump on the floor. It was weird, she had climbed it the night before and it had been empty. Emma cautiously approached the soft strange lump and her heart twisted in her chest at noticing that it was a thick blanket. She sat down and took the cloth in her hands.

Of course he had known. When it came to her, it seemed that he always knew.

She wrapped the blanket around her body and warmth immediately invaded her, and not only due to the extra layer of clothing. Suddenly it clicked on her that Hook was not avoiding her like the plague; he was trying to give her space to figure things out, with Neal's heated declarations of love that she really wished he had waited until they were alone to say and his constant presence due to Henry wanting his dad around. And even when Hook wasn't talking to her, he was always taking care of her.

About forty minutes later, Emma heard a soft grunt and steps behind her. She kept her eyes on the black horizon as Hook accommodated himself beside her.

"Took you long enough to come up here," she commented nonchalantly.

"Well, lass, let me tell you that climbing up that net with a hand and a hook is bloody damn difficult."

Emma laughed softly, a feeling of pleased familiarity settling within her. This felt nice... and right.

"Care to tell me why you have been so rudely intruding my ship for the last few days?"

She sighed, still not facing him. "I just...I needed some time alone. This is the only place where I can do some peaceful thinking."

"Aye, I know that feel," he said so softly she almost didn't hear him.

"What about you?"

"About me what, lass?"

"Clearly you've known all along that I come here," she said, pointing at the blanket she was cuddling under. "Why only show up now?"

Hook looked down and scratched the back of his neck –she noticed he did that often when she unsettled him– before directing a mischievous smile to her.

"There are only so many days I can go by without being around you, love."

Despite the carefree tone, the sincerity in his voice was more than evident. Suddenly Emma felt it was too hot in the cold crow's nest.

"Have you found your meditations here successful?" he asked when minutes ticked by and she still hadn't found a proper reply to his comment.

"Actually, yeah." Emma rested her head against the mast. "I know it's all over, but it's like my brain refuses to believe it yet. I know Pan won't come after Henry anymore, but here is the only place I actually feel safe."

"Emma," Hook replied, turning to her and with a serious and determined expression in his features. "It is over, Pan, the Shadow and Neverland are now but a bad memory that will soon fade. But I promise you, should any other danger fall upon you or your loved ones, I will fight by your side, no questions asked."

Her heart threatened to burst out of her chest and treacherous tears welled up in her eyes. He really meant it. He really cared. And she cared about it and about him way more than she had first wanted to admit.

"Do you want to share the blanket?" she whispered, not trusting her voice.

His eyebrows shot up and he blinked twice before giving her a hopeful small smile and a quick nod. She promptly moved closer to him and threw part of the blanket on his lap and legs.

They stayed in comfortable silence for a while. Emma relished in the recovered closeness that she had inadvertently missed so much.

"Thank you," she said softly, out of the blue.

"What for?"

"Everything. Helping me get Henry back, keeping me sane in that damn island, giving me space when you sensed that I was overwhelmed and needed it. You know, at first I thought you were mad at me or something for ignoring me, but now I understand."

"Oh, so you spent an awful lot of time thinking about me, didn't you, dear?" His chest vibrated with his chuckled, and Emma could feel it send shocks of electricity through her entire body.

"Shut up," she protested weakly, letting her head fall on his shoulder.

He froze for a second before relaxing, his head resting on top of hers. "Well, you saved my life from the Shadow, I guess that makes us even?" His hand found hers under the blanket and he tentatively grabbed it, his thumb caressing her palm. "The truth is, darling, that at first my intentions were far from that. I wanted nothing more than to have your presence around all the time, especially after our little rendezvous," he wiggled his eyebrows, "but our quest took an unexpected turn of events right afterwards. Bloody Pan."

It was the first time either of them mentioned their kiss, but it wasn't awkward as Emma had figured. Quite the opposite, actually.

"I told you you wouldn't be able to handle it," Emma smirked triumphantly.

"You were not immune to it either, dearest. I distinctly remember your step faltering once or twice as you made your way to the opposite direction of the camp."

Dammit.

"We can call it a tie," she proposed.

"Aye, that is fine. For now."

She lifted her head to look at him and found him watching her intently with his bright blue eyes. His hand tightened around hers when she moved forward and kissed him for a second time. Unlike the first, this one was slower, softer, but just as passionate. Their lips moved in complete synchronization, mouths opened, tongues explored. His hand left hers to grip her waist as she framed his face with both of hers and poured all her gratitude and affection.

When the need for oxygen could not be postponed anymore, Emma softly pried her lips apart from his and moved them to his hot cheek. She opened one eye and saw that his eyes were still closed, his cheeks were flushed and his breath was coming out ragged and shallow.

She smiled against his skin.

"Emma, 1. Killian, 0."