EEEEEP! I hope you all really enjoy this chapter—I had way too much fun with it! It's a little short, compared to my usual lengths, but I'm currently battling a Physics and Chem 2 exam. I promise the read is worth it. Cheers to us for regaining OUAT this Sunday!
Also, a small note. To those reading, I really do appreciate reviews, good or bad, as do all writers. It lets us know we still have an interested audience, and I LOVE to hear what you have to say each week—your hopes, your dreams of where you see it going, your frustration and sympathy with characters, and your hearty stamp of approval (or disapproval). And, as they say, that's that.
Chapter 7
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"It's time to begin, isn't it?
I get a little bit bigger, but then I'll admit
I'm just the same as I was
Now don't you understand
That I'm never changing who I am…"
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"No, Emma. He's right. He's going to get us back," Snow demanded coldly, fixing him with her gaze, "and then there will be hell to pay for what he did to you."
Hook tucked his arms behind him. His eyebrows rose precariously at Snow's threat. He allowed his gaze to travel upward before bowing halfway and leaning in, as though he were about to reveal a secret. His voice was hushed and eerily optimistic. "Ah, but you see, you lovelies are rather useless to me now."
"But you just said you need us—"
"I've arranged for alternate means of transportation—need a way back after I get you there, you see. Wouldn't want to be stuck in Storybook."
"It's Storybrooke," Emma interjected angrily. "So what, did you just magically conjure up a portal within the few moments we just spent harassing each other?"
"I was offering you a choice, love, one which you refused to take. As such…a back-up plan was hastily instilled. No worries. I would be more than happy to assist you lovelies in whatever way I can for the next few hours to see you off safely to Storybook," he eyed Emma smugly.
"And what about you?"
"Never you mind about me."
"That's the problem," Emma began sassily, "I do mind. Very much."
"Why Emma, I never thought we would have reached this stage in our courtship so soon. You flatter me, you really do."
Snow had been watching the two argue back and forth, her head swiveling to and fro. She finally decided to intervene. "That's enough! Both of you. We'll sort out the details later. For now, Mulan and I have to take care of Cora, and wood still needs to be collected for…for Aurora. So, if you would kindly settle this on your way to collecting the wood, then we can be a few minutes closer to home. We're leaving together. All four of us." With her final word still in the air, Snow rounded on the witch. She and Mulan each took an arm in hand and began to walk a very frozen Cora back in the direction of Rumpelstiltskin's cell. Emma watched as Cora made no move to speak, though her legs inched forward calmly as if she were taking a stroll in the park.
"How long will it last?" Emma mused aloud.
Hook never missed a beat, though took her question in an entirely different and unwanted direction. "I imagine until I have you on your back, writhing in ecstasy and moaning my name, begging me to—"
"No. God, get your head out of your ass. C'mon." She glared at him for a moment before stalking off in the opposite direction of Snow and Mulan. She relished the freedom to move and stretch her legs. She never looked back to see if Hook was following her, but by the lack of rustling leaves, she figured he had motioned to stay behind.
Emma bent forward, collecting several pieces of kindling and tucking it in the expanse of her arm. Although she didn't agree with Snow's giving into the pirate, she was eager to get back to Henry. She felt as though she'd been away from him for decades, and she was horrified by the prospect that he would feel just as abandoned as she had as a child. Emma sighed. Her resolve, those carefully constructed walls she had built up around herself, was slowly crumbling. All thanks to an imbecilic crack in her foundation by the name of Killian Jones. The pirate had somehow wormed his way into her head, given her a piece of magic, and managed to steal her heart, all within what felt like twenty-four hours.
Given other circumstances, this epiphany would have sounded romantic.
Given Emma Swan's circumstances, it meant nothing but backasswardness and danger, with an accompanying warning siren and flashing red lights to boot.
Of one thing she was determined: she would not let this bloody pirate stay burrowed inside her head. She had to find a way to evict him. For good.
Emma Swan, lost in her own thoughts, failed to notice she was no longer alone. She continued to robotically search for wood, the pile in her arms slowly growing. It wasn't until a gentle pressure met her hips that she shot up, her head painfully exploding in an echoing crack! The wood fell to her feet and she swayed for a minute, trying desperately to blink back stars so she could pinpoint her attacker. But when she finally turned…
"Bloody fuck!" Hook snarled, his hand, followed by his hook out of reflex, clapped over his nose for the third time that day. Emma's own hands cupped her open mouth in horror.
"OhmyGodI'msosorry!" she gushed, momentarily forgetting her surroundings and placing a hand on his shoulder. The other she used to tip his chin up. He growled at her, tripping over his own feet in an attempt to get away from her. "I thought you were—I don't know what—I mean, what the hell were you doing sneaking up on me like that?! I could have killed you!"
"Death by nosebleed," he mumbled through his fingers, "suddenly seems an awfully merciless way to go, love." Emma's lips tipped up at his sarcasm, but the smile quickly vanished the moment his gaze leveled on her. She hadn't realized her hand was still on his shoulder until he glanced at it pointedly, brows canting half in surprise and half in his typical smug demeanor. She jerked it away as though she'd touched fire.
Hook chuckled between his fingers. "Always looking for an excuse to touch me, Swan." He clucked his tongue admonishingly.
Rolling her eyes, Emma closed the distance between them. "That one was unintentional. As part of my condolences, you get free medical treatment. Let me look." She lifted her hands to his but he pulled away swiftly.
"Ah, the infamous Swan wishes to play Doctor with the innocent pirate. For shame."
Emma's jaw dropped in horror. She quickly recovered herself, masking her disgust with forced concern. "That's not it. And don't be such a baby—just let me…stop!" Each time Emma attempted to grab at his arms, he pulled away, just out of reach. Like the child she loathed him to be. She threw her hands up in the air. "Fine. I'll just let you wallow in your own pool of blood."
Emma turned her back on Hook, squatting down to retrieve her fallen collection of wood. There was a loud, nasally sigh from behind her before she heard her name on his lips. "Emma."
"What?" she snapped, suddenly feeling very worn down. Even her hands felt as though they were blistering beneath the wood. She didn't want to be here. She wanted to be as far from here as possible.
"Your wish, love. My command."
Emma's head jerked up, and for a moment she had a sinking fear he was referencing her thoughts. The phrase "Be careful what you wish for" resonated alarmingly in her mind. But when she turned to face Hook, the knot in her stomach quickly settled. His eyes were crossed as he stared down at his cupped nose, blocked by his hand.
He wasn't going to magically banish her, as she'd fleetingly wished.
He was going to let her help him.
Emma released the load of wood once more. "Okay then," she began unsteadily, dusting her palms against her hips. She slowly approached him, watching as he kept his cerulean eyes trained on her. Calculating each move that brought her closer to him. Emma's mouth ran dry with the realization she was coming to Hook willingly.
Get a grip, Swan, she scolded herself.
You're right, she agreed. He's just a man.
Just a pirate, her conscience corrected icily. There's nothing 'man' about him. Other than the fact that he's a dick. And possibly has one.
But that's debatable, Emma offered.
Right. Totally debatable.
Emma swallowed thickly, her eyes subconsciously dropping to below Hook's belt. They lingered a millisecond too long.
Abort! Abort! her conscience screamed at her. Emma obeyed, flicking her gaze back to Hook's, who was watching her and harboring a very smug and knowing grin from behind his cupped hand. God, Emma Swan. You are no teenager. You are a woman. A Goddamn woman. Get over your estrogen, get your job done, and get home.
Emma nodded to herself, pushing her sleeves up her arms in a business-like manner before stepping closer to Hook. Bastard still had that arrogant smirk plastered all over his face, his self-satisfaction only partly obscured by his fingers.
"I bet we could find some water to clean you up," Emma suggested, holding herself back from closing in the few remaining feet that stood between them. Hook cocked his head to the side questionably, but finally shrugged.
"Lead the way, my liege," he told her nasally.
Emma and Hook traipsed through the forest for ten minutes before finally picking up the familiar sounds of running water. Emma sped up her pace, amazed at how weightless Hook seemed on the forest floor. He was too quiet, and his skill at being so frightened her more than anything for some reason. In the back of her mind, she recognized it was a bad idea, to traipse off into the forest alone with Hook. But Snow would kill him if anything happened to her.
You hear that, lover boy? Emma thought warningly. So keep your hands on your nose and other appendages in your pants.
"More importantly, darling, who will protect me should you decide to finally act on those primitive urges of yours and have your way with me?" She could see him shudder mockingly in fear out of the corner of her eye. "I am not to be taken advantage of by a woman. I do have a reputation to uphold, after all."
Yeah, a reputation that precedes you in even my world—as a child-stealing, murdering, vengeful son of a bitch.
"My, my, Swan, how you wound me with your words."
She snuck another glance at him. He appeared rather somber in comparison to his cocky thoughts. Emma began to wonder if her words had struck a nerve. It was true, though, wasn't it? But then she thought back to what he'd said. Whatever story you think you know, my dear, is most certainly wrong... Was she wrong about Hook then?
No. Finish his dialogue, Swan, her conscience instructed. What did he say?
Emma thought back, and her heart hardened once more. Sounds like a lovely tale. But the truth's a little bit more gruesome. She bit her bottom lip, stepping over a small batch of mud as they broke out into a clearing where the river ran through. So, whatever she thought she knew of Hook—whatever she'd learned as a child—had the potential for both falsity and danger beyond her imagination.
"Swan?"
Emma sighed again, stopping before the water's edge, her back to him. "Yeah?"
"Do me a marvelous favor, darling, and don't think so much. All that doubt is giving me a bloody headache." He paused, clearing his throat. "Do not forget what else I said, love. It's called trust."
Emma's stomach sank. "Stay out of my head, Hook."
"Bit hard when you're practically shouting thoughts about me. Never could help myself—I'm a guilty eavesdropper to the end." The leering and snide tone in his voice only made her want to get back to Mary Margaret and Mulan more quickly.
Without thinking, Emma shoved her sleeves further back on her arm before stalking right up to Hook. She raised her arms before gently wrapping her fingers around his right wrist, which was doing a wonderful job at blocking the damage. Emma stared at him, taking in the details of his face and build—she hadn't been this close since their collision in the giant's castle. He smelled like a hypnotizing combination of the sea and forest, salt and cedar. She blinked. Slowly, she canted a brow in silent demand, tugging at his wrists. "C'mon, Hook. We don't have all day."
"My thoughts exactly."
In the blink of an eye, Emma was no longer on the ground.
Caught off guard, her back was forced against a tree, the bark digging painfully into her spine. Hook had managed to reverse their positions within a breath, capturing both of her wrists in his good hand with his hook at her waist, steadying her. His nose was completely clean of blood—she couldn't have hit it with her head. She must have jerked back into his head, or chin, or something. God. What a cheat. Playing with her sympathy.
His grin was devilish.
He cocked his head to the side, staring at her lips curiously. Emma's gaze dropped to his own lips, watching as his tongue wet them in what she could only imagine to be anticipation. He regarded her coolly, chest heaving with the sudden exertion and eyes sparking a flame she couldn't quite put out just yet. She felt it growing in the pit of her stomach, twisting and attempting to jumpstart a racing heart that she did not possess.
The pirate slowly closed the distance between them, his nose moving to gently brush against hers. His heated gaze traveled from her lips back to her eyes. She could feel his entire length pressing in against her, holding her against the tree, yet pulling her waist flush to his with his hooked arm. She shivered, not even bothering to tug her wrists free from his hand.
"Hook, I—"
Emma swallowed her words.
In one smooth movement, Hook's lips came crashing down on hers.
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