Prompt: Helplessly, hopelessly, wrecklessly falling in love. Post season 5a.
After Neal, Emma had given up on men. She had been angry with herself for thinking that Neal could be any different from everyone else who had screwed her over in the past. No one was ever going to love her enough to stick around.
After she got out of jail Emma lived alone and she got used to living in solitude. Aside from the occasional one-night-stands she always made sure to keep men at arm's length.
That was until she met Killian Jones. He was able to see right through her and one by one he broke down the walls she had kept around herself for over a decade - just like that. Before she knew it she had fallen, hard. Now, thinking back on it, she was sure she could have fallen for him a lot sooner had it not been for her own stubbornness. And here she was two years later on her way to the underworld to get him back. If anyone had told her that she would some day go to the depths of hell for a man she would have rolled her eyes. And this wasn't just any man it was Captain freaking Hook. some might have thought she was mad for even attempting this but she didn't care. She was doing this. She had lost enough people already she was not going to lose this man. Even if she had to drag him by the collar, kicking and screaming in protest she would bring him back home. And she would succeed, no matter what.
After Milah he never thought he would find love again. He never found himself worthy enough of anyone's love. Sure he could lure every fair maiden in a tavern into bed with him and make them do what he wanted but could never love them or make them love him in return. Every woman's beauty paled in comparison to his Milah. Until that fateful day when a beautiful, blonde woman held a knife to his throat and she saw right through him.
He wanted her right from the beginning. He found himself imagining the various ways in which he could take her and he found her visiting his dreams quite often. But he found himself caring for her more than he should and after she kissed him he was a hopeless case. From that moment on his heart had been hers. And it had remained so to this day. And he had been so fortunate that she returned his feelings and the last years of his long life had been the best ones he had ever experienced. And while he had wished for better circumstances he could not think of a better way to go than to sacrifice himself so that she and her family could live and die as she held him in her arms.
It wasn't the first time he had died. But it would probably be the last. Third time was the charm, right? He had a lot of regrets but he did not regret loving his Swan. She would be fine, she would be safe. She would have a future.
