Author's note: Wow, thanks for all the reviews! Love y'all!
Chapter 10: Much Stronger
"So, since it's not like you can stay at Granny's, I thought we'd go apartment hunting today." Emma announced the next morning. They were at the Pixie Bean Café again, which Hook was surprised to learn served breakfast. More specifically, they were hunched in the car, which was parked in empty lot, behind a big bush.
"Why?" He took a swig of his coffee. He'd grown accustomed to the taste and was shocked to find out that he actually enjoyed it.
"Because it's not like you can keep staying in…" She prompted, but Hook shook his head.
"Damn!" She said. "Anyways, I picked up a bunch of brochures this morning, and we can go look at them later. I can just get the apartment in my name, of course, and no one will ever know."
"Swan…you don't have to do this." Hook said, feeling a stab of guilt as he looked into her carefree face. "Don't you have work to do?"
"Nope." She answered breezily. "Not really."
"I know you didn't leave me on that beanstalk for nothing. Don't you have a son?"
"He's with Regina for the next week." Emma answered.
"Other family, then?"
Something flashed in her eyes, something unreadable that Hook filed away to dissect later. "Look, I said I can do it."
"But I'm fine where I am." Hook protested.
"And where would that be?" Emma raised an eyebrow. Hook stayed mum. "Really? You still won't tell me?"
"Nope." He shook his head vigorously. Because if you knew the truth, love, you'd never forgive me.
"Well, wherever it is, I'm sure it's pretty crappy." She turned back to her stack of brochures.
Suddenly, the question that had been on the forefront of his mind since the previous night tumbled out of his mouth. "Why are you being so nice to me?"
Emma looked at him, startled. "I'm always nice." She protested.
Hook laughed. "Hardly, lass. If I recall, you..."
"Left you on top of a beanstalk to die." Emma completed automatically. "Yeah, yeah. I get it. You should really get a new catchphrase."
"That would mean giving you a reason to hurt me again. No thanks."
She smiled wryly. "Since when do I need an excuse?" Casting aside the flyers, she started the engine. "Come on let's go check out apartment #1."
"This is where people live?" Hook walked around, peering at the apartment in disgust.
"Yes." Emma said testily. "Come on, it's not that bad. I've lived in worse." She muttered.
They looked around the tiny studio apartment, at the peeling paint on the walls, the stained windows, the narrow, dirty space where the refrigerator used to be, and the dust bunnies on the ground.
"Ok, it's pretty bad." Emma admitted. "But it's nothing a little paint and a lot of elbow grease can't fix."
"Really, love." Hook said. "You don't have to do this."
"Yes, I do." She insisted. "That way I can keep an eye on you at all times."
"Oh?" Hook raised his eyebrows. "Is that so? I knew you had a thing for me."
"Not a chance." She responded. "You still won't tell me what you're up to, and I can't risk having anyone see you. This is the perfect solution."
"So you want me to stay in here, in this filthy hell hole, all day?"
"Exactly." She grinned. "I knew you'd catch on."
"And what if I refuse?"
"Then it's off to jail with you!" Emma replied cheerfully, turning towards the door. "Come on. Time to go furniture shopping."
"Whew!" Emma said as she slammed the door with her hip, boxes piled in her arms. "That's the last of em."
"You know, lass." Hook commented as he strode inside, a bag balanced on his hook, "For a small woman, you're remarkably strong."
"Thanks." She grunted, trying to move a table that was clearly too big for one person. "Uh, a little help?"
"Oh. Right." He replied. Together, they managed to shove the offending table against the wall.
"There!" She stood back proudly. "Looks pretty good, if I do say so myself."
Hook looked around the now furnished studio apartment, and even he had to admit that it wasn't half bad. Much more welcoming than his ship. Or maybe that had to do with the fact that she was there. The once awful looking room had been transformed into a cozy little place, with strings of what she called Christmas lights strung over the windows, cheerful little lamps strewn around, and a big throw rug. The walls were now a gleaming beige, and the windows scrubbed to perfection.
He'd been planning to just continue living on his ship, but maybe he'd stay here once in a while.
"I should probably go." Emma said, looking at her watch. "It's getting late. Don't need the parents on my case. I'll see you tomorrow, and you better be here."
Suddenly, he didn't want her to go. "Wait." He said, causing her to turn around. "Want to try some of the best damned rum in all the lands?" He pulled out a bottle from his jacket.
Emma looked at him suspiciously. "Where did you get that? Did you steal it?"
"No." He snorted. "I made it." He lied. In actuality, he'd snuck back to his ship when she was out buying furniture.
"You can make rum?" Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"Yes. It's, shall I say, one of my many talents."
"I'm sure it is." She replied. "But really, I should really be going."
"Come on, love." He said. "Just one drink. You made me try coffee, so it's only fair that you try what I consider to be drink of the gods."
"Oh, come on. You enjoyed the coffee. And I've had rum before."
"Well, yes. But I guarantee mine's much better." He insisted.
"Fine. One drink." She sat down at the table.
One drink turned into three, and several hours later, the bottle was empty. Emma and Hook found themselves pleasantly buzzed. Their faces were red and their sides ached from laughing at things that Hook suddenly found ridiculously funny.
The weird thing was, he'd grown so use to his particular brand of homemade rum that it barely had an effect on him anymore. So why did he feel so elated and giddy? So drunk? Maybe he'd mixed up the recipe.
Or maybe he was drunk on her.
"Your place looks great." She commented, looking around again. "I did a really good job."
"That you did, lass." He agreed, raising his glass for a toast. She clinked hers against his and threw back the contents, barely wincing at the strong taste.
"I should really go." Emma said as she stood up, stumbling clumsily sideways.
"Whoa, careful love." He stood up, reaching out to catch her before she could hit her head on the table. "My rum's much stronger than what you're used to."
"I think you better stay the night." He said, half carrying her towards the bed in the opposite corner of the room.
She murmured something that sounded like a protest.
"No buts, lass." He replied. "Wouldn't want you driving home in that death trap like this."
Suddenly, he was aware of how close she was, her face mere inches from his. He could feel her light breaths tickle his cheek. One of his arms supported her, holding her up, while the other reached out and swept a stray lock of hair off her face. Emma blinked up blearily at him, and suddenly, her lips were on his. Her lips moved frantically against his, and her hands reached up to run through his hair, causing a chill to go down his spine.
Before he knew what he was doing, he grabbed her hips and pulled her closer, his Hook on the nape of her neck, pulling her even closer still, eradicating all distance between them. As his hand snaked under her shirt, tugging it off, he dimly wondered how it was possible for anyone's skin to be that soft.
They fell back onto the bed, both unaware of the sudden action as they were both consumed in immense passion. Her lips left his as she started leaving butterfly kisses along his neck, and her hands slowly made their way up his shirt, pulling it off, massaging his toned chest as he brought her lips back to his. He then mimicked her previous action and started kissing her neck softly. He continued this for quite some time and stopped thinking. Just let go and enjoyed the moment.
Suddenly, Hook became aware of the fact that Emma had become very still. Pulling away, his skin immediately burning at the loss of contact, he was startled to find that she was fast asleep. He pulled out the blanket from the foot of the bed and gently covered her with it.
"Much stronger, indeed." Hook said, chuckling to himself.
Author's note: Well, that was unexpected. Psh yeah right. Who can deny their chemistry? How's Emma gonna react?