Chapter 11
.
.
[I'd reccomend listening to Avicii's 'The Night' and 'Safe and Sound' performed by Tiffany Alvord and Megan Nicole before reading this chapter ;) ]
.
.
"Come on, sweetness!" Flynn urged, holding out another mug of rum for her to take. "Just another one!"
Belle laughed at him, her cheeks already flushed from the rum that was pumping through her veins, and shook her head determinedly.
"I'm afraid I have to decline, Flynn." she told him and shrugged her shoulders helplessly. "I really shouldn't drink much more. I'm already feeling a little bit dizzy."
"Nah." McGonna waved her off and filled her mug with quite a generous amount of rum from his flask. "Save the water and drink some rum – that's an ancient pirate wisdom, love."
"That's true, Miss Belle." Juba agreed, gifting her with a toothy, large grin. "And now that you have become quite officially a part of us, you really should take those wisdoms to heart!"
Belle giggled at that and shook her head in a somewhat defeated manner.
After Maleficent had disappeared from the Jolly Roger, she had found herself surrounded by a group of confused pirates. Hook who had been holding her had reluctantly let her go, giving room to Woodsworth, Jonathan and some others who had barraged her with questions what had happened between the sorceress and her.
She had told them that Maleficent had offered her to come with her and leave the Jolly Roger, and out of the corners of her eyes, she had seen how Hook had tensed a little at her words.
But when Belle had told them that she had decided to stay with them, that the Jolly Roger had become her home now, the pirates had cheered and bawled loudly, and Woodsworth had even hugged her tightly, whispering to her that he was glad that she had decided to stay.
Belle had felt Hook's stare on her, and she had shifted her gaze to look at him. She had offered him a shy smile then as if uncertain how the Captain thought about it, but she clearly remembered that her heart had increased when Hook had tentatively returned her smile.
The pirates had announced that they should celebrate this decision, and Hook had surprised them all when he had told them that they would set sail immediately and finally leave Port Rose. The cheering had even increased at that revelation for the men had become bored by the small town over the course of the past four weeks.
"Well …" Belle finally let out a dramatic sigh as she forced herself to focus back on the now and then, and held her mug up high. "What do we toast to, then?"
The pirates' eyes around her lit up and Flynn, McGonna, Woodsworth, Flynn and Jonathan lifted their drinks as well.
"To lying, cheating and stealing…" Flynn said with a wide grin on his face.
"To treasure chests full of fold and jewels…" Jonathan continued eagerly.
"To an adventure ahead, and a woman in bed!" MyGonna chuckled.
"To freedom and friends…" Belle said softly as she eyed the surrounding pirates that had become her friends.
"And may we be in heaven half an hour before the devil knows we're dead!" Woodsworth laughed.
"Skoal!" the group exclaimed with one voice, clinking their mugs together.
Before Belle emptied her bit of rum, she let her eyes roam over the deck, finding Hook sitting next to Smee with his own mug in hand.
When their eyes met across the deck, he lifted up his drink as well, raising his glass to her with a smirk on his face.
Belle's cheeks flushed a little, and she nodded in return before she tore her eyes away from him and focused back on her friends.
Belle emptied her mug in one go, letting out a gasping sound as she finished it. She closed her eyes and convulsed her face as the strong, hot liquor ran down her throat.
The pirates around her cheered and bawled at her and Flynn was only to eager to refill her mug, and Belle rolled her eyes at him, but couldn't suppress the broad grin that was practically plastered across her face.
She had no idea long they had been drinking and celebrating like that – she had completely lost track of time.
But she didn't care. For the first time in weeks, she was simply happy – somehow as if she had got things straightened out with herself and the world.
And for the first time that seemed like ever, she was sure that she had found friends.
And she felt … happy.
.
.
"Once upon a younger year
When all our shadows disappeared
The animals inside us came out to play"
they heard Flynn suddenly begin to sing.
.
.
"Oh no, really Flynn?" Woodsworth groaned playfully and rolled his eyes, but Belle noticed that he wasn't quite able to hide the wide grin that was forming on his face. The smile on Flynn's face broadened and he winked at Belle mischievously that made the beauty giggle.
.
.
"When face to face with all our fears
Learned our lessons through the tears,
Made memories we knew would never fade."
Paine suddenly chimed in, his voice sounding hoarse and the words a little slurred, but the group of pirates around him cheered nonetheless – even Woodsworth, even as he tried to veil his excitement with another annoyed groan.
Belle clapped her hands in delight as Le Clerc started to play the concertina, following the melody Flynn and Paine had started to sing, and some other pirates drummed their hands and fingers onto the empty barrels of rum, supporting their singing rhythmically.
"One day my father he told me 'son don't let it slip away' ", both pirates sang in unison.
He took me in his arms, I heard him say…
"When you get older" Smee chimed in.
Your wild life will live for younger days
Think of me if ever you're afraid."
"Come on, Captain!" Flynn and Paine exclaimed with wide grins as they motioned at the ship's captain. "You know the song!"
Hook stared at them with a mock-annoyed expression on his face, but he, too, wasn't able to hide the grin on his face.
"He said 'One day you'll leave this world behind"
Hook finally took pity on his crew and sang the words and raised his mug of rum to them, causing his men to cheer and bawl with excitement, before they followed his lead and sang along.
"So live a life you will remember.
My father told me when I was just a child.
These are the nights that never die.
My father told me…"
Belle clapped her hands in delight, watching as the feared pirates danced and whirled around, some of them swaying in each other's arms as they belted out the song's refrain.
Jonathan was suddenly standing in front of her, looking down at her with a flush on his face and holding out his hand to her.
Belle beamed at him and took his hand, letting out a squeaking sound when Jonathan a little bit too eagerly pulled her to her feet. Belle giggled as she lost balance and fell right into the young pirates arms.
Jonathan smirked at her, and before Belle could say a single word, he had his arm already firmly wrapped around her waist, spinning her over the wooden planks of the ship's deck.
The way they stumbled and whirled around had nothing to do with the dances she had been taught when she had been a young princess, but Belle didn't care. The beauty laughed with all her heart as the young pirate spun her back into his awaiting arms, but didn't look her in the face as he was too concentrated on his feet and that they wouldn't step on Belle's.
.
.
"When thunder clouds start pouring down
Light a fire they can't put out.
Carve their names in to those shining stars."
Flynn and Paine continued to sing, accompanied by Le Clerc's concertina and the drumming on empty barrels.
He said 'Go adventures far beyond these shores.
Don't forsake this life of yours.
I'll guide you home no matter where you are."
.
.
Jonathan suddenly stumbled over his own feet and fell noisily onto the floor, and Belle laughed as Smee was suddenly standing before her, his face just as red as the cap he was creasing in both hands. He bowed awkwardly, causing taunting laughter from somewhere around them.
But Belle grinned widely at him as she returned the gesture and bobbed an elegant curtsey, making Smee almost loose his remaining composure. He shyly took her hand and he wouldn't even dare to look at her when they danced, but Belle enjoyed it nonetheless.
.
.
"One day my father he told me
'Son don't let this slip away'
When I was just a kid I heard him say,"
"When you get older
Your wild life will live for younger days
Think of me if ever you're afraid."
.
.
Someone suddenly pushed Smee not too gently away from her, and before she knew it, McGonna had taken the first mate's place.
.
.
"He said 'One day you'll leave this world behind
So live a life you will remember!'
.
.
She felt how eyes bore into her skin while she danced, and she looked past McGonna to see that the Captain was watching her. He was leaning against the thick mast of his ship, arms crossed, his eyes never leaving her as his crew took turns at dancing with the young beauty.
When their eyes met, Hook's lips formed into a soft smile.
.
.
My father told me when I was just a child
These are the nights that never die.
My father told me…"
.
.
.
.
.
.
It was later that night when the cheering and loud bawling slowly started to fade. The oldest and the youngest pirate, Morris and Jonathan, had already gone back to the sleeping cabin, especially the younger pirate not quite used to the heavy impact of so much rum in such a short length of time. The rest of the crew were still up on deck, some of them telling stories, some of them lying on the wooden planks and gazing up into the sky, simply enjoying the warm summer breeze that would fan over their faces.
Belle had her back leant against the rail, sipping on her mug of rum and secretly watching Hook as he talked to Smee. The Captain wore an excited expression on his face and his first mate stared up at him in wonder and utter devotion, nodding at every word that would escape his Captain's mouth.
A smile washed over her face as she saw the excitement on Hook's face. It was not often that his handsome face was not overshadowed by a line of concern or darkness, by this expression of an almost everlasting bitterness that would cloud his blue eyes.
"Hey Belle?" someone called out for her, making Belle tear her gaze away from the two pirates.
"Hm?" was all she replied, her tongue feeling lazy in her mouth.
"Can you sing?" Flynn asked her with a gentle smile on his face.
Belle's brows lifted in surprise, before she slowly shook her head.
"None of the songs I know would fit on a pirate's ship, I'm afraid." she told him with a soft smile, shrugging her shoulders a little.
Flynn chuckled at that, shaking his head a little.
"Ah, I assure you: we are not a picky lot, love."
Belle bit her lower lip, shaking her head once more.
"Come on, Miss Belle." Juba urged, offering her a bright smile. "We would love to hear your voice."
"I really don't sing..." she began to protest weakly, but was immediately cut off by Woodsworth's determined voice.
"It can't be worse than what Flynn tortures us with." he chuckled lowly, rolling his eyes as the aforenamed pirate made a protesting sound that was accompanied by several curses.
"Don't be shy, love." McGonna pushed gently. "We would love to hear one of the songs from your land."
Belle looked at the hopeful and partly excited expressions on the pirates' faces, and finally let out a defeated sigh.
"Fine." she eventually agreed and held her arms up in surrender. "But don't say I didn't warn you."
The surrounding pirates cheered in unison, their faces lighting up with joy.
Belle captured her bottom lip with her teeth, thinking for a moment with cocked head which song she should choose.
"There's actually only one song I know." she confessed with a shy smile on her lips. "My mother used to sing it to me when I was a child. It is …" she paused there, swallowing hard. "… it is my favorite."
The pirates around her nodded eagerly.
"Then we are honored that you would share it with us, sweetness." Woodsworth told her gently.
Belle's eyes flickered to where Hook was standing, and her heart began to flutter in her chest when she saw that he was no longer talking to Smee, but that his attention was fully concentrated on her.
He had his face cocked as he looked at her with a curious expression on his face, his blue eyes sparkling with a strange shimmer.
Belle quickly tore her gaze away from him and cleared her throat awkwardly.
She then closed her eyes, trying to remember the melody and the lyrics her mother had used to sing to her.
When her mouth finally opened, she visualized the high mountains and deep valleys of Avonlea, the glistering blue rivers and thick forests she had so enjoyed when she had been a young girl. And she pictured the loving face of her mother when she had sung to her.
.
.
"I remember tears streaming down your face
When I said I'd never let you."
Belle sang in a clear, silvery voice.
.
"When all those shadows almost killed your light.
I remember you said 'Don't leave me here alone!'.
But all that's dead and gone has passed tonight.
.
Just close your eyes.
The sun is going down.
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now.
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound.
.
Don't you dare look out your window
Darling, everything's on fire
The war outside our door keeps raging on
Hold on to this lullaby
Even when the music's gone, gone.
.
Just close your eyes
The sun is going down.
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now.
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound.
.
Just close your eyes
The sun is going down.
You'll be alright
No one can hurt you now.
Come morning light
You and I'll be safe and sound.
.
.
Only when the last words floated out of her mouth did Belle open her eyes again. The words she had sung seemed to resonate over the planks of the ship, the deck sounding strangely empty when they slowly started to fade.
Several pairs of eyes stared at her, but only one pair practically bore into her skin.
Belle shifted her gaze to where Hook was standing. The man was staring at her with a thoughtful, almost sad expression on his face.
"That was…" Woodsworth said lowly.
"Beautiful!" Juba told her with a serious expression on his face, and immediately all of the surrounding pirates agreed all at once, nodding their heads eagerly.
"Heavenly!" McGonna exclaimed with a broad grin on his face. "Much better than anything Flynn had sung so far!"
"I'm Flynn and I cannot help but agree, love." Flynn told her in earnest. "Your voice is beautiful, Belle! Why didn't you tell us earlier?"
A blush illuminated Belle's pale cheeks, and she smiled shyly.
"You are too kind." she told them, and waved one hand. "But you don't need to spoil me with your compliments. It's nothing special."
"Oh it is, lass." Pintel said with a wide grin.
Belle's eyes flickered to where Hook was standing, only to find the spot empty.
She furrowed her brow and let her eyes roam over the wooden deck, but the Captain was nowhere to be seen.
"Would you sing us another song, Miss Belle?" Ragetti pleaded, his wooden eye rolling nervously in his eye socket.
Belle swallowed down the disappointment that Hook was no longer there, and veiled her feelings with a gentle smile.
"I'm afraid that was the only song I know." she told him with a helpless shrug of her shoulders. "But I promise that I am going to sing more often with you in the future."
The pirates cheered, some of them clinking their mugs of rum together.
After a while, the deck started to empty, the rum, the dancing and celebrating slowly starting to make the pirates' limbs heavy with sleep.
"Aren't you coming, Belle?" Woodsworth asked as he was just about to follow the other pirates to their sleeping cabins.
Belle was standing at the ship's rail, gazing at the glistering water surface before her.
She turned and offered him a soft smile, shaking her head a little.
"I just want to stay here a little longer." she told him. "I think I wouldn't be able to sleep, even if I tried."
Woodsworth expression softened and he nodded.
"Sure, sweetness." he said, smiling at her. "Been a rough day for you. Sleep well, princess."
With these words, he went below deck, closing the door behind him and leaving Belle alone on the ship's deck.
She stayed there for what felt like eternity, staring at the glistering ocean and her rum-filled thoughts whirling mercilessly in her head, evoking images of her new friends onboard the Jolly Roger, her father back in Avonlea, her mother who had saved her daughter's life by hiving hers, Rumple who had chosen power over her, Maleficent who had shared a similar past… but most of her thoughts were focused on…
"Belle?"
Hook.
Belle let out a small gasp of surprise as she spun around, finding the Captain standing in the door that led below deck. He was wearing his leather pants as usual, but not the heavy leather coat. Instead, he was clothed in a light blue silken shirt that would sway softly around his form due to the warm breeze that fanned over the deck.
He let his eyes roam over the empty deck, and then back to where Belle was frozen in place, staring at him with wide open eyes.
"I didn't think you were still up." Hook slowly admitted after a while, his body stiffening a little as if he was feeling uncomfortable with the situation.
Belle didn't answer, her mind refusing to work as she stared at the ship's captain with her lips slightly parted.
"I … uh …" Hook started, clearing his throat awkwardly. "You surely want to be alone with your thoughts. I didn't mean to intrude."
He turned around then, intending to go back to his cabin.
"No!" she heard herself, and her heart quickened as he turned around to look at her with a confused expression on his face.
She offered him a small, uncertain smile.
"Keep me company?" Belle offered softly, her voice sounding hoarse to her own ears.
Hook stared at her for a moment longer before he finally gave her a slow nod.
He closed the door behind him and moved to where Belle was standing, taking the place next to her at the ship's rail.
They stayed like that for quite a while in pleasant silence, simply standing there and enjoying the tepid summer's night.
"It was truly beautiful, you know?" Hook suddenly said, breaking the silence between them.
Belle turned her head and looked at him with furrowed brows, not sure to what he was referring to.
"The song you were singing." he added softly, but without looking at her.
Belle cocked her head, studying the Captain's profile closely.
"I was afraid you didn't like it." she admitted softly after a while, and Hook slowly turned to face her, shaking his head a little in confusion.
"What made you think that?" he asked her, a hint of irritation lingering in his eyes.
Belle shrugged her shoulders and ducked her head.
"You left." she whispered, her eyes firmly fixed on the rail's wooden surface.
She felt how heat started to creep up her face when Hook wouldn't answer right away, and she mentally kicked herself for having told him that she had noticed.
Hook let out a soft laugh and shook his head.
"It was not because I hadn't enjoyed it, Belle." he told her with a sigh.
Belle looked up then, eying him with furrowed brows.
"Then why did you leave?"
Hook stared at her for a long while with an unreadable expression on his face, his lips pressed to a thin line as if he was forcing himself not to voice what he was thinking.
"The song reminded me of someone. Someone I loved and lost." he finally confessed with a deep sadness in his voice and eyes that nearly broke Belle's heart.
Belle narrowed her eyes a little as she studied the vulnerable expression in his eyes, but Hook immediately tore his gaze away from her, focusing his attention sternly back on the ocean before them.
"What happened?" the young beauty asked cautiously when Hook didn't seem to say anything else. "To the one you loved."
There was a long beat of silence between them, long enough for Belle to wonder if she had maybe asked him too much, long enough for her to scold herself for being so curious.
The pirate surprised her, however, when he finally let out a long, exhausted sigh – a sigh that contained years of pain and sorrow – and shook his head a little.
"She…" he began, but stopped there a moment as if indecisive how to continue or how much to reveal.
"Milah…" he continued softly, the name that escaped his lips sounding like something precious, almost sacred to him. "She was the light of my life... but she was ripped from me."
He wouldn't look at Belle as he said those words. He gazed into space, his eyes clouded by a veil of painful memories.
"Leaving me back in darkness." he added lowly – more to himself than to Belle.
Belle's heart went out to the man next to her – and she felt a wave of both painful sympathy but also gratitude as she realized that he had finally opened up to her.
She realized that this man in front of her was not Hook, the infamous pirate.
But Killian Jones – a broken man.
Overwhelmed by her emotions, she suddenly covered his good hand with hers, squeezing it gently.
"I'm so sorry." she whispered, looking up at him through tear-filled eyes.
The beauty felt how Hook's hand tightened under her soft touch for the slightest of moments as if he hadn't expected this small gesture of sympathy, and his eyes moved to look at their joined hands.
He lifted his gaze then, looking straight into Belle's blue eyes that were filled with more sadness and compassion than he had ever seen before.
A sad smile appeared on his face as he looked back at her.
Hook lifted her hand to his lips, placing a gentle kiss on top of it.
"You are way too good for a twisted world like this, love." he said softly, shaking his head a little in disbelief how this woman could still care so much for his fate – even after how he had treated her over the past days. "Showing compassion to the beast that has said so many venomous words to you today."
Belle titled her head at those words and shook her long curls slightly.
"You're not a beast, Killian." she told him with a gentle smile.
Hook's eyes widened in surprise as he heard his given name on her lips and he slowly lowered her hand, staring at her through baffled blue eyes.
"And…" Belle continued lowly. "I think you were only voicing the truth."
The confusion on Hook's face only increased as he found himself completely at a loss of words. All he was able to do was to stare at the beauty before him, shaking his head as the only way to express the puzzlement within his head.
He watched as Belle took in a deep breath, before she took a determined step closer towards him.
"I am a coward." she all but whispered, and now that she was standing so close, Hook could see the blush that was illuminating her cheeks beautifully.
Hook could feel the warmth that was radiating from her skin, could hear her shuddering breathing, and could almost sense the frantic beating of her heart.
"Belle, I…" he heard himself breath, but was immediately stopped when Belle shook her head, looking at him through pleading eyes that she needed to voice those words in her head.
"No, please." the beauty said with a sad smile on her lips.
Hook could see the tears that were glistering in the corners of her eyes, but could also see the bravery that shone within those blue diamonds.
She lifted her hand then and reached out for his chest, hesitating a moment before it could actually touch it. A welcoming warmth spread through him as she eventually lay her palm gently above his vibrant heart.
"What you said is true." she told him, her eyes firmly fixed onto where their bodies joined. "I was not brave enough to open up to you, but yet, I expected it from you. I was searching for reasons to reject you, to find something… anything … that would justify to keep on the mask I am wearing. I above all people should know how unfair it feels to be rejected – how coward it is to refuse to embrace who you truly are, what you are truly feeling. But the truth is…"
She paused there, taking in a deep, shivering breath.
The beauty then lifted her gaze to look Hook straight into his deep blue eyes.
"The truth is that I gave my heart away a long time ago."
Belle managed a wobbly smile at that, shaking her head a little.
"And I never really got it back – only pieces."
Hook couldn't do as much as stare at her, his heart clenching inside him as he saw the look of pure honesty and endless pain on Belle's face.
She was so brave, this woman before him – braver than he could probably ever be.
Without realizing what he was doing, he placed his hand on her neck and pulled her gently closer.
Belle was staring up at him, her blue eyes sparkling with the sadness of a broken heart as thick tears were starting to run down her moonlight-illuminated face.
And even though glistering tears were streaming down her face, Hook thought that she had never been so beautiful. This was not the distant, cold princess he had rescued from her dull life in a palace and an even duller fiancé. This was a beautiful soul and strong woman with a light in her heart that was about to be dimmed by the pain of a shattered heart.
With his thumb, Hook gently brushed away a tear from her face – a salty drop of despair that had been caused by an unknown face.
She didn't deserve those memories that she had, he thought. She didn't deserve this pain she was feeling.
"What a monster he must be." he whispered hoarsely as he touched her forehead against his, breathing heavily. "To have hurt you like this, beautiful Belle."
Belle closed her eyes for a moment as she listened to Hook's words and felt how his warm breath fanned over her lips.
The memory of Rumpelstiltskin brought new tears to her eyes – tears that she had been successfully been able to suppress since she had left the Dark Castle.
It pained her to think of her True Love, it hurt like millions of daggers in her heart and soul as she remembered his parting words. She had so strongly believed in their love, in him. She had refused to believe that his power would mean more to him than her. No matter how often she would replay the scenes in the Dark Castle in her head, she would still not know what she had done wrong, what she could have done more or better to convince Rumpelstiltskin of her love. But maybe sometimes… sometimes loving someone with all your heart was simply not enough.
Belle felt how the pirate began to place gentle kisses on her face, kissing away the broken tears of lost hope and shattered love, and Belle couldn't help but feel a wave of relief wash through her body – as if Hook's lips were able to ease the pain she was feeling.
Hook showered the beauty with kisses, and tasted the salt and bitterness of her pain and sorrow as his lips found her cheeks, her eyelids, and the corner of her mouth as he kissed her tears away.
"He's not a…" he heard Belle protest weakly, but before she could finish the sentence, his mouth found hers, sealing her lips with his.
Hook knew that even the bravest of souls could only bear as much – and he realized that Belle was the kind of person who would more likely blame herself for her shattered heart than the man who was truly responsible for her misery.
He couldn't, wouldn't, let her defend this man who was still causing her so much pain.
For the first time in almost three life-times, Hook shared a kiss with a woman that was not born out of selfish motives. When he brushed his lips against Belle's, it was tentative, entirely tenderly, and with its only purpose to protect her from her own dark thoughts.
When their lips parted, Belle's eyes stayed closed for a moment longer, the tingling sensation of Hook's lips still noticeable on her own.
Her eyes eventually fluttered open, and she looked up to meet a pair of blue eyes that were filled with deep affection and understanding.
Hook traced her rosy bottom lip with a feather-light touch of his finger.
"You'll be alright." he whispered with a small, but reassuring smile. "Just don't let the shadows kill your light."
Despite the darkness within her, Belle couldn't help but smile at him as she realized how Hook referred to her mother's song.
.
.
.
.
.
.
Hook was standing at the broad squared window of his cabin, staring out into the glistering night. He knew that sleep wouldn't come that night, even if he tried.
Too much had happened that day, that night – and his mind was a whirling thunderstorm of confusing images and words, filled with memories and thoughts that were normally so dark – but that didn't seem so dark that night.
Every now and then, his fingertips traced his lips, recalling the sensation of Belle's lips against his and the taste of her tears on his tongue.
It was by far not the first night that he thought of the sweetness of her mouth, that the image of the beauty would manifest on his mind. This night, however, it was different.
It was not only desire that he felt when Belle appeared before his mind's eye. It was a strange feeling of affection that she had sparked within him when she had shared her tale, and when he had kissed her lips to comfort her shattered soul. Something had happened that night between them, and he couldn't help the feeling as if there was a fine line of understanding connection between them – as if twisted fate had somehow brought them together for a reason.
And it was not only that Belle had shared her tale – but that he had told her his as well. And that had barely happened before. Apart from Smee and some men of his crew who had already been there when Rumpelstiltskin had appeared on his ship's deck on that fateful day, Hook had never talked about Milah to anyone else. Sure, most people knew about her and the pirate's life-long quest to avenge her death, but only few had seen the vulnerable side of him that lay underneath the layers of hatred and revenge.
And he didn't know why this beauty had managed to convince him to show it.
But he had.
And it had felt … relieving – and the feeling had confused him even more.
But after he had kissed her at the ship's rail, he had seen the same confusion that he was inwardly feeling on her face, as if she, too, had been surprised of the effect their confessions had had on her.
Hook had been so overwhelmed by this emotional moment that he had chosen to flee this awkward situation. He had told her that it was already late, and that it had been a rough day for both of them – and admittedly, he now mentally kicked himself for having taken the cowardly way out.
The beauty had looked at him for an endless moment with a puzzled expression on her face, and he had forced himself not to kiss her again right then and there.
But he knew that – if he had chosen to give in to his desires – he wouldn't have been able to stop himself. And after everything they had shared, he was uncertain how Belle would have reacted to his advances. He only knew that it had been better that way.
If Maleficen't visit had taught him anything, then that he would never risk his relationship with Belle ever again just because of his manly pride.
When he had seen Maleficent in Belle's cabin, with her hand outstretched and urging the beauty to come with her, an icy fist of fear had clenched around his heart. He didn't know what he would have done if Belle had chosen to leave the Jolly Roger.
A soft knock at his door suddenly echoed through his cabin.
Hook let out an exhausted sigh and rolled his eyes.
With heavy steps, he approached the door, his face darkening a little.
It was probably his first mate again. Smee had been waiting for him in his cabin as Hook had returned from deck, the drunken fool eager to know what Hook had to say about his latest plan to acquire this mysterious golden compass Maleficent had talked about. Hook had practically thrown his first mate out of the Captain's Quarters, for he had neither been in the mood nor did he have the desire to talk to his drunken first mate after this confusing encounter with Belle on deck.
"Smee." he growled, his voice sounding with a great amount of annoyance as he pulled the door open. "Didn't I tell you to leave me…"
The words died on his tongue.
"Belle" he all but breathed in surprise as he stared into the pair of strikingly blue eyes before him.
The beauty was standing before him, clothed in nothing but a white silken nightgown, staring at him with a nervous expression on her face.
Hook shook his head slightly in confusion.
"What are you doing here?" he asked her, shaking his head slightly in confusion. "Did something happen?"
But Belle didn't answer. Instead, she slowly reached out one soft hand to touch his face, and pulled his head down to place a soft kiss on his lips.
When their mouth parted after a long moment, Hook slowly opened his again, gazing down at her with a puzzled expression on his face.
He had already opened his mouth again, intending to ask her what she was doing, but was immediately stopped when Belle's lips found his mouth again – this time firmer and more eagerly than before.
He felt how Belle traced the seam of his lips, and out of instinct, he opened for her. She let out an almost satisfied sigh when their tongues danced together, and Hook encircled her small waist with his hooked arm, pulling her closer to him and inside his cabin. The pirate moaned as Belle melted into his frame.
His free hand found the open door then, and with a determined thud, he closed it. His hand went to her neck, holding her head in place as he kissed her like a drowning man. He pushed her back against the wooden surface of the door, pressing his body firmly against her as he lost himself in her sweet taste of vanilla and roses.
If he had been a better man, he would have stopped there, would have tried to ask her what this was about, and that he didn't want to exploit her emotional state.
But Hook was not a good man – he was an addict: An addict to her sweet flavor and scent, needing the warmth of her body against his own like air to breathe.
He felt how Belle's hands tentatively began to roam his body, and he made a low sigh as her fingers went beneath his shirt, gently stroking along the side of his torso. His good hand seemed to develop a life of its own then, his fingers leaving her neck to trace the line of her body, and Belle let out a soft gasp as his fingertips brushed the side of her breast.
But even then, her lips didn't leave his – her kiss becoming even more frantic, more demanding. Hook groaned as she wiggled her body against his, her hands beneath his shirt pulling him even closer and inflaming his desire for her with the warmth of her soft skin. With one swift movement, he took her up and carried her towards his bed, his lips never leaving hers. He lay her down onto the softness of his sheets and followed right after. His mouth left hers in order to leave a trail of hot kisses down to her chest, and Belle arched her back and let out a whimpering sound as his teeth grazed the milky skin of her cleavage. Another sigh escaped her lips as the cold metal of his hook followed the line of her nightgown, the cool material causing a field of goosebumps to appear on the swell of her breasts.
Hook groaned in response as she let her fingers roam through his dark hair, pressing his face gently against her breasts. His good hand caressed the side down her body, and could feel the heat of her skin radiating through the thin material of her nightgown. He moved his head back up to capture her mouth into another desire-filled kiss as his fingers stroked over her abdomen, moving slowly downwards until they tentatively cupped her hot core. She clung to him as his fingers began to rub between her legs over the silken fabric, and he swallowed her pleasure-filled gasps as he continued to caress her most intimate parts. Hook felt how the shivers of delight washed through her body, making his erection strain against his trousers.
But whatever this was, whatever it was that was just happening – he wanted it to last. And above all, he wanted her to feel good in his arms, wanted her to experience the pleasure of being his woman.
His mouth left her lips and moved to the side of her head, sucking gently on the sweet spot behind her ear.
"Killian" she sighed in pleasure as he increased the pressure of his fingers against her folds, and he couldn't help but let out a deep groan as her small hands started to roam the edge of his waistband.
His mouth left her skin and he knelt on the bed before her, pulling her with him. She kissed him eagerly as she helped him to remove his shirt, tossing it somewhere onto the floor. Hook then pulled away from her, his hand on her neck as he held her head in place to look at her. Belle's eyes fluttered open, and Hook took in a sharp breath as she stared at him through desire-filled, sparkling eyes. Her beautiful mouth was kissed-swollen, and her cheeks and décolleté flushed from arousal. She let her eyes roam over his muscular chest, and Hook breathed heavily as she reached out one hand to touch his heated skin. Her fingertips moved from his chest down his torso, taking her time as she followed the firm line of his abdominal muscles. When she reached the waistband of his leather-trousers, he suddenly wrapped his good hand around her wrist, making her stop. She then looked back up at him, her brows lifted in both surprise and with a hint of insecurity.
He wanted nothing more than to feel Belle's hand on his straining cock, but after all that had happened between them, he also needed the confirmation that she really wanted this – that she really wanted him.
"Don't start something that I am not able to stop, love." he therefore warned her with a hoarse voice as he hold her gaze with a stern look on his face.
Belle lifted her hands then and cupped his face, placing a long kiss on his lips before she answered.
"I don't want you to stop." she whispered, her voice sounding just as hoarse as his. "Not this time."
There was a determination in her eyes and voice that left no doubt that she was serious about it, and Hook couldn't help the contend smile that was forming on his lips as he kissed her back.
"Then I won't." he murmured against her lips.
His hand and hook moved to either side of her body, pulling the thin fabric of her nightgown slowly upwards.
"Just…" he suddenly heard Belle's voice whisper hurriedly, and his brows furrowed in confusion as she stopped his movements with both of her hands.
"Be gentle?" she asked him with a great amount of nervousness in her voice.
Hook stared at her flustered face for a moment, realizing what she was telling him through brave but pleading eyes.
He placed a reassuring kiss on her mouth before he answered: "I would never hurt you, Belle."
His hand and hook continued to gently slide nightgown upwards, finally pulling it over her head and leaving her bare to his eyes.
Even through the dimness in his room, he could see the fierce blush that graced her virginal face.
Out of instinct, Belle immediately tried to wrap her arms before her chest, but Hook wouldn't let her.
"Don't hide from me." he told her gently, and captured her right hand in his, lifting it to his lips as he kissed her knuckles soothingly. He felt how the tension within Belle's body slowly eased, and it was only then that he kissed his way up her arm.
Belle let out a shuddering breath as Hook placed her gently against the pillows. Looking down at her, he took in every gorgeous inch of her bare body.
His hand followed the line of her breasts, making the beauty on his sheets close her eyes and sigh in pleasure.
"It is true." he whispered as he devoured the sight before him with his eyes. "Belle is the only word I know that suits you well."
With these words, he moved above her, kissing and licking her breasts softly. He slowly smoothed his hand down to her inner thigh before cupping her sex and pressing his palm gently against her. He lifted his head from her breasts and watched in delight as her cheeks flushed with heat and her breathing hitch. Gently, he pressed his finger over the bud and started to rub it with a slow, steady rhythm.
Belle moaned at the sensation and lifted her body from the mattress, but Hook pushed her back with gentle force, shifting his body slightly so that part of his weight pinned her down onto the mattress.
His lips found hers as he continued his ministrations, swallowing each cry and pleasure-filled sob that would escape her plump lips. Belle began to roll her lips against his hand, intending to increase the friction, but the pirate kept rubbing her with the same steady pace. A primitive feeling of pride washed through him as he felt her juices coat his hand, knowing that it had been him to cause this reaction.
He wondered how her sweet essence would taste on his lips – but there would be time for that. There would be time for everything.
He let out a guttural groan as he looked down at Belle, watching as the beauty wriggled and moved in pure pleasure. The sweet little princess was truly a needy creature, her body and spirit made for moments like that. All of her movements were a silent plea for more, and the Gods above shall be his witnesses, but Hook vowed to himself that he would show all the wicked wonders of pleasure if she allowed him.
Hearing her soft cries, listening to her frantic pants and watching her breasts rise and fall with every shuddering breath she would take was much more than he could take.
He couldn't wait much longer.
Hook removed his fingers from her sacred heat and began to unlace his pants, practically throwing it to the floor as he rid himself off this piece of clothing. Belle rested on her elbows as she watched him undress, and her eyes widened and her cheeks flushed even further as she her eyes fell on his proud erection.
A smirk appeared on his lips as he saw her curiosity that flickered across her face, and he gently took her hand in his, leading it carefully to his straining cock. He threw his head back with a long sigh and closed his eyes as Belle's fingers finally touched him. Encouraged by his reaction, Belle grew bolder and moved her hand up and down his stiffness, and Hook let out a muffled curse at the movement, wondering which book of her had taught her to do that.
With a hissing sound, he wrapped his fingers around her wrist, stopping her in motion.
He let out a soft chuckle when he stared into Belle's surprised eyes.
"If you continue to do this, I'm afraid I won't be able to give you the pleasure you deserve, love." he told her with a wink, evoking a shy smile to appear on the beauty's face.
He suddenly reversed their position. Belle let out a surprised gasp as she bounced back against the soft pillows, and felt how Hook laced his fingers through hers, pinning it gently above her head. He captured her lips into another devouring kiss and positioned himself between her legs. When the tip of his erection brushed against her folds, he felt how Belle's body tensed, and he lifted his head from her mouth to look her straight into her face.
He let go of her hand and stroked her flushed chin with the tip of his finger.
"We can stop if you want." he told her, and tried to sound as honest as he could.
The truth was however, that he thought that he would probably die from the effort.
But Belle didn't want to stop. Her lips kissed his, a wordless invitation to go on.
An uncomfortable stretching of her inner folds made her gasp as the tip of his cock slowly eased inside her, and Hook tried to be as gentle as he could. But knowing that he was finally inside this beauty, made it almost impossible for him not to thrust immediately into her.
For Belle's sake, he took his time – groaning with frustration as her hot tightness gripped him hard. But he didn't want to hurt her – no more than necessary that is. A wave of primal desire washed through him as he felt her barrier against the tip of his cock. To know that he was her first and that she would always be marked has his made his head spin, and the possessive thought made his cock twitch inside her.
Suddenly, he fused her lips to his, and with one swift movement, he broke through her maidenhead, sheathing his cock fully inside her. He swallowed her pained cry and forced his body to remain still within her warmth.
It took Belle some time to adjust to his size, but the pain soon eased and was replaced by a new feeling of utter pleasure. The moment her legs wrapped around his torso, Hook let out the shuddering breath he didn't know he had been holding, and began to slowly move inside her.
He sped his movements as she dug her heels against his back, his given name escaping her lips in pleasure-filled pants. His good hand roamed her body, wanting to touch every part at once as he pounded into her.
"Belle" he gasped, kissing the side of her neck as he moved. "Darling, you feel so good."
Belle returned his words just with another stream of incoherent whimpers, but her hands found their way to his hair, grasping and pulling at it in a desperate manner.
Hearing her moan his name in a needy plea, feeling her walls gradually tightening around him made him lose control. He could tell that she was close, and he opened his eyes to look down at her. Hook wanted to watch her as she would reach her first release – and he wanted to remember the sight of her, knowing that it had been him who had brought her over the edge. Her dark curls were spilling across his white pillows, and her beautiful rosy mouth was slightly ajar as she looked back at him with an expression of excitement and wonder through her pleasure-darkened blue eyes.
And the moment her orgasm hit them both, Hook vowed to himself that he would never let the beauty leave either his ship or life – and crying out each other's names, two shattered hearts became one.
.
.
.
NOTES
Hey guys :)
So as you can see, this chapter was a little bit of an experiment. I listened to both songs last week and immediately had this scene in mind. It makes perfectly sense in my head, but it was really hard to bring it on paper.
I hope you enjoyed it and I managed to somehow bring it across!
Oh and I hope you enjoyed especially the last part of the chapter .. ;)
J