I do not own Once Upon a Time

Bonding, real bonding.

Bernadette knew now was the test, she had to stay focused and keep up the appearance for falling for Killian. But the problem was she had fallen for him, harder than she would even admit to herself. Their relationship would have to be solely based on who could stay on top. She only allowed a few moments between them for the rest of the day. Killian had only things to do than continue to flirt with her.

"What do you think of magic?" He asked, meeting her at the other end of the ship.

She felt that question came out of nowhere, like everything else he ever said. It was uncomfortable for reasons. "I try my best to avoid it, besides the fairy dust. I believe that it can fail you." Bernadette held up her fists. "Unlike these, theses can never fail."

Killian looked at her oddly and help up his hook. "Really? It can't?"

She felt bad. "Usually they don't." She turned away from him. He noticed she was uncomfortable and wrapped an arm around her waist. He couldn't stay mad at her for long. He pulled her close and kissed her. "Getting a bit greedy there, aren't we, Captain?" She smiled when he stopped.

"I call it making up for lost time." He paused before asking his next question. "What about the Dark One, have you ever made a deal with him?"

"I ran into him once, never made a deal though. He never came off as the kind of person you want to get involved with." Bernadette had to force her eyes not to drop to her wrist. She was honest, Derek made the deal with him for the bracelets, not her.

"Knew you were a smart lass, if you ever run into him again, stay away?" Killian leaned in, letting his lips lightly touch her forehead.

"Giving me advice, so does this mean that I am officially your woman now?" She met his blue eyes, that was where the answer was. "Does that mean you are going to teach me things?"

"What are you interested in learning?" He pulled back, slightly scared at her request.

"The cannon." Yes. Bernadette had to pick the most dangerous weapon on the Jolly Roger.

He looked at her strangely. "No, I do not feel comfortable teaching you that piece of equipment, you are dangerous enough as it is. Besides you need another sword lesson."

"You just want to get me on my back again, don't you?" She smiled up at him?

"I don't need a sword to do that. However, keeping you like that, well that's a different matter entirely." That remark deserved a kiss, which he did not refuse. "And there is a large different between a cannon and a sword."

"What lesson are you suggesting then, besides one that involves pointy objects?"

"How about a lesson on knot tying?" Killian responded.

Bernadette mulled the idea over in her head. "Are you willingly to be my practice?"

"I'm counting on it, love." Another lingering kiss and it was almost a shock he didn't carry her back to their cabin at that very moment.

"Do you like your life, love?" Killian asked very randomly one afternoon later that week. Bernadette was taken back by the question. No one had ever asked her that before and she never really thought about it. She never thought she had a choice to be anything other than miserable. He handed her a glass, it was already filled with rum. "Thank you." This was their daily ritual, drinking and talking, more about her than him. Bernadette had already opened herself up enough already, what could be spilling her secrets even more do to her. It's not like anything was going to leave this cabin, much less the ship. Besides, she was going to get him to open up soon enough. "I guess there are days I can complain and days I can't. Never any middle days, sadly. It's not what I pictured for myself, never in a million years"

"Where did you think you would end up?" Killian asked, sitting down next to her.

"I don't know, happy? Is that too much to ask?"

"No, but circumstances never seem to agree with us, and our fates usually lead us down path we never had expected."

"Very insightful yet again, Captain. You never cease to amaze me. How did you get on this path? How did you become a pirate?"

"How I became Hook?"

"No, unless it was before the ship and everything it entitles."

"It was simple really, I was abandoned by my father, a wanted man who sold me into servitude to get rid of me. I eventually fell into piracy."

"So it's a parental abandonment that drives us down very dark path? What drives you? Is it the loot, the women, the adventure?"

"Revenge."

"That's it? For what?" He didn't answer but his eyes fell to his right arm, to where his flesh was marked by the name of a lost love. "It's won't bring her back." Bernadette said quietly.

He sighed. "I know."

"Do you? Holding on to anger is like drinking poison and expecting the other person to die." She whispered.

"I thought being insightful was my thing, love."

"How long have you been holding on to this anger? How long have you been seeking revenge?"

"Three…" Killian started to say before Bernadette broke in.

"Three years seems like an awfully long time. At some point, you have let go and move on."

"Hundred. You didn't let me finish my statement, love." Killian was finally able to say.

Bernadette blinked a few times in shock and confusion. "What?" She was unsure what she had just held.

"Three hundred years. I lost Milah three hundred years ago."

"That's impossible… How old are you, Killian?"

"Thirty-two, technically." He answered simply.

"Plus three hundred, of course." She finally took a drink. "And this works for you? You get women like this? Do they assume you have tricks and can offer them something no other man can?"

"Actually, you are the first woman I ever told then to. You're just that special." He stood up and took her hand in his. "I'm not the only one who can break down walls. You're quite good at it also. See how much you can learn about a person when you open up and let people in?"

Bloody pirate, comments like that usually led to more enjoyable activities. Like right now. But she was learning about him, maybe she could get him to open up more about Milah. And the need to get the treasure seemed even farther away than last time she thought about it.

Whoa, he's old.

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