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Chapter X:
Those Ocean Eyes

When Hook opened his eyes, they immediately traced over to the sleeping blonde who lied right beside him. He held his breath when he realized that last night wasn't a dream and that he really did kiss Emily under the moonlight.

Just like that, he mused.

He moved his hand to her shoulder; giving it a gentle rub as he leaned in and planted a soft kiss on it. Then, with a grin on his face, he slowly placed kisses along her shoulder, to her neck, to her jawline, to her cheek, and then paused when soft groans of stirring came from the girl.

He pulled away with a mischievous smirk – satisfied that his plan in waking her had worked.

Emily slowly peered one eye open and slightly looked over her shoulder up at Hook. She returned his smirk before she buried her face back into the pillow.

"Five more minutes..." she grumbled tiredly.

Not even a second later, she let out a startled laugh as Hook wrapped his arm around her and pulled her back into his chest. He began to place even more teasing kisses all over her face.

She giggled as she opened her eyes and shifted her attention up to him.

"I'm awake, I'm awake!" she assured him as one final kiss made its way onto her lips. "You're in an awfully good mood this morning."

"Not every day I get to wake up beside a beautiful woman in my bed," Hook smirked as he placed another kiss on her jaw. He then added, "...which, I'm glad to finally be able to sleep in again, mind you."

Emily paused as her cheeks began to flush with red. It was only now that her mind registered that she was lying in bed with a man – who, she noticed, wasn't even wearing a shirt – as an unmarried woman; she just knew her mother was rolling in her grave over this. At this point, she knew that she was far from being a proper lady now...and was perfectly okay with it. She liked the idea that she was no longer conformed to such ridiculous rules of society, but more importantly, what she noticed was that she hadn't felt this happy in so long.

"I did say I would have taken the couch," Emily reminded him with a smug look.

Hook shook his head, "Now, now...I am a gentleman. I had to make sure the little lady was properly taken care of."

She rolled her eyes at him as she moved her gaze up to his. A big smile crossed her lips as she raised her arms and placed her hands on both sides of his face, staring intensively into his cerulean orbs.

Hook raised a brow and chuckled, "What are you doing, Darling?"

Her heart skipped a beat when he uttered the word 'darling' to her.

"Your eyes are just so blue..." she replied, entranced, "They're like the ocean...or Forget-Me-Knots."

"How like a girl," he teased her again, grinning, "that's one way to compliment a...fearsome pirate captain, I suppose."

He leaned forward and began to place more playful kisses all along her jaw. A small sigh of unexpected pleasure escaped her lips as Hook continued to kiss along her neck, causing him to smile a teasing smirk against her skin. She curled her lips timidly and placed her palms against his chest, slowly creating a small distance between them.

"Control yourself, Captain," she rebuked in a light-hearted manner, "I'm still a lady and will be treated as such!"

The Captain paused and moved his face in front of hers. He let out a light chuckle as he leaned forward and placed a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Ah, but of course," he cooed in her ear. He decided to move their attention to her hip, "How are your stitches doing?"

Emily lied quietly as she watched him gently pull the hem of her dress up. She quickly reached out for his wrist, stopping him from pushing it up even further. She cleared her throat loudly and arched a brow at him.

"What?" he smirked as he tried to sound innocent, "I have to check the wound."

"Look away," she said sternly. She watched as Hook hesitated but then turned his head away, closing his eyes in the process with a mocking grin on his face.

It was humorous but a sweet thing, he pondered, that while he indeed had his fair share of seeing various naked women in his day and has exposed himself to said women, it was clear to him that Emily had certainly never exposed herself to...anyone. Which, now thinking about it, suddenly made him uneasy. She wasn't one of his random flings from England or one of his hired prostitutes, she was someone utterly...real...to him. What he loved about her was that she was an intelligent woman who loved books in all forms, a brilliant cook, so strong-willed and brave, and very much was a night owl like him. But, the one thing that troubled him, was knowing the fact that she was an unmarried woman; it was clear to him that she wasn't the one pursuing men – trying to appeal as a perfect bride for them – but whether, what did these men have to offer her? It was painfully clear that none of them were ever good enough for her.

Which made him think...what did he have to offer her?

What did she see him in, anyway? He wondered. She was fine and perfectly capable of being on her own.

But yet, he found himself wanting to do things right by her...

She waved a hand in front of his face and when he didn't budge, she quickly pulled up the rest of her dress and strategically placed the blanket over the bottom half of her body.

"Okay, you can look now."

Hook turned his attention back to her and moved his eyes to inspect the injury that rested on her hip. His playful smile quickly dropped, and he furrowed his brows as his fingers trailed over the black thread. Emily let out a tiny wince at his touch and pushed herself up onto an elbow, following his gaze down to the wound. Her face began to grow pale when she also caught sight of it – the area around the injury had grown a vibrant red and has begun to swell with flakes of dried pus while even more began to ooze out of it.

"It's infected..." Hook muttered in a low growl. He quickly placed the back of his hand to her forehead, "How are you feeling?"

"I don't have a fever," Emily assured him with a smile as she batted his hand away. "I'm okay – it just needs to be cleaned. It looks worse than what it actually is."

The Captain got up from the bed to grab the basin and pitcher from the vanity. He took a spot back down beside her and began to moderately dab the damp cloth onto the wound, wiping away the muck that surrounded the wound.

"I knew you weren't resting enough," Hook grumbled scoldingly at her.

She gave him a pout, "You're always scolding me."

"Because you're a bit of a troublemaker," he shot back.

His comment caused her mouth to hang wide open before giving him a scowl. She could see a flirtatious grin appear on his face as he continued to clean the wound on her hip. Finally, he dropped the cloth into the basin and placed it on the nightstand. Then, gripping the blanket, he pulled it over her.

"Now, get some rest," he ordered her. "I forbid you from getting up from this bed."

"Jas, I'm fine," she rebutted, sitting up in her spot. "...and you can't forbid me from anything."

"I'm the captain," Hook reminded her as he placed his hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her back down. He slowly leaned in and placed a tender kiss on her forehead, "Just take today to rest, all right, Darling?"

Emily frowned at the tone of his voice – it was quiet and soft and...disappointed. Though she assumed not in her, but at himself for allowing her wound to get worse, despite it being out of his control, anyway. Hook seemed like the type of man to put all the blame on himself, regardless of what evidence has to say. She knew the body's healing process is unpredictable and especially without modern medicine, it of course would take twice as long or get a little worse before it got any better.

She gave him a defeated sigh and nodded in agreement as she curled up in the sheets, watching as Hook finished getting dressed for the day ahead.

"Sweet dreams, Darling," he murmured as he gave her one last kiss on her temple before heading out on deck.

The energy out on the deck was strange today.

When he finally made his way outside, he watched as his crew made glances over his wat and then whisper amongst themselves.

Odd... he thought. But he brushed it aside.

Hook made his way over to his desk and sat down, looking over his crimson marked-up map of Neverland of Peter Pan's potential hideouts. He took a hard, long stare at it as his face flickered between frustration and annoyance. But, eventually, the more he stared at it, the more finding his hideout almost didn't matter...

"Aye, Captain?"

The Captain darted his attention up from his work to see a couple of mates standing in front of his desk with sheepish grins on their faces.

"What?" Hook asked, already irritated by their presence.

"So, uh...did ya' get to...bed the lass last night?" he questioned, arching a curious brow at him. "Was she any good?"

Fucking perverts. That's why they were staring at him stupidly this morning.

His face instantly hardened as he shot up from his chair. In a fit of rage, he waved his hook in their faces and slashed one large cut across the pirate's cheek. The mate fell back onto the ground with a hard 'thud' and immediately, the other mates jumped back and scattered away in fear.

"How dare you speak about her in such a manner!" his voice boomed across the ship – perhaps even across Neverland, considering how livid this question made him, "Get out of my sight, you fucking deviants!"

Jukes and Smee both watched with amusement as their fellow mates scurried off to hide. They then turned their attention back to Hook as he sat back down in his spot, still fuming over the inappropriate question the pirate had asked. Finally, the Captain let out a heavy sigh as he rolled the paper back up and tossed it into a basket of maps that sat beside the desk.

Jukes smirked and leaned down to whisper in the first mate's ear.

"So...how bad do you think the Captain has it?" he asked.

"Oh, really bad," Smee answered with a grin, "She has him wrapped around her finger... But if you ask me, it's a good thing for the Cap'n! He's rarely spoken of Pan since she arrived."

It was like what he said to the Captain when she first arrived: a beautiful woman always makes a man try harder to be better.

As midafternoon rolled about, Emily decided to remove herself from the bed and get a little exercise by strolling around the room until she found herself standing in front of the stained-glass bay windows. She propped one open to get a gust of fresh air into the cabin and then placed herself delicately on the burgundy velvet cushions. She leaned her body against the window frame as she observed the island before her.

She closed her eyes as she took in a deep inhale of the salty air.

When I said to come visit me at Mermaid Lagoon, I didn't mean like this.

Emily's eyes snapped open, and she looked to the cyan water below where the turquoise-haired mermaid resided. Despite how harsh the words sounded; she had a spirited smile on her face.

"Trust me, I didn't want to come here like this either," she chuckled. "I guess Jas insisted–"

Jas...?

She paused and thought back on her words. "Oh, I meant Captain Hook!" she clarified.

The blonde watched as Misty furrowed her brows and began to swim anxiously in circles, a troubled look crossing her face. She finally came to a stop and stared back up at her.

You love the captain, don't you?

Emily nervously laughed, "Oh, it's much too soon to assume that! We literally only kissed for the first time last night!"

Misty shot her a dangerous glance.

Don't lie...I can sense it.

Emily's smile fell at her comment. Truthfully, she really didn't know how she felt about him. She, of course, only knew that she enjoys her time most when she's around him, and that he makes her laugh. That he makes sure all her needs are met, and he listens to her and does his best to meet her requests. He makes her feel safe and looks at her in a way that she's never been looked at before, and he makes her feel...

...

Oh my God… I...I do love him…

Captain Hook is an evil man, Emily...be wary of him.

"Jas? Evil...? That's not possible – he's been so wonderful to me... I mean, he can have a temper on him, but..."

He wants murderous revenge on Peter Pan, stupid girl! Did you know that he's been in Neverland for over 200 years because of this obsession? Or did you know that he kidnapped Princess Tiger Lily and the Lost Boys and tried to drown them? If it wasn't for Peter Pan, they would all be dead right now...

Emily held her breath as her eyes locked onto the mermaid's amber orbs. None of this sounded like the Captain Hook she had come to know and trust...and love.

She didn't know what to believe.

Misty had no motive to lie to her, other than the fact that it was obvious that she just didn't like Hook.

But the 200 years comment...that was something peculiar to her...because then just how old was he? The crew...?

The only thing that she understood from Misty was that Tiger Lily and the Lost Boys were also real people from her mother's stories.

Oh, Mama...I wish you were here...I have so many questions...

And guess what? You would be dead too...if it wasn't for your soul...

This snapped her back to reality.

"My...soul?" she questioned, furrowing her brows.

I've been watching you, Emily...all of us mermaids have... At first, we weren't sure, but it's why we are able to speak with one another...how you are able to speak with the crocodile...

Emily bit her lip as her mind tried to wrap around all of this information, wondering what Misty was trying to get at.

Emily, you have the soul of a siren...

She let out a sharp gasp, her heart beating faster, "What? How is that even possible?"

I do not know. Even the other mermaids and I couldn't believe it...but we can sense it from you. I suspected it on the first night I met you... I can sense it from your voice...

"My voice?"

I overheard the pirates talk about your incident...you were singing when that man attacked you, weren't you?

Emily stood silent, swallowing hard as her brain desperately tried to bury those dreadful memories in the depths of her mind, only for it to resurface at this moment.

A siren's magic is a very powerful thing... You have these men charmed without even knowing it...you even caused that pirate to lust over you until it drove him mad.

"What do you mean?"

Sirens are gifted with extreme beauty and hypnotic voices – it's how we are able to lure men to their deaths. I'm sure you've noticed even back on the Mainland where you are from...

The sprockets in Emily's mind began to turn the more she thought about her life in London. All those men...all those marriage proposals...why the room would go silent when she would sing...

Your magic has gotten stronger since you've arrived here, no doubt. It is originally Neverland magic...

She felt her chest tighten as her lungs started to beg for air. She could hear her heart pound in her ears as panic started to settle in. If what she is explaining to her is true, then...that means...

Emily, I am sorry to say, but the Captain doesn't actually love you...you just have him under a spell.

It felt like an arrow shot through her heart.

"I...I feel like a fraud..." she mumbled. "But I never intentionally cast a spell, so then how would it even happen?"

We are blessed but cursed creatures... It is impossible for us to love genuinely.

"But...I-I was born in England...my parents are Henry and Elizabeth Thompson. I can't be! You're lying!"

I am only telling you what I know. And this is one of them.

Misty looked at her solemnly as she watched beads of sweat beginning to form on her forehead. Emily clutched a hand to her chest as she did her best to steady her breathing. She let out a shaky breath as she ran her fingers through her bangs. What was she to do with all of this information? Was Misty even to be trusted? But it all somehow made sense...it connected for her...it explained all the weird coincidences she had experienced since she arrived.

Cove...

"Misty, I just have a question..."

What is it?

"Do you know a mermaid named Cove? Or even Ava?"

Misty shook her head 'no'.

I cannot recall any of those names.

This caused Emily to frown. Suddenly, Misty's eyes twinkled with an idea.

Go speak with the crocodile! He is as old as Neverland herself. Perhaps he could help provide you with better answers. You will find him residing in a cave at the end of Crocodile Creek.

Emily nodded as she watched Misty point a finger in the correct direction.

"I have one more question... I fell off a boat on the Atlantic Ocean...do you know how I may have gotten here...?"

The mermaid pondered for a moment before a smile crossed her lips.

It must have been Neverland herself who brought you home.

Emily sat crouched at the harpsichord, fiddling around with the keys as her mind ran through every detail of her conversation with Misty. She had to be wrong... There was no way that she cast a spell on Hook, at least, not on purpose...she wasn't even looking for his affection in the first place, so then why would a spell even be cast?

"Sirens are gifted with extreme beauty and hypnotic voices"

...

"We are blessed but cursed creatures"

Cursed creatures...

How depressing, she thought, that none of those mermaids could ever find love because of their blessings disguised as a curse. To never know if you are truly loved because of yourself, or if it was just their beauty...

She thought back to her experiences back in England...all those bachelors asking for her hand; the weird, charming luck she seemed to have... How she knew that it was all unprovoked, that she never cared for their advances, or never even showed them the slightest bit of interest...

But with Hook... Everything felt so easy with him. She felt her heart finally opening up to someone, and...

To know now that any possible ounce of love from him...isn't genuine...

Was she just meant to be alone forever?

Her fingers stopped playing. As her eyes traced over the ivory keys, she imagined each note coming from them. Eventually, her hands started to play another tune.

It was a sad melody, and this time, she could feel the lyrics sitting at the tip of her tongue...

"I've been watching you for some time,
Can't stop staring at those ocean eyes
Burning cities and napalm skies,
Fifteen flares inside those ocean eyes...

Slowly, the door pushed opened, and Hook came walking in. He stopped moving when he heard her song echo off the walls, standing quietly in the door frame, listening as her heart poured out in front of him... She was completely unaware that he had even walked in. Despite the humorous crocodile song from the day before, this was the first time he heard her truly sing.

And as he listened, it was as if all of his troubles melted away...

No fair... You really know how to make me cry
When you give me those ocean eyes
I'm scared... I've never fallen from quite this high,
Falling into your ocean eyes, those ocean eyes

He leaned against the frame, failing to close the door behind him. Out on the deck, the crew all came to a halt as her voice spread across the whole ship; it even seeped through the rafts below to where those who were sleeping or working came up to crowd behind the Captain, falling into a hypnotic trance as they listened to the words of the young siren...

Jukes turned his gaze to the island – almost as if it too had fallen silent to listen to her song.

I've been walking through a world gone blind,
Can't stop thinking of your diamond mind
Careful creature made friends with time,
He left her lonely with a diamond mind, and those ocean eyes...

No fair... You really know how to make me cry
When you give me those ocean eyes
I'm scared... I've never fallen from quite this high,
Falling into your ocean eyes, those ocean eyes

Hook began to stroll towards her as he noticed her eyes filling with tears. He moved his way behind her, watching the movement of her fingers dance along the harpsichord's ivory keys.

No fair... You really know how to make me cry
When you give me those ocean eyes

She closed her eyes as the tears rolled off her cheeks, the last few lines trembling out of her mouth...

I'm scared... I've never fallen from quite this high,
Falling into your ocean eyes...

Without hesitation, Hook leaned over her and locked her lips with his. Unlike the playful kisses from this morning, or the passionate one from last night, this kiss was delicate and sweet – she felt its comforting warmth as her heart fluttered in her chest only to then sink into her stomach as the gentleness of the kiss made her cry harder.

Slowly, his lips parted from hers.

"Why are you crying...?" he questioned her as he took a spot beside her.

He placed a hand to her cheek and rested his forehead against hers – nestling tenderly against her frame.

"That song...was about you..." she admitted between sobs.

"Ah," he hummed, inching closer to her. "But then...why did it make you sad...?"

She didn't want to tell him about Misty. She didn't want to tell him what she learned. She wondered if maybe she could live in complete ignorance.

No...that wouldn't be fair to the man she loved.

"Jas...I..."

When she finally opened her eyes, Hook's eyes widened as he let out a sharp gasp and moved his head away hastily; his icy orbs darting all over her face.

"Emily," he said, "...your eyes..."

His alarming reaction caused her to cease her tears as she watched him with confusion.

"What is it?" she asked, furrowing her brows as she rubbed her cheeks dry.

"They're...glowing..."

"What?"

Hook observed her eyes more closely as the irises seemed to have faded into a light teal colour. Instead of his reflection, her eyes imitated oceanic scenes – he could see movements of fish and waves, pictures of coral reefs and seaweed. He stared at them in complete wonder – heavily captivated as he found her eyes absolutely astonishing...

She bolted up from her spot and darted towards the mirror that hung on the wall; catching a glimpse of them before they reverted back to their original sea green. Emily turned her attention to Hook who followed suit and was already by her side.

"W-What in the world...?" she stuttered.

"Magic," Hook replied plainly. Considering Neverland was loaded with magical properties – Peter Pan with his ability to fly, and the existence of fairies and mermaids – her eyes were nothing he would fret over.

She looked at Hook quietly before taking in a deep breath. She knew her next move.

"Jas, I have to see the crocodile..."

"The crocodile?" he questioned her, "Why? It's a ferocious beast. It will kill you."

She shook her head. "No, he won't... Jas, I think he knows something about me...please, I must speak with him..."

The Captain frowned as she practically begged for this wish. There was no way in hell he was going to walk straight into his death, and he highly doubted any of the other pirates would accompany her on such a suicide mission. He sure as hell wouldn't dream of sending her alone, either.

"Darling, that is an impossible request."

Emily bit her lip as she turned her attention to the window. She couldn't wait for the crocodile to make his way back around; that could be days, and she needed answers now.

She stood pondering her options. Maybe she could convince Jukes to join her...

Suddenly, specks of white glitter caught her attention from outside the window.

"Is that...?"

She darted out the door to the deck. Turning her head up to the sky, Emily watched as white frozen stars danced around her in the wind. She held a palm out upwards as they fell delicately in her hand, only to then melt from its radiating heat.

"It's snow!" she laughed, looking up to Hook.

The anguished look on his face made her smile disappear as he too stared up at the sky.

"What's wrong?"

He finally spoke with envy laced in his tone, "...the boy left..."

A/N: Every time I listen to that song, I think of Captain Hook now, Lool.
Sorry for the delay! Think I used up all of my creative juices bamming out the last 3 chapters in a row, Ahaha!
Positive this is another chapter I will have to come back to in the future - we'll see.

Btw, I'mma Cancer – I'm into that super cheesy romantic shit. ;)

Hope you enjoyed it! :]

Song: Ocean Eyes by Billie Eilish