On a sunny day in Storybrooke, Maine, Killian Jones was on the Jolly Roger, sailing peacefully in the waters surrounding the town. When he passed the docks, he saw a woman's silhouette standing where he docks his ship, hair swirling around her in long tangles in time with the steady wind. Quickly, he turned the Jolly around, heading in to greet the lady.

"Hey there, sailor," Emma Swan said sultrily, lips curling up in a smile.

"Hello, lass," he called down from the wheel, his own lips turning up into a grin at the sight of his lovely Swan. "What brings you to the docks today?"

"Oh, not much. I was just wandering around and ended up here. Mind if I joined you?"

"I would despair if you didn't, love," he said, leaving the wheel to grab a board for her to walk on. As soon as her feet touched the deck, he hugged her and claimed her lips in a passionate kiss.

"Well hi, Killian," she giggled as he pulled away. "Someone's excited to see me."

"I'm always excited to see you, love," he murmured between the kisses he pressed to her forehead, nose, and cheeks.

The wind picked up, gusting fiercely and whipping Emma's hair around her face. "Wanna take this inside, Killian? It's getting really windy, and I heard it's supposed to rain pretty hard later today," she asked.

Killian nodded. "Aye, let me just take her out for a bit longer?"

Emma laughed and smiled as Killian nearly scrambled to the wheel once more. She loved how excited he got whenever he sailed his ship, especially now that he could. The Jolly Roger turned, sharply but precisely, and off they went. Not much later, another strong gust of wind rushed over the waters, catching in the sails and causing the ship to pitch to one side. Emma lost her footing and fell to the deck with a breathy oof. Just as she got up again, the ship lurched to the other side as yet another gust offset the boat, and downs she went again.

"Swan!" Killian shouted as he saw her tumble. She called back and told him that she was fine, that she only fell, and that he needed to stay at the wheel. He looked at her intensely, worry coloring his face and fear shining in his eyes, yet stayed at the wheel nonetheless. Emma struggled to her feet, and made her way over to her pirate. "Are you okay, Emma?" he asked when she stood next to him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," she replied, rubbing her arm where she fell. She gently tugged it away from Killian as he tried to catch her arm to make sure she was unscathed.

"I'm just worried about you, love," he told her.

"I know, Killian, but I'm fine. It's just a little bump," she assured him, giving him a kiss on the cheek. "I think that's the last of the wind for now, anyways," she added. Just as she finished speaking, a bright flash of lightning followed by a loud clap of thunder resounded through the air. Emma jumped in surprise, and Killian wrapped one arm around her.

"S'okay, Swan, just a little bit of lightning," he murmured in her ear. Part of Emma wanted to shrug him off and remind him that she wasn't scared of a little thunderstorm, but those thoughts were quickly diminished when another bolt of lightning flashed and another clap of thunder boomed out and she backed closer into his chest.

"Maybe we should get below deck…?" she asked warily, eyes flitting around the sky for the next flash and next boom.

"As you wish, Swan," he promised, kissing the top of her head. "Just let me anchor her down first?"

She nodded. "I'll meet you below," she whispered before scurrying below deck as fat, cold raindrops began to fall. The wind howled again, and the Jolly Roger lurched, and once again Emma fell to the floor. This time, however, she knocked her head against the boards of the deck. "Damn it!" she swore.

"EMMA!" Killian screamed, throwing the anchor over the side of the ship and racing to her side in panic. Relief flooded his soul as she grumbled and rubbed her head. "Thank the gods you're okay," he murmured as he wrapped his arms around her and holding his hand around the back of her head, only moving it after her painful "Ow!". Picking her up, Killian led them below deck and rested her on the bed in the captain's quarters. Little rivulets of rain slid from her wind and rain mussed hair down her face, and her eyes were filled with panic, yet he still thought she was beautiful. He pulled a chair away from the desk and positioned it next to the bed.

"You don't have to sit there, you know," she told him, "you could come here with me." His eyebrows raised slightly in curiosity as he shifted from the chair into the small bed, positioning her head and the pillow on his arm and reaching over with the other to twist off his hook. Emma snuggled in closer to his chest, seeking the heat he provided to warm her chilled bones. She shivered slightly and curled in closer as another crash of thunder filled the sky.

"Swan, you're freezing," he said, grabbing an extra blanket he kept for harsh nights on the sea. She tucked one side behind her and throwing the other end over Killian, but it did little to keep the heat around them. "Love, normally I'd be thrilled to say this, but you need to take off your clothes," Killian murmured. "They're wet and that's why you're cold. You need to dry off," he added when she shook her head slightly.

"Then you have to do the same, or you're gonna be cold too," she whispered.

"Aye, love. Do you want a shirt or anything?" he asked as he got out of the bed, turning away when he heard the rustling of fabric as Emma took her clothes off. Upon her soft yes, he rummaged around in his drawers for any spare shirts. He found only one, tossed it over to her, and turned away once more to give her privacy. A soft cry filled the room, and Killian turned around to look at Emma; her hands were holding the back of her head, and her face was twisted in pain. He walked towards her quickly, privacy be damned, and gently moved her hands away. A nasty bump had started to form where she hit her head against the deck, and through her hair Killian could see the early colors of a bruise blooming across the injury.

"It hurts," she moaned quietly.

Worry filled Killian's mind once again. "Are you dizzy, love?" he asked softly. She shook her head, and winced. "Swan," his voice warned gently, earning a small nod from the woman on the bed. "I'm gonna cut the shirt off and you can put the other one on, if you can, okay?" he told blinked at him, and waited for him to take the wet fabric away. When he did, she tried to slip the dry one on, but couldn't. Killian's deft hand slipped it over her head gently, avoiding her bruise. Once the shirt was on, he helped her out of her wet jeans and removed his own wet garments before joining her in the bed and holding her close to his chest.

The storm rocked the ship from side to side, the motion too harsh for it to lull the couple to a state of relaxation. Thunder and lightning lit and filled the sky often, and with each boom Emma scooched into Killian's chest just a little bit more. "Never liked them much," she replied plainly when he asked her about it. After a while, she gazed into Killian's eyes, losing herself in the clear, bright blue,a small smile toying with her lips despite the obvious pain and dizziness she still felt.

"What is it, Emma?" Killian asked, unable to keep his own smile off his face.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Killian," she murmured softly.

"Of course, Swan. I'll keep you safe, love, I promise," he assured her. "I'll always keep you safe."