Hook and Henry were able to get all their work done and sail back to the marina in plenty of time for Hook to walk Henry home. Ruby caught sight of them as they walked passed Granny's and had to laugh. They weren't just walking, they were laughing, jousting and having a good old time. At one point, Henry grabbed his hook, to which the Captain started to swing him around. "Thick as thieves," Ruby muttered to herself. When they reached the house, Hook stopped when he saw Emma's car.
"Your Mom must have gotten home a bit early. It's only 5:45," Hook said, taking out his pocket watch. "I guess we'll say goodbye here."
"You can come in!" Henry said. "You don't have to leave as soon as Mom gets home, you know."
"I'm just trying to avoid a battle in that tiny loft."
"Captain Hook afraid of a battle? Never- COWARD!" Henry teased.
"I'm no coward, lad, and you're going to pay for that!" Henry laughed as Hook ran up the stairs after him. Hook scooped up Henry in one arm, making sure his Hook wouldn't hurt him, and tickled him with the other hand. "Say it, mate! Say I'm not a coward!" Henry was giggling too hard to answer, and then the door swung open. Emma first looked concerned, then rolled her eyes at the sight of the two of them playing in the hall.
"Well, I thought there were some guerrillas out here," Emma said, sounding annoyed to mask her amusement. "Dinner's ready, Henry." Hook let Henry down and the boy ran inside. "I take it he didn't get his homework done," she pointed at Hook.
"On the contrary," Hook stated. "He got everything done. You'll have to check a few things for him, but just his science and math homework. I think he did well on the rest."
"You checked his homework too?" Emma said in disbelief.
"There's more to me than just good looks," Hook quipped. Emma rolled her eyes again, but Hook noticed a flicker in her eyes. "Well, I best be going."
"Mom! Can Killian stay for dinner?"
"Killian?" Emma asked with her eyebrows raised.
"Aye, that's my name, love," Hook said, slightly annoyed that she didn't remember.
"I know, I just...I thought you preferred Hook. Or maybe even Captain." Emma said, trying to defend herself.
"He prefers his best friends to call him Killian, right?" Henry explained, beaming up at Hook. "That means you should call him that too, Mom."
"Me?" Emma said, looking impressed.
"Yeah! We're his best friends!" Henry said proudly. Hook looked a bit sheepish, to which Emma couldn't escape her grin. "Come on in, Killian!" Henry tugged on his hook to pull him inside. Killian gave Emma a shrug and one of those classic grins as he passed by her through the door.
Emma's dinner was mostly burnt, but you'd never hear a complaint from either of the men at the table. The occasional joke, yes, but never a complaint. They knew she was trying, and every once in a while there'd be a meal that would surprise everyone. But, for the most part, Emma was a novice at cooking. Burned or not, both men at everything on their plates. They had a full day of sailing- they'd eat their shoes if they were hungry enough. After dinner, Killian gathered the plates.
"Why don't you show your Mom your homework," Killian gestured towards Henry's school bag. Henry happily grabbed it and jumped on the couch next to Emma. The two of them snuggled as they looked over Henry's work, while Killian attempted to fill the dishwasher. Emma had given him instructions on how to fill it, but there was always something she didn't like about the way he filled it. He figured that it was the thought that counted. Once he filled it and ran it, he started to grab his jacket and sword. "I'd best be on my way then. Thank you for the dinner, lass." Killian bowed as he made his way toward the door.
"Wait! Can Killian tell me a bedtime story?" Henry asked. Emma's couldn't hide the disappointment on her face. She liked having bedtime with just the two of them, but she knew how much Henry loved stories about Neverland. Killian could tell that Emma wasn't too thrilled with the idea.
"I think your mum would love some time with you by herself. Maybe another night, mate," Killian said, reaching for the door.
"She can listen too. Right, Mom?" Emma could tell she wasn't going to win, so she nodded her head. Killian took his sword and jacket back off and sat down on the couch. Emma helped Henry get ready while Killian waited with a book downstairs until they were done. Henry bounded downstairs in his pajamas and pulled Killian by the hand to his room, where Emma was already waiting on his bed. Henry jumped next to Emma, who wrapped her arms around him.
"What'll it be tonight, mate? The rascally lost boys or the vivacious mermaids?" Killian asked. Emma shot him a look, but Henry wasn't listening to the options anyway. He already knew what story he wanted.
"The treasure in Pirate's Cove!" Henry exclaimed.
"Good one, lad. We were taking the Jolly Roger through pirate's cove when we heard one of the lost boys crying for help inside one of the caves. When we rushed into help him, Mr. Smee wandered off. When he returned, his pockets were filled with gold coins," Killian began. As he continued, he jumped around the room to simulate Peter Pan, who would fly down to the bottom of the cave and pull up bags and bags of coins. They split their shares with the lost boys, who in turn, came aboard the ship and played music and games with the pirates far into the night. Henry loved that the real Peter Pan was friends with Captain Hook, instead of enemies. Killian explained the stories that this world knew were greatly exaggerated. Any battles that he and Peter fought were for pure fun. His crew might have been pirates, but they'd never hurt a child- it was part of the code. When Killian finished, all three of them were laughing uncontrollably. Henry yawned and Emma laid him down.
"Alright, Sir Henry, time for bed," Emma said, running her fingers through his hair and kissing his forehead. Henry bid both of them goodnight and rolled over to go to sleep. Emma and Killian headed downstairs and Killian started for the door again. "You don't have to rush off," Emma said without a thought. She then mentally kicked herself and knew he would love that she said that.
"Oh, really, princess? What did you have in mind?" Killian leaned towards her and raised his eyebrows. She pushed him away and tried not to smile.
"I just mean, you know, we could talk," Emma said.
"Talk is boring," Killian said, pulling her towards him by grabbing a loop on her jeans with his hook. She spun into his arms and he held her there. At first she protested, then they started laughing, then their eyes met and they both got very still. Emma easily got lost in those deep blue eyes of his, especially when they were so soft and focused right now. Killian took a chance and started to dip his head towards hers. As he so close to her lips that she felt the warmth of them, she suddenly spat out:
"Tell me about Milah." Hook froze and suddenly looked guilty. As if she just reminded him that his love could be forgotten so quickly once he got lost in Emma's eyes. He loosened his grip and began to walk away. "I'm sorry, I just...you've held onto her memory so long and I just wondered...why?"
"If you get me something stronger than tea, you've got a deal," Killian said, crashing on the couch. As she got two glasses of wine, Killian leaned on the side of the couch and rubbed his eyes hard. Emma sat down next to him and handed him a glass. She pulled her legs up on the couch and gave him her full attention. "If you must know, it's because she saw through the pirate. Saw the man who didn't want to be tough Captain Killian Jones all the time. She was something I needed, and I was what she needed. It was perfect." Killian downed his wine, and Emma poured him another. "She wanted a life of adventure, and that is what we had- on deck and in the bunk." Emma shook her head at him, but watched his face. He was trying to hold back his sadness, but his longing for her still remained. "But sometimes, I wondered if she loved the adventure more than me."
"Of course she did. What's not to love about you?" Emma said, then realized what she said. Killian looked at her in surprise.
"What's not to love about a thieving, revenge-seeking, double-crossing pirate? I don't know, love. There must be something about me that made you doubt me enough to leave me up on that beanstalk," Killian challenged. Emma sighed. He deserved the truth, and she needed to admit it to herself as well. He was obviously taking that part in their history a bit hard, even still.
"It wasn't you," Emma said plainly. "I was the coward. I was afraid that, in the end, I'd be left alone- like I always have been. And I needed to get to Henry, because he is the only man in my life who fought for me."
"Maybe you just have to give someone the chance to fight for you," Killian said, switching his wine glass to cradle in his hook before putting it on the table. He reached his hand out towards her and she took it. They stared at each other's hands for a moment before their eyes met again.
"I'm no Milah," Emma whispered. A thousand thoughts went through her head. Would I ever live up to her in his eyes?
"You don't have to be, darling. You just have to be Emma," Killian said. "And, as much as Milah has become a part of me, so have you." Emma smiled at him and squeezed his hand. Emma leaned forward towards Killian, and he turned his head to kiss her. Emma dodged and gave him a kiss on the cheek and lingered there. Killian, although disappointed, leaned his head against hers and enjoyed the closeness. His heart was eagerly ready to let her in, if she'd only let him. He was up for the challenge of allowing himself to love again. Emma pulled herself closer to him and cuddled into his arms. He wrapped his arms around her, being careful of his hook. Emma turned to pull his hook out of the holder, giving him a look for permission first, then leaned back into his chest, facing away from him this time. He buried his face into her hair and watched her as she inspected his hook.
"She's as much a part of you as this hook, isn't she?" Emma said after a while. Hook grunted in agreement. "She'll always be your true love."
"Aye, I will always love her. But if fortune favors me to give me true love again, I'd never compare the two. In fact, I'd go as far to say that my true love would be my hero- saving me from a rotting heart." Emma turned to him and smiled.
"That's a line," Emma said through her wide grin.
"Was it a good one?" Killian smiled back. Emma turned and put the hook back into the holder. As she turned to him, she laid her hand over his heart. With the way he is with me and Henry, his heart can't be rotten, she thought. Her fingers played a little on the hairs sticking out from his shirt and he shivered a bit.
"Killian, I truly am sorry about what happened on the bean..." Emma couldn't finish before Killian captured her lips. Their kiss went from passionate to slow and tender. Emma leaned towards him, climbing into his lap as they kissed. Killian threaded his fingers through her hair and she pulled him closer by his shirt. As they came up for air, they leaned their foreheads together.
"Finally!" Killian said breathlessly.
"The kiss or the apology?" Emma asked. Killian leaned in for another kiss and pulled back with a smile.
"Both." Killian leaned in to steal another kiss, which Emma happily allowed.