Sorry it took longer than expected. Inspiration was a bit lacking but it's slowly starting to come back. If there's certain things you guys would like to see, review and tell me. I love new ideas and having it come from you guys would make it all the better.
Emma walked into the diner a week later during a self-given break, finally able to quench the craving for a tasty hot chocolate that'd she had been fighting all day. Heading straight for the counter, she flagged down Ruby, the leggy brunette coming over with her signature smile.
"Hey Emma. What can I get ya?" she asked, leaning her hip against the counter and poising her pen over the notepad in her hand.
"Just a hot chocolate today," she ordered, sending her a polite smile. Ruby nodded once before going to fill the order, telling her it would be a minute as she moved onto the next customer.
Emma took the opportunity to take in her surroundings, absentmindedly thinking about which clothes needed to be washed tonight and if she had to pick up anything on her way home. Her thoughts were cut off abruptly when she saw who was sitting in the booth her and Henry typically occupied during their annual breakfasts.
Her jaw fell fractionally, eyebrow knitting together at the odd sight of Captain Hook doing something as mundane as eating at Granny's.
The pirate caught her eye, smiling mockingly at her and gave a cheerful wave and Emma wondered how a small hand gesture could be so patronizing. Without much further thought, she navigated her way through the tables, stopping to stand next to the bench across from him.
"What are you doing?" she asked suspiciously, watching each of his movements carefully like he was about to pull out a knife and start attacking the other patrons.
"Well, love, I believe it's called eating," he told her, enunciating the last word as if she were a small child. Her eyes narrowed as pink lips tightened. She refused to acknowledge the way they wanted to pull forward, like they were entranced by the way his mouth curved around the taunting words, reminding her of their brief interaction.
"I meant what are you doing here. In Granny's." she elaborated pointedly. "It's like you're asking to get shot," she added dryly.
"No worries, Sheriff. I explained to dear Granny how it was all just a misunderstanding and apologized like a gentleman." She stared at him stonily and he continued, voice casual. "She seems a very agreeable lass. Doesn't hold onto petty grudges." He looked up at her, eyebrows raising challengingly.
"Allying with Cora, letting a temperamental giant loose, and attempting to kill Gold in front of me isn't what most people would describe as petty," she retorted, slipping into the booth, ignoring his curious look. Thankfully he let it go.
"Technically it was your parents who let the git loose. Charming bunch by the way," he told her. Snow had readily explained about the adventures of when she was gone on the way to save Gold. Prince Charming, Snow White, Grumpy, and Captain Hook all on a ship. It sounded like an opening to a bad joke but Emma had to stop the grin from spreading on her face at the thought. "Besides, I was trying to help with that one. How was I suppose to know your father hadn't always been so honorable?" Hook continued, shrugging his shoulders as if he were the innocent blacksmith he had first claimed to be.
"That-that wasn't him. That was, well, I guess you could say his 'evil twin'?" Emma made a little show of wincing around a sheepish smile, realizing not for the first time just how screwed up her family tree was.
"Oh please tell me you're joking," Hook scoffed, letting go of the fry he had been holding to lean his back against the bench and stare at her in disbelief.
"Nope. Twins splitted birth. One becomes a prince, another a farm boy. Prince is killed but they still need someone to marry a princess to another land so they get the farm boy, my father, to secretly replace him." She tried to explain it in the shortest way possible but even that was confusing judging by Hook's look. After a moment he sighs, seemingly giving up on trying to understand.
"Well, I suppose it's all satisfactory if that's what led him to your mother."
"Oh, no. That wasn't my mom who he was engaged to," Emma quickly corrected and once more he gave her a look of surprise. "No, she stole from him and his fiance on accident and he caught her." Again he only stared for a moment and Emma wondered if all of this information was too much to follow. But then he chuckled, shaking his head slowly. She grinned in response, relieved at his reaction. Although why she would be relieved that he openly understood her lineage was beyond her.
"That spirit of yours proceeds to make more and more sense, love," he teased.
"Oh, because your history is so easy to follow?" she quipped and immediately wanted to take it back. She expected Hook to frown at her and close himself off the same way he had on the top of the beanstalk when she had pointed out his tattoo but instead he smiled widely, plopping the discarded fry from before into his mouth.
"If you're so curious, darling, all you had to do was ask," he told her flirtatiously with a wink. She rolled her eyes good naturedly, ignoring his comment and looking down at his plate.
"Do they even have hamburgers in the Enchanted Forest?" she asked, giving the food a look before glancing up at him.
"No, but it's quite good," he told her, accepting her subject change. He sounded surprised, like he expected everything from this world to be inedible.
"Well, I'm glad you're adjusting to life in Storybrooke so nicely," she replied wryly.
"Hm yes, but I do miss Neverland," he told her. Emma realized that the sentence should sound surreal but this was her life and it was starting to grow on her.
"Oh, I bet Henry would love to hear those stories," she said conversationally.
"I'll tell the lad sometime, if he'd like. He can explain his confusing family tree and I can tell him my heroic tales as a pirate captain." He grinned cheekily at her and Emma realized she would probably have to be around if that were ever to happen so she could sensor his stories.
"Heroic?" she asked, raising an eyebrow at him with a smirk.
"Poor word choice," he waved off with a dismissive look. Her smirk almost turned into a smile but was cut short as Ruby made it to their table, flawlessly placing the to-go cup in front of Emma despite her hurried movements.
"Sorry it took so long. We're kinda busy right now," Ruby apologized, glancing around at the packed diner. At some point during their short discussion the lunch hour must have hit and now every table and stool was taken, both of them being unaware of anything outside the booth.
"It's alright Ruby, I'm in no rush," Emma reassured her. A wolfish smirk bloomed across Ruby's face and Emma immediately felt the scrutiny from her stare. She glanced at Hook and saw his small, almost content grin and quickly realized the situation she had somehow let sneak out of her control. "I should actually get going," she told them hurriedly, beginning to stand as Ruby shot her one last look before walking away. She was about to give Hook an awkward farewell when she saw him let out a pleased sigh and throw his napkin on his plate, rising also from the booth and looking at her expectantly from where she was placed between him and the way out.
"What are you doing?" she almost stuttered in surprise, looking up at his suddenly close face.
"I'm done with my meal," he told her as if it were obvious, gesturing with his hand to the now empty plate. "Typically once you're through eating, you then leave." He nodded his head forwards towards the door, blinking down at her. Her eyes slightly tightened at his mocking tone but let it go, finding no excuse not to turn and leave the establishment, Hook closely behind her.
She turned right once she hit the sidewalk and was startled when her companion didn't disappear.
"Are you following me?" she accused. "You know that's illegal here." It was meant to be a joke but her disbelief clouded it. Hook surprisingly laughed in response, keeping his gaze trained ahead of them as she stared up at him. He glanced down at her, realizing she actually wanted an answer to her question, making his grin widen.
"The docks are this way." He leant his head towards her as if telling a secret, pointing ahead towards where the shoreline was.
"Oh." she replied flatly, feeling very silly for assuming he had been pursuing her or something. "Right." They continued on in silence, Emma lost in her reluctant thoughts as she furrowed her brow and Hook sneaked glances at the blond next to him to smile at her obvious uncertainty. He didn't necessarily always know how he felt about the Swan girl but she was always good for a laugh and surprise.
After a few blocks Emma went to take her turn to the station and realized that Hook was no longer by her side. Turning and looking back she saw him standing at the corner, watching as she had continued.
"Water's this way," he explained, once again pointing forward and Emma thought about how she should feel more offended with how often he treated her like a child. Her eyes flitted to where he indicated and she felt oddly disappointed. Pushing that away, she nodded solemnly, glancing once more at him to see his own head dip once in return before continuing on her path.
She refused to acknowledge how quiet it seemed the rest of the way.
I felt we needed some solid Hook/Emma time due to the complete lack of it in Lacey. Here's for better hopes of next week. Review!