Killian watched on as the pirates stuffed their sacks full of goods, jeering like they had won the battle for the objects and not actually being given them voluntarily. He had gotten a few strange glances from his own crew at the ease with which he allowed this behaviour, but the perks of being the captain was that you never had to explain yourself.
Out the corner of his eye he noticed another pirate swinging onto the ship, landing dangerously close to the latch of his cabin. 'Ah, Wilson, how nice of you to join us on the Jolly once more.' Killian called to the man, not even trying to hide his disdain.
'Captain Hook, you cannot fathom the satisfaction I feel at pillaging this godforsaken ship I used to call home.' The man replied, his arrogant grin showing off his decaying teeth.
'Is it pillaging when the objects are being given willingly?' Killian questioned with a raise of an eyebrow. He had managed to situate himself between the cabin and Wilson, and he hoped his protective stance wasn't too obvious.
'It's the principle though, ain't it, Hook? You take something from me, I take something from you. It's just too bad you'll never quite feel the loss I felt, because you ain't even capable of love, Captain. You'll never feel the pain I felt when you took Molly because you'll never love anyone but yourself.' Wilson's grin widened when he noticed Killian's clenched jaw and fist, and he laughed darkly. 'Well, you and that dead whore of yours.' He taunted, and Killian felt his anger finally reach the surface when his fist connected with Wilson's nose. He only felt a short burst of relief at his violence when he noticed Wilson still grinning as he lay on the deck, blood now running between his yellow teeth.
Killian grabbed him by the torn collar of his shirt, hauling him up so their noses were touching. 'Love is the very thing stopping me from taking your worthless life in the most slow and torturous way possible. So you better thank the gods above that I am a changed man, because a short while ago, you wouldn't have been so lucky as to have encountered me and lived another day.' He snarled before releasing his grip on the shirt. He was pleased to see the grin wiped off Wilson's face as he scrambled back on his feet and towards the rope, swinging back to his new crew without a seconds glance at his former captain. The rest of the pirates were also returning and Killian watched the ship until it began sailing west of them, the speed of both ships widening the distance quickly. He closed his eyes and exhaled deeply.
Emma sat on the bed, swinging her legs and gently hitting the wood with her heels as her fingers curled around the bed sheets. She could hear movement and voices above her, and she knew that the other pirates were now onboard. She knew that Hook was a good captain, he was after all a famous pirate, and she trusted that he would deal with the other ship quickly, but something still made her stomach turn with nerves. A scuffling noise at the latch had her hold her breath, and she closed her eyes with relief when the noise faded. More commotion occurred on deck before silence fell, and she cast her eyes above her as if she could see through the wood.
The latch opened and she gasped as Killian climbed down. 'They're gone, Emma.' He breathed, sounding just as relieved as she felt. 'Oh, thank God.' She sighed, trying to ignore her unsteady legs as she stood up. He walked over, stopping himself a few inches away from her. She bit her lip before closing the distance between them, wrapping her arms around his waist and nestling her head in his neck. He froze for a second before reciprocating, wrapping his arms around her back and pulling her closer. 'Thank you, Killian.' She whispered against his skin. 'No need, love. I was simply protecting you from a very unfortunate fate.'
'That's just what you do isn't it, protect me?' She asked, and he playfully curled his hook around her hair. 'Perhaps.' He grinned before suddenly turning serious, his eyes darting between hers. 'I don't know what I would have done if they had taken you.' Killian whispered, and she shook her head.
'Well they didn't so you don't need to worry.' She replied, trying to puncture the intense atmosphere with her teasing tone.
Killian smiled weakly, letting the ringlet of her hair fall from his hook. A noise from the cupboard behind them made them jump, and they both looked at each other with wide eyes before Killian went to inspect. He opened the door ajar to see his past self stirring from his unconscious state, his legs and arms starting to move as he woke. Killian quickly went over to the desk and poured some of the herbal concoction on a handkerchief, but Emma placed a hand on his arm to stop him. 'Wait, shouldn't we give him some food or water at least? He can't just stay permanently unconscious for the next week without anything.'
'How can we? We can't exactly invite him to share dinner with his future self and...you.' Killian gestured to her with his hook before awkwardly scratching behind his ear.
'No, but why don't we just let him wake up and eat by himself? You can hide and once he's done or if anything happens, you can knock him out again.' Killian looked unconvinced but a groan from his past self made him decide.
'Okay, Swan. But I'm not having you in the same room as him.' He shot himself a dark glare before turning around quickly at the sound of Emma's laugh.
'The fact that you're jealous of yourself is highly amusing.' She smirked but sobered her expression quickly. 'Well, considering the fact that you want me out of the room, is there any where I can wash?' She flushed at the question, nervously tucking a curl behind her ear. Killian raised his eyebrows in surprise before schooling his expression casually.
'Of course. There's a tub in the kitchen for bathing, and don't worry lass, it's only for the captain so you don't have to share with the crew. I'll show you the way.' He avoided her gaze and dipped his head as he climbed up the ladder quickly. She frowned at his behaviour but she was just glad to be able to get cleaned up, even if it wasn't exactly the cleanliness of a shower. She followed him towards the cooking quarters, a part of the ship she had never seen before.
It wasn't the fanciest of places, but it was sufficient enough to provide food for the crew. There was a large tub at the rear of the room with a separator stacked nearby. Killian busied himself boiling the water for the bath and Emma awkwardly walked around, not sure what to do with herself.
When the water was hot enough he poured it into the tub, clearing his throat when it was half full. 'That should be enough, lass. Be careful, it's very hot. There's a bar of soap and a towel behind the screen. I know it's not what you're used to-' He scratched his ear, and she smirked at how many times he had done that in her presence. She must make him really nervous. 'Killian, its fine. Thank you, I appreciate it.' Her cheeks were flushed red but she didn't hide her face behind her hair or turn away.
'Well, I suppose I will leave you to it. 30 minutes should be a sufficient amount of time before it's safe to return to the cabin. Oh, and one last word of advice: lock the door.' She found his advice amusing but the hard warning in his eye made her second guess her judgement. Perhaps she shouldn't have been naïve enough to trust his crew when even he didn't. He nodded before closing the door behind him, and she pulled the bolt securely over it. She took her dress off and climbed into the hot water, feeling instantly relaxed as she slipped further down the tub. She closed her eyes and let the water sooth her muscles and clean her skin. The amount of dirt that was on her reaffirmed that she definitely would have preferred a shower, but right now she was just grateful that she could wash at all.
Emma dipped her head back to soak her hair, running her fingers through it to brush all the dirt and knots out of it. She almost never had baths back home, mostly because they were time-consuming and she was always too busy, but now she discovered what was so enjoyable about them. She felt like she could practically fall asleep right there in the heat and comfort of the tub (although she tried rather hard not to think about the fact that it was Hook's tub).
She remembered how nice it was to hug him, to feel his body against hers. God, she had no idea how she had even gotten to this point. Two days ago she was ready to go back to her life in New York, and now she couldn't think of a life outside of Storybrooke, with her son, her parents, and now Hook. She didn't want to fight another villain without him by her side, she didn't want to go anywhere without him, she didn't want to be without him. She finally realized that she had fallen for the pirate, and it had taken a crazy adventure back in time with him to figure it out. She grabbed the soap and scrubbed at her skin, and although it was red raw and stinging, she was still smiling giddily at her idle thoughts of Killian Jones, the man who had perhaps just won her heart.
A/N I just wanted to thank everyone for the reviews/favourites/follows for this story. It's the first time I've published anything so I really appreciate people taking the time to read it :)