Killian liked to think of himself as rather strong, but he had to admit that dragging the body of his unconscious past self tested his muscles slightly. The other Hook was like a starved man on the streets when he had woken up, devouring the food that Killian had put on the table for him and finishing every last drop of the wine and rum in sight. This was perhaps a good thing however as he was already in a drunken haze when Killian placed the handkerchief over his mouth and nose until he slumped heavily to the ground.
His plan had definitely not been without faults and this was one of them, but he knew that he had gotten himself in worse predicaments before. He groaned as he pulled the body back into the cupboard, shutting the door with a deep exhale and a wipe of the brow. He was starting to think that all of those small potato cuttings back in Emma's realm were catching up on him.
At that thought he realized Emma hadn't yet returned, and it had been far longer than the 30 minutes he suggested. His stomach dropped and he rushed back on deck, his eyes darting quickly in search of her. 'Moyes, have you seen Leia?' He called to a crew member mopping the deck. 'Yeah Cap'n, she went to the quarters with Baggins.' He called over his shoulder. Killian sighed with relief. Baggins was probably the only member of his crew he completely trusted not to touch Emma, and to keep her safe from any of the others.
He ventured into the crew's quarters, when he heard the familiar musical laughter from Emma. He followed the sound to the room on the far end. He peered in the door, seeing Emma sitting cross-legged on the floor with Baggins and two other men, Dawson and Craig, smiling as she listened to Dawson's booming voice.
'Then, Cap'n held his hook in the air and declared victory. We were all so happy that we went through twice us much rum in that one night than we do for an entire week! And the Cap'n got so drunk he sang to us! He couldn't string a sentence together but managed to sing every word perfectly. It had us all in fits for hours.' They all laughed, Emma's softer and lighter than the three men around her. Killian smiled, remembering that night clearly. 'I've never heard him sing, is he any good?' She asked, and he felt his heart beat faster.
'Aye, lass, I always said he missed his true calling as a bard. He's got the perfect amount of moodiness and talent to make a fortune in taverns.' Baggins joked, and Killian rolled his eyes in the shadows. 'Maybe I will hear him sing one day.' Emma said softly, and his felt heat rush to his face. 'Maybe you could convince him to sing for all of us, lass. He would do just about anything you ask of him.' Craig snorted, and Killian could see Emma's cheeks turning red as well.
'Aye, he's smitten with you, my lady. We ain't never seen him this happy before.' Dawson joined in, and suddenly Killian felt nervous as he waited for Emma's response. 'That's a hefty statement for a man you've known for many years.' She scoffed, and Killian smirked slightly at her use of humour to deflect. 'Aye, well it's true, lass. And how do you feel about him?' Craig asked, and Killian held his breath. His body tensed; scared to make a move or sound in case he interrupted them. The silence was far too long and his heart was beating erratically.
'I...like him very much.' She said thoughtfully, and the three men cheered. 'Aye, we knew it!' Dawson exclaimed, but their elation was nothing compared to the way Killian felt. 'Glad to hear it.' Baggins smiled, and although Emma was biting her lip, her smile was obvious. Dawson soon went into another tale of their piracy, and Killian decided to head back to his cabin. Emma was safe and happy and she liked him. He couldn't remember a time when he smiled so much his face hurt. He sat behind his desk and looked over the maps again, but he soon got distracted and gave up, instead replaying Emma's words over in his mind.
It was dark by the time Emma made her way back to Killian's cabin. She hadn't planned to stay so long but she found Dawson's stories too interesting to leave, and secretly she loved hearing about Hook's pirate days. She entered the cabin to find plates of food covering the surface of the desk, candles surrounding them that cast a dim light around the room. 'Swan, I prepared supper for you. Again it's not much, but I thought we would indulge in the best we've got here.' Killian walked around the table, nervously moving things around. She watched him fumble over everything and she smiled before walking over and placing her hand on his arm to stop him. 'It's great, thank you.'
He froze at her words, giving her a shy smile of his own. He handed her a plate and let her have first pick of the food (he loved that she took a generous helping of bacon and the way she nibbled on a carrot stick). He insisted that she sit in the large comfy chair behind the desk, and he would take the smaller wooden one. He laughed loudly when she made a comment about enjoying any food that wasn't chimera, and his smile widened when she gave him a stunned look at hearing him laugh so freely.
'I was so hungry that I completely forgot about Hook. Was everything okay?' She asked as she carefully placed her now empty wine glass down (it was probably stolen but she didn't dwell on that fact). 'Yes, Swan, everything was fine. He was just as hungry as you, but far less elegant about it.' Emma rolled her eyes playfully at his comment and bashfully played with the beading on her dress.
Killian looked at her for a moment, taking in how the blue dress perfectly complimented her skin tone and golden hair, before remembering the last part of the meal. He watched her lips curve into a smile when he brought out the bowls of melted chocolate and strawberries for dessert, and his cheeks warmed as he asked her if he had done it correctly. She giggled and dipped a strawberry into the chocolate, making a soft moan as she tasted the combination. 'This is perfect.' She said as she licked lips, and his eyes followed the tip of her tongue.
'You should try it.' She mused, pulling him out of his slight daze as he watched her. He obliged and followed her lead, taking a bite of the chocolate covered tip. 'This is exquisite.' Killian said with surprise as he swallowed his first bite, making Emma laugh again. 'Only you could use the term 'exquisite' for chocolate covered fruit.' She deadpanned, licking her thumb clean. He laughed and they both grinned, their eyes meeting across the table.
'So, lass, you said this delicacy is considered 'sensual' in your realm, how so?' He tried to make it sound like a casual inquiry, but they both knew it wasn't. 'It's meant to stimulate the senses I guess.' Emma shrugged casually as she dipped another strawberry, studiously avoiding Killian's gaze now. 'In this realm everyone usually just gets drunk, that stimulates things enough around here.' He scoffed, watching her closely now that she was avoiding eye contact.
'Yeah, that's also incredibly common in my world. It's also helps dull the senses and takes the pain away, which is sometimes just what you need.' Her tone turned bitter, and an awkward silence fell between them. Killian was the first to move. 'Forgive me, Swan, but I should go make sure we are sailing in the correct direction for the night. I am captain after all.' He murmured as he pushed his chair back. 'Of course, I'm tired anyway so I'm just going to head to bed.' She said just as quietly.
Killian nodded before pointing towards the bed with his hook. 'Moyes found a nightgown in one of the boxes below deck. I thought it would be more comfortable for you to sleep in than your dress. I left it on the bed for you.' He ducked his head and left before she had the chance to thank him.
She walked over to the bed, admiring the white, lace gown that she had only seen women in movies wear. She was suddenly angry with herself for letting her past get in the way, once again. If she had just kept her thoughts to herself she would probably still be chatting (and perhaps even flirting) happily with Killian. She hated that part of her that just couldn't accept those good moments her father told her about. Emma mulled over her regret as she silently changed into the nightgown and climbed into bed, not even staying awake to read. She just wanted to close off her mind for a little while.