'Killian, I've been wondering if we really need to keep the other Hook unconscious.' Emma mused as she simultaneously flicked through the pages of an astrology book and ate grapes. Killian's head shot up at her words, the maps he was staring at forgotten.
'Swan, are you mad?' He replied incredulously, but Emma just rolled her eyes.
'All we need to do is tell him why we're really here and that he has to stay hidden for the next 3 days until we reach our destination. When we leave we'll give him the memory potion so it won't matter anyway.' She shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly, but she was peering over her book with curious eyes.
'We've been on the ship for 5 days now, Swan. We're nearly there and the last thing we need is the past version of me running rampant and alerting the crew about us.' Emma knew that had she been someone else his tone would have been more harsh, but ever since their relationship had changed, they both regarded each other with a new softness; Killian was more gentle and Emma less sarcastic. It was only while they navigated their way through the early stages of their relationship, because she just knew that her fluency in sarcasm was not going to completely disappear.
'I know that, but I thought maybe it would be useful to have another you around. We could let him do all the work upstairs and you could stay down here.' The past few days together had certainly not been lacking in teasing comments, but this was the first time Emma had said anything flirtatious, at least with the connotations Killian was currently interpreting. His frown disappeared, replaced by a cocky eyebrow raise and grin.
'In that case, I very much like your thinking, love.' He said as he stood up and rounded the desk towards her. He leaned over her chair, his good hand resting on the arm and his hook brushing through her hair. She made a soft little moan and fluttered her eyelashes and he was gone, stealing her lips for himself as he kissed her harshly. She kissed back with equal fervour, her fingers brushing the back of his neck and pulling him closer.
'Captain! We have a problem!' Came a voice from above them, and they simultaneously groaned in frustration against each other's lips. 'See why I wanted two of you?' Emma sighed. He kissed her chastely once more before giving her a regretful smile and climbing above deck.
'What is it, Moyes?' Killian said irritably (he had waited to be with Emma for a long time, he earned the right to be a little grouchy when they were interrupted).
'Look ahead, Captain.' He pointed out to the vast sea in front of them, nothing but water for miles, and then Killian realized what it was. A strange fog hung in the air in the distance, suspiciously blocking anything beyond it from view.
'Do you know what it is?' Moyes asked quietly, the atmosphere already becoming tense onboard as the crew looked on.
'Aye, I know exactly what it is. It's a bloody trap to protect the cove, which means we're closer than I thought.' Moyes glanced at his captain with concern, troubled by his unenthusiastic tone.
'Ain't that a good thing though, Captain?' He asked curiously. Killian sighed and rubbed his forehead with his good hand.
'Aye, I suppose it is. But first we have to figure out how to get through the fog without dying.' He muttered, making Moyes' eyes grow comically wide.
'Sir, is it wise to travel through it if our lives are at risk?' Hook would never back down from a challenge, and now he had Emma to think about. Moirai Cove was their best chance at getting her home, and he would do everything he could to get them there.
'Perhaps it's not wise but it's necessary, Moyes. Fear not, I have an idea.' Killian hurried back down below deck, alarming Emma.
'Killian, what-' She started, but he cut her off.
'Emma, I know you don't have your magic, but it's incredibly important that you try to get it back somehow.' Emma's alarmed expression turned into one of disbelief, and she scowled at him as she stood up to his level.
'Hook, if I could I would have by now.' She folded her arms defensively and he shuffled closer.
'Emma, you and I know both you were happy to not have your magic when you were planning on returning to New York. Magic reminds you of your role as the savior, which reminds you of a world that you were never a part of. Perhaps you're holding back because accepting your magic means truly accepting that your home is in Storybrooke, and that scares you.'
Emma shook her head slowly. 'But I've already accepted that Storybrooke is my home, hence why I'm on this whole journey so we can find the portal to get back. I don't know what else you want me to do. The whole point of Zelena cursing your lips was to take away my magic; it would have been redundant if it was easy to get it back.' More shouting came from above, and Emma frowned.
'Killian, what the hell is going on? Why do you need me to get my magic back suddenly?' Killian sighed before answering.
'We're closer than I thought. There is fog ahead, but it's a spell to protect the cove. Anyone unworthy of entering will be poisoned. I was hoping your magic would protect us against it.' He trailed off quietly, as if regretting even thinking of it.
'Wait, that's it, Killian.' She said thoughtfully.
'Could you elaborate, love?' He asked.
'It's a home for fairies, right? Blue always said how powerful hope is. Maybe we don't need anything to protect us because we are worthy. We have hope that by entering the cove we will find a way home. Our intentions are good so there's no reason why the fog should affect us.' Killian raised his eyebrows at her theory.
'Emma, are you sure?' She nodded and gave him a small smile. 'I know it will work.'
'Okay, I trust you, Swan. Now I just have to convince this crazy lot that it's fine.' He pointed above with his hook, a grimace on his face.
'I'll come help; these kinds of situations usually need a woman's touch.' Emma said as he walked past him to climb up the ladder. 'Woman's touch indeed.' Killian muttered as he quickly followed after.
'Hey, aren't fairies meant to be, you know, sweet and kind? Killer clouds seem a bit extreme for a seemingly benevolent group of people, don't you think?' Emma joked, and her humour uncoiled the tight knot in his chest for a brief moment, her smile reminding him of the previous night, and he clung to the memory of their happiness just a few hours ago.
Killian was pulling the unconscious Hook back into the cupboard with a huff as Emma climbed back down into the cabin.
'I have to admit, I'm not the brightest captain sailing the seas. He didn't even suspect anything when he woke up this time, just staggered to the closest rum bottle and guzzled it down.' Killian shook his head as he looked down at his past self with disdain.
'Like you said, he probably just thinks he blacked out from drinking, and clearly the way for pirates to deal with hangovers is to be perpetually drunk.' Emma scoffed as she headed towards the bed, already in her nightgown after her bath.
'Aye, I suppose-' Killian spoke before abruptly stopping himself. Emma turned to see what the problem was, but he was only looking at her.
'What?' She asked self-consciously, patting her hair and looking down at her nightgown to see if something was wrong.
'Nothing, it's just your hair looks different wet; it's longer and darker.' She frowned at him, wondering why he was so fascinated with her hair. He read the confusion on her face as he walked over to her, brushing his hook through the wet strands slowly.
'The only other time I've seen you with wet hair was when I thought you had drowned.' His voice sounded distant, as if her hair was a trigger that sent him back to that incident. The thought of Emma dead caused a sharp pain in his chest, and he pulled her into his arms, causing her to muffle a yelp of surprise against his chest before sinking into his embrace.
'I've missed this.' Killian murmured as he rubbed his good hand cathartically against her back.
'Killian, I'm pretty sure we did 'this' this morning, just horizontally and in bed.' Emma replied, still sounding confused by his behaviour.
He laughed softly at her misunderstanding. 'I meant in general. Naturally when you're a pirate captain your life tends to lack the casual intimacy others experience every day. I haven't embraced someone like this in over 300 years.'
Emma was silent, shocked by his admission. She wasn't sure what surprised her the most, that it had been 3 centuries or that he hadn't hugged any of the women he had been with during that time (because she wasn't naïve, especially not after encountering past Hook in the tavern). She hugged him tighter just at the thought of him being alone for so long.
Killian noticed that for the rest of the night Emma made an effort to be closer to him, to snuggle under his arm or hold his hand as they talked in the candle light of the cabin.
'Killian.' Just the simple way she said his name made his heart clench as he tried to memorize the affection in her voice as they lay beside each other in bed.
'Aye, love?' He replied softly.
'Can I hear you sing?' Emma whispered.
He smiled, knowing she had probably wanted to ask him since that day she talked to Baggins. He cleared his throat in preparation and he felt Emma wiggle excitedly beside him.
'Come loose every sail to the breeze.
The course of my vessel improve;
I've done with the toils of the seas,
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love.
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love,
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love,
I've done with the toils of the seas,
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love.
Since Emma is true as she's fair,
My griefs I fling all to the wind,
'Tis a pleasing return for my care,
My mistress is constant and kind.
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love,
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love,
I've done with the toils of the seas,
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love.
My sails are all filled to my dear,
What tropic bird swifter can move?
Who, cruel, shall hold his career,
That returns to the nest of his love?
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love,
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love,
I've done with the toils of the seas,
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love.
Then hoist every sail to the breeze,
Come, shipmates, and join in the song;
Let's drink while the ship cuts the seas,
To the gale that may drive her along.
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love,
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love,
I've done with the toils of the seas,
Ye sailors, I'm bound to my love.'
Both of them where silent when he finished, and although she had wanted to hear his voice, he was more curious about what she thought of the song.
'Did you just add my name in?' She asked, and he let out a slightly relieved laugh.
'No, lass, that was the original song. I sang it a lot during the year we were apart, which is perhaps slightly ironic now.' He replied thoughtfully.
'What do you mean?' Emma said as she sat up in bed to look at him.
'The song is about a sailor rejoicing because his is going home to his love, Emma. He toasts the ship because it carries him back her. I suppose in our case I may not have sailed all the way, but my ship still got me back to you.'
He watched her eyes fill with tears and she furiously blinked to get rid of them before kissing him softly. 'I never really thanked you for coming back for me in New York. If you hadn't-'
'It was the right thing to do.' He said simply. The look in her eye told him she wanted say more, but she kept quiet, instead choosing to kiss him again. It was soft and tender, a contrast to the majority of their heated kisses so far. It had been a long time since Killian had shared a kiss that wasn't just fuelled by simple attraction and sexual tension and he was discovering how much he enjoyed kisses filled with emotion too.
'You're a very good singer by the way, Killian.' She giggled against his jaw.
'So I've been told.' He retorted before rolling them over until she was on her back. She squealed at the sudden movement and they laughed together at how ridiculously small the bed was. Emma soon stopped but the smile remained on her face, and it was one he knew was just for him.
A/N: The song that Killian sings is an old sailor song called 'Come, Loose Every Sail to the Breeze' I read it a few years ago and it just came back to me when I was thinking about what Killian would sing and I thought it was a good fit for them :)