Disclaimer: I do not own ONCE I'm just writing for fun..
Summary: A Au where Killian was taken with the first curse and is a Bartender at the Rabbit Hole...takes place right before the Sheriff's election
Emma ran through the the streets using her leather Jacket as a umbrella the weather report said clear skies she should have known that the weather would be weird here.
Between the mayor trying to exploit her at very turn and trying to keep her from Henry and struggling with her lingering feelings for Graham. Emma's eyes were still a little puffy from crying, the last thing she needed was rain.
Stupid StoryBrooke!
"Crap, I knew I shouldn't have left the Bug at home"! Emma said to herself as she tried to resist the urge to shiver, it was so cold!
She left the bug at home because this town was too small to drive a car around the streets hardly anybody uses a car around this town and now the one time she does not drive the bug it rains.
Emma stopped and looked around searching for any building with a light and unfortunately it was the Rabbit Hole. Normally, Emma tries to stay away from that place in the off chance she might run into some drunken moron trying to see if he could get lucky.
But, sadly it was the only building that had lights so Emma hesitantly entered the Rabbit Hole, she had never actually been inside it before, she was soon met with blasting classic rock and the loud cheers of the crowds as friends played drinking games and challenged each other.
" Hey Bar keep, I another shot"! A man called out rather rudely that even made her want to cringe at his manners he did not even have the density to sit in the stool correctly he was so drink he was slumping against the bar only half on the chair and half away the on the way to passing out.
Suddenly a man came out from behind the back of the bar, he glanced down at the other man then took the shot glass and then said, " I think that you have had enough Mate now get out of my bar or I will call the cops".
Emma gasped when she was him. He was gorgeous! Her breathing hitched as she watched him glance a way at the man. How was a man that good looking even legal? Dark hair, bright blue eyes, tall lean muscular. Oh the muscles.
Wait what? No, she could not afford to be heartbroken again, after all that happened with Neal and Graham. she can not afford to open her heart up again, everyone that tries to come either dies or leaves her she could not afford to be heartbroken again.
Emma stood near the door way with her mouth still open her eyes near leaving the man despite trying to warn herself the the risks, she could not take her eyes off him he was extraordinary.
Emma cleared her throat and then tried to remain firm and professorial, she knew that she was only acting sheriff until the election but, at least one day of feeling important. She took a deep breath and said,
" There's no need for that, The police is here, taken shelter from the rain so if you try to resist I will not hesitate to arrest you for disturbing the peace".
The man looked at her with amazement and awe his blue eyes staring directly into her soul, he gave her a reassuring smile as if he could look right through her, as if he knew exactly how she was feeling without having to say a word.
" Can I get you anything Lass"? The man said suggestively with a flirting undertone that made her shiver. The innuendo hitting her very core.
As he emphasized anything. And when he meant anything. He obviously meant it. Emma felt the blood rushing through her cheeks as she looked into his eyes suddenly lost in the them.
The man raised a eyebrow at her as cleared his throat making her jump and snap back into reality. He gave her a annoyingly sexy smirk that it hard for her look at him she brushed her hair back as she smiled at him shyly.
"Umm sure, a shot of Rum please I need something extra strong after what happened today". Emma said with a sigh as she watched him turn his back on her. Emma leaned over to the side so she can see his hard concentrated face as he poured the Rum in the glass.
As The man turned back he slides the glass towards her, Emma caught it and then smiled at him with a triumphant smirk that made him chuckle a bit. He wiped down the counter and said, "So what ills you Lass"?
Emma laughed and said, "Well its a long story, I'm not sure you want to know about me, after all I do not even know your name".
The man nodded and said, "Fair enough, after all a lady as beautiful as you deserves my full and dived purred as he leaned against the counter and said, "My name is Killian Jones".
Emma blushed and said, " Emma Swan". As she took her shot in one gulp she slammed her glass down on the counter and exhaled with relief when she felt the rum rush her head.
" Think you can take a break, and spend sometime with me or is there another girl you need to get back home to"? she teased as she leaned her chest against the counter.
Killian laughed and said, " You are one tempting Siren Swan, I find myself wonder how we have not met until now".
Emma perked up at the Siren part. Remembering that Henry had mentioned it as a part of her parents story or at least what she thought was her parents. It was a creature that could take any form that was pleasing to the victim.
" Have you been reading my son's book he had talked about Siren's in his book he thinks that my father killed the one in Lake Nostos he is a sweet kid and I want to believe him, but magic curses they are impossible". Emma said
A spark of recognition hit Killian's eyes and said, " Henry the mayors Kid, he is a brilliant Lad. There is a lot we do not understand, things that seemed impossible but were found to be right despite what science pointed to sometimes evidence is not the answer Swan".
Emma's lie decor went off. Something seemed off about Killian. Killian knew something she could tell he was holding back, what was he so afraid of? "Wait, do you actually believe that a Evil queen cursed a kingdom of fairy tale characters too"?
Killian sighed and said, "Aye, my punishment in the curse is that, I'm to be without my magnificent vessel The Jolly Rodger I also do not have my hook so I can not skin myself a crocodile".
Emma got the stool and backed a way a few steps and said, " Wait, you think you are Captain Fucking Hook are you serious do you know how crazy you sound"!
Killian looked down at the ground with a heartbroken expression on his face and said, " Like a mad man I'm sure, but trust me if you keep dodging the truth, you keep looking for evidence a logical explanation it will not not work you have to trust your gut".
Emma glared at him and with a sarcastic smile and a bitter sweet tone of voice she said, " Oh Yeah if you are Hook how do you still have your memories Henry told me how this curse worked you are even supposed to remember who you are"!
Killian sat down on the stool and said, " When the curse took me, I was told by Cora the Queen of hearts and mother of the Evil queen that we were to forget our lives. "
Emma listened carefully to the story, as much as she wished he was making this up there was a hopeless look on his face, his eyes down cast as if looking back at a painful memory she found herself wanting to reach for his hand to comfort him.
Somehow she found his story more believable then the one Henry had told her, there was something about his tone of voice that vulnerability his voice held. Emma knew in her heart he was not making this up, but that did not mean that Fairy tales were real, that Captain Hook was real.
"A part of me wanted to forget wanted to start over three hundred empty years of Neverland made my heart heavy. So I let it, but when I opened my eyes I was behind this bar, unable to leave the queen did not anticipate my arrival. So, I was not given a place to live I can not leave the Rabbit hole."
Killian took his hand in herself and then said, " Please try something new darling its called trust, I need someone that I can talk to twenty eight years in a bar with no way out has left me a broken man".
Emma shook her head and as she pulled away from his hand, her heart aching at the loss of warmth and said, "I already had enough to deal with this week tomorrow is the election! The last thing I need to think about is whether or not the sexy bartender in the Rabbit Hole is captain Hook"!
Killian looked at her with surprise but then he egoistical grin spread on his face as he pulled her up off the stool and into his lap and and said, "You think me as Sexy Swan well, the feeling is mutual. You are a very attractive woman, I find myself trying to resist the urge to kiss those lips of yours". He breathed out as he wrapped his arms around her neck.
Emma looked at him with shock and then blushed when she realized she did call him sexy out loud. She was just so torn between looking at him some more and putting faith in him, believing him, or running out the bar and never turning back but after what happened with Graham she felt like she needed to believe in the possibility that he was telling truth.
Emma blushed thinking about what Killian said. He thought she was beautiful, he wanted to kiss her. Emma bit her lip, she had just met him and already she felt her walls crumpling. For once Emma did not want to think about the consequences whether or not it was wrong, she decided to trust him.
Killian titled his head and said, " Some people find your silence as off putting but I do love a challenge". he said in a husky airy voice, he looked at her with a questioning look as he leaned closer to her. He did not want to kiss a lady if she did not want to be kissed it was bad form.
Emma smiled and said, " How about we order a few drinks first Captain"?. as she ran her hands down his chest, which she just noticed had a few buttons undone so she got a teasing view of his chest hair.
Killian shivered and then bit his lip down forcing himself to pull back and gently lifting her up from his lap as if he was about to dance with her and set her down near the stool.
He grabbed a few bottles of Rum and set them down next to tall glasses and began to pull the cork out with his mouth. Making Emma gasp and stare at him with shock and amazement. Suddenly Killian seemed to realize what he did and blushed.
" Sorry, force of habit, I know you do not quite believe yet, but my stump is hidden by the curse. So, three hundred years without two hands and you learn how to be more creative".He said nervously scratching the back of his neck.
Suddenly the more and more time she spends with this lonely Bartender a as she watched him drink a few shots rum she tried to picture him on the helm of a ship commanding a crew. And finding out that it was not so hard to picture as she thought it would.
Captain Killian Jones....She thought thinking about the title for a moment her heart skipping a beat at the sound. It is times like this when she had hope that maybe the curse was real, she would have loved to see Killian's ship.
Emma looked at him with sympathy as she reached over to his right hand and then squeezed it tightly around hers. She jumped a bit when she looked down and was amazed at how well there hands fit together, she looked at him and noticed he was looking at their hands he too seemed to notice how good their hands looked linked together.
They looked at each other with amazement in awe and then finally they both started to lean in, he rested his hand on her cheek and She titled her head and closed her eyes there lips a few milometers away from each other.
Suddenly someone bursted through the doors, It was Mary Margret and she looked exhausted and distraught and said, " Emma its Regina her house is on Fire, we think someone tried to break in, you have to go help her".
Emma got off the stool and then looked at Killian with a apologetic look Killian looked disappointed and hurt but nodded with understand a lingering look that seemed to ask " See you tomorrow"?
Emma blushed and then gave him a small nod and then grabbed her red leather Jacket rushing over towards the mayor's house. Leaving a very love struck Pirate Bartender in her wake.
Killian had spent so long looking for revenge he never thought he would ever find love again after today with his little flirtatious encounter with Swan maybe he still had hope of redemption.
" She one tough lass, she would one hell of a Pirate.."