We Can Love Again

Stepping it Up

"That's how it's done," she said, rather triumphantly. "Your turn." Emma gave Killian a lighthearted smirk.

"I didn't realize you were a professional..." He muttered, taking his stance. He bit his tongue to keep the pressure of Emma staring at him from making him worse than he knew he already was.

Hook missed all but two, causing Emma to let out a small laugh. "You have to put more force into it," she told him, swiping the last one from his hands before he could use it.

"Do it like this."

She pinned the target and threw the ring, watching it has it successfully landed on the rod. The man running the booth presented her with a box of prizes, and she quickly chose a glass necklace with a leather string.

"Whoa, lady you gotta show us how you do that." One of the teenage boys said, looking at her like she wasn't from that world.

"First off, lady? Oh hell no. Just because I'm thirty doesn't mean I'm a lady. Secondly, I don't give lessons to boys."

He raised an eyebrow. "I'm fifteen! And you're the hottest lady I've never seen."

"Now you listen here mate-"

"Okay, let's go Hook," Emma growled, forcing him away from them. They walked swiftly back into the flow of people.

"Gross," she muttered to herself, trying to wipe the disgusted look off her face. "Hey look, it's of those strength tester things." She said, pointing towards the tall rod with the bell on top. Killian knew he had to step up his game, she already beat him once.

"Are you feeling luckily today sir?" The man asked as soon as they got there, handing Hook a worn mallet.

"Always," he responded, fitting it comfortably in his palm before giving Emma one of his looks.

He propped it up on his shoulder and swung it down with an inpendable amount of force, causing the metal ball in the middle to soar all the way up to the top, where it caused the bell to clang loudly. Killian gave Emma an extremely pleased look.

"You're such a showoff," she said, rolling her eyes, "let me have a whack at it."

Hook gladly took his prize, a small wooden horse, and handed the mallet to her. "You can try, love."

Although she thought the pirate acting like a complete ass was amusing, she was tired of letting him take the lead on things. She was Emma Swan; she was a dragon slayer and a curse breaker. It was time for her to step up.

She shrugged off her black jacket, revealing her red t- shirt. Crashing the hammer down, the bell sounded in a split second. Emma straightened up and smiled slyly over towards the dumbstruck pirate who was without a doubt checking out her forearms. She took her wooden horse and examined it for a few seconds.

"My horse is better than yours," she grinned, walking off before he could say a response.

Killian shook his head slightly, turning to follow her back down the street. So it begins, he thought. Game on, Swan.

--

The man paced the floor of the small room back and forth, a puzzled look on his face.

Was Emma really not into him anymore?

Neal just didn't understand it- he knew he should have tried to make a move on her sooner, but he didn't want to rush anything. She was always so hesitant to have those conversations with him ever since he came back. But then, just like that, she goes for the pirate because he asks her out on a date?