Once Upon a Ball

Part IV

"Do you ever not smolder?" She finally recovered.

"Around you... never." He winked at her faux nonplussed expression. "Before your personal guards come barging in, one of the guards finally seeing me here in plain sight. I just wanted to give you a congratulations on not marrying gift."

Emma raised her brow, hands on her hips, an expectant expression on her face.

"You have to come closer."

"Not a chance, I know how you work." She pursed her lips, eyes narrowing as if to make her point.

"Then I guess," Hook dramatically sighed as he lifted a necklace so he could see it at eye level. "You don't want this."

"My necklace!" Emma gasped at her grandmother's teardrop pendant. She practically flew to the window. However as she went to grab it, Hook stopped her. "Uh uh, turn around princess. My gift so I get to choose how you receive it."

"What? That is not your gift! That was my grandmother's-" she yelled as she felt gentle fingers brush her blonde hair away from her neck. A cool metal touched her front causing her to look down. It was the necklace.

"Happy Birthday Princess Emma." Killian Jones whispered into her ear before kissing her shoulder lightly his lips warm against her skin.

However as fast as the kiss came, it was over and her doors were thrown open.

"Princess!" Her personal guards yelled before charging to her and the window. But they were too late as he was already gone, sliding down a ladder of all things.

-!-!-

It was already noon and Killian knew they had to set sail soon or else. It was only so long a pirate ship as large as the Jolly Roger could stay hidden. Even so, his heart wasn't in it and he couldn't help but wonder why. Yet as he looked across the way, spotting Snow White's castle in the distance he smiled ruefully.

"Captain! Captain!" Came Jan's exuberant cries.

"Jon, what news have you brought with you today?" He asked the boy.

"Not just news today but I think you will be quite pleased, I brough-"

"Me,"

At the feminine voice, Hook sharply turned to the entrance of his ship. Long blonde hair fell over a long sleeved top with a slight v just hinting at the curves underneath while a sapphire tear drop pendant was on display. Delicate hands, at least the façade of them, rested on the hips of a pair of tight form fitting white riding pants, just tucked into a pair of brown boots. "Miss me Pirate?"

For the first time in a long time, Captain Hook was speechless.

"I left a note for my parents that I will be back on my twenty-first birthday."

At those words, Killian finally got his bearings as he realized that she was no illusion. "Why?" He drew out the word.

"Because that is the day of my coronation and I will have to learn how to rule beside my parents."

"And just what are you doing on my ship?" He couldn't help but ask.

"Because you owe me a favor." She smiled at last, a little too brightly actually.

"I do?"

"Yes... You stole my first kiss." She scowled.

"Your first? Now... really?" He said contemplative at first as his face seemed to brighten more and more with each passing second.

"Yes," She gritted.

He merely gave a rather wolfish grin. "Why though do you want to travel with a bunch of pirates? Unless it's rather me you're after."

Emma sighed as she rolled her eyes. "You're absolutely full of yourself Hook. But what you said... I'm taking it to heart. One day I will have to rule, without my parents but before I can do so with confidence, I want to know my people. Travel amongst them, learn their struggles, their heartbreaks, their joys... and only then can I sit confidentially on the throne with my parents." She said staring straight at him, as if daring him to say otherwise.

Slightly scratching his head with his good hand, Hook looked off over the mast at the endless ocean. So she did listen to him, who knew? But he had told no lies, she would make a fine queen. "Fine lass but I think my ruining your engagement was my favor for your kiss."

She glared, making him grin.

"However princess I will take you along with me... for a kiss of your own accord."

"A kiss?" She repeated as he nodded, the grin never leaving his lips.

His blue eyes watched hers, watching her internal struggle. His grin though faded a bit as she strode determinedly at him. Her hands went for his hair, pulling him down almost roughly but the kiss was anything but. Her lips were soft and melded against his like as if she was made just for him. "There," She said breathlessly as the hoots and hollers of his crew grew louder around them. "Now you have to take me along."

"Indeed." Hook agreed, gazing down at her in wonder and maybe just slightly awestruck.

Emma pushed herself out of his arms because she just knew that she would do something she wouldn't regret persay but embarrass her nonetheless. Like kissing Hook again. Walking away, she turned back as she made it to the main mast. "And I'm taking your cabin,"

Hook looked up. "Now that was not part of the deal. It is called the captain's quarters for a reason."

"And I am a princess as you fondly remind me often enough." She smirked at him, his smirk... leaving him quite speechless before she turned around to enter his cabin without another word. And his crew, a few of the boys followed her, probably already wrapped around her fingers like he was, carrying trunks that he knew could only be hers. Even though he had just been basically put down into his place by a princess, Killian Jones couldn't help but wonder just how this adventure would turn out.
~~!~~!~~
Thank you so much for reading!

I hope that you guys had as much fun reading this as I did writing. They're just so much fun to write because of their chemistry! Hoping that I portrayed it to the best of my ability. But yay another story done :)

Hope to hear what you guys think.