Please, don't spoil everything this time.

Chapter 32 : What matters the most.

- Do you trust him ?

Strangely, now, it was the only certitude she had got.

- Yes. I do.

- Then, just wait and see."

Other weeks passed, being the same, the pirate continuing to do the same thing again and again, and they continued liking it, liking him, and not knowing what to do about it.

Until Emma and Neal decided they could give him a chance.

§§§§

It was an... unusual relationship, to say the least.

It hadn't been easy, at first, to accept this : the fact that they were both attracted to another person than the one with who they were married, while still being in love with the person in question.

Hook didn't seem to have any problems with that.

In the three of them, strangely, Neal had been the one who was at first the most reluctant in this situation.

The one who always said no, before saying yes.

And indeed, him and Emma didn't agree about the fact that pirate may have or may have not abandoned his revenge.

Neal was scared that it was not the case, while Emma, who was surrounded by people who came back on the good side, thought they could leave him a chance to redeem himself.

"What if all of this was just a joke Emma ? A trick ? What if he didn't care at all ? That he didn't care about us ? And didn't care about ruining everything between us ?

- I know that you remember him as a terrible man, but... your father did this, he changed, and he was far more in darkness that Killian is now, or used to be. And by the way, if you want to fix things with him, and stop getting nightmares or bad memories about what he did to you, you should tell him who you are. And talk with him.

- No, I won't. I don't want to.

- Why ? Oh, bloody hell, Neal, why are you that damn stubborn ? Again ? You did the same fucking stupid thing with your father, and it made you loose three years ! Three years before you saw him again, before you could start to heal. Why do you want to do this again ?

- Hook doesn't know that I am Baelfire. So, as Neal, I can ask him questions, and know if he still wants to get revenge, and...

- And to know if he cares about you ? I mean, about Baelfire.

- Yes. Maybe. I don't know.

- You still love him, don't lie to me.

- Emma. He doesn't love me. He didn't love me at this time, as Baelfire, he doesn't love me as Neal. And he won't. It's as simple as it seems to be.

- No, it's not, she contradicted him. Can you remind me who he came to see at first ? With who he flirted first ? You ! Not that I am being jealous, but it says clearly who caught his look first. If he is interested by both of us, then, he is interested by you too. And you have to accept it. And I don't think it's a thing you don't like.

- It's just a coincidence Emma... What if... what if he just wanted to use us ? We are both royals, and so we are powerful, and close to the Sorcerer... What if all of this was just a cruel game ?

Emma then realized something she didn't see before, and she had a sad smile.

- You are afraid of getting hurt, right ?"

He nodded.

"Of course I am !

- So it means that you care. This is what I told you before. You still love him.