Hey guys! Again, I apologize for making this so late, and it taking so long! I hope you enjoy it though! But anyways, on with the chapter!
Also, if you guys have questions on anything that was unclear drop a comment so I can answer them or try to make them more clear in the book! CONSTRUCTIVE criticism is GREATLY appreciated! :)
Emma spent nearly every second of the next two days in her room. She couldn't stand to see Hook, after feeling all the guilt and hurt that she had bubbling inside her.
To be truthful, Emma did miss her family... She knew that when she got back they would force her into marriage, and she would have less than a year before her coronation. But would she be ready for all that, just to go home to her parents? Did she really want to leave the new life she had established on the ocean?
The unpacked things around her confirmed her thinking. She wasn't ready to leave her newfound friends, and she wasn't ready to leave the man she had grown to care for deeply.
She wanted to stay, but she just didn't know how to approach Hook about it. She knew how he felt about her, but he was not one to let his feelings get in the way of his decisions. So maybe he would feel better if she were gone, for both the benefit of him and his crew.
She still didn't know anything for sure, but she never would unless she asked.
XXX
She knocked before entering, but after a few minutes, she knew he wasn't in his cabin.
Instead of waiting, she walked right in without an invitation, and sat down on his bed.
It felt like forever passed the more she sat there. She didn't even know where he was, just that she needed to talk to him. So she continued to wait until he came back, as patiently as she could.
Soon, the door jiggled, her eyes flashing in that direction as it opened to reveal the captain.
He stood with an odd gaze her way that began as something hopeful, but was soon masked with anger. He gritted his teeth, eyes darkening as he took a step toward the blonde on his bed. "What are you still doing here, Swan? I gave you an order, and I expect that order to be carried out!" He growled, trying to keep his voice down.
Emma didn't get angry back, she just took a heavy breath, keeping her eyes on his. She stood up, walking towards him cautiously. Emma held a certain grace and poise that she had slowly felt return to her after her secret was out. Hook had told the crew, but she was actually somewhat grateful. So much she had held back, so hard had she tried to be someone else. She could finally go back to being herself.
But that didn't mean that she wanted to leave the ship, the place she had began to call home. Sure, she was complete opposite of the people on here, and sure she wouldn't be treated fairly with the fact that she was royalty, but she loved everyone here.
Some more than others.
Emma licked her lips, playing with a piece of her hair. She held onto the fact that he still called her Swan, because it gave her hope. That even though she had broken his heart, he still cared.
"Maybe I don't want to leave," she said quietly.
Hook raised both his eyebrows. "What was that?"
She brought herself closer to him, staring him down with sincerity.
"I don't want to leave, Killian." Emma admitted.
Killian looked at her in surprise, and felt joy rise up in him. He shook with excitement. Then, he remembered everything that had happened, and suddenly, he wished she didn't want to stay. It was much easier for him to let her go if there were no emotional strings attached. "Well I want you to." He tried to make it sound intimidating, he tried to sound angry. But looking straight into her glimmering green eyes filled him with anything but anger. His voice was almost low, the glare he gave Emma softened, and any fool could tell how he was lying through his teeth.
The lie gave Emma pause for a brief moment. She raised her eyebrows, pain hitting her like a migraine. But then, she looked into his crystal blue orbs, really looked, and saw everything he wanted to say.
She briefly smiled, taking a deep breath as she realized how truly conflicted he was.
"Killian, I know you're lying—"
"No, I'm not Emma," he tried to growl.
"Yes you are." She took a step closer, invading his personal space. "But you aren't only lying to me, you're lying to yourself. Telling yourself what you want to hear, what you think you should hear." Emma's eyes were probing in a caring way, wanting to help Killian as best she could.
Hook growled, "you know nothing about me!"
Emma shook her head. "I may not know everything. But I know you are Killian Jones. You had a brother named Liam, who died 300 years ago. You became a pirate because of him, and then you fell in love with Milah. When she died, your hand got cut off by Rumplestilskin, and then—"
"Emma, stop!"
"—you went to Neverland. You came back to your home centuries later, and met me—"
"Emma!"
"—and I fell in love with you." Emma finished quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Killian's mouth looked like it was about to form the shape of an O as he stared at the blonde. "You... what?" He couldn't have heard her right. There is no way in hell that someone like Emma could love, even care for, someone like him.
Emma glared at him, nearly rolling her eyes at the fact that she would have to repeat herself. But her eyes shed the annoyance, and a look of admiration appeared. "I love you, Killian." She smiled up at him, taking another step closer. "And I don't want to leave you. I miss my family, yes, but I would give up a castle with a golden throne, my parents, and the ridiculous princes just to spend one lifetime with you." Her declaration was short and simple, but she got through to the pirate.
He melted, every hard emotion and wall around him disappearing. "You can't possibly be in love with Captain Hook." Killian took a step closer, eyeing her closely, trying to see past any lies she may be telling.
She looked up slowly. "You're right. I'm not in love with Captain Hook, actually."
Killian felt all joy in him squeeze into a ball of fury.
"Captain Hook is just a mask he wears to hide his true self. And that's the one that I'm in love with. The real, true Killian Jones, and everything that comes with it." Emma smiled, stroking Hook's jaw softly.
He gave a goofy grin, eyes lighting up like crystal blue sapphires, before smashing his lips to her's.
Emma responded quickly, wrapping her arms around his neck, pulling him closer to her. Her slender fingers gripped at his hair, playing with the straight, black colored locks at the nape of his neck.
Killian couldn't concentrate. Usually his moves were quite planned. He had a purpose, he knew how he wanted it to play out, what his endgame was.
But with Emma, he found himself so lost in the passion, he couldn't think straight. No woman had ever had quite this effect on him, not even his lovely Milah. Sure she caused him plenty of heartbreak, 300 years worth in fact, but he found himself truly wanting to start over with Emma.
He paused slightly in his movements, just enough time to move them to the bed across the room.
He laid her down upon in, gazing down at her angelic features, her golden halo of hair spread across the pillow.
"Emma Swan, I love you so much. You have no idea how crazy you make me, how head over heels I am for you, darling." Hook admitted with adoration and lust filled in his voice.
It wasn't quite the declaration of love he had hoped to give her, but there would be plenty of times to tell her.
He hoped there would be many I love you's in the future, many kisses, many comforting moments. He couldn't stop his mind from wandering to the memories they would share together, how truly beautiful their life as Killian and Emma would be.
Killian wanted to run his mind through all the possible adventure they could have together, especially on the vast sea, but with the clothes flying off his chest and her's, his mind and mouth were currently preoccupied.
Yes, Killian would have plenty of time to ponder over the future, but he found that he quite enjoyed living in the now.
XXX
Emma laid her head upon his shoulder, inhaling his scent of the salty sea. Her hand softly traced the dark hair on his bare chest. Underneath the sheets, their legs tangled in a inescapable knot, with no possible way of knowing who's legs were who's.
Killian's eyes were shut, a content smile on his light pink lips.
Emma stared at the features of the man, noticing how much more at peace and ease he seemed.
"Killian?" she asked softly.
"Hmm?" He didn't open his eyes, just smiled even more so.
She was going to ask him about their journey home, how that was all going to play out. But she was happy to see him so joyful. Emma couldn't bear to bother him with questions.
"I just thought... I just—"
"Yes, love?"
"Well, I just thought you should know my last name isn't actually Swan. I technically don't have a true last name. But with the way you kept yelling Swan for the past hour..." Emma smirked, recalling the activities that had just taken place.
Killian grinned, opening his eyes and planting a kiss on her full, luscious lips. "So? Does that mean I can't call you Swan anymore?" Killian pouted, pulling Emma closer to him.
Emma pondered over this, but the thought that Killian would call her anything else saddened her for some reason. "No of course not. I actually love it..." She smiled lightly. She never had liked nicknames, but she loved the fact that Killian had one especially for her.
"Well, I'm glad we are in agreement then. I wasn't going to stop even if you wanted me to." Killian laughed, shrugging his shoulders, and leaning over to blow out the candle on the nightstand.
"Ever the pirate, I see." Emma joked, meeting his blue eyes as she snuggled into his chest.
Killian beamed, his face lighting up so bright it was practically glowing in the dark of midnight. "Always." He swooped down, dropping a soft kiss on her forehead. Settling back into the sheets, he began brushing his fingers into her long, silky hair. She hummed lightly, her eyes shutting from exhaustion.
"Killian, will you make me a promise?" Emma questioned after a moment of silence.
"Anything for you, my dear."
Emma hesitated. "Promise me that you won't leave me, at least not without a reason, or without a goodbye." She didn't want Hook just walking out on her, and she didn't want to be just another one of his shameful one night stands. Someone he just tossed aside the next day, or whenever he got tired of her.
Hook glanced down at her, tightening his grip on her waist. "It pains me to think that you believe, even for a second, that I would want to leave you. Ever. I love you, Emma, and unless something unforgivable happens, I probably always will." Killian's voice was so full of admiration that Emma found him convincing.
Or maybe she just loved him so much that she didn't care whether or not he was lying. She just wanted to stay in this bed, comfortably on his chest, wrapped tightly in his arms. Forever and always.
XXX
The small port of Cobalt was about two thousand miles from her home, but it still gave her worry that people from her kingdom would be around. She knew that it was highly unlikely. She'd been missing for months, surely, they'd have given up on their quest by now...
But the more she thought about it, the more stressed she became. If she had been gone longer, would they be searching in every crack of the earth, even the ones most distant from her home?
Emma felt jittery every time her mind wandered over it. Though she would love to go home and visit her parents, it angered her to think that the way she might be reunited with them is by capture from her own kingdom...
What would her parents think when they realized she had gone rogue? What would her kingdom think of her as a "pirate princess"?
Her mind spun, and she clung tightly to Killian as they swaggered through the small port. Though it wasn't a pirate port necessarily, the sailors here didn't bother them. They went with the ways of the sea, and perhaps they didn't approve of a pirate's life, but they knew better than to cross one.
Killian noticed Emma's unease, and wondered if maybe she was uncomfortable in Port Cobalt. But he thought back at the many places they had traveled, and this one seemed, by far, the easiest to handle.
He noticed the way her eyes seem glazed over, and they were very concentrated. He assumed she was over-thinking something (a typical habit of Emma's), and though he wanted to ask if she was okay, he didn't think she would tell him.
But... If they were going to do this correctly, then he better step a foot in the right direction.
He pulled her aside, and she seemed so troubled that she hardly noticed the way he practically dragged her against the cobblestone.
He stood firm, staring her down intensely, but not to a point where it would make her feel uneasy. "Emma, I know something is the matter, so don't you dare lie to me."
Emma snapped back to reality, "what?" She barely heard Hook's voice. It had sounded like something from a dream... Like when you hear someone talking, but your imagination is so out of sorts the words seem like they are being said through water.
Hook got a bit irritated, but relaxed when he saw her ashamed, rosy face. "I just want to know what's wrong, Emma. I can tell you are out of sorts, please tell me. I want to help you if I can."
Emma debated on whether or not to tell him the truth. She was never really one to share her feelings, but like Hook, she figured that if they were going to be together, she might as well be honest. All relationships are built on a truthful foundation, right?
She took an unsteady breath, running a hand through her unbrushed hair that she pulled to the side of her face. Even though it was Killian, one of the few people she trusted with her life, she was still nervous about sharing personal thoughts. As close as her and her parents had been, she never really told them things a child would tell a parent. Sure, she would tell them stories and funny things she would do with her very few friends, but she was never the type to go, hey mom, there is this really cute boy down at the market... or, my best friends have already turned into adults, so why haven't I? No, she usually kept stuff like that to herself, so that's probably why she'd always been a little scared of telling people anything. But this was different. This was Killian for Gods' sake!
"I just—I'm scared. I'm terrified that I'm going to get captured by someone from my kingdom, and I'm going to have to go back home." Emma shrugged it off like it was no big deal, but Killian knew it was a much bigger problem than she made it out to be.
"You make it sound like that would be a bad thing to get taken back to your castle." Killian replied softly.
Emma gave him a pointed look. "Because it would. It would be bad and you know it. Not only would we have to be separated," she said, softly touching his cheek. "But if they found you with me... Captain Hook..." She trailed off, frowning.
Killian took a heavy breath. "I suppose that makes sense." He had never admitted this to anyone but himself, but sometimes he didn't want to be a bad guy anymore. He wanted to be a normal man, to be with the woman he loved, to be able to get married, raise a family with her and meet her parents. But he knew that with his past reputation, his pain, he would never be able to become what he wanted to be. He would never be able to give up his pirating ways, that much was for sure.
"Killian?" Emma asked slowly.
So lost in thought, he hadn't really noticed her concerned gaze, and he shook his head as he came back down to Earth. He kissed her gently, not knowing what she said.
She pulled away, smiling with a curious glance in her eyes. "What was that for?" she asked, laying a hand on his chest to try and get an answer out of him before he kissed her for a second time.
Killian shook his head playfully, shrugging. "Must I have a reason to kiss the woman that I love?" he asked simply, raising an eyebrow.
Emma laughed, a laugh that made Killian's eyes light up with happiness. She laid a soft kiss on his light pink lips. "I love you too, Killian." She grinned.
And though all seemed happy and well, two second after that, the worse possible thing happened.
Maybe not the worst thing, but this, this was most definitely a close second.
When she gazed over Killian's shoulder, she saw the one person she never suspected to be in this rat hole of a town.
Her father.
I was going to add and make this chapter longer, but I decided you guys are going to have to wait for it! ;) We have lots of action coming up in these next final chapters!!
Sadly, the end is nearing, but don't worry, we have lots of exciting times that await before this story comes to a conclusion.
Thank you all for being such lovely readers! I love you all!! ❤️