Hearts of Adventure, an once upon a time fanfic

Red had spent many a night gazing out her window, longing to find the adventure she so desperately craved. Simply looking out of her small cottage into the woods didn't cut if for her. She did love the forest, but she longed to go beyond the Enchanted Forest. She wanted to see worlds beyond, and find herself again. She had found control of her wolf, and so the one thing that had kept her hostage for so long should have been gone. And yet, she still remained in the cottage. She was caged like a wild beast, and she wanted to escape her loneliness.

Killian Jones had spent years and years sailing the seas with his crew. But even on a ship full of men, he felt the emptiness consume him at times. He had the respect, and love, of his crew, but that's not what he wanted. Emptiness and loneliness had consumed him without the love that he had lost. Anger, hatred, and revenge had taken over his heart. He couldn't imagine anyone being so lonely.

Won't you come out?
We can paint the town red
Kill a little time
You can sleep when you're dead
'Cause it isn't over yet
Get it outta your head

Killian Jones had seen her before. She was always quiet and closed off, but he could tell she didn't want to be. Her face lit whenever she saw the sailors come in. Nothing could keep her from at least hearing about them. Her beauty did not warrant such a sad look.

He called to her one evening. That same look in her eyes that he knew so well because he had seen it in himself before. The sadness of lost love, and he knew it. She was desperate to do something. "You look like you're looking for some adventure, lass," he drawled.

Her eyes flickered up to him, looking up at him through long lashes. "It's possible."

"Want to raise some hell?" he asked devilishly. The woman's eyes lit up with excitement. He could see that love for risk and adventure in those mischievous eyes. She had been cooped up for far too long, and he could see it as plain as day on her face. He also saw a long for feeling. She needed to feel something, and to do something so out of her own element. "Well, love, looks like I've found my company for the night. Would you agree?" He winked at her with a sly smirk.

"I'd say you had," she replied with a mirrored thirst in her eyes. The pair drank and found company in each other.

After getting thrown out of the third tavern of the night, the captain and his new companion returned to the Jolly Roger. "Fancy a voyage?" he asked suggestively.

Red knew the double meaning, but she knew what he truly meant as well. He wasn't just asking her to join him for the night. He was asking her to join him for an adventure. He was offering her an escape from her loneliness. So, only one answer was clear to her. "Yes."

Chase a couple hearts,
We could leave them in shreds,
Meet me in the gutter,
Make the devil your friend,
Just remember what i said,
'cause it isn't over yet
Just remember what I said,
'cause it isn't over yet

Killian Jones had chased women all over the world. He had had many a woman while in port, but none had kept his attention for longer than one night. Then Red had entered his life. He had invited her on an adventure, and she hadn't left his side since. She had become part of the crew. Even after they had shared their night together, she didn't leave. He didn't want her to, either. Red had become a part of his life that he wasn't willing to part with, and would not allow anyone else to rip her from him.

At first, she had reminded him of Milah. When he first picked her in the tavern, it was partially because she looked so much like his lost love. But as he started to get to know her, he realized how different she was. She wasn't running from a reputation, and she wasn't running out on the people who needed her. Red was finding herself instead.

Before they had set sail, Red had gone back to her cottage to warn her granny. Killian knew that the widow wasn't happy to lose the young woman, but Red was set on what she wanted. She wanted to sail. She didn't want to be lonely. The crew, and Killian himself, had given her the companionship she wanted. She wasn't alone anymore. She was with her new family, the people who had quickly come to care for her.

He couldn't help but think that maybe he hadn't lost his heart the way he thought he had. Perhaps he had just lost part of it, and Red was quickly growing on him. After their first night together, they had had liaisons behind the closed doors of his quarters. He couldn't get her out of his mind after that first night, and he could only hope that she felt the same way. He found himself looking at her when she worked on deck, just missing her stolen glances at him.

Red had made friends with the devil. Killian thought so, anyways. He was the devil, and she chose to go along with him. But he couldn't bring himself to tell her so.

Killian had made friends with the devil, but Red couldn't bring herself to tell him. She didn't want him to give up on her the way that she had once given up on herself.

Shortly after she had joined the crew, he had told her that he wouldn't let her go. He said that no matter where either of them went, they would always be but a thought away. As they looked at the stars one night on the deck of the Jolly Roger, he had turned to look at her. "The second star to the right. Beyond there lies Neverland."

"How far do you have to sail?" she asked softly.

Killian gave her his usual smirk. "Straight on 'till morning, love."

Say you have a little faith in me,
Just close your eyes and let me lead,
Follow me home
Need to have a little trust in me
Just close your eyes and let me lead,
Follow me home to where the lonely ones roam

Hidden behind the door of his quarters, Killian had Red against the door wrapped up in a passionate kiss. He couldn't get close enough to her. His good hand gripped her hip with bruising force. Her breathy moans and nips at his neck drove him wild. He couldn't help but nip back as clothing fell away from their headed bodies.

When they were sated, lazing around on his bed quite a while later, Red propped herself up on one elbow to look at him. His hand was drawing lazy patterns on her upper arm with a content smile on his lips. "Killian," she muttered, his real name feeling right on her lips.

"Yes, love?"

"If I were to go visit the Enchanted Forest, would that be the end of our adventures?" she asked, slight fear evident in her voice.

"Of course not." He thought through a quick plan for a few seconds. "We could make port for a few days, get you back to visit those you wish before we set sail again," he replied.

"Would you…. Would you stay with me while we were in port?" she asked.

"Naturally, love." He pressed kiss to her lips, which she gladly returned.

Just a week later, they made port. Killian and Red traveled through the Enchanted Forest, through the heavy woods that she knew so well. Killian was far from ease in the unfamiliar environment. He did not like being so far away from the sea, but for the woman with him, he would do it. She led him through the trees towards her old home where she had felt so lonely. She still missed Granny, but she had found what she was looking for in the Jolly Roger crew. A visit was nice, but she was not ready to give up her adventures yet.

"Are you leading me to my doom, lass? We've been walking for hours," Killian jested. His blue eyes were slightly wary of the unfamiliar geography.

Red stopped walking, and he stopped right next to her. Her eyes bore into his. "Close your eyes," she whispered softly. He gave her an incredulous look that screamed his discomfort, but she didn't give in. "Killian, do you trust me?" she asked. The man before her nodded slowly. "Then close your eyes."

He tried to resist, but he couldn't say no to her. He followed her instructions and allowed his lids to fall over his sea colored eyes. "Now follow me." She took his hand in hers and led him further through the forest.

Won't you come out?
I've been waiting for you
Holding by breath 'till my body turn blue
We got everything to lose
Yeah, I'm waiting on you

Red had taken time for just her and Granny. She gave Killian a map and sent him out for firewood. Even though he was wary of the request, he did as she asked. She was never unreasonable, so he always did. But, to be fair, she generally did as he requested. When he did return, he found nothing but hostility from the widow of the house. She tried to send him away, but little did the woman know that Killian was hiding just behind the tree line. He had seen the look of sadness and loneliness take Red's face again when he had caught a glimpse of her before Granny had slammed the door in his face.

He returned when he saw the warm light of a flame fall over the green floor of the clearing. He peered out from his hiding place, and there she was. Red was leaning out her window, throwing a shadow in the yellow light. He felt his breath catch. He knew her beauty well, but something about the warm light casting shadows on her soft features took the pirate's breath away.

He checked the clearing for the old widow. When he found no sign of her, he rushed out towards the cottage.

Red's face was alight with joy when she saw the dark clad man rushing towards her open window. "Killian! She won't let me leave," she whispered when he was just a breath away from her.

His face was mere inches away from hers. "Then run away with me. We did it once, why not do it again?"

Red bit her lip, weighing all that could go wrong and could go right. "I can't. She'll find out."

"I'm not giving you up, Red. I'll be back," he said sternly.

"I know you will, Killian. But I can't run away with you again," she said softly, sadness evident in her voice.

"Then maybe I'll stay a while to convince you," he retorted.

Suns come up and there's no one else around,
Meet me in the shadows while you tell me what you found
You got everything to lose
Yeah, I'm waiting on you

Staying in port was a difficult thing for the pirate to do. The call of the sea was right beneath his skin, waiting for him to follow their instructions. But he couldn't give her up either.

Whenever she would go out, he would find her. He stole kisses with her. He wasn't going to let her go. He wanted back what he had lost. He wanted her back on his ship. He wanted the looks she gave him when no one else is around. He wanted everything she had to offer.

He would come to the cottage in the dead of night. He'd climb through her window for a stolen night in the shadows with her. He wanted nothing more than to keep her to himself. "I'm not leaving without you. I don't care how long it takes," he said sternly during one of their nights.

"I can't keep you tethered here," she replied sadly. "You belong on the sea, and I belong in the forest."

Killian set a stern look to her. "You belong in the forest, yes. But to be chained here the way you are. I think that's your Gran talking, not you."

"Killian…" The captain of the Jolly Roger was on the deck of his ship, almost ready to give up on the woman he wanted to take with him. He had waited so long for her, and he was growing tired of being away from his home on the sea. He turned to look at the source of the voice, and came face to face with his Red. "You were right."

"Right about what?" he asked in reply. He knew exactly what she was talking about. He hadn't seen her since he had said she was talking from her Granny's beliefs and not her own. He had felt bad about it after, and he had feared he had lost her. That's why he had run back to his ship, to his safe haven.

"About me. I do belong in the forest, but I can't be chained there. I want to go on adventures again. And, more importantly than that, I want to go on those adventures… with you."

Not caring what members of his crew were looking on at the interaction, Killian drew the woman in for a searing kiss. "You always have a place here, Red. Welcome aboard the Jolly Roger, my love."

"Where are we going?" Red asked.

"Do you trust me?" Killian replied. Red nodded. "Then close your eyes." She did as he requested. "We're ready to set sail, m'boys."

Roam with me,
Come down to where all of the others fell
Get lost in the dark to find yourself

Together, they traveled around once more. Their adventures seemed endless, as did their deepening feelings for each other. They sailed by the light of the stars. They told each other about their past demons. Red had told of her wolf, and Killian told of his hatred for Rumplestiltskin. Both had thought that love was a far off concept for them. They had both thought that they had lost their only love, but were finding that perhaps it wasn't true.

"How many women have fallen in love with you?" Red asked one day as she gazed at the stars over the edge of the ship.

Killian chuckled. "Honestly, I only know of one. She was the only one I gave enough time to even have the chance."

Red gazed at his handsome face with her eyes filled with admiration. "Perhaps two," she stated simply. His expression turned to one of shock. "Yes, Killian, that's exactly what I meant."

His eyes looked for deceit, but found none. She truly meant what she had said. She hadn't actually said it, but he did know what she was telling him. "I love you, too," he said softly.

Just remember what i said,
No, it isn't over yet

She looked around at the blue sea around them. "We're there, aren't we?"

Killian came up behind her, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist. He pressed a kiss to the juncture of her neck and shoulder. "Where's that, my love?"

"Past the second star to the right," Red said. She could see the island in the distance with hills and mountains of green rising above the water that spanned before them.

He smiled into her shoulder. "Yes, yes we are. We've gone to Neverland. We can stay here and sail forever."

Red could see the appeal. She did miss her forests, but nothing kept her heart the way the man behind her did. They would continue moving through the worlds together. Whether she was running in the forest, or off on adventures with him, she knew she would be happy as long as he was beside her. They had overcome so much to be together. They always found each other, and she wouldn't lose him.