Just some Captain Charming Friday fun :)

While enjoying his usual morning breakfast at Granny's, Killian suddenly found himself with a guest. David slid into the empty booth across from him and attempted a casual "good morning," but given his out-of-the-ordinary appearance and general look of consternation, it was easy for Killian to tell that something was up. (Apparently, his ability to read Emma so well was inherited on her part.)

"What brings you in today, David?"

"Uh, well...I'm not sure how to ask this…" It was rare for the prince to be so hesitant, and rarer still that he came to Killian with a question—they usually were already lumped together, facing off against one villain or another. "Well, you know how you and Emma went on that vacation to visit Ariel and Eric?"

"Aye." They'd spent a week with his "mermate," as Emma called her, enjoying the amenities of Eric's maritime kingdom.

"I was wondering...do you think that cuff of yours works both ways?" he asked, gesturing to the leather bracelet on the pirate's wrist—the one that kept his tail at bay.

Killian was more than taken aback at the prince's query; since when had he any desire to join the ranks of merfolk? Had he perhaps grown intrigued by tales of underwater adventures from Emma? (Or, all those months ago, when Killian thought the man had been eyeing his tail in mere surface curiosity, had it ran deeper than that?)

Regardless of the reason, Killian had a free day ahead of him in which he'd already planned to take a dive; company couldn't hurt.

"I don't know, mate; but I'm willing to find out if you are." David's grin was the only reply he needed.

"Is this really necessary?"

The pair were on board the Jolly Roger, per Killian's usual routine. For Storybrooke, it wasn't actually that cold, so he couldn't understand the prince's sudden protest.

"Mate, us mermen have no need for jeans and leather jackets; you'd just lose them in the transition. So yes, removing your clothing is necessary." Killian had already shirked his coat and vest, and was in the process of taking off his button-up.

David sighed. "Alright, but would you mind...turning around or something?"

Killian smirked at Dave's modesty. "If you insist."

Minutes later, he was perched on the railing, clothing and cuff off, with the midmorning sun glancing off his golden scales. "You ready?" he called out, keeping his word to avert his gaze.

"Yeah, I think so." Killian finally looked in the prince's direction; it turned out that he, too, had looked away, and continued to do so, leaving his back facing Killian.

"You're gonna have to turn around to come get the cuff." He'd never taken David to be a prude, but was being proven otherwise.

"No; just...toss it over here." So Killian sighed and threw it at David's bare back, hitting him square between the shoulder blades. The resulting cry of surprise was well worth the sneak attack.

David finally faced him, having to in order to scoop the cuff off the deck, and glared at Killian the whole time while walking over to the railing and sitting on it like Killian had, with his legs dangling over the water. (To his credit, Killian had been nothing but a gentleman, never letting his eyes travel farther south than David's. But he smirked all the same just to tease.)

"So I just...slide it on?" David asked, holding the cuff up. "And it works automatically?"

"It's just that." Though, of course, it remained to be seen if it would work; just because it turned his tail into legs didn't mean it would do the reverse as well.

Or maybe it does. For no sooner had David slipped it onto his wrist than his lower half began to glow, much like Emma's did with her own bracelet. Both men watched with interest as the light emitting from David's lower half increased in intensity and gradually faded, revealing, to their relief, a tail.

Killian had yet to discern any rhyme or reason for the color, pattern, or shape of an individual's tail, but for those not born with them (or without at least some of the necessary genes, like he had), it tended to match their eye color. David's, in particular, was shaped much like Emma's, with a two-pronged fin, and was an overall light blue that matched his irises, with striations down the length in a slightly darker tone. "That's quite a handsome tail you have there, your highness," he commented, not even trying to hide his admiration. No, it wasn't as flashy as his own, but it fit Dave perfectly.

David just grinned in response, and gave his new appendage a gentle flip to test it out.

"Shall we then?" Killian didn't wait for a response before launching himself off the ship and gracefully diving into the harbor as he'd done so many times before. David followed moments later, but his entrance was less of a dive and more an uncoordinated splash. He bit back a chuckle as the prince got his bearings, struggling for a moment with the lack of legs.

Once he righted himself, he observed, "You make that look so easy."

"Afraid it's second nature, mate."

"Yeah, I guess it would be." David tried flipping his fin a few times, to get used to the new motion; it reminded Killian of Emma's first trip underwater, but he, too, seemed to get the hang of it with time. "So, what now?"

"Whatever we want."

"Umm...show me around?"

"Absolutely." The spent the morning traveling around the various coves and capes around Storybrooke; in the time since they'd put away the Dark One, Killian had explored as far out as the spell around the town would allow and had discovered various dropoffs and caves below the surface that he hadn't had a chance to before, containing all kinds of flora and fauna. He had to slow down his swimming a bit, as David was still acclimating to the tail, but he didn't mind. In fact, there was something gratifying about it.

"You know, mate, this is kind of nice: for once, I'm not the one who's a fish out of water." (The fish jokes had never ceased.)

David was close behind him as they swam to the beach by the mines, where they were meeting their respective ladies for lunch. "What's that supposed to mean?" he asked, a bit defensive.

"Ever since I arrived in this realm, I've been the one surprised by your world and its technology at every turn. Yet, here we are, with the tables turned. It's a nice change of pace."

David nodded in agreement, unable to argue; it was pretty clear that, while he was enjoying himself, he still felt like the odd man out down here. "But don't forget: it was you who got us all out of Neverland alive, too. Don't sell yourself short, Hook; I'd be dead if not for you."

Despite all that had happened since then, Killian still wasn't used to the hero mantle they occasionally placed on him. So he deflected. "I think we've all saved each other's arses' enough to know where strengths and weaknesses lie."

"True, but you're still the one kicking my ass at swimming." They both chuckled at that and headed to the surface.

Emma and Snow were already waiting for them at Killian's favorite rock with Granny's bags in tow. He used his magic to grab a wave and guide him onto the rock with ease, and then did the same for David, who had floundered a few meters off. Once the water receded and David's tail was on display, it was Snow's turn to appreciate the view, as Emma had so often done (and continued to do). The princess was speechless at first, her eyes roaming her husband's form as a smile slowly crossed her face, until she apparently had no other reaction but to kiss him senseless, at which point he and Emma politely averted their gazes and exchanged a knowing look.

When the couple finally broke for air, they all dug into their meals; the guys didn't realize how famished they were until the scent of grilled cheese hit their noses.

As they ate, Emma jokingly inquired, "So, are you enjoying your date?" David nearly spit out his bite of french fry at the insinuation, but Killian found it amusing.

"Why yes, we are, Swan," he confirmed with a sideways grin. They discussed the adventure over lunch, and it was actually David who shared the most; it wasn't often the man gushed, and here he was telling of their outing with gusto. Until now, Killian had considered David something of a friend, but first and foremost Emma's father. However, that seemed to be changing.

Emma noticed it, too, and sent a warm smile his way.

The ladies headed back into town when the meal was done, with the direction to "be home by dinner," and the lads headed back into the sea. They spent the afternoon much as they had the morning, though with David now more comfortable with this form, Killian was able to teach him a few tricks. It turned out that Dave was pretty good at jumps and flips, once he got the hang of it.

At one point, they noticed a fishing net that seemed oddly familiar—Leroy's. Killian and Emma had been known to prank him on a small scale in the past, but he looked over at David with a mischievous glint in his eye. "What say we finally pay him back for the way he pulled me from the harbor?"

"Really? We wouldn't have found you otherwise," David reminded him.

"I know. But it's the principle of the thing."

"Alright, fine."

After a few hauls of rocks, Leroy apparently gave up on fishing for the day and headed in. Killian considered that a success, and David's hum of approval indicated he did, too.

The light overhead was gaining a reddish-orange tint, suggesting that the sun had begun its final descent and signaling that it was time for them to head in. As they headed back to the Jolly Roger, Killian noticed that David seemed lost in thought, though he spared an occasional sidelong glance at the pirate. "Penny for your thoughts, mate?"

David swallowed (well, as best he could while underwater). "You just seem really at home down here."

"Well, I am an aquatic creature, apparently," he agreed. But that didn't seem to be all. "What of it?"

"It's just...you've given up your home down here to be with Emma. You've done that twice now, actually."

"And I'd do it again in a heartbeat." As far as Emma was concerned, that hardly seemed a price to pay to be at her side—where he was truly at home.

"I know you would. But I didn't realize what that meant until now." They had both come to a halt as they reached the Roger. David looked Killian in the eye and firmly stated "Thank you."

Despite the cool water and his equally cool skin, he could feel the heat of blush take over (and desperately hoped his tail couldn't blush, too). He averted his gaze for a moment, before looking back up. "That's what we do for our True Loves, right?"

"That we do," David affirmed, and Killian was sure they shared the same look in their eyes as they thought of the women who had completely changed their lives.

A bit later—dried, clothed, and back on two legs—they were heading back into town, a comfortable silence around them as they walked back to the loft. Killian certainly hadn't intended on making a true friend out of David that day, but he was eternally grateful for their little adventure and the bond it had forged (or perhaps just made both of them realize).

As they turned onto the street where the Charmings lived, David finally spoke up. "Do you think I might be able to borrow that cuff again sometime? So maybe I could take Snow out?"

He could tell that was Dave's way of saying "I had fun"; who am I to deny the man?

"Absolutely."