My first ever OUAT fic, so be patient with me!

It was a calm, cool night aboard the Jolly Roger with only the occasional wave rocking the ship like a baby in a cradle, and even then too subtly for any of the passengers to wake from their slumber. The gentle lolling of the boat and the strong but refreshing taste of sea salt in the air were enough to keep even Mr. Gold himself from becoming overly restless, and everyone had retired to their bunks that night without complaint or concern. That is, except for the daughter of Snow White and Prince Charming.

Emma had warmly bid her parents goodnight when they turned in for the evening, but instead of retiring to her own bunk, she stayed on deck leaning up against the railing, her eyes resting on the waves as they rolled and crashed against the hull of the ship. Even the moonlight reflecting on the water's surface wasn't enough to keep her attention tonight, however, as she remembered the mission they were on.

Greg and Tamara had taken Henry to Neverland.

If it weren't for Hook and his ship, they wouldn't stand a chance at getting the boy back, she knew, and for that, she was grateful, but she couldn't help but blame the captain at the same time. If he'd just given them the magic bean right away like he'd claimed he had, they could've avoided this entire mess. Now, her son was in danger because of him, and in her eyes this was a pathetic excuse for repayment on the pirate's behalf. God only knows how much help he'd be once they actually landed in Neverland.

Her fingers clenched around the railing of the ship until her knuckles turned white and she felt a soft breeze blow offer the deck of the ship, sending a chill down her spine intense enough to jerk her from her fretting. Before she could make the decision to turn in for the night after all or at least grab a sweater from her bunk, though, she felt something- leather, warm from being worn all day- being draped over her shoulders. She spun around just in time to watch none other than Hook himself step away from her, arms raised in a gesture of surrender as he left the coat- his coat, she realized- wrapped around her.

"What are you doing?" she quipped defensively, her eye s scanning his own for any sign of the flirtatiousness he usually displayed, especially towards her. Much to her surprise, it wasn't there.

"Someone had to drop the anchor. And besides, love. You looked cold." The corner of his mouth curved upwards into a half-grin as he spoke and his eyes fell fondly to the coat he'd covered her with, perhaps enjoying the sight of her in his clothing a bit more than he should have. As his gaze met hers again, any mischief disappeared and was replaced by tenderness alone, the grin fading to a well-meaning smile.

She knew better than to let her guard down, though, no matter how charming he thought himself. "I'm fine. Just a bit breezy, that's all." Rather than rid herself of the coat, however, she found herself reaching to pull it closed in front of her, relishing silently in the security from the crisp air that it provided.

"We'll find him, Swan, I promise you that." The words came unexpectedly and she found herself looking into his eyes again at the sound of them. After the short amount of time they'd spent together, she knew him well enough that she wouldn't put it past him to try to charm his way into her life... or her bed.

But what she found as their gazes collided again was not at all what she'd expected. He regarded her with a mixture of fondness, of dedication, and of regret that both caught her off guard and took her breath away. She hadn't stopped to consider the possibility that he felt any remorse for what had befallen Henry because of him, but his eyes betrayed that and so much more. And not only that, but it was genuine.

Her superpower had never failed her before, and it told her he had nothing to hide.

"How far out are we?" she changed the subject abruptly, trying to take her mind off the pounding in her chest that the realization had brought upon her. The realization that maybe, just maybe, the flirting and the innuendos were more than just that. He was Captain freaking Hook, after all. What was he doing having feelings for her? And what was she doing feeling tempted by the man who'd put her son in danger?

"Swan?"

She didn't realize that she'd tuned him out until the sound of her own name jolted her from her thoughts. There it was- the concern on his face, as unmistakeable and undeniable as the ocean surrounding them.

"It's nothing. I'm gonna turn in for the night-"

"Swan, wait-"

As she turned to go, she felt the cool metal of his hook wrap around her wrist, urging her gently to just wait, even for a moment. She turned back towards him, stunned, and he let his arm fall back to his side as he simply stepped closer to her, his eyes meeting hers in a soft stare that alone almost managed to knock a hole in the wall she'd built around her heart long ago, especially where he was concerned.

"My son's life is in danger because of you. Giving me puppy eyes won't change that." she snapped, but as much as she tried to hide it her own eyes betrayed her. There was more to this than a simple grudge.

"And I will do whatever it takes to get him back, Swan. You have my word." He remained where he was, not moving any closer but not retreating back either, despite the look in her eyes begging him to do just that. This would be so much easier if he would just keep his distance, and they both knew it.

"You're a pirate. What good is your word to me? To anyone?" she hissed.

This earned a soft chuckle from him, but one that seemed more well-meaning than condescending, even to her already worked-up self. "It means I'll die before I let any harm come to your boy."

The words hit her like a slap in the face and for a moment he feared he'd pushed too far; that he'd broken the already fragile faith she had in him, and something told him her trust was not easily regained. Before he could even open his mouth to apologize, though, she'd closed the gap between them and her lips collided with his forcefully, hungrily. He couldn't help but kiss back, and his hooked arm fell to caress her waist while his fingers tangled themselves in her hair, holding her flush against him.

The kiss was short, only lasting a few seconds, but it was searing and powerful in a way neither of them had ever experienced before. Even after they parted, not yet letting go of each other, the heat of it danced across each of their lips, and he noticed with some pride that her face was flushed from the intensity of it.

She hesitated, realizing what she'd done and appearing to almost regret it until his lips pressed firmly to hers again, kissing her firmly but deeply as his hook slid around her back and in between her shoulder blades, pressing her gently into his chest. He had wanted her for quite some time now, he wouldn't deny that, but still as their most recent kiss came to an end he waited for a sign from her before continuing.

It came in the form of a few breathy, almost frantic words. "Your bunk- before someone sees us-"

He didn't need to be told twice, even though being seen was hardly a legitimate concern at this time of night. Neither one of them could tell who initiated the next kiss, but as they fought for dominance against each other's mouths, he began to move them away from the railing and towards the captain's quarters. In the meantime the kisses, punctuated by gasps for breath, continued until he was forced to unravel his fingers from her blonde locks and push the door open only to be roughly tugged inside after her.

The door had barely closed behind them before his lips found her neck and she gasped, her fingers digging into his back through the fabric of his vest. She allowed herself to be moved backward towards his bed, all the while distracted by the feeling of his mouth on her skin, sucking and nipping and then kissing the affected spot better before moving on. Something in the back of her mind told her she should stop him before he left a mark, but the thought eluded her as he took a break from his administrations to her throat in order to push her back onto the bed and climb on after her, leaving him hovering over her.

"Emma? Look at me, love- are you sure about this?" he murmured. His tongue ran along his lower lip, and she realized then just how hard it was for him to stop long enough to ask her if she was certain about this. Just another sign that his concern for- his devotion to- her was more than she'd initially thought.

"I think you missed the memo, captain. Emma Swan doesn't do anything on her back." she retorted, unsure where this sudden confidence, this certainty that this was the right thing to do had come from, but at the same time embracing it as she brought her knee up beside his hip and rolled them over.

He couldn't help it; his lips split into a grin then, the same mischievous one he'd given her so many times before, but this time more real. She couldn't help but return it with a small smile of her own before kissing him again, her fingers falling to the buttons of his vest as she began undoing them one by one.

The undressing process was just as frantic as their retreat into his bunk had been. Clothes, both his and hers, were torn off- sometimes undone properly, and sometimes cut through with his hook, though she was too far gone to notice or care- and tossed to the floor beside his bed, eventually leaving them both bare before each other. Under normal circumstances, he would have worshipped her properly- used his good hand and his tongue as well as the obvious to make her feel like the princess she was- but before he could stop her, she had lined him up and was sinking down on top of him, enveloping him, surrounding him. He let out a gasp and his head fell back, his eyes barely managing to stay open to watch as Emma- his beautiful Swan, the woman he already found himself falling for- began to ride him mercilessly.

He knew as well as she did what the reason for it was. This was her way of de-stressing, of forgetting about the matter at hand for the night since they were already doing all they could. When morning came, or perhaps even when they finished, they would go back to being perfect strangers, brushing shoulders on the ship until they docked and then being completely dedicated to rescuing Henry and nothing more.

But then, through the haze of pain at the thought of losing her and pleasure at what she was doing to him at this very moment, he caught a glimpse of a small action that completely changed everything. As her orgasm coursed through her body, one hand shot out and wrapped around his hook, which had been digging into the bed beside them during their lovemaking. For the first time since he'd entered her, his eyes opened fully and he watched, enraptured, as her fingers curled around the cool metal, gripping it tightly to ground herself as she rode out her climax. The sight was enough to send him over the edge as well and, through the fog of his gratification, her name left his lips countless times: "Emma-"

They came down from their high together and, as if this wasn't their first time together and a heat-of-the-moment event, she collapsed onto his chest and he wrapped his good arm around her, his fingers playing with the ends of her hair while hers continued to caress his hook. He caught himself staring, watching her fondly as she made herself at home curled up against his chest, and for a moment he allowed himself something he hadn't had in a long time: hope. Hope that perhaps she saw him differently now.

Meanwhile, as sleep began to grasp for the first time since they'd started their journey to Neverland, she reminded herself that she never, ever stayed the night after a hook-up. She should get dressed and retire to her own bunk, pretending this never happened, just like she was always so keen to do. Something about the way Hook held her and how comfortable she felt curled into his dark-haired chest stopped her, though, and for the first time in a long time she found herself doubting her decision to keep him at arm's length. They could worry about it tomorrow, they decided. They'd figure this out... together.