saviorcomplexing | open rp post ;

[She's not so very good at sleeping next to someone, she's discovering. But then you wouldn't be either if you spent ten years swearing off love and then a couple more years trying to save your parents and friends from evil curses and/or megalomaniac's with magical powers. She has a very good reason to be cautious, she thinks, and maybe even more so because it's him.

Emma is used to men letting her down. She expects it, actually. It's hard to be disappointed, really, when she is waiting for the other shoe to drop. What makes it hard to understand, what makes him dangerous is that he's exactly what she expects. He's a pirate, and he has a temper and a wicked sense of humor. He can be pessimistic and a drunk and self interested. He's always been like that. Since the first time she met him and tied him to a tree.

It makes her skittish. It makes her skeptical and look for a reason to prove that he's wrong, he's lying, he's going to hurt her if she lets him in. Sleeping with him isn't letting him it. It's... taking care of physical needs and it's not like she took advantage of him or anything. He wanted it, she wanted it. It was good.

She's not exactly in a hurry to kick him out of bed, either. Because it's late and someone will undoubtedly see him sneaking out and then the whole damn town will be talking about how they hooked up and she'd like to keep that to herself for now. Well, between them. You get it.

That doesn't explain why she fits herself to his side and has spent several minutes tracing his scars with her fingertip. Maybe she does love him, but she can't say it out loud right now or think too hard about it because then she's not sure if she'd start crying or start kissing him. Both seem dangerous.]

Where'd you get this one?

[Because talking about his past, that's not dangerous.]

( all in all, it's fair to expect him to disappoint her. she wouldn't be the first he's let down, after all. nothing about Killian Jones screams safety and stability, or at least, it hasn't since Liam died. it seems hard to believe a pirate that will hit on any woman that comes within six inches of him could ever be a safe person to trust. the man she met not even that long ago in the enchanted forest wouldn't have been a wise emotional investment, yet ever since Neverland he's been trying to convince her he's worth the risk.

in the end, maybe he's not. the worst part of it all is he already knows he's not. try as he might, he might never be able to surpass the man he chose to be for three hundred years. if this is the best he can hope to get, then he's just self hating enough that he'll take it. these stolen moments between being as close to her as humanly possible and lingering in the aftermath instead of collecting his things and disappearing in the night are certainly better than the ache of being alone.

he's a man, it's one of his many shortcomings. like many of his kind he gets a little drowsy after sex, and there's something ridiculous about that. bloodthirsty captain hook, snuggled into floral sheets and half asleep. it'd be wretched for his reputation, yet he doesn't seem to care much about that in the moment.

talking about his past does seem dangerous to at least one of them, though the particular knot she's tracing not horribly so. )When I learned to sail, I neglected to mind the boom. It swung about in a gust and suffice to say, I learned to mind it after. ( his brother had been teaching him, likely too young to be a proper instructor. the tone of Killian's voice indicates he reflects on the memory happily, though, despite the scar he wears for it. )

[When they do this again, not if because that was fantastic and well worth repeating, and if he falls asleep in her bed again, she'll take a picture of him snuggling the floral sheets. For blackmail, of course. And because it would make her laugh.

If she's being honest, Emma was expecting the story to be something horrible. It came from a duel to the death. He picked a fight with a man in the tavern. He slept with the wrong lord's wife. He rolled over onto his hook in his sleep. She traces the scar another time, then lays her palm over it.]

Would you teach me? To sail?

( Hook doesn't even know photographs are a thing. and teaching him could be dangerous, because if he consents to a picture snoozing into her pretty sheets, you can bet he'd want compensation in a picture of his own. chances are very poor that he'd want a picture of Emma's sheets, either.

the palm on his back is less lecherous and more comforting, though. one of those little gestures he tends to think Emma doesn't want him to understand, lest he see that there might be some sort of depth to them. too late, but he'll play the fool if it pleases her. he's been a fool for her for quite some time, now. he rolls onto his back to face her properly, catching her palm and putting a kiss to the inside of it. if she were allotted touches that didn't mean anything (and meant a great deal), then so was he. )

Aye. If you wanted to. I always thought you'd make quite the pirate.

[He's not getting naked pics, so forget about it.

Emma fits herself to his side when he turns, because he has her hand and a good share of the blankets and it's cold because Maine is always freezing it seems like, and she could come up with at least ten more excuses if pushed to it. Her palm is warm where his mouth touches, connected to a heat in her belly that could be love or lust, she's really not sure. It's been a while since she actually loved someone to remember it well.]

Why's that? And because you like the pirate wench look on me doesn't count.

( you say that now, Emma, but for real. you have not ever had to deal with a pirate that is so very convincing before. don't show him the capacity of cameras and expect him to not want to take a picture of you naked.

whatever draws her naked body to press to his, Hook isn't keen to inquire. let Emma keep her excuses, if he doesn't know the truth he can pretend she simply wants to be there. or perhaps those excuses are all means to an end, when the result is the same. )

Being a pirate is more than the aesthetic, I'll have you know. Making your own way, whether others want you to or not. Refusing the status quo and deciding your own path. We're ruled by our own convictions, instead of those decided for us. You can't tell me you don't agree with that.

( Emma has her own convictions and ideals that pull her, that's something he's already noticed in their time together. more oft than not, she agrees with the law of the land, but when she doesn't she'll do what she thinks is right, and that's about as pirate as he can expect from anyone. )

[He might have a point there. She's never been one to let people tell her how to live or how to feel. Like she told Ashley, there's no fairy godmothers in this world. Things don't just come to you for being a good person or because you made a wish. She had to fight for everything she had.

Emma hums after a moment, and takes her hand back. Places it back on his chest and another of his scars. This one she doesn't ask about. At least not yet. It looks a lot like it came from a knife and that might lead them down a darker topic.]

Pirates steal and pillage and plunder too. There's a song about it here, you should look it up. And I'm the sheriff around these parts, so I'd have to arrest myself and that's just messy. Or my dad would have to, which is even worse.

[Is she just being contrary because she doesn't want to admit that they're very similar because that's basically the same thing as saying things like 'I love you' or 'let's get married' in her strange, broken heart? Maybe.]

Darling, you only get arrested if you get caught doing something nefarious. A good pirate is never caught.

( says the pirate, that has definitely been caught, in a tangle of sheets and savior. oh well, let him dream, let him pretend he's still free as a bird with as much freedom as the ocean can grant him. in his heart he knows he's not quite the rapscallion he used to be, because what he wants never changes and has nothing to do with sea or sand or sail. it has to do with a savior still cautiously toeing the line about caring for him, and he'll be here waiting as long as there's a chance she'll make it across.

he runs rough fingers over her hand, the delicate planes of bone underneath fair skin. Emma is one of the strongest women he's ever known, and yet there's delicacy to her. the tiny bones in her hand, and yes, the frightened muscle hidden under her ribcage. ) Now, about this song... ( he quirks dark brows in expectation. Emma, you brought this on yourself for bringing it up. now he wants to hear it, that's totally on you. )

[Saviors are cautious creatures by nature when it comes to their own hearts. It's not a problem to throw everything she has into saving someone, to give them their happy ending. But giving herself one? That's just crazy talk. Her happy ending includes no more fighting, so how can she have it and still help people?

Exactly.]

You really need to figure out what youtube is.

[She could probably do more to teach him. But then what else would she laugh at besides his confusion at the modern world. Emma is pretty fond of him, which is as close to saying the L word as she can get right now, so that's the only reason she clears her throat and starts to sing. Quiet and slightly off key but:]

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

( that's a question he has no answer to. he isn't sure what his happy ending might look like, except for he would like for her to be in it. (an especially dangerous thought, that one.) he's a pirate, he's sailed the seven seas and then a few more, he's traveled all his life and grown peevish to be kept in one place for too long. it seems rather unbelievable that a pirate might like to settle in and put down a few roots. have someone that loves him and isn't spending every waking moment of her life saving the world.

knowing Emma, it'll still be a great part of her life. if she'll take a break on occasion, that'll have to serve. he's not quite capable of the blind optimism required to imagine that one day there will be no fighting left. the world doesn't work that way, none of them seem to.

he's never heard Emma sing before, and a large part of him suspects she'll be too guarded to test it. he's surprised but pleased when she grants him the little diddy. ) Yo ho, yo ho, ( he agrees with a half laugh, kissing the corner of her mouth in reward for the sonnet. he's easy to impress, it seems. ) better than all the pirate songs I know. They're all about drowning, or drinking... or sometimes both.

[He's either very easily impressed or a total sap or both. She tries not to think too hard about which one it actually is. But then she might have to admit why that matters to her and why talk about deep things like that when she can tease him about being a pirate instead.

Logic. Emma Swan style.]

Hm, and here I thought they'd all be about wenches.

[Will she ever let past Killian live down his obvious obsession with her boobs in that dress? Probably not.]

( frankly, he's just easily impressed by Emma Swan. all it'd taken was a bit of threatening, a knife to the throat and chaining him to at least three different things. she was light a sudden flare in inky darkness, and he hadn't liked that blinding white at first. he'd fought it, if only because the wrong path had been the one he'd walked for so long.

he wouldn't say he was completely recovered from villainy. in fact, he doubted he ever would be. still, he owed her a great debt for showing him that he could be more than that, if he tried.

look, now that he's seen Emma's boobs out of her dress, the corset really doesn't compare. ) Drinking, drowning, women. They're second runner up, which is a bit sad as far as priorities go. ( sailors were supposed to think of the sea first and foremost, and in that Hook had become an especially horrible sailor of late. case in point, he's not thinking about the ocean at all right now! )

[If she's the light in the darkness then he needs to get his eyes checked.]

Speaking of-- [Emma pushes her pointer finger against his chest, like listen here buddy quit distracting her with talk about drunken wench pirate songs. She's fairly certain that she doesn't want to be a pirate. The title of savior already carries a heavy weight that she can barely handle at times.]

Tomorrow, you'll take me out and teach me the basics?

( fucking face it swan ur the living embodiment of the purest magic there ever was and you are a good person, no matter how much you grouse and pretend to the contrary!!!! he is on 2 ur lies.

goddamn it emma, I said he wasn't even thinking about the ocean right now. too late for that. there's a crooked grin on his face, one that doesn't match the ancient man he actually is. the idea of Emma and the sea together, well... there's not much more he could ask for. ) Yeah? You'd like to go for a sail? ( he's so grossly happy right now, Emma, why would u do this, i'm disgusted even writing this tag. )

[noooo she's the worst. she takes all the hot water and wears too much red leather and she bites. well actually Killian seems to like that last part a lot.

Sorry to bring it up but it's more interesting than drunk pirate songs and it's also got the added bonus of not being related to feelings or relationships at all or the fact that it's the middle of the night and she's not tired because he's laying next to her. His smile is infectious and Emma finds herself grinning back at him. Happy is a good look on him. So is the dirty, dangerous pirate thing, don't get her wrong but he looks different when he smiles. Younger, maybe. Less bothered by his demons.]

I would. Only a sail. We can take Henry. Make a day of it.

( let's be honest, he's pretty into the red leather thing too. and the easiest cure to her overly long hot showers is just storming in there with her, there's room for two under the magical indoor rain machine. one of these days he's just going to do it, the look on her face when he surprises her is always classic.

besides, catching her wet and naked is also something he'd be into. he's a man of simple interests, clearly.

he hooks an arm around her shoulders, pulling her close enough to kiss her near her ear. if his whiskers tickle, she'll just have to suffer through it. ) A day of it, then. ( it's honestly more intimidating a prospect to throw her son in the mix, yet Hook is surprisingly gifted at impressing Henry. sometimes moreso than Emma herself. he can probably manage an afternoon on the water without grievously putting off the lad. ) He might be more qualified to be the first mate than you, Swan. Do you suppose you can manage not making the orders for an afternoon?

[No that doesn't really sound like her, does it? Emma gives him a look however, because she sees the challenge for what it is and you better believe she'll be taking it.]

Depends. If you make stupid orders, I have the right to refuse them.

[She trusts him to keep her and Henry alive. If he makes any comments about her boobs in front of her kid, she reserves the right to hit him with the boon. And she doesn't even know what a boon is.

Emma drops her chin to rest on his chest, looking up at him. This isn't so bad. Cuddling and talking about nonsense. It's actually... really nice. Something she didn't know she was missing.]

Behave or I'll invite my parents too.

I should never dare.

( has anyone ever lied so sweetly? that's absolutely bullshit but he sells it so well. he'd totally make stupid requests just to see how far he can get away with it. still, she's mostly safe when her son is around... though he imagines teasing her a little would amuse her boy as much as it amused him.

yup, a real keeper, this one.

she looks unbearably charming, chin on his breastbone and blinking up at him with those cat-vibrant eyes. he frees his good hand to run a finger along the dusting of freckles just along the tops of her cheeks. ) Do it, I'd like to see that lunk of your father fly overboard. I suspect he takes orders even worse than you, and that shall do him unkindly when a boom is flying in his direction.

( love u tho dave )

[Emma wrinkles her nose, and all those cute little freckles when he does that, but doesn't otherwise stop him. David would be terrible at taking orders, unless they're handed to him by Mary Margaret, she's not even going to try and deny that. For all the time that her dad goes on and on about being a shepherd, she thinks that becoming a prince and later a king has gone to his head a little. He's used to leading.

She wishes that she had the confidence that her parents do sometimes. It's so easy for them, it makes her head spin. Whatever gene its on, she's pretty sure it skipped her generation but Henry got it, that's for damn sure.]

Careful, you'll have to answer to Snow White for attacking her husband. And I hate to break it to you but I think she could take you.

( damn his blackened heart, even that nose wrinkle charms him. he's a lost cause, was lost long ago, and more and more of late he realizes exactly how at peace with that fact he's grown to be. after a lifetime, hell, lifetimes of chasing blood and anger and vengeance, to have his heart ruled by love again is a welcome reprieve. Emma never has to love him back, really, when she's granted him so much by letting him love her in the first place. )

Quite the contrary, I think your mum would also tell your dad to mind the boom. ( if Emma is going to make faces for his doting on her freckles, then he'll just dug on a stray tuft of blonde instead. yeah, he'll do that, literally the schoolboy in the yard pulling on the pigtails of the girl he likes. whoops. ) I don't dispute the last bit. Seems to run in the family.

( Emma has taken him a time or twenty. he'd not be shocked if snow managed the same. he's just glad she has no reason to these days. )

[Snow White probably knows how to sail. It seems like something you'd learn as a princess in an enchanted realm. Her mother knows a lot of surprising things.

At least he admits that the Charming women are much more fierce than him. She's sorry now about holding a knife to his throat and leaving him chained on a beanstalk with a vengeful giant. It's not something she'll do again. Unless he's in to that and then they can talk.]

I'd probably save you. If I was in the mood to do some saving that day.

( snow had been keen to hop a boat out of town, it would be fair to say she might know more than one could expect. she also had her wits about her, and enough common sense to try and warn her husband about huge reams of wood flying at him. it didn't take too much for that one, though.

as for whether he's into knifeplay... no comment there's no good answer to that one..............

he laughs at her teasing, laying back slightly into the mattress. he could sleep here if Emma doesn't get around to kicking him out soon. ) Oh, is that how this savioring works? Dependent on mood? ( he rubs at her back and can't help a half smirk. ) I'll have to work at being especially endearing.

[Yeah, way to make this weird Hook. They had some nice sex, did some cuddling, shared a witty banter and she's getting ready to go to sleep and he's not making any moves to put his pants on. That's different. Usually one of them starts to make moves to leave, sooner or later and this is her house. It'd be weird for her to leave.

Or is it weird that she thinks it's weird that he wants to stay?]

Know what would really put me in the mood to save your life? Letting me get some sleep.

open rp post ;

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