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cosette141 · 1 year

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When You Wish Upon A Star | OUAT fanfic

Fandom: Once Upon A Time

Author: cosette141

Words: 8k

Summary: When David learns that Killian killed his father, David doesn’t forgive him. Killian is desperate to get his best friend back, but when David and Killian suddenly wake up in each other’s body, they might not even get themselves back. Oneshot (Captain Charming)

AO3

He smiled.

His sword sliced between the man's ribs.

And he smiled.

"Killian?"

Killian jerked from the memory—the horrible memory—the bloody worst thing he's ever done—from seeing the man—David's father—Emma's grandfather—die at his feet—at his hand—

—and he'd smiled—

"Killian!"

Killian jerked again, this time seeing Emma standing in front of him, her hands on his face, making him look at her, where they stood outside the door of her parents' loft.

"It's okay," said Emma softly. "We will get through this."

Killian swallowed hard, his heart hammering in his chest, his black, dead, cold heart, very much doubting that they would make it through this.

He's only gotten back from the mess with Gideon, from his return to Neverland and his very-near death. Emma's parents' Sleeping Curse has been broken for two days now, but they haven't seen them since.

The moment David had seen Killian again…

David and Snow both awake now, embraced their daughter together, pulling Henry in with them as well. Killian had stood unsure behind them. Emma had told him that David knew about his sin—what he'd done to David's father.

When David pulled away from his daughter, his eyes bright, his smile wide for his family, he then looked at Killian for the first time since the night he'd given Killian his blessing to marry his daughter.

David's eyes locked on his, and Killian stopped breathing.

The prince left his family to approach Killian, stopping in front of him.

"Ma—" began Killian, stopping himself from 'mate,' something he hasn't censored since Neverland. "D-David," he began unsteadily. "I… I can't even begin to tell you how sor—"

His words were sharply cut off when David's fist connected with his cheek, sending him crashing to the floor in surprise.

By the time Emma had helped him up, David was already gone.

The bruise on Killian's cheek was gone now, healed by Emma's magic, something Killian had asked her not to do.

He deserved the pain.

And he deserved the scar of it.

Hell, he deserved David's sword through his own ribs.

(Again.)

Despite Emma and Snow's attempts to get David and him in the same room, David hadn't gone anywhere near him ever since.

On this specific occasion, Emma and Snow have secretly planned for him to stop by, not telling David to avoid him leaving. But, in Emma's words, they were planning to "lock them both in the same room until they work this out with magic if they had to".

"You can do this," encouraged Emma softly, her fingers in his, and Killian still couldn't believe that he had her forgiveness.

He had everyone's except David, which was shocking to him in its own right.

But if he could have anyone's right now, it was David.

The man who had slowly become a friend, a brother, and now… nearly a father-in-law. (He tried not to think about the strangeness of that). He'd take strange.

He just wanted David back.

So, Emma knocked on the door, and it opened quickly, revealing Snow. She gave Killian a pitied smile. "Come in," she said softly.

They did, Emma having to tug Killian along.

Just as David got up from the couch, and froze.

His lax expression immediately hardened, a contempt aimed at Killian that hasn't been in his eyes since Neverland.

"What the hell is he doing here?" demanded David, shooting an accusing look at his wife and daughter, whom both winced.

"David," said Snow in a soft chastisement, yet still gentle. "I know you're hurting, and I know… I know what Killian's done is…" Killian flinched. "But… he's changed, and we've seen him change…"

"He saved your life in Neverland," Emma reminded him, something that both men revealed over a dinner months ago. "He saved all of us, he died for us," she said, voice choking up at that, "and he's so sorry—"

Killian felt the muscle in his jaw twitch, needing to speak for himself. Despite how much he appreciated their help. "David," he said, eyes burning. "I am… I can't even… I am so sorry," his voice choked. "I… I was… I wasn't m-myself back then. I was a… monster. A… villain," he said, the word sending a shiver down his spine. "And I… if I could take it back, I would in a bloody second—"

"Well," David cut him off. "You can't."

With that, he shoved past Killian, grabbing the door and slamming it shut.

"Dav—" began Snow, about to go after him, but Killian held up his hand to stop her.

He opened the door, rushing after David.

He found him walking swiftly down the sidewalk, his silhouette only lit by the moon and the stars, and Killian called, "David!"

David kept walking.

"David, please!"

Killian took David's arm to stop him, only for David to turn sharply toward him with a scowl, and Killian winced, stepping back.

"David," stressed Killian, every bit of regret that was killing him coming out, roughing his voice. "I am so bloody sorry," he choked out, a tear burning down his cheek. Because the worst thing he's ever done, he's done to his very best friend.

"Really?" asked David, whirling on him, eyes filled with anger and pain. "Were you sorry when you assisted me in finding the monster," he ground out, making Killian's eyes burn, "who killed my father? Trying to convince me to stop looking because he was standing right next to me?"

"I told you," stressed Killian, face breaking with the utter pain making him want to explode. "I didn't realize that I—" He couldn't even say it. "I didn't realize it until afterward, until August gave me that damn page—" He shut his eyes, letting out a defeated breath. "David, I swear to you, I have never regretted anything more than what I did to your father." Another tear burned down his cheek. "I was… I was a monster," he admitted, the words burning through his lips. "I… I wasn't myself, I… I didn't… I—" He remembered that phase, that… condition he was in. Ruled by pain and darkness and misery, and…. Emptiness. He didn't even feel like a person. "I just… I just wish you could see it from my perspective," he whispered brokenly.

"What do you want from me?" snapped David coldly.

"I… I want you to tell me what I can do to earn your forgiveness," breathed Killian, another tear burning down his cheek.

"You can't."

With that, David turned and walked away, leaving Killian frozen to the ground, feeling like he was hit with something so much more painful than David's fist.

It was hours before Killian went home, finding Emma having waited up for him on the couch.

She opened her mouth to ask something, but at his face, closed it, mirroring his sadness.

She embraced him anyway, promising him that David would come around.

They retired to their bedroom not long after, and Killian shut his eyes.

Just as he began to drift into a restless sleep, he felt something shift in his chest.

But he was asleep before he could question what it was.

-.-.

Killian felt himself wake slowly, reminded of the days as Captain Hook, where every day was just another day without color.

He sighed, wondering how the hell he was supposed to fix this with David.

He lifted his left arm to prop himself up to get out of bed, only to realize that he felt something he hasn't experienced in centuries.

For years after losing his left hand, he would still almost feel his fingers, even if they weren't there.

But…

He hasn't felt his phantom hand in ages.

So why…?

He opened his eyes, looking down, wondering if he went to bed with his hook again.

Except…

His hook wasn't there.

Neither was his brace.

Instead…

There was a hand.

He stared in shock.

He shook himself; he must still be dreaming.

But… this didn't feel like a dream.

He lifted his right hand, staring at two hands.

What…?

He closed both hands.

The fingers listened.

Two hands.

But… that wasn't all.

He suddenly realized something else wrong.

He was in Emma's parents' loft.

No—worse.

In her parents' bed.

Killian jerked out of the bed, whirling around, terrified to see Snow or David.

But the bed was empty except for him.

The whole apartment was, in fact.

He breathed out in relief.

Killian was also wearing… David's bedtime wear?

His heart pounded. "What the bloody—"

But he froze.

That wasn't his voice.

It wasn't even his accent.

It actually sounded like…

He couldn't breathe.

Killian all but ran to the bathroom.

Shutting his eyes, he winced, then opened his eyes in front of the mirror.

He felt his jaw drop.

But not his jaw.

Because staring back at him, his own bloody reflection, was David.

-.-.

David groaned.

His head pounded.

His brow furrowed with the pain, the awful ache behind his eyes that he didn't think he'd drunk enough to cause. He breathed slow, trying to quell the sudden rush of nausea, but it passed after a few breaths.

Perhaps it wasn't alcohol—it also could have been stress, as Snow seemed to go on and on about how much stress he'd been putting himself under, especially while they'd been under the shared Sleeping Curse. That mixed with Emma's—thankfully sidestepped—fate and everything about his father...

Familiar, stark anger rose under his skin, remembering the conversation with Hook from last night.

Hook.

He could hardly even picture the man without feeling a blinding hatred. Someone he nearly treated as a brother, as his closest friend, had killed his father. His good, innocent, finally decent father. He had ruined his father's chance at redemption, ended his life in cold blood and left David and his mother with unbearable pain that never, ever truly left either of them.

And now?

Now, Hook was going to become his son-in-law.

His practical son, who had murdered his father.

Murdered Emma's grandfather.

Her grandfather, whom she could have met if it hadn't been for Hook.

And his father would never see justice from the cold-hearted, soulless pirate his daughter had so unfortunately fallen in love with. And how she, and her mother, could still look at Hook, after what he'd done?

David groaned again, his hand rubbing at his eyes, where the intense throbbing was at its worst.

He must have woken Snow, because a hand was suddenly gently on his face, thumb brushing over his skin. David smiled a little at Snow's touch.

"You okay?"

David's eyes snapped open.

That wasn't Snow's voice.

That was Emma.

His heart suddenly pounding in his chest, he blinked at the unfamiliar ceiling.

He wasn't in bed with Snow.

He was in bed with Emma.

Which meant…

That hand on his face…

Horrible, terrible, wrong panic shot through him.

"What's wrong?" came Emma's voice again, and David turned his head, eyes flying wide. Emma was lying in the bed next to him, her hand still on his face with a touch that was far too tender for a father and daughter.

That cold panic ran through his entire body.

He was in bed with his daughter.

Why the hell was he in bed with his daughter?

She was staring at him with rich concern, like there was something wrong with him, a sort of lovingness in her eyes that should not be directed at her father.

He was in bed.

With his daughter.

In bed.

No.

Nonononono—he wasn't even going there. There was no way. He—something must have happened last night, he got drunk or injured—head injury, it had to be—no, he must have just been closer to Emma's house than home, and… and, they let him sleep it off… or… something...

But damn it, it did not explain the fact that his daughter was leaning over to kiss him.

David jerked away, moving quickly away from her before she could.

Stark hurt gleaned in Emma's eyes at his recoil. She reached for his face again, but he flinched back. "I don't understand," she whispered, voice hurt. "Did I do something? What's wrong?"

Everything.

"Killian?"

That gave him pause.

Panic rushing to a halt, absolute confusion filling its place, David asked, "Why did you just call me—"

He froze.

His voice.

That wasn't his voice.

He didn't have an accent.

Trying to sit up, because something was horribly, horribly wrong, David faltered, his left hand for whatever reason having gone completely numb. Had he slept on it? He looked down, intending to shake feeling back into it.

His heart stopped.

His hand was gone.

His arm simply… ended.

Fear and shock flooded him.

"Killian…?"

Holy lord.

Shock widening his eyes even more with the sudden horrible understanding, he turned a bewildered gaze onto Emma. She was looking at him with nothing short of fearful concern. She saw him stare in shock at his—at Hook's—left arm, and her brows kneaded with sad understanding. She suddenly touched his left arm, fingers feather-light where the wrist ended in a stump. "Did you dream about it again?" she whispered.

David blinked.

He was Hook.

This can't be happening.

"Do you want to talk about it?" asked Emma, now concerned for a different reason. From her tone of voice, this wasn't an uncommon topic for first thing in the morning.

David shook himself.

He was in Hook's body.

Emma reached for him again, and David reflexively began to move away but Emma's cell phone suddenly rang from the nightstand. She looked from David to her ringing phone, and with a slightly apologetic look she sat up and answered it.

David blinked, trying to figure out how the hell to explain this to Emma.

"What?"

David looked at Emma, seeing her brows shoot up.

"Um, okay," said Emma, biting her lip. "Weird." She sighed. "I'm sure it's fine… Yeah, let me know," she said, and hung up the phone. Looking at David, she said, "That was my mom."

Putting the whole trapped-in-a-pirate's-body thing aside for half a second, David felt fear shoot through him. "Snow? Is she all right?"

Emma looked a little surprised by his fear. "Uh, yeah, it's just… weird. She said David just… took off without telling her where he was going."

David froze.

He had a clone running around?

Wait.

If he was in Hook's body…

No.

Absolutely not.

"Mom said she took Leo for a walk, but by the time she came back he was gone. He didn't even take the truck or his phone." said Emma.

Hook had been in bed with his wife.

David was off the bed in seconds.

"Killian?!"

Getting a furious heat every time he heard that name, David tried to keep his calm. If he could track down the damn pirate, he could make him undo whatever spell or potion he used to trap them like this and no one will be the wiser.

Dammit he wasn't about to tell his daughter they were just in bed together.

"Where are you going?" asked Emma. "You don't seem like yourself," she said, her brow lifting like she does when she's trying to catch someone in a lie.

She doesn't know the half of it.

David paused, trying to come up with an excuse to leave. "I—I'll go look for Ho—David," he said awkwardly.

Emma's brows kneaded. "I thought you said it didn't go well last night," she said sadly.

David froze.

No, it didn't.

He swallowed.

"Maybe my dad just needed to blow off some steam and go for a run or something," suggested Emma.

David thought fast. "Without his phone?"

Emma's brows lifted with surprise. "You finally stopped referring to it as a talking phone, huh?"

David blinked.

Right. Hook.

He cleared his throat. "Just in case something's wrong," he tried again. Because oh, when he found him, something was going to be wrong, all right.

Emma stood, walking around the bed to him, putting her hands around his neck. David tensed but she didn't try to kiss him. "Killian, I know it's killing you that he's upset. You've barely slept all week."

David tried not to react.

"One day," she whispered, "he'll see you the way he used to. The way I do. I know it. Just give it some time. He'll forgive you."

No, he won't.

David swallowed. "I'll go find him and… fix this mess."

One of the messes, anyway.

Emma sighed.

-.-.

Killian stopped, ducking into an alley, panting hard.

He was only lucky that Snow hadn’t been in the loft—or gods forbid, in bed. He grabbed a pair of David’s shoes and bolted.

There was zero chance he was going to risk Snow kissing him. He was lucky as all hell that she wasn't in bed when he woke up.

David hated him already.

Bloody hell.

He was David.

How the devil did this happen?!

Killian stared at his hands.

His hands.

There was a piece of scrap wood on the ground at his feet. Killian picked it up, holding it between his hands. Felt it in his left fingers.

For half a second, he wanted to breathe out in relief.

Two hands.

Tears sprung to his eyes.

The last time he'd had two hands was when he made the bloody deal with the Crocodile, and he hadn't even been able to enjoy it for a full day.

But these weren't his hands, they were David's and damn it this was so wrong.

He dropped the wood, scrubbing his right hand over his face.

Regina.

That was it.

He could go to Regina. This had dark magic all over it.

Killian left the alley.

Not a moment later, he was tackled back into the alley.

His back—David's back, that was—slammed into the wall, and Killian grimaced, fighting the—

—incredibly familiar hand on his chest.

He blinked, freezing his movements.

In shock, he stared at himself.

It wasn't the first time he stared at himself, and the last time he'd even knocked himself out.

But this time, this other him looked absolutely murderous.

"What the hell did you do?" snarled the Killian before him.

"I…" breathed Killian, in utter shock.

His doppleganger shoved him harder against the wall, making him cringe. "Don't play games with me, Hook!" growled the other Killian. "Switch us back, now."

Killian blinked.

Switch…?

Suddenly, it clicked.

If Killian was in David's body...

That must mean…

Bloody hell.

"David?" breathed Killian.

His brows rose in a duh look, and Killian suddenly realized what people meant by his expressive eyebrows.

"Switch us back," growled David, shoving him again, pinning him with Killian's own right hand, "or I swear to god I'll—" He reared back his left, stopping abruptly when he realized he had no hand.

"Works better when there's a hook at the end of it," muttered Killian. Except, he paused, because David wasn't wearing his brace.

It was only recently that he'd started to remove his brace at night. It had taken him so long to even allow Emma to see it, to see… beneath it, but he never wanted to make it a normal occasion. But after his return from the Underworld, Emma had finally coaxed him into feeling… accepted by her. It was proven to him that, at that point, after everything he'd done, all the sides of him she's seen… nothing would push her away from him.

That by no means meant he was excited about the whole town seeing it.

"Where the bloody hell is my brace?" he growled.

"I don't give a damn!" snapped David right back. Shoving him again, he said, "Change us back! I'm sick of looking at you and I don't want to have to do it every time I look in a mirror!"

Killian shut his eyes at the contempt in his voice. Swallowing, he said, "Mate, I—"

"I am not your mate!"

Boy, it was weird hearing that line from his own voice.

"David," he altered, "I don't know what the bloody hell you're talking about because I didn't do this!" he said angrily. "What could I possibly gain?!"

"I don't know," hissed David, "two hands?"

Killian's jaw snapped shut.

It was a low blow, and it hurt.

"I told you," said Killian when he could find his voice, "I didn't do this. I woke up in your body, confused out of my bloody mind."

"Well I woke up in bed with my daughter," hissed David.

Killian's brows shot up.

Bloody damn hell.

"Did you tell her you weren't me?" he demanded.

"Before or after she tried to kiss me?" snapped David.

Killian felt his heart drop down to his boots. "She what?!"

"She didn't," added David in a mutter, making Killian nearly breath out in relief. "And no, of course not! You fix whatever spell you used and I don't have to tell her anything!"

"In case you haven't noticed," shouted Killian right back, "I'm not a bloody magic user!"

"You don't need to use magic to make a potion," growled David.

Killian let his head fall against the wall, shutting his eyes in frustration, finding it bloody ridiculous that he was pinning himself against a wall. "How many times do I have to tell you I didn't do this?!"

David glared at him for a solid minute, and Killian glared right back. After a moment, Killian watched the fire waver in his—David's—eyes. "You didn't, did you?"

"No."

After a moment, David released him. Killian fought the urge to rub the pain from his shoulders.

A little of that glare back, David muttered, "Well this is just great."

Sick of being treated like this—however much he deserved it—Killian narrowed his eyes. "I'm not happy about it either."

Slight silence spread.

Killian was the one to break it. "We should tell them," he said quietly.

"I am not walking up to my wife looking like you," snarled David, "to tell her I'm me!"

The angry heat under Killian's skin made him retort, "Afraid she'd prefer it?"

He hadn't clapped back with that kind of line in years, and he winced the moment it left his mouth. David's constant verbal punches shorted his temper and Killian suddenly wished he could take it back.

He wished he could take so, so many things back.

Angrily, David fisted Killian's own right hand, making Killian brace himself but David stopped himself. "You're damn lucky I'm not going to punch my own face."

Killian winced. "I'm sorry," he sighed shortly, because dammit he was doing a great job making things better with David. "But you have a point. I'm not sure Emma or her Highness would know exactly how to… be… around us at all," he admitted. If they were stuck like this—god forbid, forever—Emma would never kiss him again. And she'd be right to. He's in her father's body for the love of Davy Jones.

David huffed out a breath. "Any bright ideas, pirate?"

Killian bristled a little, hating how the title always sounded like an insult. "We should find someone who does practice magic," he said.

"Gold?" suggested David, and Killian wrinkled his nose hearing his voice call him anything except the name he created for the monster.

"The Crocodile? You're not serious," said Killian in disbelief.

David shook his head. "You're right. Bad idea."

"Regina?" suggested Killian.

David sighed. "Let's hope she knows what the hell happened."

-.-.

They walked the few blocks to Regina's house.

Along the way, neither of them spoke other than Killian's quiet request that David keep his left arm beneath the sleeve of his jacket at all times.

David huffed a "Fine," but said nothing else.

David knocked on the door. They both waited until it opened, revealing Regina.

Her brows lifted in unimpressed surprise. "Um," she said, looking from both of them and back. "What?" Confusion and disinterest colored her tone, sounding like she was distracted by something else.

"We…" began Killian, but David cut him off.

"Morning... love," he greeted, making Killian wince at the unsteady way he phrased the epithet, shooting him a confused look. "We had a theory about how to handle our current crisis," said David smoothly as hook, and Killian raised his brows.

Killian blinked.

So that's why the walk over here was so silent.

David spent the whole damn time crafting a lie.

Regina crossed her arms. "I'm listening."

"We were wondering about… could you cast a temporary, I don't know, body-swapping spell?"

Regina lifted her brow. "Body-swapping? That's your idea?"

"One of them," said David.

She looked from Killian to David, as if she sensed something off, but not what. "Like Pan did?" she clarified.

"Exactly like that," said David, brows rising. Killian's interest perked even more, having forgotten about when Pan switched bodies with Henry.

"Yeah, well that's because he was Pan," deadpanned Regina. "I have no idea how to do that kind of magic. Gold needed his dagger's power to undo what that creepy little brat did to Henry."

Killian shut his eyes.

"Gold—ah, Rumplestiltskin," echoes David.

"Yep."

A slight silence.

Then—

"Well, we'll keep thinking," said David awkwardly.

Regina nodded impatiently. "And then try a phone."

She shut the door. Hard.

David raised Killian's eyebrow.

Before he could say it, Killian said, "No."

He wasn't exactly surprised when David ignored him.

-.-.-.

The bell to the Crocodile's shop rang as they walked through the door.

Killian felt himself go instantly on edge just being in the very room.

"Gold," called David.

The curtains leading to the back of the shop moved aside and the Crocodile walked through them. He eyed both Killian and David in surprise, then suspicion, then…

He smiled. "Well, isn't this interesting."

"I knew he was bloody responsible," growled Killian.

Rumplestiltskin turned his unsettling smile onto Killian. "Captain. You look… different."

"Did you do this to us?" demanded David.

Rumplestiltskin raised an eyebrow. "And why would I waste any of my valuable time doing something so pointless?" He watched Killian seethe. "Though, I see the entertainment factor."

"Obviously you know we're… like this," said David. "If you didn't do it, how can you tell?"

"Other than the fact that neither of you walk like you're supposed to and you," he said to David, "clearly don't know what to do with a missing hand?" Turning a sick smile onto Killian, he sneered, "Maybe you can give him some pointers. Or, well. One."

Killian jerked, but David grabbed his arm. "Get yourself killed when you're not in my body," he hissed.

Reluctantly, Killian stayed put.

"Look," said David with waning patience. "You returned Henry to his body when Pan switched them. Get your dagger and fix us."

Gold smiled a tight-lipped smile. "What's in it for me, dearie?"

"Either do it for us now," said David firmly, "or we find Belle and ask her to convince you to. You're walking on thin ice with her as it is."

Gold's smile disappeared. "Very well." He walked into the back of the shop, returning a few moments later with the dagger. He held it between the two of them. He closed his eyes, and Killian suddenly felt a sensation that he was falling.

But as quick as it came, it abruptly stopped, like he hit a wall.

Both he and David stumbled. Killian caught himself on the counter, but David missed it—Killian understood that all too well—and he fell to his knees.

"What the bloody hell happened?" demanded Killian, staring at David's hands. He looked at the man himself. "I'm still you."

"And I'm still you," muttered David, using his right hand to get to his feet.

"Peculiar."

Both men looked at him.

"What is?" asked David.

Gold pocketed his dagger. "Looks like I won't be able to help you after all."

"Why the hell not?" growled Killian.

"This type of magic is some of the only magic I cannot touch," explained Gold, and by the victorious smile on his face, Killian knew it was the truth. "The only similar magic I've seen is that infused with the genie lamp our friend Aladdin found himself in."

"You're saying this is like wish magic?" said David blankly.

"That is exactly what I'm saying," said Gold.

"And you can't fix it," confirmed David flatly.

"No." He looked between them. "Magic is a fickle thing, dearies. Sometimes it finds you. And if you happen to wish something badly enough—"

"I made no such wish!" exclaimed David. "To be—to be him?" he breathed, making Killian stiffen. "Why the hell would I wish—" He turned to Killian, fury in his eyes. "Unless you—"

"Ma—" Killian caught himself from using the forbidden nickname. "David, I told you, I have no bloody reason to be you! I didn't bloody make any sort of wish last night!"

"Well neither did I!"

"Well one of you did," said Gold, making them look at him. "Magic like this only affects people strictly involved. One of you made it and you'll have to see it through. It happened for a reason and until that reason is met, this is how you'll remain."

"We don't even know what the hell kind of a wish it was," stressed David. "See what through?"

"That, dearie, is not my concern." said Gold. "Best figure it out soon, or it will be a very uncomfortable wedding."

Gold walked back into the back room, leaving Killian frozen in horror.

The wedding.

If this magic has to run its course, if it takes until they see it through—

What if it takes too long?

What if they're stuck like this forever?

David whirled on him. "You wished to be me?!"

Killian's eyes narrowed. "I didn't bloody wish for anything except you to—" Killian hesitated.

David froze. "You did wish something," he breathed. "What? What the hell did you wish, Hook?"

Killian blinked.

He remembered the conversation last night, how he felt, how desperately he wanted David to forgive him.

"I… I might have," he admitted, seeing David narrow his eyes. "But I didn't bloody realize I was wishing it!"

"What the hell did you wish?"

"I just wanted you to forgive me." said Killian in a defeated voice.

David held his gaze, furious emotion in Killian's own blue eyes.

"Then I guess we're staying like this forever."

And with that, David walked away.

Killian shut his eyes.

-.-.-.

Killian had to run to catch up with him.

"David," he called.

He kept walking.

"Please," he tried, and he picked up his pace, feeling a terrible sense of deja vu.

"What?" snapped David, whirling around.

"I didn't mean for this to happen," he said.

"Just like you didn't mean to put a sword through my father?"

Killian's eyes screwed shut.

A million different apologies rushed through him, but he swallowed them all. They won't work.

"I know you won't forgive me," said Killian heavily. "After what I did… I get it." A cold feeling settled inside him when David made no move to argue. "But if this… this wish or this whatever it is, is waiting for you to forgive me to break it... then maybe you can just... say it. Without… without being sincere."

David held his gaze, and Killian couldn't get over how weird it was to see David's emotions in his eyes.

But David sighed. "Fine." With complete insincerity, he said, "I forgive you."

The way he said it held such disgust that Killian wasn't surprised in the least when the curse wasn't broken.

Quietly, Killian said, "You might need to mean it, ma—" Killian caught himself, "David."

David glared at him.

A long moment passed.

"I can't."

Killian felt his shoulders fall. He shut his eyes. "You're not even going to bloody try?"

"Like you tried to spare my father's—"

"Enough!" growled Killian. "I said I was bloody sorry!"

"Sorry doesn't bring my father back."

Killian shut his eyes.

He was not having this conversation again.

He couldn't.

As heartless as David thought he was, he had one, and it was currently in pieces.

"David," said Killian heavily. "Your wife is going to want to see you at some point!"

"Then we find another way."

"The bloody Dark One couldn't do it!"

"Well then you shouldn't have wished it in the first place!"

Killian wanted to scream.

"I just wanted my friend back!"

The words came out before Killian could stop them, and he saw David pause.

Then, he looked Killian in the eye.

"And I just want my father back."

Killian felt ice slide through his chest, much the same as his sword had cut through David's father.

David huffed a sigh. "We're going to have to figure this out together," he said, like the idea did not excite him in the least. "But I… I need to get some air. Meet me in one hour at the Blue Fairy's. We're going to find a way to break this damn wish, and then I never want to see your face again."

David walked away, and Killian shut his eyes, trying to will away the burn behind his eyes.

-.-.

David walked through the trees of the Storybrooke woodland, trying to shake the angry heat in his veins.

He needed to get away from him.

The forest always felt like a calming place to him, so he attempted to calm down enough to face the bastard again and get this over with.

David came to a stop at the edge of the lake, accidentally catching a glimpse of his face—Hook's face—in the water.

With a growl, he kicked a rock into the water, watching the reflection shatter in ripples.

"No!"

He fought the ropes of the mast, securing him tightly to his own bloody ship. The Dark One's magic held him tight—too tight.

Milah's heart was in the imp's hand.

She couldn't breathe.

He himself couldn't breathe.

She crumpled to the ground.

The magic released him, and he ran, panic consuming him, catching her before she could hit the deck.

"I love you."

And just like that, the Dark One crushed the heart, killing her in an instant.

Despair, horrible, blinding, despair—

David gasped, hands flying to his aching head, only his right hand making it.

He watched her body fall into the water with a splash.

Kept his eyes on her until she disappeared beneath the waves.

A horrible sense of loneliness.

And he looked down at his left hand—or, where it had once been.

It hurt.

It hurt so horribly.

But it was nothing compared to the loss of her.

David fell to his knees, eyes screwed shut.

But the ache faded away, as did the visions.

He stared at the water, seeing Hook's reflection.

What…?

What did he just see?

Were those…?

Hook's memories?

The woman.

Somehow he knew her name was Milah.

The one who was killed, and launched Hook on his quest for revenge.

He could still feel the emotions from the memory.

Hook's emotions.

The sense of loss, the empty loneliness in his chest.

He had nothing.

No one.

David blinked, staring at Hook's face in the water.

David himself had dealt with loss before.

He'd lost his mother.

But… he'd never experienced having nothing.

He'd had Snow, and the dwarves and the Kingdom. He'd never once been truly alone.

He'd never experience the sheer sort of loneliness that Hook's memory brought. It was such a strong hurt that it felt physical.

David swallowed.

But he shut his eyes, tearing his gaze away from the water.

It felt horrible.

It was horrible, how Hook had once felt.

But he was a pirate.

He's taken so many lives.

He was a villain.

Loneliness didn't condone murdering an innocent man.

That didn't condone murdering his father.

David picked himself up, faltering when he forgot he didn't have a left hand.

He sighed, and he started back.

-.-.

David saw Killian—or, himself, as it was—waiting for him just outside the mansion.

Killian had his hands in his pockets, leaning against a tree. When he noticed David, he seemed to tense, and straightened immediately.

David felt the angry heat he'd tried to shake off the past hour return at the sight of him.

"Let's get this over with," snapped David.

Wordlessly, Killian nodded, and they both started up the steps to the mansion.

Once David walked through the door, Mother Superior was standing in the foyer already. Her brows crinkled when she saw them.

"I thought I was needed," she said softly. Looking between the two of them, her brows rose a little. "Oh," she said with a little surprise.

"How you and Gold can notice it in a second," said David, "and my daughter couldn't after ten minutes, I'll never understand."

She smiled a little. "Those of us who have been with magic longer sense it easier." She clasped her hands. "I'm assuming you came to get changed back?"

"Can you?" asked Killian.

She pulled out her wand, shutting her eyes and holding it between them like Gold had done with the dagger.

Her eyes opened. "Wish magic."

"Yes," said Killian, "the Crocodile told us that much. He either didn't know how to fix us or didn't want to."

"I sense he has told you how to solve your problem," she said quietly.

David fought the urge to groan. "We were wondering if there was another way. Without… fulfilling the wish."

Her brows crinkled. "With a wish this strong?"

David's brows rose, looking at Killian.

…Who suddenly found the floor incredibly interesting.

"What do you mean?" asked David.

"A wish fueled with this much emotion is near impossible to break before fulfilled," she said.

David blinked.

Emotion?

Hook wished for his forgiveness that badly?

Shaking away the wonderment, David said, "Near impossible. You said near." Raising a brow, he said, "There is a way, isn't there?"

Blue hesitated.

"What is it?" breathed David.

She sighed. "The only way to break it would be to drink broken magic."

Both David and Hook simply blinked in confusion.

"Drink what?" Hook asked.

"It would be impossible in the Enchanted Forest or any other realm," said Blue, "but this is a land without magic. At least, outside these city limits. If you were to take the well water, where our magic here originates, pass it over the town line and then drink it, there is a great chance this will be broken."

"We can't just walk over the town line?" asked David.

"For a wish this strong," she repeated again, making David try his best to ignore how Hook went rigid, "you'll need the strongest, most pure magic here to break. You cannot break this spell without broken pure magic. And it must be retrieved together."

David sighed. "Okay. Well water, town line." He nodded. "Easier than I thought."

Blue regarded him, and then Hook, with a thoughtful gaze. Almost like she knew something they didn't.

But David was already walking away, determined and ready to get this over with.

Not too far away was one of the two town cruisers.

David always left a spare key under the rim, and when he got to the car. He retrieved it.

With a sigh, he waited for Hook to catch up.

They needed to do this together, it seemed, which really ruined David's plan of getting it all himself.

David let himself into the car, watching Hook silently get in the passengers seat.

David reached to close the door, but remembered.

No left hand.

With a sigh he reached his right hand to pull the door shut. Then, he grabbed the seatbelt, pulling it over himself, his left arm moving to help it, but again—no left hand. He tried again, but the belt retracted completely.

"This is impossible!" growled David.

A slight silence spread in the passenger seat as David tried to get the seatbelt with one hand.

"You get used to it."

David paused at the quiet voice, seeing Hook not looking at him, and instead at David's own left hand. He was opening and closing it.

Just because he could.

David finally got the seatbelt to click in. He looked at Hook, seeing a familiar emotion in his eyes to something David felt in Hook's memory.

But then, he remembered himself.

Remembered the man sitting next to him was his father's murderer.

And he put the car into gear, pulling onto the street, doing his best to do everything one handed.

Hook didn't say anything else.

Just kept opening and closing his hand in silence.

-.-.-

They walked through the woods in silence.

David took the lead, letting Hook slink behind.

He really did look miserable.

But David didn't let himself fall for it.

He killed your father, he told himself firmly.

David tripped, nearly falling, but caught himself.

"Woah," he said, catching himself on the side of the ship, staring his five-year-old eyes onto the water.

"Careful, there, Killian," said his father, standing beside him. "You'll get your sea legs one day, m'boy."

"Will you teach me to sail?"

His father ruffled his hair. "Of course, my son."

David gasped, his head pounding.

He woke up in his cabin, but Liam wasn't in his bed across from him.

He sat up. "Father?" he called.

Liam, a few years older than him but not even yet a teenager, came in. "It's just us, Killian. Remember?"

"He'll come back," he replied with a sureness that shook. "He told me he's gonna teach me to sail."

Liam took his shoulders. "Killian, he sold us to the ship. He isn't coming back. But I will never leave you." He smiled. "I'll teach you to sail."

Sadness, fear, emptiness.

Desperation.

"You won't leave?" he whispered.

"Never."

David fell to his knee.

"David?!"

"Liam!"

He was turning black. The poison was taking his life.

"He wouldn't have if you hadn't goaded him into it."

No.

He couldn't lose him.

No.

The boy led him to the water, the blackness was receding.

Liam was saved.

His brother was all right.

His fractured world put haphazardly back together.

"Killian, I'm sorry. You were the honorable one. Not me."

Killian smiled.

They were in the cabin.

Liam couldn't breathe.

He fell.

"Help!"

Killian cradled him.

Tears burned down his face.

He was gone.

He was dead.

Killian was alone.

David felt a sharp shake.

"David!"

David opened his eyes, seeing himself—or, as it was, Hook—leaning over him with stark concern.

David blinked, headache receding.

"Are you all right?" asked Hook shakily. "Don't tell me I'm bloody dying," he said, almost like a joke, but the fear in his eyes gave him away.

David was still reeling from the memories.

How could one person lose so much?

And for his father to walk away from him when he was just a child?

To lose his brother as a teenager?

And then to fall in love, only to have her killed before his eyes?

Hook's emotions in the memories were still inside him.

He killed your father.

"David?!"

David shoved him off, getting back to his feet, even when he forgot yet again how difficult it was without a left hand.

He started walking again.

Hook hurried to catch up with him. "You're not going to bloody tell me why you just collapsed?"

"Tripped."

Hook glared at him.

But he let it drop.

David suddenly wondered if the pirate was seeing his own memories.

He walked faster.

And he tried not to think about the horrible emptiness he still felt linger from the memories.

They made it to the well not long after.

David began to pull the bucket of water up, only remembering that he was missing a hand.

Again.

Wordlessly, Hook took over.

David stared at the trees.

He took a swig of rum, straight from the bottle.

He used to be proud of his tolerance. Now he's annoyed he's too good at drinking.

He was alone.

In every sense of the word.

He was in his cabin, sat behind his desk.

He thought of his brother.

Wondered how disappointed he would be in him.

He thought of Milah.

Looked at his hand. His hook.

He wondered if she would still love him like this.

He missed her.

He took another swig.

He killed four people today.

He felt nothing.

He hasn't felt anything in centuries.

He'll kill again tomorrow.

He'll feel nothing again.

He'll continue his search for the Crocodile.

He only hoped that once he's dead, maybe he will feel something again.

Something other than hatred.

And he learned something tonight, something he's known forever but only admitted tonight.

He didn't hate the Crocodile any more than he hated himself.

"Got it."

David jerked, eyes flying open, glad the tree had been at his back. His head throbbed.

David cleared his throat.

Hook nodded toward the town line without looking at him.

David stared after him.

He killed your father.

The words don't hold the same amount of heat.

David swallowed, and he followed.

-.-.

Hook was standing at the edge of the town, before the line.

He had the bucket in his right hand.

David walked to him.

"Let's get it over with, shall we," said Hook quietly.

David moved to nod.

"I found this."

August handed him the page.

He looked.

And he recognized David's father.

Horror sank through him.

No.

It couldn't be.

Please, no.

He couldn't breathe.

His legs were numb.

How could he do this?

How could he ever have done this?

How could he have been such a terrible, vile person?

He was just beginning to feel redeemed.

He's hated himself so much.

He still did.

But he had just begun to feel proud.

He had just gained David's approval.

He never even thought he could gain him as a friend.

Panic shot through him.

David.

No.

No, no, no….

How could he do this?

He could remember it, he could picture it.

The sword in his grip, the steel sliding into the man's body.

His eyes burned.

He wanted to scream.

David feels two hand grab him before he can fall.

"David?! Mate?!"

Hook steadied him.

David looked at him.

Felt the panic from the memory.

"David," breathed Hook. "What's happening? What's wrong?"

David, in all his life, had never felt that.

Felt a hatred that strong, directed at himself.

Felt a constant uphill battle to do better.

And felt such utter remorse, such panic, such desperation to lose the people he had been almost too afraid to let into his life after so much loss.

This was a man who was broken more than David could ever imagine.

A man who realized how far wrong he had been, and clawed his way back to right.

David had known Hook wanted to make things right, had regretted what he had done, but he didn't understand just how deeply he did.

And suddenly, his headache grew tenfold, accompanied with the strict feeling of falling.

David watched Hook's eyes screw shut before his own did, both men nearly collapsing from the pressure.

When David opened his eyes, he was facing the other direction.

And standing where he had been was Hook.

Hook grimaced, his hand to his head, slowly opening his eyes. When he saw David, his eyes widened. "Bloody—" He looked to the town line. "We didn't even do it," he breathed. "How…?"

"I never knew."

Hook paused, brows lifting. "Sorry?"

"I never knew," said David, tossing the bucket to the ground. "How much you lost."

Hook tensed. "What..?"

"I don't know how, but… I could… see some of your memories," said David.

Hook went rigid.

"Hook," said David, tensing Hook even more. He sighed. "I can't forgive what you've done."

David watch despair descend in Hook's eyes. "I… understand," he said quietly.

"But I do forgive you."

Hook's brows shot to his hairline.

"Killian, what I saw, what your life was," he said slowly, "I don't know how I would have lived through it. I can't say that I'm okay with the fact that you…" He didn't phrase it but Hook flinched a little. "I guess I'm trying to say that I could see it from your... perspective. I could feel what you felt. You aren't that man anymore."

Hook looked at him with such hope that David had the stark reminder of the memory of Killian as a little boy.

"I'm sorry for how I spoke to you," added David. "Especially about your hand. It was uncalled for."

Hook shook his head. "It wasn't. David, I really do wish I could—"

David slapped a hand over his mouth. "Do not finish that thought."

David removed his hand, and Hook smiled.

A little piece of his heart falling back into place.

--.-.-.

tag list: @kmomof4 @justanother-unluckysoul @klynn-stormz @stahlop @ilovemesomekillianjones @hookmecaptain @tiganasummertree @jadehowlettthewolf @jonesfandomfanatic @anmylica @pirateprincessofpizza @stahlop @snowbellewells @eddisfargo @motherkatereloyshipper @killian-whump @cocohook38 @deckerstarblanche @spartanguard

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choppeddreamworm · 2 months

Text

Clashing Interests

Friends to lovers! Captain Hook x fem! reader

Summary: you wanted to catch a certain prince’s attention. Knowing he found swords interesting you decided to sword duel practice before trying to impress him. Who else to ask than your pirate friend, the famed captain of the Jolly Roger. He must be well adversed in swords to defend his ship no?

Warnings: teasing, flirting, a little spice (NO SMUT, just lingering touches, body descriptions and intense kiss ), slight jealous! Hook, Blood, Mention of injury, A little Angst with a little fluff to compensate, Experienced!Hook, Unexperienced! reader, wallflower & Book worm! reader

Word count: 4.4k ( proofread )

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Authors note: I thought this would only be 2k words but I just cant help but add over explanation to characters feelings (its a curse fr). I'm Sort of new to writing that might be why but ANYWAY I hope you my little birdies enjoy. Remember I welcome criticism not rudeness!

I really enjoyed writing this for yall :)

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Would you go out of your comfort zone to impress someone? Or go the extra mile, changing yourself to fit their ideal girl? No, is what the answer should be but you find yourself doing exactly that these days. Whether it be changing the way you laugh, walked or the way your clothes laid on your skin. Hook took notice, but decided to not bring it up since they were minuscule changes until you asked him to show you how to sword fight. He didn't want to think of you as less but you were a goody-two shoes, let alone a small bodied goody-two shoes at that.

"I'm sure the weight of the sword itself will defeat you before I even draw my sword lass", he easily dismissed your inquiry, closing his locker and starting to walk off. It wasn't such an odd situation, you bothering him during class exchanges. So in true annoying princess fashion you followed after hook. "Please you're the only person that's good with swords that I know of", you may be friends but that didn't stop him from taking a jab at you whenever presented with the opportunity. He was a villain after all. "I'm the only person you know", a small snort followed after his words making you roll your eyes. Yes you were much of a wallflower which made having friends hard but his hurtful words bounced off you completely. In some odd way you had grown immune to his insults. You grabbed at his arm before he could get lost in the seas of people passing by. "You still owe me for the homework answers I passed", you whispered yelled at him, finally getting his smoky black lined eyes to look at you. Seeing him not budge you let out small pleads, forcing him to respond "What even peaked your interest in swords? I thought books were the only thing you were capable of carrying", he arched his eyebrow while his voice took more of a serious tone, his eye darting from the book in your hand then to your face. A light heat of embarrassment settled in your neck, subconsciously you tried to hide the book behind you. There was no way you'd tell him your true intentions so you tried changing the subject, your hand grabbing at his coat over his shoulder tighter. In a whiny voice you spoke,"Are you going to help me or not?". Now it was his turn to roll his eyes, he let out a sigh of defeat, " you and me after school at the bridge near the lake, lateness won't be tolerated..". The faux expression you held on dropped, a bright smile taking over as you squealed, "thank you, thank you so much!". Your noises died down as you noticed hooks grim face caused by you still not letting go of him. You muttered a small sorry fixing the crumbled fabric, but immediately mocked a salute. "But yes! Aye aye captain".

You didn't have a high status or many friends at the Merlin Academy, but you were just a girl with a pirate friend and a dream.. you'd make it work.

So you wasted no time, right as the last class of the day was dismissed you scurried around the academy to the outside reaching the little trail that would lead you to the place of hope. Where your future would change and you wouldn't recognize yourself in years to pass. You could already imagine the wedding bells ringing, the dress you'd wear and the look Prince Charming was wearing. Right before leaving the school grounds you went pass a few royal girls, they whispered amongst each other, laughing and huddled up. You couldn't help but stare at them, feeling a tug at your heart from the presentation. A female friend was something you needed Even if it sounded cheesy, someone to share your secrets with, talk about boys while getting manicures would do wonders right now.

Your day dream was broken when one of them looked up, locking eyes with you before scrunching her eyes in a disgusted manner. You instantly looked away, deciding to keep walking instead. An obnoxious laughter filled the air, one you could only guess came from the girls, you were tempted to look back but you knew you'd be hurt by the outcome, so you chose against it. Girls like that always clinged around the prince you were doing all of this for. If they didn't pay you any mind how would he? That's how you knew your changes had to amount to something. Instead of getting your hopes down you used it as reinforcement to look forward to the sword lessons with Hook.

Continuing upon the pathway you were tempted to get caught up on the flowers, possibly even taking some. But, there was no time to waste, a girl that wants to marry a prince doesn't have time for pointless hobbies (you definitely stopped to smell them). The view you had of the lake while on the bridge was beautiful, an opportunity you couldn't deny yourself no matter how much you yearned for change. "Times ticking darling~", you heard that thick accented voice yelling. Not far from you was Hook sitting on a giant rock in-front of the white columns that worked together to create a small circle behind him. Your mouth couldn't help but stretch into a smile, one that had been gone since earlier in the trail...

James watched you skip towards him, even in your haste you still watched your step, your hands out like a little royal.

Finally in-front of him he stood up, grabbing one of the swords he had brought with him, "first things first you've got to get rid of that," he signaled to your back pack which you immediately put down next to the only other thing there, the extra sword. Hook never cared to actually bring stuff to school, to him this was a really long boring vacation. You were convinced his locker was storage and not for academic things. While turning back to face him you realized he ha'd gotten extremely closer to you,"And that hair of yours". Your heart couldn't help but skip a beat as he inched his hook close to your face. That was definitely a reasonable bodily human reaction.

His Hooked hand gently pushed a few wild strands of hair behind your ear, while looking into your eyes. You reactively took a few steps back, hands nervously starting to collect your hair, "yeah, yeah i got it". One thing about villains was their inability to care, thats what your parents made you believe at least but gosh was it far from it. James tried not to look bothered by your indirect rejection to his advancements, clearing his throat instead. He explained how it was best to start with teaching you the basics, stance, grip and balance. So he did with many ridicules may you add, then when he finished explaining he let you hold the sword which was to say the least true to his tease, hard to carry. There was a light joke that left his mouth about you probably reconsidering taking on this new hobby that just struck a cord inside you."-no! I... I want this okay," noticing your little outburst he sarcastically put both hands up, "ease off lassie I just thought books were more of your thing". Your desperation couldn't help but turn into anger. His jabs never affected you but it must've been that same feeling earlier in the trail starting to cloud your thoughts and keeping you on the edge that made you react (def not your growing identity battle).. He had always been your friend but did he think of you the same way those other royal girls did?"your not taking me seriously hook". you growled only earning a laugh from him at your failed "intimidation" attempt . He was used to your Agressive gushes they he found the endearing.. "Maybe i shall go fetch some flowers to calm you-". His teasing words died in his throat when he saw you walking over to your backpack that romance book you would spend hours explaining to him during lunch or after class now in your hand. "What are you doing?", then with a grunt you flung the book towards the lake.

Due to the hard cover it didn't last long in the air, gravity making it meet the water with a splash, the beauty of its pages now soaking up the water surrounding it. Hook never was a fan of reading or books for that matter, but he couldn't help but feel a light pang in his heart. You had spent hours annotating it, personalizing the book cover and even forced him to sign it.

He had suspected some boy had probably caught your attention due to the tweaks you made to yourself and your schedule here and there. But, Sword fighting and now discarding your favorite book, even for him as a villain this seemed wrong and he knew who it was.No one deserved your devotion especially that stuck up prince. "we can continue now," you walked back to your spot, trying to distract yourself, from the courage getting rid of your book took by perfecting your stance once again. He wasted no time, he didn't sulk instead made contact with your sword harshly. A loud clash permeated through the calm forest. "hey!" you to tried your hardest to collect yourself, the force of his sword disrupting your balance. "An opponent won't wait for a count start," did he feel bad, maybe a little but you were so adamant on being different you'd have to face the reality of hardship. He was a fool to think you'd want to learn one of his specialties in the name of spending time with him.. you were just friends.. nothing more

Your breaths start to grow irregular as you tried to keep up with his attacks, you timed his sword pushing forward at an open window leaving him what you thought was vulnerable. In reality, It was an aimless move one he didn't skip on to criticize you, simply stepping out of the way he lead you to your fall. With nothing to push back on you fell face first on the ground, your sword clinged on the floor gently a direct comparison to your harsh contact on the dirt.

He walked over to you not even trying to help you up,"Remind me this little ordeal is for what exactly again, attention?". A familiar colored fabric dropped in-front of you. It was your skirt that went over shorts, he must've tried stopping your fall but in your head he was using it as a prize to flaunt . Your eyebrows scrunched at his words, using the small adrenaline rush you pushed yourself up. "I didn't know you'd be so adamant on changing yourself," you brushed the dirt off your face trying to not let Hook get a rise out of you. But when you picked up your sword, his words struck a nerve, "especially over some stupid prince". You lifted your sword being the one now to initiate the attack again, he swiftly blocked it instead forcing you to hold a defensive position close to his face, "you don't know me". It was stupid for you to spit those words out because out of every student in Merlin Academy.. even your parents, he was the one who understood you the most. Your words didn't hurt him, they offended him, you couldn't possibly have the nerve to insinuate otherwise? He pushed you back with his sword resetting you to a neutral stance. "you're right i don't ..i'm just the only person who knows that you probably stopped to smell some flowers on your way over here and don't want to marry for status you just wish for a sappy love like those romance books you spend reading day in and night out," with every point he got across he pressed forward with a strike.He pushed you to see the idiocy that was, changing your whole being for someone that might not even appreciate you for you in your totality. A blush snuck up your cheeks mid battle making your defense faulty. Seeing the way your arms wobbled he stopped, laying his sword back to his side taking strides to be in-front of you. "so i guess you are in a way right princess, I don't recognize this lass in front of me..", his breath hit your face. You allowed him to say these words to you, looking up at him with now glossy eyes. His jaw clenched seeing your pitiful expression, he wasn't one for knowing to comfort so instead of saying something else to you he turned around.

Your heart had never beat out of its chest like this, even when charming looked you in the eyes or the very few times he had talked to you. The heat creeping into your body like slow poison, being one you had associated with the popular boy never another person... especially your friend.

He was being cruel... taunting you with possibly having feelings for him and your inability to woo your royal prince. It wasn't fair.

The frustration made you charge forward with a yell , a rule he didn't follow himself in this moment, "never turn your back on your enemy". Something that had been engraved in his brain since birth. He didn't expect you to ever cause harm, you'd always cry over an ant being stepped on. But when he turned back around to face you he was lucky to catch your sword with his hook. The motion of you slashing downward in a perfect angle made him hiss, his eyes watched you put your sword back down, then to his arm. Right above where his hook ended was a gash not deep enough to need immediate attention but deep enough for that irony red substance to start seeping out. Your eyes widened, the anger you had fleeing, concern now replacing it due to seeing the red being soaked up by his ripped coat and white shirt arm. Desperation seeped from your words, "-James! I'm so so sorry please you have to believe me i..." his lighthearted sadistic laugh caught you off guard. He actually quite enjoyed the altercation you had created, maybe he was wrong to underestimate his dainty princess friend. "how the tides turned," he muttered like it was a revelation under his breath. You were so sweet though, leaving your weapon on the ground to make sure he was okay, while he took his coat off, dropping it near you back pack. "If we go back to my dorm, I have- I have an aid pack or if you prefer i know where the nearest first aid kit is at school-" while your hand came up towards his injured arm to hold it, his other free hand came up to grasp yours. In a quick motion he spun your around, your back now on his chest. A light gasp left your lips as his hook came dangerously close to your throat. " Duels not over yet love," his husky voice made you straighten your posture. His other hand laid gently on your hip his cold rings creating a delicious contrast against your skin that was exposed. James slowly led you to the small dock near the area you had been fighting in. You new he'd never hurt you but the light doubt made it weirdly exciting. " Should i make you walk the plank as revenge for the wound hm~,' His breath cuddled the shell of your ear, his hook gently tapping the underside of your chin, making you experience a light jolt of electricity travel through your body. Then his demeanor changed with a joke " Or for choosing the most horrendous fish in the whole wide sea?". This time you couldn't help but grin at the jab he took at prince Charming.

"Go on then," he gave you a slight push forward, the threat of his hook on your jugular no longer existing. You stumbled regaining yourself, taking steps to reach the top of the relatively short dock. You hesitated, your own reflection staring back at you,"Ive heard It helps if you take off your shoes". His sarcasm made you lightheartedly roll your eyes nonetheless listening to him you took off your favorite shoes tossing them to a catching ready hook. This offered you time to admire him, the way his white shirt highlighted his light muscle while he stretched down. Now seeing your pirate friend in a new light. He had always put up with your odd hobbies even if he had acted annoyed at times, he still endorsed them. The lingering touches and eyes like earlier when he pushed your hair back...

You had to catch yourself, feeling that crimson red fight up your cheeks once again, now understanding its real implications. "do you need a bit of encouragement princess?" The overused nickname along with the way he strutter over to you playfully lifting his hook made your heart stutter inside your chest. Your widened your stance, noticing in the process of setting down your shoes he had taken his off to. To be completely honest you didn't know how to swim properly, "i don't know how to swim hook so you better not!". You giggled knowing he was either going to push you or pick you up and throw both of you in. "I know, thats why its even better," He growled. Lucky for you he made a senseless attempt to rush you, using a move from his book like earlier you simply moved away, leaving you perfectly watching his body make a big splash standing unharmed. Similarly you couldn't help but laugh and mock him, " hows that for walking the plank!". Your cackles died down once the ripples on the water came to a halt and yet no pirate emerged. The air had grown silent, you called out his name but got nothing in return. Doubt started trickling in your brain, did he know how to swim? Maybe he had been cursed like you with the inability to tread water... but he always bloated about his adventures at sea. Even saying he wrestled a crocodile once (he definitely did not).

You kneeled over the edge of the dock, maybe you'd catch a glimpse of him in the water if you got closer. How could the famed captain of the Jolly Roger have such a strong weakness? Answer was he didn't, before you could react something snatched your wrist from the dock. There was no time to even let out a scream before your body was enveloped in the cold water. The courage to even open your eyes underneath the lake no where to be found, too focused on holding in your breath. Your hands started flailing, successfully taking you upward to let your nostrils be greeted with sweet air, but not to keep you afloat. Before you could start panicking again a pair of arms wrapped around you gently, turning you around, "calm.. ease up darling don't kill both of us,". Finally having something to wrap around, your gasps for breath came to an end.The secure hold of your hands on Hooks neck and legs subconsciously wrapped around his waist let your body ease. He watched as you assed the somewhat murky water before turning to look at him. Both of your eyes locked, you could see his eyeliner starting to smudge, the black stone earrings he always wore that you only ever saw from afar and his small birthmarks. One on his upper lip, the other on his right cheek.

The proximity and position didn't help the growing tension. "Thats a very dangerous look lass," his voice grumbled entrapped by the longing held in your orbs. He was right, he had only ever been your friend maybe he was thinking of the consequence this situation you were in could bring. But to him he wasn't referencing the outside people, he did not care for their opinion. Instead he was talking about himself.

If you were in his hands and looking at him like you would jump off a ship in the middle of the sea if he asked you to, he would not be able to help himself. Your parted lips were basically begging for him to meet them. "I've reconsidered what you said.." your breathy voice brought his eyes back up to yours. He felt your thumbs tapping the skin around his neck nervously provoking that cocky smirk. "and that is?," you munched on the inside of your mouth, letting your left hand leave the hold on his neck sand trace his arm down to his hook, "Im letting the fish i desperately wanted off the hook-". A sudden swish of water created by hooks hand cringing, made you immediately stop your metaphor and shoot your hand up. Seeing a bit of that red substance on your fingers, the rest probably taken by the water itself and hearing the groan James tried to hide inside his throat made you comprehend. "I'm sorry i was just trying to, i thought it would've been funny if when i said that-id touch your hook, please forgive me James!" he heard you descend onto madness even using his birth given name. "its alright," he muttered still trying to get over the pain your fingers incited by touching the fresh wound. But you still kept at it, tugging your hair strands nervously. Thats when he decided his free hand would take one of your cheeks in its palm redirecting your attention at him. His rings caressed your skin perfectly, "I've already found it in my big villainous heart to forgive you". You grew quiet sharing a small laugh along with him yet still weary. Before he could take his hand off, you raised your own smaller one entrapping it, surprising the flirtatious pirate. you inched impossibly closer, enough to see the veins in his beautiful eyes sitting right above his thick bottom lashes. In response he grazed your face with his eyes, an unfamiliar rattle of anxiety traveled his nervous system, is this what all those romance books you read talked about when finally kissing the romantic lead? You weren't his first kiss, that was obvious with his comfortability flirting, yet he didn't understand this pit feeling in his stomach.

His breath slightly hit your upper lip making a light shudder leave yours in response. Your whole life you'd thought when the moment came, you'd realistically wait for the boy to kiss you. Never thinking you'd come across a moment so right. So perfect. The thought of prince charming, morals and rules left behind. You had never done this before, James knew so he let you make the decision of letting your lips come crashing down on him... and down hard. Hook was a bit taken back, the strength of your kiss pushing his head backward slightly but he tried his best to reciprocate. Your inexperience was obvious but he relished in it.

A few voices in the distance cut your moment short, both of you parting and turning your heads to the bridge. Your pulse skipped a beat recognizing the same girls who laughed at you in the trail, seeing the fear in your eyes hook started slowly swimming towards the shallower end of the lake taking you with him. Understanding the implications of being seen in this exact position with you could hold. Implications you weren't forced to put up with just because he was a villain and the fact you could still save your chance with that prince of yours. He didn't want to deprive you of that ability," we should probably.." he started but you disagreed, muttering a small no. The girls already saw you as less for being yourself, never did you care for anyone else's opinions until your eyes started being set on prince Charming. He wasn't at fault, it was yourself, you started realizing you had been looking at this all wrong. "kiss me," it left your lips so easily, "are you sure?", hook was tempted to ramble but when he heard you beg he couldn't help himself. In comparison to the forceful kiss you gave, his lips met yours gently his free hand holding your neck and some of your jaw. The act of his hooked arm pushing you into him made the butterfly feeling described in your books start to emerge. You let him lead you, his kiss becoming more feverish by the second. Then his ringed fingers left your side for a moment, leading the idle digits of yours located around his neck to the back of his head instead. Subconsciously you dug them into the strands you had always admired, unknowingly to you serving as leverage to deepen the kiss. Your body felt trapped in his being. You never wanted to let go.

His lips and yours stretched when the forgotten girls in the bridge gasped, probably gossiping about the most outrageous scene in-front of them. "Cheeky royal putting on a show for them," he muttered against your lips in a purr. You leaned your head back allowing both of you to breathe, "Your the one who was kissing me". His fingers crawled up your neck taunting you before they reached your face, his thumb dragged provocatively over your bottom lip. Being under his gaze made you shudder lightly, the temperature of the water not helping. "if it weren't for your begging we wouldn't be here my little vixen," he playfully threw the nickname out, making you sheepishly grin. You started letting go of him slowly, seeing that fake predatory look on his face start to appear. "You look exceptionally Ravishing my sweet, " He flashed his teeth then pounced on you. Your feet softly met the banks of the pond, jesting back at him"no get away from me you beast!'.

Whilst you both laughed splashing water on each other you couldn't help but let your heart warm. You'd definitely hear an earful from your parents. Those girls would definitely spread their new found information around like wild fire.

Alone with a villain inside a body of water would definitely tint your reputation enough to not let you get charming.. or any prince for that matter. But maybe this whole time you were focused on the wrong, "self conceited" boy in the Merlin Academy. He was much closer than you initially thought and you didn't have to go change yourself inside out, He already appreciated you as you are <3

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#descendants x reader #descendants #descendants rise of red #captain hook #captain hook x reader #descendants 4 #james hook #james hook x reader #prince charming #disney descendants

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