Chapter Text
Zelena
When they eventually broke the kiss, Zelena gasped for breath.
“I knew you’d like me.” She kissed his cheek again, and stepped back. Her eyes wandered to the door with all the pirates behind it.
“So, if you let me stay, what are you going to tell your crew? And what should I do? Do I get my own quarters or can I continue sleeping in your bed? I have to say you have plenty of room here.”
Killian
The kiss had been much more than he expected and when they parted, Killian was slightly light headed but pleased that she hadn’t slapped him for making an advance on her.
Again Zelena asked about the crew and he still did not have an exact answer for her, but he sighed and sat on the edge of his desk. “I’m their captain whom they elected, but I must speak in their interests. But…” His finger traced over his lips with the remaining feeling of the kiss still there and his eyes raised to meet Zelena’s. “I suppose if you’re part of my crew, they would have to take you in as one of their own.” He smirked, satisfied with that idea for now. “And as for your quarters… the crew sleep in the hull on bunks and hammocks. I don’t suppose you’d fancy that, aye? It is closer to the loo...” He grinned, teasing her further as he tapped his lips, pondering. The prior night had been decent after he’d finally fallen asleep, and well after Zelena had kicked him out of his own bed. For that alone, he thought he should make her take a bunk with the crew, but then again, he’d slept soundly for the rest of the night. Having a warm body in his bed held the potential of being quite nice and enjoyable.
Zelena
“You think they will accept me that simply? I…” she hesitated. Was she still his prisoner or had she been his prisoner? She decided to make it clear that she wasn’t his prisoner anymore and finished her sentence. “...was your prisoner an hour ago. What if they blame me for everything? And speaking of omens - I think everyone knows that pirates think that women on board are a bad omen.”
She was indeed worried about the crew and the situation, although Killian had told her they would follow him since he was their elected Captain.
When he changed the topic and answered her question about her new quarters, Zelena ground her teeth. “You wouldn’t let me sleep amongst your crew, would you? Is there no other cabin? Don’t you ever have passengers? Oh wait - right, I forgot… the brig.”
Zelena rolled her eyes. Although he hadn’t offered to stay with him she said “don’t say you didn’t enjoy a tied up and helpless Princess by your side. Since I know now where the loo is I don’t have to wake you again, although it was rather fun to kick you out of your bed… Captain Floor.” Zelena wiggled her eyebrows. She simply loved teasing him.
Killian
“Now that is nonsense. Women are not ill luck on ships.” Milah had been on the Jolly Roger for eight years after all. “That rumor was spread by various captains in order to keep their men in line. We couldn’t have them bringing whores aboard from port to port. Could you imagine the dereliction of duty?!”
Grinning, for he was in a good mood now, he reached out for her hand simply for want of touching her. “Aye, the brig,” he answered with a chuckle. No, he wouldn’t be locking her in there again. “And you haven’t been my prisoner since… whatever hour you escaped your ropes, love. I think it’s clear you’re no helpless princess as you seem to have a tendency to lash out. But if you prefer my bed to sharing with the crew, I suppose I could tie you up again.” He winked at her as he pulled her closer again. “It’s Captain Hook to you,” he mumbled against her lips.
But speaking of dereliction of duty, he was neglecting his own. So instead of kissing her again, he sighed and stood from the desk. “We’ll be embarking for the island within the hour. Oranges and coconuts have been spied, so we’ll stock up the food stores.”
Zelena
“It is?” Now Zelena was truly surprised when Killian told her having women on board was a rumor. “But fortune tellers are no rumors, right?”
However, when he mentioned bringing whores aboard she realized that he was right.
“I see, having women on board can be… distracting. I hope I wasn’t distracting you in any way, was I?” She fluttered her eyelashes and smiled innocently.
She chuckled when she thought about finding out that it had been actually quite easy to get rid of the rope.
“Well, I have to say you made it easy for me to free myself. I’m wondering - did you do it on purpose to test me, or… are you always tying up your prisoners so poorly? I suggest you use a real knot next time. And maybe I will accept your offer of being tied up again, because it was quite arousing to fight you. And I have some problems with command structures. Captain Floor,” she added after he had pulled her closer and mumbled that she had to address him as Captain Hook.
Their lips were so close, but didn’t touch each other, and Zelena whispered, “No worries, I can behave when we’re not alone. At least I try, Captain Hook.”
Unfortunately he didn’t kiss her again, but seemed to remember that he was the Captain of this ship. Duty called.
Zelena followed him with her eyes, and got actually excited when he told her that they would visit the island to stock up the food stores.
“Can I come along? I haven’t had a bath in days, I’d like to take the opportunity and get clean again. I can also help with collecting fruits.”
Killian
Again she called him Captain Floor and mocked his ability to tie a good rope. Killian gave Zelena a tense look as he answered. “I was tired! And besides… you tricked me. I should have tied your arms behind you again.” He smirked, however, as he realized she might be inviting him to tie her up again. “Next time, you can be certain I’ll make it hard on you.” She could take the innuendo or not. The point was that he accepted her challenge. For later.
“As for now,” he inhaled with a shake of his head at the thought of leaving the cabin with the promise of fighting her again later, “we’ll get our land legs again. You’ll take the rowboat with me.”
Zelena
“I can’t wait to tire out and trick you again,” Zelena snorted slightly when he made up an excuse.
“And I thought you were quite awake after you hit the floor.” She smiled at him. “Well, maybe I should tie up you. I think I have to return the favor anyway.” Her eyes were sparkling when she even thought of that.
“A pirate Captain all to my mercy…” She scrutinized him, and bit her lower lip before she changed the topic.
“Well, I hope I remember how to walk on land. After you, Captain.”
Zelena bowed and waited for him to take the lead. Before he would leave she hesitated.
“Wait, does the crew know about… me? I mean… do you have to talk to them first or am I under your personal protection from now on?”
She had a queasy feeling about simply walking out there. Last time when the crew saw her she was threatening the Captain with a cutlass and caused almost a mutiny by telling them she wouldn’t be the Princess.
Killian
Killian’s eyes narrowed slightly in wondering if he’d made a mistake. She thought she could tie him up? “You still need to learn how it is on my ship, love.” At least she was still calling him Captain. No, it would not do to have the newly freed crew member taking over the ship, or the captain.
“The men will do as they’re told. I’ve abated their… concerns for now, but mind your arse.” He made an obviously leer at her ass as he was reminded over what it looked like as he had to smack her with the sword. As an extra warning, he added. “I may not be the only one with a thirst for vengeance on this ship.” Because of the bad omen that had been plaguing him and the ship, he had lost far too many crew members to simply throw the ones he suspected into the Boo Box, or overboard at the earliest convenience. And besides, that was not Killian’s style. He knew these men. He knew their best and worst qualities and they knew his. What they did not know were Zelena’s. “It’s best if you stay near until they can trust you.” What better way for even the captain to find if he could truly trust her…
Zelena
"You wouldn't dare and use the sword to whap me again," she said glaring at him. "It still hurts when I sit too long!"
If Zelena was honest her arse was not as badly injured as her pride. She would pay him back on that one.
But for now she relaxed a bit when he told her that she was safe as long as she was close to him. Well, it wouldn’t be that bad to have him around, she thought.
“Do you think someone still intends to kill me because of the foreseeing nonsense?”
She followed Killian to the rowboat and was glad when she managed to get in without falling overboard or looking like a complete idiot. In fact, she managed to climb down the rope ladder smoothly, and took a seat.
“That was not that difficult,” she commented. Killian and two of his crew joined her, and while the two other pirates began to row, Zelena looked at the island that came closer every second.
“I can’t believe you intended to leave me here, do you think I would have managed to survive?”
It was a serious question. Zelena had already heard that fruits were growing there, and that meant there must be freshwater too.
“You did not really intend to kill me, did you?”
She dared to ask this question as long as she kept her voice low so the other two wouldn’t hear her. Luckily they kept a respectful distance to their Captain and his false Princess.
Killian
Killian grinned broadly as Zelena complained about her ass still hurting. He had enjoyed teaching her that lesson.
“Don’t worry. If anyone’s to be killed, it shall be done by my hand. Or hook.” His eyes raised as he pondered briefly, to add with a slight shake of his head, “They may enjoy roughing up a woman every now and then when she’s wronged them in some way, but generally, I’m the worst of the lot.” He winked good-naturedly at Zelena with the prideful remark about himself. “As I said, stay by me and they’ll not touch you.”
Once the rowboat was lowered to the ocean, the two crew members accompanying them did the work of rowing while Killian watched the coast and the rocks with his spyglass. “Navigate portside, mates. You’re rowing directly to the rocks,” he advised.
He lowered the spyglass at Zelena’s question and saw the seriousness in her eyes. His own eyes flicked to his side to indicate that they had an audience that could overhear his answer. Would he have killed her? He answered without bothering to lower his voice. If they heard, at least they would know he wasn’t hiding anything from them. “You were far too sheltered in the castle. You seem not to know pirates very well, love,” he answered while wincing against a ray of sunlight that passed through the clouds. “What do you think?”
Zelena
Zelena had only rolled her eyes when she heard him talking about himself being the ‘worst’ of the lot.
For now she didn’t comment on this, but got into the rowboat.
Killian used a spyglass to have a closer look at the water and navigated his men to avoid the rocks.
Then he looked at her, and Zelena wondered why he didn’t keep his voice low. His men must hear him!
That clever bastard managed to evade a direct answer, probably to keep up appearances in front of his crewmen. He even made it easy for him and gave the question back to Zelena.
The young woman curled her lips, and crossed her arms.
“I was not sheltered in the castle, the Princess was.” That was not the truth, but Zelena was angry that he didn’t answer her question. She wanted to know if she could trust him with her life or not.
“And I know pirates well enough to know that they kidnap innocent people, drink rum and whore around. Especially the Captains, as it seems.”
Zelena bit her tongue, but it was too late. Her carping tongue had brought her more than once into trouble, but her temper was not easy to control. Normally Emma had managed to calm her down and eased the situation diplomatically, but she wasn’t here anymore.
Zelena gave Killian a stubborn look and refused to answer his question too.
Killian
Killian’s eyebrows shot up, wholly amused at her outburst. It seemed he’d struck a nerve. “Oh, you think I whore around? I won’t deny your accusations but I’ll note that I didn’t touch you last night when I could have despite your curling against me like a cat. Well… aside from what I did to your arse. But I didn’t touch you.” The twinkle of challenge in his eyes shifted from her to the coastline again which presented its own challenge to them all.
“Mind the one just there,” he said, pointing at a rock that was being concealed by the surf. Without much incident, the rowboat reached the pounding waves and Killian and the two rowers jumped out when the water was around knee deep and heaved the boat to shore.
Glancing around at the beach, Killian squinted against the brightness in either direction. He saw no signs of motion that might indicate the island was inhabited. Satisfied he reached out to offer Zelena a hand out.
Zelena
“I’m used to have more than one pillow in my bed. I just needed a replacement and believe me - you did a horrible job as pillow.” Zelena snapped at him. “And you didn’t touch me because you wanted to sleep. Actually... you did touch me! Why do you think I kicked you out of your bed?”
She had noticed the grin on the face of his men when they heard their Captain. Well, maybe she could make them grin too - but this time at Killian’s cost.
Zelena fell silent when Killian gave instructions for his men to navigate around a stone, and eventually they landed at the shore. When the men jumped out into the water to heave the boat to shore, Zelena almost toppled over when the boat moved in an unexpected direction, but she managed to preserve her dignity. She only touched Killian’s hand lightly and jumped out of the boat more without his help.
She looked around and couldn’t help but smile. This island was paradisaic. The water was clear and she could see some corals and fish. There were palms lining the shore and in some distance the vegetation began.
She closed her eyes for a moment, and inhaled the air deeply. Then she looked at Killian.
“So, can I take my bath now or do I have to collect fruits first?”
Killian
Getting the rowboat to shore was a challenge with how hard the waves crashed and with a passenger that was lurching about in the boat. It would have been amusing enough if she had fallen face first into the water when she refused his offer of help, but she didn’t. Thus deprived, Killian only smirked as he turned his eyes away from Zelena to the men as they carried the now emptied boat up the beach to prevent it from being captured by the tide.
“If you’d like your bath in that surf, be my guest, but I’ll not leave you alone. You could drown or any number of bad omens could befall you.” There was a twinkle of challenge in his eye as he said this. “Or, you can accompany me farther inland as we pick the vegetation and search for a freshwater source.” He gestured with the hook toward a trail which parted the palm trees.
Zelena
Maybe he was right, and taking a bath in the ocean was not the best idea. However, Zelena would not admit that he was simply right. "Right, you believe in bad omens, how could I forget. Well, to make you feel better, I'll make it easy for you." She made a gesture with her hand toward the trail his hook pointed at. "After you."
She followed him and soon they found the first bush that was full of berries. Zelena gathered a handful of the purple fruits and was about to taste them.
"Did you bring something along to carry all this?" She shoved one berry into her mouth.
Killian
She would make it easy for him? Killian only grinned, but he felt she was only humoring him with pretty lines. Nothing about Zelena had been easy thus far and he doubted that would change.
Dipping his head in acknowledgement, while keeping his eyes on her, he began to stroll casually through the sand toward the trees. His attention was on the vegetation and any potential wildlife that might be watching them, so when Zelena spoke up, he turned around to answer. But when he saw the bush she was standing by and their deep purple color, his eyes flew wide. With two long-legged strides, he slapped the handful out of her hand. “Spit that out!” he yelled at her as he reached to grasp her jaw to force her mouth open. He sounded angry, but he was instantly terrified that she might have gotten some of the juice on her tongue or worse yet, swallowed it. “Bloody hell! Tell me you didn’t taste it yet! That’s Nightshade!”
She had not been exaggerating earlier when she had said she would die on the island alone. Evidently, she might die even while accompanied.