Everyone had gone home. Or was home, in Emma's case. Henry had gone to bed, as had her parents. With the new information regarding the who part of the curse solved, all that remained was the how and the why.
"Quite a day, eh Swan?" Killian moved about the loft, until his eyes fell on what he'd hoped to find. Grabbing a couple of glasses, he poured a snifter of whiskey for himself, and gestured Emma to have one as well.
Emma held up her hand. "None for me, thanks. Anyone would think your superpower is finding the booze."
"We all have our talents." Killian smirked. "Come on Swan, you owe it to yourself. In the last 24 hours you have reacquainted yourself with your parents, met Robin Hood and his Merry Men," He said mockingly, "Laid a trap for the intended, and found out it was the Wicked Witch of the West. You'd need a bloody good reason not to drink. Besides that, you wouldn't let me drink alone would you?" He'd already poured her a glass and held it up to her.
Emma considered all he'd said, and with a careful smile, she replied, "I suppose it would be bad form not to."
"The worst." He smiled, and moved closer to hand it to her. They clinked their glasses and took a sip. Hook moved away from her. "What do you intend to do, Swan?"
Emma shrugged and sat on the armrest of the couch. "Well, this week my biggest appointment was a parent-teacher conference at Henry's school, but I guess that's out."
"I realise you've left a lot behind. It must be difficult." Killian said, taking another sip of whiskey.
Emma looked at him for a moment, and found it odd that at times she could talk to him easier than anyone else. "I have moments, moments when I think I shouldn't have come back. That Henry's life would be better if he'd stayed, if we'd stayed away." She took a sip sadly. "But you can't choose your family, and these are mine." Emma smiled. Hook nodded. "What about you? A year's gone by, I can't imagine what you had to leave behind to come and find me."
"Just imagine a pirate outlaw sailing around the realms and I'm sure you won't be too far off." Killian finished his drink rather quickly, a tell Emma recognised. "But if leaving that behind meant saving you from marrying a flying beast, Swan, well, you're welcome."
Emma rolled her eyes. "You're never going to let that go, are you? And thanks for breaking that one to Mary Margaret and David. Anyone would think you enjoy telling people." Emma took her last sip and grabbed his glass from his hand, the warmth of his fingers on hers not lost on her as they brushed by. He followed her into the kitchen.
"Ah, but they're not anyone. Don't your parents have the right to know if some young lad was about to make an honest woman of you? Oh, I'm sure you would've made quite the domestic goddess, Swan. And think, you could have had complete domestic bliss, had I not come along and brought the excitement back into your life. Maybe it's for that you should be thanking me." Killian grinned.
"Hardly." Emma smiled. They had grown closer, without either particularly realising it.
"No. I don't think anyone could make an honest woman of you, Swan." Killian almost whispered.
Emma noticed the clock on the wall behind him. "It's late."
"Indeed." Killian smiled, almost sadly. He stepped back from her. "Best get some rest, who knows what'll happen tomorrow." He headed towards the door.
"Hook, you have a place to stay?" Emma called after him.
"Thanks for the invitation, but there's just a little too much family bonding for my liking around here." Hook smirked.
Emma rolled her eyes at his self-assured smugness. "That wasn't an invitation, Hook. It was barely concern."
"Whatever you need to tell yourself, love." With a wink and a grin, he was gone from Emma's doorway; and only for a brief second did Emma's mind wander to what it would be like if that had been an invitation.