Eric was a charming man. He was brave and loyal, courageous and strong. Of all the princes in the Enchanted Forest; he hadn't saved Ariel. Ariel had rescued him from the devouring jaws of the ocean; from sinking to a perilous death, to the bottom of Ursula's dark, icy depths. When Ariel looked at her husband, she felt a fondness stirring in her heart at the sight of his strong, chiselled jaw, and wide, warm shoulders.

But it was just fondness. She knew there had been love there before; a deep, passionate love that had resonated throughout her entire being and caused her to throw herself in front of any potential threat in order to keep her prince safe. However, something had happened to twist her feelings - something that warped and manipulated the love and desire she had for Eric, and made seek solstice in the arms of another.

That 'other' was Hook. Ariel had met him properly on the vast search for her missing true love, and it wasn't long before she learned that love at first sight just wasn't all what it was cracked up to be. Hook irritated her at first, with his gaudy mannerisms, alcohol-riddled breath and dark, flirtatious eyes. She disliked the way he looked at her, not like she was a person, but more like a hunk of juicy meat, and he was particularly hungry. She hated that he treat his boat like it was the love of his life, and spoke of it like it was a person. But most of all, she detested the way that she didn't really hate any of these things - she was just telling herself that.

Because if she hated his strange quirks, she wouldn't be sneaking out of the house that she and Eric shared in Storybrooke in the dead of the night. She wouldn't be crossing the town over to the harbour where Hook anchored the Jolly Roger, and she certainly wouldn't be treading delicately up to the deck, checking over her shoulder to see if anyone was around.

If Ariel was truly in love with Eric, she wouldn't have dreamed of walking below deck into the room with the bed, where Hook was sat awake, shirtless and smirking over at her. "Evenin', lass," he greeted, reaching over to the bedside table, where a flask stood. He took a long swig of his rum, his dark eyes never once leaving hers. Ariel felt a shudder run down her spine as she watched his tongue dart out and lick his upper lip once he had sated his thirst. "I've been waiting for you."

Ariel never had to talk. Hook did all the talking, He gestured Ariel over with his eyes, and she obeyed silently, treading over to the bed and slowly undressing once she was by his side. He sat back and watched her, his eyes drinking her in with that hungry expression that made her insides tremble. Once she was naked and completely at his mercy, he sat up and grabbed her around the waist roughly, his hook digging into her back. He buried his face into her chest, biting into her breast, and she threw her head back, tossing her silky, auburn curls over her shoulder.

He looked up at her between her breasts, his eyes glimmering menacingly. "Steady now," he murmured with a sleazy smirk. "My little mermaid."