"Black or red?"

Emma stared up at the dresses on hangers on the hotel closet door. Once again, pondering the two pieces.

She'd been fussing over her appearance for some time. First, by applying a swipe of red lipstick and then curling her hair in gorgeous ringlets and slapping Killian's hand when he had tried to run his fingers through them.

Killian glanced up at at her from his spot on the bed and shrugged. "You look equally ravishing in both of them." He paused a bit. "Although I am partial to no dress at all." He grinned at the mental image that popped into his mind.

He had taken to his place on the bed after Emma had stripped off the coverlet in hopes of convincing her to join him there. She had thrown on the silky robe he had given her for Christmas, denying the pirate a much more interesting sight than the television.

"Be serious, Killian."

"I assure you, I am quite serious." Hook leered a bit, his tongue dragging across his lower teeth with a bit of hunger in his eyes.

Emma sighed. Throwing both the dresses on the hotel bed near his legs. "Maybe they are too harsh, I could try that green one again."

Killian quirked an eyebrow at his lady. "What exactly is this soiree again, love?"

Emma sighed. "It's called a class reunion. It is a party with the people who finished high school the same year I did."

"So is it like a ball?

"Yes, well no...I'm not sure exactly, I've never been to one."

Hook hummed softly in response, turning his eyes back to the moving picture box. His mind wasn't on the television, however.

His Swan was acting strange.

He had been delighted when Emma came to him three days ago at their breakfast table, asking for his company on a trip. Just the two of them, seeing a bit more of her realm, with no monsters or dwarves or witches. Just his love and her tiny yellow vessel.

It felt like a bit of a romantic adventure.

His hopes were for a quiet dinner and a steamy evening under the sheets when she had brought him to Boston and into this hotel.

His excitement had been flamed when he had seen that she had packed several dresses, heels, and a fresh palette of makeup. She had even thrown a few of his nicer shirts in and his good leather vest, and leather pants on top of his dark wash jeans. She had even bought a fresh bottle of her perfume and gifted him with a glass bottle of something she called cologne that smelled wonderful on his skin.

As soon as he set the bags down and locked their room door, Killian had pulled Emma into his arms. Hook's hopes for a romantic evening with his love had been dashed when she pushed his hand away and explained that they had an event to attend.

"Remember the story right?" Emma asked again.

Hook sighed a bit impatiently, as he had recited it several times so far. "I am in the Royal Navy, not exactly a stretch, darling."

"And about how we met, and where we live now?"

Killian bit his lip, a twinge of the old familiar shame catching the back if his throat. It was him.

Of course, of course, it was him. Emma was worried her 300 year old fairy tale character would slip up, do or say something foolish and embarrass her in front of old friends and acquaintances.

Killian sighed, "Love, if you would rather I not accompany you tonight, I would be fine to wait here for y-"

She swiveled then, eyes wide, finally looking at him fully, with a horrified expression,"What? No! You have to come! I need you there!"

Killian wasn't expecting that response.

"Swan? What is this about?"

She avoided his gaze, looking vulnerable.

"Emma?" Killian swung himself gracefully off the bed and moved in front of her, now concerned.

She started to speak and then stopped. 'It's stupid."

He gently placed his hand under her chin and held her gaze, "Swan, it's not stupid if it is upsetting you this much?"

She swallowed, "I need you there." She repeated, a bit pathetically.

"You said that already. Why do-"

"Because it's about you."

"What?"

Emma sighed. She sat on the bed and he followed suit.

"Killian, you know what my life was growing up."

He nodded. She had been in the system, an orphan shucked from one place to the next for years. Many a tearful, late-night, conversations had taught him about what his Swan's harsh childhood. He understood too well what her life had been like then.

" When it came to school. I was always the new girl, I never had real friends, I wore hand-me-down clothes. I barely had lunch money."

She swallowed. Killian nudged closer to her and reached out to hold her hand.

"I was always an outsider, I was in three different schools in high school. I couldn't do sports or clubs. I didn't have the money for fees, or uniforms."

"I- I got teased a lot, kids picked on me, I barely graduated high school. My foster parents wouldn't help me with homework, and it was hard to ask for help."

"One day a boy who hated me...he asked me on a date once and I told him no- so he hated me. He cornered me and told me I should just kill myself because I was a waste of space."

Killian clenched his jaw, anger bubbling in his chest as she continued. As Emma calmed her breathing, Killian was reminded just how much Emma had been through in her life.

"I tried to ignore it, but it was too much, I ran out of the class, my teacher followed me out, and he hugged me and I cried."

Emma sucked in a shaky breath, she was fighting tears, This shouldn't still be so hard. Here she was, the Savior, Sheriff, a Princess, with her True Love, she had a wonderful family who all loved her and a home, still those old wounds had left scars.

"What I am trying to say is…" She hesitated, "...no one expected anything of me. They really didn't expect me to end up... "she trailed off.

Killian brought her hand up to his lips and pressed soft kisses.

"To end up happy, with someone like you."

Realization began to dawn on him.

The hair, the dresses, the vest, the curls….

Bloody hell.

"Love?" Killian spoke up finally. "Are you attempting to show off?"

She cringed hearing it out loud made it sound so stupid. "Maybe a little?"

His expression was unreadable and she jumped to apologize. " I'm sorry! It's so childish, and petty, I know, and of course, you are so much more than a pretty face and I h-"

She was cut off by a kiss. He pulled back and smirked at her startled expression.

He bopped the tip of her nose with his finger."Black."

"What?" Emma gaped at him.

"Wear the black dress, Swan."

"Really?"

"I can hardly blame you for wanting to parade such a handsome couple. "

"You're not mad?"

His smirk grew into a somewhat embarrassed smile, accompanied with a tiny blush as his hand jumped to his ear. " Perhaps I did the same thing."

It was Emma's turn to look incredulous "You did?"

"Aye. When I became a pirate. I traveled to an old stomping ground, showed off the Jolly, my crew, and threw a bit of gold around. Class and status were quite defining in the Enchanted Forest, love. And you know my penchant for revenge,"

His expression softened a bit as he continued. "Hell, if we were back there again, I would be Prince Consort to the most beautiful princess pirate in all the realms." He kissed her hand. "You best believe I would want to flaunt that a bit."

She mirrored his grin then, and hugged him. "Thank you for understanding."

"Of course, Swan. But I am warning you, if we run into the fool that threatened you, he and and I are having a chat."

She snorted a little at that, and then pulled out of his embrace to look at him with of a sultry look.

"You know, for doing this with me, I'll owe you one." She whispered, her hand teasing the hair at the nape of his neck.

"Oh, I am counting on that, Swan." his voice dropping an octave. "Especially if we keep the room one more night?"

Emma blushed a bit at that and gave him a quick kiss to finish getting ready.

Killian playfully patted her arse as she got up off the bed and grabbed the black dress.

She turned and smiled at him before disappearing into the small grey bathroom.

Hook grinned. Looks like he would get some romantic time with his Swan afterall.