The Mermaid-Cursed Pirate

Chapter 30

Recap:

"I see. Well, thank you, lass. But you really did not have to do that. You're a lady, so you should have the best."

She laughs sincerely, "Believe me, captain. I am far from being a lady. Besides, as I've said before: it's not fair that you should give up your bed."

"I am happy to, lass. Because I am-"

"A gentleman. I know. You've said it before," she interrupts with a grin, the worry from earlier melting away.

"Exactly! Now, shall we get ready for a day of planning? We must catch the crocodile by surprise if we want that necklace." He grins back at her before turning to his wardrobe and finding fresh clothes.

Sirena turns to her bag but hears a door close behind her. She turns to see what the captain was doing but doesn't see him. She smiles as she realizes he left the quarters so she could change in privacy. She had had enough awkwardness with the captain for the day so she was glad for the gesture.

----------------------------

After a day filled with discussion, research, and planning, Hook and Sirena had crafted a plan for how to get the necklace from Rumplestiltskin. Sirena was to enter the castle through the front door to propose a deal with the crocodile. Meanwhile, Killian and his crew would sneak in through another way. All Sirena had to do was get Rumplestiltskin to sign her paper using her quill, which would both have squid ink on them. Then they'd grab the necklace and run.

While Sirena was nervous about the success or failure of the plan, she was more anxious about the captain discovering what happened the night before. She was not looking forward to discussing it with him, so after they finished planning, she did her best to avoid the captain. But, to the mermaid's dismay, the captain had taken notice of her avoidance. Sirena was walking to Viviane's room when the captain grabbed her by the arm and pulled her into the nearest room, which happened to be a small storage room.

"Why have you been avoiding me, lass? You've been running away from me since we finished the plan. What did I say or do?"

"I have done no such thing! I've just been....busy," she defends poorly.

"Oh, really? Then why did you turn the other way when you saw me coming toward you at supper?"

"I remembered I needed to do something, that's all!" Her face was growing red from their closeness as she remembered her morning.

"You're blushing like mad, lass. That means you're lying to me!

"That's not why I'm blushing. It's, uh, hot in here."

"I don't believe you." He steps even closer to her, his eyes serious and questioning. "I can tell you're hiding something from me, so why don't you just spit it out?"

"There's nothing to tell!" she argues as she tries to avoid his gaze, her back hitting the wall.

"You know that's not true, lass. If it was, you would be able to look me in the eyes. So what are you keeping from me?" he asks as he puts a finger to her chin, forcing their eyes to meet.

"We slept in the same bed last night!" Sirena blurts out before sprinting out of the room, not giving the captain time to process her words before she was already gone.

----------------------------

Night was falling and Sirena didn't know what to do. She didn't want to go back to Hook's quarters for the night, but Viviane had told her she couldn't stay with her. It wasn't to be rude, she didn't have anywhere for her to sleep. Sirena decided that the best place for her to stay was in the mess hall, which was empty under the captain's orders. They couldn't drink all night because all the men needed to sober up for the mission. Sirena finds a small corner with some sacks of flour to lay her head on. She falls asleep soon and enjoys a peaceful slumber.

Some time passes before Killian enters the mess hall and sighs in relief when he sees the sleeping mermaid in the corner. He picks her up and takes her back to his quarters. There, he places her on the bed and pulls the covers over her. He turns to lay down on his makeshift bed but turns back around to look at her sleeping face. Her face is so peaceful, with a neutral expression on it, her mouth slightly open. As he stares, he ponders their situation and tries to understand why he can't seem to look away from her face. Sirena stirs and the fear of discovery is enough to finally break the spell on Killian. He lays down on the floor but looks at the girl one last time.

"Goodnight, lass. I hope you're not mad at me in the morning," he says to himself before closing his eyes to sleep.

----------------------------

Sirena woke up with the sun, stretching for a moment before recognizing her surroundings. She realized she was back in the captain's quarters. She was in his bed, to be specific. She then discerned that he must have brought her here because he was still asleep on the floor on the other side of the room. She got up quietly and tried to sneak out the door before she heard a voice.

"Are you still running away from me, lass?"

"No," she lies.

"Sure. And I'm the king of the Enchanted Forest. Now can you come back here so you can explain what you said last time, please?"

She sighs, then walks back to sit on the edge of his desk. "I woke up before you and you were... um... cuddling against me. We both were fully clothed and everything, but I can't remember anything that happened that night." She turns away from him and refuses to meet his eyes.

"I see. Well if it's any comfort to you, lass, even drunk, I would never force myself upon a lady, so you were perfectly safe. There's nothing to worry about. I can even forget that it ever happened if that helps," he suggests.

"That's the problem, captain," she answers, turning to meet his gaze. "I don't want to forget it."

AN: So so sorry for the huge break. I've been super busy with a new job and my classes. I'll try to update more frequently from now on. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. Be sure to comment with any things you'd like to see happen.