Things Left Unsaid

One month.

One entire month had passed since Peter Malcolm had appeared in Storybrooke.

One month of peace.

No curses.

No dark prophecies.

No magical disasters threatening reality.

No one had been kidnapped.

Nobody had died.

Storybrooke had become almost suspiciously normal.

Which was exactly why Emma Swan was terrified.

She stood near the edge of the harbor, staring out at the water.

Behind her, the Jolly Roger rocked gently against the dock.

The evening sky painted the ocean gold.

It should have been beautiful.

Instead, Emma felt sick.

"You look like you're about to throw yourself into the harbor."

Emma glanced over her shoulder.

Rumplestiltskin stood nearby with his hands tucked behind his back.

David and Snow stood beside him.

"Thanks," Emma muttered. "That's very reassuring."

"Just making observations, dearie."

"I still don't understand why you three came."

Snow crossed her arms.

"Because we're your family."

David nodded.

"And because if this goes badly, somebody should be here."

Emma pointed at Rumple.

"Then why is he here?"

Rumple looked offended.

"I ask myself that every five minutes."

Snow smiled.

"Because you're our friend."

Rumple groaned.

"Still hate that answer."

Emma couldn't help laughing.

The sound eased some of the tension in her chest.

Only a little.

Then footsteps approached.

Everyone turned.

Hook was walking down the dock.

Hands in his pockets.

Expression calm.

Almost suspiciously calm.

Emma's stomach dropped.

He knew.

The realization hit instantly.

Hook stopped a few feet away.

For a long moment nobody spoke.

Then Hook sighed.

"Emma."

Emma swallowed.

"Hook."

Another pause.

David exchanged a glance with Snow.

Rumple looked ready to disappear immediately.

"Right," Emma said.

"Right."

Nobody moved.

Nobody spoke.

Finally Hook pinched the bridge of his nose.

"Good lord."

Emma blinked.

"What?"

Hook pointed between Emma and Regina's empty spot beside the dock.

"She's coming, isn't she?"

Emma froze.

"...Who?"

Hook stared.

Emma stared back.

Rumple stared at Emma.

Snow stared at Emma.

David stared at Emma.

The silence became painful.

Hook looked personally offended.

"Regina."

Emma immediately looked away.

"Oh."

Hook groaned.

"Oh? That's all you've got?"

Emma rubbed her face.

"This isn't easy."

Hook laughed.

"No, Swan. Easy would've been having this conversation three months ago."

Emma looked up.

Hook wasn't angry.

If anything he looked exasperated.

Like someone who had waited too long for an obvious conclusion.

"You knew?"

"Emma."

Hook pointed dramatically.

"You look at Regina like she's the answer to every question you've ever had."

Emma's face turned bright red.

"Hook!"

"I'm serious."

David immediately found the ocean fascinating.

Snow was trying not to laugh.

Rumple looked delighted.

Emma pointed accusingly.

"You knew too?"

Rumple shrugged.

"Dearie, half the town knows."

"Oh my God."

"Actually," Rumple continued, "Granny started a betting pool."

Emma covered her face.

"I hate this town."

"You love this town."

"That's not helping."

More footsteps interrupted them.

Everyone turned.

Regina approached slowly.

The moment Emma saw her, her heart skipped.

Hook noticed.

Unfortunately.

His expression became even more offended.

"There."

Emma groaned.

"There what?"

"That look."

"What look?"

"The one you just made."

"I didn't make a look."

"You absolutely made a look."

Regina stopped beside Emma.

"What is happening?"

"Apparently," Hook said, "I'm trapped in a conversation that should've happened weeks ago."

Regina immediately understood.

Emma saw it happen.

The realization.

The tension.

The uncertainty.

For a moment nobody spoke.

Then Emma finally took a breath.

Enough.

No more hiding.

No more pretending.

No more fear.

"Hook."

His attention shifted to her.

Emma's voice softened.

"I care about you."

Hook nodded.

"I know."

"You matter to me."

"I know that too."

Emma swallowed.

"But I don't love you."

The words hung in the air.

Heavy.

Honest.

Real.

For a second nobody moved.

Then Hook sighed.

Not sadly.

Not angrily.

Just tired.

"Finally."

Emma blinked.

"What?"

"Finally."

Hook pointed at both women.

"Do you have any idea how exhausting this has been?"

Regina looked genuinely confused.

"What are you talking about?"

Hook stared.

"You."

Then he pointed at Emma.

"You."

Then back to Regina.

"You."

Emma frowned.

Hook threw both hands into the air.

"You've been dancing around each other for months."

"Hook—"

"No."

He wasn't angry.

Just dramatically annoyed.

"Every room."

Point.

"Every conversation."

Point.

"Every crisis."

Point.

"Every single bloody thing."

Regina opened her mouth.

Hook immediately pointed at her.

"And you are not innocent."

Regina closed her mouth.

Hook looked vindicated.

"Thank you."

Emma suddenly started laughing.

The tension shattered.

Hook shook his head.

"Honestly, Swan. I've sailed through storms with more subtlety."

Snow snorted.

David looked away quickly.

Rumple was openly enjoying himself.

Emma wiped tears from her eyes.

"You aren't upset?"

Hook looked at her.

Really looked at her.

Then he smiled.

A small genuine smile.

"No."

Emma's laughter faded.

Hook's expression softened.

"You deserve to be happy."

The sincerity hit harder than any anger would've.

Emma felt tears forming.

"Hook..."

"You don't owe me a relationship because we care about each other."

Emma looked down.

Hook continued quietly.

"You don't owe me forever."

The harbor fell silent.

Emma stepped forward.

Without thinking.

She hugged him.

Hook hesitated.

Then hugged her back.

Friends.

Nothing more.

Nothing less.

When they pulled apart, Emma wiped at her eyes.

Regina's own eyes looked suspiciously bright.

Hook noticed.

Of course he noticed.

"Good lord."

Regina glared.

"What?"

"You're doing it too."

Regina rolled her eyes.

Emma laughed.

Then she turned toward Regina.

Everything else faded.

The harbor.

The town.

The people.

The uncertainty.

Only Regina remained.

Emma reached for her hand.

Regina froze.

Emma's heart pounded.

"I spent a long time trying to understand what I was feeling."

Regina stayed silent.

Listening.

"I thought I was confused."

Emma smiled sadly.

"I wasn't."

Regina's breath caught.

Emma squeezed her hand.

"It was you."

For a moment Regina simply stared.

As though she couldn't quite believe what she'd heard.

Then she smiled.

A real smile.

Soft.

Beautiful.

Terrifying.

Emma felt her heart stop.

"You took your time, Savior."

Emma laughed through her tears.

Regina stepped closer.

"So did you."

Neither moved away.

Neither wanted to.

The distance disappeared naturally.

Slowly.

Carefully.

Like something precious.

Then they kissed.

The harbor vanished.

Everything vanished.

There was only warmth.

Relief.

Happiness.

The feeling of finally coming home.

When they finally separated, both were smiling.

Neither seemed capable of stopping.

Emma took Regina's hand.

Regina immediately intertwined their fingers.

Neither intended to let go.

They turned toward the town.

Ready to leave.

Ready to start something new.

"Hey."

Both women stopped.

Hook's voice.

Emma looked back.

Hook suddenly appeared very uncomfortable.

Which was strange.

Captain Hook rarely looked uncomfortable.

"What's wrong?" Emma asked.

Hook rubbed the back of his neck.

"This is embarrassing."

Emma immediately became concerned.

"Are you okay?"

Hook stared at the dock.

The ocean.

The ship.

Anywhere except them.

Finally he sighed.

"I think I need help."

Emma blinked.

Regina blinked.

Rumple blinked.

Snow blinked.

David blinked.

Emma pointed.

"You?"

Hook groaned immediately.

"Yes, yes, I know how that sounds."

"The Captain Hook needs help?"

"Please stop saying it like that."

Emma was already smiling.

"No, this is fascinating."

"Emma."

"I'm listening."

Hook looked genuinely miserable.

Which somehow made it worse.

"I don't entirely understand modern terminology."

Regina folded her arms.

"Go on."

Hook inhaled deeply.

Then exhaled.

Then inhaled again.

Then exhaled again.

"Hook."

"I'm trying."

Nobody interrupted.

Finally he spoke.

Slowly.

Carefully.

As if the words themselves felt strange.

"I think..."

Pause.

"I think I might..."

Longer pause.

"Oh for God's sake."

He covered his face.

"I think I might be gay."

Complete silence.

Even the ocean seemed to stop.

Hook looked ready to jump into the harbor.

"I'm not entirely certain."

Nobody spoke.

"I just..."

He struggled for words.

"For centuries I assumed I was interested in women."

Emma blinked.

"Assumed?"

"Well, yes."

Hook gestured awkwardly.

"I was attracted to women."

Another pause.

"Very attracted."

Rumple looked horrified by where this conversation was heading.

"Hook."

"I'm making a point."

"No details."

Hook ignored him.

"I found women beautiful."

Regina nodded slowly.

"Okay."

"But love?"

Hook looked confused.

Almost vulnerable.

"I don't know if I've ever actually felt that."

The group fell quiet.

Because for once Hook wasn't joking.

He wasn't performing.

He was genuinely trying to understand himself.

"I cared about people."

He looked at Emma.

"I cared about you."

Emma nodded.

"I know."

"But when I think about love..."

Hook frowned.

"As ridiculous as this sounds, I don't think I've ever understood what everyone else was talking about."

Nobody laughed.

Nobody mocked him.

Because suddenly it wasn't embarrassing.

It was honest.

The same honesty Emma had chosen tonight.

Snow stepped forward first.

"You don't have to figure it out immediately."

David nodded.

"Nobody does."

Regina smiled slightly.

"Welcome to questioning everything."

Hook groaned.

"That's not reassuring."

Emma laughed.

"It wasn't reassuring for me either."

Hook looked around the group.

His friends.

His family.

People who weren't judging him.

People who cared.

For the first time all evening, he relaxed.

Just a little.

"Right."

He rubbed his face.

"Good."

Emma smiled.

"You'll figure it out."

Hook nodded.

Eventually.

For now, that was enough.

The harbor lights flickered on one by one.

The sun disappeared beyond the horizon.

And for the first time in a very long time, nobody was pretending.

Not Emma.

Not Regina.

Not Hook.

Sometimes the happiest endings weren't dramatic.

Sometimes they were simply honest.

And sometimes honesty was enough.

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