OUAT Imagines

Belle x Hook

Belle pushed through the crowd of people, trying to reach home after a particularly difficult day away. She just wanted to talk to her father, maybe have some croissants, and then crash in bed. The streets were so crowded, however, that it seemed impossible that she would even reach home before the sun had gone down. The faintest pink coloring had already begun to tinge the sky, so in maybe twenty minutes it would be dark.

There were mostly older men out, heading out for a drink at the bar or a night shift at the market. There were no other girls in sight. Certainly not younger women like Belle. So many people wore black, as if they were trying to blend into the night.

"Who will buy my sweet red roses? Two blooms for a penny!" A vendor shouts out over the crowd, his voice drowning in the sea of people.

Belle carries on even after she sees the roses. She had always love roses, but she was too eager to get back home and couldn't be bothered to stop for some pretty flowers.

While she's distracted, Belle doesn't see the rope crossing her path in front of her, a few inches above ground. She walks directly into it, stumbling and falling to the cobbled street. The three books she had been holding slid in front of her, stopping nearly five feet away. A pair of black boots cuts in front of her before she can reach for them.

"Hello, pretty girl? Would you like to have some fun?"

"No, I would not." She pulls herself up, then tries to make her way around her, keeping her shoulders squared. The man who had asked the question had a dark, scraggly beard. His eyes glimmered with malice. This was not someone Belle would want to mess with.

She put on a brave face either way, trying to inconspicuously look around for someone to help her. How had t possibly happened that everyone from the crowd had disappeared as soon as she got in some trouble and needed help? One of the doors to a bar was swinging closed, the only noise in the dusk.

"I would suggest that you left right now. After all, I've defeated monsters worse than you without even a sword for help." Belle looks straight into the large man's eyes, hoping to come off as confident. But how could she possibly pull that off? She was half of what this man was, and nobody ever took women seriously around here!

Suddenly, shouts and yells of anger come from the door which had swung shut mere moments ago. The next moment, A man dressed in leather bolts out, laughing. A few men follow him out, but they're so drunk that all they can do at first is stumble into each other and complain, their faces turning red.

The man in all black leather has a leather satchel in his hand, the other hand-or rather, hook-is held up in the air, waving at the drunk men. The man grins cockily and bows with a very sarcastic air.

He notices the overgrown giant of a man towering over Belle, and although Belle has an odd feeling about the leather-clad man, could he possibly be any worse than the man right in front of her? She stares at him, trying to signify with her eyes that she needs some help with her current situation.

"Ah- Lacy! Good thing you waited for me! Are those your books over there?" The new stranger swaggers over, scooping the books off the ground and then coming around to grab Belle's arm.

For a minute, it seems as if Gigantor would allow them to make a clean getaway, but then he speaks up.

"She was alone. She is mine, get your own!"

"I bloody already have my own, and she's standing right in front of you. Lacy and I have to be off, or are you going to try and fight me, mate?" The look on the man's face makes Belle quiver in fear, even though it isn't even directed at her.

"If it's duel you want, so be it!" The larger man reaches for a sword on his belt, but his opponent already has a weapon attached to his arm permanently. He holds his hook up to the larger man's throat, pushing him back.

"Never mess with Captain Hook." At those words, the larger man shrinks back, as if he recognizes the name and is afraid of it. He rushes off, not even bothering to collect the rope which he had used to trip Belle.

Belle turns to Captain Hook, "Thank you for helping me. It would have taken longer if I'd had to do it all on my own. Why were those men following you? I heard shouting."

"Those men had taken something from me a while back, so I just now took back all that it is worth. I do everything for a reason, lassie."

Belle looks at the satchel swinging at his side, "Is that their money?" She's shocked. How could this knight in shining armor possibly be a thief? He had saved her-right after he had stolen away a few men's lives.

"They have money to spare. This isn't all of it. And I've got to make my money somewhere, eh? Being a pirate doesn't bloody well give me enough time to settle down and get a job."

"A pirate? But that would mean that you're-"

"Devilishly handsome? Believe me, I do know that already. Nice of you to recognize though. Never hurts to receive a compliment or two from a beautiful young lady. Well, good night to you, Miss Beauty. I doubt we'll see each other again!" And with that, Hook runs off.

Belle tries to call after him, but decides against it. Although it's against all of her morals, she allows him to leave with the stolen money as the baboons who the money had belonged to stumbled back to the bar.

If anyone asked however, all she had seen was a handsome man and a few drunk, misguided fools; no money had switched hands. It wouldn't be a lie, just a bit of truth with some of it emitted.

After all, Captain Hook had saved her, so she would return the favor.

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Dedicated to: @SarcasticWriterChick

Request: prince-saves-the-day type CaptainBeauty

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-Cara Kama xx