It was interesting for him to watch it happen. His fairytale wasn't stupid. She knew. She knew so well what game he was playing because it was a game that was always played. Unusually though she wasn't stopping him. Which meant there was a part of Emma Swan, maybe only a little part that wanted to be played. Because maybe, just maybe it would lead to the power she so desperately wanted. The modicum of control over her life. Because she could lie to herself, say she was happy all that she wanted. But she knew the truth. It was why she'd come to dinner after all. He could see it in her eyes though, every little flicker of 'maybe' every single moment where she thought 'maybe it was okay' And she was actually telling him that he was too good to be this.
"Too much to give. No you don't see it do you. This is what I'm supposed to be. I'm the only one in the world don't you see. What would I be if not this, what could I give. Tell me Emma because really, nothing else makes sense you know, nothing else fits." And it didn't. None of it made sense except what he was doing. Everything else was so dull and lifeless and boring and he knew the truth. He had to be who he was. He had to be this. That was what fate had in store for him. But the truth was, Emma could trust him. She could because he was all set to turn her into what he wanted her to be. And to get her there he knew exactly what he had to do.
"What I want from you...its to see you happy. To see you prosper here and you can't just do that trotting along fighting the apocalypse. Not just that anyway. Because there is so much more to the world. And haven't you been through enough? This seal, it may have brought us here, does it have to control us and do we have to be its sheep. Or can't we be something better." He kept his gaze on her much as she looked away. That was alright, she was scared of the next step, of course she was. "You can trust me Emma. And you know I wouldn't lie to you." he told her. "Maybe it can't just happen but...you don't need to walk away do you?. God help me I think I'd miss you if you did."