That is so cute! I think there is a bit of that Ranisha, that Hook is the “fun” relationship, but that’s how Emma might see it, not Hook. I think he’s looking for more, and is thinking in that “fairytale” mindset now. Thing is, Emma probably doesn’t think that way and it might disturb her a little.
The writers are so tricky, because they use certain phrases knowing they’re loaded with meaning. Shortcuts to get the emotional impact out of the audience, like when they gave Hook “As you wish”, but then turn around and have him say “when a woman wants to talk….”. They do this with Neal too a bit–there’s things that make them seem very romantic and then things that make them seem like jerks. For Neal I think most of that was in S2 when he was with Tamara, but he had a juvenile moment after being goaded by Hook.
Overall though, they’re keeping Neal in character with being noble but well, he can be clueless in the same sort of way that a person with a good heart can be. He doesn’t always think ill of others, so he’s not prepared when they punch him in the gut. He’s an optimist, and that is what let’s him keep going after all the sorrow and pain he’s had in his life, but it does mean sometimes he’s kind of naive, which leads to him being cocky about the dangers.
I like how that offsets Emma’s natural pessimism (but I think she’s a frustrated optimist really!) and we see Emma having more hope when he’s around. I hope the writers keep building this story between these two in a low-key way.
“If I had a world of my own, everything would be nonsense. Nothing would be what it is, because everything would be what it isn't. And contrary wise, what is, it wouldn't be. And what it wouldn't be, it would. You see?” -- Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass