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kazoosandfannypacks · 1 year

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Just the Way We Roll by kazoosandfannypacks

Pairing: Captain Swan Rating: General Audiences Word Count: 3K Summary: Killian Jones is just a simple teenager trying to navigate life. But when his brothers try to help him talk to his crush, it doesn't quite go as planned. Author’s notes: [In this fic, Liam II is named William, and Emma and Henry aren't related.] I feel like "Killian as a middle sibling" isn't a dynamic used nearly enough in fics, and decided to play around with "his brothers try to help him flirt and it doesn't go well." Taglist: @zahara @kmomof4 @jonesfandomfanatic @booksteaandtoomuchtv @jrob64 @tiganasummertree @anmylica @teamhook @undercaffinatednightmare @gingerchangeling @lonelyspectator @caught-in-the-filter @ultraluckycatnd @cs-rylie @silver-the-phoenix @pawshapedheart [if you’d like to be added to or removed from this list, hmu in my dms or askbox!] Also on Ao3!

Being an older sibling seemed easy enough. Having people who always look up to you, paving your own path, never living in someone else's shadow- it all comes so easy to the oldest sibling.

Being a younger sibling didn't seem too hard either. Your parents are more lax on the rules, they make less mistakes because they've learned from how they messed up your older siblings, and you've got older siblings to look out for you.

But being a middle sibling was difficult. Keeping an eye out for your younger siblings, living in the shadow of your older siblings- your parents still messing up with you, yet having expectations for you from your older siblings. It was the worst of both worlds- but after ten years of having a younger brother and seventeen of having an older brother, Killian was used to it. He'd gotten used to the fact that William would beg to tag along anywhere he went. He'd gotten used to the fact that Liam would always be around to tease him. He'd gotten used to the hand-me-downs and the handing-down, to needing advice and then giving advice, to being annoyed by his younger brother and annoying his older brother.

But if there's one thing he didn't think he'd ever get used to, it was his brothers' outgoing natures. To William and Liam both, a stranger was just a friend they hadn't met yet, whether it was a kid William met at the McDonald's playplace or a new employee Liam met at the local ice cream stand. Liam's charisma and William's enthusiasm were enough to charm the hearts of any stranger.

Killian, however, was not so gifted at meeting new people. For one thing, he didn't really need to be- Liam's friends had always accepted him as part of the group anyways- and for another, he didn't usually care to. He wasn't a huge fan of talking to people, never knowing what to say, or how to say it, or when- it was easier if he just didn't talk at all. He had plenty of online friends, anyways, from his RPG groups and writing circles, and he'd always been content with just that.

That is, until his older brother dragged him along with him to the local pizza parlor for dinner. Their mom was away for the night (and their dad had been away for much longer,) and Killian had been looking forward to spending an evening in, planning on proofreading a manuscript one of his friends had been begging him to beta.

Unfortunately, Liam had decided they'd have much more fun going out for pizza that night, and William agreed- much to Killian's dismay. So, instead of reading his friend's historical fantasy WIP while listening to his favorite gaming soundtracks, he found himself eating pizza with his brother, in a seat much too close to the nearby jukebox, which was playing "What's New, Pussycat" for what seemed like the twenty-first time.

But he didn't mind it nearly as much as he thought he would. After William had devoured a couple slices of pizza, he'd run off to play at the arcade consoles with a new friend he'd made. Liam then began talking with Killian about some of their friends, and Liam's upcoming victories as captain of the football team, and which of the Spiderman movies was the best adaptation.

But what really made him enjoy his time- or, at the very least, made him stop wishing that he was back home by himself- was when he noticed some girls from school, sitting at a table across the way- one of those girls being the new girl, Emma Swan.

If ever there was a person Killian was scared to talk to, it was Emma Swan. Her golden hair and charming smile were enough to turn loose the butterflies in his stomach- but her confidence, even in her new surroundings, combined with how quickly she'd fallen in with some of the cooler girls- altogether she was too cool for him to even think about talking to her.

Fortunately for Killian, girls like her didn't tend to notice guys like him, so she didn't notice how much he was staring at her from his seat behind the jukebox.

Unfortunately for Killian, big brothers always notice when you're crushing on someone.

"Does she go to our school?" Liam asked.

Killian turned back to Liam, trying to pretend he hadn't been staring at Emma- the last thing he needed was Liam meddling with his fantasy.

"Who?" Killian asked.

"That girl you haven't been able to take your eyes off since she came in."

"I don't know what you're talking about." Killian said, making the mistake of glancing back at Emma and her friends- and seeing her laugh at one of her friend's jokes, which brought a tell-tale smile to his face.

"Killian Jones," Liam said, "you are the worst liar I've ever met."

"Am not!" Killian said.

"You like her," Liam smiled.

"She's just a girl from school," Killian said, "she's new; I barely know her."

"What's stopping you?" Liam asked.

"From getting to know her?" Killian asked, half laughing.

"Just go over there and talk to her," Liam said.

Killian knew Liam was only trying to be supportive, but at the same time, he could've said "just go jump in a pit of razor blades" and Killian would've been more willing to oblige.

"Talk to her?" Killian asked, "me? It's not that easy."

"Why not?" Liam asked, "just go over and say 'hi.'"

"Maybe the captain of the football team can do that," Killian said, but "I don't think I could…."

"Exactly, don't think," Liam said, standing up, "just do it. Thinking's what gets you into trouble."

"What?" Killian asked, his brother already having walked around the table to the jukebox.

"This'll be your song," Liam said, putting a few quarters in the slot, "it'll boost your confidence."

"What song?" Killian asked, getting up to look at the jukebox, knowing there was no point in trying to stop his brother when he had his mind made up.

"Our jam," Liam put a hand on his brother's shoulder, "That's Just The Way We Roll."

"Jonas Brothers?" Killian asked, "You want me to talk to Emma with Jonas Brothers playing in the background?"

"Only thing better than the Joe Bros is the Jones Bros," Liam wiped a dab of sauce off Killian's face, "even if one of them needs a little more confidence."

"I still don't know about this," Killian said.

Their conversation was interrupted by William, who'd apparently exhausted all his arcade quarters.

"Do you have any more quarters?" William asked Liam, "Henry and I ran out."

"Who's Henry?" Killian asked.

"My new friend," William said.

"How'd you like to help your brother make a new friend now?" Liam asked William.

"You?"

"I don't need your help," Liam said, "but there's a pretty girl over there who's caught Killian's eye, and he needs our help to impress her."

"I don't need…"

"Okay!" William said, "what do you need me to do?"

"Just follow my lead," Liam said, "and make Killian look good."

"You got it!" William said.

"I woke up, on the roof, with my brothers," the jukebox played.

"That's your cue," Liam said. He put his hand on Killian's shoulder and pushed him ahead of them, towards Emma and her friends.

"I wonder how much paperwork goes into disowning your older brother," Killian thought, as they got closer to the table and he still didn't know what he was gonna say.

The girls at the table stopped talking and looked up at them, their eyes quizzically fixed on the Jones brothers.

"Hi," Killian said, his stomach in knots and shoulders tense, "I uh, we go to the same school."

"Emma, is it?" Liam reached around his brother to shake Emma's hand, "I'm Liam."

"No need to introduce yourself," one of the other girls, whom Killian recognized from the cheerleading squad, interrupted, "I think we all know the captain of the football team when we see him."

"Anna, right?" Liam asked, "Kristoff's girlfriend?"

"That's me," Anna nudged the girl next to her, "and this is my sister, Elsa."

"A pleasure to meet you both," Liam said, flashing a dazzling smile at Elsa, then turning slightly to Emma, "and have you met my brother, Killian?"

"I've seen you around," Emma smiled a little, not at Killian, "I didn't pick up on the familial connection, I guess."

"Jones is a fairly common last name," Liam said, "and Killian hasn't picked up on nearly as much of the family charisma and charm as I have."

Even if Killian had found his voice, he couldn't've argued with that.

"And I'm William!" William piped in, "I'm their brother!"

"Oh?" Elsa smiled at the child, "are you on the football team too?"

"I don't even go to your school!" William said, "but I go to all of Liam's football games. I'd go to Killian's games too, if he was good at sports."

"What part of 'make Killian look good' does he not understand?" Killian thought, before realizing it was probably the word "Killian."

"Yet another thing that didn't run in the family," Liam smiled.

"Would you guys like to join us?" Anna asked, sliding herself over and pulling her sister along with her, "I'm sure we can make room for you."

"We'd love to," Liam said. He slid into the now-empty space in the booth, next to Elsa.

Killian took a seat in the booth next to Emma, feeling a little too uncomfortable to even look at her.

"This was a bad idea," Killian thought, sitting at the edge of the booth, hoping his cheeks weren't red from either embarrassment, awkwardness, or any more stray pizza sauce.

Whether fortunately or unfortunately, Killian wasn't quite sure yet, but either way, William crawled under the table and popped back up between Emma and Killian, taking a seat between them.

William tugged at Killian's sleeve and motioned for him to lean down. Killian did so, and William cupped his hands around his ear to whisper to him- but when you're ten years old, it's hard to tell the difference between "whispering" and "talking so loud the whole restaurant can hear it." Unfortunately for Killian, William did the latter.

"Is she the girl you can't impress?" William asked, his voice somehow a million times louder than usual, "the one you needed our help with?"

Killian blushed a little, glancing up at Liam and reading his expression, knowing that it was definitely loud enough, at the very least, for the whole table to hear.

"I never said that," Killian scratched the back of his neck, behind his ear.

"Shhhhh!" William reminded him they were supposed to be whispering, "you didn't, Liam did, remember? He said you need more confidence and there's a pretty girl you can't impress without our help."

Killian hid his face in his hand, wondering now how much paperwork went into disowning himself.

Liam pulled a few quarters out of his pocket.

"Why don't you head back to the X-Wing Fighters game?" he asked, handing William the quarters.

"Okay!" William said, "Nice meeting you girls!"

"It was nice meeting you too," Anna said, as William crawled across Killian, adding injury to insult as he left the booth.

Killian looked at Emma out of the corner of his eye, and behind her soda sipping straw was a sympathetic smile.

"Great, just what I need," Killian thought, "she probably feels sorry for me."

Killian hunched his shoulders and looked away from her, intently studying a stain on the table. He then remembered what Liam said about the song playing on the jukebox, and listened closely to the lyrics now playing.

"If we lose, all the girls, they'll be laughing"

"They'll be laughing pretty soon here if I open my big mouth and say something stupid," Killian thought.

He looked up at his brother and took heart, knowing that at least one of the Jones brothers knew how to function in society.

"I don't see how Liam got all the charisma and charm." Killian thought, "I want to go home- or, at least, go sit at the table behind the jukebox like none of this happened. I don't know how to talk to people, let alone girls."

"So, do you ladies come here often?" Liam asked.

"Anna and I do," Elsa said, "our favorite weekend hangout- this is our first time bringing Emma along with us though."

"I just moved in a couple weeks ago," Emma said, "Anna and Elsa've been helping me adjust pretty well though. Our parents have apparently been friends since before any of us were born."

"Glad to see you're, uh, well adjusted so far," Killian said, wondering if that sounded as awkward as he thought it did once he'd said it.

"Thanks, I guess," Emma said.

"Have you stopped by Scoops and Shakes yet?" Liam asked Emma.

"Not yet," Emma said, "Elsa and Anna told me it's the best ice cream place in town though." "A slight understatement," Liam said, "one of the best on the planet. Perhaps my brother and I could you treat you ladies there tonight?"

"Sounds pretty cool," Elsa said.

"That was an ice one," Liam smiled.

Emma groaned and rolled her eyes as Anna and Liam laughed.

"I've got snow problem coming up with them," Elsa said.

"You're quite clever," Liam smiled, then glanced at Killian, a look in his eyes that said he'd forgotten his role as wingman, but was just remembering it.

"Care to join us at Scoops and Shakes after this?" Liam asked Emma.

"I don't know," Emma said.

"I'm sure my brother would be glad for your company," Liam smiled.

Emma looked at Killian, expectantly, and he realized now he'd have to say something to her- something smooth, calculated, charming, cool- like Liam would. He opened his mouth to speak, but couldn't come up with anything.

"That's it;" Killian thought, "I'm stopping by the county offices tomorrow and disowning myself. I'll go join Uncle Nemo's shipping company in Maine, never look back."

"No, I, uh," Killian stammered, wondering how to avoid coming on too strong without avoiding coming on at all. "I might be able to uh," he made the mistake of looking at Emma, rendering himself entirely speechless at the sight of her smile.

"You're really pretty," Killian mumbled.

"What was that?" Emma asked, her tone not revealing if she liked what she heard.

Killian covered his tracks- but covered them with the dirt beneath his feet, digging himself into a deep hole.

"I said I need to use the privy!" Killian said, even louder than William had "whispered" to him earlier. He got up from his seat quickly, and ran to the bathroom.

He shut the door of one of the bathroom stalls, not needing to use the bathroom, of course, but needing to step back and think, and wondering if his mom would still write to him if he ran away to Maine.

"Curse that brother of mine," he muttered to himself, "why can't he understand that we're not all like him? I can't be him."

But maybe that was Killian's problem. Maybe he was trying too hard to be like his brother- so much so he was neglecting to be himself.

But if he was really gonna be himself, he'd be in his room right now, by himself, perfectly content to stay that way.

When he left the bathroom, he saw William and his new friend playing at one of the arcade consoles, and figured it was as good an excuse as any to keep stalling.

"How're you doing, kid?" Killian rubbed his little brother's hair. "Putting that Imperial Scum in their place?"

"No!" William said. "We can't seem to get past this TIE Interceptor."

Killian smiled. Taking on a whole fleet of TIEs was easier for him than trying to woo a girl.

"May I?" Killian asked.

William quickly stepped off to the side, and Killian took his place in front of the console. As he'd suspected, he did pretty well taking down the enemy invasion, and soon lost himself in the rush of the game and the cheers of the younger boys.

"I think I got it from here," William smiled, pushing his big brother out of the way, "thanks!" "Man, we never could've gotten this far without your brother!" Henry told him.

Satisfied that he'd at least done something right in the last ten minutes, he turned around, with a smile on his face. He quickly realized, though, that he hadn't noticed another spectator to his game- until he turned around and almost ran into her.

"That's some pretty good shooting there, Red Five," Emma smiled.

"I, uh," Killian took a deep breath, "I didn't peg you for a Star Wars fan."

"Why not?" Emma crossed her arms, "because I'm a girl?" "Of course not," Killian said, "it's just rare to meet someone else who shares my interests, especially someone as cool as you."

"You think I'm cool?" Emma asked.

"Yeah," Killian said, "not many people can claim good looks alongside knowing Luke Skywalker's callsign."

"I think someone else here can," Emma smiled.

Killian blushed a little, his mouth an open smile as he thought of what to say next- not of what his brother would say next, but what he would say next.

"Do you game as well?"

"Sometimes," Emma said, "though I'm not very good at it."

"Have you ever played the Fallen Order games?" "Haven't had the time or motivation yet," Emma said.

"Liam and I have them on the XBox," Killian said, "If you'd ever did have the time or motivation, I'd love to show you."

"Sounds like a date," Emma said.

"Only if you wanted it to be," Killian said, shyly looking down at his shoes.

"Speaking of dates," Emma said, "did you wanna join the others over at Scoops and Shakes? I hear it's the best ice cream on the planet."

"Liam was being facetious when he said that," Killian said, "but it is one of the best on a student's budget." They started to walk away, but he suddenly remembered his little brother.

"William," Killian turned back to his brother, "time to go."

"Go?" William asked, not turning his back on his game, "already? Five more minutes?" Killian rolled his eyes, then mouthed "watch this" to Emma.

"We're getting ice cream," Killian said.

"Finish it for me!" William jumped away from the console as Henry stepped into his place.

"You got it, Gold Leader," Henry said, "may the force be with you!"

"May the force be with you!" William called back, already past Emma and Killian and on his way to the door.

"Shall we?" Killian asked, holding a hand out, gesturing in front of them.

"Yeah," Emma smiled, and, much to his surprise, took Killian's hand in hers.

He blushed, hoping his hand wasn't sweating too much, having never held hands with a girl before.

As they rejoined with the others, Liam nodded at Killian and gave him a discreet thumbs up, to which Killian nodded in return.

Killian looked back over at Emma and smiled a little, realizing that he wouldn't've gotten this close to her if Liam hadn't pushed him, and that maybe, just maybe, he didn't need to disown himself just yet.

#once upon a time #ouat #killian jones #emma swan #liam jones #liam jones ii #captain swan #the brothers jones #fanfiction #ouat fanfiction #ouat ff #kazzy writes #once upon a time season 5 #elsa ouat #anna ouat #frozen jewel #the jonas brothers

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emilyrox · 1 year

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ouat for the ask game?

OUAT!!!

Favorite Male: Killian Jones. There's no contest. Just Killian.

Favorite Female: Emma Swan. There's no contest. Just Emma.

Favorite Pairing: Ok I'm gonna list both my favorite main pairing and favorite side pairing.

Favorite Main Pairing: Captain Swan. You all knew this was gonna be my answer don't lie. Finally watched the Captain Swan wedding for real and it is the best thing ever. Also started season 7 officially and THEY'RE HAVING A BABY!

Favorite Side Pairing: Mr. Hyde x Mary Lydgate (I don't know what the ship name is someone plz help). Gonna be honest I don't exactly know why I think about them as much as I do. Maybe it's because Hyde is also a favorite, or because of their dynamic in general, or because I wish we saw more of them, but I just think about them a lot and what they meant to each other. I'm attached to a pairing that was together for ONE episode??? It's more likely than you think.

Least Favorite Character: uhhhhhhhhhhhh I got a few

Fiona "The Black Fairy". I did not like her. Yeah she's a villain so she's meant to be rooted against but other villains in the show are at least ENTERTAINING. Regina was an entertaining villain (and the og). Zelena was fucking hilarious (and still is as a hero I'm glad they kept that part of her). Cruella de Vil is a cruel dog murderer but I was always interested when she was on screen. But Fiona? She was just a bitch, and not an enjoyable one. I just wanted someone to finally end her. Was so satisfied when Rumple killed her for good.

Mother Superior/"The Blue Fairy". Just because I don't like Fiona and she and Blue were foils doesn't mean I like the Blue Fairy. I agree with the rest of the fandom that she was shady as fuck. She does some good things but also a lot of rude and shady ones. The way she treated Tinkerbell was awful, and her overall "I art holier than thou" attitude was just unpleasant. I could never really tell if she actually wanted to help the heroes or not, which would have been an interesting thing to think about during the show if not for her over-the-top self-righteousness.

Rumplestiltskin (Season 4, Season 5B-Season 6A. Season 7 TBD). He has had many opportunities to redeem himself and be a good person, which he claims he wants to be, but over and over again he kept clinging to "muh power." He is entertaining as a villain overall, and I do like Rumbelle, but not when he is being borderline abusive and possessive of her. I specified specific seasons where I don't like him because those are where he fucks up the most imo. 5A could have been his perfect redemption arc, and he was finally free of the Dark One Curse, but he willingly chose to take that power back. Which makes his actions more irritating in 5B. 6A Rumple was god awful. However, I am glad that by 6B he got his shit together (most of the time) and ultimately did the right thing. *I will say that I enjoy Rumple the most when he is in full-on Dad mode. Which is part of why I like him again in 6B. He genuinely cares about his sons, and I believe him when he says he would do anything for them.* Rumple in Season 7 has yet to be determined as I have not finished it yet.

Who's Most Like Me: Ok imma be completely honest I don't actually know. I feel like my answer, if i have one, would just be me projecting myself onto the character and not actually looking at canon.

Most Attractive: Killian is the obvious choice but ngl more than half of the entire cast slays. The costume department is a big reason why. I agree with the idea that most of the budget went towards the costumes and honestly that is 100% valid of them to do.

Three More Characters I Like: Here ya go:

Elsa. Fuck y'all the Frozen arc was great and Elsa was great and she cares about Anna and Kristoff and becomes besties with Emma and doesn't understand talking phones with Killian and she's great and I may or may not have shipped her with Liam (the first) at one point even though there is literally no way that could ever happen but consider this: it'd be cute.

Zelena (Season 5B and onward. Season 7 TBD). I mentioned how she was a very entertaining villain but ngl I think she's even more entertaining when she's on the heroes' side. She still has 100% of her sass, it's just now directed at people who deserve it. Like Fiona for example :D. I also love when she and Regina work together and help each other. I also believe, like Rumple, that she genuinely cares about her daughter, and seeing her go mom-mode is great. Overall, I think she became a much more likeable and enjoyable character after 5A, and especially by mid 6A. Zelena in Season 7 has yet to be determined as I have not finished it yet.

Lily Page. So from what I've seen online I'm not the only one that was hoping to see more of her after Season 4, right? I thought she was an interesting character, and I'm happy she finally reunited with her mom, Maleficent. Lily being her daughter was a plot twist I don't think anyone expected, but I really liked it! I would have honestly loved to see an episode where Lily and Emma, and maybe a few others, go searching for Lily's dad. They introduced that arc for Lily in the Season 4 finale, but then it didn't go anywhere. (Ok so I have been spoiled that it's revealed in Season 7 at the very end but I wish we got more than that ngl). I like Lily, I just wish we got to see more of her.

#once upon a time #ouat #killian jones #emma swan #mr. hyde #mr. hyde ouat #mary lydgate #the black fairy #the blue fairy #rumplestiltskin #elsa #elsa ouat #zelena mills #lily page #asks #ask game #ask away my dudes

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searchingwardrobes · 1 year

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Scarborough Fair: 7/?

I was shocked to discover that I last updated this at the end of October! I still love this story, though, so I hope you all will stick with me. Writing this chapter was great therapy for me, but in addition to that, I really enjoyed writing the dynamic of this quirky and unique little family. I also rather like how this chapter ends, if I do say so myself. It’s a nice bit of levity in what has so far been a dark story.

You might want to go back and read Mary Margaret’s journal entry from chapter 6 (the part in italics) to refresh your memory about how the curse in this story works. I know it’s been a while!

Summary: Seventeen-year-old Emma Swan has had a charmed life, despite being a foster child. She has a wonderful family who loves her, and the best friends in the world. The only thing that mars her idyllic existence is her birth mother: a homeless woman who mutters nonsensical rhymes and claims to be Snow White. One fateful night, however, Emma’s world is shattered. Perhaps her mother’s rhymes aren’t nonsense after all.

Rated: M for date rape, dubious consent, teen pregnancy, and sexy times (the good kind!)

Words: Over 3k in this chapter

Also on Ao3

Tagging: (let me know if you wish to be removed or added): @snowbellewells @teamhook @kmomof4 @jrob64 @xhookswenchx-reads-blog @thisonesatellite @welllpthisishappening @spartanguard @ohmakemeahercules @tiganasummertree @sparlecorn93 @sals86 @pirateprincessofpizza @xarandomdreamx @zaharadessert @huntressandlioness1 @jamif @undercaffinatednightmare @onceratheart18 @sparlecorn93 @sals86 @pirateprincessofpizza @xarandomdreamx @zaharadessert @huntressandlioness1 @jonesfandomfanatic

Emma descended the stairs with the pregnancy test in the pocket of her jeans, one hand clutching her mother’s journal, and the other clasped firmly in Killian’s. If not for his presence beside her, she would have collapsed.

It hadn’t taken them long to come to this decision. Their very unique family had come together through a series of crazy tragedies. Some would call them a series of coincidences; but to every family member under this roof, it felt like fate. If Emma was cursed to follow this path, she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she didn’t have to walk it alone. Elsa and Anna hadn’t been alone after their parents died in a boating accident - their Aunt had immediately taken them in, and they’d gained a third sister in the process. Killian hadn’t been alone when his father left and his mother died - a brother he had never met stepped up. Then Ingrid Arendelle and three little girls had knocked on Liam Jones’s front door with a platter of cookies to welcome him and his little boy to the neighborhood, and well - fate took over once again.

As for Emma, what would have happened to her if Mary Margaret had never met Ingrid? This Dark One her mother wrote about in her journal couldn’t have anticipated Ingrid. Or Liam. Or Killian, Elsa, or Anna. Hiding this from them just wasn’t an option. Every time they faced difficulties, they were stronger together.

Emma and Killian paused at the bottom of the stairs. Ingrid, Liam, and Anna were bustling about the kitchen. Anna was opening the boxes of pizza that had just been delivered, Liam was pulling paper plates from the cupboard, and Ingrid had just walked in the kitchen door after fetching sodas from the extra fridge in the garage. She kicked the door shut with one foot, her arms loaded down with soda cans. She froze, the laughter on her lips dying as she saw Emma and Killian standing there.

“We need to have a family meeting,” Killian announced.

All three of them looked from Killian, to Emma, then to their joined hands. Anna’s mouth opened, then snapped shut. Ingrid and Liam shared weighted glances.

“Okay,” Ingrid agreed as she began setting the soda cans one by one on the kitchen counter. “Let’s grab our food and gather around the table.”

Killian looked at Emma and gave her an encouraging smile followed by a squeeze of his hand. Emma nodded nervously, then let go. She sat down at the kitchen table, hugging her mother’s journal to her chest. Everyone resumed dinner preparations, although their voices were softer and the laughter had floated away. Emma wasn’t hungry, but she tried to pick at the slice of pepperoni Ingrid set before her.

“Well,” Ingrid announced, taking charge as always, “do we want to eat and then have the meeting, or talk while we eat?”

“I’d really rather get it over with,” Emma said softly.

Ingrid nodded. “Okay, then. Do we want to try and include Elsa in this?”

Emma wet her suddenly dry lips. She really just wanted to rip this off like a bandaid. “If she could, that would be nice, but I don’t want to wait.”

“Liam, see if you can get ahold of Elsa for a Zoom call.”

A series of texts were exchanged, Liam set up his laptop at Elsa’s usual seat around

the table, and suddenly, there was her older sister, via the magic of technology. Thankfully, dinner time around Boston was lunch time in the North Sea, so Elsa was on a break from her intern responsibilities. She waved at Emma, her smile still holding that edge of concern as she asked how she was doing.

“In truth,” Emma confessed, “I’ve been better. Which is why I called a family meeting.”

“You both did, actually,” Liam clarified, giving his brother a weighted look. He glanced down to where Killian’s hand rested atop Emma’s on the table.

Had he reached for her hand or had she reached for his? Emma wasn’t sure, but it felt right, as if it were the only way she could face this.

Emma let out a long breath as she reached into her pocket. “There’s not really a way to ease into this conversation, so . . .”

She pulled out the pregnancy test and set it in the middle of the table. The reaction was immediate. Anna gasped, Liam made a strangled noise, and Ingrid pressed a hand to her mouth. Elsa’s confused voice came out distant and tinny from the computer screen.

“What is that? I can’t see.”

Emma lifted the pregnancy test and held it right in front of the camera.

“Oh . . . my,” Elsa breathed.

“What the bloody hell have you done, Killian?” Liam suddenly burst out.

“Me?” Killian shouted.

“You mean you think it’s his?” Emma choked out.

The other three female members of the family began shouting over each other in chastisement. Liam lifted both hands placatingly.

“They come walking down here hand in hand, calling a family meeting, then she pulls out a pregnancy test? What was I supposed to think?”

Ingrid glared at her husband and smacked him in the shoulder with the back of her hand. “You’re supposed to think about Neal Cassidy and what he did to her just two months ago! Not to mention have more faith than that in your brother.”

Liam’s shoulders slumped. “Neal?” he whispered as he looked apologetically at Emma.

She nodded solemnly in reply.

“So now we need to support Emma instead of flying off the handle,” Elsa proclaimed from across the ocean via Zoom.

Emma leaned towards the screen to address her sister. “Don’t be too hard on him. He looks pretty awful right now.”

“Well,” Ingrid announced, splaying both hands on the table, “you have options Emma. Tomorrow we can -”

Emma cut her off with a raised hand. “This is about more than an unplanned pregnancy.” She looked at Killian, pushing the slim volume with the tattered green cover towards him with her free hand. He never had let go of her other one. He squeezed her hand now and gave her a nod in understanding.

“I found this the night of the prom in Mary Margaret’s things,” Killian explained.

“It’s her journal,” Emma added, “and she wrote it for me.”

“Emma,” Ingrid breathed, reaching hesitantly across the table, and then drawing her hand back, “I had no idea . . .”

“I read it,” Emma continued, ignoring her foster mother, “and then I had Killian read it, and . . . well . . .”

“It explains some things,” Killian filled in for her.

“Right. It explains things. I made Killian promise me something before he read it, and I’m going to ask you the same thing. Promise you won’t think this is crazy, or that I’m crazy.”

Any other parent would probably jump in at that point with an adamant denial that they would ever entertain such a thought. Emma’s foster parents, however, knew the gravity of what she was asking them. So did her sisters. Ingrid and Liam exchanged marital looks that spoke without words. Anna and Elsa, even through a computer screen, did their creepy sister telepathy. Then the four of them solemnly promised Emma that they would all have open minds. With that vow, Killian picked up the journal, opened it, and began to read it out loud.

He still didn’t let go of Emma’s hand.

She refused to look at her family as he read aloud, afraid of what she might see in their expressions. There was an audible gasp from all four of them at Neal’s name, but other than that, it was eerily silent as Killian read. When he finished, he set the journal down on the table, and Emma finally raised her head. Ingrid’s brow was furrowed as if she were mentally reviewing every moment with Mary Margaret over the years. Liam stared at a point somewhere over Emma’s shoulder. Anna blinked and shook her head slightly in shock. Elsa massaged her brow with the slender fingers of both hands. The silence stretched.

Anna, unsurprisingly, was the one who broke it.

“That . . . actually explains a lot.”

“A curse then,” Elsa said, leaning closer to her screen, “so how do we help Emma break it?”

Liam banged both fists on the table. “I should have punched that kid when I had the chance.”

Ingrid rose, strode to the kitchen drawer, grabbed a pad of paper and a pen, then sat back down with pen poised over paper. “Repeat that riddle to me again, Killian.”

He read it again, and Ingrid scrawled furiously. Liam leaned over her shoulder.

“I could do more research into the song,” he told everyone.

“And that art professor?” Ingrid asked, tapping the paper with the end of the pen, “What was her name? The one who did her dissertation on textiles?”

“Kate Freemont?”

“Yes, her! Maybe she could look into fabrics that would work for this first riddle.”

“How is that even possible?” Anna asked, leaning over her aunt’s list. “If you sew a shirt, doesn’t it have to have a seam? And how do you make it without a needle?”

“I can ask around here about the third riddle,” Elsa spoke up. “It seems it would be pretty hard to sow an acre on the shore before the tide comes in, but some of these scientists I’ve been working with have traveled the world. Maybe they know of a place where that would work?”

“Forget the tide,” Anna scoffed, “how do you sow an entire acre with only one kernel of corn?”

“The agriculture department!” Liam exclaimed. “I’ll ask around.”

Emma’s eyes welled up with tears as she watched her family roll up their sleeves and jump right in to solve the riddle. Not for one second did they scoff at her or turn away. Ingrid met her watery gaze, and her expression softened. She put down the pen and raised a hand to quiet the rest of the family.

“Before we go on, there’s one solution we haven’t voiced.” She looked intently at Emma with eyes full of compassion. “The curse says that you have until your child is born to solve the riddle. If you terminate the pregnancy -”

“No!” Emma cried, placing a hand protectively to her abdomen.

“Sweetheart,” Ingrid said gently, “you were raped. No one would fault you if -”

“I can’t,” Emma protested, shaking her head. “I can’t explain it, but my gut tells me things would be worse if I did that. I think this baby is the key to breaking this curse. If I did what you suggest, I have a feeling the madness would take me then, and my parents would be cursed forever.”

Ingrid nodded, blinking back tears. “Okay, then. Well, everyone, how do we go about finding a town that no one knows?”

Emma’s smile grew, and she felt herself relax in her chair as everyone’s voices overlapped one another. Except for Killian. He sat silently, her hand still in his, his thumb idly rubbing across her knuckles. It soothed her.

Then he cleared his throat. “I have something I need to say.”

Everyone stopped and looked at him.

“I’m in love with Emma.”

The words shot through the quiet room, and then Liam spoke up.

“And you all wondered why I thought the baby might be his.”

#cs ff #captain swan fanfic #captain swan ff #captain swan fanfiction #cs impossible au #cs au #lieutenant duckling #modern fantasy #angst #cs angsty august #angsty august #captain swan angsty august #impossible au

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piraticalwit · 10 months

Text

just thinking about platonic love and dying inside.

I've been making jokes all week to hunter about how killian is very much like what do you mean you no longer think about me every second of every day and pine for my attention?? to starkey once he meets joe and puts a lot of priority on that relationship .. and while that is essentially true .. one thing i've always loved about killian is that he uses egocentric behavior to cover pain (even if he himself refuses to acknowledge it) and this really wouldn't be any different. In all verses (including ones where they are essentially, at the surface, nothing but 'crew and captain'), i think starkey is someone who grounds killian into this idea of who he truly is beneath it all. I think this becomes even more true in verses where Killian has lost Liam and his mother both. With his brother's death, he loses a lot of sense of self. He has always seen his life as an intense storm to be weathered, his sense of self and plans for the future often seem as if they are just buffeted around by the waves, and Liam's death is much like a lighthouse crumbling. Killian loses that hope of eventually making it to shore, of having any sort of direction, and with the loss of that stability and something to follow .. he essentially reinvents himself in an effort to survive. This bright, whimsical, imaginative boy (or young man) becomes something haunted and dark with a chasm where his heart used to be. The pain of survival scares him, seems impossible to navigate, and he becomes an essentially egocentric bastard to hide that vulnerability and weakness.

When he loses his hand in pirate verses, that should be the end of him as captain. His crew are some of the worst men out there and that failure to be able to maintain the confidence needed on deck should result in some sort of mutiny. There's no great opportunity to fuck him over than when he's half dead in his cabin, fighting a really shoddily done amputation. But Starkey, who has always been a loyal quartermaster, saves him. He cares for him, he helps him recover, he drags his ass on deck for a short time every day - does anything and everything the two of them can to help Killian maintain that image of insanely tough and ruthless. And it works. Hook never forgets that. The other man had every opportunity to abandon him to the wolves and he didn't falter for even a single moment. They stay captain and quartermaster, yes - but Killian forever sees him as a friend after that. He is the only man who sails under his authority allowed to question certain decisions or point out flawed thinking and even if it appears otherwise on the surface, Killian always takes things into account.

This dynamic is even more apparent in most modern examples. Though intimacy of their friendship changes through the various verses, there are a few where I truly believe Killian knows he can survive anything as long as Starkey is by his side. Literally anything. The rough part is that he is aware he feels this way, but no one else is (usually). I feel like maybe this makes their relationship seem skewed (even from starkey's pov possibly) because Killian can put on a great show of not giving a fuck and he tries to keep those moments where he does seek comfort subtle enough to where it could just be seen as a normal interaction from anyone else involved.

In the gang verse, starkey helps killian escape from a hellish situation. instead of leaving afterwards, he stays and helps the irishman build something that more than likely goes against very value/belief he's ever had. he helps killian navigate morally dubious (and just straight up wrong) situations (sometimes without him being aware haha), teaches him how to read and offers a safe place of knowing killian's origin story without judgment or pity. even when things start to fall into place that would allow the chance at a different way of life, killian is hesitant and though he makes up a list of other excuses .. the truth is that he is afraid cutting ties with his current life will mean the other man decides his purpose has been fulfilled and leave. but because he doesn't know how to say something like that, he pretends to crave the life of violence and claims he's not capable of adapting to anything else. but the truth is that he's afraid of being abandoned/losing the one person left that feels like true family.

the other verse that sticks out to me is killian's soldier verse and it's much like the same as above. i think, through navigating liam's death overseas along with sarah's together, the two of them (in killian's mind at least) forge a deeper level of friendship than had been there before. he sort of takes on the annoying little brother role and is he sort of putting his relationship with liam onto starkey? yeah. is that probably codependent or something? probably. does he care? no. he also goes out of his way to seem goofy and annoying in an effort to keep the other man from falling into any sort of deeper darkness. and much like the gang verse (and other verses), i think he fears being replaced/losing him completely.

#headcanon. the man is not wholly evil he has a thesaurus in his cabin.#starkey tag ;#basically in any verse ever where he gets with someone - killian is gonna see them as a threat #but also be really happy that his best friend/brother in arms is happy so :||#a dichotomy

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hannahhook7744 · 1 year

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❌ What’s a trope you will never write?

🤩 Who is your favorite character to write?

🔗 - What has been your favorite dynamic to write for? (romantic or platonic)

🏳️ - Favorite way you have described something in your works

❌ What’s a trope you will never write?

I'm not sure about this one. I guess the one where a Character does something so laughably out of character that it ruins the experience for you.

Except in fanfiction I guess.

Though I do try and keep the characters close to the originals in my defense.

But I'd never do that with my original characters.

I try my best to make sure that the characters seem real. More than two dimensional characters who do dumb things just to move the plot forward.

I'd like to think I've succeeded in that regard.

🤩 Who is your favorite character to write?

Depends on the universe but I'd say that Chad Charming is one of them because he's fun to bulid on and has more depth than one would think.

🔗 - What has been your favorite dynamic to write for? (romantic or platonic)

I'll talk about descendants for thus part.

For platonic dynamics in the Badun Detective Agency as a whole.

Yes, I technically created them but they're still fun to write.

Giving characters who seemingly have nothing in common relationships and buliding on what little we were given has been amazing and I wish to write more for them in the future.

For romantic dynamics in descendants, Lefou Deux and Claudine Frollo because even though you don't expect it, they fit together well.

For ouat romantic dynamic, MadHook and Captain Swan because i think they're neat.

For ouat platonic dynamic, Killian and his brothers, Liam the older and Liam the younger because the angst is amazing.

For Merlin romantic dynamic, Gwaine and Percival because I like the ship for some reason I can't fathom.

For Merlin platonic dynamic, Gwaine and anyone because we did not get enough of hin interacting with people.

I also like doing little ouat/merlin crossovers with Killian and Gwaine as brothers because they are so similar.

And descendants/ouat crossovers where Killian is a father to the Hook siblings is also another dynamic I like to write.

As for my original characters, my favorite romantic dynamic to write would be Hannah Hook and Haul Bjorgman because they're adorable dorks who deserve to be happy.

As for platonic dynamic, I'd say Skia, Hannah, and Luke because they are the wharf musketeers and deserve to have fun. Because I say so. They're chaotic little gremlins and we love them for that.

🏳️ - Favorite way you have described something in your works

That's a tricky question but it'd have to be when I wrote this one shot for Merlin where Arthur was jealous of his love and her brother because he had just lost his unknown sister.

Describing his jealousy and confusion and the pain he felt was fun.

A close runner up would be the way I described Harry Badun's mental break down in one of my works in the Badun Detective Agency universe.

Hope all of this makes sense to you.

Thanks for the ask!

#ask game #asks #thanks for the ask #answering my asks

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artistic-writer · 4 years

Text

The Contract :: CS Omegaverse :: Ch 5

Title: The Contract Rating: E Summary: Emma had never wanted much in her life, despite being married to one of the richest men in the world. For ten years she has felt like a prisoner in her own marriage, denied the one thing she wants the most, but her husband cannot help but bargain her want like a cheap business deal. Enter Killian Jones, the Alpha her husband has hired to make sure she gets what she wants. And then some. A/N: Here is ch 5!! Graham is still a dick, Emma is very naughty and Killian buys a sex toy! This chapter is so much fun ;) Enjoy! Thanks to @kmomof4 who beta’d this one, because she is awesome <3 I would also like to give a MASSIVE thank you to @itsfabianadocarmo for her beautiful artwork that she so graciously allowed me to use from now on! <3

This is an Omegaverse fic featuring A/B/O dynamics. Whilst this varies from fandom to fandom, for the purposes of my fic, there will be no mpreg. Just so you know. There will however be knotting, breeding, heats and other delicious things that come along with A/B/O. If you do not know what A/B/O is, feel free to message me :) Many thanks to @hollyethecurious @shardminds @kmomof4 @darkcolinodonorgasm @resident-of-storybrooke and @effulgentcolors for letting me bounce my complicated ideas of you lol

If you wish to stay away from this fic, blacklist the A/B/O tag.

Taglist: I’ll be honest, i have lost my taglist for this fic, so if you want a tag, please message me here on on discord (Salem #5158/ [email protected]) and I’ll add you! I’ve tagged the following people i KNOW want to read this, but i don’t want to accidentally tag you if you do not like ABO.

@hollyethecurious @shardminds @kmomof4 @resident-of-storybrooke @darkcolinodonorgasm @thisonesatellite @xemmaloveskillianx @hookedonapirate @teamhook @winterbaby89 @carpedzem @courtorderedcake

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The lobby of the hotel was as Killian would have expected when he had received a call from Graham’s PA informing him that they were to meet again. Graham had insisted, as part of their agreement, that Killian would be paid in cash upon a meeting after each visit with Emma. Of course, that meant that there was no paper trail of his or Emma’s indiscretions, which suited Killian just fine. It was the only part of the damned contract he actually agreed with.

Just like everything else Graham Humbert had a hand in, this meeting place was as flamboyant and pompous as Killian had foreseen, with silken drapes with golden embroidery hanging on every window. Massive diamond chandeliers hung along the hall, and the sound of water flowing through an indoor fountain was accompanied by the soothing lilt of music that Killian was sure was emanating from some kind of hidden speaker system. The huge, marble columns stood floor to ceiling, lining the edges of both sides of the room, and were so highly polished that Killian could see his reflection clearly in them as he walked past. The floor, equally as polished to within one inch of its life, did little to absorb the sound of his footsteps as he made his way to the bar area, and Killian kept a careful eye out for anyone who might be more than unwelcomed at the meeting.

He had noticed that Graham never travelled alone, always meeting him with two big, burly henchmen at his side. They never sat with them, but were never far enough away that Graham would be in any sort of trouble if he found himself in a sticky situation. In a world where strength was everything, Graham’s actions made Killian chuckle. Humbert so desperately wanted to be an Alpha that he often forgot that, fundamentally, an Alpha would never need protection, or a bodyguard, let alone two of them, and it just spoke to how insecure Graham really was.

Killian’s lips ticked up into a small, tight smile that he hid under a swipe of his tongue, lest one of them be nearby. It wasn’t long before Killian spotted one of them, a big, fat lump of a man he had seen before, distinguished by three neck ripples of fat sitting on top of the collar of his shirt. He was slouched forward over a table nursing a glass of amber liquid, most likely expensive whiskey due to the reputation of the place, with one foot up on the cross beam of the chair and the other resting on the toe of his shoe. He had sushi, Killian could smell that much, four tiny pieces of fish decorated with carrot and cucumber that probably cost as much as his suit.

Off to the sushi scoffing man’s left was the other pitbull Graham kept at hand who Killian liked to refer to as ‘bowtie’. The man was easily spotted in a crowd because he always insisted on wearing a red bowtie with a crisp white shirt with matching red cufflinks that sat next to his oversized hands. He didn’t say much, not even a little grunt, but he was always sitting closest to their boss, and it wasn’t long before Killian spotted Graham Humbert behind him. He was, as usual, pretending to watch the world go by like it owed him something, and Killian felt the bile rise in his throat.

“Jones,” Humbert greeted cordially, pushing himself to his feet and extending his hand. Killian’s eyes flicked towards the man’s palm but he scoffed, his jaw ticking in annoyance. When he lifted his gaze back to meet Graham’s, a sickly sweet smile grew over Humbert’s lips. “Sit down,” he commanded like he was talking to a dog and motioned to the seat opposite him.

Killian refrained from hitting the man by biting his inner cheek and undid the single button on his suit jacket so that he could sit more comfortably. He sank down into the seat, a plush but executive tub chair with a checkered pattern that only just accommodated his bulk, and leaned back to take in the man before him. He hated Humbert even more with each meeting and he couldn’t help but dig his nails into the brass rivets at the front side of the chair’s arm.

“I’ll spare you the formalities, Mr Jones, because I’m a busy man,” Humbert began, sinking down into his own chair.

Killian thought the knee high table between them wasn’t enough space and he despised the feeling he had when Graham reached into the breast pocket of his fine, tailored jacket and fished out a pristine white envelope that clearly bulged with his payment. Humbert slid it across the table, tapping it with a finger.

“I’d love to know what you did with my wife last night.” He raised a brow, almost impressed. “She’s very happy.”

The thought of knotting Emma flashed across his mind, and Killian had to suppress a smirk, shifting in the chair when his groin tingled.

“Not something I’m willing to share this time.” Killian looked Graham dead in the eyes and didn’t look away, emphasising the first word. “However much you pay me.”

Graham took him in, sniggering at Killian’s aggressive tone. “Yes, well, you can spare yourself the Alpha dramatics, Jones. I wasn’t looking to take anymore of your ‘secrets’.” Graham flicked his wrist, his clearly solid gold watch heavy and rattling just a tad against his skin, and then looked at the time. “I don’t have time for your stories today.”

“Something more important to do?” Killian snapped.

“Someone, actually,” Graham sneered, licking his lips afterwards. “And she won’t wait long.”

Killian bit his tongue, regretfully deciding to not upset the man who could control his access to Emma.

“Please,” Graham scoffed, brushing the wrinkles from the front of his shirt as he pushed himself to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye Killian saw both bodyguards stop whatever they were doing and prepare to leave as well. “Spare me the judgemental looks and angry Alpha brooding. A man has needs, I’m sure you can appreciate that.”

Killian leapt to his feet, chest to chest to Graham. “I’m not just a man though, am I?”

Graham didn’t flinch, instead grinning like a proud cheshire cat. “You’re whatever I pay you to be.”

The blood pounded in Killian’s ears, his heart rate well and truly elevated to beyond what his body was comfortable with. Emma was worth this. Emma was worth anything Humbert could throw at him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t play unfairly either.

“Your wife wants a knot,” Killian blurted, his hot breath fogging Graham’s face through clenched teeth. When Humbert’s smile faded, Killian knew he had touched a sore subject. As much as Graham could pretend, he would never have that one true Alpha attribute he wanted as desperately as his wife. “It seems a shame to leave her so unfulfilled,” Killian shrugged. “I mean, we might as well not even have this arrangement at all if she isn’t getting what she wants so you can get what you want.”

Killian heard Humbert take a deep breath and consider his words. Killian mulled over his expression, watching the puny man’s entire thought process by simply studying his face, Graham’s eyes widening between frowns as his mind went to work. Killian could tell Graham was conflicted. No Alpha for Emma meant no mistress for him, and a small smile tugged at the corner of Killian’s lips.

“I might have an idea so that everyone is happy,” Killian shrugged casually, knowing from the way Graham was sweating that he hadn’t found an option to his own dilemma yet.

“Go on,” Graham encouraged.

“I know of a certain toy that could facilitate what your wife wants,” Killian offered. He stepped back and buttoned his jacket, pushing the button through its hole slowly and deliberately. The smile that graced Killian’s lips was a combination of memories of the day before, when he had actually knotted Emma for real, and the knowledge that Graham was so arrogant, he would believe this whole thing to be his idea. Killian knew Emma would want nothing less than the real thing, his knot thrust up into her as she whimpered in delight, but that didn’t stop Killian playing Graham’s ego against him. “There would be no actual knotting, of course,” he finished, looking up to Graham’s intent expression. “As per your contract.”

“Like a sex toy?” Graham frowned.

“Exactly,” Killian nodded smugly. “A lot of hired Alpha’s wear them during encounters.”

“How much extra would this cost me?” Graham sneered, disgusted but intrigued at the idea all the same.

“Nothing,” Killian shook his head. “I’m sure I can afford one, what with your generous payments.” Killian leaned down and retrieved the money from the table, the envelope crinkling in his hand as he folded it in half and tucked it into the front pocket of his pants. “I just need to know if it's against the agreement we have to use one.” Killian's voice was darker, and he fixed his gaze on Graham once more.

Graham waggled a finger in Killian’s direction, a small chuckle tumbling from his mouth. “You know, Mr Jones, I think I’m beginning to like you.”

Killian shuddered, swallowing hard and looking down to his feet.

“Go buy what you need,” Graham nodded, balling his hands in his pockets. “In fact, why don’t you take Emma with you and then go back to the apartment.” Killian’s head snapped up at his offer and Graham just gave him a sickeningly modest glare like it was still up to him whether Emma saw Killian or not.

“What’s the catch?” Killian narrowed his eyes.

“No catch,” Graham assured him with a bow of his head, the most honest thing Killian had ever seen him do. Maybe the fool was in love with his mistress after all. “Think of it as a bonus for a job well done.”

“And what’s in it for you?” Killian scrutinized Graham, knowing full well that a man of his stature never did anything without something in return.

“Let’s just say, with Emma away, the mice can play.” Graham winked and Killian felt his stomach turn over. Now he was absolutely sure the man before him held no love for his wife at all, willing to defile their marital bed with his mistress, something he knew Emma was against doing with him. Then again, he also knew it wasn’t about respect for her marriage, but finding something new with someone else, somewhere else that held no memories of Humbert repression.

Killian felt sick at the thought of Emma as some sort of transactional incentive, but he wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, even if it was from Graham Humbert. Killian already knew he would do anything for her, Humbert be damned, and he dreamed of taking her away from everything she knew and showing her the life she deserved. Emma’s life wasn’t pleasant, he knew that, but when she was with him, she was herself, the real Emma, and Killian wanted that for her all of the time. Maybe he could show her that today.

“If you insist,” Killian nodded in agreement, only too willing to take Emma out and show her exactly how precious she actually was.

Not seeing Emma for a few days had almost killed Killian, especially when he knew that the next time they would see each other, they would be shopping for something he had tricked her husband into agreeing to. The idiot. Truth be told, Killian had in fact needed to pre-order the knotting toy in advance and they would just be popping to the sex store in order to retrieve it, and that freed up their entire afternoon. Because of his girth, the store had needed to have it custom made, something that had made Killian dance inside with glee because he was sure, at some point, Humbert would want to see it. Even if they didn’t need it, because Killian would be damned if he thought Emma wasn’t getting the real thing, he wouldn’t put it past Humbert to need proof.

All of his worries soon dissipated when his cell phone buzzed in the pocket of his pants. Killian had been lingering outside of the store for far longer than he should have been, one or two of the staff occasionally looking out of the black tinted windows to make sure he wasn’t some creep stalking their customers, and just like the last message, Emma was apologizing for being late. His thumb lingered on the cold surface of his cell phone, her words almost identical to the last message and setting panic in his bones.

His mind raced with scenarios that might make Emma late, from good to the very worst, and he cursed himself for even thinking some of them. He knew she would be arriving by a driven car, so graciously provided by her husband that Killian knew was just a front of generosity so Graham was sure she was out of the way whilst he entertained his mistress. Killian’s heart had long since given up breaking for Emma at the thought though, because he knew she would gladly let the mistress move in if it meant she could see him more often.

Finally, after what seemed like forever holding his breath and tapping his locked phone against his other hand, she came into view. He’d told her to dress for lunch but he had also neglected to remember the social divide between them, her dress far superior to his attire. He’d gone casual, just some chinos and a v-neck t-shirt under a summer blazer, but Emma took his breath away in what she was wearing. It wasn’t the plain, almost sheer magnolia off white top half that had him really rigid, but the bottom half, a short, black, thigh high skirt sitting under a matching rippled cumberbund style belt that hugged her waist and let him see the skin of her thigh. He swallowed hard as she approached, her hips sashaying from side to side with every step away from the car, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as her heels carried her closer.

Her hair was perfect, a fishbone braid across the top of her crown and hanging over one of her shoulders. Killian felt himself grow hot and imagined his hand wrapped around it, pulling her onto his cock over and over, just like a few days ago. Wisps of her perfectly toned blonde hair sprang out into the air but it just reminded him of how gorgeous she was as he watched her sleeping post coitus, his hands itching to flatten them and stroke the shape of her skull lovingly. Last but not least she was wearing a smile, one he had never seen in any photographs before, and one that was assuredly reserved for just him.

“Mr Jones,” she said sweetly, her hand reaching out for him after she tucked her matching cream clutch under her arm.

Killian took her hand with a growl, lifting it to his lips and inhaling her skin before looking up to her with a sultry stare and pressing his lips to her knuckles.

“Emma,” he breathed, her name everything. “You look beautiful, as always.”

“Thank you.” Emma smiled sweetly. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” Her eyes roamed his body, taking him in from head to toe and back up again, her tongue darting out to taste her lip as her eyes lingered on the bulge in his chinos.

“When you have quite finished,” Killian told her, tugging her fingers and bringing her back to reality. “One quick stop and we can be off to the restaurant for lunch.” Even saying it out loud made him tingle with warmth, like they were going on a real date, in public, with people seeing them side by side, and Killian couldn’t suppress his Alpha urge to let everyone know who Emma would be with at that moment.

“I’m not going to lie, Killian, I know exactly where we are, and there are no restaurants nearby.” Emma’s lips twisted into a coy smirk and she felt him squeeze her fingers. “What’s going on? Why are we here?”

Killian couldn’t hide his glee any longer and he let their hands dangle in front of them as he stepped forward to greet her with another kiss to her cheek. The softness of her skin made his knees buckle a little, but he managed to regain a sort of semi-composed state for what he had to tell her.

“This was actually Mr Humbert’s idea,” Killian smirked and when Emma’s eyebrows shot up on her forehead, he raised one too. “Or so he thinks.”

Emma looked perplexed. “Why would Graham let you take me to a sex shop?” She wasn’t even annoyed at the mention of her husband, because the idea of being here, with Killian, was far outweighing any hatred she had for the man who thought he supposedly owned her.

“That’s a story for another time,” Killian told her cryptically. He stepped back, interlocking their fingers and tugged her after him, encouraging her to follow. He bit his bottom lip, looking her up and down between steps, sighing audibly in appreciation of the way she moved after him. “I’m not sure this outfit is appropriate for lunch,” Killian teased, shaking his head. “How am I supposed to keep my eyes on you and one eye on every other man in the place?”

“And why would you need to do that?” Emma feigned modesty and Killian noticed a little more sway in her hips as she walked, drawing, tempting him to a fate he knew would have him killed one day.

Once they were through the doors, and hidden from any prying eyes by the darkness of tinted windows, Killian pulled his hand from hers and let it fall to her hip, his fingers hungrily grabbing at the material of her skirt and bunching it up until it was raised up towards her waist a little more. He stepped into her and Emma gasped when her bare shoulders hit the cold of the window and his knee between her legs stopped her from losing her balance and tumbling to the ground.

“You know why,” Killian growled sultrily, his nose pressed against hers and their lips a hair's breadth apart. She smelled of perfume, floral with undertones of her natural scent that had Killian rolling his eyes in his head and his jaw clenching tighter than he thought possible. It seemed a few days had been too long without her near him, and his hands skimmed the shape of her arse hungrily.

“How can you be so sure other men find me as desirable as you do?” Emma’s words were strangled in her throat that had gone bone dry from the way Killian’s thigh was rubbing against her clit through her panties.

Killian chuckled darkly, his tongue licking over her lips as he moistened his own in response to her fingers gripping his bicep through the material of his blazer. “Emma, Emma, Emma,” Killian taunted playfully with a shake of his head. “When are you going to realise how precious you are?”

Emma’s hand snaked up behind his head and held it in place as she moved hers to the side, the softness of her lips brushing against the shell of his ear as she whispered, “When are you going to show me?” Her fingers clawed over the back of his neck, raking through the hair there ever so gently that it had all of Killian’s nerve endings firing at once. “Again,” she added, her voice lowered and full of fire as she slipped out from underneath him and made her way into the main part of the shop.

Killian grunted in frustration, spinning his entire body off the window pane and following after her like a man on an invisible tether. She was something, he had to admit that, especially when, by watching the shape of her behind in her too short skirt, he had failed to realise that she was heading towards the lingerie section. He looked up just in time to see her holding the barest slip of material up to her body before looking back at him through her lashes and quirking a brow.

“How do you think this would look on me?” She asked innocently, tucking the material under her breasts and accenting them as she pushed them up.

“Not as good as it would look on the floor,” Killian whispered as he reached her and inspected the garment. It was made of lace as red as blood, with two cut outs on either side that would definitely show the contrast of her milky skin down to her hips where the built in lace underwear sat. The bra part was padded, hiding away her best parts behind another layer of matching lace and Killian made a mental note to make sure that never happened. His thoughts were soon interrupted when he noticed, with a glint in her eye, Emma was indicating to the slit like opening on the panties with a wiggling finger and a coy smirk.

“You sure that’s where you want it to be?” Emma teased, biting her tongue and feeling the material of the bra as if she were Killian kneading her breasts.

Killian whimpered and toyed with the little red bows that stuck to each hip of the garment, the material pure silk between his fingers. All he could do was shake his head, an Alpha pathetically reduced to just actions by a woman, and he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

“I’ll be right back,” he said quietly, his voice hoarse. He peeled the lingerie from her grip and Emma almost squealed with glee, her face erupting into an excited smile that made the skin behind his ears burn hot with pleasure. “I need to pay for this and retrieve something, then we shall go to lunch.” He took a step back, the air just two feet from Emma much easier to breathe in, but he immediately missed the heavy weight pressing down on his lungs.

“Perfect,” Emma beamed at him. She had that glint in her eye again and Killian’s jaw nearly hit the floor when she lifted her hand to her face and gave the tip of her thumb a salacious lick, the mystery behind the green of her eyes darkened by her lust once more. “I’m starving.”

Killian couldn’t help the way he was smiling, despite Emma telling him more than once to stop. They sat opposite each other in an almost rooftop restaurant and Killian had made sure they were seated next to the window so that they could both enjoy the view, not that he had seen much more than Emma right in front of him. Emma as she was. Emma in the new lingerie he had just bought her. Emma like she had been when she took his knot. God only knew how his brain managed to fathom much else at this point.

They had, somehow, managed to order some food, even if they were both anxious for what was to come afterward. Humbert had pretty much given him the green light to take Emma back to her apartment, so Killian wasn’t going to miss out on an opportunity when it presented itself. When he thought about it, finding loopholes in Humbert’s contract really was about as much fun as he had imagined, especially when so much was at stake.

“Thank you,” Emma said softly, shaking him out of his daydream by placing her hand over his. Killian looked down to where Emma’s fingers were tangling with his, the edge of their palms resting against the pristinely white table cloth, and gave her a sideways cock of his head.

“For what, love?” he asked sweetly, rubbing her thumb with his.

“For this,” Emma said with a nod, motioning around the slowly filling restaurant with a wave of her free hand. “For showing me that I’m not just arm candy for a businessman.”

Killian sucked in a breath and released a laugh at the same time. “Emma, you are so much more than that. What will it take for you to realise that?”

Emma blushed and diverted her eyes back down to focus on the hypnotic way Killian’s thumb was still etching the feel of his skin onto hers. Her smile faded and Killian was sure he saw a little bit of a tear in her eye, frowning and giving her hand a gentle tug until she looked back at him.

“Look,” he began, licking his lips. “I know this isn’t ideal, what we’re doing, but for what it’s worth, I’m having the time of my life.” Killian smiled at her warmly and she mirrored the shape of his lips with her own. “What happens when your husband is sick of his mistress is my only uncertainty.”

“You think he let this happen because he has a mistress?” Emma scoffed a laugh, looking away from him sadly. “Please, Killian, there have been other women and you’ve met the man. He’d do anything to avoid a divorce.” The sadness that laced her words pained him right to his soul and Killian felt his fingers tighten around hers when she turned her head to stare blankly out of the window. “The only reason you and I ever met is because he was trying to keep me quiet and retain his Humbert bravado. He can take this all away from me as quickly as it began.”

“I’d like to see him try,” Killian said defiantly.

“He’s done it before,” Emma almost sobbed, her voice weak and small in the back of her throat at the memory of how many times Graham had promised her so much only to rip it all away to keep her in line. She never wanted to imagine how it would feel to have Graham take Killian away from her now that she had known him.

“Aye, maybe, but you’ve never had me fighting for you before, have you, darling?”

At his words, Emma looked back to him and welcomed the way his confidence in her was written all over his face, from the curve of his lips as he smiled to the sparkle in the blue of his eyes. Emma had never known any Alpha other than the Humbert men, and certainly hadn’t known one to give the likes of her the time of day. But Killian was different, affectionate and passionate, and she knew that no matter what, she would be making the most of him tonight.

“You are a man of many firsts, Mr Jones,” Emma smirked. She pulled her hand from his and moved to lean forward, her head resting on her hand as the point of her elbow sat precariously on the edge of the table. She trailed one of her fingers over her lips, giving them a little tap.

“I’m also wonderfully committed to seconds,” Killian grinned. “And thirds, and fourths.” He winked, letting the corner of his lips pull up into a sideways smirk, one eyebrow jumping up higher on his brow.

“And is that what you want?” Emma teased, rolling her shoulders back so that Killian had no choice but to divert his eyes down to the sway of her breasts underneath the sheer, cream fabric of her dress. “To knot me again?” Emma blinked, looking up at him through her lashes. “And again?”

Killian didn’t mean to laugh but he hoped it helped that the tips of his ears turned a rather attractive rosy colour as he pawed at the patch of skin behind them, his tongue darting out at the memory of her taste on his lips.

“Like I need to breathe, love,” Killian said finally, rolling his bottom lip under his teeth and letting an appreciative hum escape his mouth at the memory of the feeling of her body around his knot. “I’ll beg if I have to,” he admitted with a nod.

“Would you want it now?” Emma’s eyes lit up with glee and she couldn’t hide the excited grin on her face. “With all these people around?”

“Aye,” Killian said, his words even and his voice a little huskier than it was before. He leaned forward and Emma could have sworn he was staring directly into her soul. “I’d fuck you over this table until you begged me to knot you because you couldn’t take not having it any longer.”

His words, despite what she had asked for, made Emma’s entire body prickle with heat. Every muscle was remembering the feel of his hands on her skin, the feel of his cock inside of her and recalling the way it felt to have such a rock hard, welcome intrusion like his knot. She pressed her thighs together at the thought, her core clenching with need and a little bit of hot, wet, discharge leaking out of her. She wasn’t sure if Killian could smell her, but his eyes definitely darkened around the edge of his hues and he drew his fingers into a clenched fist as he stared her down.

“I’m sorry,” Emma blushed, swallowing hard. “Would you excuse me? I just need to use the ladies room before our food arrives.”

Killian shook his head slightly, and pushed himself to his feet. It was probably the most gentlemanly thing Emma had ever seen and had been sure, when Graham failed to do it, it was the stuff of myths and legends that women only read about in books. The heat across her cheeks was more vibrant now, and there was no way Killian didn’t know what his words had done to her, or why she was heading to the bathroom at all.

“Of course,” he said cordially but grabbed her arm as she moved past him, leaning in and almost licking the shell of her ear with his words. “Hurry back,” he whispered, his words dripping into her ear like a hot wax that sent a shiver down her spine, before he stepped away and left her wanting even more than before.

Emma barely made it to the bathroom, her legs shaking and her skin on fire with a burning itch that only Killian could sate. She ran through the door, politely apologising to a woman she bumped into on the way, and flattened herself against the cool tiled wall. She let out a breath, long and uneven, her lips quivering slightly as she gulped down air, trying to quell her arousal. Emma had never felt so alive, her whole body aching as she pinned her weight against the wall, fingers clawing at the grout and her knees threatening to buckle at any second.

“Fuck,” she panted, pinching her eyes closed. How did Killian have the ability to make her feel this way with just his words and a sideways sultry glance? Emma was sure it was black magic. Or witchcraft. Or more simply, it was her pure, unadulterated need, two compatible people fitting together like puzzle pieces, her body crying out for him every time they met. Whatever it was, she was pretty sure that she would never make it back to her apartment without some sort of cooling relief for the sizzling heat that was eating her up from the inside out.

Emma bolted for the nearest stall, slamming the door closed behind her and sliding the lock into place. Not even the toilet seat lid offered her relief as she sat down on the cold plastic, and she slumped back against the cistern with a grumble. She pinched her eyes closed but all she could see was Killian, his eyes darkened to a lustful grey and his lips curved into that toying smirk he always did before he fully ravaged her. She loved it, and needed it - him - but all she had right now was her hand and her imagination, so with a hurried pant, Emma bunched up the material of her skirt, opened her legs and slipped her hand between her thighs.

The material of her underwear was already wet, the damp patch just below her clit cool on her skin. Her fingers toyed over it, sliding back and forth, teasing her body with the idea that she might slip lower. The friction was minimal but just enough, her nipples hardening in her bra and the material rubbing against them, causing her even more frustration. She let out a groan that was a little too loud, the sound of her voice reverberating off the bathroom walls.

She only stopped for a second to make sure no one had heard her, instantly missing the way her hand felt on the outside of her panties. She skimmed her fingers over the fabric again, sighing when she pushed through her folds and found her clit, circling the nub and feeling her entire body relax as she sucked in a breath through her teeth. Even just thinking about Killian had her body reacting like this, essence practically dripping from her core as she strummed out a beat over her clit.

She had to make it quick or Killian would grow suspicious, and Emma wouldn't put it past him to come looking for her. What if he did? Suddenly it didn't seem like such a bad idea to take her time, but Emma wasn't that patient, parting her legs even wider and settling the material of her underwear over herself where it contoured the shape of her clit and, with every flick, had white light erupting behind her eyelids.

Emma canted her hips to meet the rub of her hand, her body shaking as her clit grew harder and more sensitive with every sweep. Her thighs quivered and she needed to place her free hand on the stall wall for balance, her inevitable orgasm creeping up on her and leaving her whimpering Killian's name. The room was spinning, even behind her eyelids, and the warmth of the heated bathroom was beginning to affect her, a sheen of sweat condensing across her skin.

She’d never done this before, masturbated in a public place, and it was the most exciting thing she had ever done. Her entire body tingled, her hand shaking, her brain telling her to stop the assault on her clit that was pulsing and throbbing, but her body crying out for more. Her breathing was uneven and the skin under her braid tightened against her head, pulling all of her hair and reminding her of how Killian had grabbed it a few days ago. It was enough, the memory of Killian and what he could do to her making her legs and back stiffen as she came, her hand furiously rubbing at her clit through the material of her underwear and extending her pleasure through painfully gritted teeth.

It wasn’t enough, Emma could tell that the second her orgasm rippled away as quickly as it had arrived, but it was enough to keep her sated for now. Or so she hoped. Now her only problem was her soaking wet panties. Emma looked down between her legs, holding the ruffles of her black skirt aside as she inspected the dark grey patch that had appeared there, her clit still pulsing with aftershocks as she tugged the material from her skin. There was no way Killian wouldn’t know about this, because even she could smell herself in the confines of the cubicle.

He had done this to her. It was still beyond her exactly how, but Killian had this effect on her like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was like her body was his obedient puppy, eager to please him, willing to do anything for a little attention and it had never felt so right to let it. Emma’s lips turned up into a wry grin as she stood back on wobbly legs, shimmied her wet panties to the floor and then picked them up, straightening the creases in her skirt whilst balling the damp material in her fist. Horny didn’t even begin to describe how she felt, the thrill of masterbating in the bathroom of a restaurant combined with the knowledge Killian was hers all afternoon still coursing through every fibre of her being.

They had to skip lunch and Emma knew exactly how to do that.

When she reappeared, Killian was absentmindedly staring out of the window across the expanse of the city, but the slight rise of his elfen ear gave away his smile. He didn’t turn around when she approached, but he knew she was there, heels gently tapping the polished floor, their echoes eaten up by the sounds of the other diners. His hand rested on the tablecloth, fingers stretched outwards as if covering hers that had left the spot a few minutes ago.

“Sorry about that,” Emma chirped as she neared him. She reached the table, her hip brushing his shoulder as she passed, and in one swift motion that even left her surprised by her own audacity, Emma dropped her sodden lace panties to the table right next to his hand. “I needed to take care of something.”

Killian’s head snapped towards the garment beside his hand, his fingers lifting off the tablecloth that had suddenly become like hot embers under the tips. Similarly, his ears were burning with the tell tale tint of a blush that was soon replaced with the ferocity of his inner animal as he plucked the lace from the table and was immediately hit with her scent. It was the perfect combination of the sweetness of peaches and the exoticness of star anise, and he would gladly risk the toxicity of the latter if it meant he could feast on her for hours.

“You couldn’t wait until after lunch?” Killian smirked, tucking the panties under the table and out of sight of the other diners. He scrunched the material in his hand and rather than tuck it into his pocket, he unzipped his fly and tucked it into the crotch of his chinos and through the peephole of his boxers. Even the mere feeling of her clearly self-fuck soaked underwear against his cock had him hard in seconds and he had no doubt she knew exactly what she was doing when she had dropped them at his proverbial feet.

“I’m not hungry,” Emma lied coyly, leaning forward in her seat until her bare clit met the cold, harsh surface of her chair and her eyes fluttered closed.

“Oh, you’re hungry, love,” Killian teased, opening his legs a little wider so that his length wasn’t so painfully restricted in his pants. “Just not for what’s on the menu in this place.” He quirked his brow at her and Emma smirked back at him, rolling her bottom lip under her teeth and letting out a groan as she rocked forward again.

“And you are?” Emma teased back, twirling the tail of her braid around her hand and giving it a little tug, mimicking the way his primal urges had turned her on so much a few days before.

She couldn’t help the way he was playing her like a finely tuned piano, despite being in a public place, as if something was calling to her, telling her to jump and trust that Killian would catch her. Without a second thought she knew she would. She would leap from whatever height if it meant falling into his arms, especially now, and if the way he was looking at her like a ravenous animal was anything to go by, she would gladly let him devour her too.

“Pay,” Emma demanded quickly, hurrying to grab her clutch beside her.

“W-What?” Killian stammered, shocked by her sudden urgency to leave.

Emma pushed herself to her feet and Killian stumbled to follow her, the hard-on in his pants restricting his ability to stand upright. He stepped out from behind the table and she flattened herself to his body, not a sliver of light able to pass between them. She groaned in her throat, the feel of his hardness against her setting off another flow of slickness to escape her core, only this time there was no fabric to stop it and it began its descent down her inner thigh. Emma’s hand snaked up behind Killian’s head and she clutched the hair there in frustration, her only outlet in a room full of people.

“Pay now,” she ordered again, her breath hot against his neck where she couldn’t help but taste his skin there with a lap of her tongue. “And I’ll suck you off in the car.”

They had only just made it out of the car park when Emma had dove across the gap between them and was fumbling with the zipper of Killian’s chinos. He hissed as she snaked her hand into the opening, deft fingers stroking over the outside of his boxer shorts and hardening him even more than the anticipation was. Killian's knuckles were white from how hard he gripped the wheel and Emma tore into his underwear like a thing possessed once she realised how hard her prize was.

Emma had never blown an Alpha before and once his cock sprang out into the artificially heated air in the car, her eyes went wide with glee. Alphas certainly put most men to shame, and she licked her lips at the sight of him standing proudly for her attention before grasping him as firmly as she could close to the base of his cock and shivering from the filthy sound he made in response.

“Eyes on the road, Jones,” Emma said huskily, running her tongue over the point of her canine. She felt like a wolf, hungry for the meat Killian was dangling in front of her, the blood pounding in her ears as she used her other hand to grip the girth of him just under his tip.

Killian felt his hips shift forward in his seat, an involuntary spasm, the only reaction his body knew to her touch. He wanted her to stroke him, needed her to massage his length. What she had promised back at the restaurant was so close his balls ached. Her breath ghosted over his cock, the tip of her tongue flicking out to taste him as she held him, hot and hard and perpetually suspended in the promise of what was to come. He had to blink thrice as hard to focus his eyes on the road knowing that once her mouth encased his cock, it would be almost impossible to drive in a straight line.

“Emma, maybe we should wait until-,” Killian began, his heart hammering in his chest and the sound of his blood pounding in his ears.

“Shut up,” Emma snapped and Killian tore his eyes off the road to look at her beside him.

She was on her knees, crouched below the height of the window and hunched between the seats, her elbows resting on the only part of the seat visible beside his thigh. It twitched as his muscles contracted, his entire body as stiff as his cock was in Emma’s hands, her hands burning into his skin far hotter than his own body temperature. Emma was wet, he could smell her in the confined space of the car and it made him heady, his palms a little sweaty against the smooth surface of the wheel.

Killian had no idea what had gotten into Emma but he was not about to complain. Very few people had the bravery to tell an Alpha to shut up, and under normal circumstances the hormones raging through Killian’s body would have had him seeing red in no time, but the tone in Emma’s voice, insistent and desperate, had him hardening in her grip. She was ravenous and did something to him that he couldn’t explain. His body cried out for her, especially now he knew what it felt like to knot her, and one of his hands slipped off the wheel and smoothed over her back in gentle encouragement. Very little time passed between Killian touching her and Emma finally wrapping her lips around his length and all he could do was gasp in final, hot, wet relief and force his eyes to stay open whilst he drove through a foggy, sex hazed vision.

“Oh,” Killian gasped on an inward breath, his knuckles turning white with how hard he was gripping the wheel. “Bloody, Jesus, fuck,” he grunted when he felt Emma smirk against his length, her tongue lavishing over a particularly prominent vein that had swollen in her mouth as her hands went to work on the base of his shaft. With a hum, Emma let her hand drift into the opening of his fly, aching to have more of him in her grasp, her fingertips barely touching the bulb of his knot that was wrapped up in her come soaked panties.

Emma lifted her head, releasing him with a pop and hungrily licking her lips as she salivated over the taste of him in her mouth. Her hands went to work where her mouth had been, shifting up and down his cock and making Killian growl in frustration.

“So that’s where you put them,” Emma grinned triumphantly.

She hadn’t expected to find her underwear in his pants but it gave her a huge sense of gratification to find them there. She had never felt so powerful, so insanely and irrevocably turned on before. Her life had given her few chances to be the aggressor during sex, but Emma was a woman who knew what she wanted, if nothing else. Killian Jones was what she wanted, and she didn’t even wait for his reply before sealing her lips around his cock and stealing his breath once more.

Emma’s head bobbed up and down, spit dribbling out of her mouth and over her knuckles as she went down and her tongue slurping over his skin as she eased back up. Killian tried as hard as he could to focus on the road ahead of him, but thankfully the traffic was minimal, encouraging him to speed and run at least two red lights on their way to Emma’s apartment where he skidded to a stop in her parking spot. He had an overwhelming need to come, to fuck Emma’s mouth until his knot popped out of his body and he’d encourage her to extend his pleasure by sucking him some more. The mere thought had his fingertips digging into the curve of her behind, the only intimate part of her he could reach from his position.

But reality held him back. There was no way he wouldn’t draw attention by getting out of a car in broad daylight with an erection so massive, and as if Emma could read his mind, she doubled her efforts. Her movements sped up and Killian could feel his tip bumping the back of her throat, the muscles there contracting around him and pulling him in even deeper. At one point, Emma gagged a little and Killian wasn’t sure how much longer he would last under her assault. She hummed in appreciation, a soft whimper of pleasure slipping from her mouth between breaths as her fingers toyed with the smooth skin of Killian’s balls and caused another involuntary buck of his hips.

“You’re so close,” she purred, letting him slip from her mouth and not giving him a second before licking him from a straining knot bulb to tip. “Let go, Killian. Let me take care of you.”

“Oh, fuck, Emma,” he whimpered, legs shaking as he felt the unmistakeable thrum of his climax. “Suck it,” he growled and encouraged her to take him in her mouth once more with a gentle touch to the back of her head. His fingers toyed with her braid and his inner animal couldn’t be contained anymore. “I’m going to come so hard for you. Fill up the back of your throat like you need.”

An audible whine vibrated from Emma’s throat, a plea for what only Killian could give her. She arched her back, desperate for his touch where she needed him the most, her body language so incredibly wanton that Killian had no hope in holding off his orgasm. What he hadn’t expected was her skill, the way she swallowed him down like she had been made specifically for him, her throat relaxing around him as she crammed his entire cock into her mouth. Her tongue laved around his knot bulb, a soft wetness that, before he had time to stop it, had his knot popping from his body and his euphoria washing over him.

The world began to spin and Killian’s leg spasmed, his foot pushing so hard against the floor that he thought he might punch a hole right through the bottom of his car. He was coming, and he was coming harder than he had ever come from oral before. An Alpha’s place was to make his partner happy and so he had rarely been on the receiving end of a blow job, and they had never felt as good as the one Emma was giving him. It left him shaking and he held her face to his crotch, one hand around her jaw and her braid twisted around the other. When Emma gagged on his come, he tried to free her airway by pulling out, but Emma wouldn’t let him go, greedily swallowing every last drop of his load with a satisfying gulp.

“Wow,” Killian gasped, scrubbing his hands over his face in disbelief of his bodily reaction to Emma’s talents. “I...you...wow,” he giggled, ignoring the discomfort of his exposed knot and the hotness in his groin.

“You popped your knot,” Emma smirked gleefully, stroking her fingers over his still hard length and enjoying the way he twitched from her touch.

“I swear I didn’t mean to,” Killian laughed. “You were just...” he began but Emma’s proud grin stole his thought. “Just wow.”

“You need to work on your compliments,” Emma nodded with a raised eyebrow.

“Aye, love,” he agreed with a chuckle. “I have plenty of time to think that over whilst I wait for my knot to recede.” He blushed a little and Emma watched as he adorably scratched the patch of skin behind his ear.

“I’m sorry,” Emma offered sympathetically. She took his hand in hers, giving his fingers a little squeeze to emphasize her apology.

“Don’t be, love,” Killian assured her, interlocking their fingers. “It’s only uncomfortable for an hour or so,” he teased, lifting their hands and pressing a kiss to the back of her knuckles.

“Plenty of time then,” Emma smirked playfully.

“For what, love?” Killian asked her with a narrowed stare.

She leaned in close, gripping his hand tighter and holding it to her bosom. “For us to talk about later,” she whispered in his ear, her words making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. “When we see just how good that outfit looks on the bedroom floor.”

#A/B/O #a/b/o dynamics #a/b/o fic #alpha!killian #emma swan #cs fic #cs au #omegaverse #graham humbert #will scarlet #liam jones #the contract #ch 5

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harmonizingsunsets · 6 years

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Fics I Want to Watch: The Reason - by xHookedonKillianx on Archive of Our Own.

https://archiveofourown.org/works/10891359/chapters/24206805

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dinneratgrannys · 1 year

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ONCE UPON A TIME 3.05, Good Form

#ouatedit #killianjonesedit #once upon a time #ouat #killian jones #liam jones #s3 #3x05 Good Form #character: killian jones #dynamic: killian liam #event: rewatch 22

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zaharadessert · 3 years

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A Dream of Home (3/12)

Summary: Life with the Gold Pack has never been smooth sailing for Emma Swan, and things are getting worse now the pack leader's son has decided he wants her for his mate. Nothing she says or does seems to deter him, or deter his parents from encouraging the match. Emma's only hope is a promise someone made her seventeen years ago; a promise she's forgotten about in all but the deepest recesses of her dreams.

Rating: Explicit (non-con, graphic violence, minor-ish character death) This chapter only, self-harm and thoughts of suicide.

Notes: Here’s chapter three! I am going to have to admit that when I wrote this, I didn’t realise just how bad it was. So, apologies if you feel like I’ve downplayed it. I promise, after this chapter, things get a lot better for Emma. So stick with it, please.

I would like to say another huge thank you to Tori ( @resident-of-storybrooke ) for the amazing beta job, and also to the beautiful Masha ( @mariakov81 ), for the absolutely gorgeous art for this chapter.

I hope you all enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Sorry if you prefer your werewolves with traditional rather than ABO dynamics, I couldn't help myself...

Taglist: @jrob64 @xhookswenchx @kmomof4 @wefoundloveunderthelight @superchocovian @lfh1226-linda @teamhook @jonesfandomfanatic @tiganasummertree @onceratheart18 @snowbellewells @karlyfr13s @itsfabianadocarmo @ouatpost @primary2blog @cssns

As always, let me know if you’d like me to add you to my taglist for future fics, or if this one isn’t your thing! :)

Read on AO3

- - - - -

It had been Liam’s decision not to tell Snow and David what Killian had found out. Killian was all for sharing the joy and excitement the news of Graham and Emma had brought and the determination to succeed it had lit under his ass. Liam hadn’t wanted to risk the guilt this might put them through, or the devastating aftermath of the hope they would come to experience, should they fail. If they didn’t manage to save Emma, Graham, and their friends; only Killian and Liam would know the true extent of the failure and grief.

Their planning was extensive, no one else knew quite why Killian was insisting on it when normally he was the one who seemed to prefer to fly at least a little bit by the seat of his pants. Sure, he liked a plan A and B, but after that… Well that was half the fun. Except… He could not bring himself to risk that here. He would not risk losing her again, especially when he was guarding that secret and they didn’t know. They just thought this was a chance to finally turn the tide in the fight against the Gold packs aggression.

It was, of course, the best hope they’d ever had, what with all the additional information Graham had given Killian. They knew intimate details about the main compound that only someone who had lived there, grown up there as one of the pack for seventeen years, would have known. Graham had made himself an indispensable friend to Neal, had seen the insides and outsides of how the pack worked, who would turn from Gold’s influence if given the chance, who would rather die than show disloyalty.

The information was invaluable to their planning, and by the time they were ready to make their move both Liam and Killian were confident that everything was going to go as well as they could hope. They sent word to Graham, no details, but a simple directive.

She is your priority, be ready.

The night before, Killian pulled out the blanket he’d kept hidden in a crate under his bed all these months. They really had left this until they couldn’t any longer. He held it in his hands, running his fingers over the ribbon that spelled out her name. Since he’d found out she was alive he’d thought of her every day, more than once every day if he was honest. Throughout the years he’d thought of her, and of Graham, wondering if they’d have enjoyed things that had happened. It had been a loss he’d never gotten over, none of them had, not really. You know you’re going to lose your parents, one day, and yes Killian had lost both of his by the age of ten, but losing friends so young, losing a child in Snow and David’s case…

“We’re coming, Emma,” he said, his voice soft. A promise that he knew she wouldn’t hear, but it was a vow he felt deep in his soul.

No matter what happened tomorrow, he would bring Emma home to her parents, bring her back to where she belonged.

- - - - -

Unbeknownst to Emma, Graham had been packing a ‘to go’ bag for weeks now. Apart from her blanket, Emma had noticed she was missing some clothing, but Lily had made a few sarcastic comments about Neal not being able to wait to get his hands on something and she’d stopped speaking up when she realised things were gone. He’d taken a few sentimental things, things that without telling her that her entire life was a lie she wouldn’t want to leave without.

As time had gone by, the physical injuries Neal had given her had healed, but she’d grown quiet and more withdrawn, not even talking to Graham about what was worrying her.

Lily continued to tease her, trying to reassure her in her own way about what was going to happen. But she was in a happy relationship, she was all but married to August, they were bonded and living together. It didn’t matter what Lily told her about sex, Emma did not want that, not with Neal. She hadn’t trusted him for years, and with what he’d tried after her last heat she’d gone from not trusting him to being almost scared of him.

Emma hadn’t been scared of anything in forever.

Full moons had been agony. Normally calm and self-assured, Emma had always taken full moons in her stride, had enjoyed the freedom the heightened senses and the speed of four paws had given her. She’d grown used to running with the pack, letting herself feel truly free because there, that feeling of belonging was at its strongest. Even though the pull had never felt that strong to begin with, because she always felt like everyone was talking to her through water. But, of course, with the restrictions of the last few months, she’d changed in a smaller group. Yes, that meant no Tamara and no Neal, but it wasn’t the same because she felt ostracised from even that small pull she’d once felt and Graham, August and Lily’s voices were an annoying buzz in her mind. With the state her head was in, her general upset and discomfort, her change had suffered as a result. She hadn’t been really in pain for a change in years, but for the last few she’d been screaming in agony, even pushing Graham’s well-intentioned comfort aside.

She’d also started having nightmares. Not every night, but enough that what she saw worried her. It was a confused jumble of emotions and images and every time it had her sitting up in a cold sweat, a name she couldn’t remember a dying scream on her lips fading before it had even really formed, before she’d even had a chance to bring this ghost with startling blue eyes to life from her memory.

Emma always struggled to get back to sleep after she woke up from one of those nightmares. For far more nights than she wanted to admit to, she’d lit a candle and hugged her knees up to her chest, letting the fear and uncertainty overwhelm her. She’d accepted months ago that there was nothing she could do… but before when she’d felt like this, she’d have taken her baby blanket and hugged it tight against her and grieved the parents she had never known, who had loved her enough to die protecting her. The blanket was all she had left of the life she didn’t remember. A reminder that once upon a time she had belonged.

And Neal had stolen it. Her most treasured possession, and Neal had taken it from her. His family may have saved her life, but what kind of a life was this anyway, one where she had no choice about anything, she felt like everyone was hiding things from her, keeping secrets, and she felt like a prisoner in the one place where she should have felt safe.

But she’d long since realised that this wasn’t her home. If only she had somewhere else to go.

There had not been a method of escape in the last year, not a moment or an opportunity in which to even try to run. Not with being watched as closely as she had been.

She’d come to the conclusion that there was only one way out of this.

But as she held the knife in her hands, turned it over, and studied it carefully by the light of the candle, part of her knew she was too much of a coward to do it. Not until the last possible moment, not until there was absolutely no hope left. Instead, she pressed the tip into her skin and drew a line down the side of her arm.

She gasped, the sharp sting of pain clearing her mind in a way she hadn’t experienced in a long time. Blood seeped from the long slice in her skin and she dropped the knife, pressing the skin together. The shallow cut healed quickly without a scar. Emma took a breath and closed her eyes. For a moment, peace settled over her, it was temporary, she knew that, but at least for a few minutes… maybe an hour.

If she was lucky.

Blowing out the candle as she put the knife away and lay back down.

She couldn’t fight the sinking feeling of shame in the pit of her stomach. The rolling guilt that she’d consider what she had when her parents had died already. Or the relief that the pain of the knife had brought in that moment and the sharp clarity piercing through her rolling thoughts, but she did at least manage to get to sleep.

Even if sleep didn’t last long…

Less than two hours later, the door burst open, and Emma was suddenly aware of the sounds of disturbances around her, the shouting that was building in volume. Looking over at the door, Neal was storming across the room, through the darkness. Still waking up having not had nearly enough sleep, Emma wasn’t quick enough to move away from him as he grabbed her arm and dragged her out from under the covers, shaking the duffel bag at her in fury.

“You and that traitor think you can run? Not on my watch you ungrateful omega bitch!”

- - - - -

Killian was breathing heavily as he rounded the corner. They’d approached the compound at speed, taken the watch by surprise and so far, everything had gone to plan. That was, until he saw Graham, cornered by a woman who was tearing into him like nothing he’d ever seen. He’d known that Cora was vicious to the point of being almost feral but the way she was tearing into Graham was something he’d never seen before.

Graham met his gaze and Killian nodded, understanding what Graham wanted him to do.

Graham couldn’t get to her, but he could.

As he ran for where he knew Emma’s apartment was in the complex, he heard Graham screaming behind him and knew, in his soul, Graham wasn’t going to make it.

That had been the plan after all. If Graham was incapacitated, Liam would go after Gold because they couldn’t let the opportunity to take him out pass them by and Killian would get to Emma and get her out.

They hadn’t seen Neal yet, and despite everything, Killian hoped he would find Emma alone and safe.

The scream he heard as he ran up the corridor told him that hope was in vain.

He burst through the door, and it slammed off the wall.

Both occupants of the room turned to look at him, both watched him in shock for a moment. Killian took in the scene before him, and a low, somehow possessive, growl built in his chest at the sight of Neal and his hands on Emma, her clearly trying to push him off.

How dare he.

- - - - -

Emma didn’t understand, running? Who was running, no one had talked to her about running? What did he mean traitor?

“Neal I don’t…”

He dropped the bag, and slapped her, she felt her lip split and she cried out in pain.

“I told you, you were mine, and you think you can seduce Graham into running away with you? Are you for fucking real?”

“I didn’t, I don’t know what you’re talking about…” she begged, praying that he’d believe her. She didn’t know what was going on. What the fuck was happening?

“Lying BITCH!” he slapped her again, and then pulled at her pyjama top, ripping it open.

“Stop, please!” she cried, her mind racing, trying to push him off and get away but he wasn’t letting her go and she was pinned beneath him on the bed, and he was pushing down his pants, one hand at the waistband of her shorts, pulling, she heard the fabric rip and finally, common sense overtook her, knowing her only hope was that someone, anyone heard what was going on.

Emma screamed.

She screamed with everything she had, even as he clapped a hand over her mouth, trying to quiet her she didn’t stop, and she thrashed and tried to bite him, clawing at his face.

Neal was not going to do this to her, she was not going to let him.

Her bedroom door slammed open harder than it had when Neal came in. Silhouetted in the light from the corridor was a man. Taller than Neal, broader in the shoulder, with a messy shock of dark hair and a dangerous look in his eyes.

It took a beat, but Emma realised she was not scared of this man, it wasn’t difficult when comparing him to Neal, who was a significant danger in the present moment. But if this was an attack against the pack, as an omega she’d be considered goods to be stolen and even if that’s why this man was here. Right now, she’d take this unknown over Neal.

“Get away from her,” he growled. His Alpha voice was much more effective than Neal’s had ever been, than Neal’s could ever hope to be. This man was every bit the Alpha his genetics had made him, she could see it in the way he stalked into the room and the control he had over his body.

“She’s mine,” Neal snarled back, his voice failing to hold the same gravitas the strangers had.

“No, I’m not,” Emma snarled up at him through his hand, where he still had her pinned to the bed at the exact same time the stranger growled.

“No, she isn’t.”

There was a flash of a smile on his lips as his gaze flicked to hers, and something akin to pride on his face, but that confused her as much as anything else that had happened since she woke up had.

“Think you’ll find, the lady said ‘no’, mate.”

Were it not for the fact that her instincts were very much overruled by the fact that she was still in serious danger from Neal, she’d have been cowering from the fury and dark power of his alpha voice.

Taking advantage of Neal’s distraction, Emma brought her knee up as hard and fast as she could in the confined space. She didn’t hit the jackpot, as it were, but her jab was enough to distract him from the other Alpha, who leapt towards them, and ripped Neal off her.

He took up a defensive position between them, growling and snarling savagely, and Neal, quickly back on his feet, returned the aggression.

Emma sat up, shifting away from both of them on the bed as she took in the form of this Alpha, standing over her like he would be willing to defend her with his life. She blinked and a flash of a memory came to her in the moment her eyes were closed. A little boy with dark hair standing between her and three adults, her own small, pudgy hands gripping desperately to his.

Suddenly, the two men threw themselves at each other, grappling and punching and kicking and snapping. In all her years of turning into a werewolf on the full moon she’d never seen anything as ferocious as this. The stranger was winning, but only just, and Emma felt it deep in her soul that she had to do something. This man was her only chance at escaping what this pack wanted for her… she had to take it.

Pulling open the drawer and collecting the knife, she got off the bed, creeping round behind Neal, who was concentrating far too hard on the stranger to notice her anymore. She took a deep breath and crouched, for a long moment she waited, and then struck, slicing across the back of Neal’s heels, hobbling him.

He screamed, and the stranger immediately took the opportunity to slam Neal’s head into the foot of Emma’s bed.

His skull crunched sickeningly, and he crumpled to the floor.

Emma dropped the knife, disbelief flooding through her. The stranger looked at her, breathing heavily, his bright blue gaze dark and still full of the anger he’d been directing at Neal. For a moment fear crawled up her spine and she wished she still had the knife in her hand.

“Emma,” he said, his voice softer now than she’d heard it before. “Are you alright?”

She managed to nod ever so slightly as she backed away from him a little.

“I’m not here to hurt you, please, believe me,” and the way he was looking at her, with some kind of desperate longing… She found she did. She nodded again. “Graham was supposed to get you but… he got waylaid…”

“Graham?” that’s who Neal had meant. Graham had turned on the pack… to get her out of there… to save her.

“Emma, we have to go… now… You’ve got time to get dressed if you need to, but quickly,” he said, his voice urgent.

Emma nodded, and ran to her dresser, her top was ruined, and she was fairly sure he’d already seen what was on offer there anyway, so she ripped it off, grabbed a bra and quickly covered it up with a t-shirt, followed by a jumper out of the next drawer and then pulled a pair of jeans on over her shorts.

She pulled on socks and grabbed a pair of boots.

“Ne… he brought this… I guess Graham sorted us a ‘go’ bag,” she said, picking up the duffel.

The stranger took it from her and slung it across his body before holding out his hand, handing her the handle of the knife she’d dropped.

She took it, her gaze questioning.

“I need you to trust me,” he said, stepping closer, holding out his empty hand now, asking her to take it.

“I don’t even know your name…” she said, and for a moment hurt sparked in his eyes before he looked across at the door and then back at her.

“Killian.”

Emma frowned, and something in her gut flared with recognition, but in that moment, she knew that he wasn’t going to hurt her. He was here to help; Graham had found someone who could help her.

She placed her hand in his and he beamed down at her as his fingers entwined with hers.

With the gentlest of tugs on her hand Emma could feel her body moving without even thinking about it, they started off at a run.

- - - - -

They ran, yes, but Killian wasn’t stupid. Neal wasn’t dead no matter how much he wished he was, and while he was likely to be unconscious until they all got out of there he would be found in Emma’s room. That put her in danger if someone found him before she was gone. She would be in less danger once he got her out of this damned compound. So, they stuck to the shadows, there was fighting everywhere, and knowing that his people could hold their own helped him keep moving. That and the warm, smaller hand in his - fingers twisted between his like she was holding on for dear life in a way that reminded him all too much of the night they’d lost her seventeen years ago.

It made his chest hurt.

He should have been concentrating, because next thing he knew she was pulling him back into an alcove, their bodies squeezed into the dark crevice as bloodstained and feral looking Cora hurtled round the corner.

“Thanks, Love,” he muttered once the old, and possibly certifiably insane wolf had passed them by. He hated to think what those bloody hands meant for Graham, but with his heart hammering in his chest, and her smaller body pressed flush against his, that was most definitely not the thing most prevalent in his mind right now. He looked down at her, and her scent overwhelmed him. His breath caught in his throat as he looked into those green eyes that he’d never been able to get out of his head.

He heard her breath catch, saw her eyes widen, and he almost forgot where they were for a moment.

“We should go,” she whispered, dragging her gaze away from his to look at the floor. She was clearly unsettled by the moment they’d just had, but her hand was no less sure in his as he checked the coast was clear and slipped out of the alcove.

They almost made it to the exit when they were accosted by Regina and Marco.

“Emma, what’s going on?” Marco asked, his grizzled face shocked and disappointed.

Killian felt her shift a little behind him, and he squeezed her hand.

“Marco, I… I can’t be what this pack wants me to be… I can’t be Neal’s mate, I won’t…” her voice was shaking, but her conviction was clear. She hadn’t expected to be accosted like this.

“After everything we’ve done for you?” Regina snarled, and Emma flinched.

“You were going to let him kill me, or rape me… and I don’t know which is worse…” she was almost defiant for the first half of what she said, and Killian couldn’t help but feel proud of her, speaking out in the face of one of the people who was apparently more than happy to let Neal take when he wanted in return for the pack’s ‘kindness’, even as anger built in his chest so great he was struggling not to lose it.

“You should have been grateful for the honour, Miss Swan,”

“Regina?” Marco looked across at his pack mate, horrified.

“Marco… come with us… Get August and Lily… don’t you see how sick this pack is? I don’t know how we lived like this for so long… I… I can’t anymore.”

“You take one step, and I’ll rip your throat out,” Regina said darkly, turning on him.

“So be it…” he turned to his packmate with resignation in his eyes.

Regina moved before anyone else even had a chance to breathe. Marco was gargling on the floor in his own blood, and Regina’s focus was back on them.

“No!” Emma was screaming and it was like the worst night of Killian’s life was happening all over again.

“Well, well, well, Mr Jones,” Killian’s blood ran cold. This was not good, where was Liam? He felt Emma tense up, the hand that held her knife coming to rest against his forearm.

He straightened in defiance of the scourge of the earth that was Robert Gold.

“Mr Gold,” he responded, his voice low, dangerous, and full of hate.

The man himself stepped out of the shadows, casting Marco barely a glance as he stepped over his body.

“I believe you have something that belongs to us…” he said, his voice measured and slow.

He felt Emma move behind him, stepping closer, but it didn’t feel like she was hiding, it felt like she was stepping up to join him.

“I do not belong to you,” she declared vehemently, almost snarling the venom in her voice at him.

“Oh, so Miss Swan has found her voice, how delightful,” he said, his tone clearly telling them that he didn’t think it was delightful at all.

Killian shifted, angling his body forward, his lip curling with the growl that bubbled out of his chest. All his focus was on Gold, and the wolves that were gathering to his flanks, standing between him and Emma, and the exit. His thumb stroked over her hand, a comforting gesture he was barely aware of, but Emma straightened behind him, taking strength from it.

“Damn right I have,” she spat back. His thumb moved again.

“Wonderful, now let’s have a real conversation, shall we?” he followed it up with a laugh that made Killian’s skin crawl, it was a laugh that had haunted his nightmares for seventeen years. The laugh that Gold had uttered as his father’s body had slumped, lifeless to the floor. High and cold and maniacal.

Suddenly, he felt Emma move beside him, and a flash of something shiny flew through the air. A hulking figure came out of nowhere behind Gold and caught the knife Emma had thrown. In a heartbeat, Gold’s body was on the floor and his head was still hanging from Liam’s grip by his hair. Chaos exploded around them, and all Killian could do was stare.

“KILIIAN GO!” Liam roared and Emma startled, she moved before he did, and once they’d started he took the lead again. Emma took a pause to kick Regina in the side as she was facing off with Mulan who was holding her back with her favoured blade. She also clawed at her face viciously and left the older wolf screaming with rage as Mulan got control of the situation and Killian knew instinctively that she’d done that for Marco and his son August.

They ran, straight out the exit they’d made when they came in, and they didn’t stop, not until they could barely breathe.

“We need to keep going,” he panted, looking across at her and taking in the exhaustion and emotional pain written all over her face. “We’ve got a bit of a walk, but there’s a truck waiting,”

She looked up at him, searched his eyes for a moment, and nodded.

He couldn’t help but notice that her hand was still in his, their fingers linked. He glanced down at their hands and then back up at her face.

“I’m not letting go of you for a second until I get an explanation,” she said breathlessly, and he could see the determination in her eyes.

“I’d despair if you did,” he said with a chuckle, in spite of the atrocities of the evening. “Nice throw, by the way.”

“You were a little preoccupied,” she replied, managing a weak smile. “Shall we?”

“Aye, Love, let’s go,” he said, relieved that she seemed to be holding it together for now. He knew she had some things to work through, but right now, he had to make sure she was safe. He owed it to Graham, and to David and Snow, and to Ruth… and to Emma.

To Emma most of all.

He pulled gently on her hand, leading them east towards the river.

#cs ff #cssns 2021 #A Dream of Home #ZaharaDessert Writes #art by mariakov81 #Captain Swan #werewolf au #abo au

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gingerchangeling · 3 years

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Ok so my fic ideas I’ve had that I will not write but want to put out into the world for someone else to-

Killian and Emma having sex, but Emma is one of those gals who needs a lot of warm up, and all her past partners never took the time, and she fully expects Killian to be better but for it still to hurt a bit because she can’t expect him to wait around all day. But each time, he fully prepared her, spending lots of time warming her up and stretching her out, and she is able to actually enjoy sex completely fir the first time.

Killian being found in the underworld by Brennan, who eventually gets him to Emma but all the angst that reunion should provoke. And maybe Liam in there for good measure.

Liam 2.0 and Tink as a side pairing because I feel that would be a cool dynamic.

Dark Killian actually succeeding in killing Rumpld because the dude has been fighting with swords for 250+ years and has magic and should have unquestionably won that fight, idk what the writers were thinking.

#killian jones #captain swan #ouat #once upon a time #fic ideas for someone else to bother with

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piracytheorist · 3 years

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I was thinking today how the writers adding Killian’s child slave backstory bit only made things worse

because even before 5x11, Killian’s disgust towards being used and losing his autonomy was a 100% valid thing. He lost his consent! He was almost sacrificed! Bro has every reason to be upset about those things without any painful backstory!

Adding the child slave thing only served to justify his hatred towards being used and taken advantage of. Because you know, only a former child slave should be upset that someone else literally took control of them.

Like look as a whumper I fucking love the dynamic it brought but OH MY F GOD IT WAS A HORRIBLE WRITING CHOICE

And then it also led nowhere! Killian’s reactions to being turned into a Dark One weren’t treated as the reactions a traumatized person would have to what was practically a repeat of their trauma, they were just shown as “uwu he made a bad thing but now he’s good uwu”. And overall it led nowhere. The reminder we got in 5x15 was just to justify Liam’s actions, nothing that had to do with how Killian’s character was shaped after years and years of indentured servitude and mistreatment.

SO WHAT EVEN THE FUCK

A&E DON’T DESERVE A FUCKING PENNY THEY GOT

#when I tell you those writers have legitimate ISSUES with consent and writing non-offensive stuff...#I'm not just being bitter about ouat when I say I won't trust them ever again #those writers don't know shit #and the fact that they write ''family oriented'' shows make them A PUBLIC DANGER #like look I don't believe that TV is a place to learn morals #BUT YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOME LIMITS #and that? is plain disgusting #Killian Jones #anti a&e

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ohmightydevviepuu · 4 years

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How did you and thisonesatelite decide to approach the Liam/Emma dynamic in your S5 rewrite? Without giving away spoilers (THOUGH I WILL ACCEPT VAGUE SPOILERS), was there anything from canon in their interactions y’all wanted to include, expand on, or completely ignore in writing the story?

ok. brace yourself. this is gonna get long.

so @thisonesatellite and i write very differently, even though we often think about the same things in similar and/or complementary ways. (and this, my angels, is why you should, if you feel up to it, embark on a journey like this one. because working with another brain just makes your brain think about things even when it doesn’t want to or it disagrees or it’s hard.) in this case she did all of the hard work and i did the fun bits. (i may be speaking out of turn here in which case...uh, sorry, not sorry @thisonesatellite)

@thisonesatellite will say, as she always does, that she just likes to follow her characters around in her brain and see where they take her. but that is...not how my brain works. i need to see the connective tissue that she just intuits.

ok. so we get to the end of 5A. and we were really like almost totally on the same page about literally every single thing on the plot of 5A. but 5B was different. it was looser. we took a major thing we were going to put in 5A and said...what if we do it in 5B? and i made a major, major pitch about A Thing that was really important to me in 5B and she said, hmm, ok, let’s try it, but i want to try it with Character X because i love this character and it’s important to me i said, ok, let’s try it. and we had a skype call and laughed and talked it out and it was all good.

but then her brain did the thing. and Liam, as she would say, just, like, walked onto the page. and she sent me a draft and said, “so i did a thing” and there was liam.

and i lost my damn mind because it was so perfect, and so brilliant. a lot of what became the final draft was in that first very rough draft because it was so good. see, when we did the rewatch we had A Lot to say about liam. about his character and about sloppy retconning and about hero worship and about killian and about emma and here it was, just...there for us to play with.

liam was basically the missing connective tissue to make The Thing i wanted to try in 5B work and we still got to use Character X.

the main thing we wanted to keep from canon was the antagonism between liam and emma because that felt real and because emma really did Do A Bad Thing and someone needed to remind her of that. but we also wanted emma to punch back--that’s who she is--and have them come to an understanding of each other. liam’s not an angel. and killian’s lived a lot longer than his “older” brother and his reality has changed a lot since they knew each other.

liam and emma both have stuff they have to make up for and them having to talk out their shit in this very intimate and unexpected way was just exactly the right thing. i think some of my notes back were like “OMG MY MIND IS CRAVING THIS MOARRRRRRRR PLS”

idk if i missed anything. i’m sure @thisonesatellite could add to this.

also i really have to shoutout @profdanglaisstuff here because she suffered through the 2-day marathon rewatch with us and had Many Thoughts about liam (which i took notes on for what later became the outline) and i would be lying if i didn’t point out that both @thisonesatellite and i hope that the spirit of those Many Thoughts is respected in what’s on the page.

it’s fanfic friday, AMA!!

#optomisticgirl #fanfic friday #asked and answered #cssns20 #the sword and the heart

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mayquita · 4 years

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Damn You For Making Me Love You (3/15) - Because The Night (The Performance)

Thank you so so much, for your likes, reblogs, kudos and comments. It means the world to me.

Beta-Reader: Thank you so much, @ultraluckycatnd I couldn’t have asked for a better beta. Thank you for all your effort, your suggestions, your advice and for always being there when I needed you.

Special mention to @saraswans and @onceuponaprincessworld, thank you so much for your perpetual support and for believing in me and in the story. Thank you again to the moderators of the event, @captainswanbigbang for giving us this opportunity and making this possible. You all are the best :)

Summary: Emma Swan and Killian Jones are close friends and co-workers. And both are in love with each other. The problem? They keep their feelings secret not only to the other but also to the rest of their friends. When Elsa, Emma’s best friend and Liam, Killian’s brother and Emma’s boss find out, they decide to form an alliance and work as a team with a clear goal, to get Emma and Killian to take the next step in their relationship and confess their love for each other.

Rating: M

Word count: ~ 7100 (98k total in 15 chapters)

Also:

Tumblr: Prologue // Chapter 1

From the beginning Ao3 / FFnet — Current chapter: Ao3 / FFnet

About this chapter: We’ll have Elsa’s POV and also Killian’s POV in the last section. Thanks to the flashback, we’ll witness the first meeting between Elsa and Liam. In the present, we’ll observe the performance through Elsa’s eyes ;) I hope you like it :)

Chapter 2: Because The Night (The Performance)

Elsa - Three and a half years ago

A breath of fresh air welcomed Elsa the moment she entered The Kraken. It was a hot Saturday evening in early June in Boston, so she hurried to close the door behind her as she let herself be enveloped by the cold coming from the air conditioning.

This was the first time Elsa had visited her friend at the bar, even though Emma had been working there for six months. It was not that Elsa or her sister had not had opportunities to come, or that they had refused to do so. Rather, it was Emma’s fault, who insisted on separating her work life from her personal one for some strange reason. That self-imposed rule had been broken when she had let the Jones brothers into her life, though, causing the dividing line between those two parcels of her life to weaken until it had all but disappeared.

It was still early, which meant that the bar wasn’t crowded, so Elsa had the opportunity to appreciate the place without feeling overwhelmed by the rest of the people. She already knew that it had a naval-style decoration, in accordance with the name of the bar. But what she hadn’t imagined was that the representation was so impressive.

The bar area emulated the deck of a ship, with a helm included, while the large windows were adorned with a kind of sail-curtains. The stage at the bottom also seemed to emulate a deck, with a mast standing on one of the sides. Numerous motifs related to the marine world completed the decor. Elsa would have expected the waiters to be dressed as pirates or sailors, but Emma had already informed her that this wasn’t the case.

Just then Elsa spotted her friend near the bar, engaged in a conversation with Killian while he was serving drinks. She had already met him two months ago, when Emma introduced him one day when they had run into him on the street. Since then, they had met on a couple more occasions. Elsa had liked Killian from the start. He had a special charm, despite his constant innuendos, and above all, he seemed to understand Emma even better than Elsa herself.

Elsa was enthralled for a while watching while they chatted. They had an interesting dynamic; Killian smiling continuously towards Emma while doing his job while she leaned slightly forward on the counter to be heard above the crowd.

They were so engaged in their conversation that neither of them noticed her at first. Just as Elsa was going to get close and get their attention, Emma grabbed the camera and started taking pictures of Killian with customers who were ordering.

At one point he even started posing in front of the camera, first making faces and then as if he were a celebrity, putting his hand on his face to avoid being photographed. Even in the distance, she could hear Emma’s carefree laugh.

Elsa was glad that Emma had met someone whom she could empathize so well with. No doubt she needed more people to lean on, and Killian seemed willing to be one of them. The connection between them was so obvious that Elsa had asked her on occasion if she had begun to harbor feelings beyond friendship for him. Emma had flatly denied it so Elsa had no choice but to believe her, especially since from what she was observing, it was clear that their relationship was that of close friends.

They still didn’t notice her although she had decided to sit on a nearby stool. Again, before she could get their attention, someone interrupted her.

“They spend all day like this.” Her head snapped around at the voice coming from behind the bar. “Elsa, I presume?”

Elsa narrowed her eyes as she tilted her head, studying the guy who had addressed her. He was smiling as if he had met her before, although she was sure they had never seen each other in person. Elsa had no doubts about his identity, though, since she had seen several of his photos posted on the bar accounts on social media. She wasn’t sure how he had found out her identity, though. As if reading her thoughts, he offered a quick answer to her question.

“You appear in many photos on Emma’s Instagram account. Besides, she had already anticipated that you would visit us today,” he explained as his smile widened.

“And I guess you are Liam, the older brother,” Elsa said as she tilted her head slightly in Killian’s direction, her lips drawing a soft smile.

“Aye, also known as the Captain of this ship. Welcome to The Kraken, lass. It’s a pleasure to finally meet you.” He offered her a hand in greeting and to her surprise, when he took hers, instead of squeezing it, he brought it to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her knuckles.

Her lips parted slightly in surprise as she felt her cheeks begin to burn. “Nice to meet you, too,” she managed to mumble as he released her hand. Unable to hold his gaze, Elsa glanced at Emma and Killian, who kept talking to each other. “So you were saying that they always act like this?” she asked then, ignoring the tingling she still felt on the back of her hand.

Before Liam could answer, Killian turned his head, his eyes finally meeting hers. His face lit up in recognition as he offered her a warm smile before addressing Emma again.

Emma also turned her head in her direction, giving her a wide smile as she approached her. “Elsa! You’re early. Much better, so you can live The Kraken experience from the beginning,” she said while giving her a brief hug as a greeting.

Killian also approached her. “Good evening Elsa. It’s good to see you here. I see that Emma has finally decided to invite you to our humble place.” He greeted her with a slight bow of his head. “What would you like to drink, lass?”

“It’s on the house, of course, ” Liam hastened to add. “Our VIP client deserves special treatment.“

Elsa felt her cheeks blush again, a shy smile pulling at her lips. “Thank you.”

Liam smiled in return, but at that moment someone called him from the other side of the bar, so he excused himself with a brief bow of his head. “I’ll see you later, love. Enjoy the visit.”

“Two shots of tequila, Jones. We’re celebrating today,” Emma ordered for her before turning, looking for her gaze. “So, well? What do you think?” she asked, gesturing with her hand to encompass the entire place. Elsa detected a glimpse of nervousness in her voice, as if she was expectant of what she might say.

Elsa didn’t have time to answer, though, since she was interrupted by Killian. “Wait a minute, what are we supposed to be celebrating? I haven’t missed any birthdays or anniversaries, have I?”

“Who talked about you, Jones? I meant her and me.” Emma smirked at him and grabbed both glasses, not bothering to explain herself further.

“Come on love,” Killian insisted, “do I have to congratulate you on something?”

Emma let out an exaggerated sigh while rolling her eyes before answering. “I’m celebrating that I’ve been putting up with you for six months and I haven’t killed you yet. Happy?”

Killian’s features twisted in a wince, while he put his hands to his heart in a melodramatic gesture. “You wound me, love,” he whined, his lips drawing into a pout. He then turned to Elsa. “Do you see what I have to go through every night?”

In response, Elsa raised her glass as a toast. “For another six months of suffering, then.”

After letting out a heavy sigh he filled a glass for himself while commenting in fake resignation, “That’s a cross that I’m willing to bear.” He winked at Elsa before raising the glass to join the toast. “I like her, by the way. Can we keep her, Swan?” he asked while the glasses clinked together. The three of them looked at each other and, before ingesting the liquid, they burst out laughing.

Once the laughter subsided they toasted again. The moment Elsa felt the liquor sliding down her throat, she also felt a warm sensation spreading through her veins. She glanced around once more, creating a memory of herself in this cozy place while wondering if all her upcoming visits to The Kraken would result in such a pleasant experience as the first one. She couldn’t wait to find out.

Elsa - November 2019

Elsa still couldn’t believe this was about to happen. When Emma had told her she was going to sing with Killian on Saturday night, Elsa had thought at first that her friend was joking. When she had also learned the song they’d sing she had been about to laugh, because seriously? What was Emma thinking?

“Who will sing ‘ the way I feel under your command ’?” Elsa had asked her as she hummed the song, getting a murderous look from her friend and a firm refusal to talk about it. It wasn’t her fault that the first thing that came to mind was the meaning of the lyrics, especially considering the feelings Emma tried to hide. “It’s just for business,” was all she had gotten from her.

Two months had passed since Emma’s confession, and Elsa, sadly, saw no advance in moving the relationship forward from Emma’s side. At least the knowledge of her feelings towards Killian had allowed Elsa to observe them more closely, proving that the connection between them was undeniable. How could all this have gone unnoticed before?

Elsa had to admit that, although she had been suspicious at first, given Emma’s attitude towards Killian since the beginning, that suspicion had been diluted over time; first because of Emma’s denial and then because she had managed to disguise all those affectionate gestures behind the mask of friendship. Now that she knew Emma’s true feelings though, everything seemed so much more obvious.

So here she was, sitting on a stool at The Kraken, not willing to miss a great performance under any circumstances.

While she waited, she glanced around. The bar had its usual appearance, with its naval-style decoration. Even though the room was of considerable size, she always found it cozy, and that was to Liam’s merit, who, as Emma had told her, had taken care of every detail of the decor. At this time of year, moreover, they had included some Christmas motifs, which made the bar even more welcoming.

Her eyes continued their scrutiny across the place to land on Emma. She, as usual, was busy, camera in hand, taking pictures of the crowd. Her friend had chosen a very appropriate outfit for the night. She wore dark blue skinny jeans and knee-high black boots. Her tank top, with an image of one of Bruce’s album covers printed on it, was wound up to her waist. The pants rode just low enough to glimpse the band of her underwear.

Killian, instead, was behind the bar serving drinks. His performance would begin shortly, but, in his own words, keeping his mind occupied in other activities helped him relax before taking the stage. His attire was also the usual, flannel shirt in different shades of blue over a white t-shirt with v-shaped collar and dark blue jeans.

She had a privileged view from her corner of the bar, being able to observe both Emma and Killian as they performed their usual duties. That was how Elsa realized that, while he served drink after drink, his eyes followed every one of Emma’s movements through the room. Elsa tilted her head slightly as she narrowed her eyes, trying to watch Killian’s expression more closely. Maybe…

“Have you already ordered anything to drink, lass?”

Elsa winced in her seat at the sound of Liam’s voice. She had been so intent on watching Killian that she hadn’t even noticed his arrival. She quickly composed herself and gave him a smile as she replied, “Tequila for me, thank you.”

Liam made a gesture of appreciation and set out to pour the drink. “To what do we owe the honor of your presence tonight? I guess you have come to witness the great performance.” He waved his hands in the air as if he were showing a neon sign.

“Of course, I wouldn’t miss it for the world.” Elsa cocked her head slightly, giving him a questioning look. "By the way, what did you do to convince Emma?”

“Do you doubt my powers of persuasion, lass?” Liam replied as he winked at her. Elsa felt a soft blush warming her cheeks as she averted her gaze to the glass on the counter.

Killian was the master in flirtation, but his brother followed closely. Over the years, she had learned that this flirting was part of their personal charm. It was just an attitude, a kind of harmless game. Even so, she couldn’t prevent her natural shyness from emerging in these situations.

She had a much closer relationship with Killian, due to her friendship with Emma, since he used to visit their apartment quite often. She had always felt more comfortable with the older brother, though, probably because they were both the older siblings who had to take care of the younger ones too soon.

“You should have seen the rehearsals. They sound amazing together.” Her lips curled into a timid smile and then turned her gaze back to Emma. “Speaking of which, it’s time for the great presentation. I’ll be right back.” Liam gave her a warm smile before leaving to search for Killian and Emma.

Elsa grabbed her glass and turned on her stool for a better look. Liam waved at Emma to catch her attention. Then the three of them headed to one side of the stage, Killian already prepared with his guitar. Liam gave him a cheerful pat on his back before taking the stage to present the performance.

“Good evening ladies and gentlemen, a new performance of Saturdays in Concert is about to start, and tonight we’ll have a great surprise at the end! But in the meantime, I ask you all to give a big ovation to my talented brother, a great musician and an even better person. I present to all of you, Killian Jones!”

The crowd broke into applause and cheers to welcome Killian on stage. Elsa didn’t overlook that before he got on, Killian melted into a tight embrace with Emma. Once on stage, Liam placed the microphone in the holder and raised his thumbs before leaving. Emma, meanwhile, stood right in front of the stage, the most appropriate place to take the best photos.

And so the show began, Killian’s melodious voice and the strumming of his guitar wrapping around the whole room. Since he regularly played hits of the 80’s and 90’s, the crowd already knew most of the songs, so they chanted them to the beat of the music.

Elsa also joined the rest and, although she didn’t leave her place next to the bar, she did send out shouts of encouragement and hummed some of the songs. Killian was good, very good; she never got tired of listening to him.

Evidently, Emma thought the same, since she didn’t stop taking photos from below the stage. Elsa also noticed that Killian was constantly looking for her, smiling every time she directed her camera toward him. It was as if he were singing just for her. Could it be possible…

“Enjoying the show, love?”

Elsa gave a start at the unexpected voice of Liam for the second time that night. She turned her head to answer him. “Of course, I’m one of his fans,” she said, raising her voice to make herself heard above the music.

“Another drink? It’s on the house today since you’re a VIP client.”

She couldn’t help but smile while the memory of the first time they met came to her mind. It had been more than three years since that day and Elsa had not yet paid for a single drink, at least if it depended on Liam, who always reminded her of her special status. Elsa, in turn, always feigned her surprise, as if it were the first time.

She had to admit that she liked to share this little tradition with him because that always allowed them to take their game a little further.

“So a VIP client, huh?” She raised an eyebrow suggestively. “I’m not complaining at all if that means I get free drinks.” She accepted the offer, holding up her glass. Liam obliged, of course, grinning at her as he poured her drink. She then turned her gaze back to the stage area.

The idea that had begun to form before being interrupted by Liam flashed back in her head as she checked once more on Killian’s attitude toward Emma.

“I didn’t realize it until now. Does Killian always act like that? As if there was no one else in the room except Emma?” The words came out of her mouth just as Liam set the glass in front of her.

Liam’s smile faltered slightly, giving way to a reserved expression, but she also detected a special gleam in his eyes. What was happening here? When it seemed that he was going to ignore her question, Liam surprised her with an unexpected counterattack. “Just as whenever Killian performs, there’s like a million photos of him.”

Elsa narrowed her eyes, looking suspiciously at Liam. “Are you trying to tell me something?”

“Of course not, lass, I’m just stating something obvious, just like you.”

Her mouth opened, but she thought better of it and decided not to reply, rummaging instead through his words. Was it possible he wanted to say what she suspected? He had practically confirmed her first impression. Before she could think of anything appropriate to say, Liam continued.

“Is there something I should know about my brother?” Liam leaned toward her, invading her personal space, his arms on the counter, as he stared at her. Although his tone was not very high, she could hear his words perfectly, such was his closeness.

“Is there something I should know about my best friend?” she countered, holding his gaze in a challenging way.

Liam cocked his head slightly, keeping the scrutiny on her, the tip of his tongue poking out of the corner of his mouth. After a few more seconds, he nodded almost subtly and asked again, changing the wording. “Does Emma have feelings for Killian?”

“Sure, they’re close friends,” Elsa answered tentatively, not sure where this conversation was going.

“You know what I mean.”

All the pieces fit in her head at that moment. She widened her eyes as she looked around. “Wait a minute, that’s why you’ve arranged all this?” Her hand waved to the stage. “To make them sing together?”

“I had to get them out of their comfort zone somehow,” he admitted through a tight smile.

Elsa gasped with excitement. “So it’s true, your brother has feelings for Emma!”

“I guess from your expression that Emma feels the same towards my brother.” His previous reticence disappeared at the moment their secrets were exposed. It was as if he had removed a mask of caution, sporting instead a broad smile as the glow in his eyes grew more pronounced with something similar to hope.

Elsa lifted her glass as a toast and took a sip of her drink. After the brief moment of euphoria, however, she felt as if that initial emotion was dragged down by the liquid as it passed through her throat, and reality began to prevail again. Regardless of Killian’s feelings, Emma was determined not to risk her friendship with him. Her fear of losing him was almost paralyzing.

“You know it’s not going to be enough for them to sing together tonight, right?”

Liam let out a heavy sigh as he ran his hand through his hair. “I am aware of it. They are both so stubborn and their hearts have been broken so badly that I don’t think they’re able to advance the strange relationship they have.”

He paused for a moment as he poured himself a shot of rum. He raised the glass, inviting Elsa to toast with him. After taking the shot, he continued. “But it seems that they’re affected in a certain way when they’re in a different scenario than they’re used to.”

Elsa remembered the night two months ago, when Emma confessed her feelings. “Oh, I’m aware of that. Remember when you gave them the weekend off? That was when Emma confessed.”

Liam’s eyes widened in surprise. "That was when Killian confessed as well.”

“Really?”

“Something happened that night!” they both shouted in unison.

“Really?” Elsa repeated, the corners of her lips drawing up into a wide smile. The night was taking an unexpected turn and she couldn’t be more grateful for it.

Liam arched an eyebrow in appreciation. “It seems that you and I are in sync, lass. We should take advantage of that and do something productive about it.”

Elsa’s cheeks flushed slightly at his words but she ignored any possible hidden meaning and focused instead on Killian and Emma.

“Yeah, I agree with you. We should work as a team. The night they met when they didn’t expect it created tension between them.”

“We could generate more situations like that; put them in scenarios that they don’t expect, push them out of their comfort zones without forcing too much,” Liam continued with her train of thought. His voice sounded excited. Clearly, he was as interested as she was in uniting those two idiots.

Her brain started working immediately, drawing up those possible scenarios. An idea began to emerge, but just as she was about to suggest it to Liam, Emma suddenly appeared.

“Hey, guys, say cheese.” Without further warning, Emma took a few photographs. Then she looked at the camera screen and smiled, clearly satisfied by the result.

“Oh, God, Emma! I hate it when you do that. I always look awful in those improvised pictures,” Elsa grumbled, her lips forming a pout.

"No, you don’t. You two make a nice couple on the screen. Anyway, you have the opportunity to do the same now.” Emma slid the camera strap over her head and handed the device to Elsa. “You’re in charge of taking the pictures of our performance.”

“Is it your turn now? Go up there and show everyone your talent.” Elsa took the camera and hugged her friend while whispering in her ear, “Don’t get nervous, everything will be fine. Let yourself go and enjoy this moment with him.”

Emma gave her a shy smile as she walked away and turned her gaze to Liam. "You’ll reward me for this, you know, right?”

“Of course, lass. Good luck.”

Emma took a deep breath, gave them one last look and then headed toward the stage with determined steps.

Elsa, for her part, hung the camera strap around her neck, preparing for the task entrusted to her. Before walking to the stage, she gave Liam a warm smile, receiving the same in response.

Killian was singing the last chorus of his song as Elsa walked through the crowd. Despite the fact that she had tried to infuse Emma with encouragement, as the moment approached, she was getting more and more nervous. Elsa didn’t doubt that everything would flow smoothly, but after all, this was a new situation for her friend.

When the music ended, everyone around her broke into applause. It seemed like people were enjoying themselves a lot with the performance.

“Thank you very much to everyone!” Killian began to speak. “As my brother announced, tonight we have a surprise as a closing. She is the soul of The Kraken, the person who makes this bar shine, and who brings a bit of sanity to the two Jones brothers. I ask you all for a great round of applause to welcome the talented, beautiful, and lovely Emma Swan!”

The audience began to cheer, accompanying her friend on her way to the stage. She was welcomed by Killian, who gave her a brief hug before offering her one of the microphones and putting himself in place.

Elsa’s heart began to pound in her chest in anticipation of what was about to happen. She grabbed the camera and started taking pictures of everything that happened on the stage, not willing to miss a single detail between them.

As the first notes sounded, the enraptured audience applauded even more, to Elsa’s delight.

Here it comes …

Emma stood in the center of the stage, with Killian on her right. When the time came, she began to sing, her voice clear and tuned, without a hint of nervousness.

Take me now baby here as I am

pull me close, try and understand

desire is hunger is the fire I breathe

love is a banquet on which we feed.

When their two voices joined, magic appeared. They were creating something special, sharing not only lyrics but also their gazes and their smiles. The chemistry between them was evident and increased as the song progressed.

Elsa was impressed by Emma’s capacity to act. She was totally into her role. Killian for his part, despite being totally focused on her, didn’t lose his ability to sing and play his guitar, showing once again his undeniable talent.

She couldn’t stop shooting, the performance passing before her eyes through the viewfinder of the camera as she tried to immortalize those magic moments forever.

At one point in the song, Emma moved even closer to Killian and placed her free hand on his arm, squeezing it gently. They both stared at each other as they sang the last verses. Elsa could almost feel the electricity emanating between them.

With love, we sleep

with doubt the vicious circle

turn and burns

without you I cannot live

forgive, the yearning burning

I believe it’s time, too real to feel

so touch me now, touch me now, touch me now.

After the last strumming of the guitar, the song ended, but they remained in the same position for a few seconds as the audience applauded and shouted around her. They were so close that their foreheads were almost in contact. After a brief moment lost in each other’s eyes, they smiled and melted into a tight embrace, to the enjoyment of the public, who began to applaud with even more enthusiasm.

Finally, they moved away from each other a little, directing their attention to the crowd. They bowed while holding their hands and then raised their arms in gratitude. Their smiles didn’t disappear from their faces. Elsa herself was infected by the enthusiasm around her and raised her fist as she screamed “Bravo!”

“Whoa, this has exceeded my expectations. It’s been amazing.” For the third time that night, Liam’s voice made her jump in surprise. Somehow, he had managed to position himself right behind her and was speaking very closely to make himself heard through the crowd.

Elsa felt an involuntary shiver as she noticed his presence was perhaps too close. But she didn’t have time to appreciate what was happening because at that moment the two singers came down from the stage and approached them.

Despite having finished their performance, Killian was still holding his guitar in one hand while his other hand was intertwined with Emma’s as they walked to meet them. Elsa wasn’t surprised that Killian’s first words came in the form of praise to his partner, his voice dripping with pride. “You were bloody brilliant, love. You’re a natural on stage.”

Elsa and Liam glanced at each other, the expression on his face a mirror of her own, lips pressed together suppressing a grin while remaining silent witnesses of both displays of affection.

Emma blushed slightly at his words, giving him a shy smile while she returned the compliment. “I had a great partner up there.”

When Liam cleared his throat, the spell faded a little. Both realized they were being watched, so their hands parted, although they still kept a special glitter in their eyes. It was then Elsa and Liam’s turn to share hugs, compliments, and congratulations with them.

“I’m gonna put away the guitar.” Before leaving, Killian addressed Emma again, offering his hand to her. “My throat is dry, and I’m bloody thirsty. Come on, love, let’s have some well-deserved drinks.” Emma took his hand, of course, and they both walked away, leaving Liam and Elsa alone again.

Liam took the moment to guide Elsa to a corner of the bar away from his brother and Emma. “That was amazing,” he said, repeating his earlier words.

Elsa glanced behind the bar, where the other two were sharing a few beers. Yes, it had been amazing. It was a shame they didn’t realize the huge potential as a couple they had at all levels. Well, actually Elsa suspected they were aware, but they were too terrified to go one step further in their relationship.

Maybe they need a little push.

“We need a plan.” Elsa turned to look at Liam. “I know Emma. Although today’s been impressive, I know she’s not going to do anything about it, so maybe we should work for them in that regard.”

“Aye, as I said before, we should create similar scenarios to the one experienced today. Obviously, the idea has been a success,” Liam said with barely concealed pride. “So, what do you think could be the next step?”

Her brow furrowed in thought, her brain trying to work out the next step in her plan. “A date.”

“A date,” Liam echoed her words with some reticence.

“I mean, they wouldn’t know it would be a date, of course. We could go to dinner together, but you and I would look for an excuse to disappear at some point.” As the idea began to take shape, Elsa felt more enthusiastic.

“We have dinner together all the time. Besides, don’t you think they would be suspicious?”

“Not if we do it well. It wouldn’t be a normal dinner; we could choose a romantic place using any credible excuse.” Elsa put in her voice all the enthusiasm she felt for the idea. It could work, although Emma would kill her if she found out. But it was worth taking the risk.

Liam crossed his arms over his chest, valuing her idea. After a few seconds, he nodded. “Okay, we have a plan.” He offered his hand and she shook it without hesitation, her lips curling into a warm smile. “But if these two find out, I’ll blame you.”

“Uhm, maybe we should use a code name for our mission. What do you think of Operation HE?”

“HE?” Liam repeated in confusion.

“Operation Happy Ending.”

“It’s a bit cheesy for my liking, but it might work.” The corners of his lips lifted, drawing a grin as he raised an eyebrow. That air of a mischievous boy suited him, definitely, in contrast to his usual responsible adult expression. And had his eyes always been so blue?

Realizing that she was staring, Elsa shook her head to get out of her trance, noticing how her cheeks blushed. Still, she couldn’t help but cast one last sideways glance at Liam. His cheeks were also colored with a soft pink tinge and, unlike her, he kept watching her with his head slightly tilted.

“Great, I’ll arrange everything,” she assured, trusting that her voice wouldn’t shake. Why was she suddenly so nervous? It was Liam, for God’s sake. It wasn’t the first time she had talked to him.

But it’s the first time you have had a private and intimate conversation with him, her inner voice reminded her. She shook those thoughts away and focused on what was truly important, helping her friends.

It was a reality, Operation Happy Ending was underway. She glanced once more at Emma and Killian who still remained in their own bubble. These two didn’t know what was waiting for them, and she couldn’t wait to start carrying it out.

Killian - November 2019

Killian was euphoric. The adrenaline that still ran through his veins caused his entire body to vibrate with excitement as his heart hammered in his chest. His fingers tingled as if they craved to touch the guitar strings again. Instead, he grabbed a beer bottle and offered Emma another one.

“You were bloody brilliant up there, Swan.” He repeated his previous compliment while he couldn’t help looking at her in awe. She instead brought the bottle to her lips, although that didn’t stop Killian from catching the hint of a smile.

He couldn’t delude himself. His level of euphoria was not only due to his performance but to the fact of having shared it with Emma. He also couldn’t deny that what his fingers really craved to touch was her hair, or her face, or really any patch of her creamy skin.

A sudden surge of heat seized him as he forced himself to look away from Emma in order to curb those inappropriate thoughts. His willpower lasted only a few seconds though, his eyes returning inevitably to her.

He was distracted for a moment in the suggestive movement of the muscles in her throat as she drank the liquid, while he wondered how the skin of her neck would taste. His gaze traveled up, meeting her pink lips, a perpetual invitation to be kissed. A temptation. A pleasure he wasn’t allowed to savor. For now.

Although he would never admit it out loud, the truth was that his brother’s makeshift plan had allowed him not only to enjoy Emma’s presence at his side but also to reinforce his feelings towards her. And to reaffirm that he had no plans to give up. There was a mutual feeling dancing around them, he could feel it in all the fibers of his being. He just needed to be patient, prove to Emma that he wasn’t going anywhere and trust that at some point she decided to open her heart again.

He was aware that the adrenaline that was still running through his veins was the one speaking for him, but for once, he allowed himself to act a little bolder. So, without thinking twice, he took a step forward as he reached out and tangled his fingers in a loose strand of her hair before he tucked it behind her ear.

He delighted himself for a few seconds in the silky touch as he watched Emma’s reaction intently. He detected how her breath hitched as she stared at him, her lips slightly parted. Maybe it was only a few seconds, maybe several minutes, he wasn’t sure. What he was sure of was that in the depth of her emerald gaze there was something hidden, a feeling that struggled to emerge. He just had to wait.

He also felt a sense of deja-vu, something that had happened to him on previous occasions whenever he shared some more intimate moments with Emma. But as much as he squeezed his brain, he wasn’t able to identify if that sensation was simply an unreal thought created by his brain or the flash of some forgotten memory trying to emerge.

Sadly, the spell was broken when Emma blinked and looked away, taking a small step back. He heard as she cleared her throat a hint of a smile tugging at her lips. At least she hadn’t run away. That was an advance, wasn’t it?

Something must have caught her attention then as Killian detected how her eyes narrowed, looking somewhere to his left, her head slightly tilted.

“What?” he asked, turning his head to follow the direction of her gaze.

“Aren’t these two a bit too close?” she answered with another question, while her chin pointed somewhere near the bar. His eyebrows knitted together in confusion as he watched more closely until he realized what Emma was talking about; Liam and Elsa were chatting at the other end of the bar.

The truth was that his brother and Elsa were engaged in what seemed like a deep conversation, Liam bent over the counter to be closer to her while Elsa didn’t take her eyes off him.

“They’re just talking, Swan,” he commented as he shrugged, directing his gaze back to her.

Emma differed, of course. “It seems like a conversation that’s too intimate for ‘just talking’. Look at Elsa, she is smiling a little too much for her standards, isn’t she?”

He raised an eyebrow as he gave her a skeptical look before looking back towards the other two to observe them. From his angle, he could barely see Liam’s expression, but he had to admit that his body language was a bit different than usual. It wasn’t the first time that Elsa and Liam talked, obviously, but until now he hadn’t ever witnessed a private conversation between them. He wasn’t even sure that their relationship was close enough to constitute having that type of conversation.

His head turned back to Emma as he studied her features. There was a mixture of confusion, awe and maybe hope in her expression as she continued to stare at the couple.

“I can hear you think, Swan. What are you up to now?”

Her eyes finally turned away from them, looking for his. “When was the last time Liam dated someone? I don’t even remember it.”

He hummed while trying to remember. “He dated that lass a couple of years ago. Tink was her name? What about Elsa?”

Her nose wrinkled in disdain as she let out a scoff. “Don’t you remember Hans? She dated him a year ago. He was an asshole. Luckily, they were together only for a couple of months.”

“Okay, Swan. After this run through the brief sentimental life of our friend and my brother, would you mind telling me exactly what your point is?” He suspected her point, but there was something quite amusing in her expression, so he preferred to keep entertaining himself at her expense; but not before making another statement. “Quite depressing this group of ours and our almost non-existent sentimental life, I must add.”

She rolled her eyes, letting out a snort. “That’s exactly my point. Maybe we can cross out two members of that list. Now that I see them together like that, they may work as a couple, right?”

That possibility had never crossed his mind, but Emma was right. They were quite alike, that was undeniable, both the older and responsible siblings, both with somewhat more reserved personalities, but with huge hearts, willing to sacrifice whatever was in order to protect their loved ones. No doubt his brother deserved everything good that happened to him in life. Elsa could be something remarkably good for him.

Before he could reply, Emma’s eyes widened as her lips moved upward in a conspiratorial smile. “This cannot be the product of a simple casual moment. Something has been forging between these two for a while.” She paused for a moment, her eyes flicking back and forth between the couple and him. “What if… Can you imagine if they’re dating in secret or something?”

“Really Swan?” he scoffed. “Why would they do something like that? Besides, when would they be dating? Liam practically lives at the bar and we’re with him almost all the time.”

Killian pressed his lips together holding back a smirk. Although unexpected, it was quite fun to see her plotting that way. He kept wondering what would have caused that sudden romantic side to emerge in Emma.

“I don’t know, maybe they’d like to be sure of their feelings before confessing.” At that moment her eyes widened even more, as if he had realized something. “Wait a minute! Do you remember two months ago, when Liam gave us the weekend off? What if that was nothing more than an excuse to arrange a secret date?”

She seemed so excited that he almost felt sorry for her, but it was obvious that she was wrong, so he had no choice but to correct her mistake. “Slow down, love. Remember that she went out with you that day and I met Liam at the bar.”

“Oh shit! It’s true! How could I have forgotten?” The disappointment was written all over her face, her lips drawing an adorable pout. Even so, she didn’t seem to give up. “Anyway, they may not be dating. Yet. But I still think they would make a great couple. They may need some help to realize that, though.”

“How?”

She grinned at him, a mischievous spark in her gaze. “Making sure they spend as much time as possible together, of course.”

“Let me see if I understood it correctly. Are you telling me that now we’re going to act as matchmakers, Swan?”

“That’s exactly what I’m saying, Jones.” She stepped forward, her tongue darting out to lick her lips in a movement too tempting. “So, what do you say? Are you in?” she asked, holding up the bottle of beer.

Killian was tempted to offer some reticence for a little more time, in an attempt to continue delighting with that unexpected game of seduction initiated by Emma.

His brain wasn’t working properly, though. She was so close that he could almost smell her perfume and the way she was looking at him from underneath her lashes was too distracting. Not to mention that she was playfully biting her lower lip, causing a sensation of heat to travel through his veins, his fingers craving to reach for her. She was a siren, one who had come to this world to torture him in the most delicious of ways.

If only she knew that he would accept any plan of hers, as crazy as it might seem… He shook his head, forcing himself to divert his gaze from her lips to her eyes. “Of course I’m in, Swan.” He offered her a wide smile as he raised his bottle, clinking with hers.

The bright smile she gave him before bringing the bottle to her mouth almost made him get rid of any precaution and pull her towards him to finally taste her lips. Instead, he forced himself to take a sip of his beer to suppress his impulses.

He decided to distract himself with the plan he had just agreed to. Maybe his own romantic life was a disaster, but suddenly, the idea of pushing these two together seemed quite a challenge. Not only because that could imply a boost in Liam’s happiness, but because that would also mean that he and Emma were now allies and had a mission to carry out. Together.

Thanks for reading. Let me know what you think :)

Next Chapter: We return to Emma’s point of view. Elsa and Liam begin to carry out their plan. We will see if it brings the desired consequences.

#cs ff #csrt #captain swan #damn you for making me love you #cs au #captain swan rewrite a thon #my cs writings #mayquita writes #cs au ff

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