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idristardis · 4 months

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And So We Meet Again

OUAT/Captain Swan - Rated very mild T

A/N: Okay, so after four years (literally) and more than a few false starts and rewrites, I have at long last finished this Captain Swan fic. I received a prompt for a fic based on an "accidental hug" around four years ago, quickly wrote the first section of this fic and then, just...nothing. Somehow a month or so ago, I got inspired again, dusted it off, and wrote (and rewrote) sections two and three...and....voila! I'm both inspired that I could do it, and afraid that I've forgotten how to write...but here goes nothin'!!

I think I tagged everyone who asked - apologies if I missed you!!

Word Count: 3,669

Read it on: AO3

“Heeeeey, hiiiiii!” The cheery shout was all the warning Killian had before a blur of red leather and long blonde hair barreled into him, knocking him back a few steps and forcing most of the air from his lungs.

(He managed to hang onto the bag containing Liam’s birthday present as her momentum spun them nearly all the way around in a circle - but only just).

“Er, hello,” he croaked, fumbling to find his footing and regain his breath. “I think you might have the wrong person, lass. I’m new to the area and I don’t believe we’ve met.”

The unknown woman looked up at him, and Killian promptly lost his newly restored ability to speak. She was…well, there was no word for it other than stunning. Wide, jade-colored eyes set under strong brows, a gloriously riotous golden tumble of hair spilling down over her shoulders, and soft pink lips that were stretched into a mischievous grin.

“I know we haven’t,” she replied, laughter coloring her tone. She didn’t seem phased in the slightest to be standing as they were, still pressed closely together. His arm had gone around her when they’d first collided - an instinct, purely to prevent her from toppling over, of course - and his free hand was pressed to the small of her back to steady her. One of her hands was braced on his shoulder, the other on his chest - as happenstance would have it, right over his heart. The warmth of her palms seemed to sink right into his muscles where she touched him, though her words put a bit of a damper on the situation. “And I've definitely got the wrong person."

“Oi! That’s not fair, lass. We barely know each other - you didn’t have to agree that quickly,” he teased, feigning a slightly offended tone. “You’d give a lesser man a complex.”

She raised her eyebrows before executing an impressive eyeroll and Killian found himself unexpectedly captivated and charmed. "I meant you weren't who I was intending to hug.” She shrugged slightly without ever stepping away from his arms. “It wasn’t a comment on the general state of your...uh...rightness.”

He chuckled. "I was only teasing - I’d gathered as much,” he murmured, smiling down at her. “Though I have to ask why, if it was an accident, is it...uh…still going on?” He tilted his head inquiringly and continued. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you.”

She looked up and their gazes met and locked. Her eyes bored unblinkingly into his, searching for something - perhaps trying to gauge the sincerity of his words. She must have found what she was looking for, because after a long moment her shoulders relaxed and she huffed out a wry chuckle. “It’s kind of an embarrassing story.”

Killian simply looked at her patiently. “I’m sure it can’t be that bad. Why don’t you let me decide?” He tilted his head expectantly, silently prompting her and hoping that she’d continue.

She hesitated for a moment and he smiled encouragingly. “I don’t even know your name,” she mused, but he could tell from her tone that she’d already decided to share the story with him. For some reason he couldn’t quite put his finger on, Killian was very glad that she had - he’d only just met her, and all he knew was that he wasn’t ready for her to slip back into the throngs of shoppers packing the mall on this drizzly Saturday afternoon and disappear.

“Killian Jones,” he murmured with a wink, and a slight wiggle of his eyebrows. “At your service.”

She rolled her eyes again at his antics, but this time she also smiled back at him, something warm softening her gaze as they continued to stand close, inhabiting each other’s space. Without turning around, she tilted her head and jerked it pointedly a couple of times until Killian realized she wanted him to look in the direction she was indicating. “See that guy over there in the leather jacket? About two stores back and to my right?”

Killian scanned the modest crowd milling about in the nearby section of the mall’s main concourse. It took him a moment, but then sure enough, right in front of the bookstore, he spotted the man his new acquaintance must be referring to. He was tall, with warm brown hair that curled gently and a short beard. He was wearing a leather bomber jacket and dark jeans. Once he’d gotten a good look, Killian nodded. “Yes. Your intended hug-target, I assume?”

She sighed, though it didn’t sound sad so much as resigned. “Yep. That’s my ex. He’s...look, I’m probably about to overshare, but it’s the only way to explain, well, how we,” she gestured between them for a moment before returning her hand to his shoulder, “got here.”

Killian shrugged slightly. “I’m not judging you, lass.”

“Right, right,” she exhaled deeply, seeming to gather her thoughts. “Okay, so...he’s a good guy, my ex, but it just didn’t work out. We dated, on and off, for about six months...ish, before deciding that we were better as friends, and then - almost before I knew what was happening, he got a job offer and packed up and moved to Portland about four months ago.”

“You stayed in touch, I take it?” Killian asked, curious as to where this story was going.

She nodded, glancing up at him again. “We’d been friends before we dated so we stayed friends after. He’s been back a couple of times to visit and whenever we see each other, I just sorta-”

“Gently tackle him?” Killian teased, prompting his still unnamed acquaintance to slap his arm lightly with the hand that rested on his shoulder.

“Basically. It was just kind of a joke, a harmless thing we did...something we always did, as long as we’ve known each other...but this time...it’s a bit complicated.”

Just then, a flash of movement in the near-distance off to the woman’s right caught Killian’s eye. A petite brunette with a kind face, wide smile, and bright blue eyes stepped out of the bookstore. She was impeccably dressed, all the way from her tidily styled hair down to the sky high heels that had looked impossible to walk in - though somehow she managed it with grace. Objectively, Killian could admit to himself that she was quite pretty - though personally he was far more captivated by the as-yet-unnamed stunner who was still wrapped in his arms.

The brunette approached the mystery woman’s ex, curling herself into his side and stretching upwards to kiss him - perhaps just a shade too passionately for the middle of the afternoon at the Storybrooke Mall, not that that really mattered to Killian.

“Ah, yep...yes. I think I see the...complication, as it were. They seem rather cozy, don’t they?”

“Uh huh...and that’s great for Graham. I’m absolutely thrilled for him - I just don’t want his new girlfriend’s first impression of me to be as a so-called jealous ex who, quite literally, can’t keep her hands to herself. Especially when I’m not actually jealous, you know?”

Killian nodded. “Makes sense to me, lass.”

“Unfortunately, Graham neglected to mention that he was bringing her on this trip...so I only found out when I spotted her for myself just as they kissed before she ducked into the bookstore a moment or two ago - but by then it was too late, I’d already-”

“Launched yourself at him?” Killian supplied with a chuckle, causing her to narrow her eyes at him and frown - though he thought he could see amusement tugging at the edges of her mouth. He raised his eyebrows at her, a wide-eyed, innocent expression settling over his face. She glared playfully at him in return - at least he hoped it was playful.

“Yeah, something like that…then had to adjust course last minute and, well, here we are,” she murmured, a sheepish grin finally breaking over her face. “Look, I’ve taken up a good chunk of your time with my nonsense, and you’ve been really great about it. But if they’ve gone, I’ve gotta go myself - Graham, or, well, I guess, they will be looking for me down by the fountain in the atrium, which was where he and I were actually supposed to meet. I’d just spotted him early and, well…you know the rest.”

Reluctantly, Killian pulled his gaze from hers and scanned the area behind her - quickly realizing that there was no sign of this mystery blonde’s ex and his current paramour anywhere. Glancing down at her, his lips involuntarily twisted in a wry grin. “Coast is clear,” he informed her, hoping that he didn’t sound as disappointed as he felt to have their brief, odd interaction coming to an end. He stepped back from her slowly, his arms receding, fingertips trailing lightly down her sides as he moved out of her space.

Maybe he was just indulging in a bit of wishful thinking, but it seemed that she was just as loath to pull away as he was, a slightly unfocused daze clouding her brilliant green eyes and making her look just a bit entranced before she shook her head to clear it. “Thanks, Killian,” she murmured with a smile. “It was nice to meet you - even if it was a surprise.”

He nodded in agreement as she stepped a bit further away. “I agree, love.” She turned and began hurrying away down the mall’s central walkway before something occurred to him. “Wait!” he called after her. “You still didn’t tell me your name!”

She turned, and though it was hard to tell with the distance now between them, he thought she winked. Her voice was decidedly mischievous as she called back to him. “You seem like a smart guy…I’m sure you’ll figure it out sooner or later!” After that, she turned away again and disappeared into the crowd of shoppers.

Killian chuckled to himself as he watched her go. “Oh, challenge accepted love….”

~*~*~*~*~

“Swan! At last…I’ve been looking all over for you!” Emma had only a moment to look up from the bakery window where she’d been moping over the empty bear claw display and turn to brace herself for impact before the owner of the voice with the smooth-as-silk British lilt (who had fueled more than a few of her recent daydreams if she were being honest) enveloped her in an embrace, sliding his arm around her waist and pulling her into his side.

For a brief moment, she was so lulled by the very tempting smells of leather, salt, and his deeply spicy cologne as it wrapped around her that she didn’t react much to being tugged against him. She enjoyed their close proximity for a moment, taking the opportunity to sneak an inhale of his amazing scent before giving herself a mental shake and pulling back slightly. Arching an eyebrow at him, she replied teasingly. “I see you managed to figure out my name after all - I have to admit, I’m kinda impressed.”

“Ah, I’d like to think I’m fairly resourceful, Swan,” he murmured, glancing back over his shoulder briefly before turning back to her. “But not to diminish my own skills…this is a very small town. It didn’t take too long to figure out that the sheriff likes to come into Granny’s diner a few times a week for lunch, or that you,” he tapped the badge fixed to her belt with the index finger of his free hand, “were said sheriff.”

“Well done, Jones,” she smiled at him again. “Although, I do have to ask…what’s up with, uh, this?” she swept her hand back and forth between them in a gesture that encompassed where the two of them were nestled together. “It seems we’ve found ourselves in a familiar position.”

As she indicated the lack of space between them, Killian sighed heavily and turned them so that they were facing the wide picture window on the front of All You Knead, but he wasn’t looking down at the remaining pastries the bakery had to offer. Instead, his eyes flickered up and to their left. He tilted his head closer to her, murmuring softly. “D’you see the two women across the street and down by the clothing shop?”

Emma forced away the cascade of goosebumps that started to skitter down her arm at the sensation of his breath washing over her ear and neck - get a grip, Emma! - and focused on the women he’d indicated. They were a bit far away, a couple of blocks or so, but the perfectly-arranged, designer black hat perched atop an artfully upswept tangle of red curls was unmistakable, as were the jagged, black-and-white asymmetrical locks that passed for an avant garde hairstyle in sleepy Storybrooke. “Oh…I see. You’ve met some members of our so-called local coven, have you?” she joked, a grin pulling at the corner of her mouth. “Zelena Mills and Cruella DeVille - and yes, if you can believe it, those are their real names.”

In turn, his lips pulled into a frustrated scowl. That should not be so sexy - stop it, stop it, Emma! “Bloody hell,” he muttered, “are they always so…so…”

“Invasive? Pushy? Disturbingly thirsty?” Emma supplied, her grin growing wider as she watched a pink flush spread down Killian’s neck and disappear beneath the collar of his button down.

“Yes, yes, and bloody damn-it-all, yes.” He shot a look at her out of the corner of his eye before returning his gaze to the window and keeping an eye on the other women in the glass. “I’ve run into them once or twice since my brother Liam and I moved here…usually when I’m in Granny’s or somewhere where there were more people about, but today…well,” he hesitated, “...they were a bit more…overt than they’ve ever been before.”

Emma tilted her head inquisitively and caught his eye in their window reflection. She wanted to return the favor of the kindness he’d shown her a few months ago when she’d gotten into a silly predicament with Graham and his new girlfriend. Echoing what Killian had said to her then, she nodded at him to continue. “I promise, you can tell me and I won’t judge.”

Killian glanced again at the women’s progress in the window and turned a bit, moving Emma along with him and starting to walk slowly down the street away from them. “I was in the clothing shop just a bit ago…looking for a few new shirts, mainly. Well, I was in the changing room and…” he trailed off for a moment and swallowed hard before continuing, “...the changing room walls are unfortunately very thin and sound carries rather easily from the main sales floor, which I suspect they might have known. They were not making any effort to hide what they were saying - and most of it was about me. Let’s just say that I’ve caught their attention in a way I never sought to, and their, er, carnal imaginations are rather vivid.”

“Oh my God, that is….well, that’s just awful.” Emma involuntarily shuddered a bit as she sympathized with Killian’s discomfort, but was still a bit puzzled as to how that led to her sharing the current moment with him. “But then why did you come sweep me up like you did?”

He chuckled slightly, and his free hand reached up and scratched at a spot just behind his right ear. “Well, that is both a happy accident and a bit embarrassing,” he said, looking down at her as they walked. “Er, I was so eager to get out of the shop and away from where those women were lying in wait that I just, well I guess you could say I bolted and headed right out the door. You just happened to be in my eyeline as soon as I left the shop…luckily for me. But honestly, Swan, I’d been hoping to run into you again for a while, so I was very glad it was you.”

“Well, I’m glad I could return the favor and help you out of a jam, even if it is a kinda ridiculous one,” she said with enough of a smile to let him know she was teasing. But then something caught her eye and she stopped in her tracks. “Uh, Killian, did you say that you ran out of the shop immediately?”

“Yes, why?” he shot her a confused look.

“Uh, well, I hate to tell you this, but I think we have to go back there right away,” she turned around and his arm dropped from around her waist, but she caught his hand and before she could think too hard about what she was doing, she’d laced their fingers together and gently tugged so he’d fall back in step with her.

“What? No! Swan, did you not hear the tale of my escape from perilous circumstances?” Killian protested. “You’re leading me right back towards the lion’s den, as it were,” he kept his voice low as they were once again pulling even with where Zelena and Cruella were headed towards them on the opposite side of the street.

“A bit overdramatic, huh?” Emma laughed. “Seriously though, I did hear what you said…but I also saw this,” she thumbed at a tag that she’d noticed a moment ago, pinned to the edge of the pocket of the shirt Killian had on. “I’m guessing that in your haste to escape those perilous circumstances, paying for this shirt might’ve slipped your mind?”

Killian looked down at the tag and then at her with a chagrined expression. “Shite,” was all he muttered, before nodding. “Lead on, Swan, let me rectify my accidental misdemeanor before you have to take me back to the station with you.”

“Oh buddy, if you stole something from Mabel Tuffet - even accidentally - it’s not me you have to look out for,” she smirked at Killian as he let out a pained noise. “But don’t worry - I’ll help you explain it, or at least I’ll try.”

Killian shot her a genuine grin and a gaze whose warmth was so unexpected in that moment that Emma felt her face flushing again. “Well Swan, it would seem I’m doubly in your debt. How can I ever repay you?”

Emma grinned back at him, but hers was a bit more knowing around the edges. “I’m sure I can think of something.”

~*~*~*~*~

Nearly two years later…

“Hello love, fancy meeting you here,” Killian stepped up behind Emma and slid his arms around her waist. A low, pleased hum instinctively escaped him when she immediately leaned back against him. Leaning down, he pressed a soft kiss to the crown of her head and heard her sigh happily in response. “I’ve been looking for you since I finished up at the pub and handed off the dinner service to Liam.”

“Hm, I dunno,” he heard her say, her voice soft and gently teasing. “I would’ve thought this would be the first place you’d look.” She kept her face turned to the harbor as she spoke, and he could understand why. The pastel pinks and deepening purples of the twilight sky spread out before them over the pearlescent sheen of the water, boats and ships of all shapes and sizes bobbing and swaying on the slow rise and fall of the waves generated by a passing tugboat. Somewhere a dog was barking, but the sound was muted and echoed a bit, as if it were coming from further off down the shore.

It was, in a word, idyllic.

“You’re quite right, it should have been,” he murmured in her ear and pulled her closer to him. “I’m sorry t’have kept you waiting, love.”

Emma turned in his arms to face him then, smiling up at him with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes. The waning light was just bright enough to lend a bit of luster to the rings that adorned her left hand as she slid her palms up the lapels of his jacket - that soft gleam was a sight Killian found he wasn’t yet tired of after two months. And it’s doubtful I will be after fifty years, he smiled to himself at the thought. Emma’s hands had continued up over his shoulders while he’d been lost in his musings, before anchoring themselves in the soft leather of his collar. “It’s alright…today was just a long day at the station, and waiting for you here gave me a nice chance to relax and unwind. Also, I got to thinking…”

“Oh? Should I be worried?” he teased, his own arms sliding around her waist and settling at the small of her back, feeling the cool press of his own ring against his other hand as he laced his fingers together. “Just what schemes are unfurling in that brilliant mind of yours, love?”

Instead of replying verbally, Emma smiled brilliantly at him before stretching upwards while tugging gently down on his neck, bringing their mouths together in a kiss that started out playful, but quickly turned sensuous…and definitely not appropriate for the very public Storybrooke waterfront park. Killian found he was having difficulty caring much though, particularly when Emma’s hands tugged on his hair and she nipped lightly at his bottom lip before pulling back and blinking up at him, her cheeks flushed, her hair mussed, and her eyes hazy but happy.

“...I was thinking that David has the overnight patrol and Liam’s got things covered at the pub, so you should take me home, we should turn off our phones, and, uhhm…” she fumbled her words a bit when one of his hands slipped into the back pocket of her jeans and pulled her impossibly closer, “...do a lot more of this…and perhaps a few…mmm…other things as well…” she murmured as he bent his head again, dragging his lips up the side of her neck until they were pressed against the shell of her ear.

“I have to say, love, I like the way you think.”

~*~*~*~*~ THE END ~*~*~*~*~

Tag List: @spartanguard, @hollyethecurious, @wingedlioness, @lenfaz, @shady-swan-jones, @teamhook, @bluestarburst1217, @lfh1226-linda

#ouat #captain swan #cs ff #my fic #writing again #at least a little bit #now maaaybe i might finish a couple of other things that have been kicking around in my drafts #we'll see #no promises!!#hope you all like this though

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holdingoutforapiratehero · 1 month

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I know it’s been a while. Hopefully it doesn’t disappoint. Thanks @captainswanwipwednesdays for the challenge!

#captain swan #cs #cs ff #captain swan ff #captain swan fanfic #cs fanfic #ouat fanfiction #cat writes things #mine #dashing Pirate rescue #my fics

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exhaustedpirate · 3 months

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the one where Emma is pregnant

here it is, the second and final chapter of this fic from Emma's POV! I hope you guys enjoyed the first one and that you will also enjoy the conclusion of this little silly fic! thanking once again @belovedcreation for her beta services! rated T | 6344 words also on AO3 | chapter one

Chapter Two - Emma

Emma had made many mistakes in her life. Many. But she didn't have many regrets. She didn’t even regret falling for Neal. Not even when he cheated on her. She didn’t even regret having sex with him. She didn’t regret becoming pregnant. She had always wanted a family and, while she hadn't expected it to start so soon, she didn’t regret it.

She did regret falling in love with Killian. Not because he was a mistake or because he was a bad person. But being in love was never simple for her, never ended well. Her relationship with her baby’s father was a shining example.

Killian wasn’t a mistake. He just didn’t feel the same and she wouldn’t be able to handle being rejected by him. Didn’t want to put him in that position where he would have to reject his pregnant best friend. His pregnant best friend who was still living with him.

But she could live with it. She thought. She could live with the way her heart did a happy jig in her chest as his whole being brightened up at every milestone, every sonogram, every kick. She could live with the way every platonic touch sparked every nerve ending in her body until she felt like she could light up a whole street. She could live with the fantasy of a happily ever after for them if she took that leap and asked him to be part of her life, part of her family. If she asked him to love her back.

It wasn’t always like that between them, of course.

He had fascinated her when they first met years ago; she was only human and he was a fine specimen of a man. His reputation, however, had distanced her from him, knowing that, while the sex would possibly be great, it wasn’t worth ruining a friendship for a one-night stand.

But then he became her friend, her best friend. Made her laugh, let her cry, listened to her, was there for her and became too special to risk it all.

Neal had been easy. She knew he had liked her since they first met and, while it had been easy to push it away back then, she saw how he had grown. It was easy to fall in love with him. It had even been easy to end it all after his betrayal. Maybe she should have taken it as a sign.

Killian had been easy to love. He was a genuine man who cared for his friends, who loved deeply and truly. He was someone who would stay with you forever. Maybe that’s what scared her away from those feelings. Because she could see a future there, a happy one, but her doubt, her fear, stopped her from taking that step.

It wasn’t just a physical attraction either. Well, at first it was. Who could really resist him? Those bright blue eyes that feel like they can look into your soul, that dark hair that she just wanted to run her fingers through, his broad shoulders, the way his tight trousers fit snugly in all the right places,...

Right, that had been one of her biggest challenges during her pregnancy. Not that she expected it to be a walk in the park but the way her hormones just flared up all over the place, and how they seemed to ignite when Killian was in the room was definitely a problem.

“Oh yeah, this is about the fourth month of your pregnancy, right?” Tink had asked when Emma had brought up finding the short and balding barista attractive - in a way to disguise that she had actually been ogling Killian’s backside as he leaned on the counter. “Your hormones are going crazy, that’s normal!”

“Are you sure?”

“Emma, I’ve been through it, I know all about it.”

Tink had become Emma’s source of information over all things pregnancy related, after she had become a surrogate for her old friend, Regina, and her husband.

“And how did you deal with it?”

“I became very good friends with my vibrator,” Tink answered, with a longing look in her eyes. “I mean, you can always find someone to have sex with, get it out of your system.”

“No!” Emma quickly said, catching the attention of Killian at the counter before she waved away his worried look and turned to whisper at her friend. “I’m not going to have sex with some random person, Tink.”

“It was just a suggestion,” She shrugged before looking at Killian’s back. “You could always ask Killian, he’d do it, I heard he’s good.”

Oh, she’d heard it too. “I’m not going to ask him, I’ll just deal with it.”

“Alright, well, remind me to give you extra batteries then.”

That had been that. Emma followed Tink’s lead and became very close to her vibrating friend. Of course, that hadn’t been exactly the end of it - Killian had, (not) unfortunately, become the main protagonist in her fantasies.

The worst (read, best) part of it was that most of the fantasies weren't just about the mind-blowing sex he could give her. He was caring, romantic, soft, sweet - all those romance novel things a man written by a woman would be. The worst part was that she knew Killian would be that way with her too. She saw how he was with her and the rest of the group, she could just imagine the way he would hold her in her arms, run his hands down her body, through her hair, kiss her in every available patch of skin…

Right, that was when the problem began.

Actually, the problem began when she moved in with him.

He was a great roommate, especially when dealing with her untidiness. It was just maddeningly taunting to observe Killian Jones and his “friends”. Not that she was celibate, not at all. She had her share of “friends” over, not at all in a way to give Killian a taste of his own medicine. It was just that the walls were thin and he was, seemingly, very thorough. That had, however, helped deepen her stimulating friendship with her vibrator.

But most especially, Killian was a great roommate when dealing with her sudden pregnancy. She had expected him to be happy to have her move out, not looking forward to having a crying baby in his home. But he had surprised her, almost begging her to stay. She was happy to do so too, she loved living with him. So she stayed.

Of course, that led to more complicated feelings over their friendship. Especially after their “date”. She would blame her crazy hormones for accepting it. She loved the fact that he wanted to make her feel better and it had definitely helped. She just hated how real it felt, how it was just like any of the other times they spent time together.

There were differences, of course. She felt the way his eyes roamed over her face, the attentive look on his face. She felt his skin under her touch, unable to keep away from it, and cherished the barely perceptible twitches of his hand - she wished, more than anything, that he took her hand in his as he did so many times before, only not in a platonic way this time. She watched the way his lips moved when he talked, when he laughed, when he ate, far more intently than she ever did.

She was high on happiness, on this feeling of being cherished, on him, all through the night. She blamed that on the way she responded to his advances and the way she gave him her own. While that had been the way she ended her dates, it had never felt that way with others like it did with him.

Emma almost wanted to thank him for kissing her. She wondered if he felt the way her fingers held on to the back of his neck when she felt his lips on her, wanting to keep him there. She also wanted to curse him for stopping it, when she gasped in surprise.

But, once in her room and away from his tempting figure, she knew that it had been the best outcome. She didn’t want to be with him if it wasn’t real, if he was just acting on this fantasy that they were playing out.

Her lips still tingled from the feel of his lips on it, the rough whisper of his scruff on her skin and she still felt the spell of his eyes on her as she tucks in for the night. And if she fantasized about them, that’s her business.

She might be in love with her best friend but she is going to keep that to herself. No need to make everyone uncomfortable or deal with rejection if she could avoid it.

---

It turned out that she didn’t need to worry about avoiding it. Killian had kicked her out of his apartment and got her to move in with Neal.

It wasn’t a bad idea; she was feeling bad about Neal always missing out on the baby stuff, even if she did enjoy Killian’s involvement. Neal was the father and it wasn’t fair to him to keep him away from the baby, even if it was just about belly kicks or Braxton Hicks contractions.

And Neal wasn’t a bad roommate. His apartment was big enough for the two of them without them having to sleep in the same room - that was, definitely, out of the question -, and he was so excited about the baby that it got her even more excited about it.

It wasn’t easy not having Killian around anymore. She missed his presence, his voice, his laughter. Especially when he was so attuned to her needs, to her aches and, boy, did she miss his foot rubs. She was also glad that her morning sickness had abated because Neal had the worst taste in food. And that was coming from her, Miss pickles with peanut butter.

Worst of all was how much she missed Killian. Just him. If she hadn’t been sure before, that definitely confirmed her feelings for him.

Actually, no, the worst of all was coming to her fast.

“Ems, I was thinking,” Neal started as they cleaned up after dinner. “We’re living together and we’re having a baby…”

“You were just thinking that? Come on, Neal, you are way smarter than this.” She teased as she put away the cutlery.

“What I was thinking about was,” He ignored her jab and continued in a more nervous tone that had her worried. “That we should get back together.”

The loud clang of the cutlery as it dropped onto the drawer filled the silence of the room as Emma tried to gather her thoughts and push the panic away. She took a deep breath as she turned to him.

“Neal…”

“I mean, it makes sense, we’re having a kid together.”

“Yeah but,” Emma stammered, laying her hands on her belly. “We don’t love each other.”

“I still love you, Emma.”

She could feel her heart hammering against her chest at his desperate expression, the instinct to run filling her up. It reminded her of when he all but begged her to forgive him and that just brought back all the hurt he had caused her when he cheated on her. They had loved each other then and she still does now, which was why she forced herself to stay, to fight, in a manner of speaking.

“No, you don’t,” She shook her head.

“Ems-”

“Neal,” She held his hands, looking into his eyes, trying to get him to understand. “You’re caught up in this domestic life that we’re living now, you don’t love me.”

“We loved each other before, why is this any different?”

“Because we’ve grown, we haven’t been together in so long,” She took a deep breath. “You broke my heart and we can’t forget that.”

“But we made this baby, we-”

“I will always love you, Neal, you were my first love but this,” She dropped one of his hands to gesture between them. “Is not what it used to be.”

Neal pressed his lips together as he looked back at her. Before she could stop him, she felt his lips on hers in a desperate kiss. She was quick to push him away and was about to chastise him when she saw the pained look in his eyes.

“Neal…”

“You’re right,” He whispered, bowing his head remorsefully. “I’m sorry, Ems, I just-”

“I know,” She gave him a small understanding smile as she held his hand in hers. “Maybe it’s not a good idea for me to stay here-”

“No,” His answer was quick and strong as he held her hand tight in his grip. “I want you to stay, I want to be close to the baby, I don’t want to miss anything.”

“This is not a permanent solution, Neal, we can’t carry on with our lives while living together.”

“But-”

“I understand, I do,” Now, she was regretting their situation. She didn’t want it to be so complicated. A hand pressing against her side reminded her that, without ‘complicated’, she wouldn’t have the little boy growing inside her. “We’ll discuss it some other time, okay? With a clearer head.”

Thankfully, Neal listened to her. For the next few weeks, they went back to normal - as normal as two exes living together while expecting a child could be. There were more doctors appointments, more ultrasounds to litter a whole fridge door and a very expensive trip for baby things, especially as she entered her third trimester.

Killian was avoiding her, though. She tried to keep an open mind, trying to believe the many, many, excuses for his absence. She kept dropping the extra ultrasound under his door or on his mailbox when crouching became too hard. All she wanted was for him to talk to her. He owed it to her after kicking her out and the wall of silence was making her angry.

“Please, tell me you have cookies, MM,” Emma almost begged as she sat down, well plopped down, on Mary Margaret’s couch. “I don’t want to go all the way downtown.”

“Actually, David went to get those ones you love, chocolate and cinnamon. He should be here soon.” Emma sighed longingly at the thought of that rich goodness before groaning in annoyance. “What? What is it?”

“I need to go to the bathroom,” Emma whined. “But I just sat down.”

Mary Margaret laughed before stifling it at Emma’s glare. “Come on, I’ll help you.” Holding hands, they both worked together to get her upright.

Emma heard the door open and close. There were upset voices, calming voices, and a very insistent shush that silenced the room right before Emma left the bathroom.

“What’s going on?” Emma asked as she rounded the corner to find Neal had arrived and was with David in the kitchen, while Mary Margaret stood closest to her. There was a strange tension in the room and she noticed a bag of ice on Neal’s hand. “What happened?”

“Nothing,” Neal answered determinedly, his eyes glancing between the married couple. Even without her intuition, she knew that was a lie and she made sure Neal knew it. “Don’t worry about it.”

Normally, Emma would drag the truth out of him and she knew she would be successful. Her baby had other ideas and a whiff of the open goody bag, had her reach for it faster than she thought herself capable of.

“Don’t think you’re off the hook,” Emma spoke through mouthfuls of the delicious cookies. “As long as I don’t have to worry about the police getting involved.”

“No police, Ems, don’t worry.” He huffed as he plopped down on the living room chair.

Grabbing the bag, Emma turned to David. “These are all for me, yes?”

The tension in his face lightened into a smile and a nod. “Of course, only the best for my godson.”

Emma grinned as she returned to her seat on the couch with Mary Margaret sitting next to her as Emma happily dug into the bag. David took the time to make them some drinks before sitting on the ottoman in front of the couch.

“Is it just us today?” Emma asked.

“I think Tink is working.” Mary Margaret answered after a quick significant glance at David.

“Right,” Emma drawled, noticing it. “And Killian? Or is still busy with whatever bullshit project he’s got at work?”

Neal huffed and fixed the bag better on his hands. David and Mary Margaret kept looking at one another before looking away.

“What? What is it?”

“Noth-”

“Don’t even start, David,” She put away the cookie bag and looked between the people around her. “What are you guys keeping from me? I’m pregnant, not stupid.”

“No one thinks you’re stupid, Emma,” Mary Margaret comforted but she didn’t accept her calming hand.

“Okay then tell me what’s going on,” Emma insisted. “Killian has never been too busy at work for us so why is he avoiding us now? He’s never done that before.”

“Yes, he has,” Neal pointed out in a mumble, looking away when Emma turned to him, his good hand flexing on the arm of the couch.

“Neal,” David warned, leaning back as if to physically avoid Emma’s turning glare, before sighing. “He did that when Milah broke up with him, remember?”

She did remember, she didn’t want to but she did. It was weeks of Killian barely allowing seconds of their presence while they watched as he buried himself deeper and deeper in his heartache. She also remembered the first time he smiled after all of that, the first time he talked to them, the first time he left his house, the first time he touched her hand.

Emma shook her head. “No. I mean, I remember, but,” She pointed out, noting Neal’s even deeper scowl. “Killian was hurt, she broke his heart and all he could do was blame himself,” She glanced between her friends. “I mean, he was so in love with her that he shut us out and-” She stopped as she finally noticed the significance behind David’s expression. “Oh.”

David pressed his lips together and nodded as he clasped his hands together. Emma’s brain was screaming at her, telling her to do something, say something. Anything.

“Oh? Is that all you have to say?” Neal asked, interrupting her whirlwind thought and standing up from his chair.

“What do you expect me to say?”

“I don’t know,” He spoke loudly, pacing back and forth in front of his chair, ice forgotten on the floor, his hands gesturing wildly. “I want you to say that he’s stupid for being in love with his pregnant best friend, a bad friend for being in love with my ex, just say something.”

Emma’s heart beat wildly as Neal confirmed what she had only surmised. She looked between her best friends. “You all knew?”

Mary Margaret nodded before Neal interrupted. “That’s not what’s more important, Emma. Why does it matter if we knew or not? Don’t tell me you-”

There must have been something in her face that made Neal stop, his wide eyes on her face. There must have been something underneath the panic and the overwhelming feeling on her chest. He must have seen the hope that she couldn’t push down.

Mary Margaret placed her hand on Emma’s but she couldn’t look at her friends anymore, focusing on her belly and on the wriggling baby inside, likely attune to her emotions.

“I can’t believe this, I-”

“Neal, you need to calm down,” David interrupted him.

“How can you ask me to be calm when Killian is the one having feelings for my ex? He’s supposed to be my best friend!”

“And he is,” David stands up, approaching Neal with his hands on his hips. “Killian was never going to tell you or Emma about this. He was putting you first, Neal, because you’re his best friend. You asked so he was honest with you, like the good friend he is.”

“I- He- How can you-” Neal stuttered before groaning in annoyance. “I’m allowed to be angry about this!”

“You are,” Mary Margaret calmly agreed. “But you should also realize that you’re overreacting, he’s your best friend of almost ten years and you already punched him so-”

“You punched him?!” Emma finally raises her head to look at Neal with shock and anger. “Neal, how-”

“I know,” Neal groaned frustratedly as he took his hair in a tight grip. “I wasn’t thinking.”

“I-I need to go.” Emma mumbled, scrambling to stand up and ignoring David’s help.

“Are you going to talk to Killian?” Mary Margaret asked and Emma was very aware of her friends’ eyes on her.

“Yeah, I mean no, I don’t know.” Emma stuttered frustratingly.

“Emma,” David called her attention and held it with his pleading eyes. “I want you to think about what you’re going to say to him very carefully, I don’t want you to have second thoughts,” Emma nodded. “Focus on what you want, not on what any of us say, can you promise me that?”

Emma nodded once more. “I promise.”

---

Emma spent the rest of the afternoon in a blur, her thoughts not settling on anything specific and only confusing her more. It should have been easy - Killian was in love with her and she was in love with him.

But what if Neal was right? What if this situation was too complicated?

But she made a promise. She promised to ignore everything else and focus on what she wants. And what she wants is Killian.

She knew, from experience, that friendship could survive a breakup and, apparently, an unplanned pregnancy. So she could either pull herself together and go talk to him or she could forget all about it, ignore her feelings, ignore his, and be content with the fantasy of what their lives together would be like and focus on her baby.

Yeah, that sounded like a nightmare and the kick she got on her spine told her the baby agreed. She needed to talk to him and she deserved an explanation. As she made her way to his apartment, she started feeling angry - Killian had avoided her, ghosted her, right after kicking her out of his house after he had begged her to stay. Despite her slower gait, with her conflicted thoughts, she was at Killian’s door in no time.

Without a second to breathe, she knocked. It felt like an hour had passed before Killian opened the door, the bruise on his left eye proof of Neal’s recklessness. But she didn’t want compassion to muddle her already muddled thoughts.

“Swan, a-”

“Why did you kick me out?” She asked as she pushed her way inside his apartment, her arms crossed over the roundness of her belly and her brow stuck on a frown.

His confusion was clear on his face as Killian closed the door before following her into the living room. “What?”

“Do you secretly hate me? Is that it?”

“Swan, what are you talking about?”

She huffed, dropping her arms only to start gesturing wildly with them, letting cowardice deflect on the actual reason she was there. “Neal is an awful roommate. He drinks beer all the time, he cooks the most disgusting stuff and he never takes the clothes off the washing machine and the smell is driving me crazy!”

“I could have told you that, Swan, I lived with him before, remember?”

She deflated at that, her arms back at her side as hurt took over her anger. “Then why did you send me to live with him?”

“I thought it would be the best for the baby…” Killian sighed, pawing at the back of his neck as he looked away. “I saw how he hated to miss out on all of the lad’s milestones so I thought it would be better if you lived together.”

“I don’t care that he is having a hard time, Killian,” Her voice rose in exasperation, her eyes boring into his. “I’m having a hard time.”

He took a step forward, seemingly unconsciously, in an effort to try and comfort her. “I'm sorry, Swan, I just wanted to do what was best for you and the baby and-”

“The best for me and the baby is to stay here, with you.” She interrupted his apology with an assertive tone, catching him off guard. But it had never rang more true.

“W-what?”

“Is it true that you’re in love with me?”

He was caught off guard once more and Emma had been counting on the shock to bring out the truth, the answers she was looking for.

“Swan, where is this coming from?”

But she wasn’t going to be distracted. “Is it?”

He looked tired. And she wondered if he was as tired as she was. Tired of pretending, of hiding. Tired.

“Aye,” He breathed out in a sigh, his arms raising in a defeated gesture before he let them fall. “Where is this coming from?”

“If you love me,” Emma ignored his question once more. She was on a mission. “Why did you kick me out?”

“I just wanted to do the right thing, Emma,” he emphasized and she felt angry again, she didn’t want to be angry anymore, not at him, but she was so tired.

“Why is it the right thing?” She took a step forward, her protruding belly almost touching his. “Why is me being with Neal the right thing?”

Killian sighed and listed out reasons like he had made a mental list. “You’re having a baby with him, you love each other and-”

“I don’t love Neal.”

He watched her, reading her easily like he always did. But he didn’t find any doubt, only determination and a fair amount of anger, directed at him, of course. “You don’t?”

Emma shook her head. “No.”

“Oh,” But he wasn’t the only one able to read her, she could read him just as well and the glint of hope in his eyes had hers sparking up. If there ever was a right time to confess, it was now. “Well, I tho-”

“I love you.”

His eyes widened as they found Emma’s unwavering gaze, his lips parting. “What?”

Her lips twitched up in amusement, her shoulders lowering, and she took a deep breath. God, it felt good. “I love you, Killian.”

His mouth remained open for a long moment, so long she thought her heart would beat out of her chest if he didn’t say anything. He probably noticed that - he always did -, because he looked to shake himself out of his stupor. “Why- Why didn’t you say anything?”

“I was scared,” Emma shrugged, sighing at the liberating feeling. “I’ve wanted to be with you for a long time but then with the baby and Neal, I thought I’d lost my chance.”

“For a long time?” He repeated and she just wanted him to hurry up and kiss her.

She nodded, her teeth finding her bottom lip. “Since the first time we talked, actually talked.”

Emma remembered that day like it was yesterday. Months after they first met, they found themselves at the coffee shop alone having been dumped by their friends.

He had taken the first step and told her about his beginnings - about growing up with an absent father after the death of his mother, how his brother was the most important person in his life and how David had shared that spot after Liam moved away.

In turn, she told him about hers - about being abandoned by her parents shortly after being born, growing up in the foster system and about being adopted by Ingrid and meeting Mary Margaret who became so much like a sister.

From that day, they grew closer to one another and she ignored her desire to share her life with him by justifying it as a very close friendship. She had been so dumb.

“That’s a long time,” Killian whispered, his hand finding her cheek and her heart calmed as her eyes fluttered shut at his touch, his chest deflating in contentment. “Me too.”

Her eyes opened to look into his. “Really?”

Killian noded, leaning towards her, his free hand landing on the side of her round belly. “I’m sorry for sending you away.” He whispered, his lips touching hers from how close they were.

“Apologize by kissing me, Jones.”

“As you wish.”

Emma expected the feel of his lips this time but not the satisfying feeling of kissing him properly for the first time. Her hands landed on his arm, keeping him close to her as he slanted his lips over hers. His hand laid on her back as the other settled at the back of her head. He tilted her head so he can deepen the kiss and she is more than willing to let him.

Her lips parted under his insistence and the feel of his tongue on hers sent a shiver down her spine. Her hands gripped his arms tighter and his fingers dug into her, both desperate to keep the other as close as possible.

He pulled back with a breathless chuckle, his eyes still closed as he leaned his forehead against hers.

“What?” She whispered in a lustful daze.

“He kicked me.”

It took her a moment before she laughed with him. Her laugh died down to a pleased sigh when his hand cupped her belly properly. It had been weeks since she had felt his touch, to feel it now almost brought tears to her eyes with how perfect it felt.

“I think he wants an apology too.” Emma whispered, not trusting her voice. Killian’s eyes raised up to look at her before his lips curved up in a soft smile.

“And he’s right.” He nodded, bringing his other hand down to join the other. He caressed the side of her belly, stopping when he felt the push under his palm. “I’m sorry for not being around, my boy, it won’t happen again.” Carefully, he bowed down to lay a kiss on her clothed belly and if she wasn’t in love with him already, she was sure she would be after that.

Her hand found his neck as he stood up to lay a soft kiss on her lips. “It won't happen again.” He repeated, a promise he sealed with a passionate kiss and she felt it engrave in her veins.

If she had known it would feel this way to be loved by Killian Jones, she would have told him years ago. Better late than never. Much better.

---

5 Months Later

The piercing cries stopped suddenly as she was approaching the room. Emma would blame her half-asleep state on the way she all but ran to the nursery only to stop at the doorway. She leaned against it as she watched a shirtless Killian with Henry in his arms, his low hum barely audible from where she stood but audible to a now calmer baby.

It wasn’t the first time this had happened but it still filled her heart to the brim to witness it. Killian had taken to soothing Henry back to sleep whenever he woke up during the night, only waking her up for the night feedings. And every night she thanked her lucky stars that she had Killian Jones in her life.

If falling for Killian had been easy, loving him was even easier. It had taken some time before they all settled into the life they currently had. Especially with Neal involved and especially with Henry.

She had worried that the conflict between the two men had strained their friendship but, while it had taken some time, they had made amends and had worked on reaching a peace. Emma was happy to witness Neal’s more mature side and was grateful that he had helped make it easy.

Henry had been the more complicated subject, as she expected. Like Neal, she wanted father and son to be in each other’s lives as much as possible, even if she didn’t want to live with her ex anymore. Killian agreed, making sure his best friend knew that he never wanted to replace him in any way.

So they had decided that Emma would stay at Neal’s until the baby was born and they would regroup after that. It also gave Killian and Emma time to figure out their relationship. Although, when Killian enthusiastically confirmed his desire to be part of her life for however long she’d have him, it was easy to agree to move in with him.

As if their wishes had been heard, the apartment in front of Neal’s was available to rent. Killian wasted no time going to the landlord’s office to get them a home. And to make it even more perfect, her son decided that then was the best time to come out into the world. So, while Emma was busy crushing Neal’s hand in a cab to the hospital, Killian was busy applying for the apartment.

Killian joined them at the hospital, as soon as he saw Neal’s message, with good news on the apartment front. She was sure to share his excitement after she was done giving birth. Emma appreciated the distraction his presence provided as she waited to be transferred to a birthing room. Most of all, she appreciated his supportive presence, especially when he didn’t even complain when she screamed in his face and crushed his hand under the pain of a contraction, a proper one this time.

While Emma wished she could have had Killian in the room with her, she was happy to have Neal by her side as they welcomed their son into the world. She was thankful to have had him by her side, even when he almost fainted at the sight of the blood - no amount of book reading can prepare you for that.

Killian had been the first to see the baby after mother and son were transferred to their own room. Emma would forever remember the way he looked at her son, the careful way he caressed his soft cheeks and the watery sheen to his eyes as the baby took his finger in his hold. The tight embrace he shared with Neal and the emotional kiss he gave her were also forever engraved in her mind.

During the next month, they had made the new apartment their home, even if Killian hadn’t let her do any of the heavy lifting. Emma would happily witness Killian carrying furniture all day long.

For all her worries, they had managed an harmonious life that allowed her to watch as her boyfriend soothed her fussy son with an almost natural ease. And what a sight it was when he finally turned around and noticed her watching him.

His smile was the most content she’d ever seen, the moonlight hit him in just the right way to make his eyes sparkle and his hair was sticking up every which way from sleep. And that’s without mentioning the way his arms flexed as he adjusted his hold on the soothed baby.

She shared his content smile before widening into a smirk when he winced in pain. “Did he grab your chest hair again?”

“Aye,” he grunted, unclenching the boy’s fist to have him hold onto his finger instead. “He knows the exact way to make it hurt too.” Emma laughed, approaching her two men and running her hand up and down the baby’s back. “Maybe I should shave it off.”

“Don’t you dare!” Her reply was instant as she turned wide eyes to his mirthful ones.

“I wouldn’t dare, my love,” He grins as he rubs his nose against hers.

“Good.”

She pulled him in for a kiss, her free hand reaching up to the nape of his neck. She meant to go for a chaste kiss, a show of her love for him, but as always with them, the simple touch fanned the flames of her desire. Pulling him closer to her, her mouth opened under his ministrations, his moan mingling with hers.

“We could, hmm,” he whispered breathlessly, pulling away but not so far that she didn’t feel every syllable against her lips. “We could put the lad to sleep and you can show me exactly how much you like my chest hair.”

Her grin widened and she ran her tongue over her bottom lip, aware of the way it touched his as well and thrilling at the lustful groan he tried to hold back. He took his hand away from Henry’s loose hold to run it down her side before it stopped at her hip, holding it tight.

“I can do that.”

Killian winced in pain again as Henry, with his hand free once more, grabbed a fistful of chest hair. Emma can’t hold her laugh and silently apologized at her son’s startled yelp.

“Go,” Killian groaned, focused once more on the baby in his arms. “Before I really end up without any hair because of this little hellion.”

Emma giggled quietly before she leaned to lay a kiss on her son’s head. “Be good to Killian, baby,” Rising on her tiptoes, she planted a kiss on Killian’s cheek. “I’ll be waiting.”

She spared only a quick glance to the way his eyes grew darker with desire before she returned to their room. She knew that, if she stayed any longer, she would succumb to the same lust. At least one of them had to be the responsible one.

In what felt like forever and no time at all, Emma felt Killian’s arms wrap around her from behind as his lips staked their claim on her neck, filling it with open mouthed kisses. She all but melted into his arms as she thanked every power in the universe for bringing this wonderful man into her life.

#carolina writes #the conclusion to my silly little friends fic #killian jones #captain hook #emma swan #captainswan #once upon a time #ouat #ouat ff #cs ff

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spartanguard · 1 year

Text

imzadi

Summary: Lt. Commander Emma Swan and Commander Killian Jones, both of the USS Misthaven, have been having secret rendezvous for the past few years. Not just lovers, they're imzadi—not quite soulmates, but not far from that either. Maybe someday they'll reveal the depth of their feelings for one another. But today, they're just going to have another secret meeting, like they always do. (A CS Star Trek: TNG AU)

A/N: It's time for my annual self-indulgent birthday fic! This Star Trek AU (based on Riker & Troi) has been in the works for YEARS but I finally got it done in the last couple of days. For those familiar with Star Trek canon, I take some liberties for the purposes of telling this story, but I tried to stay true to the mythos. Thanks to @optomisticgirl for the quick beta!!! Enjoy!

rated M | 5.1 k words | AO3

“Dismissed, Lieutenant.”

“Yes, Captain.”

Lt. Commander Emma Swan, security chief of the USS Misthaven, nodded at her captain’s order and exited the bridge. She was off duty for the next 12 hours and knew exactly how she planned on spending the majority of them—assuming the person she was hoping to spend them with was also amenable to that plan. And she had a feeling he would be. (He always was, at least.)

She entered the vacant turbolift and gave the verbal command to the crew quarters’ level; she knew he’d be easy to convince, but she had to find him first.

The lift stopped before reaching her destination, and the door opened to let another passenger on board—and there he was: Commander Killian Jones, first officer of the ship, and brother of the captain. Half Betazoid, half human; completely attractive—and completely aware of it. There was no way the disheveled style of his dark hair or the length of his gingery scruff were up to Starfleet code, and honestly, no one should look as good as he did in his teal and black uniform—all lean muscle and swagger. It was infuriating.

And it would probably bother her more if she wasn’t aware of the fact that he could back it up, and all too well.

“Swan,” he greeted as he boarded the lift, stopping in front of her.

“Jones,” she answered, looking him right in the eye. Honestly, those were her favorite of his features, even more than his elf-like ears and incredible backside. Betazoid people naturally had black irises, but he’d inherited some incredible blue ones from his human mother that were complemented even more by the color of his uniform. It sounded cliche, but the best way she could describe them was as the color of the sea—and like the sea, they changed.

They were a clear, bright blue when he was happy; a cool blue-gray when he was distressed; and when he was experiencing a very strong emotion, either his own or someone else’s, they disappeared into the black of his pupils. Being half-Betazoid meant Killian was an empath: not only extra attuned to emotions of those around him, but also well aware of his own, and it showed, if you knew what to look for.

And right now, as she stared up at him, with him intently gazing back, she smirked watching them shift from bright aqua to black as night. She loved watching the effect of her own arousal on him.

Thankfully, the door closed behind him at just the right time, and he promptly invaded her space, hand and prosthetic hook coming to rest on her hips while his forehead touched hers. He closed his eyes and in a raspy voice asked, “Swan, what are you doing tonight?”

Her hands came to rest on his shoulders and she gently arched her pelvis forward, just grazing his, but it was enough to draw a stifled moan from him. “You,” she whispered.

His eyes opened and he gave her a wicked, sideways grin in response, cutting a dimple into that scruff and somehow raising the temperature in the lift...or maybe that was just her.

She couldn’t resist; she fisted his uniform in her hands and pulled him to her, finding his lips with hers in a searing kiss. Their mouths battled for dominance as their tongues danced, and her thick uniform had never felt so stifling.

Honestly, it reminded her of their first encounter, when they were on an away mission on the jungle planet of Neverland. Back then, days of tension had finally erupted in a combined moment of bliss in the humid, dense foliage, and the rest was history—for a few years now.

Before things went past the point of no return, Emma pulled back; they both needed to calm down before they left the lift, even if the sound of his ragged breathing only made her want to jump him sooner.

“Wait 5 minutes; go check on engineering or something,” she breathed, forcing herself to take a step back when the computer’s voice announced their arrival on her floor.

“As you wish,” he murmured, stepping out of her way as she exited. She paused just outside the doors, attempting to calm her racing heart before heading down the corridor, but glanced back at Killian over her shoulder. As the doors shut, she saw him lean against the back of the lift with his fingers pressed to his lips, looking absolutely fuckstruck.

Coolly (at least, as much as she was able to), she headed down the hall to her quarters; she loved that she could render such a cocky, confident man, who had a quip or innuendo for everything, completely speechless.

Once inside her room, she kicked off her shoes and sighed as she undid the zipper at her collar, able to breathe a bit easier now that she had some privacy. She tugged it down a little further, too, just into the red panel on her uniform, allowing the air to cool her flushed chest, but still to a modest level. Honestly, she’d been planning this encounter all day—she had to leave some surprises for later.

She did a quick look around to make sure things were tidy before Killian arrived, but she didn’t really have much to create a mess; that tended to happen when you grew up an orphan and joined Starfleet as soon as you aged out of the foster system. But she tossed yesterday’s underwear in the laundry compartment and folded her baby blanket up, setting it on the recliner just as a knock rapped against the door. God, he was so old-fashioned.

She made the few strides needed to cross her narrow living space, pressed the button that slid the doors open, and there he was, back to looking prim and proper as if he hadn’t been absolutely wrecked just a few minutes ago. Things must have been much calmer wherever he’d gone, but not enough for his eyes to revert to blue.

“You requested a report on the status in engineering?” he began with a smirk. She hated that they had to use stuff like this as a cover for their nighttime activities, but damn if he didn’t sell it.

“I did. Come in,” she answered authoritatively, stepping aside so he could enter. Once he was in the room, though, she closed the door as fast as possible.

Which was good, because a second later, she was pressed against it, with his mouth on hers once more and their bodies aligned from chest to hips. His hand found its way to the elastic around her blonde ponytail, dug a finger under it, and pulled, letting her hair fall free over her shoulder.

Then his lips wandered, down her chin to the sensitive spot below her ear, stopping briefly to suck at it just enough to make her squirm; when her groin inevitably brushed against his as she writhed, she could feel his erection through his uniform and she really wished he’d hurry up on this, but she could always tell when he had a plan.

His left arm wrapped around her waist, keeping her held in place against him, as his hand drew a heated path up her side, over the swell of her bosom, to where her uniform was partially unfastened. He kissed his way down her neck and then began to pull the zipper down, pressing his lips against her collarbone as it became exposed, and then down her chest to where sweat was beginning to pool between her breasts. She thought—or hoped, rather—that he might get distracted there, but still he went down, over her abs until the zipper stopped, just below her belly button, pressing one last kiss on her skin there before rising back up.

As he stood, the back of his hand drifted up her stomach, oddly sending a chill down her spine and she pressed herself closer to him. Despite what was going on in his pants, his face seemed relaxed and calm as he set about his business. Carefully, he slid his hand and hook under her uniform and over her shoulders, and pressed the material off of her, gliding down her arms until it fell off her wrists, leaving her almost bare from the waist up.

His eyes perused her form for a moment, and he smirked. “I could be wrong, but I don’t really think black lace undergarments are quite up to Starfleet regulation,” he jokingly chastised as he ran his palm over the soft material covering her breasts, brushing over her hardening nipple with his thumb.

“Are you complaining?” she threw back, coquettishly. “I mean, I can find something more suitable, if you think I should,” she went on, making as if to walk over to her closet.

He gripped her waist, though, before she could get away. “I certainly wasn’t protesting,” he clarified, voice dropping an octave. As he stood there holding her in his arms, a gentle smile softened his features, one that always made butterflies take up residence in her stomach. “My stunning imzadi,” he whispered.

There was that word again—imzadi. She had to look away, because the weight of his adoring gaze on hers, especially when he said that, was too much for her to bear. She’d never forget the first time he’d called her that—it was after their shared tryst on Neverland, as their bodies cooled next to a dazzling pool of clear water. He’d said it just as reverently back then, too, and explained to her what it meant: it was a Betazoid term of endearment used to signify someone’s first. He didn’t really clarify first what, because she definitely didn’t take his virginity, but she had to admit that she’d never quite connected with someone the way she did with Killian; they’d both been abandoned young and had to fight to get to where they were today.

Maybe that was why they clashed so much—they were too similar for their own good sometimes. But that meant it was even sweeter when they came together, physically or otherwise. Truthfully, she knew she was falling for Killian in a way that she’d sworn she never would, but he’d somehow managed to slip through the few cracks in her emotional walls and was slowly breaking them down, piece by piece.

He wasn’t quite through yet, though, and she didn’t want to let him know just how far he was until she was sure he wouldn’t break her heart like others had in the past. But every time he uttered imzadi, and every time he looked at her in a way that made her feel beautiful like no one ever had before, she found herself inching closer to that point....someday. For now, though, what they had was perfect.

She attempted to tamp down that warm, fuzzy feeling that wrapped around her heart whenever he wrapped his arms around her, but it was getting harder and harder to do. She just hoped he hadn't picked up on that emotion yet, and thankfully, he hadn’t given any indication that he had.

Besides, she could tell that something else was getting hard. When she finally dared to look up at him, his gaze had switched back to lascivious and she could feel his firm length pressing low on her abdomen.

“Are you just gonna stare, or are we gonna do something about this?” she asked, turning on the charm as she gripped his hips and tugged them towards her, earning a gasp from him; flirtation was typically the best way for her to move the subject matter back into her comfort zone.

“Bloody hell,” he exclaimed at the move, throwing his head back and exposing the cords of his neck. She wanted to suck at the little constellation of freckles that ran down it, but they still had far too much clothing on for what she had in mind.

Lightly gripping his wrists where they rested on her waist, she slid his hand and hook down, taking the rest of her jumpsuit with them as they followed the curve of her hips until the uniform fell in a heap at her feet. His grip landed on her rear, palming the black lace she wore there as well.

Carefully keeping their abdomens in line, she stepped out of the crumpled clothing and shuffled them a couple steps closer to her bed.

She couldn’t resist—she went ahead and placed a few pecks on the marks on his neck, smiling at the feel of his Adam’s apple bobbing as he swallowed. Then she rose onto her bare toes and whispered in his ear, “My turn.”

Bless whoever designed these uniforms, she thought, because whenever she got to take Killian’s off of him, it was like discovering a goddamn treasure. She trailed her fingers down his neck to found the zipper tab on his collar, and started pulling, carefully and slowly. Each inch she opened revealed the thick thatch of hair that covered his firm chest, and she couldn’t wait to brush her fingers through it.

The hair tapered into a line that traveled down his strong core parallel with the zipper, leading to parts she couldn’t wait to unveil. But the zipper stopped before revealing those, and she involuntarily pouted at the interruption.

Killian gave a low chuckle at her expression, earning him a wry glare. She lightly shoved his pecs with both hands in response, but left them there, scratching her fingers through his chest hair and drawing a moan from him, this time closing his eyes and letting his head fall back. Part of her could have just stared at him like that, with his long lashes laying against his cheeks and his perfect profile highlighted by the dim lights of her room, but a more convincing part—and an increasingly wetter part—pushed her to keep going.

Her fingers dragged up his pecs, tracing the dips of his collarbones, before slipping under the edge of his uniform and sliding the top down his arms, squeezing his perfect biceps as she trailed down to his wrists—but being careful of the hardware around his hook as she guided the garment off.

The top now hung off his trim waist, giving her an unhindered view of his entire upper body. No matter how many times she’d seen it, she was always distracted by it: how a body could be so welcoming but also so exciting, as written by the gentle ripples of his understated, but still firm, muscles—just defined enough to let you know they were there but not enough to be uncomfortable.

That was a perfect description for their relationship, if it had to have that label: it was vague but it meant that they both felt safe with it; and they’d both been burned enough in the past that it was one of the key things that brought them together. She trusted him; she felt comfortable with him; she...well, she knew the word she wanted to use, but she didn’t dare to yet.

Lust, though...that word certainly fit, and described the overwhelming emotion that took over as she followed his treasure trail down until it disappeared in the bunched-up fabric sitting below his navel. Her patience was running out, so she grabbed his waist to pull him closer and then let her fingertips dip under the edge of his uniform.

But she scoffed as she slid them around him, pushing the garment over his ridiculous, perfect, firm ass. “Y’know, it’s awfully bold of you to critique my underwear as not being proper when you’re not wearing any at all,” she teasingly admonished as she freed his erection.

“Are you complaining?” he parroted with a smirk.

“Nope,” she answered, letting the rest of his uniform fall to the floor around his feet.

She took a second to glance at his strong thighs, but was more eager to straddle them, so she pressed herself back against him and started to guide them yet closer to her bed. She may have been too eager, though—understandable, given the way his cock was pressed against her stomach—but in her haste to get him horizontal, she failed to give him a chance to step out of the uniform sitting in a heap at his feet.

As such, they barely took two steps before falling comically onto her mattress, him wrapping his arms around her waist and her with her hands pressed to his chest.

“Shit,” she cursed. “You okay?”

“‘M fine,” he said in a strained voice. “Just—let me catch my breath, before we move onto more…enjoyable activities.”

She sat back and he shifted under her, better positioning himself on her bed. As soon as he was fully on the bunk, she shifted forward again, perching herself on his lap and suppressing the urge to grind against his groin—especially knowing how much the lace of her underwear would drive him crazy.

His hand settled on her own leg and slid up until it settled at her waist. For a minute, she continued to admire him again—watching the way the muscles of his chest and stomach moved as he breathed, quickly at first and eventually evening out—until he squeezed her side.

“Now where were we?” he finally asked, voice low and husky as he peered up at her from her pillow. It was probably just the low light, but his eyes somehow seemed even darker.

“Mmm, somewhere about…here?” she replied as she shifted forward, now taking the time to press her core against his—and grinning at the groan she pulled from him in the process.

“You bloody minx,” he purred as she hovered above him, placing her hands on either side of his shoulders. “You take pleasure in torturing me?”

“You know I do,” she tossed back; they were both fully aware he could sense her amusement.

“And here I thought this was a social call. May as well send me to the brig if all you’re going to do is punish me.”

“Not tonight.” (Though she did have a pair of handcuffs somewhere.) “I’d rather not deal with the subsequent officer’s report.”

His hand slid around to her back and he pressed her against him. She sucked in a breath at the slight friction of her lace bra against her nipples. “That would be an awful waste of time. And so is this conversation.” And then he silenced her with his lips atop hers.

Barely-clothed make outs were nothing new for them, but Emma never tired of the way they gradually keyed each other up as their own personal arousals increased and fed off the other; the way Killian moaned and whimpered as she pressed her hips against his only furthered it.

At some point, his hand found its way to the clasp of her bra, and in a well-practiced motion, he undid it, then kissed his way down her left shoulder while sliding the strap down. She hated to put any distance between them when they were in the thick of things, but raised herself a few inches—just enough to get the garment off and toss it aside.

She was about to lean back in when the world suddenly spun around on her; when it settled, she was on her back on the other side of the bed, and Killian was hovering above her, smugly. “You know, Swan, I’ve had a craving the last few days that no replicator could ever hope to supply,” he murmured.

“Oh yeah? What’s that?”

He moved so his mouth was near her ear and, much like she had earlier, whispered, “You.” His hot breath on her overheated skin made her tingle with delight; Killian’s subsequent shiver told him he felt it, too.

Like he did earlier, he worked his way down her abdomen, placing kisses as he went (and spending no short amount of time caressing her bosom with both hand and mouth). But when he got to her hips, he gestured for her to raise them. She complied, and he gently—almost reverently—placed hook and fingers under the waistband of her panties and guided them down, like he was carefully unwrapping a gift (which, given his previous confession, he probably was).

Ever the romantic, he even pressed a kiss to her ankle as he pulled the lace undergarment completely off. (She’d chastise him later for chucking it over by his scrunched-up uniform.) And then his hungry eyes held hers as he lowered himself off the end of the bed, back down over her sex.

He breathed on her, and she shivered—both at the hot air and in anticipation. Even he had to close his eyes and take a moment before doing anything else; her own arousal was clearly affecting him. (And she loved it.)

(Yes, she was capable of using that word. Just not in all contexts.)

He gave an initial lick at her folds, making her toes curl. Then he went back in with his talented tongue and started to slowly work her up, and she gave herself over to bliss as he went.

Every move he made brought her more and more pleasure. Emma was no stranger to flings and one-night stands, but none of them were ever as giving of lovers as Killian, and she made sure she repaid it in kind.

Not just yet, though—actually, they needed to slow down. Because the closer she got to her peak, the closer he did, too; that was something they’d figured out long ago. (But again—it was nice knowing that the quickest way for your lover to come was to make you come, too; more than she could say for quite a few other people now in command across the fleet.)

As her heart rate picked up and breathing grew deeper, she could feel him begin to stutter in his movements as his own climax drew near.

It almost pained her to do, but this was a marathon, not a race; she needed him to last all night. “Hey,” she said, and propped herself up on her elbows enough to pull her sex away from his face. His eyes were closed, but he was pouting. She sat up enough to reach down and run her fingers through his hair, which had fallen across his forehead. “Together?”

He blinked his eyes open and had a soft look, despite what they were in the middle of. “Aye, together,” he answered, and crawled back above her.

They were familiar enough with each other’s bodies that it didn’t take much effort for him to find her entrance and press his length in, and she knew just what angle to prop her hips at to make it effortless.

His hand again found her hip as they both reveled a moment in the feeling of being joined. She wasn’t sure she’d ever admit it, but those were the moments when she truly understood the whole imzadi thing—regardless of their physical position, she’d never felt so connected, so in tune with Killian as she did then. And it was something more important to her than she cared to admit.

The careful way Killian was placing kisses on her jaw suggested he felt similarly; those were the times when she wished she was as aware of his emotions as he was of hers, but at least he was far more communicative when it came to those things than she was. (She’d never asked, but she often wondered if part of being empathic was wearing your own heart on your uniform sleeve.)

Her thought process was taking her down a path she wasn’t ready to go down yet, and she shifted—not uncomfortably, but just to create some friction (more physical than emotional but that was just as likely). He got the hint—not that he really needed it—and began to move.

The other perk of having a lover who was aware of every turn of your emotional state was that he was almost constantly aware of what she needed—one step ahead. They quickly found their rhythm, well-rehearsed at this point, but she didn’t need to tell him when to go harder or softer or change his angle—he just knew. (For her part, she’d learned to read his own body language and react accordingly; the last thing she wanted to be was a selfish lover.)

All too soon, she was approaching the edge of release again (not that she’d come very far down after their brief pause). Killian’s stilted movements echoed the same. “Come for me, love,” he murmured as he pressed in firmer; as divine as that felt, she was aching to fall.

She met each of his own subsequent moves, tension rising, rising, rising, until finally—there; she came with a gasp, the waves of pleasure she’d been chasing finally crashing over her.

And him—his own release was instantaneous, and their cries mingled in the quiet of her quarters (which, thankfully, were soundproof). She could feel him pulse inside her as she dug her heels into his lower back, mostly as an anchor, lest she float away in space as they succumbed to their shared bliss.

Orgasms always seemed to last longer with Killian; even after he’d pulled out and set her down, they both were on a physical high for some time after, and lay there, wrapped around each other, until they came down.

(She loved it. And that was all she’d say.)

Their breaths eventually evened out, in time with one another’s; she sometimes wondered if their hearts beat in syncopation, too, but figured that was just the hopeless romanticism of her best friend (and the ship’s counselor) Mary Margaret rubbing off on her.

“I’d ask if that was good, but…” he started, but she could hear as much as see his smirk.

“You know it was.” She slapped him playfully on his bare shoulder, but noticed that his eyes were starting to regain their blue color. “You know everything.”

“It’s nice to hear you finally admit it,” he teased.

She just chuckled and curled into him a bit more. It was a little more lovey-dovey than she’d usually do, but…it was Killian. Loathe as she was to admit it, every one of their encounters like this let him more and more inside her walls; maybe not fully breaking them down, but giving him more and more access.

And the fact that it was just between them helped. She was a pretty private person, especially with the role she held on the ship, and wasn’t ready for the world to start making any other sort of commentary or assumptions about her. She hadn’t even told Mary Margaret. (And god forbid the captain ever found out; Liam was known for running a tight ship and she could only imagine the reaction if he ever found out two of his senior officers, one of them being his brother, were sleeping together.)

“What are you thinking, love?” he asked softly. “I can read your emotions, not your thoughts; but something is on your mind.”

“Yeah,” she started. “How do you manage to keep this,” she gestured across the minimal space between them, “away from your brother? Especially with your whole telepathy thing?” Betazoids as a species were telepathic; the fact that the Jones brothers had a human mother hadn’t changed that, but limited their abilities to only communicating with others of Betazoid descent.

“I don’t,” he answered casually.

“You what?” she whisper-yelled.

He shrugged. “I couldn’t hope to keep this out of my thoughts, Swan.”

“Killian—he’s my commanding officer!”

“Aye; mine, too. And he doesn’t care.”

“He doesn’t?”

“No. He says he much prefers this than the alternative, which is us constantly being at the other’s throat.” She blushed at that, because it was true—prior to their first coming together, they fought incessantly (which, looking back, was probably due to the attraction they’d both been denying).

“Okay, but you don’t tell him all the details, do you?”

“Of course not; you know I don’t kiss and tell. But I rarely have to; he says you’re usually fairly happy after the fact.”

“Oh my god,” she complained, burying her face in her hands. “I might as well write ‘I just had sex’ on my uniform.”

He laughed—that deep, low thing she loved, reverberating across his chest as he pulled her towards him. “You’re not denying the happy part.”

“We both know that’d be a lie.”

“Mm, true,” he agreed, and pressed a kiss against her temple.

She had planned on going in for round two, but fatigue was gradually taking over, paired with the sense of safety she only felt when she was in his arms.

He wasn’t going anywhere, she knew; they could do more later. So for now, she’d rest, close to the one person who meant more to her than anyone else.

(That much she could admit.)

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

Killian loved these nights with Emma. He loved the way she’d seek him out, teasing him as soon as she found him. He loved the bit of subterfuge they had to perform to cover for their meetings. He loved the way they came together so perfectly.

He loved her—his darling imzadi. He knew the title weighed heavy on her at times, but she’d never tried to reject it; in the time since it’d been bestowed on her, she seemed to appreciate it more and more, even returning it.

They’d never discussed anything deeper about their relationship—it definitely was one, of a sort, but they both had baggage that made them hesitate. He’d never said out loud the extent of his feelings, but had a sense she was aware and was stubbornly ignoring it—both his and her own.

The perk of being an empath was being able to read her easily; but it was both a blessing and a curse at times, too. Because in these quiet, shared moments, he could sense the way she felt about him—and she loved him just as deeply as he loved her.

Knowing that was enough for him, for now; maybe someday, they’d finally be able to say the words aloud to each other. Just not yet.

Until then, he was content to hold her close and be at her side, like they were now. As she drifted off to sleep, he pressed a gentle kiss to her lips, hoping that expressed everything he felt. Her lips curled into a smile; his did the same, and he let sleep claim him as well—while also plotting a way to escape from her quarters in the morning unseen.

*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*.·:·.✧ ✦ ✧.·:·.*

thanks for reading! tagging some peeps: @kat2609 @xpumpkindumplingx @shipsxahoy @shireness-says @ohmightydevviepuu @wistfulcynic @phiralovesloki @thisonesatellite @iverna @mryddinwilt @cocohook38 @annytecture @wingedlioness @word-bug @distant-rose @wellhellotragic @welllpthisishappening @let-it-raines @pirateherokillian @its-imperator-furiosa-default @killianmesmalls @thejollyroger-writer @ineffablecolors @laschatzi @ive-always-been-a-pirate @nfbagelperson @stubblesandwich @athenascarlet @kmomof4 @ilovemesomekillianjones @whimsicallyenchantedrose @snowbellewells @idristardis @scientificapricot @searchingwardrobes @donteattheappleshook @jrob64 @the-darkdragonfly @itsfabianadocarmo @stahlop @klynn-stormz @resident-of-storybrooke @deckerstarblanche

#cs ff #captain swan #ouat x star trek #cs smut #my ff

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killiansprincss · 11 days

Text

Timeless - a Captain Swan AU - Chapter 2/19

Summary:

Season 3 divergence - When Zelenas time portal works, Henry wakes up alone in Storybrooke and must travel to the Enchanted Forest to get his family back. Only once he gets there he quickly realises its not like the one in his book, theres no Evil Queen and his mother Emma wasn't put through a wardrobe, theres even a poster inviting the entire kingdom to her engagement ball, to Hook. What will happen once Henry gets them to break this new curse and they get their memories back? In which chapter is inspired by a different Taylor Swift song.

AO3 CH.1

This is the newest chapter in my new CS Enchanted Forest with a twist AU, this fic has my entire heart so please read it! This is a Snowing chapter and will be focusing on Captain Swan very soon!! Please enjoy :)

Marys Song -

She said, "I was seven and you were nine"

I looked at you like the stars that shined

In the sky, the pretty lights

And our daddies used to joke about the two of us

Growing up and falling in love

And our mamas smiled and rolled their eyes

And said, "Oh my, my, my"

____________

“Johanna, I'm so bored.” Princess Snow, at 7 years old, was an independent girl. She loved her parents, but she was stuck inside her palace, and after 7 years of roaming around every inch of the palace, she wished to go outside.

“My dear Snow, why are you bored?” Snow loved Johanna, her lady in waiting. She was like a mother to her when her own mother was busy, but she didn't understand that she needed time away from the palace, she wanted to be like the girls she sees outside her window.

“Johanna please. We can tell mother and father I need a riding lesson! Or you wish to teach me about nature?” Snow was desperate to see the outside world.

Johanna sighed. “I will see what I can do.”

Snow smiles, she knows she’s won, Johanna is pretty easy to wear down.

A few days later Johanna tells Snow they can go riding together outside the royal path, and snow couldn’t be happier.

“Snow! Snow! Wait, you can’t go too fast!” Johanna calls out as Snow's horse gallops ahead slowly out of sight.

Snow's horse Nightshade starts to gain speed and she unintentionally loses sight of Johanna.

“Nightshade! Slow down! Ahhhhh.” Snow starts to scream as she clutches on Nightshade for dear life.

Nightshade neighs loudly and comes to a halt, throwing Snow off screaming as she hits the ground.

“Hello? Are you okay?” She hears a voice say.

She opens her eyes to see a boy, blonde scruffy hair, no older than 10 standing over her. He gives her a hand and helps her to her feet.

“Thank you.” She says to the boy. He was wearing ragged clothes and had dirt on his face. He was very different to any boy she had around the castle, even the stable boys were better dressed than he was.

“I’m David! What’s your name?” He asks.

“I’m..My name is Mary.” Snow smiles at the boy. She considered telling him who she was, but then again this was the first person her age not from the palace and she wanted to see what it was like. Being a normal child. “Do you live here”

The boy, David nods. “Me and my mother do, we grow crops on our farm to sell at the market, where do you live?”

Snow couldn’t tell him she lived at the palace, so she simply says, “I don't live far from here, but my parents don’t let me out of the house much, I don’t have many friends.”

“I’ll be your friend!” David says, as if it’s the most natural thing in the world, Snow liked him, he had an infectious smile, and he was the first person to not see her as a princess,

“I like you David! You seem like a good friend!” They talk for almost an hour until Snow hears Johanna on her horse frantically looking for her.

“Oh no.”

“Is that your mother?” David asks.

“Not exactly no, but I may have lost her on my journey here.” Snow explains.

‘There you are! I have been looking for you! I was worried sick!” Johanna loved Snow, she cared for her like a daughter, and not just because it was her job to do so.

“I’m sorry Nightshade lost control and threw me off, I don’t know where he went. But I made a new friend, his name is David! He owns a whole farm, isn’t that amazing!” Snow always looked for the positives in life, something awful could happen but Snow would look and see the good thing, something her mother taught her, always look for the good even in the worst of situations

“We have to get you back home, your parents will be worried sick!” Johanna says, wiping the mud off Snow's dress.

“What about my friend? When can I see him again?” Snows asks, she wasn’t about to leave the first friend she had made.

David smiles at Johanna, there was something about this girl that he liked, he wanted to see her again.

Knowing Snow would keep pestering and pestering her she simply says, “Okay, okay. As long as you stay on the trail with me. Tomorrow, I can see what your mother thinks.”

Snow smiles, “see you tomorrow David! I can’t wait!”

“See you tomorrow Mary!” David calls out as Johanna helps Snow onto Nightshade.

“Mary?” Johanna asks.

“He can’t know I’m a princess, he won’t want to be my friend. Please Johanna please, don’t tell him.” Snow begs, this is her one chance to be somewhat normal, to have someone look at her like she was normal.

Johanna reluctantly agrees and the next day, Snow goes back to David and his farm. And the next day, and the day after that, and the day after that. They become best friends, Snow helps him harvest the crops, and he even gets her to milk the cow. Snow loved it, she was coddled at the palace, her mother would scream if she knew the things she was doing. But she didn’t care, she was having fun and that was all that mattered.

A few months later, after spending every few days together, Snow isn’t able to keep up her secret for much longer.

____

“We’re going to the King?” David asks his mother, excited to see the palace that rumour has it is remarkably beautiful.

“Yes my dear son. The Farm is suffering, and we need his help.” Ruth explains to her son. Their farm had been suffering for weeks, but Ruth was stubborn and wanted to find a way without asking the King for help. Too proud. But after the crops had been wilting they were not able to sell any to the market, and hadn’t the money to sustain themselves.

“Wow the Palace! I can’t wait to tell Mary about this!” David and Mary had become fast friends, they told each other everything, she would tell him about her horse Nightshade and he would tell her about how he ran around chasing his sheep. He knew she was clearly from a wealthy family-her clothes were nicer and not many families could afford a horse for their children. But she wasn’t snobby like some of the richer kids in the kingdom or the ones he met during his brief moments at school who looked down on him for not having much money, but Mary she didn’t mind that he had to work for his money, she was happy to get her pretty clothes a little muddy. He liked that she was different. And since he didn’t bother to go to school anymore he didn’t get to meet any other kids his own age. He knew he had a good friend in her.

King Leopolds and Queen Eva’s palace was grand. It was far more elegant than he could’ve imagined. There were colours he had never seen before, and the walls were decorated with so many paintings. One wall was lined with paintings of who he assumed were all the royals, they each had crowns sitting atop their heads with brightly coloured jewels.

They join the line of other people. His mother said that around this time of year, the King and Queen are generous and like to help out their people who are in need. There are roughly 10 people in front of David and his mother. He sees the Queen sitting on the throne at the end of the room, she has dark hair and a red dress on. The King sits beside her in deep conversation with the man at the front of the line. Then at the end, David presumes is the princess, he isn’t the tallest so he can’t see her very well but she sits on her own throne and her parents seem to adore her.

It must be nice, David thinks, to have two parents. David was always told his father was a brave man who sacrificed himself for others and that’s why he wasn’t around. But David wasn’t dumb, he didn’t know exactly what happened but he remembers hearing them fighting all the time and vividly remembers sneaking out of bed one night when the fight was really bad, his mother was yelling at him for being drunk. He also remembers her crying a lot, when he didn’t come home. And the day she told him he was gone forever, that was not a good day.

“Your majesties.” Ruth bows in front of the King and Queen when she gets to the front.

The King and Queen smile. “Whatever can we do for you?”

“Mary?” David creeps out behind his mother to take a look at the royal family, and in the Princess’ throne, Princess Snow, was his best friend Mary.

“David!” Mary, no, the Princess replies. “I can explain!”

“Snow?” Queen Eva looks to her daughter and to the young man. “Do you know this boy?”

“You’re the princess?” David looks at his friend in disbelief, she was lying to him?

“I wanted to be a normal girl for once, not a princess. So I’ve been getting Johanna to sneak me out of the palace.” She tells her parents. She looks over to David and his mother, fearing that he won’t want to see her again, “I’m sorry I lied. I thought you wouldn’t want to be my friend if you knew I was a Princess.”

The Queen whispers to her guards who announces to the rest of the people waiting to speak to the King and Queen would have to come back later. They needed to know what their daughter was getting up to.

“You’re Majesties, I had no idea young Mary here was Princess Snow.” Ruth felt so embarrassed, she had come to the Royal Family for help with her farm and ended up being in the middle of a scandal with her son. “But she and my son David have become quick friends, my boy has been getting her to milk our cows and feed our pigs. If I had known the truth, I wouldn’t have allowed this to happen.” Now the thoughts of the young girl mucking out didn’t sit well knowing her life of luxury and servants waiting on her.

King Leopold crouches down and looks at his daughter in the eyes, “Is it true? You’ve become friends with this young man?”

Snow nods, worrying what will happen. But Leopold just smiles and takes a look at David. “I’m not going to deny my daughter friendship. I admit I worry about my dear Snow so we do keep her locked up where it’s safe, but if she has found a friend in you young man, then I say why stop the blossoming friendship.”

Queen Eva can see how happy her daughter is, and like her husband said, who are they to deny friendship, “I believe it will do Snow some good, having a friend like you David. You can teach her that just because she is a princess, does not mean she is any better than someone like yourself who was not born into royalty.”

The King and Queen in the spirit of friendship pay off all the loans on the farm, and promise that if times get hard again, they would be more than happy to help again in the future, it was the least they could do for David who was their daughters first real friend. David and his mother were always welcome in the palace to see Snow, except when she had royal duties or lessons.

“You’re not angry with me?” Snow asks David, “for lying to you?”

David shakes his head, “I couldn’t be angry with you! I think it’s really cool you’re a princess!” He takes a look around at the ceiling, seeing all the floors and rooms it must have, “you just have to show me around the palace!”

_______________

I was sixteen when suddenly

I wasn't that little girl you used to see

But your eyes still shined like pretty lights

And your daddy used to joke about the two us

They never believed we’d fall in love

Years passed for Snow and David, and they remained best friends, well into their teen years. The King and Queen had offered Ruth and David roles at the palace, so that David could be close to Snow, and Ruth would not have to worry about the harsh winters but they politely declined, they loved their work on the farm too much. The three parents were amazed at how close their children were, they would joke that a royal wedding was in their future, but at their young ages they couldn’t think of anything worse.

Until that changed slowly over the years.

“I don’t like that Hercules kid.” David says seeing Snow excited to go hunting with her new “friend” who happened to be half Greek god.

“Okay Charming.” Snow teases, using the nickname she gave him a while back, “just because he’s a demigod doesn’t mean you need to be jealous, you’re just as strong and powerful as he is, running around after the pigs and carrying milk to the market is a hard job!”

“I’m not jealous! I don’t care how big his muscles are.” He lies, hoping Snow doesn’t detect any more jealousy. “It’s just that Greek gods are known for being corrupt, what if Hercules is also corrupt and will corrupt you by association?”

“He’s just teaching me how to use a bow and arrow, it’s not that deep!” Snow rolls her eyes at her best friend, he was overprotective sometimes, or at least that’s what he said.

The truth was, David was in love with Snow. He doesn’t know how or when it happened, but he was in love with her. He started to notice how her hair shone in the light and how her green eyes would light up when speaking about something she liked. He’d look at her lips and wonder what it would be like to kiss her. She was his best friend and it did worry things would change which is why he kept it hidden.

David would make excuses to come and see her more often because not seeing her was painful. But now she had started seeing Hercules, a literal Greek god who was good looking with large muscles and perfect hair, of course Snow was obsessed with him, he didn’t blame her, it would be if Aphrodite was around-though David did wonder if her beauty would compare to Snows. He was too afraid to tell Snow how he felt, she was a princess and he was just a shepherd. He couldn’t be with a princess, she was going to marry someone rich and noble and have royal babies while David would be left alone on the farm until he died.

“All right well I have to get back to my mother, those pigs don’t feed themselves.” He was too much of a coward to say how he truly felt, one day she would announce her engagement to a prince her parents chose, and David’s heart would truly break.

____

“Stupid Hercules, with his big muscles and being a half god.” David was angry. Not at Snow, not directly at Hercules either. He was angry at himself for not saying anything sooner.

“Stop stop stop.” Ruth tells her son, she can see his head is not focused. “You realise you're not feeding the pigs anything?” Gesturing to the empty bag of pig feeder.

“Sorry, I guess I’m just a little distracted.”

His mother nods, “I can see that. Go to her. Tell her how you feel before it’s too late.”

David scoffs, “I don’t know what you mean.”

“I’m your mother. I know everything. I see the way you look at her, you’re not just friends anymore are you.” And it wasn’t a question she was asking, it was a fact.

David kisses his mother on the cheek and runs to the palace, he was going to tell Snow how he felt. At last.

When seeing Snow, he would use the servants entrance rather than go through the main gates, it would take him into the kitchens where he’d smile at the head chef who knew him as he went to the passageway that led to a stairway outside Snow’s room. He lingers in the stairway next to her door for a few moments, working up the courage and going over what he was going to say.

“Johanna, I can't believe it!” He hears Snow's voice from inside.

“I take it you had a good time?” Johanna was still Snow's most loyal servant, he had gotten to know the older woman over the years and knew how much Snow loved her.

“He kissed me! Hercules actually kissed me! My first real kiss, I can’t believe it!”

In a matter of seconds David’s heart broke into a million little pieces. He was already too late. Hercules had got there first.

What really hurt was ‘my first real kiss’. David was her first kiss, granted they were both young and it wasn’t anything romantic, Snow dared him to kiss her, and he did. They both laughed about it, it didn’t mean anything. Except it did to him. He thought about it all the time, and as he grew older he wanted to kiss her again. Now he will never get the chance.

____

Snow hadn’t seen David in almost 2 weeks. It was a long time, Snow didn’t have any royal visits or duties planned so why hadn’t he come to see her?

Hercules was also gone, he was going to complete his next labour and he was one step closer to Olympus. Before he left, he kissed her goodbye. It was magical and beautiful, but he was gone. She would miss him, but they had only spent a few weeks together, and she didn’t love him. The kiss was nice, but her heart didn’t belong to him.

David on the other hand. What was it about the shepherd, he made her feel things nobody else did. The only person who knew of her feelings for him was Johanna. She probably knew the moment they met that they would end up falling in love. Except, he only thought of her as a friend. He will only ever think of her as a friend. He was always the little boy she met on the farm, who chased around the chickens and didn’t care that he had dirt on his face, but then over the years he became sweet and Charming, hence his nickname, and she kept thinking about his eyes. She would close her eyes at night and he would appear in her dreams, confessing his undying love for her, but then she would wake up and he would just be her friend.

For some reason he hadn’t been showing up, he would send letters saying he was busy with the farm, or he was making extra trips to the market. Something was up, and she was going to find out what.

She went to find her horse Nightshade, and rode up to his farm. He was there, he wasn’t at the market, and it didn’t seem like he was that busy.

“Hey Charming, you look really busy at Market Day.” She shouts as she dismounts Nightshade and ties him to the tree.

David drops the chicken feed, not expecting to hear her voice. “Dammit.” The chickens are now all around his feet where the food fell, pecking at him. His mother was going to kill him.

“Snow? What are you doing here?”

“What am I doing here?” Snow was shocked, and annoyed that he was feigning innocence, “Where the hell have you been David? I haven’t seen you in almost 2 weeks, I miss my best friend.”

She hears him mumble something, and can’t quite make it out, she thinks she heard Hercules name. “What was that?”

He makes his way out of the chicken cot. “I said, I thought you were too busy courting Hercules.”

“I’m not courting anyone, and certainly not Hercules.” She says standing up straight and poised, careful not to let any emotion slip past her guard,

“No?” He asks, eyebrow raised clearly not believing her.

“No of course not, and I’m not sure why you would think so.”

David shrugs. “Just assumed so, I mean you were spending so much time together.”

“I thought you weren’t jealous?” Snow didn’t know why he was so jealous all of a sudden, even if she was romantically involved with Hercules it shouldn’t matter to David who has not once shown any interest in her other than friendship.

“I’m not jealous.” He’s lying, Snow can tell, she can always tell when someone is lying to her.

“David I’m not sure what is going on with you lately, one moment you’re my friend, the next you’re avoiding me and acting jealous because I’m spending time with someone else.” She wanted answers, she was tired of playing it safe. “If you don’t want to be my friend anymore then I don’t care.”

She turns her back and walks back over to Nightshade, if he was going through something, then he could figure it out on his own.

David swears as he runs to catch up with her. “Look, you were my best friend, still are. But I think I love you Snow. And no, not just as a friend. I think about you all the time, I want to be with you, I want to kiss you again and not laugh about it. I don’t care that I’m just a shepherd, I’m in love with you.” He looks into her green eyes and tries to read her reaction but he can’t, so he continues, “but if you’re with Hercules, how do I stand a chance against someone that’s a Greek god? I know that I’ll never be enough for you, but I want you to know that I’ve been in love with you for years and I don’t think I’ll ever not love you.”

Snow doesn’t say anything. She’s in shock. He loves her? Really loves her? The boy she’s been in love with for years, loves her back?

David watches Snow's facial expressions, sure she’s shocked and thinking and probably finally realising why he had been acting strange the past few weeks. When she doesn’t say anything back, he realises it was a mistake and turns back to his farm.

“Charming wait!” She calls out. Instead of saying anything, she runs over to him, grabs his coat turning him to face her and says nothing as kisses him. She kisses him for the first time, nothing like when they were younger no. This kiss is something she has wanted to do for years, she’s no longer the 9 year old that got kissed by David as a joke, she was 17 and in love with her best friend. He was the only person she wanted to be with.

“Wha-what was that for?” David asks when they finally pull away.

Snow laughs. “Seriously? Charming, I love you too. I think I’ve loved you for years, I just assumed you only ever saw me as a friend. And Hercules by the way, he’s gone. I didn’t love him, it’s you who I want to be with.”

David kisses her again. This was perfect.

_____

Years pass and Snow is still in love with David. David’s mother is over the moon, she wants only happiness for her son. The King and Queen on the other hand were a different story. They loved David, he was a great friend to Snow and he made her happy, they adored him for that reason.

However the kingdom was suffering, they were not as rich as they once were. They always wanted Snow to marry for love, but they didn’t think she would fall for the penniless shepherd. She couldn’t marry him, he would bring no money and no wealth to the kingdom. Snow had to be married to another prince, or a duke from a wealthy kingdom.

The two had spoken about marriage over the years, whilst Snow knew her parents wished for her to marry a nobleman or Prince, she knew they loved her and loved David. She wanted to marry for love and did not think they would have a problem. David on the other hand did have his reservations, whilst he loved Snow and wanted nothing more than to spend the rest of their lives together, he couldn’t imagine actually marrying her and marrying into royalty. Life would be different. But then for Snow it was worth it.

So the two lovers go to the King and Queen to ask for their blessing.

“Your majesties, you know how much I love your daughter. She makes me happy every day and I can't imagine life without her.” He smiles at her and she squeezes his hand in reassurance. “I know I do not come from much, I am but a shepherd but I promise to love and cherish your daughter every day, I wish for your blessing to marry her.”

It’s King Leopold who speaks first. “David, we understand how you feel about our daughter. I do not doubt your intentions.”

Queen Eva picks up where he doesn’t know how to continue, “Snow. Dear sweet Snow, as much as we would love for this union to happen, it simply can’t. Our kingdom will be in debt three years into your marriage if you do not marry a nobleman. We were going to introduce you to the idea of suitors but then the two of you began a courtship of your own and I was hoping you would come to your senses. I’m sorry but we do not accept this union.”

Snow didn’t know what to say, she looked at her parents with wide eyes and shakes her head, lip trembling as she fought the tears that wanted to come out. There was nothing to say to them so she storms out of the palace with David at her heels. It’s only when she is outside the palace walls that she drops down and tears begin to flow.

“Let’s run away together.” Snow tells him a few nights later. Since telling their parents, Snow had been staying with David at the farm, avoiding her parents.

“What?”

“I mean it. Let’s get married, and run away together. I don’t want to be a Princess or Queen if I can’t be with you. So let’s get married, without telling my parents. It can be just you, me, your mom and Johanna. Then we can run away and start our lives together.” Snow was crazy, David thought, but brilliant at the same time.

He kisses her and tells her, “If that’s what you want.”

“I’m only happy if I’m with you.” And she meant it, they were meant to be together, she could feel it.

“In that case.” He drops down to one knee and pulls out the ring he’d had in his pocket for months. It wasn’t new, it wasn’t the fancy jewellery she was used to, he wouldn’t be able to afford that if he tried, he’d end up starving for 2 years before he could buy a cheap metal band. But the ring he gives Snow is special, it’s his mothers, he didn’t want to accept it at first, his parents' marriage didn’t work out. But Ruth said she saw great things in he and Snow's future, she was getting old and wished for nothing more than to see her son get married before she died.

#captain swan #captain swan fanfic #cs ff #cs fanfic #ouat fanfic #my writing #snowing

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snowbellewells · 1 year

Text

Self Promo Sunday: “Got My Angel Now”

This week’s re-run is another that I’ve always been pretty fond of (What can I say? I’m a sucker for the hurt/comfort and emotional angst and healing that could easily have fit into canon, but which the show didn’t always take time for) I initially wrote it after 5x03 “Siege Perilous”, and though some of the events were quickly made canon divergent as the Camelot arc went on, I don’t think it’s so far off as to be ruined for enjoyment’s sake. The title comes from a line in “Halo” by Beyonce, and the lyrics included in the scene breaks are from Christina Perri. (Neither of them, nor our lovely Pirate and Princess duo are mine. I just like to give them quiet moments ;p )

Summary: A post-5x03 one shot where the Storybrooke gang learn of Arthur's treachery much sooner, and in much more painful fashion. (Some whump aftermath and definite CS hurt/comfort involved)

Also available on AO3 and ff.net, if either of those are your preference...

By: @snowbellewells

They should never have trusted Arthur so blindly. Have they learned nothing yet after meeting so many heroes and monsters of myth and legend and finding them the opposite of how they are painted in the tales of old? Oh, aye, the royal had been stealthy – welcoming them to Camelot, throwing a grand ball in their honor, knighting David as a brother-in-arms and seating him in the very Siege Perilous once held by Lancelot himself – but it had made them let down their guard…and now Emma was paying the price.

Standing surrounded in the tower room Regina and Belle use as they research and experiment trying to find a way to communicate with and free Merlin, Arthur’s treachery suddenly comes into sharp focus for all of them. An entire phalanx of Camelot knights – Dave’s supposed comrades – surround Killian, Henry, David, Robin, and Belle (unfortunately Regina is not present to wipe them all out with a wrathful fireball) with swords at their chests or throats, circled closely enough that breaking free or moving to help the last member of their party is impossible.

Arthur himself stands facing Emma, his blade drawn and pointed just above her heart, poised to pierce her chest and make that precious, priceless organ spill its lifeblood and go still. Killian feels himself practically vibrating both with rage at the betrayal and his fear for her; not to mention the bitter anger he can feel radiating off of the prince beside him. He reaches out a hand to clutch Henry’s forearm, feeling the boy nearly jerk forward to his mother’s aid. He doesn’t think these men would hurt one so young, but he is no longer certain.

“Now Dark One,” Arthur spits, his voice harsh with controlled venom, “you and I are going to the tree. Your magic and the mushroom your noble father so kindly procured for me,” here he slants a gaze at Charming, “will show me what to do to free Merlin and to trap you instead, where you rightly belong.”

Killian knows Emma now possesses enough magic in her little finger alone to blow all these men away, but she holds back, as afraid as any of them that magic use will only continue to give the darkness more footholds in her psyche. She slants her eyes from boldly staring Arthur down to seek his. He wants to tell her to fight, to disappear - escape - and he wishes to know what he can do to comfort her, but the words and the knowledge elude him. Instead, his only ease is found in knowing that Emma’s dagger is nowhere near here – not where Arthur can lay hands on it and control his love. Though he does not know where Snow and Lancelot have taken it for safekeeping, it is at least beyond this broken monarch’s reach.

There is nothing to do but watch as Arthur has two more knights bind Emma’s hands and force her none-too-gently from the room behind him, the rest of the guard linger menacingly, to be sure none of them can follow or try to help her until they are well away.

It matters not; he will catch up, no matter where they take her. Emma must only hold on, keep her faith…

I believe in the lost possibilities you can’t see

and I believe that the darkness reminds us where light can be;

I know that your heart is still beating, beating, Darling,

I believe that you fell just so you could land next to me.

So hold on, hold on…

Though naught but a quarter of an hour passes before the rest of Arthur’s men withdraw from them, it is well into the evening before Killian finds Emma in a moonlit clearing of the dense forest which encircles the kingdom. Their group had split up in the hopes of someone reaching Swan that much faster, once word spread of Arthur’s failing to trap the Dark One and how she had used her powers to vanish from his grasp in the courtyard. Killian still does not know what had been done to her before that, but he can only be glad she has outsmarted their treacherous adversary and saved herself. He practically deflates with relief at the sight of her before him, appearing hale and in one piece. He cannot be anything but glad that it is he who will have a moment alone with his love. It does not matter that it has not even been a whole day, his relief upon seeing Emma again is almost too great to bear. The vision of her before him across the clearing is like the first breath of fresh spring air to his weary soul after too long locked away in suffocating winter. The last few hours he has been struggling for breath, consciously forcing his heart not to skip beats in agony and worry for her and what she might be suffering. His joy is great enough to override caution, and he doesn’t take in the raw, unhinged look in her wild eyes, nor the way she fairly vibrates with some unknown strain or injury.

The air around Emma pulses with electricity, and she throws out a hand to ward him off – pulling Killian up short when he feels the force pressing him back. Drawing in a steadying breath and hesitating to truly study her expression of confusion and anxiety, he realizes with a sharp pang in his chest that he is not sure whether she is merely trying to protect him while out of control, or if she truly doesn’t know him in this moment.

Those mesmerizing green eyes which never fail to capture him in their depths, flit nervously from his face, to his hand and hook, to her own trembling fingers outstretched between them, to the trees that surround them, and back again nervously – clearly unsettled and pained. Their emerald depths have never appeared so dark before, as if the forces fighting within to color her very mind and spirit are attempting to spread into even the smallest details of her being. His Swan literally shakes, even as she attempts to hold herself steady, staring at him across the open space. “What are you doing here?!?” she demands, looking shaken and angry, but at the same time as if she wants nothing more than to close the gap, fall into his supporting arms, and hold on for dear life. “I brought myself here for a reason, Killian! I barely got away from them, and I had to use my powers to do it. I can’t risk something like that happening again. I’m too dangerous to be near anyone until I find Merlin – and not when Arthur is waiting. Not until I get rid of this, this…thing inside me. I feel it swirling and clawing… even when it isn’t speaking to me in Rumplestiltskin’s voice, it’s trying to break free. So…y-you can’t be here! I w-won’t hurt you…” Her lower lip trembles, but she looks so firm in her decision and determined to suffer alone in her misery that his heart constricts, breaking a bit more at the sight of her anguish.

He cannot bear to see her hurting this way, to hear the agony in her voice; the yearning loneliness made plain beneath her warning to him makes him continue to inch closer, regardless of the threat Emma thinks she poses. He had known the wretched feeling of hopeless despair she is feeling all too well himself – for years – until she came along and brought more to his life than revenge, brought back the man of honor he once was. He takes another hesitant step forward, cautiously reaching out for her with a gentle hand and equally coaxing voice. “Easy now, Love,” he practically croons. “We can be careful…but you should not – and will not – have to do this alone.”

“Please stop!” she cries out, shooting another regretful look of longing at him.

Killian shakes his head, unwilling to let her go on like this, sure that he can help her, soothe her, and ease her pain if he can only reach her. He watches as Emma continues to tremble, but she remains still, allowing him to approach, even if she does so fearfully. Finally, the very tips of his fingers graze her cloak, then his whole hand rests on her upper arm, gripping gently as if unsure that she won’t still flee.

Just as she did in that circle of stones when their whole party first arrived in Camelot, Emma expels a terribly ragged breath and deflates, falling into him and clutching his shoulders as desperately as he clings to her. Killian breathes again, having barely realized he was holding it, and smooths a hand through her hair. He is not at all deterred by Emma’s moment of weakness, her nearly unhinged power, nor her fear. He is only glad she has finally reached for him in time of need. He will not give her up; he will find a way to help her, show her he will never fear her – whatever betide – and he will not fail to fight for her against any threat or foe. Watching her battle the Darkness within allows him to see, not her faltering, but even more of her strength. His admiration for her has only grown. No one else could understand the allure of the dark and the valor needed to claw away from it as he can.

‘Cause I have been where you are before

and I have felt the pain of losing who you are,

I have died so many times, but I am still alive

So hold on, hold on….

Tenderly, reverently, Killian’s hand travels on – down from the silken waves of her golden hair to trace Emma’s shoulders, then her back, pressing just enough to draw her closer, only to release her quickly when she cries out in pain at even the slight weight of his hands on her back. She tries to swallow her reaction in the next instant – hide it away – but she cannot conceal the wince that escapes as she curls in on herself protectively, nor can he fail to see the stiff way she holds her shoulders now that he is looking for it.

His calloused fingers come to cup her strong chin, tilting Emma’s face to meet his gaze, so she cannot avoid his eyes. “Where are you hurt, Swan?” he murmurs lowly, voice rough with concern. His words might be soft, but they are taut with worry and anger that these brigands would dare to lay a rough hand on his princess. “What did they do to you?”

Emma shakes her head, pulling away from his cautious grip and biting down on her lower lip in that way she has when trying to avoid baring herself to him, especially if the knowledge he seeks might be painful. “It’s nothing, Killian. Don’t worry over it. I…I could have healed it already…if I weren’t worried about using my magic.”

Impatiently, he shakes his own head once, frustrated at her stubbornness and unconcern for her own well-being. “It is not nothing, Emma. Of that I am quite sure.” His words are clipped with the force of his emotion, accent more pronounced, and Emma feels a shiver skitter down her spine that is as much from attraction as foreboding over what he will do when he sees her injuries. Carefully, but firmly, Killian places both hand and hook on her shoulders and turns her around to face away from him.

For a moment, Emma clutches her cloak about her, trying to keep this revelation from his eyes in one last desperate effort, but when pain lances through her shoulders and she cannot bite back the whimper that escapes her, she knows it is a losing battle. Slumping forward, she releases a sigh and ceases to fight against his gentle determination.

“There now, Lass,” her pirate coaxes in that warm burr of his. His hand and hook barely skim over her form as he unclasps and pulls the cloak away. “Let us see, hmm? Everything will be…” However, his voice chokes and trails off before he can finish his gentle reassurance. A strangled noise in his throat and the sudden heavy tension in the air around them tells her without doubt that once the cloak was off her shoulders, the wide neckline and low back of her dress leave the stinging marks on her flesh exposed plainly to his eyes.

Neither of them move for several long, silent moments, and Emma presses her trembling lips together tightly, trying desperately not to let the tears that are welling in her eyes fall. She hisses when the cool metal of his hook gingerly traces the brand burned into her right shoulder, serving to mark her as a witch, and the scattered whip weals she bore rather than admit anything about where her dagger was hidden, further endangering Merlin and the rest of them. The lash marks pulse hotly along with the beat of her heart and the blood rushing through her veins. Somehow, though, the tender care in his touch soothes her a bit, and she relaxes, almost sinking to her knees in relief and exhaustion as he continues. Her eyes slip closed, and she nearly feels safe again until he whispers in a broken voice. “Oh, Love, how could they do this to you? …I am so very sorry, Emma.”

Her tears do fall silently then, and she turns back to him, wordlessly trailing her fingers across his face, up over his cheekbones, wiping his matching tears away. Shushing Killian even as his shoulders shake with silent emotion, Emma leans against his chest and tries for the first time in what feels like ages to let down her guard and catch her breath at the safety she finds in his arms.

Eventually, Killian pulls back slightly, brushing a loose tendril of her mussed hair off her forehead and resting his hand along the side of her face softly. He shifts to take her hand in his and then leads her to the banks of the small river running placidly behind them. Urging Emma wordlessly to sit on a large rock at the water’s edge, he pulls a clean black scarf from inside his long coat, bends to wet it in the cool water, then comes back to crouch behind her. Clearing his throat in a nervous way that warms her heart, Killian asks gently. “Not to be indelicate, Swan, but can you shrug out of your frock for a moment? Hold it up in the front if you wish, but I need to see your whole back if I am to clean your wounds properly.”

Emma dips her head, blushing fiercely, and does as he asks, sucking in a sharp, pained breath once more as she eases the material from her shoulders and the movement stretches the torn skin of her back. Finally, she wraps her arms tightly around her torso, holding the front of the dress up and bracing herself. Hissing as the damp cloth first makes contact with the bloody stripes sliced into her pale hide, she tries not to flinch or wince and make Killian’s task more difficult; however, she can feel Killian’s hesitance and guilt at hurting her more, even in order to help, regardless of how she tries to hold her reactions in.

Slowly, the water begins to cool the enflamed agony, and she eases a fraction, feeling a bit like his ministrations are healing her as well as any magic could. The feel of his fingers ghosting over her back and down her arm as he finishes and tells her she can pull her gown back into place remind her vividly of another time so long ago, when he used another of his scarves to bind a wound to her hand, seemingly reading her mind as he did so and seeing the attraction she had felt for him even then simmering under her skin. His care that day atop the beanstalk had made her ache to trust him, and looking back now, it nearly floors her to realize just how completely she does trust him – so much so that she would place her very life in his hands without question.

Emma feels the warm exhalation of her pirate’s breath on her neck mere seconds before he lightly rests his forehead there, seemingly needing to hold her as he draws in a shaky breath. They are silent for some time; the running water, bird calls, and scuffling of wild creatures in the brush are the only sounds around them. Finally, he eases away and speaks once more, circling to face her as he does so. “Emma, I know you do not want to put yourself at more risk – nor do you want to be forced to use your magic again to defend yourself, or any of us – but you must return with me. We can find some place for you to stay where Arthur and his sorry excuses for ‘gallant’ knights will never know of your return. You must have some salve or medicine and better treatment than I can offer for those cuts, and especially the burn. I fear it could become infected. Regina will be near enough to guard you with her magic this time, and we will not be taken unawares again. I certainly will not be making the mistake of trusting anyone else in Camelot.”

She wants to argue with him, to be strong enough to stay out here alone and in hiding, but she cannot make herself form the words. In fact, she knows with painful certainty that she cannot bear to have Killian out of her sight right now. Weakened and vulnerable, she needs his comfort and his strength, needs someone with some faith and hope that all which has gone wrong can still work out right. Not only will she worry for his safety and the rash action he might take to right the vicious wrongs done to her, but she yearns for his care just now; his steadfast love the strongest thing keeping the darkness at bay, even as her situation grows more dire.

I believe that tomorrow is stronger than yesterday,

and I believe that your head is the only thing in your way.

I wish that you could see your scars turn into beauty.

I believe that today it’s okay to be not okay…

Hold on, hold on…

This is not the end of me, this is the beginning

Hold on…

Later that night, as moonlight filters into the isolated old hunting lodge that Killian and Henry have somehow located in a far-flung corner of the castle grounds, deserted and dusty from long disuse, Emma wakes from a light doze, still uneasy enough not to sleep deeply, despite her wear and strain. Sitting up stiffly, her eyes search the room, seeking her guardian knight, even as his name escapes her lips worriedly. “Killian?” she asks, a soft, plaintive note in the single whispered word.

He stands quickly from where his lithe form had been curled up on a settee near the window keeping watch, himself bathed in dark shadows and moon glow as he steals across the room to sit on the edge of the bed at her side. “I’m here, Love. Are you in pain? Regina is just outside, I can summon her…”

Emma merely shakes her head, reaching her hand out from under the layers of warm blankets she remembers him tucking around her a couple hours before. Looking up into his fathomless blue, blue eyes, she closes her fingers around his hook, hanging on for dear life. “No, it’s not that,” she assures him, gazing up into his face, drinking in every perfect, adoring feature as he stares back at her. “I just wanted to make sure that you didn’t disappear, that you were still with me…” She trails off, looking sheepish but also honest. They might be more than she would usually say, but she cannot make herself take the words back.

He traces his hand across her forehead soothingly, then lets his fingers tangle gently in her hair, pulling her up to press the softest of kisses to her lips. “Don’t worry, Darling,” he murmurs, his caress easing her pounding heart. “It took me centuries to find you. I won’t be letting go of my saving grace now. We will put an end to this darkness and treachery. Our love story is only beginning.”

And with those words Emma is able to fall back into a healing, dreamless sleep.

Tagging a few who might enjoy: @jennjenn615 @searchingwardrobes @kmomof4 @whimsicallyenchantedrose @laschatzi @jrob64 @apiratewhopines @spartanguard @tiganasummertree @optomisticgirl @teamhook @revanmeetra87 @therooksshiningknight @cosette141 @sotangledupinit @bdevereaux @stahlop @kday426 @gingerchangeling @gingerpolyglot @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @killian-whump @artistic-writer @cocohook38 @motherkatereloyshipper @thislassishooked @elizabeethan @the-darkdragonfly @donteattheappleshook @xsajx @justanother-unluckysoul @drowned-dreamer @anmylica @iverna @kazoosandfannypacks @booksteaandtoomuchtv @scientificapricot @tomeandflickcorner @lfh1226-linda

#self promo sunday #ouat canon divergent one shot #cs post-5x03 one shot ff #got my angel now #cs hurt comfort #emma whump aftermath

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booksteaandtoomuchtv · 1 year

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Nose boop.

A quick sketch of a moment in chapter four of @kazoosandfannypacks fic "It Now Belongs to You" that I've been thinking about all day.

#killian jones #captain swan #captain hook #emma swan #killian x emma #fanart #cs fanfic #cs fanart #kazzy writes #captain swan fanfiction #ouat fanfiction #ouat fanart #cs ff #ouat fanfic #ouat #once upon a time #Art attempts by Jas #my 'art'

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kazoosandfannypacks · 1 year

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Killian and Emma and either a superhero au or a Tangled au for the three sentence writing ask game!

Killian was thankful their agreement was to take Emma to see the lanterns, not for him to watch them with her. Sure, he was with her, and she was watching the lanterns, but the way they lit up the sky couldn't compare to the way her face lit up as they did- and there was no point watching the lanterns when he could get away with watching her instead. As she smiled at the lanterns filling the heavens- and even more so as she turned back and he found her smiling at him, Killian realized he'd done it- after all those years chasing daydreams, he'd found his new dream- a future with Emma Swan- a happy beginning. ☀️

#once upon a time #killian jones #emma swan #captain swan #ouat #tangled #new dream #eugene fitzherbert #rapunzel #all of my otps are the same thing in a different font #kazzy writes #kazzy's kazootuals #the kanera blog #fanfic #cs ff #cs fanfic #otp: all at once everything looks different

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shady-swan-jones · 1 month

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Untie Me (4/7) - A CS architects fic

“It’s a 3 AM drunk on the side of the road girl-talk, but I can give you the highlights. Or the opposite of that.” “I’ll have you know, Swan I’m proficient in girl-talk.”

Read on Ao3

#cs ff #cs fanfic #captain swan #killian jones #ouat #emma swan #my fics #cs modern au #cs au

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thegladelf · 1 year

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She could shoot him. She couldn’t shoot her feelings.

Emma Swan, An Open Heart is An Open Wound, Ch. 13

#emma swan #ouat #captain swan #cs fanfic #cs ff #cs crew #kau #cs au #this might be my favorite thing I have ever written #the most S1!Emma sentences in existence #iykyk

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anmylica · 1 year

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Something About December (Throw a Wrench in Your Plans)

Summary: Killian and Emma have been secretly dating for close to a year, only none of their friends know it. They’ve agreed to keep it a secret until they know it’s real, but what happens when Emma’s brother, David, starts to become suspicious? One thing is for sure, this Christmas will be one that none of them forget!

Inspiration for this fic: @xarandomdreamx and @kmomof4 encouraged me to write this fic (fondly referred to as the procrastination fic) based on a prompt in the CSMM Discord that said: “Christmas prompt: Emma and Killian have been dating about a year or so but they kept it secret because Killian is Emma’s brothers best friend. So Christmas comes around and they have to act like they haven’t been sleeping together so David won’t give Killian a black eye for Christmas.” My idea was based on the Buzzfeed article where someone wrote about how they knew two people were dating (“At a place I worked at about 25 years ago, my co-worker had dropped her screwdriver, and our boss picked it up and stuck it in her pocket. Later that day, my buddy said, 'She did not flinch or look away from what she was doing when his hand went to her pocket — his hand has been in that pocket before.” —u/CathyTheGreatsHorse). I also blame @everything-person and @teamhook for this fic, as they were the ones who either came up with the prompt or encouraged me to add another WIP. I’m debating adding a part 2, as I couldn’t work my other ideas into the narrative, but we’ll see!

This is my (surprise) gift to them, but also to the fandom as a whole. May your days be merry and bright!

The title is also from a Christina Perri song, in case you recognize it!

Read Here on AO3

Tagging List:

@kmomof4

@snowbellewells

@sotangledupinit

@tiganasummertreemertree

@zaharadessert

Let me know if you want to be added to the Tag List for future updates!

Read under the cut!

Something About December (Throw a Wrench in Your Plans)

David tried really, really hard not to disturb his sister before 9:30 in the morning on her days off (and let’s be honest, he tried not to disturb her before he had to on days she wasn’t off anyway), as Emma “Swan” Nolan wasn’t a morning person in any interpretation of the word. But his wife, and Emma’s best friend, Mary Margaret Nolan, wouldn’t hear of his excuses and forced him to brave his sister’s wrath and bring her her favorite leath jacket (that she had inconveniently left at his place last week and thus subsequently nagged him to death about delivering it to her). He rolled his eyes, but he liked to remain on his wife’s good side, so he reluctantly agreed to run it over to her early on the Saturday after Thanksgiving.

He had just parked his truck, thankful that he didn’t have to work today himself, when he saw her door open. ‘Good,’ he thought, ‘she’s already awake. I won’t have to slay the dragon today, after all. This makes this easier.’

He was just about to open his door when he saw his best friend and fellow sheriff’s deputy, Killian Jones, step out of Emma’s apartment. He stopped in his tracks, his hand on the handle of the door and poised to throw it open. He stared at the sight before him, turned his eyes briefly back to the dash to check the time, and then turned his eyes back to his best friend and his sister. He watched as Emma followed Killian out, wearing nothing but the button down shirt he could have sworn he saw Killian wearing yesterday while they worked their shift and a pair of socks. Killian turned and gave his sister a long, slow, lingering kiss. The kiss lasted so long it made David feel awkward, as if he were about to get a show he didn’t ever want to see. Finally (at last) Killian pulled away and left, getting into his vintage Shelby Mustang and waving as he did so. Emma waved back and stood staring in the doorway as he pulled out of sight. Once she couldn’t see him, she disappeared back into her appartment.

David stared at the closed door dumbfounded. What had he just witnessed? He hadn’t seen them together before this. He wouldn’t ever have said they would have been attracted to each other before this. (That was a lie; all the rest of his friends had commented numerous times before that you would get an explosion if you lit a match anywhere near them, but David refused to accept that as truth.) Did any of their friends know about this? Surely not. Mary Margaret couldn’t keep a secret to save her life, Ruby couldn’t hold back gossip this juicy (her words, not his), and, although discreet, Belle would have told Mary Margaret. David doubted that any of their other friends, though probably not Victor, would even care about this revelation. (Again, this was a lie. Liam, Victor, Graham, Eric, and Jefferson were all highly invested in the not-Killian-and-Emma ship.)

How long had they even been together, for that matter? Or were they even dating? David was going to break every single bone in Killian’s body if he were putting one over on his sister. The bro code had to be honored, in this case. There was no way Killian was getting out of the consequences.

David sat so long in his truck pondering this new revelation that he was startled to see that thirty minutes had passed. Deciding that this was plenty of time to wait, he got out of his truck and delivered his sister’s jacket, though he didn’t say a word about what he had seen. He needed more information than what he had to go on, at present. Surely there had to be another explanation? When Emma answered the door, he greeted her the same as he always did and presented her her red leather jacket.

Nope. Everything was just fine. He was not going to automatically assume they were boning just because of circumstantial evidence. He was going to wait for further proof.

“Dude, they’ve gotta be fucking,” Victor exclaimed later that evening. Their group of friends had all met at the Rabbit Hole for their traditional post-Thanksgiving get together. Some years they had it at one of their places, but no one had felt like staying in, so they all agreed to go to the best bar in Storybrooke.

“Who?” Demanded Liam, turning to look at who Victor was pointing at.

“Killian and Emma,” Victor replied. “Look at them! All cosy playing pool together.”

Belle frowned. “How does this indicate they’re together?”

“Look how close they are! I only get that close to girls I’m trying to persuade to go home with me.”

David examined the amount of space between his friend and his sister. They might have been closer than strictly necessary, but that was because another group was playing pool at the next table over and were on the same side as Killian and Emma. They weren’t any closer than anyone else.

“It doesn’t look that close to me,” Liam dismissed skeptically.

“No, not right now, but I swear just a second ago they were like this,” Victor insisted as he pressed as close as he could to Mary Margaret, who shrank back away from him instantly, making a face. “You don’t get that close unless you’re banging.”

Mary Margaret scoffed. “Must you be so disgusting?”

Ruby laughed and Graham grinned. DIsgusting and sleazy were Victor’s middle names.

Victor cast a roguish grin towards Mary Margaret. “It’s a talent,” he replied flippantly. “But I still stand by what I said.”

Liam’s brow furrowed as he contemplated the picture that Killian and Emma presented. “I haven’t seen him with anyone since Milah. He’s brought a few home for the night, but nothing serious.”

Belle nodded in agreement. “It’s been the same way for Emma. We all know how Neal turned out.”

Silence fell over the table as they all agreed, remembering how badly Neal and Milah, who were brother and sister, had screwed over their friends. Neither lived in Storybrooke anymore, and it was a good thing, as David was willing to bet that many of their friend-group would have had criminal records if they had stayed in town.

Victor nodded sagely. “Yes, well, be that as it may, they’re doing the dirty.”

Everyone rolled their eyes in response, but no one at the table deigned to reply.

“Who’s doing the dirty?” Elsa asked as she had just walked up, shrugging off her ice blue coat as Liam jumped up to help her.

“Killian and Emma!” Victor announced triumphantly.

Elsa rolled her eyes. “How on earth did you figure that?”

Victor pointed at them. “Behold!”

Elsa and the group turned to watch Killian and Emma again. Killian seemed to be mocking a guy’s stroking technique from the next pool table over while Emma had collapsed against the table in tears from laughing so hard. Killian was laughing at how much Emma was laughing, but this was nothing different from how they had acted in the past. Elsa turned back to Victor with one eyebrow raised as if to say, ‘Is that all you’ve got?’

“Oh yes,” Elsa replied as she sat on Liam’s lap, “they’re getting it on right as we speak.”

Victor huffed in frustration. “I’m telling you, they are!”

Graham pulled out his phone. “Let’s do some research,” he responded. “Let’s find out what the Internet says.” He ran a quick search on his phone. “First: do they make a lot of eye contact?”

Everyone turned to evaluate how much eye contact the two were making. Neither looked at the other very long.

“Alright, next: do they seem closer in general?” Graham continued. They group fell silent as they thought about it. David silently watched the others shrug, but he didn’t say anything. He wasn’t sure if what he witnessed counted as closer, anyway. One by one, they all shook their heads.

Graham nodded his head. “Are they sharing lingering looks?”

They all looked up to see Killian checking out a brunette in a short mini skirt who was jumping up and down and Emma eyeing a guy at the bar.

Graham shook his head. “Doesn’t look like it. Do they communicate in a secret language?”

Mary Margaret was the one who answered that. “They’ve always communicated in a secret language.”

Liam nodded his head in agreement. “Ever since they were in school together. Even when he was with Milah and she was with Neal. That hasn’t changed.”

Everyone nodded. Victor mused, “Yeah, I can see that one.”

Graham turned his head back to his phone. “They become very protective of one another.”

Belle was the one who answered this. “They’ve always been protective of one another. Remember what happened with Neal?”

Everyone winced and David laughed. Neal had cheated on Emma back in high school with a girl named Tamara, and Killian had kicked his ass. This was right before Killian found out that Milah had gotten pregnant by an older man in the community, Robert Gold, and was planning on eloping with him (he was one of the richer men in town). Once Killian had found out, Emma was quick to take up for him in return. They’ve always been that way with each other. After thinking on it, David wondered if maybe that should have been a hint to him then that there was something between them.

Graham said the next item on the list. “You will see them together more and at odd times.”

Ruby shook her head. “That’s inconclusive since they both work such crazy schedules. And they’re always together or with us in a group.”

“They suddenly have more to say to each other,” Graham continued.

David and Liam shook their heads. “The last conversations we’ve had have been about the usual stuff. He hasn’t mentioned Emma at all,” Liam said. David agreed.

“She hasn’t mentioned him to me either,” Elsa replied and the other ladies agreed.

“They tease each other more or they choose their words more carefully.” Graham looked at everyone, but they shook their heads.

“They’re smiling and happy all the time.”

Mary Margaret tilted her head as she thought about this one. “Maybe? Emma does seem happier recently.”

“So does Killian, but he’s been talking about a lot of good happening at the station,” Liam added.

Graham nodded his head. “So that’s a possibility. What about avoiding each other?”

Everyone shook their heads. If they had started avoiding each other, none of their friend group had noticed. David wondered if the lack of mentioning the other recently counted as avoidance, but he kept silent.

“Alright, last one. Have they started touching more recently?”

Victor started vigorously nodding his head. “Dude I just saw Killian’s hands in Emma’s pockets and they were standing right beside each other!”

They all turned to look back at Killian and Emma. Neither was beside the other, and they were taking drinks out of their glasses. Everyone turned and looked at Victor in disbelief.

“Not right now, I mean earlier! When I decided they were getting lucky with each other!”

Elsa scoffed. “Oh, you decided. Suddenly it’s all becoming clear.”

Liam shook his head. “You can’t just decide these things Victor, we’ve been over this!”

Ruby rolled her eyes as Victor protested, “I’m telling you, it was real what I saw!”

Everyone picked up their glasses and took a drink with no one bothering to say anything in response to Victor’s whining. Emma and Killian were making their way over with newly refilled glasses.

“I have emerged victorious!” Killian announced to the table as he sat in his abandoned chair, Emma coming behind him rolling her eyes.

“He won by a scratch,” she corrected.

“That’s not all I win by a scratch, Swan,” Killian winked at her, causing Emma to roll her eyes.

“Well, win with that brunette over there by a scratch,” she threw back. “I’ve got to head out, I’ve got research to do for my next job. I’ll see everyone later?” Emma surveyed the table. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement.

“Emma! Don’t forget that we’re doing Dirty Santa at our place on the 10th,” Mary Margaret added. “I meant to tell everyone, so I guess I’m telling all of you now.”

Emma nodded and waved at everyone, grabbing her jacket. David watched carefully to see when Killian left, still suspicious of their dating status. After about ten minutes, Killian said his goodbyes as well, citing an overtime shift he was picking up in the morning. David knew this to be true, so it didn’t seem too off for him, but he also wondered at how close in time Killian’s leaving was to Emma’s departure. There were a lot of signs that seemed to point to Killian and Emma being a thing.

David wondered what he should do next.

It turned out there wasn’t much he could do next to confirm what he suspected, as the flu began to go around the station and he had to start covering extra shifts. He and Killian began working overtime trying to fill in where they could, with Graham (who was the sheriff) filling in on the road with the rest of the deputies as needed. After almost two weeks of this, things finally slowed down to where they could resume their normal shift work. Killian and Emma hadn’t, as far as David knew, spent any time together outside of what they already did at work.

Emma also worked for the Storybrooke Sheriff’s Office, but as a detective who investigated murders or cold case files. Her schedule was a bit different from theirs, but every now and then, she had to fill in on shift work the same as everybody else. The recent flu endemic meant that she was pulling more road work than usual, and she was patrolling more with David. This was how he had known that Emma and Killian hadn’t seen each other much, as they were all pulling overtime. None of them were at home much, so there was no way for them to see each other outside of work, right? And David never saw them flirt while on the job, at least not recently. They had quit their ridiculous flirting-on-the-job stuff almost eight months ago.

It made David very happy that his best friend and sister finally saw fit to cease making everyone else so uncomfortable. It was very considerate of them, really.

On what Graham had sworn to them was their last shift of pulling double duty, Emma had collapsed into a desk in the bullpen. “If I have to arrest another drunken guy from The Rabbit Hole, I’m going to scream,” she announced.

David laughed. “At least we’ll have everyone else covering for us while we get some time off.”

“That’s the only good thing about this,” she agreed.

Their conversation was interrupted by Killian coming in bearing coffee and a box of donuts. He wordlessly handed David a cup, to which David muttered, “Thanks,” and set the box down. He proceeded to hand Emma her cup, which she took without a word of thanks, and she opened the box.

“There better be a bear claw in here,” she said as she pried open the top.

Killian chuckled. “Oh there is,” he laughed in return. “And one for me as well.” He handed her a napkin, which she took without any mention of gratitude, and handed one to David as well. David did express gratitude again, and they all dug into the donuts.

Killian and Emma joked around like always, but David was silent.

He couldn’t imagine not telling someone who wasn’t Mary Margaret thanks for something they had done for him, and he knew that his and Emma’s parents had instilled better manners than that. By this point, he was ninety percent sure that Victor Whale’s summation of events between Killian Jones and Emma Nolan was correct.

But he didn’t receive confirmation until the night of the Christmas for Friends party at his and Mary Margaret’s house that they did every year.

It was still very early in the evening, and not everyone had arrived at David and Mary Margaret’s place yet. Though Ruby, Graham, Victor, Emma, and Killian were there, several other couples had yet to arrive, including Killian’s brother and his girlfriend, Elsa. Emma was helping Mary Margaret with a few last minute details while Killian and David set up the drinks bar. Everyone was chatting lightly together, laughing, and enjoying the first gathering in a few days that they had gotten to arrange.

After placing the ice in the bucket, Killian took his phone out of his pocket to call his brother to find out how much longer it would be before they arrived, only to discover that it was dead.

“Bloody hell, I forgot to charge my phone before I came over here,” he cursed. David was just about to offer his phone to Killian to use, but his sister beat him to it.

“Here, use mine!” Emma handed it to Killian, who took it (again, without a thank you, David noticed) and stepped outside.

The conversation inside the loft continued as it always had, with everyone laughing and snacking before the rest of their friends arrived. Killian came back in after a moment.

“Liam says he and Elsa are about five minutes from here,” he announced once the door shut behind him. “He said to make sure his favorite cookies are ready to go, Mary Margaret.”

Mary Margaret rolled her eyes. “They’re right where I always put them.”

Emma laughed and kept stirring the homemade dip she had just gotten ready. Both of her hands were too messy to take her phone from Killian. David watched as Killian slipped her phone into her pocket without a word; David also noticed Emma’s distinct lack of reaction at Killian’s hand going into the front right pocket of her too-tight jeans.

He wasn’t going to say anything. He finally had the confirmation that there was something going on between them, and that was all he really needed. David glanced around at everyone else, but no one else seemed to have noticed anything. He was the only one who realized there was a romantic (or something like that) relationship between his sister and his best friend. Obviously they felt the need to keep it a secret, so he wouldn’t be the one to rat them out. Nope, he was the one who could keep secrets in his relationship. Had it been Mary Margaret, she’d have already announced it to the world. But he didn’t need to do that. They would tell the whole group when they were ready.

“You’re fucking my sister,” David said loud enough for everyone to hear. They all stopped and looked at him. Emma turned and gave him a strange look, and Killian looked up from the tray of cookies with what could only be described as a deer-in-the-headlights expression.

“What?” Victor asked. “Who’s fucking your sister?”

“Wait, what?” Ruby asked. “Is that really what he said?”

“Yes, that’s exactly what he said!” Victor replied.

“Pardon, mate?” Killian asked.

Victor looked at Killian. “Is he talking about you?” Killian looked back at Victor helplessly.

“You sorry son of a bitch. How dare you try to take advantage of Emma?” David continued, starting to feel really angry at the secrecy.

“Who’s taking advantage of me?” Emma asked indignantly.

Victor gave a leering look. “I’d have taken advantage if I could have gotten it,” he responded to her, earning a disgusted look from both Emma and Killian.

“It’s a good thing you never could have ‘gotten it,’” Killian snarled back.

“Hey, I’ve never made it a secret that I’d have gotten Emma in the sack if I could have,” Victor shot back.

“Are you sure you’re not on call at the hospital? Because you’re about to have to go there,” Killian retorted as he took a step closer to Whale and angled his body to be slightly in front of Emma’s.

“Oh, I think you’ll be the one there before me,” Victor responded, instinctively stepping forward at Killian’s challenging tone.

“Touch him and you’ll have more to deal with than him,” Emma responded to Killian being threatened.

“Killian Jones is about to have more to deal with if I have anything to say about it,” David cut in. “How long have you been screwing my sister?”

Killian looked back at David. “Mate, I have no idea what you’re-“

“I saw you at her house!” David cut him off. “You left at 7:30 in the morning for an overtime shift the Saturday after Thanksgiving! Emma is never up before 9 on weekends she’s off! And she opened the door wearing nothing but your shirt that you had worn the day before!”

Everyone’s heads had been turned to David, but once he commented on his sister’s state of dress, all eyes swerved to land on Killian, who was growing a bit red and had his jaw clenched.

“How do you know that?” Emma asked.

“I was there outside your apartment! Remember that I brought you your favorite red jacket back? I saw you kiss! I stayed out in my truck for thirty minutes after he left wondering what was going on, why neither of you had said anything!”

Emma and Killian fell silent, as the rest of their friends looked on in abject curiousity. David stared at them hard. No one said anything.

Belle, Will, Liam, and Elsa arrived, opening the door and letting themselves in without knocking. They had been friends for so long that they no longer felt the need to follow the standard niceties. They were all laughing amongst themselves, but that laughter quickly died upon their entering the room.

Each of the newcomers surveyed the loft. The atmosphere was tense and expectant. They slowly filed in, wondering what kind of minefield they were entering.

“Is everything alright?” Liam asked tentatively.

“Dude! You just missed it! David just accused your brother of doin’ a little bow chicka wow wow with his sister!” Victor enunciated his words by doing a lurid dance, making sure to gyrate his hips as he spoke. Ruby had to cover her mouth to muffle her laugh, and Graham had to look down at his feet. Mary Margaret rubbed her forehead in exasperation. David scowled at Victor.

Liam frowned. “He what?”

“Actually, we don’t really know what happened.” Mary Margaret shot a warning look at her husband. “David just made a baseless accusation.”

“What kind of baseless accusation?” Liam asked.

“He claimed that Emma and Killian are sleeping together,” Ruby said to fill him in.

“It’s not baseless! He put her phone in her front pocket!” David exclaimed. Everyone stared at David’s exclamation.

“Oh, yeah, that’s a hell of a sign, innit? Putting someone’s phone in their pocket is always how I determine how someone is doing the deed,” Will stated. Killian scoffed and shook his head, but before he or Emma could say anything, Belle piped up.

“No, I think David actually has a point, here. People don’t do that unless they’re very close.”

“I’m sure there’s a more reasonable explanation to that action. Maybe Emma told Killian to put it in her pocket?” Liam suggested.

David shook his head. “I was watching them. She didn’t say a word.”

Killian by this point had clenched his jaw and Emma could see the muscle twitching in his jaw (which, if she were being honest, was insanely attractive to her). She knew things were about to boil over very quickly, ruining their Christmas party, if something didn’t give soon. She crossed over to him and took his hand in hers. He looked at her for a long moment, and for that one moment the room faded away. Killian visibly calmed down with just that connection.

David watched their silent interaction, and in that instant he knew. Nothing he said or did would stop what was unfolding. No matter what else was said, his best friend and his sister were more serious than everyone was making it out to be. He took a deep breath and counted to ten, zoning out of the conversation continuing around him, Emma and Killian not being able to get a word in edgewise.

Perhaps this was why they hadn’t said anything yet? Perhaps they knew what would happen if everyone in their group of friends found out before they were ready to tell people?

“YOU GOTTA SEND ME DOWN A MISTRESS FOR CHRISTMAS! I WANT A WOMAN IN RED WITH A BOW IN MY BED!” Victor started half-singing, half-shouting in response to something David hadn’t heard from Will, who was laughing.

“The only bow around here is gonna be the one they have to tie your bandages with, Whale!” Killian shouted in return, though not nearly as loudly as Victor was wailing.

Victor paid him no mind as the girls all rolled their eyes or put their heads in their hands. “MISTRESS FOR CHRISTMAS! I CAN HEAR YOU COMING DOWN MY SMOKE STACK, YOU WANNA RIDE MY REINDEER AND RING MY JINGLE BELLS!” He resumed the suggestive dance around the loft.

“What are you, twelve?!” Emma sneered. “Grow up, Whale! This is why we haven’t told anyone yet!” She looked very upset, tears forming in her eyes, and David knew he had just fucked up majorly with her.

Victor didn’t stop his antics, carrying on butchering the song and everyone started to get irritated. David had finally had enough. He yelled as loud as he could, and everyone stopped.

“Victor, if you can’t comport yourself properly you need to leave,” he said. Then he turned to Emma and Killian. “How long has this been going on?”

“Almost nine months,” Killian answered.

“That long?!” Ruby exclaimed in disbelief, but she was quickly silenced with a look from David.

“Aye, that long. At first, it was so new and we wanted to see if it was something that would last, and then once it became apparent it would, we enjoyed not having to worry about all of this,” Killian waved his hand around to indicate the chaos that had taken off this night.

Emma looked at Killian, who looked back at her.

“We’ve both been interested in each other for longer than we care to admit. I hate that it took us this long to give us a chance,” she said.

“We alway said you two would be perfect together,” Belle responded, smiling gently.

“Yeah, we are,” Emma and Killian shared smiles.

“It’s crazy because I don’t think any of us realized a change in how you acted,” Elsa added, trying to make sure the conversation stayed on a more serious note. “We all probably suspected something at various points, but the two of you never really changed towards one another.”

Emma shrugged and Killian responded, “We just continued as we were. I guess when you’ve been in love for so long, nothing really changes in how you treat each other.”

David nodded and they all fell silent for a moment. Finally Will piped up, “I thought this was supposed to be a party? Have we finished with the Killian-and-Emma-sitting-in-a-tree nonsense, or are we going to carry on with that some more? Because I would really like to get to the gift-giving portion of our evening.“

Everyone started laughing and the serious atmosphere was broken. Everyone started mingling, separating into groups as they finally moved past the confrontation.

David moved closer to Emma and Killian, who had retreated and were standing quite close, having their own conversation. David hated to interrupt, but he felt he owed them an apology. He had this bad tendency to fly off the handle once his temper was lost, and he had definitely lost it today.