#hopefully you're okay with me giving my answer this way nonny | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

samsspambox · 2 years

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Hi Sam! (｡･♡･｡) hope your doing very well! Cause im not hahah ༎ຶ‿༎ຶ im doing some very tedious work here, i feel like my feet are gonna explde hahhaaha Do you have a theory/interpretation on tot's prologue or have u already talked about that? Always here waiting 4 watever fic u write!♡ have a good day!

CUTE NONNIE HELLO!!! im sorry you're having a bad day hopefully this'll make it better! because holy shit you got me hella thinking about the prologue. honestly i've done stuff alluding to things in the prologue like how i thought vyn could've been the most likely candidate to betray the nxx (which, honestly, i also need to revisit bc i don't think so anymore) or maybe in the theory chain relating to artem, but i haven't properly introduced my ideas in a singular post. and now that it's been a year, let's dive back into theory city, shall we? i, for one, haven't thought about the prologue in ages so i am so ready to revisit that. put on your tinfoil hats, cuz here we go!

sam's prologue theory extravaganza

1.2k words

okay so the first thing we see is Rosa. they are your stand-in for this universe, the person you control. there's this chime we hear at the beginning when the camera zooms in which i'm attributing to entering a state of hypnosis. because that's what's happening IMO, rosa is in a hypnotic state. u know how some hypnotists go 'now sleep' and snap their fingers? that's what that little chime is to me, a kind of trigger that makes rosa fall asleep.

the first person we encounter is luke who is surrounded by the fog and shadows. this is literally so indicative of what's happening with rosa, especially in this event current event (entwining hearts). this is a person rosa knows but because 8 years have passed, do they truly know who he is? luke, being hidden in the shadows, represents that duality of 'i know you, but do i?'. luke drops his key once he disappears with the ravens (which, you know, ravens are omens of death but also of wisdom). this key is incredibly important to him as it opens a box of treasured memories he has. i don't know if i recall this correctly but didn't rosa give him the box (and by proxy the key?) either way, rosa opens the key at our choice (but is it really a choice when it's the only option?) this segues to the next male lead and then to the next, but let's take a detour to what vyn says at the end when he was holding luke's key.

"The key to the chest of memories... Did you see the answer inside? Was it what you wanted?"

in the end of his chapter 4 we actually do see (or, well, read) what was inside of his chest. and it was right, it did hold memories. so why is he pointing this out to us? here's my (new) interpretation of this.

each male lead represents something within the hypnotic state. luke, obviously, is memory. marius is the image you give to society (or the mask), artem is career, and vyn is the self. why is vyn the self?

think about the standard types of hypnosis for a second. there are two ways to take you out of a hypnotic trance: the hypnotist slowly rouses you out of your state of hypnosis or you get the classic 'wake up' with a snap. what i'm arguing is that rosa, when they wake up, wasn't really out of the hypnotic trance. this is purely my own experience with hypnotism (yes, i have been hypnotized before) but i wasn't... that receptive to it. i 'woke up' mid-session and kinda just walked off stage.

but here's why i'm saying this: vyn may have put them into an inception-esque hypnotic trance. some people just have a natural resistance to this, so why not go deeper and deeper until there's no way you can resist to it? it would explain why vyn knew about the chest and was able to materialize it, same with the other mementos the rest of the male leads had. its why we don't hear another chime as rosa wakes up, and why they're being hypnotized again. but why is vyn the self? because vyn is known to analyze situations. in this case, vyn is the representation of analyzing rosa and their attachments.

now, let's move on to another male lead: marius. marius' whole thing is about painting rosa as he sees them. i couldn't really,,, find what flower rosa is holding in the painting but i'm going to go on a limb and say that they're lilac bushes. lilac bushes represent spring and renewal, which seems about right as marius sees rosa as something new and, frankly, refreshing. he doesn't have to hide his 'true' nature around them, he can just be himself. but why the change to the crying picture?

i dont think that you have to interpret this literally, as like luke's introduction. i think that the painting, as much as it represents rosa, it also represents marius. you have to peel back into the layers in order to get to the trauma/the thing people don't want you to see.

"Using a painting to conceal the truth? Perhaps you can fool the eyes, but not the heart."

honestly, you can kind of see this in marius' personal story 4 with the cautionary tale marius' uncle. the guy tried to shield his wife from the public because he truly loved her. in the end, marius followed his heart even tho he tried to contain the truth.

artem's is... one i really like for theory stuff, mostly because of the graveyard. if we keep following the pattern, artem's gravestone isn't really in regards to a person, but rather a thing. i honestly think this one is about the fears of losing a case, or maybe the career rosa has tried so hard to obtain. it's also very linked to artem's second story and beyond. artem, in the beginning, and overall as a character, is a very rigid person. he's a very black and white person, right? that's why the balance fits him so well as a character, his whole shtic is learning how to be in the grey. no one is truly black or white, you know? but it also ties into his indecisiveness regarding rosa in the entirety of the year before he confessed. in his phone call before anni he's like 'i don't wanna live without regrets', tying back to the what-ifs and how in that instance, that was a moment where he had to choose. the flowers themselves represent abundance, elegance, and royalty, but focusing on abundance here. if the flowers that represent abundance are left in a grave, what does it mean?

"Ironic, is it not? Adhering to your convictions but betraying your heart... In the end, it was all for naught,"

in the end, it means indecision leading to regret. something happened that rosa now regrets, and we know that happens too in episode 6.3, who's to say something similar in regards to a case that hasn't happened?

and then... vyn also analyzes himself, why he is there.

"Even if the world were against you... Would you still stand by your choice?"

honestly i think vyn's is the simplest to explain: do you trust yourself? because vyn represents the self and reflection of actions, he is able to pinpoint and ask questions about the things he is able to materialize. vyn is there to ask 'why do i feel the way i do'?

tl;dr and as a recap to yall at home:

rosa is in an inception-like hypnotic state

each boy represents a part of herself

marius represents the way people perceive rosa

luke represents the memories that make rosa... rosa

artem represents career and opposing forces

vyn represents the self and analyzes all the boys + HIMSELF

now, that's just what i can gather through the video itself. if i want to start going into why rosa is in this state, that's a whole other post if yall want it. i do have theories for that! they have to deal with repressed memories and stuff, possible betrayal, and other stuff that involves theorizing about the future of the main story :D

but yeah, thank you for the ask cutie!!! <3

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let-it-raines · 4 years

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If you're taking requests, how about: Killian Jones is known as radio 1s love doctor. Most of his calls are pretty lame, like the guy that called in when his girlfriend ghosted him for kissing too loudly, or the girl that saw her boyfriend snogging another girl at a rugby game. But things get interesting when he receives a call from a woman named Emma, who's got a crush on one of her new neighbors. She doesn't even know his name, much less how to talk to him...

I am 100% sure this “nonnie” is actually @wellhellotragic so she’ll have to forgive me that this isn’t angsty for her. It was going to start that way. It really was. But then I remembered that it’s @resident-of-storybrooke‘s birthday tomorrow, so the plot shifted when I realized I wouldn’t get the CMIYC prompt I wanted out for her. So hopefully angsty and baseball related things will be coming soon!

Happy (early) birthday, Tori! I’m giving you this a little early since I’m not entirely sure I’ll have internet tomorrow (thanks, storms)! Enjoy your day! This is obviously how to get the party started 🎉

found on ao3 | here |

-/-

“So, what do you think I should do?”

Killian twists in his chair and looks to Ariel on the other side of the glass. She shrugs and taps the imaginary watch on her wrist.

“Well, Ashely,” he sighs as he looks down at the notes he’s been taking, “I think the first step is telling your truth. It’s not going to be easy, especially with the situation you’re in, but you’re going to drive yourself crazy thinking of the possibilities of how things could change instead of actually changing them.”

“That’s kind of terrifying. What if – what if he doesn’t feel the same way?”

Killian leans back in his chair and adjusts his headset. “This is the father of your child, aye?”

“Yeah.”

“And you two were together at some point, correct?”

“When I was pregnant, but that was five years ago now.”

“And in the five years since you’ve had your child, you two have grown closer because you share this child. Nothing about it has been romantic or fueled by the desire to advance things sexually, and I think unlike when you first got together, you know each other now. There’s a genuine connection outside of your daughter and outside of a physical relationship. To me, it sounds like it’s worth starting a conversation, but you also have to realize this man is going to be in your life for the rest of your life because of your child. You have to be prepared for it to not go well and to still be able to put your daughter first.”

“Wow, way to sell the romance,” Ariel whispers in his headset.

He turns to her and flicks up his fingers. He’s not about selling unrealistic romance.

“Look, Ashely,” Killian starts again, “I understand that you’re scared, but I can tell that you’re strong. If anyone can have this conversation, it’s you.”

There’s a sniffle on the other end of the line. “Okay, okay. I’ll try. Thank you so much.”

“Think nothing of it, darling. Thank you for your call.”

“And commercial,” Ariel says again before he hears the sound of a local dry cleaner’s commercial coming on. God, he hates this one.

“I am not about unrealistic romance, and you know it,” he says to Ariel now that he can speak to her.

“Your nickname is the Love Doctor.”

“Which I did not pick. The network did that.”

“Because you give relationship advice for several hours a night.”

“Which was completely by accident and totally your fault for having us talk about you and Eric on air.”

She shrugs again, and Killian turns away to take a sip of his water. He’s got a lingering hangover from yesterday still, and he really should not have had that much rum. But he needed it, if he’s honest with himself, and it helped him get through the night much easier than anything else would have. The anniversary of Milah’s death is never easy, but at least this year he was able to get up the next day with only a nasty hangover.

“So our next caller is a kid.”

Killian almost chokes on his water. “It’s nearly midnight.”

“I know. I think he’s risking getting grounded to talk to you.”

“I don’t know how to give relationship advice to a kid. I feel like that’s entirely unethical. What do I – ”

“Oh, the commercial break is over,” Ariel tells him, holding up her fingers and counting down.

Three. Two. One.

“Good evening, this is Killian Jones at Radio 105. How can I help you tonight?”

“Um, hi. I’m Henry.”

Well, this is definitely a kid calling him. This might be a first for him, and he’s been on the receiving end of some interesting calls for the last six years.

“Hello, Henry. How can I help you tonight?”

There’s a cough on the other end of the line, and Killian thinks the call is about to be disconnected until the kid starts speaking again.

“My mom doesn’t have a boyfriend.”

Bloody hell. The kid is calling about his mum. Killian at least thought it was maybe going to be something regarding a dance at school or his first crush or anything that Killian could easily answer.

Then again, how was any question a kid was going to ask him ever going to be easy? He has exactly zero experience with children.

Well, no, he is pretty good with Roland. That counts for something.

“Well, lad, I think quite a few mums don’t have boyfriends. Are you looking for her to have one?”

“Yeah. I mean, look, I have a dad, but he and my mom have never been together. I don’t think they’re ever going to get together like that Ashely lady you just helped. My dad has a girlfriend, and I really feel like my mom would be happier if she had someone, too.”

“That is the cutest thing I’ve ever heard,” Ariel says.

He holds up his fingers at her again.

“Henry, that’s very kind of you to be so concerned about your mum. I can tell she’s raised a good kid in you, but I think this might be a situation where you have to let adults be adults. Maybe your mum is happy with it only being the two of you. She might not want a boyfriend.”

Henry sighs, and Killian already knows he’s told the kid the exact opposite of what he wanted to hear. Shit.

“She does want one. I heard her talking about this guy she likes to my aunt. He lives in our building.”

“Is that so?”

“Yeah. I mean, I’ve never seen him. I think he works at night like she does, but I know she said that he was cute.”

Killian chuckles and runs his hand over his scruff. This kid has got such good intentions, and really, Killian doesn’t want to let him down.

Maybe his hangover is screwing with his mind a little too much.

“Alright, Henry, I want you to listen really closely, aye?”

“Okay.”

“Your mum, if she likes this man, is going to have to tell him. Now, she might have already, but she could be keeping it quiet for a little while until she knows that he’s more than cute. But she also might not talk to him, and that’s a very real possibility. So, I think for you, Henry, the best thing to do is know that your mum doesn’t have to have a boyfriend to be happy. She’s got you in her life, and it sounds like you’re already her best man.”

“So what am I supposed to do?” he asks, defeated.

“Keep being a good kid. Do your homework, pick up your bedroom, eat your vegetables, keep making your mum smile. I can guarantee you’ll make her happy doing those things.”

“How do you know? Do you have kids?”

Killian chuckles and looks over to Ariel who has got the biggest grin on her face. “I don’t, but I have a friend with a son, and he loves when his son cleans up and behaves well.”

“Yeah, my mom is happy when I clean up, too.”

“Exactly,” Killian sighs. “Now, I think it might be time for you to go to bed. I don’t want you to get in trouble with your mum.”

“I’m at my dad’s. She doesn’t know I’m on the phone.”

“She’s a mother. She has her ways of knowing all.”

“Oh crap,” Henry gulps. “I’ve got to go. Bye.”

And then the phone line goes dead. “Well, that was certainly one of my favorite calls,” Killian says into the microphone with a slight chuckle, “now here’s the new James Taylor. Enjoy. I’ll be back for more calls soon.”

-/-

The thing about working at night is that when Killian goes places, they’re mostly empty. The gym has only a few night owls spread out across the machines, the roads are barren, grocery stores are ghost towns except for teenagers wandering around and a few people in their pajamas picking up medicine or other emergency supplies.

But then there’s him getting eggs and milk and having the entire frozen foods aisle to himself.

Well, almost.

There’s a woman standing a few feet down from him staring intently at the section of ice cream. She’s got long, blonde hair that’s curled and falls down her back, and the dress she’s wearing is sinful. It’s short and red, hugging every single curve of her body, and while he would expect her to have heels on, she doesn’t. Instead she’s wearing a well-loved pair of trainers, shoelaces tucked in instead of tied, and whoever she was wearing heels for is long gone.

If the ice cream perusal and last-minute change of shoes are any indication.

He wants to ask if she’s alright, but he knows that’s the lack of sleep talking and the fact that he’s spent the last few hours giving advice on the radio and listening to nearly every love song in existence. Killian isn’t an idiot, however, and he knows better than to approach a woman in the middle of the night. He’ll look like a stalker or someone trying to hurt her, and that’s not something he ever wants to do.

Being a gentleman and all that.

But then she turns, and he recognizes her.

She lives in his apartment complex, and God help him, he’s stared at her as she walks across the lobby who knows how many times. They obviously run in the same kind of circles, but he must have been missing her lately. It’s been weeks since he’s caught a glance at her, and that’s probably for the best. Nothing good can come of him admiring a woman he doesn’t know.

Nothing good can come of him admiring a woman for more than one night.

Killian quickly grabs a frozen pizza and a few healthier options even if he doesn’t think frozen meals can ever truly be healthy, and takes his basket to the front of the store where he’s checked out by the same older woman that rings him up every time he comes in here. She wears a different name tag each time, and she never corrects him when he calls her by the name. Today she’s Barbara, and she grunts her usual pleasantries before handing him back his bags.

He makes a last-minute decision to get a soda from the vending machine outside. He won’t drink it now, but it’ll be nice to tide him over between cups of coffee tomorrow. The machine eats his first dollar but accepts the second, and by the time he has a Diet Coke in his hand, his neighbor is also outside the store and heading back toward the parking lot as he does the same.

They pull out at the same time, but she gets on the road first. There are no other drivers out and about, and while Killian usually listens to something, his brain is too tired to listen to another song or a podcast or his follow-up host who is always far too chipper for such an awful time slot. The woman’s yellow bug pulls into a street parking spot, and he takes the one behind her, getting out with his groceries and his bag from work before walking toward the front entrance and hitting in the code. Only after he gets inside does the woman bother to get out and follow him inside.

Maybe she doesn’t recognize him in the way that he recognizes her.

“You dropped your gum.”

Killian stops and turns around at the sound of her voice.

“What?”

“Your gum.” She holds up a small container of his preferred-flavor. “It fell out of your bag onto the sidewalk outside.”

Killian looks down in his bag, sees that the gum is missing, and then steps forward to take it out of her hand. “Thank you, love. I appreciate that. Did you decide on a flavor of ice cream?”

Her eyes widen, and he can now see how unbelievably green they are. But he can also see the purple bags underneath them and the redness from an obvious lack of sleep.

What the hell is wrong with him? Why is he still analyzing her when he has now informed her that he was bloody staring at her in the store?

He very obviously needs to go to bed.

“Rocky Road.”

“Ah, I’m more of a fruit flavored ice cream man myself, but rocky road is a great choice.”

“Yeah, I think so.”

Silence falls between them, and Killian thinks now is the time for both of them to turn their separate ways and never speak again. Tonight is simply two ships passing in the night, and they’ll rarely cross paths this closely again.

Unless…

“Killian Jones, 407.”

Her lips press into a straight line. “Emma Swan.”

He doesn’t fail to notice she doesn’t give her apartment number, but really, no sane person should be giving that out to a near stranger. He is apparently no longer sane. “Well, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Swan. I’ll let you go so your ice cream doesn’t melt.”

“It was nice to meet you, too. I hope you enjoy the, uh, gum.”

Killian bites his tongue to keep from chuckling. “Goodnight, love.”

-/-

Ariel sends him a link.

It’s to a Buzzfeed article about a kid calling into a radio show and telling the host that his mom has a crush on her neighbor and he wants to help her find a boyfriend. There are a Sleepless in Seattle gifs and references all throughout the article, and when Killian keeps scrolling, he sees tweets about the show and about Henry calling in.

Killian doesn’t use his own Twitter. He lets Ariel do it, so it takes him a few minutes to log in and get adjusted to the format that’s different than the last time he used it.

And to the fact that he’s got more notifications and followers than he’s ever had.

Is this all because of that one call?

He knows his program is popular, but it’s mostly popular in the greater Portland area with a few other cities picking it up. He’s got a podcast on Spotify that he does every week, and he knows that he works to get more listeners. This is a job he accidentally got into after working at a station at university, and he still thinks it can all be a load of shit, but a man’s got to make a living.

But this? Going viral over a call with a kid?

This was unexpected.

He immediately calls Ariel.

“Isn’t it awesome?” she screeches into the phone before he can even say hello. “Your social media following has gone up by 80%, and that’s just been in the five hours since that article was posted. Oh my gosh, we’re going to have to follow back up with this. Maybe we can get Henry back on the phone, and maybe we can somehow talk to the mom and have her talk to her neighbor. People would lose their minds.”

“A, I think you’re losing your mind. Calm down.”

“When in the history of telling me to calm down have I ever calmed down?”

Killian sighs and rolls over on his bed. “We cannot exploit this woman’s feelings for more ratings. I’m not doing that.”

“What do you mean? We do things like that all the time.”

“We do not think up segments and try to force someone to talk to their neighbor who they have feelings for. People call in for advice, for who knows what reason, and it’s their choice to take it or not. I do not force it on anyone.”

Ariel grumbles something unintelligible on the other end of the line. “I hate when you get all moral on me.”

“I like to think I’m always moral.”

“I’ve known you for ten years, Jones. I know that’s not true.”

His eyes shut and he runs his hand over his face, trying to rub away all of the memories that are trying to come back. He has no idea what time it is, but he knows that it’s too bloody early for all of that.

“Look, the kid’s mom doesn’t know we called. He’s going to get grounded for weeks if we call back. I want to do it off-air, approve it ahead of time, and if the lass says no, that’s it. We can still talk about it on-air, but we’re not going to invade her privacy.”

“As your producer, I think you’re missing an opportunity. As your friend, I think you’re doing the right thing.”

“And that’s the balance we always seem to strike.

-/-

No one answers when Ariel calls.

She is crushed.

He is relieved.

Every caller that night mentions his call with Henry.

Ariel says it’s the highest numbers they’ve had in years.

-/-

She’s at the grocery store again.

She’s looking at ice cream once more while he picks out another frozen pizza. He’s desperately got to get back into cooking actual meals again.

It’s been two weeks since he last saw her, and yet again, she’s in a tight dress, her hair and makeup perfectly done, but her feet are clothed in trainers.

“Run out of the last batch?”

She jumps at the sound of his voice, but then her shoulders fall and her head hangs down. “Ice cream doesn’t last long in my place. I should really buy the bigger containers, but then I’ll eat all of it at once and none of my clothes will fit.”

“So you simply buy a new, small container every few weeks?”

“Every week, but I try not to think about it too much.”

Killian chuckles, and he thinks there’s a small smile peeking at the corner of her lips. “Have you tried the Banana Split? I know you’re a Rocky Road kind of lass, but I have it on good authority that it’s an excellent flavor.”

She leans back against the glass and raises her brow. “Oh, really? Who told you that?”

“A very dashing man.” His brows move up and down on their own accord, and he knows he manages getting a smile from her all on his own this time. “I’ll buy you a pint, my treat.”

“I can buy my own ice cream.”

“Yeah, but I’m suggesting it, and if you don’t like it, I don’t want you having spent your money on it.” He opens the door she’s not leaning against, grabs two pints of the banana split, and then hands her one. “Have one on me, Swan.”

Her eyes roll, but she takes it. “Thank you.”

-/-

He sees her next the next day at the mailboxes in their lobby. It’s a different look for her, leggings and a sports bra with her hair pulled into a baseball cap, and she waves as he passes by before mentioning how much she liked the ice cream.

“Good” is all he manages to say in response.

-/-

Killian has off from the radio Saturday night. The station has moved him to only weekdays, so he tries to keep as normal of a schedule as possible. He wakes around eight, texts Liam to see how he’s been doing, goes to the gym, runs a few errands, and then is back in his apartment and doing laundry a little after noon. He sets up his equipment to do his podcast, and once that’s finished, he’s a free man.

A free man with no plans.

Scarlet is working at the bar, it’s Rob’s weekend with Roland, and Ariel and Eric are out of town for the weekend. He could call Liam again, but it’s nearly midnight in England now. Liam and Elsa are probably asleep.

Damn.

But maybe it’ll be nice to have a day to himself where he can catch up on whatever shows he’s been missing while straightening up the place. It probably needs a good deep cleaning, and he doesn’t know how he’s let it get as bad as he has. Liam’s Navy tendencies definitely rubbed off on Killian, and he desperately wants to curse his brother every time he spends far too long making his bed.

Killian puts Ozark on the television and starts cleaning, dusting the bookshelves and folding throw blankets before shifting around some of the records on the shelf opposite his books. Soon, it’s evening, and he stops wiping down his kitchen countertops to grab a pizza out of the freezer and pop it into the oven. When it’s finished, he nearly takes it to the couch to eat, but at the last moment, he decides to take his plate and his beer up to the apartment’s roof so he can eat at one of the picnic tables there and enjoy the early fall weather.

There are a few other people sitting around in the lounge chairs and at the table, and the elderly couple that lives on the first floor is tending to the garden they’ve set up that is producing the last of its goods. Killian nods at them before finding an almost empty table and settling down there.

“What kind of pizza is that?”

Killian finishes chewing his bite and turns to the kid sitting at the opposite end of the table. He’s ten, at most, and is wearing a Red Sox cap that’s too big for his head.

“Pepperoni,” Killian mumbles. “What are you eating?”

“My mom is making us hamburgers, but she’s making me eat a salad first. It’s gross.”

“Oh, come on now, a salad isn’t gross. You need your vegetables.”

The kid groans and leans back in his chair. “Are you just saying that because you’re an adult and that’s what you’re supposed to say?”

“Are adults supposed to say things like that, lad?”

He reluctantly picks a piece of lettuce off of his plate and puts it in his mouth. “My mom and my aunt say I have to eat vegetables. I don’t believe them.”

Killian chuckles and looks down to his plate, which has a distinct lack of vegetables. It’s his cheat day, but still, some lettuce wouldn’t kill him.

It’d do the opposite if it does what he’s telling this kid it does.

“I promise, vegetables are good for you. You’ve simply got to find some you like. I’m a fan of carrots and spinach. Have you ever had eggplant? You can make eggplant taste like a pizza if you want. The same with cauliflower.”

The kid’s nose scrunches up. “Is that what your pizza is made of?”

“No,” he laughs, “no, it’s not.”

“Henry, have you finished your – oh.”

Killian looks up at the sound of her voice, and that’s when he sees her. Today, her hair is in a set of double braids, she has on a white tank top and jeans that seem much more relaxed than her usual attire, and she’s holding a tray with several hamburgers on top of them.

God, she’s stunning.

Is this…is this her son?

And did she call him Henry?

Bloody hell.

This is the Henry from the phone call. He thought the kid sounded familiar when he first started talking, but he didn’t think too much of it. There was no way that the kid who called him and has had his show blow up with views and calls over the past few weeks lived in Killian’s apartment complex, and there’s really no way that his mum is Emma Swan.

What are the odds?

And who the hell in this apartment complex does Emma fancy?

No, no, that’s not any of his business, but he might need to tell the woman that her son is calling into radio shows.

Wait.

If Henry knows about his show, odds are he knows who Killian is. The little rascal.

“Hello, love,” Killian greets, flashing Emma a smile. “Your son here was just telling me about how he doesn’t like his vegetables.”

Her eyes roll, and she seems to unfreeze from the way she was stiffly standing above them. “We’re currently having a stalemate over vegetables, but Henry has to eat his salad before he can have his cheeseburger.”

“Mom.”

“Kid.”

“I don’t like it.”

“Henry, this is not a negotiation. Just because your dad didn’t make you eat any when you visited him doesn’t mean you don’t need them.”

Henry angrily stabs his fork at a few pieces and stuffs them in his mouth before Emma sits down and places the tray between them. “So, you decided to eat dinner up here, too?”

“Aye. I figured I’d enjoy the weather. I didn’t realize so many other people would have the same thought.”

“Everyone, apparently. Oh, the Banana Split ice cream was fantastic. Between the two of us, we ate it in a day.”

“It’s soooo much better than Rocky Road,” Henry mumbles with lettuce in between his teeth.

“It is rather good, isn’t it?”

“It’s great. Do you, uh, do you want a burger? I have extras.”

“Oh, I couldn’t impose, lass. I have my pizza.”

“You have frozen pizza that’s not even the good brand. Please, have a burger. There’s no way Henry and I will finish them all, and I had to do something with the meat before it went bad.”

Killian looks between his pizza and the burgers. They smell delicious, and really, he can have the pizza later. It’s just as good cold.

“I would love one, Swan.”

“Perfect.”

It’s surprisingly comfortable to sit and eat dinner with Emma and her son considering he barely knows them. He and Emma have spoken a few times over the past few weeks, but it was simple pleasantries. It wasn’t anything like learning that Henry is in the third grade and that Emma works in bail bonds, which explains her late nights. She doesn’t say anything definite, but he gathers that Henry’s father is barely in the picture despite Henry staying with him a few times recently, and while he’s curious, it’s none of his business.

She’s not asking him about his relationships, so really, what business does he have thinking about hers?

In the light of day, she seems kinder and less reserved than she is when he usually sees her. Happier, even.

“So what do you do?” Emma asks as she dabs her mouth with a napkin. “I forgot to ask earlier.”

“He’s on the radio,” Henry says.

And then the kid’s eyes go wide, and it seems that Henry has realized his mistake.

“And how do you know that?”

“Uhhhh, he said so.”

“I don’t believe he did. Do you listen to his show or something? Did you listen to him at your dad’s?”

“No.”

“Then how?”

“I have to go to the bathroom,” Henry squeals before scrambling off the bench. “Can I have the key?”

Emma’s eyes narrow, but she still digs into her pocket and hands him the keys. “Do you have your phone with you?”

“Mhm. I’ll call you if I’m in danger.”

“Good. Now go even though I know you’re faking it.”

He giggles, but he takes the keys, quickly running to the door that takes him down the stairs. Killian can’t stifle his laughter, and Emma turns to look at him with her lips pressed into a straight line.

“Okay, what kind of radio show do you have, and why is my kid listening to it?”

Killian sighs and takes a sip of his beer. “I have a show that’s on between nine and two, at night of course, and people unfortunately call me ‘The Love Doctor.’”

“You’re not serious.”

“Oh, no, love, I unfortunately am. In between songs, people call in and ask for relationship advice, they share stories, we bring in experts, all of that, and, well, your son happened to call me a few weeks ago because he wants his mum to have a boyfriend. I, of course, did not know that the lad who called was your Henry until I met him an hour ago.”

The firm line of Emma’s lips has turned into a gaping, exasperated smile. “He did what now?”

Killian’s hand reaches up to scratch behind his ear. “He called. He said that you fancied someone in the building, and he wanted you to be happy. It was truly rather sweet. It’s been getting the show all kinds of attention, so I can get you a copy of the call if you want.”

Her cheeks are suddenly tinted with a beautiful shade of red, but they’re quickly hidden away by her palms. “Oh my God. Oh my God. He called in a show and asked for help getting me a boyfriend?”

“I was extremely charmed. My producer tried to call him back, so we could all talk off-air. He didn’t answer, and he probably knows he’s been caught in the act. That’s likely why he suddenly had to run to the restroom.”

Emma groans and leans down, burying her face in her hands as she mumbles something unintelligible. “How long ago was it?”

“About two weeks.”

“Fuck. That’s when he was with his dad, who apparently has a new girlfriend. That’s got to be why he called. I don’t – just, oh my God.” She finally looks back up at him, peeking through her fingers. “What did you tell him?”

“I told him to leave the adult things to the adults and to keep being a good kid because it sounded like he was a really good kid.”

“He is. Like, far better than I deserve. I didn’t think he’d be calling radio stations, though. I’m going to have to talk to him about this.”

Killian nods over Emma’s shoulder. “I think he’s decided to brave your wrath and come back.”

Henry sheepishly walks back up to the table and slides onto the seat. “Can we go get some more ice cream?”

-/-

Killian eats dinner with them again the next Saturday. It’s a coincidence once more, but this time they’re the only ones on the roof and choose to still sit together. Henry tells him about his week at school and fills in things Emma has told him about her work. Though, he already knew about some of it when they both got back to the apartment at the same time Wednesday night and talked for a few minutes.

It becomes a tradition of sorts, their Saturday afternoon meals. He offers to cook the next week, Emma offers the week after that, and he finds himself writing down new plans on his calendar for the foreseeable future. He doesn’t dare tell Ariel that he found their kid caller and his mum or that he would now call the both of them friends, but he does tell Liam.

Liam cannot stop laughing over the phone, but it’s still better than the all-consuming meltdown Ariel would have.

And really, Killian can’t blame him for his reaction. The two of them both know that Killian has been set in his routines for the past few years. He used to be more carefree, used to be capable of being a little more spontaneous, but then Milah died and having a routine was really the only thing that kept him sane.

It still is.

Even if he’s finding new things, or rather, new people, to fit into his routine.

-/-

“Killian, do you like Harry Potter?”

“I love Harry Potter. Why? Are you reading it?”

“We read it at night,” Emma explains as she puts a plate in front of Henry. He scrunches his nose up at the sight of peas, but it quickly passes. “We’re on the second one.”

“The Chamber of Secrets,” Henry says. “We’re almost finished, and I want to go buy the third one, but Mom won’t let me.”

“Well, do you have to have it before you’ve finished the second one? Then you might be tempted to read the next one ahead of time.”

“I promise I won’t.”

“Henry, can you go and get your Lego set from your room? Didn’t you want to show Killian the pirate ship you’re building?”

“What about my food?”

“It’ll still be here when you get back.”

He narrows his eyes at his mother. “Don’t eat my roll.”

“I’m not going to.” Emma crosses her fingers over her heart, this thing he’s noticed the two of them do. “Now, go.”

He nods and runs off before Emma turns her attention back to Killian. “He’s getting the box set of the books for Christmas, but he won’t stop pestering me about needing the third book right now. I’ve just got to hold him off for another week, but damn if it isn’t hard.”

Killian chuckles and stands from the table in order to fix his own plate, grabbing an extra roll to split with Henry. “Did he not put the books on his list for Santa? I know he was writing a letter.”

“No, he put things like a motorcycle and his very own airplane on his list for Santa. Luckily, there were a few more accessible things, too.”

Killian hums in response and rejoins Emma at the table. “I hope it’s alright, love, but I may have gotten the boy a notebook and some new colored pencils. He’s always drawing with mine when we have dinner there, and I figured it would be nice. But if you think that’s inappropriate, I can return them.”

“Killian, no,” she sighs as she reaches over and covers her hand with his, “that’s not inappropriate at all. That’s…I mean, that’s really sweet. I – ”

“You what?”

Her lips are parted into a pretty pink smile, but Killian can’t seem to focus on that. Instead, his attention is still drawn to the way her palm is resting against his knuckles and how he can feel each stroke of her thumb. This might be the first time Emma’s ever touched him, and there’s a heat that sparks along his skin and down his spine, settling in the pit of his stomach even as it swirls around.

Is this?

Is he?

Are they?

No.

“Killian, look!” Henry comes parading back in the room with a large ship made entirely out of Legos. “Look at this. Didn’t you say your brother has a big ship?”

“He does, but I don’t think it’s nearly as magnificent as this one. This is bloody brilliant, lad!”

“Yeah?”

“Of course. Did you do this by yourself?”

He shrugs, but there’s no denying the beam in his smile. “Yeah, but I followed the instructions. Do you want to see those?”

“Maybe after dinner, okay? We wouldn’t want your peas to get cold. I’m pretty sure you’ve grown at least a foot since you started eating vegetables, and we can’t stop that.”

“I’ve grown three inches this year.”

“Well, only a few more to go.”

-/-

It’s Christmas when Killian realizes he may possibly fancy Emma.

(When he realizes that he definitely does.)

(Without a doubt.)

He eats breakfast with Liam and Elsa over FaceTime and then goes to have lunch with Ariel and Eric before they travel to see Ariel’s parents for dinner. Will is out of town meeting Belle’s family, and Robin always spends Christmas in New York with Roland’s grandparents.

Killian should have gotten a ticket and flown home this year, but he was saving the money to be able to visit after Elsa gives birth in May.

It’s fine. This isn’t the first holiday he’s spent mostly alone, and it certainly won’t be the last.

He’s one glass of rum into one of his nicest bottles when there’s a knock at his door. It’s Emma and Henry. They’re both in pajamas, neither of their heads of hair tamed, and they’re holding a tray full of cookies with several Harry Potter movies stacked on top.

“Do you have a DVD player?”

-/-

ES: Did someone really call into your show asking how to choose between their wife and their mistress?

KJ: Indeed.

ES: I have got to listen to this thing. It seems like it can’t even be real.

KJ: I promise you that my show is real. And you really should listen to it. I know you like the sound of my voice.

ES: You keep on thinking that.

KJ: You know I’m on air now, right? You could always turn on the radio.

ES: I’m sitting in a restaurant, not a car. I need to focus.

KJ: And you don’t consider texting a distraction?

ES: Shut up.

His headset beeps, and Killian looks up from his phone to his computer screen to see that they have a new caller.

“Hello, this is Radio 105, and you’re speaking to the Love Doctor. How can I help you tonight?”

“Killian!”

Oh shit.

Henry.

“Killian, I need help! My mom is on a date tonight.”

“Woah, woah, woah,” Killian sighs as he glances to Ariel and starts slashing his hand across his neck. He needs her to turn the call off, to go to commercial or something, but she’s not paying any damn attention to him. This is why he needs access to the full set of controls. “Lad, I need you to take a deep breath for me, okay? Can you do that? Like your mum tells you to do when you’re upset.”

“One,” Henry says. “Two. Three.”

“Good,” Killian says. “Now, can you please calmly tell me what’s going on?”

“My mom dropped me off at my dad’s house, and she was in a nice dress. She told my dad she had something to do, and later I heard him say that my mom was going on a date. But you’re at work, so she can’t be going on a date! She can’t go on a date when she likes you!”

Killian nearly knocks his coffee all of the controls.

Bloody hell.

“Oh. My. God.” Ariel screeches into his headphones.

Great. Now she’s paying attention.

“Oh my God, oh my God, oh holy hell.”

He turns to her and motions for her to cut the call again, and she finally gets the hint and presses a few buttons until he sees that a song just started playing. He’s going to get hell for that, but he cannot have this conversation live on-air with Henry. He simply can’t.

“Henry, are you still there?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, good, so I need you to listen to me, yeah? Can you do that, lad?”

“I’m listening.”

“Your mum isn’t on a date. She’s working. You know how she has to get dressed up for work sometimes, aye?”

“Sometimes.”

“And you don’t spend that much time with your dad, so he probably doesn’t know that. But besides, Emma is an adult she can date whoever she wants to. Why would it have to be me?”

“Because you’re the guy she likes. From the first time I called. I didn’t know it was you, but it is. And I know she still likes you because she’s always asking you to dinner and texting you. She told Mary Margaret that she likes you, so she can’t date someone else. I don’t want her to date anyone else.”

“Hey, hey, Henry,” Killian soothes. His heart is beating a mile a minute, and his head is going in several different directions, but he can’t focus on himself right now. “It’s okay. You’re okay. Listen, I don’t know if your mum and I are ever going to go on a date, but I’m always going to be your friend. I’ll keep cooking dinner and reading books with you. We’ll go to the aquarium next week. Are you still wanting to do that?”

“Yeah,” he meekly whispers. “But I really want you to be my mom’s boyfriend.”

“Can I tell you a secret? I really want to be your mum’s boyfriend, too, but that’s not a decision just I can make. It’s up to her, too.”

Henry sighs, and Killian can so easily imagine him laying across his bed in the dark at Neal’s house. His nose is probably scrunched up just like Emma’s does when she’s frustrated, and if he had to bet, he’d say that Henry’s legs are dangling off and just barely touching the ground.

“Are you going to pick me up on Friday?”

“I will be at school waiting for you, lad. I promise. Now, go to bed before you get in trouble, and I will put my number in your phone so you can call me without having to call the show next time. Goodnight, Henry.”

“Goodnight, Killian.”

As soon as the phone line goes dead, Killian leans down and buries his face in his hands. He hears the studio door click open, a chair’s wheel creak, and he knows Ariel is in front of him without bothering to open his eyes.

“So, were you just never going to tell me that the woman and her kid who you’ve been hanging out with for the past seven months is the same woman and kid who made your show famous?”

“I didn’t know when he called.”

“What?”

“When he first called, I didn’t know who he was. He didn’t know who I was either. I’d seen Emma around the apartment a few times, but then we started running into each other at the grocery store after we both got off work. I figured it out when we were all eating dinner on the roof maybe two weeks after the call. I told Emma, so she knows, too. I just…this entire time I’ve assumed that the man she fancied was someone else. I never would have assumed it was me, but Henry? Henry says that it’s me.”

Ariel’s hand rests on his knee and squeezes. “Killian Jones, you are a catch, and that woman would be a fool not to be with you. What are you going to do?”

“God, I don’t know.” He takes a deep breath and leans back to run his hands through his hair and pinch the bridge of his nose. How the hell does he give people advice when his own life is such a mess? “I need to talk to Emma, tell her what Henry called me about. He was pretty freaked out. I can’t start anything with her without considering him. I don’t know how to navigate this. I should. Milah had a son, but she never let me meet him. I don’t know. I don’t know if I have any idea what I’m doing.”

“To me, it sounds like you know exactly what you’re doing.” She taps his knee once more. “We’ve got to finish the show. There’s only so much air-time I can fill with songs and me doing the commercial breaks. Do you think you can finish?”

All he does is nod.

-/-

Emma is waiting for him outside his apartment door.

She’s in her preferred red dress that she wears when she does one of her honeytraps, but she doesn’t have on the heels. Or her trainers. Instead, she’s without shoes, the heels flung next to her purse on the ground, and she’s got what looks like a takeout bag in the middle of all of it.

“Swan?”

She looks up and blinks. “I’m sorry. I am so, so sorry. I didn’t think he would do that again. It’s your job, and he shouldn’t have messed it up like that. I’ve got to give him your number so he can call you directly. He should already have it since you pick him up from school sometimes, but I didn’t think. I didn’t – ”

“Hey, hey, hey,” he soothes as he steps up to her and places his hands on her shoulders. His fingers trail over her skin, pushing the loose strands back until he’s tucking the ones around her face behind her ears so he can see her eyes. He’s never quite gotten over how green they are. “Henry didn’t do anything wrong. How do you know that he even called?”

“They had your show on in the restaurant I was waiting for my skip in. That’s why I texted you about the whole wife versus mistress thing. But was I literally putting the handcuffs on my skip as I heard my son’s voice freaking out about me being on a date. He knows I dress up for work sometimes. I don’t know why he let Neal get into his head like that.”

“Neal is his dad. He’s going to be influenced by him.”

Emma scoffs and leans forward until her forehead is resting against his nose. “Neal is going to break his heart one day. I just know it. He’s only been in his life for two years, and he’s already screwed up so many times. Henry just hasn’t realized it yet.”

“Henry is going to be just fine. He’s an excellent lad.”

“What kind of excellent lad calls into radio shows to talk about his mom’s dating life? He literally told you…oh my God, Killian, he told you that I liked you, didn’t he?”

He laughs into her hair and kisses the top of her head while his hands run up and down her back. Emma’s hands move up his back, nails scratching through his t-shirt. When did they get there?

More importantly, can they stay?

“He did.”

“Just lock me in my apartment forever. I’m ready to die of embarrassment.”

“Now, Swan, don’t do that. You’re not the first woman to fancy me. I’ve been told that I’m devilishly handsome after all.”

“Shut up.”

“No, no, I can’t, and after all, I have the same feelings for you.”

“You think I’m devilishly handsome?”

Killian chuckles into her hair once more before lifting her chin with the tip of his finger so he can see those green, green eyes once more.

“I think you’re beautiful, and I also think that I like you just as much as your son says you like me.”

He doesn’t even care that he sounds like he’s in primary school.

“Yeah, but – ”

There’s no point in bothering to let Emma finish her protest. She’s going to doubt his words, and really, if he’s learned anything about Emma in the past few months, it’s that she’s a woman who likes action over pretty words and promises. She likes for someone who is going to show up when he says he will and who isn’t going to back down.

Kissing her seems like pretty much the only way to tell her that he has no intentions of backing down.

Emma’s words are caught by his lips, and the first thing he feels is the vibration of them before she stops talking and settles her lips with his. They’re exactly as soft as they look, softer possibly, and the hairs on the back of Killian’s neck stand up as he realizes that this feeling, this euphoria, is him kissing Emma Swan.

He groans when she fully opens her mouth to him, the warmness of her melting into him, and his fingers find purchase in her hair, tugging and tilting just like he wants to. His tongue drags along her lip as her hairs fall over his neck and slip into his hair, tugging and pulling in her own way.

One other thing he knows about Emma is that she is not afraid to take charge.

But Killian likes that, too, likes getting what he wants, and right now all he can think about is backing Emma up to his door and kissing her in the way that she deserves to be kissed. Her tongue is warm when it slides against his. It’s a wet slide of heat and what he thinks is the slightest hint of whiskey and chocolate, but mostly, it’s all Emma. She’s kissing him exactly how he wants to be kissing her, and the heat between them simmers along his skin and down his spine until it settles.

If this is what kissing Emma Swan is like, he doesn’t know why he didn’t find the courage sooner.

Because he didn’t want to mess the first good thing he’s found in a long, long time. That’s why.

She pulls away with a gasp, but he can’t stop kissing her, can’t stop pressing his hips into hers and feeling the way she groans. His teeth drag along her jaw and her neck until he settles at her ear, and the sound she makes is so damn delectable that he loses his own breath. That’s only for a moment, though, because then she’s opening her legs so he can settle into her space while he’s licking the lobe of her ear and groaning himself.

“Oh my God.”

“I’m very tempted to make an awful joke right now, love.”

She laughs at the same time that her hips press down against his hardening length, and she’s definitely trying to kill him.

“I have a ten-year-old. I’m used to the bad jokes.”

The thought of Henry sobers Killian, and he noses at Emma’s collarbone and the swell of the top of her breast before pulling himself up and putting enough space between them so he can look into her eyes and speak without his lips brushing against hers.

He does not, however, remove his hand from her ass.

He is, decidedly, not always the gentleman he claims to be.

“We can stop right now, Emma,” he tells her. “We can stop right now, and things will go back to how they were. I told Henry earlier that I will always be his friend, and I think right now, I need to tell you the same. No matter what happens from this point forward.”

Emma swallows and nods, but her fingertips are still brushing against the nape of his neck. It feels fucking fantastic, and he doesn’t know what he’ll do if it all stops.

“If someone else said that to me, I don’t think I’d believe it, but with you, I do.” Her head tilts back against the door, and she smiles that beautiful smile of hers. “And if you ever do something to hurt that kid’s feelings, I will kill you.”

“Of that, I have no doubt, darling.”

“Good. Now stop talking and take me inside your apartment. I want to get your pants off.”

He arches his brow. “Is that so?”

“Yeah,” she laughs with a role of her hips. “Yeah, I do.”

-/-

“Well,” Killian sighs into the microphone, “it’s been quite a night, hasn’t it? I hope everyone has found the clarity they needed for their relationships, no matter where those relationships stand. I also hope you’ve heard some damn good music.”

The instrumental music that plays him out at the end of every show starts coming to an end, and Killian smiles, knowing what’s waiting for him in a little over an hour.

“Oh, and one last thing. Does everyone remember our favorite kid caller, Henry? He’s been getting some frequent flier miles over here lately, hasn’t he? Well, I’m happy to report that his mother has that boyfriend now, the one in her apartment complex she fancied. I think Henry might be taking over my name as The Love Doctor.”

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