#the whole storybrooke gang
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To Meet You (The Enchanted Sequel)
CS AU story where Emma and Killian meet at a parent/teacher conference (Emma is a single mother and Killian is helping raise Liam’s daughter). Instalove and fluff ensues as they make the most of the moment and fall under each others spell. Available on FF Here and AO3 Here.
A/N: This is a sequel to the previous mixtape chapter ‘Enchanted.’ After so much love from my readers, and heartfelt pleas for a follow up, I couldn’t resist another tiny glimpse into a longer fic that could have been. I loved this meet cute idea of Emma and Killian coming together at a parent teacher night. For clarity, this chapter is going to look a ways into the future. You can expect nothing but fluff, fluff and more fluff. I needed the chance to write something like this given all of the really heavy and scary stuff happening in the world. Anyway, hope you all enjoy and let me know what you think!
If I keep pacing, I’ll ruin the bloody floorboards. It’s a miracle I haven’t worn a path already.
The thought did little to deter Killian’s constant walking from one end of the pent house to another. He was unable to keep still despite the lateness of the hour. For years he had considered himself unflappable. In order to achieve the things he wanted, he needed to stay grounded and secure. Mind over matter was the recipe to his success. Fear fostered nothing of real worth and doubt crumbled initiatives faster than anything else. A man needed confidence in himself and in his purpose, and Killian had always felt the power of that and done his best to live up to those ideals.
What he’d learned in recent months, however, was that none of the things he’d pursued before had the same stakes as what he was currently seeking. Killian had been looking for a way to make his name, to build a life, and to honor his family, but the weight of those burdens didn’t impact him in the same ways as what he was after now. It was only when something came forward that truly meant the world to him that he began to realize the risks involved in every step he took. Move too quickly and things might fall apart, but move too slowly and he may very well go mad from wondering ‘what if?’
The unease he felt tonight meant his bed was still made, with no signs of inhabitance. Truthfully, there had never been a chance of his getting in there. It was no use trying to rest when sleep would never come. Instead, he wandered about this apartment in the sky feeling overwhelmed by the emptiness inside. To an outsider, he appeared on top of the world. This place was huge, the décor pristine, the energy a blend of modernity and personal preference all cultivated by one of New York’s most sought-after designers. Yet for Killian, this suite left much to be desired. It was beautiful but barren of the things that made a house complete. Not like Emma’s apartment. Not like the place he most yearned to call home.
“Nine months in and I’m fully hooked,” he murmured to himself, looking out the full length window at the New York City streets. The city that never slept may still be bustling, but it was subdued now, quieter than any other time of day. Too bad his heart wouldn’t follow suit. “To hell with that. She had me from the first time. Nine months just sank me that much more.”
In some ways it was crazy to think that nine months had passed since their first meeting. On a soul deep level, meeting Emma felt like arriving at a destined destination. She was familiar and yet a fantasy he could have never dreamed. That she was real still amazed him, and that she returned his interest was the most important thing. From their first night together and the fleeting but fantastic date they went on, there had been no looking back. Killian had been forever changed, and every day brought something new and remarkable.
With more dates and more stolen moments, he and Emma grew to know each other, moving from a one-time-thing to a now secured relationship. Dating a single mum required finesse in balancing schedules and respecting her needs and those of her son, but Killian was undaunted. His only goal was to be worthy of Emma and her boy.
After meeting him and hearing so much about him from Emma, Killian knew that Henry was a testament to his mum. Killian had never met a child of such spirit and conviction, who loved his family and his friends and never met a curiosity that failed to spark his interest. Emma’s son was creative and courageous, and thankfully, he was also accepting of Killian and Emma. If anything, Henry seemed firmly on Killian’s side, and two weeks ago, a few nights before leaving for his first time at sleep away camp, Henry had shown that attachment most clearly.
“So, are we ever going to talk about it?”
“Talk about what?” Killian asked, uncertain of Henry’s desired course of conversation. There were so many things they found time to discuss and on an evening like this, where Killian had the chance to help Emma with the nightly routine while she was delayed with a case, Henry and he filled time with all kinds of topics.
“You marrying my Mom.”
On top of an astute judge of intention and character, Henry also had a solid command of timing, another trait he’d inherited from his mother. Killian was in the midst of drinking some water when the question was asked, and he coughed and sputtered with the suddenness of the query. Henry managed to keep from giggling, but the pure glee on his face told Killian his objective was attained. Only after a moment did Henry’s face cloud with doubt.
“You are going to ask her, aren’t you?”
“Aye, lad. I have every intention of asking your mother to marry me. And in truth, I had every intention of speaking to you first.”
“Then what’s holding you back?”
That was a complex question and the truth was something Killian was embarrassed to admit. It was fear that was holding him back. Fear that he may have misread the signs, or, more realistically, that Emma may shy away from such a question so soon. If he moved too quickly, he could undo all the good in their lives, and life had never been so good before. He was blessed even as his heart held the burden of separation. Every night he left this home, saying goodbye to Emma and to Henry, he felt the sadness of that. He wanted to be fully part of this family. He wanted to be part of their forever.
“I want to make sure it’s right, lad. For your Mum and for you.”
“It’s right for me,” Henry said eagerly. “I always wanted a Dad and I know you’d be a great one. You listen to me and hang out with me. You get me. Not everyone gets me.”
Killian smiled at that, pride coursing through him. Having Henry think so highly of him meant the world, and so did the idea itself. Being a father was something he always wanted. Now he felt at the precipice of that chance, it was almost too much to hope for.
“And you are far and away the best son a parent could ask for,” Killian replied. “I would be honored to be your Dad, Henry. That you would accept me is one of the greatest gifts I’ve ever been given, and that you would share your Mum with me is a blessing I’ll never take for granted. I want you to know that I’ll always love you both. I’d do anything for you two. But still, it’s not that simple.”
“You think Mom’s going to bolt.” Henry’s statement wasn’t a question at all, but a reading of a credible worry on Killian’s part. “Maybe she would have in the past, but that was before you.”
“You seem rather confident in that.”
“I am. You’re different Killian. For one thing, she never introduced me to any other guys she dated. Aunt Ruby says it’s because she couldn’t handle the commitment. Auntie Anna says commitment is another word for heartbreak. But I know Mom’s not afraid of either of those anymore. Just yesterday I heard her talking to Aunt Elsa and she said -,”
“I think it’s best to allow your mother her privacy.”
It killed Killian to say that, especially if Henry seemed certain from the statements that Emma truly wanted this. But it wasn’t right in his eyes to collect intelligence that way. It felt somehow dishonest to have overheard Emma in a private moment, and he’d made a vow to himself never to deceive his Swan, not when so many others had done so before.
“And that right there is how I really know,” Henry said, smiling at Killian’s reaction. “The way you love my Mom is better than the stories. Princes and Princesses, fairytales and happy endings. They’re great and all, but they’re not quite real. But you and Mom, you guys are true in a way those stories aren’t. She’s going to say yes. You just have to have hope.”
As straightforward as the advice from Henry was, it was hard to emulate. Especially at moments like these, when the distance of thirty city blocks seemed endless and he knew he’d have to go the night alone. He and Emma had spent each night together while Henry was away at camp, and the indulgence of that was pure bliss. He’d never slept so well or been so happy, but in the interest of giving Emma and her boy time to reconnect, he’d left this morning to give them a window of being together. That leaving was one of the hardest things he’d ever done, and for once Killian held regret in his heart. He should have taken the chance to ask his Emma for forever during this time. He’d had an opportunity and squandered it.
Continuing to grapple with these negative thoughts in his mind, Killian was surprised at the ding of his personal access elevator. He looked to the clock on the mantel and saw the time: 2 AM. On instinct he moved to the entryway, knowing very few people had the ability to get into his place. But of all the possibilities he imagined, he never dreamed it would be Emma. He was stunned to see the woman he’d been missing so surely standing there smiling at him.
In the dim lights of the early morning, Emma had never looked so beautiful. Her golden hair waved softly on her shoulders, falling into soft curls. Her jade-colored eyes were shining and searching for his, and despite the time of night she held an energy within her that made her even more beguiling. She was a siren and so much more. Killian’s heart leapt at the sight of her, and he moved with purpose to stand beside her. Sparks were too tame a word for what he felt between them. He’d been put under a spell at first sight, an inescapable enchantment, and he had no urge to run. Now he only felt at peace when she was near.
“Emma, love, is everything all right?” he asked, and though she was smiling, she shook her head, stepping into his arms. Her hand came to rest over his heart and his arms encircled her. At last, two fated pieces joined together. The rightness damn near took his breath away.
“No, it isn’t. You couldn’t sleep.”
He fought valiantly to keep his jaw from dropping at her spot on sense of him. How she had surmised this exact scenario from a distance was beyond him. Clearly his love was as brilliant as she was beautiful, but still he was moved to ask for more. “Aye, love. You’re right in that. But how did you know?”
Emma smirked at his question, as if the very premise of his being mysterious was entertaining to her. He didn’t mind though, not when she replied with a searing kiss that breathed life back into him. After only a few hours apart, he had missed this so acutely. This kiss brought their connection back to the forefront. He felt the salve of that, the emptiness from before filled up in an instant. He was slightly dazed as he pulled away but kept grounded by her soft voice and the genuine love reverberating in it.
“I knew because I couldn’t sleep either.” Her whisper was soft but certain. Her eyes moved from his lips to his own gaze, and she hid nothing from him as she continued. “Something was missing. That something is you.”
“I’m so glad you came, love.” He kissed her again, unable to resist, reveling in her being there with him, meeting him beat for beat. Only after a few more moments did rational thinking return. “And Henry? He made it home?”
“Yes. Ruby’s watching him. Her night on the truck ended and she headed right over. But just for a little while.”
“You won’t be staying?” He tried his best to keep the disappoint from his features. It was likely that he failed miserably.
“No, and hopefully you won’t either. Killian…” she trailed off, for the first time off kilter since walking through those elevator doors.
“Whatever it is, Swan, you know I’ll do it. I’d go to the ends of the earth for you.”
Her smile returned and the confidence he saw embodied in her person soothed him too. “I was thinking more like Brooklyn. I’m here to bring you with me. I came to bring you home.”
“You mean…?” He dared not finish the sentence though his hope was rapidly increasing.
“I mean that I love you, and so does Henry. And when you love someone, you want to be with them. You’d do anything for them. I want you, Killian. Now and always. I’m still amazed that I can say that, but you gave me that. You make me braver because you love me. You make me hope for something more, but there’s nothing more that I want than you with me and Henry. So please say you’ll move in with us. Come home with me.”
“I will, love. Without doubt or condition. There’s just one thing…”
He pulled back from Emma and she looked on with curiosity until he got down on one knee, pulling from his pocket a parcel he’d been keeping close for weeks now. When he opened the box to reveal the ring he was desperate to give to Emma, a beautiful diamond encircled with more on a soft white gold band, her hand came up to cover her mouth and tears appeared, threatening to fall. But they were ones of joy and ones of love, and so he carried on.
“I’ve been trying to imagine the words I’d say to you at this moment, love, but I never expected this. I am, as always, stunned by everything you are. How a man could be so blessed I’ll never know, but you, in short, are everything. You came to bring me home, but the god’s honest truth is that home is where you are. In Brooklyn or beyond, I want to be with you, Emma, with you and with Henry. We are already a family in my heart, and I want to make that real in all ways and for the rest of our lives. So, Emma Swan, love of my life, light in my world, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?”
“Yes,” she breathed out. “Forever and ever, yes.”
No sooner were the words spoken than Killian put the ring on her finger and took her into his arms again. Their connection was that of searing heat and the realest adoration. Roaming hands, and loving words blended together into tantalizing action. Losing themselves in each other, they thought of nothing but reveling in the love that they’d found. They stole more precious moments there, stories and stories above the city. But sure enough, sometime later, and just before the dawn, they headed home, eager for the happily ever after they knew was on the way.
………….
It’s crazy how much can change in a year. If someone told me this would be my life, I’d have never believed them.
The thought had Emma smiling as she sat in the back of a town car, holding the hand of her husband and the man who’d been the reason for that change.
Saying yes to Killian Jones’ abrupt proposition at that parent teacher night about a year ago had been something that scared Emma, but she was never more grateful for a decision. That night was the beginning of something more beautiful than she could have ever imagined. A year out, she could look back and say that their road to love was swift and surprisingly easy. She’d fallen fast and hard, and at all the usual points when she’d start to get cagey and run, she only felt certain that this time was different, and that love was worth the risk.
That wasn’t to say that they faced no challenges, because they did, but Emma believed that this relatively smooth sailing was karma for the trials of their pasts. She and Killian had both sacrificed and faced heartbreak, but now they had each other, and they faced each new day together. Being part of a team while still being cherished for who she was on her own meant the world to Emma, and add to that how Killian had stepped so surely into a paternal role for Henry and she couldn’t ask for more. Her kid was happy. Really, truly happy, and together they were a family.
“You know better than that, love.”
Her husband’s voice was gruff and gravely, sending a thrill of anticipation through her. She looked up at him, caught as always by how handsome he was. The heat in his eyes was matched only by the love, and he came closer to her, kissing her lips before dropping a kiss to her cheek and then her neck. She gasped and then sighed out contentedly as he murmured against her skin.
“Your looking this happy and being this close to me tempt me to distraction. I’ve half a mind to tell Gus to head back home”
“Why don’t you?” she asked, just as interested in the idea. Maybe it wasn’t her best Mom moment, but Henry was so open with them both about how school was, and they were already in touch with his teachers… certainly they could skip the formalities or plan a one-on-one meeting down the line.
“And miss the chance to show you off to that miserable mob? Not on your life. Every last parent in that school will know you’re mine. Even if it kills me.”
She looked at him and saw he was serious, and Emma couldn’t help the laugh. At her amusement he looked surprised and then thought the better of his own insistence. He joined in the laughter, but that then devolved into stolen kisses behind the divider of their sleek, luxurious ride. Minutes later they broke apart, the two of them less than presentable for their efforts. She knew she would look thoroughly kissed, and that the lust she shared with her husband would be clear as day to anyone near. Emma wouldn’t be embarrassed for that intimacy though. They were newlyweds, after all. Still, knowing Killian, they’d be making out like teenagers for the rest of their days.
“What if we compromise?” Emma finally asked, running her fingertips against the scruff of his beard as she looked up to him.
“I’m listening.”
“I’ll trade you thirty minutes of attention for the teacher’s opening update, but the second that bell rings for break out spots, it’ll be me, you, and Ruby and Elsa’s food truck.”
“The food truck wasn’t exactly my plan, Emma.” His eyes roamed over her figure and left a trail of fire in their wake. “I had a rather different hunger on my mind.”
“Mmmm.” She hummed out agreement as his lips came back to those spots that teased her most. His hands ran over her waist and then the small of her back and she leaned into him before remembering herself.
“Trust me, we’ll both need the sustenance for what I’m planning to reward you with later.”
She’d done her best to be seductive, and she knew she’d accomplished her goal. Instantly he’d tensed up, but his hold on her tightened. He let out a groan of anticipation and delight before nodding and stealing another kiss.
“Sold. But remember, love, if we want those sixty years together you’ll need to show some mercy. A weaker man may not survive your remarkable rewards.”
“You’re not going anywhere,” she replied happily. “And I know that you’re up for the challenge. You always are.”
They sealed that truth with a final kiss, before Killian pulled out his phone, typing something out Emma couldn’t see. It didn’t phase her in the slightest. Killian had a company to run, the same way she had her business, and though he did everything he could to keep that firmly at work, sometimes duty called. She was surprised then when he grinned and showed her his screen. It wasn’t work at all. He’d sent a text to his brother about their plans for the evening, and Liam had responded with a picture. It was of Elsa and Arabella in the back of the food truck, both with aprons on prepping something delicious for the evening’s fare. They were both so happy, and Emma would bet anything Liam was as smitten as he ever was with her friend and his daughter.
“Don’t even bother reaching out to Graham,” she joked. “He doesn’t let Ruby out of his sight these days.”
“With a child on the way you can hardly blame him. His wife is… how to put this delicately… exuberant and prone to accidents.”
Emma laughed again, knowing that was true. Ruby and Graham had met through her and Killian a few weeks after their first date, and if she and Killian had fallen fast, they were nothing to their friends. Within two months, Ruby and Graham had married in a last-minute elopement up in Maine. Emma, Killian, and Henry were in attendance. Ruby was pregnant only a month after that. She was getting ever closer to her due date, but Ruby was unfazed. She was still a constant ball of energy and prone to a bit of clumsiness. But Graham didn’t mind. He loved being by her side, enabling his wife’s wilder ways while protecting her and keeping her safe.
“Very gracious of you, Captain.” Emma’s whispered nickname for her husband had his eyes fogging over with lust once more, but she’d timed this perfectly. Right at that moment the car rolled to a stop and their driver let them know they’d arrived. Killian’s low growl and promise for pay back later was enough to get her through the evening’s lunacy.
The parents at Henry’s school were still completely obnoxious, but Emma watched in wonder as the treatment she received turned on a dime. Killian and her being together had clearly vaulted her to a higher status. Gone were the days of open set downs and gossip at her expense. Now they whispered, but it was more in awe and surprise than anything else. Despite the strangeness of it all, her husband handled it perfectly. His cold and commanding manner shouldn’t have been such a turn on, but it was, especially because Emma knew the warmth of the real man beneath. He shared that warmth at times tonight too, especially to Henry’s teacher and the parents of Henry’s other school friends. Soon enough the bell rang, and this time they both knew the plan. They made their escape and walked over to the same spot they had that fateful night.
“Well, if it isn’t Mr. and Mrs. Jones,” Ruby said in greeting, hanging out of the side of the truck when she saw them. Graham was there too, holding her steady with a mildly amused look on his face. As they reached the window Ruby offered some more free assessments. “By the way, I don’t think you two are going to be the only ones with that name for long. Liam and Elsa are giving big proposal energy today.”
“Ruby!” Elsa’s voice from inside the truck sounded somewhat embarrassed. It was unsurprising when she came into sight and her cheeks were flushed. “Hi guys. Ignore her. It’s the hormones.”
Ruby scoffed at the thought before sassing back. “Honey, it’s not the hormones. It’s the facts.”
“She’s not wrong, love.” This came from Liam, who had given Emma and Killian a mere nod of acknowledgement at their arrival. Elsa’s blush deepened, but she only smiled when Liam kissed her quickly. Yeah, if Emma had to bet, she’d give them a week, maybe two before an engagement arrived. Even that felt like a stretch
“Mom! Dad! You made it!”
The welcome call came from Henry who was bounding up with his now cousin and best friend, Arabella. Anna, who had been watching him tonight, was behind them, resolved to their exuberance but still entertained at their constant energy. Emma was glad to see her kid, and still felt the warmth of how close he was with Killian too. Every time Henry called him Dad, her heart skipped. It had been a regret she long carried, that the man who gave her Henry was so unfit to be a parent. She knew she could love Henry enough for two, but it was different now. Henry had even more support and love, and no kid could deserve that more.
“Of course we did, kid.” Emma pulled her son into a firm hug. Holding onto these precious moments where he was still small and loved the affection. “We couldn’t miss a party like this.”
“To be fair, it’s kind of what we do most Wednesdays,” Arabella said, and Killian pulled his niece into his own hug, before nuzzling her hair for the bit of sass.
“How was the parent night?” Liam asked. Unlike Emma and Killian, Liam had no interest in making an appearance at the school. He’d already had a number of appointments with all of Arabella’s teachers. After years of long spells away, he was now incredibly involved. Thus, he knew everything he needed to without having to brave the barbs of Manhattan’s elite.
“Successful,” Killian replied, pulling Emma in closer. She shook her head but couldn’t hide the smile at his lingering possessiveness
“They got the message then?”
“Aye. Every last one of them.”
“Good man. Well I think this calls for celebration.”
“Does it?” Emma joked, exchanging a look with her friends, both of whom laughed quietly. Their men were sometimes beyond understanding.
“I think it does. And I have an idea of how we can. I just finished the new installment at the gallery and –,” Graham had no chance to finish before Ruby had hit him full force in the chest with a flailing arm. The impact was hard enough to take his breath and prompt a loud ooof.
“It’s done?! And you didn’t tell me?!”
“Surprise,” he said, playing up the wheezing that her hit created. Ruby was beyond hearing him. She was in crowd control mode making a well-received announcement. Due to an unforeseen need to close, everyone in line was having dinner on the house and then the truck would be back tomorrow. People were thrilled, as was the soup kitchen nearby. Anna offered to drive the truck for the delivery to the local charity and meet them at the gallery after. This was enough for the rest of them, who brought their dinner to eat picnic style at the exhibit, and they all set out for Graham’s place.
Everyone was excited for the prospect of what Graham had made. Despite questions from Ruby and the kids, he had been rather hush hush about the new show. Some time later, when they all finished their take out in the front room and entered the exhibit, they realized why. The title of the show was ‘Love in New York’ and it was a deeply personal testament to the feeling everyone searched for.
At Graham’s last exhibition, Emma had been amazed at the layers of materials and mastery involved. This time lived up to that as well. There was an intricacy of beauty here that defied understanding. It was shocking that one man could create so much, but Emma knew underneath the cool and easy going façade he was a man of deep passion. He had to be to keep up with Ruby. But Graham was also gifted with an ability to capture perfect moments. A story of depth and richness could be told with a single image or expressive work of art.
For nearly an hour they moved through it together, breaking up unconsciously into different groups. Graham and Ruby took their time together, with Ruby lost in the world her husband had created. She was rarely quiet, but in the face of this work she was so consumed she could do nothing but admire and feel and rejoice. Elsa and Liam also took in each part, with Henry and Arabella sticking together. Emma stuck close to Killian, knowing each piece spoke more surely to her because she loved him so much.
“Hey that’s us!”
Henry was right, and as Emma and Killian approached where he stood, the art piece in question came into view. It was an image of Emma and Killian with Henry on their wedding day. The three of them were together, laughing about something, and it felt like a perfect moment. The happiness was so clear, and so was the affection. They had all been so ready to take the next step, and their end of summer wedding on the beach near the ocean was exactly what they wanted. The most amazing part was that this was a completely unseen scene for Emma. She remembered the moment, but the photographer never caught it, at least not like this. The hyper-realistic painting held so much depth and emotion. It was incredible. Emanating outwards from there was also a mural-like collection of shells and metallic colored flowers. The effect was heavenly, and it felt like their wedding day, suspended in a magic that could never be recreated.
“Graham, it’s remarkable. I can’t believe it. It’s… it’s just perfect,” she finally said, thanking her friend. He accepted her hug and all of Henry’s praise. Emma expected her husband to agree, but when he remained quiet she looked at him. His face was fierce. Uh oh.
“There’s no way you’re selling that to anyone but me. Swear it to me, Graham.”
Graham laughed loudly before gesturing to the plaque beneath the piece. Inscribed there was the note ‘For Killian, Emma and Henry. A gift for your wonderful day and your new family.’
“Crisis averted,” Ruby joked and Emma looked back to Killian who was speaking to Graham, but whose eyes were still trained on the image. She could see the depth of his reaction to it.
“Barely,” Emma whispered. Killian then looked to her and she smiled. Only then did her husband exhale and smile back. With a quick thanks to Graham, he headed back and took her hand.
“I’ve spoken to Liam and Elsa. They’re eager to have Henry for the night with Arabella.”
“Oh really?” she asked, teasing him by pretending that wasn’t fabulously welcome news. Despite it being a school night, the kids were good about bed time, and since Liam had bought a town house right beside their new home, it would be easy to get Henry ready for the next day come morning.
“Aye, love. And I think, all things considered, I’ve been tremendously patient.”
“Hmm.” She caved when his arms looped around her and smiled. “I’m tempted to agree. Alright, Captain. Take me home.”
“As you wish.”
………….
There I was again tonight
Forcing laughter, faking smiles
Same old tired, lonely place
Walls of insincerity, shifting eyes and vacancy
Vanished when I saw your face
All I can say is, it was enchanting to meet you
Your eyes whispered, "Have we met?"
'Cross the room your silhouette
Starts to make its way to me
The playful conversation starts
Counter all your quick remarks
Like passing notes in secrecy
And it was enchanting to meet you
All I can say is, I was enchanted to meet you
This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
The lingering question kept me up
2 AM, who do you love?
I wonder 'til I'm wide awake
And now I'm pacing back and forth
Wishing you were at my door
I'd open up and you would say, "Hey"
It was enchanting to meet you
All I know is, I was enchanted to meet you
This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
That this night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
This is me praying that
This was the very first page
Not where the story line ends
My thoughts will echo your name, until I see you again
These are the words I held back, as I was leaving too soon
I was enchanted to meet you
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you
This night is sparkling, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, blushing all the way home
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
This night is flawless, don't you let it go
I'm wonderstruck, dancing around all alone
I'll spend forever wondering if you knew
I was enchanted to meet you
Please don't be in love with someone else
Please don't have somebody waiting on you
Post-Note: So there we have it. I hope that it lived up to the hopes that some of you had for a sequel to this story. I so rarely come back to these mixtape stories, but with my writing being as infrequent as it has been, I’ve decided to follow my muse wherever she leads. I sincerely hope that you all enjoyed this, and if, like me, you’ve been feeling the stress and anxiety of this time in the world, I hope this story sparked some joy. Keep your heads up everyone, and just know I’m sending you love and all good things, xE
Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9,Part 10,Part 11, Part 12,Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22, Part 23, Part 24,Part 25, Part 26, Part 27, Part 28, Part 29, Part 30, Part 31,Part 32, Part 33, Part 34, Part 35, Part 36, Part 37, Part 38,Part 39,Part 40, Part 41, Part 42, Part 43, Part 44, Part 45,Part 46,Part 47, Part 48, Part 49, Part 50, Part 51, Part 52, Part 53,Part 54,Part 55, Part 56, Part 57, Part 58, Part 59, Part 60,Part 61,Part 62, Part 63, Part 64, Part 65, Part 66, Part 67, Part 68,Part 69,Part 70, Part 71, Part 72, Part 73, Part 74, Part 75,Part 76,Part 77, Part 78, Part 79, Part 80, Part 81, Part 82, Part 83,Part 84,Part 85, Part 86, Part 87, Part 88, Part 89, Part 90,Part 91,Part 92, Part 93, Part 94, Part 95, Part 96, Part 97, Part 98,Part 99,Part 100, Part 101, Part 102, Part 103,Part 104, Part 105,Part 106, Part 107,Part 108, Part 109, Part 110,Part 111, Part 112,Part 113, Part 114, Part 115,Part 116, Part 117, Part 118,Part 119,Part 120, Part 121, Part 122, Part 123,Part 124, Part 125,Part 126, Part 127, Part 128,Part 129,Part 130, Part 131,Part 132,Part 133, Part 134, Part 135, Part 136, Part 137, Part 138,Part 139,Part 140, Part 141, Part 142, Part 143, Part 144, Part 145,Part 146, Part 147, Part 148,Part 149, Part 150, Part 151,Part 152, Part 153, Part 154, Part 155, Part 156, Part 157, Part 158,Part 159, Part 160, Part 161, Part 162, Part 163, Part 164,Part 165, Part 166, Part 167, Part 168, Part 169, Part 170,Part 171,Part 172, Part 173, Part 174, Part 175, Part 176,Part 177, Part 178, Part 179 , Part 180, Part 181, Part 182, Part 183, Part 184, Part 185, Part 186, Part 187, Part 188, Part 189, Part 190, Part 191, Part 192, Part 193, Part 194, Part 195, Part 196, Part 197, Part 198
Tagging some friends who may enjoy: @kmomof4 @jennjenn615 @resident-of-storybrooke @winterbaby89 @teamhook
#captain swan#captain swan fic#captain swan ff#captain swan au#cs fic#cs#cs ff#cs fluff#cs au#emma swan#killian jones#the jones family#the whole storybrooke gang#cs meetcute#ouat fic#ouat#ouat ff#the captain swan mixtape#the cs mixtape#cs mixtape#enchanted#to meet you
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Peter Pan Imagine/ Crisses
“Hey Killian” you say walking into Emma’s house uninvited once again but she never minded, you were her little daughter.
“Oh hey Y/n. What happened?” He said sounding concerned
“What? Nothing I’m fine.” You laugh and walk into the kitchen
He followed you
“Don’t you think you and your mom should talk? Or me and you?” He said
“… okay, so how’s it been in Storybrook?” You smiled opening the fridge
“Not about that, I mean what’s going on with you laddie? How’s Neverland, you, Pan?” He sat on the chair
“Why do you ask?” You said pouring you some juice
“We know you’re having some sort of problem, you never come over unless you and him fight and you’ve been coming over quite often, which we don’t mind at all but-“ was all he could say before you interrupted
“Im fine Killian, it’s not a big deal.” You said with a little bit of attitude
“Since when does depression episodes mean nothing?” He blurted out
Your eyes widen, you only wrote that in your diary, which was in your journal, in your room, in your makeup dresser. Even though you moved out of Emma’s house she kept your stuff since you would come for the holidays and visit.
“Where did you get that from?” You folded your arms
“Oh!” He chuckled nervously and scratched his head “Must’ve popped into my head.”
“You mean you and mom popped into my dresser and went through my shit.” You said angrily
Just then Emma and the gang came in the house and saw you two tensed up
“Sissy!” Was all you could hear from Henry
But you didn’t even glance his way, you were pissed
“First of all it was an accident your mom was cleaning your room and confined in me.” He said gesturing to Emma pointing kindly to her
“What we’re we supposed to do Y/n? We were all concerned.” Emma said walking towards you
“You don’t even talk to us.” Mary Margret said
“Maybe it was none of your business , what’s next are you going to intrude Neverland and look through my belongings there too?” You snapped at everyone and walked upstairs to your old room
“Hey I don’t like how you’re talking to me right now!” Emma yelled at you
You stopped and turned around towards her “ I don’t like how you’re invading my privacy !” You yelled back and walked more upstairs
“I’m your mom Y/n I could invade all I want!” She shouted following you, as well as the others
As you’re about to open your door Emma yells at you once again “I’m not done talking to you!”
“Well I’m done listening!” You said as you slam the door in her and your whole family’s face
Emma sighs
“Killian I need you for this one, the rest of you should stay back.” She said
Killian and her walk into your room.
“See you don’t even knock.” You said raising your hands “ You both have no respect for me.” You said
“Respect?.” Killian said, he had it with you, he was about to tell you how he really felt.
“Don’t you dare tell me about respect! You’re yelling at your mother and your family, slamming doors. What happened to you little girl?” He said more sad than angry
Killian had watched you blossomed from when you were 10 to 16.
“I’m not a little girl anymore!” You yelled at him
“Oh…” he said sadly
“I’m sorry.” Was all you could say, you could see how much that crushed him
“I’m sorry too.” He wiped his face, not knowing what to say before he walled out of your room
You followed him
“Killian I don’t mean to hurt your feelings, I’m just, maturing now, I mean I live with Peter and the boys, I have my own life now. You don’t need to know every little problem.” You said
“Why not? You used to come to me for every little thing, pan problems, fighting problems, hunting problems, hell even girl problems.” He put his hands on his pockets
“ I know but, that’s before I moved to Neverland, when you were my age did you tell your parents about all your problems?” You folded your arms
“Aye-aye you got me there laddie.” He chucked a bit.
“Killian if there’s a serious problem you know I’m gonna come to you, I always do.” You said with a smile
“And I’ll be here for you too laddie.” He smiled at you
#robbie kay#peter pan#ouat#once upon a time#peter pan imagine#peter pan request#peter pan imagines#peter pan stories#neverland#fandom#imagines#ouat peter pan#once upon a time imagine#robbie kay peter pan#peter pan fandom#ouat imagines#peter pan ouat#ouat fanfiction#ouat fandom
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Any Emma and Elsa headcanons? I personally really adore their friendship in s4, and I’m kinda bummed they didn’t ever mention it again after the Frozen gang leave Storybrooke.
(Side note- Elsa was 100% one of the OG swanqueen shippers lol. Just look at all the effort she went to, trying to patch up Regina and Emma’s friendship. And that scene where Emma and Elsa try to piss off Regina in her vault during the ‘Shattered Sight’ episode was GOLD!)
oh i agree you with you completely. the minute elsa saw emma and regina in the same room together, she was on a mission to get them together and we love her for it
so in my head, regina eventually starts to open up more communication between storybrooke and other realms, and they start figuring out easy ways for people to visit the EF or camelot or arendelle or wherever
(they also figure out ways to send mail between the different realms which turns out to be very helpful)
it starts off really slow. not many people take the opportunity to travel right away, but emma immediately wants to go visit elsa
elsa was one of the first people she truly felt like she could call a friend, you know? emma can count on about one hand the number of people she’s felt teuly understand her, and elsa is one of them
visiting elsa is not a family affair because they are trying this new thing where they don’t leave storybrooke in the hands of random townspeople, but emma, regina and belle take the trip to a arendelle
their visit comes as a surprise to elsa, but she’s thrilled because emma really was her friend, and she hasn’t really had too many of those
after they say their hello’s, it takes elsa about two seconds to realize emma and regina have finally gotten their shit together, and if they thought their family was excited, well, elsa’s a whole different story
it’s really as if elsa’s otp has gotten together and she is thrilled
(because she didn’t really get the chance to talk to regina much during her stay in storybrooke, she takes this visit as a chance to get to know her a bit more and she’s even more convinced emma and regina were made for each other by the time they head back to storybrooke)
elsa isn’t someone they talk to everyday, because…you know, they live in entirely different realms. but she is considered a family friend and when they get the chance every so often, they take the opportunity to visit and catch up (elsa also comes and visits storybrooke occasionally)
but yeah, elsa will always be this important figure in emma’s life because not only was she one of her first true friends, but she was also one of the first people to tell emma that it’s ok for her to be emma swan and even if it took emma a little time to get there, she’ll forever be grateful for elsa’s presence during that time in her life
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verses (more to be added at a later date):
SKY HIGH: set during and after the movie. see here for the lore.
SKY U: main timeline. (sky high & sky u have been folded into the marvel continuity on this blog and i will write a post on that later.) khione has graduated from sky high and is now enrolled in sky u. but of course the life of a hero in training is never easy. it wasn't in high school and it won't be in college slash university, either.
THE BOYS / GEN V: khione has been injected with compound v much like her parents before her. she's got access to cryokinesis and hydrokinesis, though. she's currently enrolled in god u and, due to her parents, chose the crimson countess track despite the fact that she's got what it takes and actually wanted to try her hand at getting into the lamplighter track. while people called her freeze girl in high school, these days, her chosen hero name is frostbite.
INVINCIBLE: third gen with hydro/cryo abilities. goes to the same school as mark and samantha. declined an invitation to join the teen team and joined up with the stronghold six, which then turned into the stronghold seven.
MARVEL: main universe. mutant with hydro/cryo abilities. think iceman. (she wants to meet iceman so bad.) her parents wanted to send her to xavier's but ended up relenting when khione made it clear that she wanted to go to sky high and sky u (but that win came with a price).
the gifted: a mutant with hydro/cryo abilities. she's with the mutant underground and has made a sizable donation (it's not like her parents will miss the money.)
DC: metahuman with hydro/cryo abilities. think caitlin snow. except khione's had hers since birth. she has an undisputed love for ice heroes and ice villains.
THE UMBRELLA ACADEMY: has hydro/cryo abilities. her parents - who have similar powers - run in the same affluent circles as allison.
DESCENDANTS: a well known auradon born. daughter of two retired heroes (permafrost and ganga) who have been planning out her entire life. her parents are
TEEN WOLF: third gen ice (and water) elemental who has lived in beacon hills since forever. it doesn't take her that long to figure out that werewolves are a thing. she's not part of any pack but wouldn't balk at helping out if need be. has a soft spot for scott mccall and the mccall pack as a whole.
TWILIGHT: vampire who has a combination of hydrokinesis and cryokinesis as her special ability. comes from a long line of vampires with similar abilities.
FIRST KILL: legacy who comes from a long line of vampires with extra abilities: her dad is a cryokinetic and her mom is a hydrokinetic. khione has inherited both powers, which is great. she's also inherited their enemies, which is not so great.
TVD: third gen ice (and water) elemental who is around jeremy's age and has been posing as an ice witch so far. not really part of the mystic falls gang but wouldn't say no to helping them either.
THE ORIGINALS: third gen ice (and water) elemental who is wandering around new orleans in search of her friends.
LEGACIES: third gen ice (and water) elemental, starts out at mystic falls high but ends up transferring to salvatore's when her powers get exposed. thinks malivore is a dumb name. not part of the super squad or the anti squad but helps both out if need be. she mostly hangs out with the stronghold six (and when she joins the group as their seventh and final member, the name changes from the stronghold six to the stronghold seven).
COBRA KAI: khione is trying her best to stay out of the karate war, lest anyone finds out that she actually has powers. but her parents want her to get lessons from daniel, specifically, because he's so well known. khione would really rather not, though.
ONCE UPON A TIME: khione arrives in storybrooke much like elsa did in season four, turning storybrooke into a winter wonderland. the young elemental is only here for one thing and one thing only: finding her friends.
#verses.#freeze girl / sky high.#freeze girl / sky u.#freeze girl / the boys.#freeze girl / gen v.#freeze girl / invincible.#freeze girl / marvel.#freeze girl / dc.#freeze girl / the umbrella academy.#freeze girl / descendants.#freeze girl / teen wolf.#freeze girl / twilight.#freeze girl / first kill.#freeze girl / the vampire diaries.#freeze girl / the originals.#freeze girl / legacies.#freeze girl / cobra kai.#freeze girl / once upon a time.#queue.
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I've got it!! (OUAT, [BBC] Merlin, and GO fans listen up!)
Some may know I'm working on my 3 way crossover fic with Once Upon A Time, Good Omens, and Merlin. Well, I have a name now!
It's called Once Upon An Omens (OUAO or Upon!Omens) - There's no Merlin mentioned in it, but that's the best I could come up with.. BUT TRUST! There is Merlin majorly in it.
Now how will I cross these over? Good question!
I'll be starting with Arthur in Storybrooke after the curse was removed (planning to make Arthur the Fireman Chief cause that's the best role for him and never really mentioned in OUAT). Basically, once the curse is broken, he is freaking out trying to find Merlin.
Merlin then senses Arthur's presence in the world and checks the lake, not seeing him anywhere or sensing him anywhere. Then, he goes to Aziraphale and Crowley (post S1, pre-S2) to share this information.
(Background on Aziraphale and Crowley knowing Merlin cause Aziraphale was a part of Arthur's round table and Crowley cause later when Merlin is idling for Arthur to be back they both (Aziraphale and Crowley) befriend him).
Basically, the Storybrooke gang is surprised to know that Arthur is there (I like to imagine the curse snatched him to Storybrooke). So there will be a whole thing with that. The enchanted forest might(?) Happen for some plot reasons I want to do so I can align with the plot of OUAT since that one is the only one that's not at a stopping point (it never is tbh).
:D
#long post#good omens#aziraphale#crowley#aziracrow#good omens fanfiction#once upon a time#ouat#ouat fanfiction#once upon a time fanfiction#emma swan#regina mills#mary margaret blanchard#snow white#prince charming#bbc merlin fanfic#bbc merlin#merlin fanfic#merlin#arthur pendragon
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Evan spends a lot of her time, once the Gang go to the underworld, at the Convent. She is in no state to deal with the whole mess that is her parents being stuck in Storybrooke, so she hides away, taking care of baby Hood and the others with Blue.
She's there the day Hades has Rumple open the portal. She's the first to realize Blue isn't Blue, and she get's sucked down to UnderBrooke with Belle, Zelena and the baby.
While she's in UnderBrooke, she runs into various characters from Derek and Odette's past, mainly King William and Rothbart.
At first, she doesn't know the kindly old man she's speaking to is her grandfather, be he does. He can see his daughter in this girl's eyes and smile.
But Rothbart, he's very aware who Evan is. He bides his time, watching the Heroes. Then, just before they leave, he uses a bloodmagic of his own creation to tether his soul to Felix's feathers that Evan had been wearing the day she was brought to the Underworld, to make an escape of his own.
But his spirit is weak once they make it top side so it takes him a long time to gain the strength to wreak havoc on the living. So long, in fact, he has to summon Derek and Odette back to Storybrooke for his revenge.
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Okay so I feel really bad about the fact that all yalls guesses for the last art wip I posted were actually BETTER than what it's actually for 😅
I'm gonna tell you guys what it is. Please bear with me because it's a completely self indulgent au and probably won't even be that great XD
Drum roll pls
*drumming noises*
Arcadia Oaks, South California: One year after the Arcane Order’s defeat.
“How did he just disappear!?” Archie demanded.
“We don’t know!” Claire said, voice shrill. “He went looking for a way to get you out of the Hong Kong Trollmarket, and then a few weeks later we lost contact with him!”
“Archie, how did you escape that dreaded place?” Blinky asked.
“I’m not sure.” Archie admitted, pacing. “I just remember waking up next to my father in his den.” He looked at Jim. “Where was he last going?”
Jim was looking back through the texts Douxie had sent him before he’d dropped off the face of the planet. “A town in Maine. A place called… Storybrooke.”
“Storybrooke? Sounds like a made up place.” Stuart supplied.
“Real place.” Toby called. “I just googled it. Really small town. There’s no way Douxie could have just disappeared there.”
“Well,” Jim said, picking up Excalibur. “If I know Douxie, he’s gotten himself into trouble.” He looked at his friends. “Gear up gang. Let’s go find our wizard.”
That's right! A once upon a time au/crossover!
The art wip was Douxie being a mad lad and threatening Rumplestilstkin because he pissed him off.
I spent like an hour coming up with a whole Plot to the au. I have no regrets
#honey's art#tales of arcadia#wizards tales of arcadia#hisirdoux casperan#toa wizards#toa trollhunters#trollhunters tales of arcadia#toa 3below#3below tales of arcadia#toa#jim lake jr#claire nuñez#archie#blinkous galadrigal#tobias domzalski#toby domzalski#stuart toa#once upon a time#ouat#once upon a time au#ouat au#crossover#fairytale drama#fairytale drama au#yes thats what its called now XD
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Oooh, I'm very curious to see what you have going for that Manifest fic!
kmomof4 asked:
Manifest, please!!!
snowbellewells asked:
I bet you will not be at all surprised to hear that I am dying to know anything about the Manifest AU that you have not already shared. (It is such a brilliant fic idea!)
However, I’d also love to hear more about #10 The Alt S1 divergent idea with a cursed Killian in SB (I’m always a sucker for those… 😉)
Well, it seems unanimous. Everyone wants to know about the proposed Manifest AU.
Unfortunately, I don't have a whole lot to tell you about this potential fic. I was hoping to get a better idea about what exactly happened in Manifest, and what caused it before I could fully develop an AU based on it, but it seemed like with every episode of that show, the mystery only deepened.
But in a spirit of answering your question (aka, making it up as I go, lol), here are my rough thoughts:
At the end of 3a, the gang aren't successful in stopping Pan's curse. As in canon, Emma and Henry leave SB, because they aren't sure what might happen to Henry, since he wasn't involved in the original curse. Hook goes with them (mainly just because I want him to, lol). Neal doesn't (mainly just because I don't want him to, lol). Regina gives them some sort of false backstory, because they won't be able to remember SB once the curse hits.
They take a plane, planning to start a new life in New York, but halfway through the flight, there's some sort of a disturbance, a la Manifest. Whatever it is that happened, their memories are restored, and they decide to go back to SB to defeat Pan/find a way to break the curse/etc.
Though it seems like it's only been a matter of a few hours to them, when they get back to Storybrooke, they learn that actually five years have passed. Things in SB are...not good. Pan has decided to make SB the new Neverland, after all.
That's honestly about as far as I've gotten. I have a few other very broad ideas about a plot idea/trope I want to use, but it would be too spoilery to lay it out here.
Now, in this story, obviously Pan would be the big bad. (I felt like he was great as a villain, and it would be fantastic to utilize him again.) What his endgame is, why he needed to get rid of CS, and why he messed with time in that way, I don't know yet, unfortunately. And of course, until I know that, it will be hard to figure out how the heroes will defeat him. All I know is that CS is pivotal to it, and True Love will probably play an important role.
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This is my entry for the CSSNS21 challenge!
It's a Modern College AU set in the omegaverse, and the gang attends Storybrooke University's Annual Beltane Festival, a springtime celebration of nature and fertility. Killian’s keeping a big secret, and it’s about to change Emma’s whole world… (warning: extra steamy)
https://archiveofourown.org/works/32868550
I couldn't have done this without the help of two wonderful ladies: @spartanguard , for her beautiful artwork, and @kmomof4 for being the most generous 11th hour beta in the world! xoxo
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The Bast Bad Idea (Part 2)
Three-part CS AU where Emma and Killian are doctors working at the same hospital (world without pandemic). They’ve yet to meet, but Emma has definitely seen the sexy Dr. Jones in her travels at Mist Haven Medical. It’s generally a bad idea to get involved with a colleague, but a little fantasizing never hurt… right? Inspired by the song ‘Bad Idea’ by Ariana Grande and a TV couple who set the bar for true love stories.
Part One Here. Story available on FF Here and AO3 Here.
A/N: Hello everyone! First and foremost, I want to start with a huge thank you to all of you who have reached out about this story. The response was so far beyond what I was expecting, but I am thrilled to know that all of you enjoy a CS Doctor AU as much as I do. As someone who grew up watching Grey’s Anatomy, it’s essentially engrained in my DNA to love a medical romance, and this story is one I have wanted to write for a long time. I’ve had more than a month away from writing thanks to my busy schedule, but finally my muse came to play and add a bit of fluff to this sweet short story. Chapter two picks up with a critical question – what was Dr. Jones going to propose to Dr. Swan…? Without further ado, here is our answer. Thanks for reading and hope you enjoy!
“This might be presumptuous of me, love, but I find I’m helpless to resist. I was wondering – that is, I was hoping that perhaps, you and I, we could…”
His eyes strayed down to her lips, and Emma wet them absentmindedly. She heard a low growl, and realized it was coming from Killian. She shifted in her seat, turned on in a way she had never been before. Instinctively she moved closer, sensing the sinfully sweet current between them, like lightning just before it cracked across a summer sky. The instant attraction was breathtaking. It felt almost out of time and space.
“We could…” she continued, nudging him along and hoping he would elaborate. She wanted so badly for him to say aloud what she herself was wishing for.
Yet where Emma expected words, she was instead met with action, tantalizing and surprising, but inspiring something in her she never expected. Before she knew it, Emma was in Killian’s arms, aching for this moment, kissing him and knowing she was positively senseless. All that existed was this kiss, this touch. It was electrifying and invigorating, a blaze rushing through her blood stream that emboldened a part of her she’d always held back. Desire. That was what this was, and it was luscious and intoxicating.
Following his lead, Emma broke away from the kiss only to gasp for air as he crowded her body against the wall. The hardness of the cement blocks behind her, coupled with the heat and definition of Dr. Killian Jones was too much to handle. She arched into him, striving for contact, and reveling in the feel of his skin on hers. The only problem was these damn clothes between them. Never in her life had she been irritated at this doctor’s coat she’d worked so hard to earn. For years she studied and poured everything she was into medicine, all for the authority this coat portrayed, but she practically purred when Killian stripped hers off and tossed it to the ground. Pushing his off of his body in return made her mind race. The muscles of his chest and arms were driving her to distraction. Then they flexed, and she swallowed harshly, earning a deep, decadent chuckle from this man who drove her crazy.
“See something you like, Swan?”
God that cockiness. They’d never had any kind of real conversation before now, but the way he smiled spoke volumes. His air and his persona were dripping in assuredness. Emma used to think that she hated so much confidence, but when it came to Killian, she craved it something fierce. It was somewhat infuriating, the way his eyes shone with mischief and conceit, but it was also hotter than anything she’d ever known. Still, part of her would rather die than admit that aloud. She had her pride, no matter how wrapped up in this moment she may be.
“It’s hard to say,” she replied, her voice sounding out with a shredded silkiness that she’d never heard before. “I haven’t seen much of anything yet.”
“My apologies, love. Allow me to rectify the situation.”
Emma watched as this ridiculously attractive man purposefully teased her. With deft fingers he reached for the base of his scrub top, inching the material higher up his body. The trail of dark hair he revealed was evocative, but it held no candle the shape and tone of those abs underneath. Sweet Jesus, were those real? Emma bit back a groan at the sight, her lip pressed tight between her teeth. It took everything in her to keep her hands from reaching for him. She lay them flat on the wall behind her at her sides instead, but they balled into fists unconsciously as Killian eventually tossed the shirt away.
His black hair was mussed now, both from removing the scrubs with that always-present swagger, and from her fingers having run through it during their never-ending kisses. His eyes were dark navy blue, but still they shone with hunger and delight. His grin was a mix of charming and predatory, but instead of inciting a fight or flight response, Emma only wanted to surrender. This was a man who knew he was in complete control. He had hooked her, totally and beyond any shadow of doubt, and all she wanted was for him to have his way with her.
The curses he whispered while helping her shed her own scrubs were like prayers on high, a sweet song to her ears that only added to his allure. Killian’s eyes never strayed from her, but his reactions were so open and transparent. He hid nothing, allowing her a glimpse to the world inside, and it caused the power between them to shift. If Emma was being hunted, then she was also hunting in return, and Killian seemed ready to be caught.
“Emma, I -,”
His voice faded out, and she struggled to hear him. Instead, there was a blaring alarm. Was this a fire drill? Why had the light in the room gone hazy? Still, Emma heard herself whisper his name.
“Killian?”
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
The screech of the sharp, incessant chiming by her ears wrenched Emma’s eyes open, and immediately she groaned in disappointment. All of that – every exquisite moment – was a dream. Ugh, of course it was! Because this was her life now: fantasizing about a hot trauma surgeon ceaselessly and wishing that her memories of him were more than mere imagination.
“Damn it,” she muttered aloud, covering her eyes with her hand in frustration. With her vision blocked, Emma was more aware of the feeling that her body was wrapped up in her sheets. She’d obviously been tossing and turning through the night, restless in ways she rarely was before seeing Doctor Jones. These freaking dreams just felt so real, and they’d only gotten worse since officially meeting him.
That was three days ago now, but things had been chaotic in the meantime. The level four trauma that came in when they’d been formally introduced totally swamped the ER. Emma was called down for consult on multiple patients, needing to give life and death assessments and treatment plans for half a dozen people. While down there, Emma had the chance to see David and Killian in action. She was struck, even in the grips of adrenaline, by their cohesion and capability. They were cool and collected, battling odds that were dire to say the least, but they prevailed. Emma had worked for years to hone her craft, to heighten her skills, and to meet the moments of medicine that her work provided. But the energy in the ER had shifted, and she felt her own abilities elevated by the camaraderie and collectiveness of everyone in the hospital.
That shared experience only lasted a short while, for after initial inspections and emergency consults, Emma was quickly rerouted to the surgical wing. For 16 hours straight she worked to save the lives of four people, and through something that felt like magic, or maybe divine intervention, she was successful each and every time. That good fortune held, not only for her, but for all of her colleagues as well. The hospital had managed something next to impossible – they had saved every victim of the horrible accident, but the work had been backbreaking. When she’d finally scrubbed out of her last procedure, Emma admitted defeat, heading home and sleeping for twelve straight hours.
Her next shift was markedly slower, and Emma had the chance to see the progress of her post-op patients, and to connect with the others in her unit. It was critically important that the doctors, nurses, admins, tech teams, and other staff were all feeling strong and secure. Patients needed everyone working as a collective whole, and Emma took it upon herself to monitor that. It was unusual for a Doctor, especially one who wasn’t overseeing daily operations, but it mattered to Emma. Saving lives took so much more than her medical degree and steady hands. She needed each and every person in the cardiac wing to be successful, and she valued every one of them for what they brought to the team.
Unfortunately, while Emma’s day was slower and steadier, there was also a favorite element now lacking. She wasn’t too proud to admit that she’d willingly joined Ruby on the daily trip to the coffee cart. Actually, she’d been the one to page Ruby this time, earning more than a bit of teasing from her best friend, but Killian and David never showed. Only later, when Emma was at the tail end of her workday and helping with a consult in the ER, did she learn why.
“He was here for sixty-eight straight hours,” David said bluntly, after having confirmed his diagnosis for a patient presenting with a blood circulation issue.
“I’m sorry?” Emma asked, confused for a moment at David’s turn of topic.
“Killian,” David said, prompting Emma’s face to heat. Here she was, hoping it wasn’t totally obvious that she was looking for a man she hardly knew beyond imaginings, but David had seen through her in a matter of moments.
“Oh, um – that’s, well that’s… crazy. Sixty-eight hours?” That beat even her record, and she’d been called a workaholic on more than one occasion.
“Mhmm. We were on the end of a twelve-hour shift when the call came in and he stayed, until every last patient in the trauma department was seen and attended to. I left for eight hours and was dead to the world the entire time. Still felt laggy when coming back. Meanwhile, he caught maybe four hours sleep total interspersed between rounds, crashing in on call rooms. You’d never know though. He was totally unfazed. Brilliant as ever. It was like being back in the field again.”
“Seriously?” Emma asked, amazed at that. She was no stranger to long shifts, but to work that hard for that long was a herculean feat. Somehow, though, she wasn’t surprised to hear Killian had pulled it off.
“Yup. I had to force him to go back to his hotel. Actually, Regina had to. I tried, but until the Chief said something, he wouldn’t budge. She had to spew all sorts of protocol and legal jargon at him to get him to go. Even then, I could tell he was debating whether to stay or not.”
“He has a real connection with his patients,” Emma commented, vocalizing a fact she’d ascertained by watching him in action. Killian cared deeply, and while his main job may be all about stemming the flow of crisis, and bouncing around from one case to the next just to keep people holding on, he kept track of all those he helped, and invested in each patient no matter what.
“Maybe. I think it had more to do with the fact that it was only eight am and you wouldn’t be at the coffee stand yet.”
Before Emma could respond, David was paged for something else. He’d left her with a polite goodbye, but also a knowing smile. Another time, Emma might have tried to fake that she wasn’t interested or deny that there was something between her and Killian, but instead she was too busy fixating on what she’d just heard. Emma carried David’s assessment around with her for the rest of the day, well after leaving the hospital and heading home. She spent the night wondering if what David said was true. Was Killian as interested in her as she was in him?
“This might be presumptuous of me, love, but I find I’m helpless to resist. I was wondering – that is, I was hoping that perhaps, you and I, we could…”
“We could what?” she whispered, getting out of her car, heading inside to her next shift. “What was he going to ask me?”
“Did you say something, Emma?”
Emma jumped at the unexpected question, senses on high alert as she stood before the elevator in the parking garage. When she found Mary Margaret only a few feet from her, and clearly the orator of the previous question, Emma relaxed slightly. She tried her best not to show her embarrassment, but it was difficult. Now she was talking to herself? Jeez, she was truly losing it at this point.
“Oh, uh, nothing. How are you today?” she asked her friend. Mary Margaret smiled widely. Her excitement was palpable, filling up the elevator car as the two of them stepped inside.
“I’m great! Just eager to get to work.”
“Any interesting cases on the schedule?”
“Oh, uh, sure, there’s a few, I guess. Well really most of my day is going to be in consult with the Chief’s office.”
“Wait a second, you have to spend a prolonged period of time with the Evil Queen and you are smiling? Who are you and what have you done with Mary Margaret?” Her friend now looked flustered, clearly trying to grasp at an explanation and then it dawned on Emma. “This is about David isn’t it?”
“David?” Mary Margaret asked, her pitch higher than it had been just moments ago. Emma laughed at her friend’s terrible play acting. Trying to pretend that this wasn’t about David Nolan was a lost cause. Eventually Mary Margaret realized that, and she sighed, releasing the tension in her shoulders as she exhaled. “Okay, yes, I am seeing Dr. Nolan today.”
“Let me guess, he’s also going to be at the admin meetings.”
“They’re about coordinating long term therapies better with our emergency protocols and treatments. So yes, the head of the ER is likely to make an appearance.”
“I see,” Emma said, biting back a smirk so as not to make Mary Margaret too uncomfortable. In the end though her curiosity won out, and she had to ask. “So, any movement there?”
“Movement?”
“Has he asked you out yet?”
“Not exactly.” Emma waited for her friend to explain herself. Mary Margaret held off for a few seconds before blurting out the truth. “I actually asked him.”
“Really?” Emma was shocked. Not because she thought any less of Mary Margaret. In fact, quite the opposite. She was proud of Mary Margaret for going for what she wanted. She just had never ever seen Mary Margaret step outside of a comfort zone like that, and certainly not with a hospital colleague. “Good for you. And he obviously said yes.”
“Why is it obvious?” Emma rolled her eyes, but in a teasing way.
“Come on, you know you two were making heart eyes at each other the other day. There was a definite spark. We all saw it.”
“I’m honestly surprised you noticed since you had your own, what did you just call them? ‘Heart eyes’? Well, you definitely had heart eyes for a certain trauma surgeon.”
Now it was Emma’s turn to blush, and what perfect timing, because the elevator doors had just opened to the lobby. They exited the quiet of the elevator to a hustle and bustle found only at a top tier hospital. It felt like a swarm of people, buzzing every which way, on their own individual paths.
“David and I going to dinner tomorrow,” Mary Margaret said quietly, looking around and finding no eavesdropping colleagues. When the coast was clear, she smiled, looking back at Emma with excitement all over her face. “That’s all I know though. I may have asked him out, but he made it very clear he had plans for how our first date was going to be.”
“I have a good feeling about this guy,” Emma said, referring to David. She had known Mary Margaret for a long time, and she knew how much her friend wished for a real and solid love in her life. Few people desired and deserved that kind of connection like Mary Margaret, and for Emma, there was a real satisfaction in seeing her friend’s instant connection with a stand-up man. Based on past experience, there weren’t too many of those to go around.
“Which one?” Mary Margaret asked. Emma stammered something non-committal out, causing her friend to laugh once more. “And that right there is all the answer I need. See you later, Emma. Oh, and when you see Killian again, just go for it. Believe me, it’s so much better than waiting and wondering.”
With that, Mary Margaret headed towards the wing of the hospital where the Chief and her admins worked. At the same time, Emma turned her attention to the cardiac unit. She had a ways to go to get there, but while still in the main entrance of the hospital she was stopped short by a gruff, and somewhat uncertain voice.
“Excuse me, Doctor Swan?”
“Yes?” Emma replied, looking to the young man who approached her. Taking in his features, she realized she knew him peripherally. He was one of the new interns cycling through the hospital this year, but he hadn’t worked in the cardio wing or in a surgical capacity. Taking in his lanyard, which bore his ID card over plain clothes, she saw he was an ER intern. Interesting. “Can I help you?”
“This is for you.” The young man offered her a paper box. Emma accepted, thoroughly confused before the intern elaborated. “Curtesy of Doctor Jones.”
“Oh,” Emma said, suddenly incredibly interested. Unable to resist, she opened the box. She didn’t know what she was expecting, but what she found made her smile widely. “These are flowers. Paper flowers.”
“Yes, ma’am. I’m not entirely sure of the significance, but Doctor Jones told me there is a note inside as well. He wanted me to be sure to mention that.”
Emma was more than excited to read what this astonishing man would write to her, but something the intern said reminded her of the awkwardness of this situation. Had Killian used his authority over the interns to have this delivered? It wasn’t a crazy assumption. Many of the residents and attendings here saw interns as the low rungs on the ladder. They were meant to be learning and training, but often they were sent on coffee runs and foolish errands. Emma never believed in that though. She found it unkind and unnecessary.
“To be honest, it was hard to convince Doctor Jones to let me bring these,” the intern said, perplexing Emma further while eerily reading her mind. “I had to offer about a half dozen times. My shift was ending, you see, and I’ve been looking for a way to thank Doctor Jones since he got here. You know he created extra hours in the ER skills lab? He’s working with first years too. We get very little access usually, because the third years are prepping for exams and stuff, but he convinced Doctor Nolan to extend the hours. He’s even hosting classes himself. Cool right?”
“Very cool,” Emma said with a nod, and another smile. She breathed out a sigh of relief, genuinely happy to realize this man she’d been thinking of was good to others. It also made accepting this thoughtful gift so much easier.
From there, Caleb said goodbye, heading out for whatever interns did with down time these days. Oh, who was she kidding? Sleeping. That’s what she’d done, and no doubt that was what all interns still wanted most of all. Emma though, felt more awake now than she had in a long while. She found a quiet corner in one of the corridors leading to the cardio unit and took a seat, opening the box away from prying eyes.
Inside the box there were six different types of what looked like origami flowers. They were beautiful and delicate, and she wondered where he could have bought them. Only when she opened the note did she realize the truth.
Emma,
As you know, I’ve been away for quite a while, out in the field in a completely different world. In the desert there’s not really that much to do, except survive and keep as many of your people as well as you can. The downtime is long and hot and quiet. I picked up these tricks from a fellow soldier. It kept my hands at the ready and my mind clear, and there’s an honest beauty in them that reminds me of you.
Truth be told, there’s a flower for each time I’ve tried to catch you at the coffee cart since our meeting. Clearly my missions have been unsuccessful, so this calls for a change in tactics…
Emma smiled at the thoughtfulness and felt the pull of butterflies low in her chest. He thought she was beautiful, and he said it without fear. Had a man ever said so much? Had it ever mattered? Certainly not like it did now. Reading on, Emma laughed at the lightheartedness of the note and the bit of cheeky humor that accompanied it. His easygoing candor and transparency enchanted her, drawing her in even more than she already was. Then she memorized the time and place he suggested that they meet at the bottom of the page, knowing nothing and no one was going to keep her from this meeting.
Only after reading through his handwritten thoughts three or four times did she realize an added layer of perfection: these flowers weren’t just handmade and crafted with intention. They were also safe for her to take with her to her ward of the hospital. Being in and out of the ICU and cardiac units, Emma couldn’t bring real flowers into her offices without putting some patients at risk, but she could have these. From within the box she selected a bright yellow blossom, beautiful and intricate and folded to perfection. Wordlessly she tucked it away in her pocket. The others were deposited for safe keeping in her office as soon as she arrived back in the East Wing, and displayed on her windowsill, brightening the space.
The hours between the start of her shift and the time she was meant to meet Killian passed by slowly. Her rounds usually distracted her, but not today. While she still gave all due attention to her patients, Emma had that sense in the back of her mind that this afternoon would bring so much more to the forefront. The promise of seeing him again kept her heart pattering faster than it should be, and by the time the clock was minutes from their meeting, she was positively bursting with anticipation.
“Okay, usually I would give you a hard time and pretend to tag along, but even I can’t mess with a smile like that.” Ruby’s words snapped Emma’s focus back to the hallway where she was standing, pretending to read a chart. As she looked to her friend, however, she would never be able to recall what was on the screen in front of her. Ruby grinned when their eyes met. “He gave you the flowers, didn’t he?”
“You knew?” Emma asked and Ruby nodded.
“Yup. Ran into him at the cart a couple of times. He was really starting to piss off the kiosk guy with all his loitering. Had to give him a hundred dollars just to shut him up.”
“He didn’t!”
“No, I wouldn’t let him. I told Boris to shut it unless he wanted a hospital wide nurses strike. Guy knows better than to cross me. He just acts tough for clout.” Emma laughed, knowing her friend truly ran this place in most ways. But then the apprehension of the moment caught up to her again, and Emma’s brow furrowed in worry. “Oh no you don’t. No doubting this, Ems. I’ve vetted this guy. Run all the background, checked all the sources. He’s a good one, a one in a million, needle in a haystack, diamond in the rough kind of man. And, to top it all off, he’s crazy about you.”
“You think?” Emma asked and Ruby nodded.
“I know, but that’s all I’m saying. Let Killian speak for himself, okay? And, even though it’s hard, try and trust this.”
“I think I already do,” Emma whispered. “Trust him, I mean. But that’s crazy, right?”
“Love tends to be that way.”
“Ruby.”
“Emma,” her friend parroted, taking her hand and squeezing gently. “Just go for it. Go for it and see for yourself.”
With a nod, and the validation that she needed to hear from a trusted friend, Emma headed off. It felt natural and expected to make her way towards the center of the hospital once more. This time though, she passed the coffee cart, with only a fleeting glance. Killian wasn’t meeting her there today. In fact, she wasn’t entirely sure where they were meeting. She followed the directions he’d given her, up a few more flights of stairs and through the wing with pediatric patients and newborns. She had been here many times before, for consults and comfort. It was a draw here in the hospital – the cuteness of babies just starting their journeys in the new world. Emma looked at them today, noticing the vibrancy inside the nursery, but didn’t linger. Instead, she followed the last of the route that Killian had given her and ended up somewhere she’d never been before. A place that must have just finished being renovated.
“Wow,” Emma whispered, walking into the sunlight on the open terrace.
With the glass surroundings and the plant life everywhere, this place was beautiful. There were pergolas and hanging vines, topiaries and flowering plants, daffodils and tulips, all breathing in the spring. It felt like a park, floating in the air, with the sounds of the city barely audible below. Emma could imagine the kids and the families who would come here someday. She hoped it would be a space for them to find some peace and happiness while staying in this unfamiliar and often stressful place. Hospitals were rarely any fun for patients, necessary as they may be, but this space was beautiful enough to distract from that.
“You made it, love.” The deep rumble of that familiar voice sent a shiver through Emma’s whole body. She cast a glance over her shoulder, finding Killian, leaning against the stone façade of the building behind them. In his hands were two coffees, and as he moved towards her, he offered her one with a boyish smile. “This is for you. Didn’t want you missing a routine caffeine fix for my sake.”
“Thank you,” Emma said automatically, feeling his fingers brush across hers, sending a zing of awareness through her. Her eyes flashed up to his, and she knew he felt it too. Suddenly she had no want or need for this coffee. She cleared her throat slightly before continuing on. “Where exactly are we? And how, might I ask, does the new guy know about it before I do?”
“It’s the Hubbard Family Wellness Gardens, gifted by one of the hospital’s most loyal benefactors” he said, full of knowledge. Emma was shocked that he actually knew what this place would be but then he smiled, gesturing to the plaque bearing that information. She bit back a laugh. “And as for how I found it, that’s easy. I never leave well enough alone, and I’m curious by nature. I’ve been nearly everywhere in the hospital now, but this place seemed the best for what comes next.”
“What comes next?” Emma asked, her voice hitching up as she repeated the words.
“Aye,” Killian murmured, his tone dipping sensually low. She swallowed harshly as he entered into her space, and he tracked the motion. She felt the heat of his closeness, and caught his scent in the air, clean, and male, and with a hint of spice.
“I’m afraid I didn’t think this through,” he said, close enough to kiss her. God, how she wished he would kiss her. Emma vocalized her first thought.
“Really? I did. Like a lot.”
His smirk told her she’d said that aloud even though she never meant to, but before she could react, he took hold of her cup once more.
“I meant these,” he gestured to the coffee in her hand. Oh, right. “May I, love?”
Emma nodded, and shakily let go of the cup she forgot she was holding. With deft hands, Killian placed their drinks back on a table beside them with far more poise than she could muster at the moment. When that was done, he stepped towards her again, looking at her with a glint in his blue eyes that made her heart skip. His hands came to her body, one to her hip, the other to cup her cheek. The rightness washed over her, and so did the realization that none of her dreams could actually prepare her for real intimacy with Killian Jones.
“Last time we spoke I intended to ask you something. Do you remember?”
“Yes, I remember,” she whispered, her voice hoarse from wanting this so badly. Without thinking, she wet her lips, and he caught the action, letting out a groan that mixed pain with passion and pleasure. Then he cursed, a totally British ‘bloody hell’ falling past his lips before dipping his mouth to hers and giving them both a taste of temptation.
The kiss was… beyond incredible, but Emma was so deep in it she had no ability to comprehend anything at all. She was consumed with the moment, arching against Killian, feeling the silky strands of his dark hair and the scruff of his beard. His kiss was assured and passionate, dominant and indulgent all at once. She succumbed to the sensations, and let the rightness surge within her, not caring at all that they were outside or at work or that they’d just met. Instinct took over, and her gut, which Emma had always trusted, was telling her that this man was even more than she imagined, and someone she should choose to let in.
Pulling back from the kiss, Emma and Killian stayed close, and Emma took stock of all the places they were touching. His hold on her was firm but caring, like she was precious, and he wouldn’t let her slip away. In his eyes she saw so much emotion, and again she was struck by his transparency and trust. He wasn’t shying away from her or the moment. He was in the depths of desire with her, and their kiss, that perfect, sexy as all hell kiss, had left him tongue tied. The quiet wasn’t awkward, but assuring, and Emma felt secure here, safe even, while also being filled with more unknown wonder than she’d ever been before. Like someone at the start of a glorious adventure, she took a next step born of passion and hope.
“I’m off at six tonight… so, you want to pick me up at seven thirty?” she asked, referencing a date he hadn’t actually asked her out on. She feigned ignorance even though she could read him like a book. “Unless you were going to ask me something else…”
His hold on her tightened, and he shook his head immediately. She was right. He wanted a date – and she saw no reason to wait when she wanted one just as badly. She grinned at him, loving how the tables had turned. This time he swallowed harshly, and she was oh so tempted to kiss him again and see if he’d stay shy or rise to her challenge.
“It’s a date, Swan,” he said dazedly.
Emma hummed out her agreement, going in for one last fleeting kiss. But where she meant to only tease, he took the reins again, kissing her senseless and leaving her breathless when they finally broke apart. Only when her pager beeped with an incoming call did they end their inevitable interlude, and as they did, Emma felt a pang of longing, wishing this moment could last so much longer than this.
“Tonight, love,” he whispered, running his thumb against her lips. “Far away as it may seem, I promise the wait will be worth it.”
“Good,” she replied, nipping his thumb ever so softly, and bringing the fire back in his eyes, before taking a step back. And with that, and just enough presence of mind to grab her coffee, Emma headed off, back through the hospital to the work that awaited her, knowing she could and would get through anything today for the promise of tonight.
Post-Note: Ah!! Finally!! I got the words on the page!! I did the thing!! I wrote the story!! And honestly, it’s such a relief. It felt, at some points, like I may never get this chapter written, but finally today it came. I know many of you were waiting, and I cherished every comment and review and message along the way. I hope all of you who wrote me, and those who read along with chapter one, all enjoy this installation. I write these stories for me and to brighten my world ever so slightly, but also in the hopes that they’ll spark joy for others too. In a time like this, a little joy goes an awful long way. Anyway, thank you all for reading, sending you the best, and hope you’ll join me next time for the final chapter of this CS AU! xE
#captain swan#captain swan fic#captain swan au#cs fic#cs#cs au#cs fluff#cs smut#captain swan fluff#cs ff#captain swan ff#captain swan smut#emma swan#killian jones#the whole storybrooke gang#cs doctor au#cs medical au#ouat fic#ouat ff#once fic#once ff#bad idea#bad idea part 2
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In the Still of the Night
Here is my contribution for the Captain Swan Neverland New Year event! You guys, I am so excited to be writing again!!!! Thank you @xhookswenchx for beta reading this baby for me. Kudos to the mods of @neverlandnewyear for thinking up and putting together this treasure that is Captain Swan in Neverland. Tag list at the end, please let me know if you ever want to be removed or added.
Summary: Set after Henry is safe (no Pan switch) but before the gang is able to leave Neverland. When Emma is woken in the still of the night, from dreams of a devilishly handsome pirate captain, she decides she needs a midnight swim to cool off. In which Hook and a daringly open Emma have a meeting of the mind, body, and soul.
Rated M 8K ao3 ffnet Story under the cut, promise
It was the middle of the night when Emma woke, a sweltering, sweaty mess. “Why is this island so fucking hot,” she muttered into the darkness. Having a lascivious dream about Hook had absolutely naught to do with her elevated temperature, it was undoubtedly this goddamn jungle. Now that Pan had been conquered, and Henry was safe, Emma found she was having an increasingly difficult time keeping the smoldering, blue-eyed pirate off of her mind. She needed to get back to Storybrooke, back to some semblance of normalcy... or whatever. She silently cursed Gold for not having found a way to get her father home safely yet.
Ripping the covers from her body, she got up from her bunk below Henry’s and checked on him. Seeing that he was sound asleep, she headed topside. The deck of the Jolly Roger was blessedly deserted. Emma leaned against the railing, looking toward the vast jungle that was Neverland and she shuddered despite the hot, humid air that surrounded her. The shudder wasn’t due to the jungle itself. Since they’d defeated Pan, Hook had shown the group many of the island’s hidden beauties. He had stories for every spot he showed them, some hilarious, some melancholy, some quite ordinary, and others downright terrifying. There were quaint trails, refreshing springs and ponds, fascinating wildlife and vibrant plant life. It was actually quite a dream destination when a maniacal man-boy wasn’t playing psycho.
No, it wasn’t the jungle causing that shudder. She couldn’t get that goddamn kiss off her mind. Emma bit her lip as she reminisced about the way his lips had caressed hers, the way his tongue had slipped into her mouth hungrily but also tenderly. A one-time thing, she’d told Hook. Now if she could just maintain that lie, because that’s what it had been. She really needed Gold to find a way to magic David’s health back so they could get off this god forsaken island already.
She decided that the time for sleep was past, she was wide awake now, with thoughts of that damn pirate. A midnight dip would be ideal, especially while everyone was asleep. Emma left the Jolly Roger and headed toward the secluded pond that Hook had shown them. Once they’d no longer had to worry about being attacked, they’d created a regular schedule for bathing, so everyone had their own time. Luckily, no one’s time was right now.
Traversing quietly through the jungle, Emma admired the beauty around her. The greenery was lush, the effulgent dew made it seem more alive than any plants she’d ever been around. The blossoms surrounding the path were some of the largest she’d ever seen - they were dazzling pinks and oranges. She wondered if she had missed all this in her haste, fatigue, and desperation while finding Henry, or if the jungle had only come to life since the man-child was no more.
She followed the trail Hook had shown them, until she came upon the pond that was shrouded below an overhang at the base of what Hook had referred to as Dead Man’s Peak. The name hadn’t initially inspired comfort in the group, but when David explained to them that the water at the top of the peak was what had cured him, their perspectives changed. Emma swore there must be some restorative properties here at the base because she always felt rejuvenated when emerging from the water.
Stripping as soon as she broke the tree line, she discarded her clothes beneath a tree along the sandy shoreline. Her flesh pebbled as it met the open air, and she felt a freeness as she walked to the water’s edge. She dipped her toes in tentatively, knowing the water would be agreeable as always. Emma was immersed thigh deep before diving down below the surface and swimming toward the middle.
The water sluiced around her body soothingly while she held her breath as long as she could, before breaking the surface. Emma pushed her hair back then ran her hands over her face before opening her eyes. She enjoyed this spot, a sandbar of sorts, deep enough to cover her body, shallow enough that she could still reach, and far enough from all surrounding shore should anyone happen upon her.
The silence that enveloped her was serene and she looked up at the star filled sky. A shooting star floated across the heavens, but just as Emma was about to make a wish, the water beside her opened up as something emerged. The scream that started to bubble up from deep within her, as a hundred thoughts filled her mind on what unimaginable Never-beast this could be, was cut off by a voice she was not expecting to hear.
“Evening Swan!”
“Jesus Christ, Hook!” Emma gasped. Thank god she was in shoulder deep water. “Wait, did you… were you watching when I… you know,” she asked while motioning toward her body.
“Did I what?” Hook asked, genuine confusion furrowing his brow.
“Did you see me undressing?”
“You wound me, Swan… I would never!”
“Oh, tonight you’re the gentleman?”
“I told you, I am always a gentleman,” he claimed in a rich tone as he took a step closer to her. “Spying on a lady as she undresses would be unthinkably bad form.”
“Then where the hell were you?”
“I was underwater.”
“For the whole time?” she asked disbelievingly.
“Aye. I’m a pirate, love, when you live a life on the water, it’s best you be able to hold your breath for longer than the average landlubber. Never know when you might find yourself keelhauled.”
“Landlubber,” Emma scoffed, “I can hold my breath just fine.”
“I’ve no doubt you can, just not as long as meself,” he smirked.
Emma narrowed her eyes at the challenge in his tone. What was it about this man that had her wanting to comply with his every whim? She’d held her breath for as long as she could when she dove into the water, if he’d been under from the time she’d stripped until he popped up to interrupt her wish, that had to be like two full minutes? No way, she thought, he must have come up for air while she was under.
“Bet I can,” she challenged back.
“Is that so?” Hook asked, crowding her a little more, eyebrow cocked in interest. “And just what are the terms of this bet?”
If ever asked under oath, Emma would swear his eyebrows spoke a language all their own. “If I win, I get the Captain’s quarters,” Emma replied, crossing her arms over her chest smugly - as if she’d already won.
“I told you before, Swan, you and the lad should have my quarters.”
“I don’t want it given to me, I want to take it from you.”
“Fine,” he sighed, “such a stubborn lass. And if I win?”
“You tell me,” Emma said with a shrug of her shoulders.
“Hmmmm,” he hummed, as the tip of his tongue swept along his bottom lip. “How about…” he continued, tapping his pointer finger to his lips.
Emma leaned toward him with anticipation as he pondered the terms to set.
“I get to ask you any question I want.”
“Seriously?” Emma sputtered, head tilting to the side, it was rhetorical at best, not an actual question. “You’re taking this gentleman schtick a little over the top. I thought you’d want me to flash my tits or another kiss?”
“I told you, love, I am always a gentleman, and as such, I would never want to take a kiss from you in victory, I want it given to me, willingly. I want you to want it as much as I do.”
Emma blushed as he spoke, damn him for being a chivalrous pirate. “Whatever,” Emma muttered, “I’m winning this bet anyway.”
“So, we have an accord?” he questioned, holding out his hand for her to shake.
“Deal,” Emma said, shaking his hand. “How will we know no one cheated?”
“I do have a code, Swan,” Hook scoffed, “pillaging and plundering, yes; swashbuckling, yes; swindling beautiful maidens, never.” He held his hand over his heart as if he were making a pledge.
Emma smiled at the actual drama queen standing before her, laughing lightly, it felt good. “Okay, so how are we doing this thing?” Hook held up his hand like he was about to take an actual oath, and Emma was half inclined to high-five him, though she was sure that was not his intent.
“Take my hand then,” he prompted, nodding his head toward his hand. Once her fingers were laced with his, he explained that he would count to three and they’d both submerge to the bottom, first one up was the loser, and the winner would know, because the loser would release the winner’s hand to reach the surface for air.
On three they submerged, and Emma could not see a thing. Hook was inches from her, and the only indication was his hand in hers. Feeling the comfort of his grasp in the eerily dark abyss, she pondered over the fact that she’d interlocked their fingers, instead of just holding hands palm in palm. She really needed off this island, she couldn’t be falling for him. Life was too hard for a relationship. Or was it really too hard, the rarely heard from, softer side of Emma Swan’s mind butted in. It could be so easy, this voice told her.
When Hook had told her that he would win her heart without any trickery, Emma’s heart had beat a little stronger just for him, she’d wanted to pull him into her arms to make out right there. Alas, there had still been the issue of her beloved child to save.
Would it really be so bad to let Hook try to win her heart though? He truly was a gentleman, a pirate scoundrel sometimes too, but it was part of his charm. Plus, her lie detector said that everything he’d told her regarding how he felt about her, about what the kiss exposed, it was all true.
Emma’s mind wandered back to Storybrooke, to what it might be like to have someone who understood her, someone who was like her, to spend time with. The squeeze he gave her hand at that moment had her picturing what it might be like to walk through town with him, hand in hand. Was that even something she could still do, be that vulnerable, for the world to see her care for a man? She’d been on her own for so long, independent; free from any man who could hold her heart with the possibility of crushing it.
Suddenly she felt dizzy, head spinning and heart pounding loudly in her ears. Had she held her breath too long, or were her outlandish imaginings too much for her stoic heart? Releasing Hook’s hand, Emma rose to the surface and gulped in the air. Pushing water and hair from her face, she panted deeply. She wondered how long they’d been down there already as Hook continued his underwater mission. Leave it to him to not only win, but really show her up.
A full minute later, Emma began to worry. Unless she’d been down there an inordinately short amount of time, he’d been under for at least two and a half minutes. Was that even possible? Had he passed out in his endeavor to “best her”? She started to actually worry for his health when another thirty seconds passed.
“Goddammit Hook, where are you?” she muttered.
“Miss me, love?”
“Oh, goddammit!” she yelled as she flailed so hard, she was pretty sure she’d just flashed her breasts unwittingly. The bastard wasn’t even out of breath when he popped up right in front of her. “Stop doing that,” she laughed as she pushed his chest. “Why’d you stay down so long, you big showoff?”
“On the contrary, I could feel you thinking down there, the amount of body language just in your hand told me you were contemplating some things. I merely wished to give you enough time to escape, should this game have become too much for you.”
“Escape?” she scoffed.
“Now, now, Swan - we both know of your affinity to run,” he said lightly, no accusations or contempt in his voice.
“Says the pirate who sailed away when asked to be a part of something,” Emma retorted.
“I came back, didn’t I?” he questioned with a raised eyebrow. “You, on the other hand, left me to be eaten by a giant atop that beanstalk.”
“You’re so dramatic,” she laughed. “I made a deal with Anton to release you after ten hours, I just needed a head start, in case you…” Emma’s voice lowered to a whisper, not wanting to voice her early assumptions about his motives and intentions.
“In case I betrayed you,” Hook finished.
“Sorry,” she whispered, looking straight into his eyes, imploring him to believe the sincerity of her words. Although she’d had her reasons at the time, it didn’t make her feel less terrible now.
“Long forgiven, milady,” he whispered in turn. Then, in the next breath, he was back to the cocky pirate she knew. “Now, I do believe I won, and per our accord, you owe me the fee of one truth.”
“Congratulations,” Emma offered, extending her hand to shake, “you won, fair and square.” No trickery, she thought. Then she crossed her arms over her chest, which was still underwater, so it didn’t make her look menacing at all as she jutted out her chin and raised both eyebrows in a silent challenge to do his worst.
“Why thank you, Swan. Hmmm, what shall I ask you?” he spoke, as if pondering his many choices. “There are truly so many things I wish to learn about you, I want to know everything, really.”
Emma’s eyebrows lowered as a shy smile crept over her face. It was stupid, she knew, but having this man before her, admit that he wants to know everything about her made her feel… cherished, adored, wanted. It was a foreign feeling after so many years of being alone. “Well, you only get one free question,” she said, trying to deflect the saccharine sweet feelings he was stirring within her.
"Pity, that, but I do remember the terms of our agreement. I do have one question picked out that I simply must know the answer to, before I endeavor to learn more. Fair warning, I may not have an Emma Swan internal lie detector,” he said as he leaned in closer to her, “but as I told you before, you are a bit of an open book, so I’ll know if you’re twisting the truth.”
“I would never,” Emma objected dramatically, holding a hand over her heart as he had so often done when feigning injury to his pride.
“Good,” he replied, taking a step even closer. “Then tell me, love, when you said our kiss was a one time thing, did you mean it? And if you did mean it when you said it, do you feel the same now?”
His close proximity was making her feel a little less confident than the facade she was putting on, but Emma didn’t break the heady eye contact he’d made, a beautiful shade of blue, looking into her, reading her. And how was the kohl that rimmed his eyes unaffected by the water? She might have to pillage some of that from him, it put her realm’s cosmetics to shame. God he was gorgeous as the moonlight shined down on them, she’d never noticed the hint of red to the scruff along his sharp jawline. “That’s two questions,” she murmured breathily as she thought of nibbling along that jawline.
“Shall I rephrase?”
“Oh, the hell with it, I never meant it,” she confessed as she wrapped her arms around his neck, pressing her bare chest against his and kissing him soundly.
As their lips collided hungrily, over and over, Emma was pretty sure she heard Hook mumbling thanks to the gods. She felt a little of that same relief, as she finally admitted that denying herself this thing that she wanted was ridiculous now that everyone was safe. Running her fingers through his thick hair, she gave it a little tug, angling his head so she could deepen the kiss. The groan he elicited was sinful and it kind of made Emma want to rub herself all over him.
Instead she ran her other hand over his chest, deciding to take her time, she’d wanted to feel that chest hair since the first time she’d seen it proudly on display. It wasn’t quite what she expected since they were both wet and it was matted to his chest. She smirked when he jumped, his hand tightening involuntarily in her hair as she ran a thumb over his nipple.
“A little sensitive, Captain?” she teased, looking up at him through her long lashes.
“Aye,” Hook chuckled, “‘s been awhile.”
It’d been a long dry spell for her as well. And it’d been even longer since feeling any true emotion when with a man. It had merely been scratching an itch for so long that she was a little scared what this all meant. The tingling, unadulterated want she felt in every nerve of her body far outweighed the fear though. “Touch me,” she whispered as she wrapped both arms around his waist.
“Bloody Hell, you’ll be the death of me, woman,” he muttered as he kissed her once more. He wrapped his good arm around her and pulled her in close. Trailing a path from her mouth to her ear, he bit gently on her lobe, and it was his turn to smirk as a shiver ran through Emma’s entire body. “Would you be opposed to taking this back on land?”
“We just got clean, I don’t want sand in every crack and crevice,” she giggled while wrinkling her nose.
“Aye, that would be less than optimal,” Hook agreed, “though the place I have in mind won’t get your nether regions sandy.”
“What’s wrong with right here, right now?” Emma challenged. She was pulled up short when Hook’s cheeks went pink and he scratched behind his ear as he did so often when he was feeling slightly unsure of himself. Truth be told, Emma found it cute, although she’d never tell him that, she doubted the fearsome pirate captain wanted cute to be correlated to his reputation.
“It’s just, I’d rather…”
Brushing the hair from his forehead, Emma smoothed her thumb over the worry line that creased his brow. “What’s wrong?” she asked. When he made no attempt to answer, Emma decided to employ his own tactics against him. “Try something new, Hook. It’s called trust.”
Emma internally cheered as one of Hook’s mega watt smiles overtook his face. The smile that showed those adorable (another word she was sure he would not want associated with him) dimples, and crinkled the corners of his eyes.
“Touché lass,” he conceded, “I’d rather be able to have use of all my appendages.”
Emma raised an eyebrow, gazing very obviously in the direction of his most manly appendage. “Ummm, it felt like it was working just fine to me.”
“Christ, Swan,” he chuckled, “I assure you, everything is ready, willing, and able in that department. I’d like my hook.”
Emma’s jaw dropped and her eyes widened as she thought, not for the first time, about what that hook would feel like against her heated skin.
“It’s okay, love, if it repulses you, I can just wear the brace without the hook.”
Emma shook her head, a frown downturning her brows and her lips, “Stop-”
“But I assure you,” Hook continued without letting Emma speak, “if the hook repulses you, the wound will surely-”
Emma’s hand over his mouth was more effective in shutting him up. “Stop it,” she demanded, “right now.”
Hook was a little taken aback by being commanded by the fiery version of Emma, he’d seen her fiery side before, and he liked it, he liked every part of her. He wasn’t taken aback by her fire, rather he wasn’t used to being bossed around. He was the boss. But as he stood there, with her hand over his mouth, he realized he’d follow her orders any day.
“Do you think I’m unaware that you don’t have a left hand?”
Hook shook his head in the negative, since her hand was still covering his mouth.
“Do you think I’m so shallow as to be repulsed by your hook or your brace or your wound?”
Hook took longer to answer this time, contemplating what he’d said and what she was asking. He supposed his words may have left room for misinterpretation. Slowly shaking his head no again, Emma removed her hand from his mouth.
“Good,” she stated simply, reaching for his left wrist before he even realized she'd made a move.
His head spun when he felt Emma’s touch upon his scarred flesh and his knee-jerk reaction was to pull away from her grasp. He struggled to find the words through the haze. “It was not my intent to imply you are shallow, Emma. It is my own reticence.”
“Trust me,” she whispered as she took his left wrist again. Wrapping both of her hands around his forearm and blunt wrist. Emma repeated the words comfortingly as she placed the arm he was so ashamed of between her breasts and held it there, where he could feel her heart beating.
“Your hook, your brace, or just this,” she squeezed his wrist, “has no bearing on how I feel about you. I care about you, Hook.” Her voice sounded shaky, even in her own ears. “You came back for me, you helped save my son, you make me feel wanted, you make me feel good about being me.” Removing one hand from his damaged skin, Emma wrapped it around the back of his neck and pulled his forehead to hers before closing her eyes and continuing. “I’m not ready for this part, and I apologize, because that is my hang up.”
“Hang up?” he questions.
“A simpleton’s way of saying reticence,” she answers with a small smile before continuing. “I hate words, they make things real, and messy, and although I mean everything I’m saying, that’s all I can handle right now. Please just…” she inhaled sharply as she tried to articulate her plea to let this be enough.
“I understand,” he whispered, voice just as shaky as Emma’s. He placed his hand on her cheek, lovingly caressing the softness of her lower lip. “And I do trust you, love.” He pecked her lips once before continuing. “I know you don’t like words, that much was clear from the start,” he said with a knowing smile and another peck to her lips, “but I’d like to respond, if you’re amenable?”
Emma nodded her head, eyes still closed, still reeling from her own confessions.
Hook kissed her gently again before prodding her to open her eyes. “I want you to see the truth of my words.”
Emma inhaled deeply, then opened her eyes to look at him. She bit her lip, a nervous habit from her teen years, as she waited for his words.
“I want to be the one to bite this lip,” Hook growled, as he used his thumb to massage her lip from her teeth.
“Truth,” Emma giggled despite herself, nodding to let him know her lie detector was working.
Hook waggled his eyebrows and smirked at her, before resuming his more resolute demeanor. “I have never felt more naturally drawn to a woman than I do with you. Your fire and passion brought my dormant heart back to life, and for the first time in decades upon decades, I want to be a better version of myself, a version that has been long forgotten, the old Killian Jones who was an honorable man, with good intentions, and hope in his heart, not revenge.”
“You may have lost your way for a time, but you’re still an honorable man, Killian.”
“Gods above,” Hook murmured as he wrapped both arms around Emma and pulled her into nothing more than a loving embrace. He was in love with her, but now was not the time. Emma would undoubtedly run if any grand declarations were made. He hadn’t felt this vulnerable maybe ever and he longed to hear her call him by his given name again.
“Emma? Hook?! What the hell?”
Emma froze in Hook’s embrace as the familiar, and annoying, and currently very judgmental voice sounded from the shore.
“Bollocks,” Hook cursed. “How shall we handle this, darling?”
“Can we just pretend he’s not there,” she deadpanned, face still buried in her neck, trying to keep reality at bay.
“Somehow I doubt that will work, but you are The Savior, you could give it a go.”
Emma sighed deeply before turning around in Hook’s arms, her back to his chest, so she could face their interloper. She placed her hands over his hand and wrist where they were wrapped around her waist. It was still dark as she faced Neal, so hopefully he wouldn’t see the eyeroll she’d just given him when she saw this silhouette of his hands on his hips like some outraged father.
“Good morning, Neal,” she called to the shore cheerfully. “I must have lost track of time, I didn’t realize it was already your shift for bathing.”
“It’s not,” he muttered, “it’s still the middle- not the fucking point,” he interrupted himself. “It’s not your shift either, what the hell are you doing out here?”
As much as Emma wanted to tell Neal that she and Hook were doing exactly what he assumed they were doing, she abstained. “I don’t see how that’s any of your business,” she snapped.
“It is my business,” he snarled back, “we’re supposed to be here for Henry.”
“Don’t you dare!” Emma started, voice rising with rightfully earned indignation. “We came here to save Henry who is now safe and sound aboard the Jolly, but the reason we are here is because your deranged fiancée dragged him through a portal to sacrifice him to a madman.”
“So you’re just going to throw away any chance of rekindling what we had, of being a family with Henry; so you can get laid by a dirty pirate.”
Emma pulled Hook’s arms around her tighter, keeping him anchored to her when she felt him start to pull away. She didn’t need these two getting into it again.
“Oi! I bathe quite frequently, mate,” Hook quipped. “I was doing so when Swan and I happened upon each other.”
“Shut up, Hook,” Neal retorted.
“The one good thing that came from us, was Henry, but our relationship is long over. There is nothing to rekindle,” Emma sighed. She didn’t want to be mean, but she needed Neal to understand that she wanted nothing to do with him romantically. And she was not going to be lectured by the man who’d already blown up her life once. “Maybe one day, you and I can be friends for Henry’s sake, but that is the most we will ever be.”
“Ems, you don’t mean that. You’re under his thrall, it’s not real.”
Emma completely ignored the bait, choosing instead to stop this exchange in its tracks. “Hook and I are kind of busy,” she said with a lighthearted tone, while turning back around to face Hook. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she called over her shoulder, ”If there’s nothing else, we’ll see you later.”
“You mark my words Emma, when he abandons you after taking what he wants, you’re going to look back and regret this moment.”
“He’s stuck around through more shit than you ever did,” she called back, looking straight into Hook’s eyes.
Properly dismissed, Neal stormed off, muttering curses the whole way.
Emma dropped her head to Hook’s chest, exhaling with relief. “That felt good,” she said.
“Well done, lass, though I’ve yet to see you fail, so I am not surprised Baelfire is no match for you. But perhaps we should make our way back as well,” Hook suggested. “I do believe he will be stirring the pot, come morning. You may want to be there to head off the storm.”
“I don’t care if he goes back to tell everyone, it’s not like it’s a lie, and at least this way, they will know we’re safe, and not missing. With any luck, we’ll be left alone for a bit,” she purred.
“Are you sure your parents will approve of you spending time with a dirty, one-handed pirate with a drinking problem?”
Emma’s head jerked up and she eyed him scrutinously. “First, you need to get Pan and Neal out of your head. Second, the only person who gets to decide who I spend my time with, or how I spend it, is me. And third, how do you know I don’t want you to be dirty,” she teased as she took command of his mouth with her own.
Not giving him a chance to think further, Emma quickly kissed him again. She slid her tongue past his lips, rolling it against Hook’s, who was quick to reciprocate. She wrapped her lips around his tongue and sucked on it, eliciting one of the sexiest noises she’d ever heard. It was half growling and half begging for more. The buoyancy helped him to easily lift her and she instinctively surrounded his body with her legs.
Hook broke the kiss, in favor of exploration. His hot mouth trailed down Emma’s neck, licking here and nibbling there, never too rough, he didn’t wish to mark her, at least not where it would be visible. He palmed one of her breasts with his hand while running his thumb over her already pebbled peak. “Gods you are perfect,” he murmured before taking her other breast in his mouth and alternating between gently suckling and the graze of his teeth.
Emma moaned softly in pleasure and torment as Hook worked her up, her clit throbbed and she longed to feel his hand or his mouth between her legs. Grabbing a fistful of his hair, she pulled his head back and gazed into his eyes, want and desire evident in her pupils which were blown wide and the way her tongue licked salaciously over her bottom lip before she bit down on it.
She unwrapped her legs from around Hook’s torso, in favor of standing again. Sliding her hands down his back, she squeezed his ass cheeks before pressing her body against his. “I want you,” she whispered when she felt his hardness against her stomach. Emma reached between them to wrap her hand around his thick length.
“Swan,” Hook choked out, pulling her hand gently away from his overly eager cock. “I really don’t want this to be over before it starts.”
Emma smiled knowingly, the very thought of making him come early amping up her need. “Okay, you lead,” she agreed.
“Come with me.” Hook led her toward the far end of the pond, which was actually far larger than she’d realized. They rounded a large looming rock which cloaked the entrance to a small cave by the shore.
“You just know all the secret spots, don’t you?”
“I discovered many hiding spots over the years I spent on this cursed island,” Hook acknowledged. “I usually walk to this side of the water’s edge to deposit all my belongings before bathing. One can never be too safe with the keeping of his hook.” Extending his hand to Emma, he led her out of the water and into the shelter.
They entered far enough to have a little privacy, but not so far as to be pitched in blackness. Hook pulled her over to a natural, rock-formed shelf. “Do you want a towel, milady? Perhaps my shirt?”
“I want you,” Emma growled, yanking on his hand and pulling him flush against her body and attacking his mouth again.
“Mmmm, as you wish,” he uttered between ardent kisses.
Emma whined when he broke away from her again, “Hook!”
“Patience, darling,” he teased. Then he quickly grabbed his jacket and his towel, laying first the jacket down on the cave floor, followed by the towel. “So you don’t get sand in every crack and crevice,” he advised with a mock bow.
Emma laughed at his naked bow before tackling him to the makeshift bed and straddling his hips. She wove the fingers of her left hand with his right, and wrapped her other hand around his wrist before pinning them above his head.
She didn’t miss the way he jumped when she embraced his wrist, a fleeting look of helplessness crossing over his face. She kissed him softly, tenderly, wanting to calm his nerves about his perceived flaw. When she felt his body relax against hers, she started to trail kisses across the line of his jaw before veering back up to his ear. “Has anyone ever told you, you are beyond gorgeous?” she whispered before sucking his earlobe into her mouth.
“I tell myself this all the time, but it does sound much lovelier on your luscious lips.”
“These lips?” Emma asked, sitting up just slightly and running her tongue along her bottom lip.
“Aye, the very ones,” Hook struggled to get out of her hold, as he tried leaning up to taste her lips.
Emma kept a firm hold on him though, enjoying this little bit of control. She could feel his cock against her ass, hard for her, twitching each time she nibbled and sucked at his skin. She continued to trail kisses downward, along his neck, across his pecs. His hips thrusted upwards when she bit down on his nipple and flicked her tongue over the sensitive flesh. “Patience,” she mimicked his earlier command.
Hook’s melodramatic exhale made her giggle as she scooted further down his body, gently rubbing her wet core along his cock. “Bloody hell!” Hook cursed while deftly flipping them over.
“Don’t you want to see what else these luscious lips can do?” she asked with a wicked grin.
“Gods above, I do. But I swear you will unman me the moment you wrap your lips around me.”
Emma smirked at him, eyes alight with lust.
“You little minx, you like that idea don’t you?”
“Maybe,” she admitted, a confession really, despite the ambiguity of the answer. She’d already resumed stroking him.
“Fuck,” Hook hissed at her touch. He was torn between his ego needing to pleasure her first and his baser instincts demanding he let her do her worst.
Emma watched Hook, saw him struggle with the decision, his eyes squeezing shut when she ran her thumb over his tip. Without waiting for his answer, Emma rolled them back over and licked from his base to his tip before sucking the head of his cock into her mouth while continuing to pump him.
Her clit ached as she reveled in the wrecked expression on his face, Hook was watching her every move, lip pinned between his teeth as he struggled to hold out. She knew he was close when his hand balled into a white knuckled fist on his stomach and she gently cupped his balls to massage them. The sound that left his mouth was positively feral as he came hard, warm and wet in her mouth.
She savored the moment, he hadn’t lasted long, and she’d been the one to do that to him. But that was all she had, a fleeting moment before she was being rolled to her back.
Hook held her in his blunted arm and dove in for a kiss, not caring at all that his taste was still on her tongue. He smiled against her lips when he felt her spreading her legs beneath him. “Eager, are we?” he asked between kisses.
“Don’t tease,” she panted into his mouth.
“Wouldn’t dream of it.” Hook slowly caressed his hand down her neck, stopping to play with her breasts for just a moment before continuing down to where he knew she was desperate to be touched. He parted her lips with two fingers and slid his middle finger into the warm wetness waiting for him. “Gods, Swan, you’re soaked.” His cock was already coming back to life as he thought about sliding into her wet heat.
Emma’s eyes rolled shut as Hook massaged her clit with her slippery wetness and any response she could’ve made was forgotten. Her mouth parted with an involuntary whimper when he switched it up, suddenly, but oh so easily slipping two fingers deep inside her. She contracted around his fingers, then pushed down, welcoming the penetration.
Hook fucked her with his fingers, circling his thumb over her clit, while watching her cheeks flush pink and her breasts bounce as she rode his hand. Longing to taste her, he repositioned himself between her legs, chuckling at her whine of protest when he had to stop for a moment.
“Oh fuck,” she panted when he resumed loving her clit, this time with his tongue. He alternated between licks and flicks and sucking. Emma’s head spun dizzily, she’d experienced oral sex, but apparently she had never experienced mind blowing oral sex. She threaded both hands into his hair and tried desperately not to be too rough. “Oh my god, I’m gonna… I’m gonna…”
Hook chose that moment to thrust his fingers back inside her and Emma was gone, she came harder than she ever had, warm and tingly and wet as Hook continued to thrust his fingers into her and suck on her clit. She saw stars or dots or something behind her eyelids and there was a rush of waves nearby, or maybe that was just the adrenaline coursing in her ears. The little aftershocks pulsing and throbbing in her clit were heavenly and oh my god, that was fucking amazing, she thought.
“Get up here,” she purred, pulling on his hair.
“It seems someone was just as primed as I was,” Hook smirked as he slid back up the length of her body.
Emma silenced his smugness by wrapping her legs around waist and flipping him to his back. The rush of air that left Hook’s chest made her chuckle as she placed her hands on his cheeks and whispered to him between kisses. “Well, you’re very, very skilled,” she praised.
“You set the bar very high, love.”
Emma beamed at his compliment, her cheeks warming. She wasn’t sure what it was about this man that made her feel unlike she’d ever felt with another man. Like she was special and desired, it made her feel sexually free in a way she never had. Sitting astride Hook’s solid body, she caressed her hands along his chest, exploring his now dry chest hair, it was just as thick and glorious as she’d imagined.
Emma could see the scars littering his flesh and she’d felt more when they’d been in the water and her hands had explored the expanse of his back. She wondered how rough his life had been to have this many physical scars. Her heart constricted a bit at that thought, especially already knowing he had just as many emotional scars as she did. She was both taken aback and a little frightened when she realized she wanted to know so much more about Hook. Maybe it was time to stop running from good things, Emma thought, her mind once again weighing the pros and cons of a relationship. Her train of thought was lewdly interrupted by a thrust of Hook’s hips, his hardness tapping at her back.
“Ready so soon, pirate,” she said in a husky tone while rising up on her knees and guiding him to her core. She ran the tip of his cock through her wet folds, both of them moaning with unadulterated lust.
“Fuck yes,” he growled, thrusting his hips upward again.
Emma cried out as his tip slipped inside her, a wave of arousal pooling and her belly tightening with want. She slid down his generous length, slowly savoring the drag against her slippery walls. She planted both hands on his chest and stilled her movements when he was fully seated, adjusting to his size.
“You alright, love?” Hook asked, squeezing her hip gently while he circled his thumb over her hip bone.
She nodded her head and opened her eyes, which she didn’t realize she’d shut, to gaze down at the gorgeous man below her. “You feel good,” she praised, lifting her hips and sinking back down on to him. Emma set a languid pace, delighting in the sensation of fucking, the drag along her walls, angling herself so he hit that spot.
“That’s it, lass, take what you want,” Hook encouraged as Emma rode him; slowly at first, then building in pace as her cheeks flushed and a light sheen of sweat broke out across her forehead. He wished, not for the first time tonight, to be able to touch her with two hands. He encouraged her to touch her breasts as he changed course to play with her clit.
Emma’s thighs began to burn as she worked to bring them both to that sweet edge of release, and the delicious friction between them built higher and higher. She palmed her breasts, tweaking her nipples and watched as Hook thumbed her clit in time with her thrusts. His hooded eyes roamed her body, and he bit down on his lip as he watched his cock disappear inside her heat over and over. She liked watching him watch her and the small grunts he gave each time she impaled herself and ground against him were hot. Emma found herself at the edge of bliss again and she whimpered as Hook began thrusting up into her.
Hook was having a hard time controlling his ardor, he wanted to flip them and plunge deeply into her. She was a vision, flushed pink, sweaty, breasts bouncing as she rode him to the edge. And then he heard her...
“Come with me, Killian,” she panted.
...and he was undone. The plea in her tone as she said his name and the massage of her walls against his cock as she began to come, ended him. He came hard and hot with a cry of her name, filling her with his seed until it began to spill as she continued to ride him through both of their releases.
As euphoria traveled throughout her body, Emma slumped into Hook’s body. She’d never felt so gratified as her entire being thrummed with bliss. Hook turned them to their sides and kissed her fervently. Wrapping both her arms around him, Emma gave as good as she got, their tongues and lips engaging lovingly. She lost track of all time as they lay together, parting only when they needed breath. “That was-”
Hook covered her mouth much as she had covered his earlier. “Don’t,” he whispered with a pleading look in his eyes.
Emma wrapped her fingers around his palm and removed his hand, giggling quietly. “I didn’t mean it the first time, and I damn sure wouldn’t mean it this time,” she assured him, noting how his shoulders sagged in relief. “I was going to say that was amazing… brilliant,” she murmured into his ear.
Hook chuckled, remembering the time he’d said those words to her. “Aye, Swan, we still make quite the team.”
Emma could only smile at the seamless harmony that flowed between them. And she kissed him once more before snuggling into him.
As a sated exhaustion made itself known in her body, Emma rejoiced that it was still dark outside of the cave. A vigorous yawn and stretch wracked her body, and Killian chuckled lightly again.
“Did I wear you out?”
Emma laughed as the same yawn tore through Hook, no sooner had he spoken his teasing words. “I think we wore each other out,” she snickered.
“Aye lass, I believe you’re right. How about we get washed up and head back to the Jolly? I’ll give you the captain’s quarters, even though you lost.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Brag much?”
“What is the fun in winning a wager if I cannot gloat?”
“Such a pirate,” she muttered before rolling him to his back again. “How about we share the captain’s quarters?”
“Deal,” Hook accepted without hesitation.
A half hour later, they were standing in the cave, bathed, and mostly dressed, Hook had gone to get Emma’s clothes for her from the opposite shoreline.
“Shall we?” Hook asked, offering Emma his hand. He frowned when she made no attempt to move.
“I’d rather…” she started, a blush coloring her cheeks.
“Ah, I understand,” Hook said, quickly understanding. “Shall we head back in separate directions? Or perhaps, I’ll just stay here for a bit and come back later in the morning.”
Emma rolled her eyes again, this time with a bit of frustration, as she placed her hands on her hips. “That is not what I was going to say.”
Hook raised an eyebrow in question, waiting for her to explain.
“Has nothing I’ve said tonight gotten through to you? Or did that mind blowing sex make you forget?” She took his heavier than expected leather duster from where he had it draped over his arm and turned around to lay it out on the cave floor.
Turning to face Hook again, she cupped his face in both hands. “Let’s recap, I like how you make me feel, I’m not worried about everyone finding out, best oral ever, sensational sex, no running away. I fancy you, Killian.” Emma finished her statement with a gentle kiss.
The gobsmacked look on Hook’s face made her laugh out loud. “I was going to say I’d rather spend the rest of the night here with you. We already know everyone else will know we’re safe. Even if Neal doesn’t outright blab; if Mary Margaret and David start to worry, he won’t hesitate to spill what he knows.”
“You fancy me, love?”
Despite heavily stroking his ego by admitting he was the best she’d ever been with, it figured the part he’d pick up on was the closest she’d get to any kind of outright confession of feelings. Emma smacked her hand to her forehead. “Yes, Killian, I fancy you. Don’t get all cocky about it.”
“On my honor, I’ll not get cocky,” he promised before leaning in to kiss her, “as I quite fancy you as well. But you already know that.”
Laying down on his jacket, the two snuggled together, Emma in panties and Hook’s shirt and Hook in his birthday suit.
“You needed to get naked again to go to sleep?” Emma asked with a little sarcasm in her tone.
“I’ll have you know that style and comfort do not go hand in hand, Swan. Those leathers, though appealing to the eye, do not make for great sleep clothes. Besides, all pirate’s know the only way to sleep when there’s a lovely lass in his bed, is in the nude. You know… easy access.”
“Why am I not surprised by that, Killian?”
“I’ll never tire of hearing you call me that,” he answered.
“Killian,” she whispered.
“Aye, love?”
“Nothing, I just wanted you to hear me say it again.”
A boyish smile broke out over Killian’s face as he pulled her in tighter to his side. “Good night, Swan.”
“Goodnight, Killian.”
The End
Tagging some lovely shipmates - please let me know if you don’t want to be tagged - or if you’re reading and want me to tag you.
@laschatzi @qualitycoffeethings @hookedonapirate @wordsmith-storyweaver @kmomof4 @winterbaby89 @hollyethecurious @wyntereyez @hooklineandswan @teamhook @let-it-raines @whimsicallyenchantedrose @spartanguard @tiganasummertree@apromisednightcap @xemmaloveskillianx @elizabeethan @cocohook38 @optomisticgirl @darkcolinodonorgasm @jennjenn615 @timeless-love-story @girl-in-a-tiny-box @thesschesthair @galadriel26 @ultraluckycatnd @lifeinahole27 @therooksshiningknight @kday426 @djlbg @superchocovian @itsfabianadocarmo @lfh1226-linda @delightfully-difficult-pirate @thejollyswan @csalltheway @xarandomdreamx @vvbooklady1256 @withheartfulloflove @resident-of-storybrooke @mcakers @gingerchangeling @searchingwardrobes
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Please know, that this morning I thought about dogs in OUaT (that was actually nyczsq's fault this time). Shepherd David had Wilby, Archie has Pongo and Dorothy has Toto. Like, Ruby should have this whole other gang to hang out with! (I'm desperate for comedy here.) I also thought back how Snow White is the most animal-princess of the Disney princesses (talking to birds), so of course her best friend is a wolf. You think Red ever chewed on something and Snow was like "SPIT THAT OUT!!"?
What if dogs are obsessed with Ruby to the point that it’s a problem.
Pongo won’t leave her alone and Toto.... shit, now that Toto’s warmed up to her, he follows her everywhere, wants to do everything Wolf Ruby does, to which mama Dorothy says “NO, YOU WILL NOT RUN IN THE FOREST, DO YOU KNOW HOW MANY PREDATORS CAN SWALLOW YOU UP WITH ONE BITE IN THERE?” Ruby shrugs, nods and points to herself. But Toto still wants to follow on Ruby’s footsteps. Paw... prints? Paw steps? ...?
Ruby is the Big Sister to the Dogs of Storybrooke and it’s too much responsibility. She can’t set a good example for dogs, she’s a wolf. She has to run and claw things and dig and bite. She’s a wolf.
But Snow says “NO, YOU STOP IT. LOOK AT THE CARPET. LOOK AT THE MESS YOU’VE MADE. NO DON’T WHINE AT ME, YOU KNOW WHAT YOU DID.”
So: All the dogs look up to Ruby as this glorious big dog that every canine aspires to be (She’s not a dog, but ugh whatever), but seeing how easily Snow has The Great Sister hiding her tail and whining apologies, they are now scared of the Princess. Every dog avoids Snow White like the evil villain she is. She tames werewolves. She is not to be messed with. She has The Boss surrended in seconds, with just one look! RUN!
(Now it occurred to me, what if the “Big Bad Wolf” nickname was just Snow yelling at Wolf Ruby at 3am for destroying her couch. “You BIG BAD WOLF, WHAT A MESS YOU HAVE THERE!”)
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OUAT Verse
Named Harry Liam Jones in this verse, Harry is the son of Milah and Killian. He was on the ship, hiding while Rumplestiltskin killed his mother. Like Hook, he wants revenge against Rumplestiltskin. But, his anger is not as bad as his father. He is raised as a pirate and is actually well educated regardless of his life at sea. He is extremely fascinated with magic and non human beings such as mermaids. Raised to eventually take over as captain of the Jolly Roger, Harry grows disenfranchised with his father and he parts ways with him. Harry travels the realm, usually bounty hunting to make money. He doesn't stay in one place too long before moving on. Killian tracks him down one day and they reunite. Killian is about to travel to the Evil Queen's castle where he will finally exact his revenge on the dark one. Harry agrees to help him for old time's sake. He is captured by Regina and kept as leverage so Killian will go after Cora for Regina. Killian tries to assassinate Cora but he ends up working for her. Given that Hook delivered on his side of the deal, Regina surprisingly let's Harry go. Harry doesn't want to be pulled into the whole mess with Cora and Regina so he leaves his father again. He is swept away in the OG curse to Storybrooke. There he is Harry Jones, fisherman and dock worker. He is stuck there until Emma breaks the curse. Killian arrives with Cora and he finds Harry again. Not wanting to fight with his father over the whole revenge thing, he decides to help Cora and Killian. This is much to the heroes' dismay. He does not follow Killian to NYC where he attacks and poisons Gold, but he does try to stop his father from leaving Storybrooke when Greg and Tamara try to destroy it. He has traveled to Neverland, Camelot, and Hades with the main gang.
#& head canons ( all )#& head canons ( harry hook )#added this to my verses page last night#verse; ouat ( harry )#verses
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Golden Rings 17: A Name
The Storybrooke sequel to Golden Cuffs
Mrs. Gold revisits her past
Read on AO3
Mrs. Gold looked on in mute horror as Hunter Duke dumped more hot sauce on his triple bacon hamburger. He’d asked Ruby to give him three meat patties with no bun and steamed broccoli instead of fries. When Mrs. Gold had questioned that lunch choice, he had explained his new diet to her.
At length.
Hunter had always been the kind of boy who thought meat and spicy food were substitutes for a personality. He’d been the star athlete at Storybrooke High, taking home championships in football and wrestling. He’d been popular with everyone--except for the one girl he’d arbitrarily decided was the hottest girl in school. That girl, the valedictorian, hadn’t given the quarterback the time of day. Not until she lost her scholarship and suddenly dating the son of a lawyer sounded like the way to the best future she would ever get.
“They do the burgers way too overdone here,” Hunter said with his mouth full. “You don’t get enough protein if it isn’t bloody.”
Mrs. Gold shrugged and took a bite of her own burger. It needed more pickles, but it was still amazing. Toasted bun, crisp lettuce, a patty that was juicy but not messy. She hadn’t had a Granny’s burger in forever. When she was a kid, her parents had taken her out for burgers every Friday night after their shop closed. Mom would bring her own supply of extra-zesty mustard and Dad…
She set her bun on her plate. On those idyllic, bygone Friday nights, her father would spend the whole meal grumbling about money and expenses and couldn’t they have eaten at home? Mom had always told him to stop worrying and enjoy the moment. It was the end of another week and they were together, happy and healthy. She’d calmed him down and kept him focused, every time there was a crisis.
Until they faced the biggest crisis of their lives.
Mrs. Gold blinked out of her thoughts. For some reason, Hunter was still talking. Maybe it looked like she was listening. She’d gotten good at that when they had dated. Now that she was listening for real, she tried to catch up.
“I keep telling my dad he needs to just change the sign. ‘Duke & Duke & Duke’ has a great ring to it, right? Or he could for ‘Duke & Sons.’ I don’t mind sharing the spotlight with Steven. Or he could leave the sign as it is and retire! ‘Duke & Duke’ is classic, everyone knows we’re the best bankruptcy lawyers in town. Just let my brother be the first Duke and I’ll be second Duke and we’ll take this firm into the future! But Dad keeps brushing me off for some reason.”
Mrs. Gold took a sip of iced tea and desperately wished it was something stronger. “Did you… go to law school?”
She had the oddest feeling that she couldn’t remember how long they had been out of high school. All she knew for sure was that Hunter had enrolled at Storybrooke Community College--and she hadn’t. It was possible that he had gotten his bachelor’s. As Hunter was fond of saying, “Cs get degrees.” But SCC didn’t have a graduate program. Had he taken more classes on the internet? Or correspondence courses? It boggled her mind to think of Hunter of all people had gotten a law degree during the years she’d been Mr. Gold’s stupid slut.
“Well actually,” he explained, “you don’t need to go to law school to take the bar exam. I’ve got a bachelor’s in poli-sci and I’ve been around lawyers all my life. My dad knows everyone at the state bar. He’ll pull some strings and I’ll be all set.”
Mrs. Gold stabbed her straw at the ice cubes in her glass. It was so fucking unfair. Hunter was an idiot child who had never worked for anything in his life. His father--Richard “Big Dick” Duke--had bought him a Humvee when he turned sixteen, a speedboat when he graduated high school, and a college education just because no son of his wasn’t going to go to college. Now he would give his son the bar exam and a ready job and everything he would need for a future, without Hunter ever having to grow up past the maturity level of a toddler.
She’d lost her virginity to this boy. One summer night after senior year, in the back seat of that gas-guzzling monstrosity. They’d been dating for a while and Hunter had been perfectly content with her amateurish attempts at blowing him. But for her, the novelty had begun to wear off. So she’d suggested that he “put it in” instead. It was mostly a way for him to get his rocks off while she could just lie back and think of something more interesting.
Her memories of that night were dark and cramped and disappointing. She kept her shoes and her bra on the whole time. When Hunter was done, she had been more confused than anything else. This is what people made such a big deal about? Wasn’t sex supposed to be better than that?
It wasn’t until later, with Mr. Gold, that she had understood what people were talking about in romance novels.
But now that things were so strained with her husband, she found herself thinking back to the only other sexual partner she’d ever had. Looking at Hunter now, she had to remind herself of how bad things had been that summer, when he had been a welcome distraction. Hunter hadn’t wanted to talk about doctors’ appointments or shop inventory or arguing with financial aid departments--every fight a losing battle. All he wanted to do was drink, screw around, and have fun, and he welcomed her along for the ride.
I thought he would help us. I was wrong. He wasn’t what I needed.
Mrs. Gold shook the thought out of her head. The thought was true, but she recognized it as not being her own, so she talked over it.
“Have you been hanging out with any of the old gang? Sean or Jesse or anyone?”
It had been exciting to be included with the rich kids, to feel like she belonged in the world of the young and the reckless--people who didn’t have to worry about things because their parents would always be around to bail them out. They could do whatever they wanted because the world belonged to them.
Hunter shrugged. “Jesse’s an idiot, so no change there. But Sean’s been such a pussy ever since Ashley had her baby.”
Ashely Boyd had been in that group with her. Rich boys liked running around with poor girls because they were easier to impress than the rich girls. New Town young ladies also had parents who bought them cars for their sixteenth birthdays. They didn’t need to rely on spoiled boys to pay their way every time they went out, so they didn’t have to go along with whatever stupidity the boys came up with. Mrs. Gold had taken a lot of risks just so Hunter would keep thinking she was interesting.
But Ashley had loved Sean for more than his money and toys. All she ever wanted was for him to love her back and stay with her. Once, Mrs. Gold had thought Ashley was stupid for pining so hard after a boy who would never commit. But now she had a little more sympathy.
“What happened with Sean?”
“Mr. Herman kicked him out, cut him off. Now he’s living at Ashley’s place, working his ass off at the fish factory.”
“The cannery,” Mrs. Gold corrected quietly. Fish King Canned Foods was always hiring. It was always looking for people who could stand waist-deep in ice and fish guts for twelve hour shifts, operating machinery that could cut through a human hand as easily as it did a whole herring. Her cousin Andrew had gotten a job right out of high school. Her Uncle Peter had worked there for twenty years before he died.
“Like I said, he’s a total pussy now. All he does is work and hang out with Ashley, work and take care of the baby, work and sleep. You know he asked her to marry him a couple days ago? Utterly whipped.”
“Wow,” she said.
She had never respected Sean Herman, so it was weird to think of him actually growing up. People didn’t usually change around Storybrooke. But now the spoiled party boy was taking responsibility for his child and the woman who loved him. He had given up his own wealth and family status because he loved a penniless girl from Old Town.
It was impressive.
She finished her burger while Hunter started another monologue, this time about all the fat, lazy, poor people who came to his father’s office to declare bankruptcy. Forget being a lawyer, he should go into talk radio.
“I did ask you to lunch for a reason.” She grabbed her chance to talk while he was taking a breath.
“Oh yeah?” Hunter wiped hot sauce off his face with the back of his hand. “What’s up?”
“You know a lot of people,” Mrs. Gold said. “I was wondering if you might know somebody that I don’t.”
He slurped up the dregs of his diet soda. “Yeah? Who?”
Mrs. Gold gripped the edge of the table and desperately hoped he wouldn’t notice how hard it was for her to say this. The gold of her wedding ring was dull on this cloudy afternoon. “I… just have a name right now. I think it’s a woman named Belle.”
She could see the wheels in his head turning as he thought. “Belle? Hmm. I don’t know.”
“She’s probably young. Maybe our age. Maybe younger. Or older? Maybe she’s one of your mom’s friends or something?”
A woman as old as Karen Duke would still be younger than Mr. Gold. Maybe he was looking for more maturity now. In the days since she found out about Belle, Mrs. Gold had been racking her brain to try to imagine what kind of person she was. She was only moderately sure that Belle even was a woman. If Mr. Gold wanted this Belle person more than he wanted his own wife, she was probably the opposite of her in some crucial way.
Hunter made a face and scratched the back of his head. “Nah, I got nothing. Sorry.”
“Yeah,” Mrs. Gold looked down at her empty plate. “I’m not surprised.”
Seeing that they were both done with their food, Ruby came up to the table. “Now is this gonna be one check or two?”
It was almost funny how quickly Hunter looked to Mrs. Gold. He panicked at the thought of paying for his own lunch. Daddy must not be giving him an allowance anymore.
“You invited me,” he said, almost chiding her with the reminder of how things worked.
“Yeah, that was my first mistake.” Mrs. Gold took the check from Ruby and pulled out her purse.
A fifty would be enough to pay for two hamburgers and Ruby’s discretion. Not that Mrs. Gold was being particularly sneaky, arranging lunch with her ex-boyfriend at the most popular restaurant in town. But that didn’t matter either. She could take Hunter to the pawn shop and bang him in front of the cash register and Mr. Gold wouldn’t give a fuck.
And neither would she.
****
Wandering listlessly up and down Main Street, Mrs. Gold tried to keep warm. The clouds were dark and heavy with more snow. The sidewalks were shoveled, but there was always a residue of dirty slush. It was the time of year when trash kept showing up in the streets, no matter how many anti-littering signs Mayor Mills put up.
Mrs. Gold’s suede boots were more fashionable than sturdy. The same could be said for her coat, scarf, and hat. The cold seeped through her flimsy layers, until she was nothing but numb and damp, until it was hard to breathe, until she was so desperate to be warm again she resolved to go into the next open store, no matter which one it was.
Sugar’n’Spice was always warm and it always smelled good. Mara Trudine burned a different scented candle every day the shop was open. Today the candle was cinnamon and cloves. The whole place smelled like cider.
Mrs. Gold entered as quietly as she could. She hadn’t been in the store since before Christmas. And she had never walked through that door without strutting proudly, loudly announcing her intentions to buy whatever lingerie it would take to drive Mr. Gold wild.
Was Mr. Gold even capable of going wild for her anymore? Or did the sight of her just turn his stomach? He thought she was trash, she disgusted him, he didn’t want her and he never would again.
Ducking behind a rack of silky robes, Mrs. Gold took a breath to calm herself down. It was a bad habit she’d developed lately, thinking of the worst-case scenario just to make herself feel something. Her mind kept poking and prodding at her pain, pulling out her darkest fears and putting them front and center. She could push it away if she concentrated. If she tried to act normal, she could almost feel normal. Sometimes.
“Oh hey.” Mara had spotted her from the sales counter in the back of the shop. “Mrs. Gold, I didn’t see you come in.”
Steeling herself, Mrs. Gold walked out from behind the robes. “That’s me.” She tried to smile.
Mara stayed where she was. Bits of fabric were spread out over the counter. It looked like she was sewing something.
Mrs. Gold’s heart skipped a beat. The fabric was a shiny yellow-gold. Sometimes, when Mr. Gold was really pleased with her, he liked her to wear that color. Without thinking about what she was doing, she began to walk towards the counter.
“What are you working on?”
Mara looked up from her needle. Even after all these years, she had the same face she’d had as a kid--sharp brown eyes, adorably crooked smile, freckles all over her round cheeks. She looked so innocent. You’d never think she made a living off of unmentionables.
“Custom order,” she said proudly. “I’ve been trying to get tailor-made lingerie off the ground for as long as I can remember. Got my first order in October and more have been coming in.” She held up the fabric and Mrs. Gold saw a pair of panties that would go up to a person’s rib cage.
“Somebody wants that?”
Mara’s excitement dimmed in the face of Mrs. Gold’s skepticism, but she did her best to explain. “It’s shapewear,” she said. “See the reinforced panels? The idea is to smooth out tummy rolls and make a more flattering silhouette.”
Mrs. Gold looked over at the rack of Spanx. “Don’t you already sell that?”
“Yeah, but the stuff I make is sturdier than the mass-produced product. Better for people with non-standard bodies. And prettier too. Nothing over there comes in straw yellow.”
It was true. Most of the stuff in that section was nude or black. Mrs. Gold knew a thing or two about wearing corsets, but she had never actually needed one. She had thought Mr. Gold liked her to be skinny.
“That is a pretty color,” she said. “Who’s it for?”
Mara looked at her dubiously. “I can’t talk about a client, it’s confidential.”
“How are you planning on getting more orders without word of mouth?”
“Well, normally word of mouth comes from customers talking about the product, not a creator talking about their customers.”
Falling into old habits, Mrs. Gold tilted her head back as her voice went up an octave. “I know, but it’s just such a pretty shade of gold, I was wondering if someone special might have ordered it...?”
She let the question hang. Mara just frowned and shook her head.
“Come on, you’re smarter than that.” She held up the garment again. “This is for a plus-sized woman. Two of you could fit in here without straining the elastic. Mr. Gold didn’t order this for you.”
Without thinking, she leaned over the counter and got in her friend’s face. “Did he order it for someone else?”
Mara’s eyes went wide. Her mouth transformed into a tiny little O of surprise. Mrs. Gold pulled away and kept her eyes on the ground.
“I’m sorry,” Mrs. Gold said. “That was out of line.”
“Wow,” Mara said softly. “I, uh, I’d heard that something had happened. But I didn’t know it was that bad. I’m sorry.”
“Yeah, me too.” She turned around, pretended to look at something lacy until the urge to scream had passed. When she glanced at Mara, her brown eyes were trained on her.
“It’s not from him,” she said simply. “I’ll even tell you that my client paid with a credit card, so it was definitely her own money.”
Or maybe Mr. Gold was just covering his tracks. But at least he hadn’t called in the order himself. At least he wasn’t flaunting his disregard for her.
“Does he… Have you ever heard from him? Is he buying anybody lingerie?”
Mara shook her head. “I only see him on Rent Day.”
With nothing left to lose, she asked her old friend the same question she’d asked her ex-boyfriend. “Do you know anybody named Belle?”
Mara blinked. “I don’t… think so. The name sounds familiar, but I’m probably thinking of a character from a book or a movie. It’s not the sort of name you hear around Storybrooke.”
“No,” Mrs. Gold agreed.
“But I’ll keep my ears open, if you want.”
Mrs. Gold raised her eyebrows. “What about client confidentiality?”
“Well, whoever Belle is, she’s definitely not a client. And until Mr. Gold pays me himself, neither is he.”
You’re a good friend.
This time, Mrs. Gold didn’t swat at the thought that intruded into her head. She let it rest over her brain like a blanket. She let the thought warm her up.
She leaned against the counter and watched Mara work. The shapewear was fully constructed, and she was embroidering stalks of straw in a pattern along the sides. It was really pretty. The sort of thing that would give a girl a boost in confidence and excitement about her own body, her own clothes. Mrs. Gold remembered how fancy she’d felt the first time she wore something as simple as a bra and panties that were the same color. That sort of energy could get people through interviews or contract negotiations, any time you needed to feel powerful. Mara was helping people here, she was good at it, and it seemed to make her happy.
“So, business is good?”
“Yeah, it’s picking up. Valentine’s Day was a madhouse, but you know how that goes.”
Mrs. Gold nodded. Lingerie could be as popular as flowers when it came to last-minute gifts that men always thought would be cheaper than they were.
“Did you spend the day with anyone?”
Mara scrunched her nose. “I’m working too hard for that. Besides, I don’t meet a lot of single men in this business.”
She was able to snicker at the joke, and she was able to mean it. “Yeah, I guess not.”
They were quiet together for a minute, then Mrs. Gold asked a more personal question: “How’s your mom?”
Mara looked up from her embroidery for a second, but then went back to work. “She’s fine. I think she’s bored, now that the preschool is only open for half-days. She keeps asking me to move in with her.”
“I take it you don’t want to?”
A halfhearted shrug. “I don’t have a good reason not to. It would make sense, we could split the bills and keep each other company. But there is also something really nice about living by yourself. Even if it’s just a one bedroom apartment on top of your store.”
“I wouldn’t know.” Mrs. Gold drummed her fingers against the counter. She had gone from living with her father to living with Mr. Gold. The night after their anniversary had been the first time she had slept in any building by herself.
But she understood what Mara meant. When you lived with your parents, it was hard to feel like an adult. To make matters worse, Irma Trudine--Mara’s mother--had been a preschool teacher for as long as anyone could remember. She tended to treat everyone she talked to like they were a four-year-old whining for more juice and crackers.
Mama’s closest friend.
Now the voice was annoying her again. It was true that Irma and Mom had been good friends. That was why she had grown up with Mara as much as she had grown up with her cousin Janine. The three girls were inseparable, just like their mothers had been.
Until…
Mrs. Gold sighed. She was warmer now. She should probably buy something before she moved along.
“Do you have anything comfy around here?”
“What, like no underwire?”
“No, like pajamas, I guess. Or loungewear? I think I need to get a pair of sweatpants.”
Mara grinned. “The last time I saw you wear sweatpants, they had dinosaurs on them.”
“And they were fucking awesome.”
She had gotten those pants for her eighth birthday and worn them until the knees gave out. Even after that, Mom had cut them up for shorts and she’d worn them for another six months. If she could find sweatpants that had dinosaurs on them now, she wouldn’t think the mere act of wearing sweatpants was a sign of the end of her life.
But Sugar’n’Spice only had pajama sets with flowers on them--or hearts, but Mrs. Gold couldn’t bring herself to buy anything that looked like love. It was enough to buy comfort, something that would make it a little easier to be in her own skin.
Mara rang her up and gracefully accepted the extra fifty Mrs. Gold handed her.
“How about I call this a down payment on a custom order for you?”
Taking her bag, Mrs. Gold shrugged. “I don’t think Mr. Gold will want me in lingerie for a long time.”
“I didn’t say it was for Mr. Gold, I said it was for you.” Mara looked her steadily in the eye. “Come back some time and we can talk about what you need. Okay?”
She opened her mouth, and then closed it. “Yeah,” she said at last. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
“Good.”
****
The day wasn’t over. Mr. Gold was still in his shop. She could go there for a few hours of awkward silence. Or she could go back to the house, for a few hours of lonely silence. Then he would come home and make dinner. They would eat together and make stilted small talk. And then she would go to her bedroom, and he would go to his.
That was their life now.
He said he wanted her to stay. He said he wanted to take care of her. He said he loved somebody else.
It didn’t make sense. It was wrong. They were supposed to be together. Being near him, but not being with him, trying to act like everything was fine, trying to act like he didn’t matter to her as much as she obviously didn’t matter to him…
It was tearing her apart.
So she walked. Like a circling shark, she kept moving so she wouldn’t drown. She was trapped. Storybrooke was a small town, there were only so many places you could go in one day. And she had lots of days ahead of her. Mrs. Gold had the image of the rest of her life, stretching out to the horizon. She would have to keep walking, she would never be able to rest. She would never have a home again.
She was in Old Town now. The flower shop was behind her. Aunt Teri’s yellow and purple house was on this street. How many times had she walked the route between those two places? Her whole childhood, her whole life until she married Mr. Gold and moved into his house. She used to belong in this neighborhood.
Was there a way she could belong here again?
Turning at the plastic sign that said Hair Today! she went to the side door of the yellow house and knocked. Then she stepped away from the door and waited for an answer. She held herself against the cold.
Janine came up from the basement salon. Her mouth opened when she saw Mrs. Gold.
“Oh hi,” she said. “Mrs. Gold, you don’t… usually knock.”
“Yeah, I’m usually a bitch to you and I’m sorry.” She hadn’t meant to start that way, but she couldn’t avoid the truth anymore.
Janine’s eyebrows raised and her sky-blue eyes--a family trait--went wide. “O...kay,” she said slowly. Stepping outside, she shut the door behind her. The cold made her keep her arms crossed over her chest. “What’s going on?”
“I…” She didn’t know what to say. She had started, but what was the next step? “Things suck, right now, for me. And I kind of suck too. And I realized…”
What had she realized? That no one in her family would help her in an emergency? That she had built her whole identity around one relationship and without that she had nothing? That she had spent years intentionally, maliciously, pushing away all the people that had loved her in exchange for a man who only paid her? That all of those things were really fucking shitty? None of that was a realization. Mrs. Gold had always known what her life was. But she was just now starting to care.
“I realized I’m sorry,” she said. “For as long as I’ve been with Mr. Gold, I’ve been so caught up in him and it made me a worse person. And I want to be better.” She looked at Janine. “You deserve a better cousin.”
Janine sighed, her breath visible in the twilight. “So the honeymoon is finally over, huh? Are you tired of him or is he tired of you?”
Mrs. Gold pressed her lips together. Of course it wouldn’t be that easy. At the same time, she didn’t begrudge her cousin the snark.
“He’s tired of me,” she admitted softly. “And I’m kind of tired of me too.”
Now Janine looked more sympathetic. “What happened?”
“You didn’t hear? I thought everyone in Storybrooke knew by now.”
“Yeah, no, I’ve heard a lot of rumors. But I’m asking you what happened. What’s the truth?”
“He loves someone else.” The words slipped from her mouth like a burden off her shoulders. “Some Belle person. And like, like he loves her, Janine. More than he ever loved me.”
“Oof,” Janine let out a long breath. “Oh honey, that’s terrible. I’m sorry.”
Until now, Janine had been standing in the doorway, and Mrs. Gold had been in the driveway, with about five feet between them. Janine stepped out first, one arm open in invitation. The two cousins met in the middle. They didn’t hug, exactly, but they huddled together for warmth and comfort.
“Do you need to stay with us?” Janine asked. “We never did anything with Andrew’s room after--”
“No,” she shook her head. Mr. Gold asked her to stay with him, and even that had to be better than sleeping in her dead cousin’s bedroom. “I’m fine, I… He’s taking care of me.”
“What, like alimony?”
“No, we’re not… I’m not leaving him.”
Janine pulled away. “But you said he loved someone else.”
She nodded. “He does, but he doesn’t want the marriage to be over.”
There was a moment of silence while Janine’s face twisted in anger and disbelief. Then she burst out: “Oh screw him! Does he really get to decide that? That man is cheating on you and you don’t even get the satisfaction of walking away? Come on!”
Mrs. Gold couldn’t look her in the face. “It’s not as simple as that,” she said. “I--I married him, I need him, I…” The next words were small and soft: “I don’t want the marriage to be over either.”
Closing her eyes, Janine pressed the heel of her palm to her forehead. “I don’t know what to say,” she said. “I mean, the sanctity of marriage is great and all, but Mr. Gold has been nothing but bad to you for so long. And now you have a reason to get out, but you’re not taking it? Why?”
“Because this is different,” she said the words before she knew what they meant. “He’s different than he was when we got married. There’s something… good about him now. Something kind and gentle. Something that wasn’t there before.”
Janine rolled her eyes. “So now you have feelings for the monster?”
“He’s not a monster now. Maybe he was before--I can see that more clearly now. But now the only thing he’s doing wrong is… not wanting me. And it hurts, but it’s not an evil thing.”
He’s my husband and I love him. Can you understand that?
Shifting her weight back and forth, Janine kept her arms over her chest. “And he’s not… hurting you anymore?”
She shook her head. “Not even in a way I like.”
“Gross,” Janine said, matter-of-factly. “I mean, good for you that it used to be something you liked, but it is very gross for me to think about. Too much information is a very real thing.”
Both of them snickered at that. The years of lingering tension eased a little more.
“Can you at least stay for dinner? We’re having Spaghetti-Os a la Chloe.”
“Chloe’s cooking?” How old was she now?
“It was her idea. Under careful supervision, she is going to dump a can of Spaghetti-Os into a pot and warm it up. Mom might even let her into the spice cabinet for some basil.”
“Oh, that sounds like fun.” She shuffled her feet. “But I should get going. I still eat with Mr. Gold. It’s… weird.”
“I bet.” Janine put her hands in the pockets of her work smock. “Listen, I… I’m sorry. All this time… I could have been a better cousin too. We--I think the general idea was that… we were waiting for you to meet us halfway.”
“I get that,” she said. “And I never came close to halfway. Not with anybody.”
“Well, you did today. And I’m glad. We missed you.”
Nodding, she tried to keep the tears out of her eyes. All this time, she could have had her family. If she had just eased up on being Mrs. Gold, she could have been the same girl everyone had loved.
“I’m trying to make things better now, you know?”
Janine nodded. “I know.” They were quiet for a minute, then she asked. “Have you talked to your dad lately?”
“Not yet,” she shook her head. “Not him or Uncle Manny. I… I kinda thought I’d start easy.”
Janine half-smiled, half-winced. “Manny will be happy to see you. You’re the only niece he’s got.”
She snorted. “I’m the only daughter my dad has and that didn’t make anything any easier.”
“He loves you, Lacey,” Janine said. It was the first time Mrs. Gold had heard her first name in as long as she could remember. “We all do.”
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