"Swan," Killian muttered gruffly as the recent couple of just a few days entered the Storybrooke clothing shop. "Is this really necessary?"
Emma turned and grinned widely at him — Killian wasn't complaining, because he loved seeing a smile on her face and ever since the accident with Regina it had been somewhat nonexistent. If the woman he loved so dearly found joy in teasing him and forcing him to try on clothes native to the Land Without Magic, so be it.
"Of course it is," she replied, guiding the pirate over to a rack of flannel shirts in the men's section. "I spent a day in clothes from your realm, now you have to spend at least in day in clothes from mine."
"But I like my leather," Killian pouted, sticking out his lower lip and watching Emma with a puppy-dog gaze. She laughed lightly and rolled her eyes.
"I'll buy you a leather jacket, then." Emma grabbed a couple flannel t-shirts and tossed them into the shopping cart. Killian stalked behind her as they stopped at different sections of the clothing store, and soon the cart was filled with variously colored flannel shirts, a few pairs of skinny jeans, a leather jacket, and a dark gray trench coat. She pushed the cart to a stop once they were outside the men's fitting room.
"Try these on," Emma ordered simply, holding out the jacket, a red flannel shirt and a pair of dark skinny jeans. Killian took them uncertainly, and his eyes glanced between the pile in his arms and the pile in the cart before settling on his girlfriend and he arched an eyebrow.
"Do you have some sort of attraction to these...?" he asked curiously, nodding his head towards the flannel shirts. Emma rolled her eyes dramatically, letting out a slightly exasperated sigh, and the corners of the pirate's lips pulled across his face into a smirk.
"I think they would look good on you," she said quickly.
"I'm sorry, what was that?" Killian teased.
"Just try them on," Emma said, and Killian rolled his eyes as he disappeared into the fitting room.
Several minutes passed and Emma couldn't help but laugh as she listened to the grunts of discomfort that came from the fitting room as Killian attempted to get dressed. Emma debated asking him if he needed help, but she knew what sort of innuedos that would lead to and decided it would be best to keep quiet.
Finally, Emma watched with a smile on her face as Killian stumbled out of the bathroom. There was a moment of dead silence as she looked him up and down, admiring the way he looked in clothes from her realm. How hadn't she seen him dressed like this before?
She was right — he looked good in the flannel shirt. The skinny jeans fitted him nicely, and of course she could never get used to seeing him without any piece of leather on him, so the jacket was a plus.
Emma would never easily admit it out loud, but her pirate boyfriend looked hot.
"Savor the sight of me in this, love," Killian told her as he adjusted his necklaces. "Because this is the only time I'll ever wear anything from your realm."
Emma smirked. "Well, that's much better," she teased. Killian raised an eyebrow, hinting at what she was getting at. He opened his mouth to respond and took a step towards her, when he paused and let out a hiss of frustration, tucking his thumbs through the loops on his jeans.
"These are extremely tightly fitted," he complained. "How is anyone supposed to walk in these?"
Emma sighed, shaking her head and grinning profoundly as she walked up to him and placed her hands on his shoulders. "Your discomfort is a cross I'm—"
"Don't," Killian interrupted her with a glare, although he was unable to hide the amusement in his eyes. "Just don't, Swan."
Emma laughed and pressed her lips against his cheek. "Get back into your leather so I can buy this stuff, and then we're putting you right back into this and heading to Granny's to enjoy a nice lunch."
Killian looked at her worriedly. "You mean... I'll have to go out in public like this?!"
-:-:-
Killian woke up the next morning in his room at Granny's Bed & Breakfast. He was used to sleeping on his ship, but now that he didn't have the Jolly Roger yet had decided to stay in Storybrooke, this was the only space to sleep he had managed to get.
(He wanted to suggest rooming with Emma, but then he remembered that she wasn't the type of woman to have things move that fast — but it was frustrating for Killian because she had moved into a new apartment with Henry that was close to the sea and he longed to live on the shore as well.)
The pirate got out of bed and shivered — it felt unusually cold this morning.
He started to reach into the small closet in his room for his leather, but then he remembered he had left it with Emma after she had forced him to change into the Land Without Magic-attire. Frowning, he grabbed one of the flannel shirts she bought him. It was dark blue, and he debated putting it on, when he heard a knock at the door.
"It's Emma," said the voice from behind it. Killian smiled, thrilled that his new girlfriend was visiting him so early in the day. He set the shirt down and went over to the door, opening it to reveal the gorgeous blonde woman that held a plastic bag in her hand.
"Morning," she said, smiling when she saw her pirate. She invited herself inside and tossed the plastic bag down on his bed. "Your leather is in there. Get dressed — David said he saw some weird activity going on near the forest... something about pieces of snow falling from the sky? Which I don't get, because it's about eighty degrees outside, but who knows. Get changed."
She started to head back out of the room to wait for him, when Killian surprised her by reaching out and grabbing her shoulder.
"Actually..." He pulled his old leather outfit out of the bag and hung it up carefully in his closet — much to Emma's confusion — before taking the flannel shirt and turning back to her with a smile. "I think I'll wear this again today."
It took a few seconds for the inital confusion to pass before a smile broke out across Emma's face. "You like the flannel, don't you?" she teased.
"Don't push it, or I won't put it on."
Emma giggled. "Deal." She took a step towards him and kissed him quickly on the lips. "Well... I like it on you."
Killian smirked. "I'm sorry, Swan — I believe my hearing must be going out. Can you repeat that?"
Emma nudged him playfully. "Yeah, right. I'm not saying that again. Now hurry up, Killian — David sounded frantic on the phone so it must be something pretty big."
Killian rolled his eyes. "David is always going on about something," he remarked jokingly. "I wouldn't worry yourself."
Emma shrugged. "Maybe — but I'm the savior, so I've got to check it out, and I want you to come with me." The indirect compliment made Killian blush — if only slightly — and the blonde smiled at him one more time before exiting the room and shutting the door behind her.
Killian stared at the closed door for a few seconds, his blue gaze filled with love and adoration, when he realized that she was probably standing out in the hallway, impatiently waiting for him, and he held the flannel shirt out in front of him, cocking his head to the side.
Well, he thought. I guess if people "change"... then their style changes with them.
The jeans may have been somewhat uncomfortable, but the style of clothing that Emma had wanted to see him in wasn't necessarily awful,and seeing him dressed in such a way put a smile on her face, and that was all he cared about.
So when Killian shut the closet door over his old leather and left the room wearing a flannel shirt, skinny jeans, and a black leather jacket — well, let's just say he was no longer complaining.
fin.