note:

this is part of a bigger project i've been working on, that, knowing me, will never be finished. so i skipped ahead to write a conclusion to one of the plot lines. set in modern times, Emma is a freshman in college, and Knightly is a senior she grew up with.

this story is rated M for graphic sexual content. if that offends you, please turn back now!


Emma had resigned herself to never being with George Knightly, or Knightly, as most people called him. She'd realized too late that she was in love with him, he was visiting his brother during reading week, and she'd heard that he and Harriet were hooking up. She was utterly bummed- not only would she not be with him, she would probably be super awkward and ruin their friendship, and her friendship with Harriet, just because she had these stupid feelings for him.

He just was better than anyone else, really. He was smart and funny and pretty much always kind and gentle, to everyone but her. He always picked on her, called her out on her shit, made her feel like he saw her as an annoying and stupid child. But, as she thought about it more, she realized that in the many instances he'd lectured her over the the last year, he had been right and she had eventually felt foolish. He'd seen the duplicity of Frank Churchill months before she did, he'd chewed her out over her treatment of Marla Bates, which she now deeply regretted. And she herself had messed up Harriet's relationship with Rob, to Knightly's dismay, and now Harriet and Knightly were an item? It had sent her mind reeling, which it had been doing for days now as she spent reading week locked in her room or aimlessly wandering campus, trying to puzzle her way out of her depression. When she'd thought she loved Frank, and he strung her along for months before revealing he was dating Jane, it stung, but not like it did now. Knightly had always been one of her best friends, and now she felt an ache deep in her heart over her foolish actions and her loss of him.

She'd been walking campus, originally to grab a cup of coffee before going back to studying, but the coffee had been consumed slowly and she'd dragged her feet to slow her return to her Literature notes.

As she approached her dorm, she saw him, waiting outside, his hands deep in his pockets and his face serious.

Her instinctual reaction was to dive behind a large bush. When had she come to this? Her hiding spot didn't last long as one of her suitemates, Catherine, walked by with a heavy bag of books, and gasped as she saw her friend crouched behind a bush.

"Emma! What are you doing down there? You ought to be studying, Lit is tomorrow!" she exclaimed, and Emma cringed, slowly standing up and seeing that Knightly had indeed heard her friend and was heading their way. "Do you want to come with me to the library? I'm too distracted in the suite, even home alone."

"Um," Emma said, as Knightly was now just behind Catherine. "No, thanks, maybe I'll come by later."

"Cool, see you," Catherine smiled, heading off, and leaving Emma and Knightly face to face in awkward silence.

"You're back," Emma said, trying to smile and knowing that it was strained at best.

"I am," he said seriously. "I'm so sorry, Emma. I heard about Frank and Jane." She shook her head.

"It's fine, really," she said. "I thought I cared for him, but..." He waited for her to finish her sentence, which she never did.

"It seems like everyone is eager to forgive that bastard for some reason," he said angrily.

"Careful, Knightly, you almost sound jealous," she said, swiping her keycard to enter her dorm, as Knightly followed her.

"I am jealous," he said, and she paused at the door to the stairwell. "His secret is out." Emma kept her back to him, because she knew her face showed the sadness she felt at thinking of him and Harriet together. They were both her good friends, she should be happy instead of selfishly jealous of Harriet. She hurried into and up the stairwell, with a surprised Knightly following her.

"Wait," he said softly, and she stopped, still not turning to face him.

"Some secrets are better kept," she said quietly, and began climbing the stairs again, moving out of the way as a few students walked by heading down. She stopped when she noticed he was no longer following her, but standing still, leaning against the wall, twenty steps back. His face looked pained, and despite herself, she stepped back down to him.

"I'm sorry," she said. "You're one of my oldest friends. You can tell me anything, about anyone." She looked into his eyes, and they were even more intense than usual.

"Emma," he said softly, "I need you to be honest with me. Do I have a shot?"

"With Harriet?" she asked innocently, and his dark eyes widened in shock.

"Harriet? Of course not. With you, of course, it's always been you," he said, grabbing her hand and holding it tightly. She was suddenly glad that he had, as she felt about to swoon. "Harriet," he muttered. Emma didn't know what to say, and instead stood on her toes to kiss him briefly and sweetly. It was now his turn to stand silent in shock. She beamed at him, and he smiled back, reaching for her face and pulling it back into his, kissing her deeply, her hands flying to his hair, his moving down to her sides, pulling her towards him, needing her closer.

They paused when a couple of girls passed them, giggling.

"Come," Emma smiled, taking his hand and pulling him up towards her floor.

Her suitemates were still out, and Emma sat Knightly on their couch, sitting next to him, their hands never parting ways.

"I supposed I should thank that bastard Frank Churchill," he said, and Emma only looked at him with a raised eyebrow. "I don't think it was until he transferred in and starting hitting on you that I realized my own feelings for you. I had to go to Boston to study because I was too distracted by you... but it didn't work, I still thought about you the whole time." He kissed her gently, and she smiled.

"I talked to Harriet," she began slowly, "about her... various crushes, and afterwards, I thought a while and realized that there was only one person I ever feel that way around, and it's you." She smiled and he kissed her again. They both smiled dazedly for moments after, looking at each other. "I've acted so foolish this year- all my life, really. I'm stubborn and naive and took you for granted." He shushed her, shaking his head.

"I've been too hard on you. You're a college freshman. Your species is known for making the wrong decisions about dating and friends. Really, you're the most beautiful and graceful and kind girl that I've ever known," he said earnestly, and she blushed and nervously tucked her blonde wavy hair behind her ear.

"I think you're beautiful and graceful and kind," she said, blushing, climbing onto his lap and kissing him, as he gasped in surprise and wrapped his arms around her waist, kissing her back. She pressed herself against him, wondering at how kissing Knightly felt so different than when she'd kissed Frank, how currently her every nerve seemed to stand on end, craving Knightly's touch and wondering what would happen next. They made out on the couch for a while, eventually winding up with Emma laying atop of Knightly, her hands clutching his once crisp button-down, one of his knees up to corral her closer to him and the obvious hardness their makeout was causing.

"Oh! Hi!" Elizabeth exclaimed, blushing and holding back her laughter as she and Marianne, Emma's two other suitemates, entered their living area. Emma and Knightly sat up quickly and jumped apart, as though they'd been caught by a parent, and Elizabeth and Marianne could no longer hold back, both bursting into laughter as they headed towards their respective rooms to put away their books.

"Thank god, Knightly, she's been moping all week!" Marianne exclaimed, and Emma stuck her tongue out at her, while Knightly only laughed and shook his head.

"Come on," Emma said, standing and pulling him to his feet. He was always amazed at her strength despite her slim frame. Without protest, he followed her to her room.

He'd been in her room hundreds of times, not this particular room, but since they were both kids and, with their respective siblings, they'd spent summers together. Usually they would watch movies or study or talk about whatever genius plan Emma had thought up and why Knightly disapproved.

This time, he stood dumbfounded as Emma, the girl he'd grown up with, the girl he introduced to friends as 'basically my little sister,' closed and locked the door behind them and, pushing him to the wall, kissed him while she began unbuttoning his shirt.

"Emma-" he breathed, and she stopped, breathless and rosy-cheeked, looking up at him with her grey eyes swirling. "Maybe we should wait- go on a date first?" Emma smiled wickedly up at him, not releasing her hold on his shirt.

"I think we've waited long enough, don't you?" she asked before kissing him again, and this time, with her reassurance, he returned her fervor and soon was shrugging off his shirt and walking her towards her bed, never breaking the contact between their lips unless breathing was absolutely necessary. She could be his air, he found himself thinking, he'd known her so long and needed her so much that she had much in common with the element.

They both toppled onto the bed, this time with Knightly on top of her, as she dazedly ran her hands over his chest and back, sighing as he kissed her deeper, his tongue massaging hers, his hands reaching up to feel her breasts through her shirt. She could sense his nervousness, and sought to reassure him by arching her back so that she pressed herself into his hands, opening her legs so he could fall into place between them. He smiled as he squeezed her breasts, he's been wanting to do it since she'd seemingly developed them overnight sophomore year of high school, full and perky on her small frame. He felt her hardened nipples through the layers of cotton and lace, and it was his undoing.

In seconds, her shirt was on the floor across the room, and she was gasping as he stroked her lace bra and the soft skin beneath, kissing along the tops of her breasts before dipping lower, letting his tongue tease a nipple up from the lace cup, one hand on the other breast, and one quickly working to remove the bra from between them. He glanced up to ensure that she was still alright with what was happening- he had always worried about her and he supposed he always would. He was taken aback by the sexy look on her face as she sought to catch her breath, her eyes clouded with lust, her lips swollen from kisses, and her hair a beautiful jumbled halo around her. As he slipped her bra off, he paused to appreciate her beauty.

As he paused, she could sense his appreciation of her, and, deciding it was time to escalate matters, she reached down to the front of his jeans, where his appreciation of her was painfully evident.

"Well this just won't do," she teased, rubbing him through the thick denim. He held back a growl as he lunged at her and kissed her again, as she delicately opened his fly and reached inside. Their kiss ended with a desperate sigh from Knightly, the feeling of her hand against him was better than he ever imagined, and he did not protest when she pushed his jeans and boxers down slowly. She could feel a bit of moisture on his erect penis, and now that it was fully exposed she looked at it, large and swollen, and all hers, she thought. She took advantage of his momentary inability to move and rolled him over to lay beneath her, quickly shimmying down his body and slipping off his shoes and socks, gently caressing his feet as she did so, and then fully removing his jeans and boxers from where they'd bunched at his calves. He was now fully naked laying on her bed with a look of love and lust and disbelief that she found to be absolutely adorable. She crawled back onto the bed, slowly climbing up his legs to his penis, which she took hold of gently, caressing it, then rubbing it a bit harder, and then leaning down to kiss it softly, scattering kisses along the shaft, while he shuddered in pleasure. Smiling, she took him in her mouth, looking up at the shock on his face when he fully realized what "little" Emma was doing to him. She continued to suck on him, moving her head along the length of him, using her tongue and hands to supplement her motions, until he frantically spat out:

"Emma, I'm going to-" and she looked up at him with love and put one finger to his mouth- something she'd done many times before when he argued with her. He kissed her finger as he shuddered and came, spilling into her mouth, and she continued to suck and lick him until he was finished, swallowing what she could and wiping any excess. Suddenly shy, she looked up at him, and, in tune with her enough to realize that now she was the one in need of reassurance, he pulled her up and kissed her sweetly, holding her tightly against him, relishing in the feeling.

"Was that...?" she started, and trailed off. This time, he couldn't fill in the blanks.

"Was that what, darling?" he asked, and she giggled.

"Darling?" she asked. "What are you, 80?"

"Was that what, Emma?" he asked again, and she blushed.

"Well, you know... was it OK? I've never done that before, I'll have you know," she said sheepishly, and he smiled up at her.

"My darling Emma, it was far better than OK," he said. "You are absolutely amazing."

"You are," she said back, beaming. "I think I want to sleep with you now." He smiled and kissed her again, rolling her under him again and then leaning back so he could remove her jeans. She was left with a pair of light blue lace panties on, and he looked her in the eye as he ran his fingers along the lace covering her slit. She jumped at the electricity his touch provided, her grey eyes widening, and he smiled, kissing her deeply as he continued to rub her, feeling the moisture that had already formed in the lace, finally reaching up to the waistline and slipping his hand between her and the fabric. She sighed into his mouth as she felt his fingers directly against her, rubbing her into a greater state of excitement and arousal. She yelped when she felt him thrust a finger into her, his eyes seeking hers, and she smiled at him and moved beneath him a bit to remind him that she wanted this. Her smile broadened when he suddenly added two more fingers, moving within her tight pussy, hoping to ready it for what was to come. Feeling her juices on his fingers and her body rubbing against his, he decided it was time. He removed his fingers, and she sighed in disappointment, blinking up at him as he quickly retrieved a condom from his discarded jeans and positioned himself between her legs.

"Emma, I-"

"Come on, Knightly, I've told you like a million times that I want this," she exclaimed, eagerly rubbing against him.

"I was going to say that I love you. I think I always have, I just didn't know it until recently. You are the only woman I want to share this with," he kissed her gently, and she smiled.

"Sorry, I- I need to get used to this new thing we're doing where we're being honest instead of catty," she smiled. "I love you too, George." He smiled at her unusual use of his first name, she'd once told him that George was a name only an old man should have, but she said it now in the most important sentence he'd ever heard and it filled him with joy. He slowly pushed himself into her, letting her adjust to the feeling, steadily moving until he hit a wall. He'd hoped to be her first, but not presumed, until he felt the barrier. He knew he had no choice but to hurt her briefly, and thrust into her, as she cried out. He stopped, laying deep within her, and kissed her gently, looking for tears to wipe away, but only seeing a slight wince and then a wink. She was always stronger than he gave her credit for.

"Come on, Knightly, show me how much you love me," she said teasingly, and he began to move within her, feeling her begin to respond to him, moving against him in a way that heightened the friction between them. For the sake of her suitemates, they tried to keep it down as they moved against each other and gasped and sighed at the feelings elicited. He kissed her breasts again as he moved within her, and she threw her head back, biting her lip, running her hands across his muscular back, wondering why she hadn't noticed quite how muscular he was before.

Before she knew it, she was experiencing a feeling she'd never felt before- her entire body felt as though it were tingling and she shuddered before slowing beneath him. She melted into a puddle while he followed her over the edge, shuddering within her and then coming to rest on top of her, careful to not put too much weight on her small frame. He began to trace along her naked form with his index finger, and it occurred to her that he was memorizing this moment, and that she should be too. She kissed him again, without the urgency, but with waves of emotion that could be felt by both of them. They continued to kiss each other softly, occasionally giggling in delight, until they finally fell asleep, exhausted.