Finally, they were walking back home.
Emma's trip to the wish-universe drove him totally crazy, since he couldn't believe they were still being separated. And then, once she managed to came back to Storybrooke, the fight happened.
And once again their future, the one they were trying so hard tu build and preserve, was in danger.
Despite all of this, Killian never gave up on her. How could he? She was the love of his life – his long and mostly dark life – and he had no intention to leave her alone, in any place or time.
Once they came home, she filled him with all that he missed in the wish-reality: her parents in their 60's, her perfect princess life, the birthdays, Henry as a knight. Yes, Henry.
"Wait, Henry was there?" he asked, a little surprised. "if he was there it means you met Baelfire, even without the curse."
"Well, my fake memories suggested I did met him, but he died there, too. And… well, we were married, I assume." Emma answered, a hint of embarassment in her voice.
"Oh, I see." Killian said. There was a minute of silence before he spoke again. "Can I ask you something?"
"Of course, what is it?"
"I was just thinking… You married someone back there. That means you've thought about it, about marriage… Even if it wasn't really you." he said, trying to conceal the sparkle of jealousy inside of him.
"Well, of course it was not me. I couldn't just have ignored my life here in Storybrooke and married someone, if I had had my actual memories." She said, keeping her eyes on him. "Anyway, that wasn't even a real wedding, you know, I don't have any memory about it. Everything was pretty much confused back there… I'm so glad that it's all over, now." And she leaned into him.
He gently brushed his lips against the crown of her head before leaving a soft kiss. "Still, the idea is not so easy to accep. You... being with someone else, I mean." He said, waiting for her to say something. "I'm sure you received some proposals, after Neal's passing." He added nervously, making a gesture with his hand and looking somewhere over Emma's shoulders.
"I did, actually, but it didn't feel right. It's like I couldn't accept any of them, and before I had my memories back I couldn't really figure out why… But now I think I know the reason behind all of that." Emma said, gently strolling her pirate's hand, bringing back Killian's eyes on her.
"And what is that?" he asked, smiling.
"Well, you."
"Me? How? You didn't even remember I existed." He said, a hint of sadness in his voice.
"I know it sounds crazy, but even if I couldn't remember you… I felt something was wrong. The dreams I had about Storybrooke and my life here… I was happy with my parents and Henry, of course I was, but still I felt something was missing and I have no doubt it was love. I mean, true love. " she said, looking almost shyly at him. Saying those words out loud seemed still strange to her, since she was not used to claim her love to someone.
But it was Killian, her Killian. The man she brought back from Hell, the one who never gave up on her, and he deserved to have all the love she could give.
Her stream of thoughts was suddenly interrupted by Killian's lips crushing passionately against hers. A second later her hands were in his hair, pulling him closer, and his lips were on her neck while his good hand traced a very dangerous line from her waist to her leg.
Suddenly, before she could kiss him again, he stopped, pulling back and looking her in the eyes. She was beautiful. She was strong. She was the most amazing woman he had ever met. She was his whole world, and he got so damn lucky that she loved him, too. Then, he raised his hand and put it on her cheeck, gently strolling it with his thumb, never leaving her eyes. He would have never been tired of that.
When she showed him one of her beautiful smile, the ones she saved just for him, he knew that it was the perfect moment.
"What if… what if it was me?" he asked in a whisper, still looking deeply into her eyes.
"What do you mean?" she said, rubbing her nose against his cheek.
"I mean… If one of those suitors in your wish-reality was me. What would have you done?" he said, grinning at her. He swore he could see realization appearing on her face, a mixture of excitement and emotion.
"Wait, are you… Killian, what are you saying?" she said, looking into those stunning blue eyes, which were now studying her closely.
Without a word he stood up, taking Emma's hand to make her stand too. "You know, actually I wasn't planning on doing this tonight… But, then I thought, why not? I've got everything I need." He said, smiling.
"First of all, we're in our house. The house I chose for us, for our family. And this wasn't just a simple house, it was much more. It was my promise to you. The promise of a happy life, the one you wanted to run away from in the first place. The promise of never letting you down or leaving you.
At some point I thought we'd lost all of that. I was… Damn, I died. I was stucked in that horrible place and I was suffering so badly, and not only physically. For the most part I was hurting inside, because of all the things I had done to you. I couldn't stand it. It was, it is the biggest failure of my life."
She was going to interrupt him but he stopped her, putting a finger on her lips. "Please, Swan, let me get through this." She nodded silently before he continued.
"I was there, thinking about you and all the mistakes I made… And then, you were with me again. After everything I had put you through, you were still willing to fight for me. You dared the God of death himself! How could I deserve it? Actually, I didn't think I could, you know that.
You see, Emma… You always say I never gave up on you, but the truth is… You never gave up me, too. And that's the greatest gift I've ever received."
She was looking at him, totally stunned by his words. She was trying so hard not to cry, but she knew all too well that she didn't need her armor around him. She just cupped her hand on his cheek, softly strolling his scar, still uncapable of leaving his eyes. He smiled tenderly at her and leaned into her touch, closing his eyes just for a moment. Then he spoke again:
"As I was saying before… We're in our house, and today I'm able to say that this is still my promise to you. It'll always be. But the house is not the only thing I needed to do this. That's why…" he stopped for a second and reached his inner pocket before pulling out a small black box. Emma's heart skipped a beat - or two -. "That's why I bought you this, too. Will you open it, love?" he asked, offering her the tiny object.
Emma slowly raised her hand and grabbed the box, trying not to shake, and she giggled before opening it. A sparkling diamond ring was now standing in front of her.
"And now, at last, I can talk about the last thing I need tonight, which appears to be my favorite thing. You." He said, taking her hand.
"Emma Swan, will you do me the extraordinary honor of spending my life with you? Will you marry me?"
In that moment, she knew: she was definitely the one who couldn't handle it. At that point, tears were flowing all over her cheecks. He immediately raised his hand to wipe them off, an intimate gesture he had done so many times before.
"What do you think?" she said giggling, once she was able to speak again.
"Well, I was pretty much hoping you'd say yes, but you're Emma Swan and you ar-"
She cut him off with a kiss, putting her arms around his neck. He immediately returned the kiss, wrapping his arms around her, holding her against him like it was the first time he'd done that.
She broke the kiss, leaning her forehead against his. "There's nothing that would make me happier, Killian." She said, looking deeply into his eyes. The love and devotion she saw was almost unbearable.
"Well, when you put it like that… There's one more thing I need to do." he said, reaching for the box. He took the ring, then Emma's hand and put it on, before kissing it. There was such a joy and amazement in his eyes she had never seen before.
"You've just made me the happiest man alive, Swan." He said, reading her thoughts and pulling her closer. "You have no idea how much I love you." he whispered, before kissing Emma's neck, starting again what he had interrupted a few moments earlier.
"I love you too, Killian." She said, closing her eyes, savouring the sensation of his lips on her skin. "This won't ever change. I promise."
And from that moment she wasn't scared of her future anymore.