AN: More Captain Swan fluff. That finale was great. Not only are we timeless, but we're also freaking canon!
Feeling Loved
"All right, Swan?"
"I think we ruined Regina's love life. That's two for two that my family has going."
Emma returned to Killian's side, her eyes focused on the trio of Robin, Regina, and Marian. Now that the original shock of Marian's survival was over, the implications of the revival seemed to be hitting Robin, and even as he stroked Marian's dark hair, his eyes met Regina's over her shoulder.
Yeah, that was a disaster in the making.
"You can't blame that on yourself, Love," Killian stated, and Emma felt his hook slide into the belt loop of her jeans, pulling her back onto the stool next to him. "It was either bring her back, or let Regina execute her. How do you think Robin would have reacted, once he realized the reason his wife was dead?"
That hadn't occurred to Emma. The unexpected arrival of her romantic rival might put a bit of a kink in Regina's evening plans with her thief, but at least she was no longer the woman's executioner… that had to be better, right?
Emma wasn't sure, and time travel was beginning to give her a headache.
"You're thinking too much, Emma. Saviour might be your title, but it's not a weight you have to carry non-stop. We're home, you're home. Your parents are happy, your brother is cooing away, your son is happy… enjoy it. It's not your job to ensure that everyone is content, and Regina is a grown woman who can deal with her own romantic issues" – he lifted his hook to brush her hair over her shoulder, and Emma allowed herself to meet his blue eyes and smile, because she was happy, and a lot of that had to do with the man next to her – "and you should deal with yours."
Emma thought he was going to lean down and kiss her again, as he had earlier on the patio. And she, the girl who always ran, who always kept at least an arms distance between herself and anyone that made her feel too much, thought she would probably let him. His lips were right there, so close to hers, when –
"So, Prince Charles, Hook?"
Emma closed her eyes at David's voice, and she felt Killian's sigh on her lips before he pulled back to give her father one of those sarcastic smirks of his, the one he seemed to save for interactions with David.
"Aye, mate. Recall that, do you? Perhaps you remember more than just my alias…?"
Killian trailed off with raised brows, and Emma's furrowed as she looked between the two, Killian's smirk and David's faint, embarrassed flush.
"Ah," the prince said uncomfortably, accepting two mugs of tea from granny. "Yes. That. Well then, I'll see the both of you tomorrow, I suppose."
"Aye, I suppose you will," Killian replied cheerily, waving his hook at David's back as he retreated back to the booth that held his wife and grandson.
"What was that about?" Emma demanded when Hook turned back to her.
"Just a conversation your father and I had when we were planning your unneeded daring rescue," he replied, reaching up to run a lock of her hair between his fingers. "Now, where were we again?"
He leaned down to kiss her, but Emma recognized an attempt at distraction when she saw one, so she placed her hand on his chest and dodged his lips.
"Oh no you don't. Explanation, now."
Killian sighed and leaned back, but his fingers continued to play with her hair. Her pirate, and it almost made her giddy to think of him like that, though she'd never admit it, was very fond of casual touching, she was coming to realize. For someone like Emma, who'd had so little affection in her life, it was both a welcome and disconcerting change.
"Your father was feeling a little down on love, with his impending nuptials with Midas' daughter," he explained, twining the hair around his finger. His gaze was focused on the action, a way of avoiding her gaze, because a faint flush was rising in his cheeks. "I merely shared some of my experiences with him."
"Meaning…?"
"I told him that I'd felt the same way once" – he looked up, releasing her hair from around her fingers, and catching her eyes with an intensity she'd only ever experienced with him – "until I met the right person."
"Me."
"You," he agreed simply, and Emma found that she couldn't look away from him, not now, not when his expression was so open and honest. She reached up and tangled her fingers in his hair, pulling his lips down to meet hers. The rest of the world disappeared for her – she didn't care about Regina and her romantic drama, or that her parents and son were sitting just across the diner with her baby brother – all she cared about was Killian. Killian who loved her in ways no one else had. Killian who had given up his home for her, who had followed her to the past, because letting her go alone simply hadn't been an option.
"Could you guys go do that… anywhere else?"
Henry's voice was like a cold bucket of water over their heads, and they broke apart immediately. Emma licked her lips and smiled up at her son, while Killian rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and looked anywhere but at Henry.
"I'm going to go home with Mom tonight," Henry continued, and Emma noticed that there was a tiny, tiny smirk on his lips as he glanced over at Regina, who was preparing to leave, carefully not looking at Robin. For his part, Robin was shooting her repeated glances, obviously torn between her and Marian. "I think she'll need me tonight."
"Uh, yeah," Emma agreed, running a hand over Henry's hair. "You're right, she likely does. I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Of course. And you, too, Killian."
It didn't escape Emma's notice that it wasn't a question, or that Henry's expression was almost smug as he left them, headed for Regina's side. Her expression softened when she saw Henry, and she seemed relieved as they left the diner together, Robin's eyes glued to her back as she left.
"Precocious lad," Killian stated, still looking somewhat embarrassed as he ran his fingers around the shell of his ear.
"That's one word," Emma agreed, looking around. The crowd was beginning to thin, and baby Neal was asleep while Snow was beginning to yawn. David got up to collect their coats, and Emma got off her stool. "I'll be right back."
She walked over to her parent's booth, smiling down at Snow and her brother as she arrived.
"You guys heading out?"
"Yes. Were you wanting a ride?" Snow asked. David arrived with her coat, and Emma took Neal from her, letting Snow put the coat on. Thanks to the memories Regina had given her, holding a baby felt almost natural, but it was also foreign, because the real Emma hadn't held Henry, had always been uneasy around babies. She glanced back at Killian who was watching her hold her brother with an odd expression on his face and smiled quizzically at him. He jolted out of whatever stupor he had fallen into and smiled back, raising his beer in a toast.
"No. I'll be a while yet," Emma replied to Snow's question. Snow looked between her and the pirate, raising her brows.
"Oh?" she asked in that Snow way that made Emma give her an are-you-kidding-me look.
"Yes. And don't look like that. We're both in that book now. We may not have looked like ourselves, but Charles was Killian. And you saw how he… how we were."
"Let them have some time, Snow," David said, tugging his wife into his side. "They deserve it, after their experience."
"Since when have you been so pro-Hook?" Snow asked with furrowed brows, and David became suddenly very interested in his sleeping son while Emma chuckled.
"Yeah, Dad… what did happen in the Enchanted Forest? Did the bromance transcend time?"
"He told you," David said with a resigned expression. "In my defence, I didn't realize he was talking about my daughter. But I can't deny that he was sincere."
"He so told me. He can't deny me much." Emma looked back at Hook with a fond expression, and he met her gaze with a confused smile.
"No," David agreed softly, looking between the two. "He really can't. Come on Snow, let's get Neal put down for the night."
"Fine, but you will be explaining what you mean by that. What did you and Hook get up to when he was Charles?"
The pair left, David assuring her that he would explain everything, and Emma watched them, feeling utterly content. This was home. Home was Snow and David and Henry and this town.
And Killian.
"Do they still not entirely approve?" Killian asked, joining her. He held her coat over his arm, and offered it to her when he reached her side.
"Snow is working on it. David… he gets it. He spent a bit more time with Charles than she did, though, so I guess it's just to be expected." Emma smiled up at him, running her hands along his lapels. "Are we going somewhere, that you brought me my coat?"
"I thought we might go for a walk," Killian replied.
"We could" –Emma ran her hands up his chest to rest them on his shoulders. She felt him shudder under her touch, and she smiled to herself, loving the effect she had on him. Even when he had been drunk, thirty years younger, and had never met her before, he'd still been affected. She wondered if there were a world out there, a time somewhere, that Killian Jones wasn't affected by her. Perhaps, but she hoped to never find it – "or we could do something else. It's thirty years coming, but you did promise a certain bar wench a night cap."
"I did, did I?" Killian leaned down so that his breath was warm against her ear. "Well, who am I to disagree with the lady."
Then, ignoring the dwindling crowd of the diner, Killian bent down and lifted her into his arms, much as the past him had on the docks going to the Jolly Roger. Emma laughed and wrapped her arms around his neck and let him carry her towards the rooms above the diner. They drew the attention of everyone left in the diner, and Emma knew the town would be full of gossip about the pirate and the princess, because Grumpy was watching them with surprise from his seat across from Ruby, but that was something to deal with in the morning.
Tonight, she was happy.
Tonight, she was home.
Tonight, she felt loved.
AN: And there it is. Fluff and happiness and unicorns sharting rainbows. Because that's how I feel right now. And is anyone else excited for Elsa next season? I can't wait to see what path they go – the movie Frozen, or more the Snow Queen route, where she really was a villain.
