Believe it or not, they had a quiet moment. No monsters, no crisis, no chaos.
They laid snuggled up on Emma's couch with a big fluffy blanket and some warm microwaved popcorn. Emma's head rested on Killian's shoulder; her long, blonde tresses falling down his chest. The light of the TV that was currently playing Chicago dimly lit the small living room, as the faint smell of salt and butter drifted in the cozy air.
Emma stared at the television intently, the dialogue and music murmuring into her ears as a faint smile rested on her lips. While Emma was focused on the movie, Killian was more interested in the way Emma's soft breaths had her head rising and falling on his shoulder, and how her smile would subtly grow every time a joke was made or a song broke out. From his angle, he could see the side of her beautiful eyes—a stunning mix of greens that never failed to take his breath away—and they seemed like they were filled with… contentedness? Gratification? He couldn't quite tell. He looked down at their hands; fingers intertwined and resting on Killian's lap, and he couldn't suppress the small smile that found its way to his lips that was caused by every little detail about the girl.
He was happy. Truly, genuinely happy.
And that's when he realized how screwed he was. He… he was in love with this woman; how couldn't he see it before? And now that he had fallen in, he wasn't sure he would be able to get himself out. The issue may seem unclear—but the problem was that while he was infatuated with her, she saw him as nothing more than… a friend? A colleague? Someone who can help her defeat the bad guys? He knew back in Neverland that there was a potential for love, but he didn't mean to actually fall for her; and bloody hell—what had he gotten himself into?
The movie shortly came to an end and Emma looked up at Killian—her bright green eyes losing themselves in the sea of his blue. Her smile quickly turned itself into a frown when she saw the troubled look in his eyes. "What's wrong?"
The honest concern that was laced in her voice tugged at his heart, as a slight smile wavered on his lips. "Nothing, love. It's getting late, I should probably head back to my ship."
She raised an eyebrow at him knowingly—she could tell when something was bothering him, and right now, something was bothering him. She sat up, turning to properly face him. "Killian, please. You know you can't lie to me. Just tell me."
Maybe it was the way she was looking at him—eyes filled with pure care and concern. Maybe it was the way the remaining light of the TV illuminated the side of her face, making her look ethereal in the low light. Maybe it was the fact that the mere sound of her voice could make his heart jump and stutter in his chest, but the words slipped out of his mouth before his brain could catch up and stop himself. "I think I'm in love with you and it sucks because you'll never love me the way I want you to." He wanted to take back his words the instant he released them. Bloody hell, he thought, as he could feel a blush creeping up onto his cheeks.
She blinked at him a few times—attempting to take in his words—before a giggle escaped her lips. Killian was more than a little concerned, but once she contained herself, she looked at him earnestly with a teasing grin. She had a sudden boost of courage, so she let herself say it before her walls could take over and try to protect her from the potential heartache her next words could bring. "If you think I don't feel anything for you, you're more stupid than I thought."
There was a beat.
"You—you have feelings for me?" It wasn't exactly an unpleasant surprise, but he still found it a bit challenging to process her words.
Emma laughed again—a fuller, more playful laugh. "Killian, we just watched a movie together—alone, may I add—while cuddling and holding hands. Did you really think this some sort of friendly bonding?"
When she put it like that, it did seem quite evident. "Well, I, uh—."
"Killian, of course I have feelings for you. I have for a while, and I thought I was making it quite obvious. I mean, we've made out a couple of times." The teasing edge in her voice was unmistakable, but he could tell her words were genuine.
He didn't really know what to say. So he didn't say anything—he kissed her instead. He tilted her chin upwards, tenderly connecting their lips in a way that made his heart pound and his lips tingle. He would never get tired of this. Killian tried to pour everything he felt for her into the kiss because he wasn't sure he would ever find a way to put it in words—and he needed her to know.
Emma's heart fluttered as her stomach twisted and turned. She truly did feel so much for him, and while that frightened her immensely, she wanted to give him—give them—a try. She wasn't sure she had ever felt this with anyone before—not even with Neal. The fact that she felt all of this and Killian had no clue—what an idiot—broke her heart a little. He deserved the world. He deserved every drop of love Emma's heart could offer, and while she was still slightly weary and unsure of where this could all lead, she truly wanted to give it to him. She trusted him.
The kiss was short and chaste but filled with unspoken emotion as their lips moved against each other, peacefully but passionately. Emma had a hand at the nape of his neck, running her fingers through his short hair, as Killian's hand held her cheek. They broke the kiss, leaning their forehead against the other's breathlessly. After a moment, the two pulled back, looking into each other's eyes with affection.
Emma was content. No—she was more than just content. She was happy. After spending her entire life trying to chase and achieve this concept—happiness—she finally found it here; in this moment, with this pirate.
"Today was a pretty good day, wasn't it?" She was smiling again, something she had found herself doing much more often as of late. "There was no monster overrunning Storybrooke and we finally got a chance to relax." The way Emma's eyes gleamed and crinkled at the corners as she beamed at Killian made him feel like he was falling in love with her all over again.
He couldn't stop the smile tugging at his lips even if he wanted to. He held Emma's face as he gently ran his thumb across her cheek. "Every day is a good day when it's spent with you, darling."
As Killian said it—looking at Emma with his heart on his sleeve, eyes full of adoration and awe—she realized that he truly was in love with her; and while the thought terrified her, she couldn't remember a time when she was this happy.