The snow falls in thick curtains outside the window of the small bail bonds office, blanketing the city in its first snowstorm of the season. Emma is content to stare out at the winter wonderland, chin propped up in her palm. Stacks of paper work and the long list of people she needs to call easily being ignored. Bing croons softly about sleigh bells in snow from a small FM radio.
Emma's quiet contemplation comes to an abrupt end when the door opens to a gust of wind and snowflakes, fiery red hair and goggles. Emma just manages to smack her hand down against her stack of papers and immediately shivers against the cold air.
"Are you insane?!" Emma demands as she watches Ruby, her friend and bike courier, stamp her boots against the front mat. She jumps in place, once, twice, shaking off any access snow before pulling down her scarf and lifts her goggles. "You look like Yukon Cornelius," Emma tacks on.
Ruby looks put out for only a moment before splitting into a red grin. "It's the yellow earmuffs isn't it? They were just too soft and too warm to pass up, see," and before Emma can protest, Ruby is sliding the earmuffs over Emma ears, wet snow and all.
"Ruby! Rubes! Red!"
Both women turn following the booming voice.
"Kristoff, Kris, Kringle," Ruby singsongs back and her laugh comes quick when Emma's assistant rounds the corner, arms full of files, bright red antlers on his head.
"I'm impressed but you're nuts," he says, coming to a stop between the women.
"I have winter tires," Ruby offers as she rifles through her messenger bag.
"On a bike," Emma deadpans.
"Hey, I made it, you don't want your checks? I can take them back to…" before she can continue Kristoff dumps the files on Emma's lap.
"Oof."
"The files you requested," he says with a flourish and in the same motion snaps up the envelopes from Ruby's grasp. He pulls a pen from behind his ear and signs Ruby's receipt confirmation.
Emma watches her friends with a relaxed sigh, kicking her feet up on her desk. Kristoff drops the checks on the appropriate desks, bells on his antlers jingling and Ruby wonders over to the coffee maker humming along to the radio.
Finally gone are the days where the holidays filled Emma with dread. It had taken - well years really - but slowly as each person came into her life, David who owned the bail bonds office and gave her a chance or Elsa who had insisted on helping her move into their shared building when she had seen Emma was alone and Ruby who ran into her – no really, Ruby had literally run her over with her bike and then invited her out for drinks to apologize, Emma had surrounded herself with a small band of misfits that gave the holidays a place in her heart and gifts under her tree.
"Earth to Emma."
Emma glances up at the sound of her voice in time to see the sugar packet hit her in the chest.
"Huh?" her eyes jump between Ruby and Kris. Ruby is hiding her expression behind a large cup of coffee but Kris is grinning like the cat who caught the canary.
Or Rudolph who… Emma shakes her head and follows Kristoff as he strolls over to a large white board, his knuckles knocking along until he pauses under the top right corner. He raps the board with two last knocks.
Emma manages to school her features to indifference, eyes glossing over the board. It is filled with open case information, upcoming meetings, and a caricature of Kristoff as a reindeer but her eyes must widen as Kris uncaps a marker and it's the only tell Ruby needs.
Her redheaded friend is quick to deposit her mug on the counter and joins Kristoff. Raising on tip toes Ruby taps the initials in the top right corner.
Emma internally groans.
ES+KJ
There is a number below the initials that has clearly been erased and rewritten many times. It currently stands at two hundred and twenty three. But today Kristoff adds a new line, a category denoted by a heart and the number one beside it.
Ruby raises her eyebrows at Emma who, trying to maintain her dignity while still wearing the earmuffs shrugs and shuffles through the files that Kristoff had dropped on her lap. Her friends wait by the board, arms crossed. Emma keeps her head down.
Maybe they'll drop it. I've had stake outs that last for hours. I can handle these two.
An earmuff is pulled away from her ear only to smack back down seconds later.
"HEY!" Emma cries. "What was that for?"
Ruby points to the board and Emma rolls her eyes.
"That, that… thing," Emma waves at the board with a dismissive hand."Belongs to the two of you. Not me."
Emma puts her head back to the files as Kristoff tries to stifle his grin but Ruby is having not of it. She pulls at Emma's chair rolling her away from her desk and to face the board.
"What happened today?" Ruby asks pointing to the heart.
"Nothing," Emma grumbles.
"When Emma came in, her cheeks weren't pink from the cold," Kristoff can't help but supply.
Emma's eyes shoot daggers at him.
"I could fire you," she threatens, he doesn't look worried, waving her off. He wonders over to the counter, opening a box and handing her a bear claw.
"And who would keep you fed and find your files?" he asks.
Emma grumbles around a big bite of her donut.
"I dropped something," she mumbles, mouth full.
"Attractive, Emma," Ruby throws over her shoulder before pulling Kris back to the board. "Ok so what happened, you be Emma, I'll be Killian," Ruby directs, hands on his shoulders, turning him sideways.
His mouth opens and closes.
"Wait, why am I Emma?" he asks and when Ruby simply tilts her head, foot tapping, he breaks out into a grin and nods. "You're right, I do a really good Emma."
He plucks Emma's beanie from her desk and pulls it on.
Emma crosses her arms and legs, frown in place.
"And begin," Kris whispers stuffing his hands into his back pockets, eyes downcast.
Ruby grabs a hold of her belt and begins to saunter forward, leading with her hips.
"He doesn't walk like that," Emma mumbles. Ruby waves her off.
"Wait, where did this happen?" Ruby asks, breaking character for a moment.
"Right out front." Kris points to the front door as he adjusts the beanie.
Ruby's jaw drops.
"What?! This really is news. He walked you to the front door?"
Emma rolls her eyes and tilts back in her chair staring at the ceiling.
"I dropped something, that's all it was," she mutters.
Kris barks out a laugh before turning away from Ruby. "Call out to me, and go!" he directs and brings his eyes back down.
"Swan! Lass," Ruby calls out inflecting her words with a bad British accent.
"Lucky guess," Emma continues to mutter.
Kris turns, arms close to his sides, keeping his body uptight – "Oh, wait," – he pauses to pinch his cheeks pink.
Emma scraps a piece of paper from her notepad into a ball and tosses it at him.
He ignores her.
After an exaggerated steadying breath. He tilts his chin up. "Yes?" he asks, his voice a few octaves higher.
Ruby sways a few steps forward, grin on her face.
"Tuck my hair over my shoulder," Kristoff whispers out of the side of his mouth.
Ruby's face lights up and she does as she's told.
Kristoff drops his eyes to the ground before slowly glancing up, lip caught between his teeth.
Emma scoffs.
"Love, you dropped your," Ruby hesitates, casts a glance at Emma. "You're glove?" she asks ending on a question. When Kristoff grins she knows she's on the right track.
"Thank you, sorry you had to," he trails off pointing towards the path Killian would have taken.
Ruby scratches behind her ear, mimicking a tick they all knew Killian had before letter her lips fall into a devious grin.
"Actually, I'm sort of secretly in love with you so it's no problem at all," she begins to quickly adlib and Kristoff easily fallows suit.
"Really? That's perfect since I am too. Let's stop staring at each other longingly and actually go out on a date. I haven't gotten laid in forever either so we could probably pencil that in."
Emma nearly tumbles backwards off her chair but manages to right it at the last moment. She takes her stress ball and launches at her two friends, sputtering through her words.
"It's not, I can't believe," she pauses taking a deep breath. "Look he seems like a nice guy and just saying hello is enough. I don't, I won't ruin," Emma stops whatever train of that she had with a frown and waves her two friends off. "Whatever," she mumbles and rolls back to her desk, head down, eyes focused on her paperwork.
No one says a word for a moment and Emma forces herself to not react. That is until she feels two shadows loom over her. On a sigh, she glances up.
"What?" she demands with none of the fight left behind the question.
Ruby regards her with a soft look and plucks the earmuffs from Emma's head. She leans down and presses a kiss to the top of her head before Kristoff covers it with her beanie and does the same.
"You won't ruin anything, Emma," Ruby states sincerely before giving her an apologetic look as her cell chirps.
"They guy looks at you like you're the reason he wakes up every morning," Kristoff adds and chuckles at the blush that rises to Emma's cheeks.
Before anymore can be said, the front door jingles and they are brought back to the reality that they have a job to do.
Kristoff gives her shoulder a squeeze before walking over to the new client.
Ruby secures her phone, sets her earmuffs and goggles before giving Emma a bright red smile.
"Duty calls but I think I may have a drop off nearby this afternoon. I'll stop in if I can. Hang in there, Ems."
And with another jingles of bells, Ruby disappears into the snow and Emma is left alone with her thoughts –
The reason he wakes up.
She snorts at the ludicrousness of the notion, determined to get through her work.
Yet, only moments later she once again finds her chin in her palm, eyes caught on the swirling snowflakes and a blush rising to her cheeks as she remembers KJ - Killian Jones and the look in his eyes as he tucked her hair behind her shoulder.
*Ho*Ho*Ho*
She's half way down the dimly lit walkway when the cold against her fingers registers. Her hands search her pockets but she huffs in annoyance finding them empty. She glances back at the dark, empty office, knowing her gloves are tucked away somewhere inside but she opts to stuff her hands deeper into her pockets and forage on threw the snow.
As the day has turned to evening on the shortest day of the year, the city is eerily quiet, motorists not wanting to risk the slippery roads and the snow softening the sound of anything else. The sky is an inky black, just a light covering of snow still falls. Emma presses forward, boots kicking through the accumulated snow, her head down watching her steps.
She is stepping into the parking lot when she remembers that her car is at home, buried under a mountain of snow the plough had kindly left as she had stepped out of her home. On groan she pulls her purse to her front, determined to find an uber driver.
The first snow ball hits her with a glancing blow to the knee.
She looks up in time to see a flash of red hair ducking behind a car.
"RUBY!" she cries out looking to the white snow on her black jeans but all she receive is a cackle in response.
Emma is weighing her options when a second snowball whizzes by, barely missing her shoulder.
"That almost hit me in the head you, witch," Emma yells across the lot, a smile softening her words. She gives in and drops to roll a snow ball with her bare hands.
Ruby pops up undeterred, another snowball in hand.
"Emma, please, I'm the MVP of our softball team. That went where I wanted it to go. This one though…"
The snow ball smacks her in the arm, exploding.
Emma goes for broke, knowing her accuracy is less than stellar, she's more team mascot than teammate. She makes a run at Ruby. On a glance to her left and laugh Ruby picks up the bike that was on the ground and with a running start, hops on with ease, even in the snow.
"See ya at the Christmas party tomorrow, Ems! Don't be late!" Ruby calls out over her shoulder, quickly disappearing behind the building.
Emma launches the snowball anyway, a Hail Mary destined to fail. Her throw too slow, the arc is too high and Ruby long gone but as she watches the snowball fall, Killian rounds the corner and she can't do anything but watch the snow hit, not its original target but a mark none the less.
"OHMYGOODIMSORRY."
It all comes out in rush of immediate embarrassment.
If she tried a hundred times she would never make the same throw again.
The ball hit him dead center in the upper chest, his jacket open allowing for the snow to dampen his clothes and trickle down the front of his shirt.
He blinks at her once, twice and she finally turns away, wishing for the ground to swallow her up.
Smack.
Emma stutters in her step as the shock of being hit in the back catches up to her brain.
She turns slowly to find that he has dropped his backpack, the only contrast to his professional look, to the ground and is already rolling another snowball in his gloved hands.
"You wouldn't," she calls across.
Even in the dim light of the parking lot she knows he has an eyebrow arched.
"I'm unarmed," she adds.
Thud.
She looks down at the snow scattered across her thighs.
She just manages to dodge the next one, mouth still opened in an o of shock.
"What are you a professional snow ball thrower?" she calls out eyes darting around the parking lot once again for cover. She finds yards and yards of white snow and black tire tracks.
"Come on, love, you started this," he calls out, grin overtaking his face. He's pulling snow from the hood of his car into yet another snowball. Emma's eyes land on a lone Cadillac and with a last chance look at Killian, she makes the dash for it.
"You can run but," his voice trails off as she runs, sliding across the snow and ice. She grabs onto the mirror with a laughing yelp and a slide of blonde curls. She ducks just in time for a snowball to go sailing over her head.
"Jerk!" she calls out but her laugh mixes with his and the warmth she feels in her belly helps her ignore the cold in her hands as she gathers snow. She pops up quickly to throw a wayward snowball that lands quite a distance from its intended target.
"Bad form, Swan. Perhaps you should surrender?" his voice calls out and she sticks her head out to see him.
"Never!" she cries out and doesn't even have to move as his next snowball lands way off the mark but she has a sneaking suspicion he did it on purpose.
"Didn't anyone tell you it's rude to go easy on people?" she asks throwing another ball. It lands closer this time, Killian needing to step out of the way. She watches as he rounds another ball in his palms, slowly walking towards her.
"What are you doing?" she asks scrambling to make another ball, he continues his slow gait towards her.
"Well all is fair in love and snowball fights and so," he hesitates and takes off in a sprint.
Emma lets out a cry and ducks behind the car. She peers around the bumper, spotting him at the opposite end. Winter coat open revealing a suit and loosened tie. She takes a moment to wonder what in the hell she's gotten herself into and then shrugs it off creating three small balls and a plan of action. Or more like a last ditch strategy that consists of hope and running.
"Take that you filthy animal!" she yells out before launching her snowballs in quick succession. She lets out a whoop of triumph when one gets him in the shoulder but it quickly turns into a laughing scream as he drops whatever snow he had in his hands and takes off after her.
She only makes it a short distance before she loses her grip and feels herself slipping but before she can go down and embarrass herself further gloved hands grab at her waist and steady her. She is wrapped in warmth, spice and disbelief.
Her chest heaves up and down for a few quiet beats before she feels the warm puffs of air against her cheek.
"I think it's keep the change, you filthy animal," his quiet accented voice whispers against her ear. She snorts a laugh and dares to turn her face, eyes first locking on his lips before slowly bringing them up to his own, dark blue in the dim light.
Unable to hold his intense gaze, she glances down to where the snowball hit his shoulder and brushes away some of the snow.
"The sentiment was there," she says but can't keep a straight face when her eyes finds his furrowed eyebrows.
"I bath quite frequently, thank you," he responds in a whisper, his turn to let his eyes fall to her lips and cause Emma's heart to beat tenfold.
She finds herself in a position she's wanted for almost a year, actually two hundred and twenty three days, she hears Kristoff's teasing voice in her head. It's what she's wanted but never allowed herself to believe she should have. Smiles and hellos across the parking lot were enough. They added a little brightness to her day and she reasoned she was allowed that much from the cute guy in the dark suits. He seemed good and kind and she was determined not to ruin that with her messy history.
He must have sensed her tensing up because she feels his arms fall from her sides.
With a determination to not make this anymore awkward than it needs to be, Emma turns slowly, preparing to apologize once again and say her goodbyes but when she looks up, he's smiling softly at her, not appearing to mind one bit to being all up in her space. She can't help but mirror his look.
She spots some of the remaining snow on his shirtfront and tries to brush it away as much as she can, pausing a moment to feel the warmth below and his quickly beating heart.
"Well, I guess, I should," she hesitantly tries to say her not-so-awkward goodbye when suddenly her hand is grasped between his.
"Emma, where are your gloves?" he asks abruptly, studying her hand; bright red from the cold. He reaches down for her other and gives it the same inspection.
Emma rolls her eyes trying to pull her hands back but he is not having it. She watches his brows deepen in a frown and he uses his teeth to pull off his gloves. Her hands are soon enveloped by his larger, much warmer ones.
"I know for a fact I chased after you this morning to hand them over," he says but all she can concentrate on is the warmth his bare skin is providing and the tight squeeze he has on her. She finds herself at a loss for words as he brings their joined hands to his lips, blowing warm air on them.
Her stomach flip flops, the feeling going all the way down to her toes. She also might be light headed as she watches his lips press again to her skin.
"I'm f-fine," she manages to stutter out and only receives and unconvinced shake in response. As if an idea suddenly pops into his head he looks past her and glances around the parking lot.
"Where's your bug? How are you getting home?" he asks, serious gaze leveled at her. She has to swallow the lump in her throat. "Emma?" he prompts.
"The bug is under a mountain of snow at home and I'm calling a cab," she finally pushes out and hates that her teeth have started to chatter. She is not all together sure it is because of the cold.
"Absolutely not," he states and turns, clearly ready to pull her towards his car. She immediately digs her heels in – or tries to.
"Hey, wait, Killian, no!" she protests, trying to stand her ground but it's difficult when her boots slip and slide on the icy surface.
He relents, his shoulders slumped and turns. She is ready to stand her ground, to declare she can take care of herself when he reaches up to brush a thumb across her cheek, her words stall.
"Please allow me to drop you off at home. I assure you the pleasure would be all mine and it would ease my mind," he asks softly, hand running down her arm to find her cold fingers again.
She bites her lip and looks down at their joined hands. He gives them a tight squeeze and takes a hesitant step backwards. She follows with a step forward.
"Okay?" he asks with another step, and the corner of his mouth ticks up when she follows.
"Okay," she finally agrees and rolls her eyes when they continue the same impractical walk.
"I promise you'll be warmed in no time," he says softly.
Her hands tightly held in his she had all but forgotten about the cold.
"Careful, wouldn't want to get a girl's hopes up."
Clearly she had forgotten more than just the cold, mainly her filter.
"I assure you that my intentions are completely honourable."
They pause beside his SUV and Emma slowly brings her eyes to his, mouth open in hopes to say something that could save the situation but Killian pushes on.
"I mean, unless you…"
Emma's eyes widen and the flush on his cheeks definitely isn't from the cold. He quickly backtracks before Emma's mind can catch up.
"I mean they are, I just," he prattles on dropping one of her hands to reach into his pocket, managing to drop his keys into the snow. With a glance to the sky he finally drops her other hand and bends to retrieve his keys.
"Bloody hell, Killian."
She hears him mumble and covers her mouth to hide her smile. It was a small comfort to know she wasn't the only one terrible at this.
Standing straight, he presses a button and lights on the SUV flash. He takes a deep breath and brings his blue eyes to hers with determination.
She tries to hide it but the laughter must show in her eyes because his shoulders finally relax and he shakes his head at himself.
"Let's get you in the car," he finally settles on, brushing enough snow away to open her door and help her in.
With the door closed and the silence of the car she finally allowed herself a shaky breath and a hopeful smile.
*Ho*Ho*Ho*
She is sitting in a tangle of Christmas lights, decorations and whiskey.
There was also a little side of regret there too.
For the umpteenth time that evening her knotted lights lie discarded on the hardwood around her as she rest her head back against the seat of her couch. She rolls her head towards her tree and takes in the half lit fir. She rolls her head back and closes her eyes, bringing the tumbler to her lips. The maple whiskey warms a trail down her throat, as she once again lets her mind wander to the car ride.
She likes that he had checked at least three times that she was comfortable. Even after her affirmation that she was indeed secure and warming up he had taken her hand in his just to make sure. She likes that he had asked about her job with genuine interest. She likes that after their initial bumbling exchange he'd been really easy to talk to.
But maybe what she had liked the most were the moments between the words. In those moments she realized that Killian Jones was no longer just the cute guy across the parking lot but the really truly good guy sitting beside her, humming along to Elvis' Blue Christmas and that maybe just saying hello in the morning wasn't enough.
She liked his glances that she kept catching and the blush that had crept to the tips of his ears. She'd had to press her teeth into her bottom lip to hide her grin on that one.
She likes him. Dammit, she really likes him.
Emma groans aloud in her empty apartment.
That is where her side of regret comes in because when they had pulled up to her little flat and she had turned to thank him for the ride, he had looked so hopeful.
It terrified her.
So she had dropped her eyes, mumbling her thank you, ready to bolt from the car except his hand was on her arm and he was saying something about helping her dig her car out for her and did she had another pair of gloves?
And did his eyes have to be so blue?
Emma's cheeks flush at her next memory.
They were bumbling again and she didn't know what to say so she had surged forward and pressed her lips to his cheek, holding them there a beat longer than necessary and pulled back a few inches.
His eyes were closed. Her breath had caught.
"Merry Christmas, Killian. I – I promise you I am working on a New Year's Resolution, just. Be patient," she whispered and before he could respond she had slipped out into the cold without a look back.
And so here she was, sitting on her living room floor, trying to lose herself in Christmas decorations and failing miserably. She lulls her head back towards the sad looking tree and snorts.
"Ugh, enough!"
She tosses the last sip of her whiskey back and pushes from the floor determined to get her thoughts off her failings and his warm stubbled cheek and towards finishing her tree instead.
And if she gets a little tipsy while doing it, well so be it.
She is in the kitchen pouring the amber liquid into her glass when a knock at the front door startles her. She pulls her bottle up, catching the spill with her thumb and takes her glass, heading towards the persistent knocking. She immediately thinks of Ruby and how she had probably called Elsa.
She turns the lock and slips the chain off, ready to tell her friend to stuff it when the words stall and she sways in place.
There before her is a snow covered, no really, he must have been standing in the snow for quite some time now, nervous yet determined looking Killian Jones. He was still poised to knock and looked almost as surprised as her to be face to face again.
He blinks and she waits.
He drops his hand and shifts under the small yellow light of her porch.
"Hullo," he finally settles on.
"Oh, yeah, hi," Emma offers back and can't help the shivers as a cold wind blows in.
"Bollocks, sorry love, it's freezing. Could I possibly come in?" he asks, a hopeful note to his voice and she could not and will not turn him away. She steps aside and watches quietly as he steps in. She closes the door and returns to her place in front him. He is taking in the little place she calls her home with curious eyes and a small grin when he spots the scattering of lights across her living room floor.
Her catches her eye and raises a brow.
"It's a losing battle," she states and before she knows what she's doing, she is brushing the snow from his shoulders and reaching up to dust some of the snowflakes from his hair. "How long were you, um, outside?" she asks and he has the honesty to look a little sheepish. She only realises she has rested her free hand against his chest when his hand comes up to hold it there. She hides her surprise behind the rim of her glass.
"Would you believe me if I told you but a moment?" he asks, head bent to catch her eyes. She looks up and simply gives a small shake of her head. "Well then, the truth I suppose is that I was out there for a good five minutes or so working on my speech…" he trails off at her surprised look. "I know, you would think seven months is a long enough time to figure out what to say but I'm quite daft when it comes to you, if you haven't noticed yet."
Her eyes widen at his admission, her fingers tightening against the sweater he appears to have changed into.
"Seven months," she whispers in awe, unwilling to believe this game she's been playing, he has been playing too.
He doesn't appear to notice her shock, instead he forages on with a deep breath and a hand that tucks a curl behind her ear, fingers trailing down the loose bond wave.
"First I thought, I should really help you get your car out of that snowbank but also you should clear your walkway tonight. The snow could harden overnight and then it would be a bloody nightmare to shovel tomorrow. But your gloves are in that office of yours and so I thought first you need new gloves," he pauses to take a breath and she can feel his chest heaving. She leans around him and places her drink on the side table before placing both hands against his chest again.
"Killian, I'll find other gloves," Emma tries softly and he snorts in response.
"I know you will because I bought you some," he admits reaching into his coat and pulling out a shiny black and white box.
All Emma can do is stare at him with wide eyes.
"I know right?" he mutters with a head shake and before Emma can look at the box or ask what he means by all this, he tosses the box over to her couch.
She watches the box land with a bounce but his brought back to the situation in front of her when his warm hands slip to cup her face, fingers tangling in her hair.
"But really Emma Swan," he whispers and stares at her in earnest and Emma feels something settle in her chest.
Something like hope.
"Yes?" she whispers back, fingers flexing in the soft material of his sweater.
"But really, I just wanted to give you something to strengthen your resolve for this New Year's resolution of yours."
She hiccups out a laugh but doesn't take her eyes from his. She also doesn't say anything, unwilling to ruin anything about this moment. She does lick her lips and he notices, eyes softening. His thumb brushes against the blush blooming on her cheeks.
"I just figure if we practice enough in two thousand fifteen, there's no reason to fail come the New Year. I'd really don't want to fail you," he adds, his voice quieting further, head dipping. He pauses as their noses brush and pulls back just enough to see her. "I mean to kiss you now," he tacks on for good form and she doesn't need any more reason.
"Come here," she whispers and on tip toes, arms slipping around his neck, she closes the space between them.
Seven months and names on a board and awkward fumbling towards something may have finally gotten them to where they are now but Killian is all confidence as his lips slide over hers, teeth teasing her bottom lip before his tongue soothes and tangles with hers. The small sound from the back of her throat as his hands slip down her sides has him groaning in turn, pulling her tight against him. They break to catch their breath but Emma can't help but chase after his lips, pressing closer. She can feel his smile against her lips and returns it with ease.
"Will that be enough to leave with you for the new year or…" he whispers and chuckles deeply when she pulls back and gives his ear a little flick. Her hands are already pushing his jacket off his shoulders when his lips find hers again. "Practice it is," he mumbles against her lips and allows himself to be tugged into the living room.
She pushes the decorations off the couch but pauses on the box holding the gloves.
"Thank you," she says, eyes still on the box. Killian slips onto the couch, hands at her waist, lips finding the sliver of skin between her jeans and sweater. She shivers when his tongue slips out to taste. He smiles against her skin and tugs her down to straddle his lap. He once again takes the box and tosses it aside.
"They're just black gloves, no big," but his words are cut off by her lips. She kisses him breathless and rests her forehead against his.
"No. Thank you for coming back," she corrects and he runs his hands up and down her back before giving a small squeeze at her hips.
"Always," he murmurs and pulls her back for more.