Killian was leaning with his head resting on the back of the couch, his eyes closed and his hand clenched in a tight fist on his knee.
Regina and Robin had left with Zelena to go and find their child, and David had gone to Granny's with Snow to get out of the loft and try to clear their heads. Henry was upstairs sulking, his teenage mood-swings giving Emma whiplash. She'd gone to the bathroom once her parents had left, leaving Killian to sit on the couch in the eerily quiet apartment.
Emma washed her hands, then wiped them on her jeans before she entered the living room. She found Killian on the couch looking on edge. The tense set of his shoulders, his clenched fist and the twitch of his jaw were all tell-tale signs that something was bothering him.
She sauntered over to the couch and collapsed down beside him. She sat facing him, her elbow leaning on the back of the couch as she rest her head on her hand.
Emma watched him for a moment. His jaw muscle twitched violently and the crease of his brow made her stomach uneasy.
"Hey." she whispered and caressed his cheek with her free hand.
Killian leant into her touch and opened his eyes. It was then that she noticed the dark circles under his eyes. She smiled at him as her fingertips stroked gently over his jaw. "You're tired." she said, it wasn't a question.
Killian exhaled a long sigh and nodded. "I haven't slept well. Got too much on my mind." he huffed a half-attempt of a laugh, casting his eyes down to his fist resting on his knee.
Emma scooted a little closer, her chin coming to rest on his shoulder. "Do you… wanna talk about it?" she asked tentatively, her left hand playing with the hair at the nape of his neck, whilst her right hand loosened his fist and interlaced their fingers.
Killian's shoulders eased at her touch and he felt himself lean into her. "I guess I haven't been able to take it all in." he mumbled, his eyes still fixed on their hands in his lap.
"Mhm." Emma hummed and nodded, squeezing his hand encouragingly to elaborate.
Killian took a deep breath before he turned his head to look into her eyes. "I was dead Emma. I am dead. Hades kept me as his bloody prisoner and beat me senseless every day. He was sure he'd beat every ounce of hope I had still left in me, but he couldn't. It was an impossible task he'd set himself." he explained, sounding distant as his hook brushed a lock of her hair over her shoulder.
"Why was it impossible?" she wondered aloud, wincing when she caught a flicker of pain behind his eyes.
"Because of you." he replied barely above a whisper, his fingers instinctively holding hers tighter, as if to remind himself that it was a dream or one of Hades' tricks. She'd come down and risked it all to save him.
The vulnerability Emma found in his eyes now, was that of when he told her she was his happy ending.
Emma went to say something, but she didn't know what to say. Instead she brushed his hair out of his eyes and held his stare.
They sat like that for a what could have been a few moments, or a few hours, they didn't know or care. Killian mapped the freckles over her nose into his memory and Emma memorised almost every feature of his handsome face.
They'd been so caught up in everything that they hadn't had a chance to just sit and be with one another.
Killian closed his eyes and rest his forehead against hers, taking a steadying breath.
"Thank you again for coming to get me, Love." he sounded relieved.
Emma accepted his thanks with a playful nudge of her nose against his. Not wanting to ruin the rare quiet moment they found themselves in with more words.
Her slender fingers ranked through his hair, down his scalp and to the nape of his neck once more. A low guttural moan escaping his lips from the sensation of her ministrations.
The sound that left him had her biting her lip, holding back a giggle as he settled more into her side.
Emma could hear his breathing evening out and continued to play with the hair at the nape of his neck. A warm fuzzy feeling spread through her, at the thought that he felt safe enough with her near to catch up on some much needed sleep. She watched his lips part evenly, and his head tilt to rest against hers.
"I love you." she breathed and pressed her lips to his cheek.
Her fingers played with his hair and all she could do was breathe him in beside her. He was here with her, that thought curved her lips into a smile as she watched his chest rise and fall gently. Her gaze dropped to her palm, which rest over where his heart should be beating. Tumbling into a daydream of how things would be when they get back to Storybrooke. A vision of herself waking up next to Killian in their house, seeing his disheveled hair and face peaceful from a good nights sleep, made her stomach flip with anticipation.
Killian woke to find Emma staring intently down at her hand on his chest. He blinked a few times to make sure he was awake and not dreaming, before a sleepy grin spread across his face.
A dimple came into Emma's peripheral vision and she glanced up at him. His dreamy grin causing her heart to stutter, and a shy smile to form on her own lips.
The way he stared at her now, full of pride and adoration reminded her of the time he found her after she changed her mind about getting rid of her magic.
"Y'know… if you look at me any harder your gonna drill a whole in my head." she quoted herself from long ago, her voice husky and teasing. She bit her lip as she watched his smirk return, and forced her eyes back up to meet his.
Killian chuckled lightly, shaking his head at the memory as his hand reached up to hold her face, his thumb finding it's home in the dent of her chin.
He closed the distance but stopped a hairsbreadth away from her lips. "I love you too." he whispered, before capturing her lips with his.
Emma whimpered slightly against his lips, both of her hands getting lost in his hair as she changed the angle and held him close.
Killian's hook wound around her waist and pressed into the small of her back. His tongue darting out to dance along the seam of her lips.
Emma allowed him entrance and relished in the feel of his warm lips against hers.
Much to her surprise, he didn't deepen the kiss. Instead he kissed her languidly with the next press of his lips on hers. Pouring every 'thank you', every 'i'm sorry' and every 'i love you' into the way he kissed her lovingly and held her now. He cradled her as if she were the most precious jewel, and that thought made her heart stutter once more. Her pirate was back with her and she'd never take a second with him for granted again.
Just then the door to the loft flew open and David was the first to find them in their compromised position. Emma's leg was draped over Killian's and both of her hands still tangled in his hair. She glanced over her shoulder mortified and moved to untangle herself from Killian's hold gently.
Snow raised an eyebrow and bit her lip from a knowing smile forming on her lips.
Emma's cheeks warmed at the thought of what she must look like. If she looked as completely wrecked as she felt… well she's have to pay Killian back for it later. David and Snow spoke amongst each other and Emma felt her window of opportunity closing, and closing fast.
She glanced up at him and found his dishevelled state made him look even more handsome. His eyes full of promise and the dimpled grin he flashed her was downright sinful.
She pressed her fingers to her kiss swollen lips and rolled her eyes at his reaction to her parents walking in.
She looked away from him but couldn't stop the grin forming on her face, as she felt his heated gaze on her. Her heart was racing and she could tell he knew, as she felt his thumb stroke soothing circles to the inside of her wrist.
"What's the matter, Swan? Can't handle it?" he breathed into her ear, quoting her from their time in Neverland. Even popping the 't' like he had which caused Emma to catch her bottom lip between her teeth.
She smirked to herself and turned to look up at him once more. 'Two can play at this game.' she thought to herself. She raised her brow, leaning in as her glistening green eyes bore into his.
Emma could see in his eyes just how much their little quiet moment had effected him. She didn't miss the fact he closed his legs to hide his obvious attraction to her either.
"Perhaps, your the one who can't handle it." she grinned as she quoted him from their time in Neverland, even popping the 't' just like he had, before she turned back to face her parents. Resting her thigh against his and her hand on his knee. She heard his small intake of breath at her bold move, and squeezed his knee gently, reassuring him that this was far from over.