It had been two months since he moved in with Emma and honestly he couldn't wait anymore. He had thought about that precious moment millions of times, figuring in his mind the entire scene. But know, sitting on their couch, in their house, with the tiny red box in his hand, he was totally freaking out.
He was ready, of course he was. But still, he couldn't help being a little worried. Was she ready?
He remembered the way she reacted when he first gave her Liam's ring in Camelot. She immediately thought he was proposing to her and Killian did not miss the little disappointment in her eyes when he said he wasn't. But was it really disappointment? Or was it just relief?
The truth was that no matter how long they'd been together, he wasn't sure he was good enough to deserve such a wonderful love in his life. He feared that she was just too much for him, a pirate with a dark past, and that she deserved more.
Yet, he perfectly knew how much Emma loved him, since she had proven him again and again. Of one thing he was certain: he would have always been amazed by that beautiful and strong woman who made him love like he'd never loved before and who made him believe again in the possibility of a happy ending.
Despite his insecurities, he wanted to take the chance and ask her. All he'd ever wanted was a lifetime with her: their domestic bliss, their perfect nights with hot cocoa and rum, their huge family dinner and even their stupid fights, which always ended in thousands of 'I'm sorry' and kisses full of passion.
He could also picture the images of their future together. Their wedding. Emma in a white dress, more beautiful than ever. Their house becoming more and more familiar. Emma telling him she's pregnant. His overwhelming joy. The first time he holds their baby. Emma crying when Henry moves out to college. The endless nights in their bedroom, filled with whispers and love, where time stops and nothing else matters. Another baby. Their children playing in the garden. Getting old, always together and in love.
When he came back to reality he was still on the couch, absentmindedly playing with the red box. He opened it and once again admired the ring he had previously chosen, the one he was keeping in his jacket's pocket since last week. He stared at it for a moment, then he went upstairs.
Henry was in his bedroom when he heard a knock on the door.
"Come in" he said, walking to his chair.
Killian opened the door and started feeling anxious. He thought he should have waited for Henry's blessing before even buying the ring, but now it was too late for that.
"Hello lad, sorry I'm bothering you. I wanted to talk to you about something." he said nervously.
"Oh. I saw that coming, you know. It's about time!" Henry answered, with a little amusement in his voice.
Killian stood still, a bit confused. "Wait, what are-"
"You're proposing to my mum, aren't you?" Henry interrupted him, a grinning expression on his face.
"Well, yes, but… How do you know it? I didn't talk to anyone about this." Killian said, still surprised.
"I don't know… We've been living together for a while now, I knew it was just a matter of time. And I also knew you wanted to give my mum time to adjust to the situation before making the next big step. That's why you chose this house, didn't you?"
"Aye, that's right. When did you become so wise, anyway?" Killian teased and Henry responded with a little smile.
After a moment of silence, Killian added: "I felt I needed to talk to you before I could do this. I know we had our spats in the past and I don't want you to think that I want to replace your dad, which I could never do anyway. But you're quite aware that I love your mother more than anything and all I want is her happiness. And if you tell me you don't want me to marry her, I won't do it. Because no matter what, you'll always be Emma's priority and nobody could ever change that, I can assure you this."
Henry stared at him for a moment, absorbing his words. Then he spoke: "I won't lie, it was very strange when you first moved in here. But looking back at it now I realized I was overreacting a bit… I think we just needed to adjust and to get used to each other's presence, that's all. I never intended to make you feel upset or uncomfortable. I'm sorry about that." He gave Killian an apologetic look.
"It's okay lad, I get it. I guess we're past that" Killian answered with an encouraging smile. "So… What do you think about it?" he added nervously, "because I won't do it if-"
"Hook, stop, please" Henry said with a grin on his face "I'm not keeping you from doing it, I know my mum loves you as much as you love her. I want her to be happy… And you make her happy, that's all. Moreover, we're already living together, so the situation won't change much, I guess."
Killian's heart skipped a beat listening to Henry's words. He was hoping the lad would have approved the situation, but he was still scared that he might feel uncomfortable with it. Knowing that he was okay with him marrying his mother meant everything to him, because he would have never done anything on purpose to make Henry upset.
He'd never wanted to replace Neal's place, he never could, but he knew all too well how difficult it was growing up without a father. He hoped anyway that Henry might consider him as a sort of father-figure, one day: not a proper dad, but just another member of his family.
"You have no idea how much that means to me, Henry." He said, trying to control the shaking in his voice. "I promise you this won't change a thing, your mother will always love you, no matter what".
Henry silently nodded, then added "I'm happy we talked about this, anyway. Now I have to go, I'm meeting Violet in about ten minutes." Then he stood up and said "How are you going to propose, anyway? Did you bought a ring?"
"I did" Killian answered, taking out the box. "Do you think she's going to like it?"
"Of course she will. I think she's waiting for you to ask, anyway" Henry said with a grin on his face.
"I hope you're right, lad. Anyway, before I do it, I need to talk to your grandparents" Killian added with a sigh.
"Oh, that'll be fun. Grandma will probably cry. And Grandpa… well, maybe he will be a little annoyed at first but you've quite grown on him lately. I'm sure he'll be happy. And they know this was coming, too, so no big surprise" Henry said, amused by the whole situation.
"Well, we're going to find out soon. I'm going to the loft in a bit" Killian answered.
Henry nodded "Good luck, Hook. I guess you'll tell me about your plan later. Maybe I can help you."
"That would be great, Henry. Thank you. Have a nice day!"
Twenty minutes later he was standing right in front of the Charmings' loft. He hesitated for a moment, then he knocked.
Snow opened the door with a smile on her face. "Killian! We weren't expecting you. Is everything alright?" and she let him in. David was sitting on the couch and he stood up when he saw Killian.
"Yeah, everything's fine. I just wanted to talk to you about something, it's very important."
Snow and David exchanged a quick glance. Then David spoke "Of course, what is it about?"
They sit around the table. Killian took a deep breath before speaking.
"You know Emma means everything to me and I think you're quite aware of the fact that we've been through a lot since we've been together. Now that we're living in the same house I feel like our future has really begun and with everything going on in this bloody town I honestly can't wait anymore. All I want is Emma's happiness and I intend to pursuit this goal everyday of my life. I'll never take for granted her love for me and the fact that she's pure blessing. I still don't know if I'll ever be good enough to deserve her, but one thing I'm sure about is that I love her more than anything and I'll never leave her alone. That's why I wanted to ask her to marry me, and I was also hoping for your blessing."
He spoke looking down at his hand on the table, waiting for a reaction.
When he looked up, Snow had tears in her eyes. She quickly wiped them off, then she smiled and turn to David, who stood still with an unreadable expression. He stared at Killian for a moment, then he said: "As much as our relationship was pretty rocky at the beginning… You are a good man, Hook. I know you'd do anything for my daughter, you've proved it millions of times, and to be honest if Emma has to marry someone, I couldn't imagine another person but you."
He then gave Killian a threatening look and added "I will still punch you very badly if you hurt her, just so you know" and they all laughed. "I'm pretty sure I would punch myself in that case, mate" Killian said, smiling.
Snow couldn't keep her excitement anymore. She put her hand on Killian's with a motherly touch and she said "she'll be so happy, Killian. I can't wait to see her in a white dress.", a dreamy smile on her face.
"Neither do I, I can assure you that." Killian answered, picturing that image in his mind.
"So…" she went on "what about the ring? You need an engagement ring!" she stood up with excitement.
"I've already bought it, actually. I wanted you to see it, so you could tell me what you think." and he put the red box on the table.
"Killian, it's beautiful, she's going to love it." Snow said, looking at the sparkling object. "When are you going to do it, anyway?"
"Well, I planned something for tonight. I wanted to have a nice dinner and then ask her. Could you keep a straight face in the meantime, right? I want it to be a surprise."
"Of course. If you need anything just ask, we'll be happy to help." David said, patting Killian's shoulder.
"Thank you. Well, I should go now. She'll be home soon. Have a nice evening!"
Coming back home, Killian felt like his emotions were going to overwhelm him: he wanted it to be perfect, for her. He sighted and walked across the white picket fence. He knew what he had to do.
When she came back home it was almost 5 p.m. All day she'd been busy at the police station, since it was her dad's day off.
When she entered the room she found her two favorite boys sitting on the couch and watching TV. "Hey there you two" she said, walking towards them.
"Hello mom! I was waiting for you. I'm staying with Regina tonight, is that okay?"
"Of course kid. Do you need a drive?" Emma asked. "No need, I'm meeting with Violet first. See you tomorrow okay?" he gave her a quick kiss and walk towards the door. "Bye Killian! Have a nice evening." he added before going out. " Thank you lad, you too!" Killian smiled at him.
"Hello, love" she felt his arms around her waist and his lips on her cheek. "How was your day?"
She turned around and nuzzled her nose with his. "Pretty busy actually, that's why I just want to enjoy my evening with you now." she said in a flirtatious tone.
"Funny you say that, since I have planned an evening out for just the two of us." he grinned to her, his forehead against hers. "I was hoping you agreed to have dinner with me, Swan." and he could immediately see a look of interest in Emma's eyes.
"Well, I'm sure we could arrange that." she said with a huge smile. "What are you up to, Captain?"
"Can't a man have a nice date with the woman he loves so much?" he answered looking right in her eyes.
"Of course he can. And he will!" she gave him a little kiss on the cheeck. "I'm going to have a shower so I can get ready. Do I need to dress up a bit?"
"You're always stunning, Emma. Just choose whatever you like."
"Alright. I'll be right back." She kissed him and went upstairs.
One hour later he went to their bedroom and she found Emma in a stunning red dress which perfectly shaped her body. She was trying to zip it.
He slowly approached her, putting his hook on her waist before reaching out and zip the dress for her. He looked at her in the mirror and left a trail of kisses from her shoulder to her neck.
"You look gorgeous, Swan." Killian said in a whisper.
"Thank you." and he swore she had gone red. "You're not too bad yourself." she added.
He answered with a soft smile. "Shall we go?"
"Of course, but… where are we going?" she asked curiously.
"You'll see."
After a short walk, she finally realized where they were headed: their first date's restaurant.
"I thought you would have liked to come back here." Killian said in her ear while entering the building. "You were right, that's perfect." She answered. And it really was.
In a moment, thousands of memories came back to her: the ice wall and the Snow Queen. The fear of losing him and the first time admitting it. His undying love for her, even back then, even after all those times she pushed him away.
And now, here they are, living their live together.
"Everything's alright, Swan?" his voice took her back to reality.
"Yes, of course, I was just thinking…" he gave her an encouraging look. "I was thinking about how much we've been through and I'm just so happy that we're finally settling down. A lot has changed since we first were here." She smiled tenderly.
"I'm happy, too. Now, shall I order some drinks this time?" and they both laughed.
The dinner was perfect and they were having a great time together. Neverthless, Killian couldn't wait anymore for the actual plan to happen. "What do you say we go back home, Swan? I can make you some hot cocoa, if you'd like." He said.
"I think it'd be perfect." She answered. He took her hand and they headed home.
"So, I think I'm gonna wear something more comfortable and then we can have that hot cocoa, okay?" she said, before she opened the front door of their house.
He stopped her before she could made another step. "Actually, Swan, the cocoa wasn't the only reason I wanted to come back here." He said, and she could see a strange sparkle in his eyes.
"Really? What's going on?" she asked, curiosity all over her face.
He took her hand, his eyes never leaving hers, and took her inside.
She was welcomed by dozens of candels all over their living room and a soft scent coming from a large bunch of roses. She couldn't believe her eyes.
"How did you-" "Henry helped a little bit." Killian answered, gently stroking her cheek.
"That's… that's just beautiful, Killian, I really don't know what to say…" she said, unable to take her eyes off the room.
"Then I should talk" he said, smiling tenderly.
"You know, at first I thought I wanted to do all of this on the Jolly, because that's the place where we first had a real connection. And that was my home, of course." He took a deep breath. "But then I realized… I realized that the Jolly wasn't my home, not anymore. This is my home. You, Emma, are my home."
He was still looking at her and he noticed the tender emotion in her eyes.
"I don't know what will come next in this town, I don't know how many obstacles and villains we'll have to face and I don't know if we'll ever have more than a day off. The only thing I know, Emma Swan, is that I love you. Always have, always will. I'll never be grateful enough for what you give me everyday and for all the things you've done for me since we've known each other. Honestly, I still wonder how I got so lucky. But if there's something I can promise you, Emma, is this. That I'll never stop loving you. That I'll always be by your side. That you'll never be alone again. That I'll never stop fighting for us, for our future, for our family."
Emma was now openly sobbing. She couldn't believe this man loved her so much and she just wanted to kiss him senslessly until they had no more air.
He took something from his jacket's pocket and gave it to her: a little red velvet box. He was still holding her hand, in which now stood a simple but absolutely stunning diamond ring. Then, he spoke again.
"I've had this for a couple of days and I couldn't wait anymore. I've thought about this moment a millions of times, Emma, and I just wanted you to know that I want it all. You, us, this house, Henry. Being a family and having the privilege of sharing a life with you, forever.
So, I need to ask you a simple question now.
Emma Swan, will you make me the happiest man alive? Will you marry me?"
She wasn't even trying anymore to keep the tears back. Emma Swan had never been good at words, but this time she felt the need to say something to the wonderful man standing in front of her, offering his heart to her for the rest of his life.
"There's nothing that would make me happier than being your wife." she whispered between sobs. "God, I love you so much, Killian. I want you to always remember that. And I want it all, too. And we'll have it." She added, gently cupping his face and still sobbing.
He couldn't wait another minute. He put his arms around her and kiss her passionately and tenderly at the same time, lifting her up from the ground, making her immediately giggle.
When the kiss broke apart, Emma said smiling "I feel like I could use that on my ring finger." And she pointed out the red box.
Killian took the ring from the box and attached it to Emma's finger. Then he gently brought her hand to his lips to put a sweet kiss on it. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for this." He said, his eyes full of love.
"Well, it was about time!" she teased. Then she put her arms around his neck, getting closer to him. "So, how do you wanna spend our first night as an engaged couple? Because I have some ide-"
He didn't let her finish. He just took her in his arms and brought her in their bedroom.
Where they could finally start the life they had always wanted.
Together.