A/N - A song inspired one shot. Just something that wouldn't seem to leave my head! Let me know what you think! xoxo
Stay
They'd been home in Storybrooke for days and a whole new set of challenges awaited them there. But the biggest for Emma was the growing friction between her and Hook. Killian. At this point, she should really use his name.
"What the hell are you doing?" Emma demanded, as he once again hovered near her at her office. "I don't need you here every second. I need to think. I can't do that when you're around."
"Sorry, love," Killian muttered. "Truth be told, I've not been staying close for your benefit, but for mine."
He fixed her with that patented stare and she felt her blood temperature rise. The electricity between them was tangible.
"I just…" Emma tried, wiping her forehead.
"I don't mean to make you sweat," Killian joked.
"It's just… warm in here," Emma muttered.
"I could turn down the heat," Killian offered.
"I doubt you could," Emma whispered.
Killian arched an eyebrow in her direction and Emma found herself weakening under his gaze. This thing… the chemistry or whatever it was between them was getting to be too much. Too powerful. Her arms raised and then fell in defeat.
"Screw it," Emma groaned, moving closer to him. "Show me something. Show me how you feel."
Killian's eyes lit slightly and he gently pushed a strand of hair back on her face, leaning close but not close enough.
"If you dare, come a little closer," Killian murmured, once again challenging her.
Emma closed her eyes and their lips met. There was so much gentleness in his passionate kiss that it made her knees buckle. His arm instantly gripped her around the waist to keep her close to him.
She found out something about herself while lost in his kiss. A moment of clarity in her mind while the world seemed to be spinning as their lips glided together. What she realized what that this was what she wanted. For some reason.
In her mind, she knew the warnings about Captain Hook, but he wasn't that to her anymore. She knew him better than that now. It was a strange feeling, but something about him made her sure that despite her protests earlier, she did need him around.
And at the very least, she wanted him around.
Their kiss finally broke, but they lingered close to each other. A smile slowly spread across Killian's face and he met Emma's eyes again.
"Did you still want that space, love?" he teased.
All along it was a fever
A cold sweat, hot-headed believer
I threw my hands in the air, said "Show me something"
He said "If you dare come a little closer"
Round and around and around and around we go
Oh, now tell me now, tell me now, tell me now you know
Not really sure how to feel about it
Something in the way you move
Makes me feel like I can't live without you
It takes me all the way
I want you to stay
They were arguing on his ship this time. It seemed as though the only things the two of them could do lately were fight or kiss as though their lives depended on it. This time they were fighting about their kisses.
"You can't keep kissing me," Emma maintained.
"And what's to be done about the times when you kiss me?" Killian challenged.
"I'm not going to anymore," Emma vowed.
"I bloody doubt that," he mumbled.
"Why? Because you're so irresistible?" she countered sarcastically.
"Because you've said that at least a dozen times, love," Killian sighed. "Which is frankly, starting to wound me."
She set her jaw and tried to hold her resolve, but he could see he'd gotten to her at least a bit.
"I understand that it's complicated," Killian said softly. "Because of Neal and Henry. And if you outright ask me to step aside because of them, I will. If you tell me you choose him."
"I'm not… It's not about Neal," Emma whispered. "He's not an issue."
"Then what?" Killian asked.
"Whatever it is between us… I'm just as scared of it as I am thrilled by it," Emma admitted.
"That's no way to live, love," Killian grinned.
"Yeah, well… It's who I am," Emma shrugged. "Just not an attractive part."
"I assure you, every part of you compels me completely," Killian said seriously, taking a chance and moving closer to her.
Her walls briefly made an appearance, but the touch of his hand on her cheek shattered them.
"I know the way I feel for you is something you're hesitant to accept," Killian continued. "But I'll remain here, ready to hand you my heart when you wish to hold it."
Despite her earlier resolve, she crushed her lips to his. She pulled his body into hers and he felt relief wash over him. Every kiss from Emma was like a drink of water to a man dying of thirst. He had never said the words, but he loved her deeply. And he was desperate to make sure she knew that by the way he kissed her.
He couldn't put his finger on the exact thing that made him fall in love or unable to get back up again. But his draw to her was stronger than any other magnetic force of which he knew. He had to be with her. He needed her to be in his life daily because if she wasn't, then his life truly had no meaning.
"Killian," she muttered, between kisses. "Ask me."
He pulled her in closer, but broke their kiss, resting his forehead against hers. He considered the consequences of asking the question she wanted him to ask. But truly, none of them mattered. He'd learned that the only thing that mattered was the present. Because it was all you could control.
"Stay with me tonight, Emma," he said softly, pleadingly.
She only pressed her lips to his in response.
It's not much of a life you're living
It's not just something you take, it's given
Round and around and around and around we go
Oh now, tell me now, tell me now, tell me now you know
Not really sure how to feel about it
Something in the way you move
Makes me feel like I can't live without you
It takes me all the way
I want you to stay
They stood in her loft, staring deep into each other's eyes. It was either a turning point or a breaking point, but neither was sure which.
"Do you love me?" Killian asked again.
They were fighting less and kissing and making love more. But she continually expressed her wishes to hide their relationship. And while he understood it was a delicate issue to breach with her family, he couldn't help but worry that her hesitancy to be an outed romantic couple was because she had yet to make up her mind about him.
"Do you love me?" Emma countered.
She knew he did. And she knew she loved him, too. What she didn't know was exactly why. Or how to say it. Or how to tell other people. It was unfamiliar territory all the way around.
"More than anything," Killian answered honestly. "But I asked you first."
"I can't imagine my life without you," Emma admitted. "Because in those rare days I don't see you, I feel a void. The one that was there for my entire life before we met."
He smiled slowly, in spite of himself. He wanted her to say the words, but he knew it was difficult for her.
"You have such trouble with that word," Killian noted. "With the entire emotion, actually. Not feeling it, but acknowledging that you do."
"Well, what can I say?" Emma shrugged. "I'm broken."
"As was I," Killian smiled. "Luckily for me, a savior came into my life and fixed me."
The distance between them was closing fast as they automatically walked towards each other as they spoke. The standoff was over and no one had won. Because they both had. There was no shining moment of realizing they couldn't be apart. They had both realized it already, they just both decided to accept it in that moment.
She slipped into his arms effortlessly and leaned into him, letting him hold her tightly. For the first time he didn't question his future with Emma. It was strange to be sure that she was with him, but in the most wonderful of ways. Something about holding her and knowing she was fully his forever made his heart lighter.
"I love you," Emma whispered, and he was walking on air. "Forever."
"I love you," Killian replied in kind. "Longer than forever."
"What's longer than forever?" Emma wondered, resting her chin on his chest and peeking up at him.
"You'll find out," Killian guaranteed.
Ooh, ooh, ooh, the reason I hold on
Ooh, ooh, ooh, 'cause I need this hole gone
Funny you're the broken one
But I'm the only one who needed saving
'Cause when you've never see the light
It's hard to know which one of us is caving
Not really sure how to feel about it
Something in the way you move
Makes me feel like I can't live without you
It takes me all the way
I want you to stay, stay
I want you to stay, oh
Song is Stay by Rhianna ft. Mikky Ekko