A/N: Random CS one shot I came up with, taking place near the beginning of 4B. Enjoy!
It had been six weeks.
Six weeks of no villains, no curses, no catastrophes, no need for Emma to save Storybrooke.
And it all had went to hell this afternoon. Gold, who had somehow found access back across the town line, had shown up at the Town Square with a new trio of women (his Queens of Darkness, or some kind of crap) and promised to wreak havoc on Storybrooke until villains got the happy endings they "rightfully" deserved. He then used his magic to make the group vanish into thin air before any questions could be asked, leaving the town disappointed with the knowledge that their short time of peace was now over and done.
No one was more disappointed- and angry- than Emma was. Although she probably should have known better than to expect any kind of peaceful life as the Sheriff/Savior, she had thoroughly enjoyed the extra time she was able to spend with her family, as well as the many quiet moments she and Killian had shared together. Even though their relationship was still progressing slowly, she couldn't deny the fact that she had fallen for the pirate- and fallen hard.
After the incident in the Square, the people of Storybrooke had gone frantic, turning to Emma for help and expecting her to solve their newest problem immediately. David and Mary Margaret sensed their daughters' frustration with the unfortunate turn of events and sent Emma home, claiming they could take care of things in town for the rest of the day. Even though she wasn't entirely convinced of this, she knew better than anyone else that she needed a break before her next round of "Savior duties" officially began.
Which led to her taking Killian's hand and quickly leading him away from town to her apartment, where she brought him to lie on her bed and curled up on his chest, both of them fully clothed besides their jackets and shoes. Killian had said nothing as he held her, knowing she was overwhelmed and that the main thing she would need over the next few weeks was support from those who meant the most to her.
After lying in silence for what seemed like hours, Emma finally spoke. "Killian?"
"Yes, love?"
Emma tilted her head from her position on his chest to look up at him. "Thank you…for being here for me…for everything. I don't know how I would handle some of the things that happen here without you around." He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "The pleasure is mine, darling. And just for the record, if it weren't for you, I'd probably still be a hopeless pirate hell bent on getting revenge."
She turned her head again to bury her face in his shirt. "Shut up. You were never hopeless," she said, her voice muffled in the thin material.
Killian chuckled at her objection. "If you really believe so. But, Swan," he said, as she moved to sit up beside him, "I know all this is putting a great deal of pressure on you, what with Gold's return to Storybrooke, but I want you to know that no matter what may happen, we all believe in you."
Emma looked at him, her expression skeptical. "You really think the Savior can take down four villains at once, plus keep this crazy town under control?" He took her hand and laced their fingers together. "I think she's one hell of a woman who can do whatever she sets her mind to."
She shook her head in disbelief. She knew didn't deserve him. "How do you always know what to say?"
"It's just like I always say, love," he said, using his hook to play with the blonde curls falling over her shoulder. "You're something of an open book. And I'm what you might call the perceptive type."
"That you are," she said, leaning over to kiss him. "I don't know about those new "Darkness" freaks but all I can say is Gold doesn't know what he's got coming to him." She cringed at the memory of seeing Killian in the clock tower, his life almost ending at the hands of the man she now despised.
"Now, Swan," said Killian, his tone obviously disapproving, "Take it from a man who knows better than anyone else: revenge on the Crocodile is far from a good idea." Emma frowned. "Yeah, I know that. But he also hurt my boyfriend, and that's far from a good idea, too."
He raised an eyebrow, grinning at her choice of words. "Boyfriend?" She shifted from her position beside him to sit on his lap and wrap her arms around his neck. "You like the sound of that, don't you?" she teased, kissing him again.
"Perhaps I do," Killian said, still smiling. Emma rolled her eyes. "There's no perhaps about it, pirate. I saw that look on your face. But in all seriousness, I think you might be right."
"I'm always right, love…right about what?" he asked, leaning back and barely missing the swat of her hand to his face.
"About Gold, and his new partners. I know none of this will be easy- it's Storybrooke, after all- but it might be possible to take down…as long as I have you beside me."
"Aye. And that you will, Swan," he replied, pressing his lips to her cheek. "After all, haven't we already endured a giant, Peter Pan, the Wicked Witch and the Snow Queen? And won every time? I still say we make quite the team."
"We do." She smiled, resting her forehead against his. "And I have no doubt we'll win this fight, too. Together."
"Together," he repeated, just as determined as Emma was. She kissed him again before she moved off of his lap and resumed her original position curled into his side, placing her head back on his chest, exhausted. "I love you, pirate." There was no point in denying it anymore, she knew it just as well as he did.
Emma could almost hear the smile through his voice. "I know, darling. I love you too."
The last thing she thought before they both succumbed to sleep in each others' arms was that it didn't matter what problem, what villain, or what curse faced them next. It was obvious they could take on anything thrown their way, just as long as they were a team.
Together.