I got inspired and wrote a second part to this! I am obsessed with modern clothes-wearing, deputy!Killian. I don't know what it is, you guys. Anyway, I hope you like this! Please review and let me know what you think!
Emma is waiting for Killian at Granny's, and is trying very hard not to fidget as she glances at her watch and sees that he's running ten minutes late. He's the most punctual person she has ever met, and he is always bragging about being able to tell time without looking at a clock. When she hears the bell above the front door and sees him saunter in, she immediately feels relief sweep through her, although she tries to keep it hidden when he spots her.
He slides into the booth across from her, and grins at her, sending a wink in her direction for good measure. "Swan," he greets, and she frowns before lightly kicking his leg under the table. He jumps, and narrows his eyes at her, "what the hell was that for?"
"You were supposed to be here ten minutes ago! I've been waiting for you," she grumbles, "I could have eaten an hour ago, but since you demanded I wait for you…"
Killian barely restrains himself from rolling his eyes and tilts his head towards the counter where Ruby is watching them with amusement. "Dear Ruby, would you mind getting the Sheriff here her meal before she becomes even more cross with me?"
"You got it, Captain," Ruby says, complete with a salute, and Emma swears Killian's head is going to explode with the rate that his ego is growing. Since rescuing Henry from Neverland and becoming her deputy, Killian had quickly grown to be the town hero, and his roguish charms have worked their wiles on everyone, even Ruby and Granny.
"Now, what were you yelling at me for?" He asks, arching an eyebrow at her before perusing a menu (useless, she thought, because he got the same thing every time he came here).
"It's not very good form," she stretches the words out, mocking him, "to leave someone waiting."
"Emma, honestly. It was ten minutes." He looks at her, eyes narrowed before crossing his arms over his chest (a chest that had on a new, burgundy hoodie, not that she was noticing things like that…). "You want to tell me what's really bothering you? And don't lie to me, lass, we both know that won't get us anywhere."
Emma looks down at her lap. "I don't know what you're talking about."
"Swan," He starts, shaking his head in frustration, but is interrupted by Ruby bringing Emma's cheeseburger, and Killian's usual – a grilled cheese with a hot bowl of tomato soup. He told her once that it reminded him of something his mother used to make for him and Liam when they were younger, and she couldn't ever remember seeing a more wistful look on his face than when he was reliving that memory.
Emma takes that moment to change the subject, not wanting to dwell on the fact that he had been late, and he was never late, and how, for a horrifying second, she had been convinced that something had happened to him. "I have a doctor's appointment tomorrow morning, so you and David are going to have to go on patrol together."
He grimaces, although she knows that he and David are quickly becoming best friends, and that he doesn't mind spending time with her father. "I suppose I'll find a way to go on without you, Swan." He says dramatically, clutching at his chest. His eyes twinkle with amusement, and she struggles to stay irritated with him. His eyes turn serious when she rubs at her knee absentmindedly. "How's your leg?" He asks, referring to their latest adventure – after a disturbance call from Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop had led to Gold being affected by something, a curse most likely, he had shot Emma in the leg. Killian had been furious, and had carried Emma the entire way to the hospital, where she had undergone surgery immediately. The bullet hadn't done that much damage, but it had shaken the both of them up, and Killian's insistence that Emma not go on any calls alone to Gold's shop anymore had left a strange tension in their partnership.
"It doesn't bother me much, but Dr. Whale just wants to check and make sure everything is healing the way it's supposed to," Emma says, shrugging.
"Do you want me to go with you?" He asks, the gentleman in him coming out, and something inside Emma's heart clenches at the sincerity in his words.
"You don't have to, Killian." She says softly, and she wonders how it is that they reached this point. She knew the minute that they got back from Neverland that things were going to change, but she never anticipated this. She hasn't had a partner in her entire life, sans Graham, and she (understandably) had anxiety about making Killian her deputy after what had happened to the Huntsman.
As for the "fun" that Killian had promised would happen between the two of them… well. Nothing had really changed. Their trust in one another had increased to the point it was unwavering, and he remained at her side, like he had through their entire journey to Neverland, but now it was second nature. He didn't do it because it was expected, or because he was trying to prove himself to her. He did it because he was her partner, and her friend.
Emma wasn't naïve, though. She knew there was something there between the two of them. They were affectionate at times, like in the hospital after she had been shot. Killian had sat with her the entire night, and held her hand as he told her that he couldn't bear it if something happened to her. That night had changed things between them, as they both laid their vulnerabilities on the table for the other to see. Emma had stopped trying to deny that she was attracted to the pirate-turned-deputy, and knew that she cared for him more than she was ready to admit, but she didn't know how to initiate what she wanted with him. She wasn't even sure that he still cared for her as much as he had during their time in Neverland. He still flirted with everything that moved, although part of her was sure that his flirting and his cocky swagger was a defense mechanism that he had perfected over the years to prevent himself from getting hurt.
His lilting accent brought her out of her thoughts. "That's not what's bothering you, is it." It wasn't a question.
Emma squirms in her seat, hating how he could read her so well. She knows it shouldn't be bothering her, but she can't stop feeling the anxiety that had consumed her when he had been running late, her mind obsessing over the many horrible scenarios that could have befallen him in Storybrooke. It bothered her more than she wanted to acknowledge that the simple thought of something happening to him was enough to nearly give her a breakdown. "I just… next time you're going to be late, at least call me okay?"
Killian's eyes soften, and he reaches across the table to grip her hand briefly. "I'm sorry, Emma. I didn't mean to worry you, I just lost track of time."
He goes back to eating, although he keeps his eyes on her and she suddenly doesn't feel hungry anymore. "You know what? I'm tired. I think I'm going to go home and go to bed early."
She grabs her coat and leaves a bill on the table for her meal and is out the door before he can protest, although she hears him calling after her as she hurries down the street, trying to get a reign on her emotions before he can catch up to her.
Killian only allows himself to stare dumbfounded after her for a moment before he practically runs out of the diner after her. "Emma!"
She stops, but she doesn't turn around, and he can't stop the sinking feeling in his stomach that something is wrong, that he did something wrong, and he hates thinking that he's disappointed her or made her upset. Things have been so good between them lately that he feels almost like he had taken it for granted.
He jogs up to her, standing in front of her in the middle of the street. He touches her arm gently, trying to remain calm, but starting to feel angry when he notices how she won't meet his eyes. "Swan." His voice is firm, and she tenses at his tone, pulling away from him. He takes a deep breath. "Have I done something to upset you?"
She finally looks at him, and the turmoil in her eyes nearly breaks him. "Emma," he breathes, begging her to tell him what's wrong.
"It's just…" she huffs in frustration, rolling her eyes at her unusual show of emotion. "You were late, and you're never late, and I thought maybe something had happened to you!" She blurts, and his eyes widen.
She had been worried about him. Worried about him. "Emma -"
"And I know you said you just lost track of the time, and maybe you were with someone or whatever, and that's fine, but I didn't know that, and after everything that's happened over the last few weeks, I was… I was concerned, and I just…"
"Wait, wait." He says, holding up a hand, his voice taking on an incredulous tone, "you thought I was with someone?" He asks, using air quotes.
"Well how was I supposed to know what you were doing?!"
"Seven hells, Emma," he runs a hand through his hair, "How in all the realms could you possibly think…" he trails off, letting out a frustrated breath, "how could you even think for a minute that I would spend any time with anyone else after everything you and I have been through?" His voice is raw, honest, and hoarse, and he almost doesn't recognize the emotions lacing his words, although he knows what they are, of course he does.
She's frozen, staring back at him like she can't believe what he's saying, and he doesn't know how else to make her see, how to make her understand that she is everything except to kiss her. So he does.
He moves forward and in one smooth move, he slides a hand behind her neck and pulls her closer, his mouth slanting over hers in a kiss that makes her gasp, and causes a shudder to run all the way to his toes. It's reminiscent of their kiss in Neverland, one that seems like it took place eons ago, but this one is more desperate as he struggles to tell her in words what she means to him. She makes a small noise in the back of her throat and it makes something inside of him snap, and he hauls her to him bodily, causing a groan to rip itself out of his chest as their bodies press together.
His mind is a blur, all his thoughts coated with a haze of pleasure as lust courses throughout his body as she kisses him back, and her hands are in his hair, tugging at it, causing his hips to roll into hers once, and twice, and he breaks away with a broken groan, needing air.
It's silent, both of them staring at each other with fire in their eyes, and Killian takes a step backwards, knowing that they are treading into dangerous territory. "The way I feel about you… that has never changed, Emma. I just don't know what you want from me."
"Killian…"
"Don't misunderstand me, Emma. I am so grateful for what you've given me." He gestures vaguely to the town around them, "You've given me a chance to have a home again, and a real, proper profession," he grins then, a small, shy thing, "and of course, the chance to spend my days with the lovely Sheriff." He winks at her, and feels validated when a pretty blush spreads over her cheeks. "But, Emma… you run so hot and cold with me. One minute we're holding hands and you're worried about me when I'm only a few minutes late, and the next, you're shutting me and practically running down the street to get away from me."
Emma is quiet for a long moment before she takes a deep breath and begins speaking, her voice so quiet that he has to take a step closer to hear her. "You know that I don't… I don't deal with my emotions well. So when I realized that maybe my concern for you as my partner was bordering on concern for you as… as someone that I cared about, well, I just… I freaked out." She reaches for him, and he doesn't hesitate in lacing their fingers together. "Somehow, you've managed to knock down all those walls I've built up to protect myself." He can see tears starting to well in her eyes, and he knows that she wouldn't be showing this side of her to anyone else. His heart swells at the thought, and grips her hand tighter. "I care about you, Killian. Probably more than I should, probably more than I ever intended to let myself."
"Emma, you know that I care about you. You know that I…" He swallows thickly, debating for a second on his next words, but they seem to spill out of him. "I'm in love with you, you stubborn woman." He whispers the last bit, feeling as if a weight lifts off of him as he lets go of the words that have been on the tip of his tongue whenever he was around her for the last few months.
Emma takes a step towards him and places her hands gently on the side of his face, leaning her forehead against his. She takes a shaky breath, and he knows that she is struggling with what to say to him, but he doesn't care. He doesn't care, because she is touching him and she's not running away.
"You don't have to say anything," he whispers, his eyes fluttering closed when her hands move to his hair.
"You're blushing, Captain." She says, and his eyes snap open at the husky quality to her voice and when he sees her teasing smile, he can't restrain himself anymore. He kisses her again, long and slow, and a quiet whimper from Emma nearly makes him forget that they are in the middle of town where anyone could see them.
"Minx," he growls when they pull apart, and she laughs, the breathless sound one that he wants to hear again and again. "I should walk you home," he says, and she shakes her head.
"I don't want to go home."
His eyes widen at the certainty in her voice. "Swan?"
"You're always bragging about what a comfortable bed you've got on that ship of yours, aren't you?" She teases, and then lets out a very un-Emma-like squeal when he hoists her up into his arms.
"Are you sure about this, Princess?"
"I can handle it if you can, pirate." She retorts, and he grins.
"I never was one to back down from a challenge, Sheriff."
She silences him with another kiss, and he relishes in the feeling of familiarity that washes over him at the feel of her pressed against him. Whatever happens tomorrow, he knows that they're starting another adventure, one that he hopes will last for the rest of his life.
Thanks for reading, and if you liked it, let me know! Also make sure you're following me on Tumblr, ( .com) where I frequently take fic prompts for CS and other pairings! :)
