Behind the Curtains

Ok, so the oneshot turned into 2. A third is coming. This is my contribution to the C/S fluff mont hover on Tumbr.

Disclaimer: Still Adam and Eddies.


Promp: C/S Fluff They are engaged. Its the day of the wedding. A conversation of your choice between them through a closed door before the ceremony


Everything was set. She couldn't have asked for a more perfect day really. All things considered. The sea was calm, not that it mattered this close to the dock. The sky was blue and the air barely held a trace of the cold that still hadn't dissipated from winter. Then again what did she expect when Snow White was in charge of her wedding? She had a sneaky suspicion that Henry (on orders from Snow) had begged Regina to keep the weather from freezing everyone on the deck of the Jolly Roger. There was not a speck of dust covering the whole ship, even the sails looked whiter.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't quite right.

Emma was checking over her appearance in the full length mirror that adorned the Captain's quarters (Killian had been banished to the store room of all places to get ready along with Charming – best man in place of his brother). It was not the first time she had worn the dress. In fact between all the fittings she just had to have ("Emma – It has to be perfect") this was about the fifteenth time she had worn it.

But it was the first time she had really looked at herself in it. Hair gently curled and a braid running over her crown which was fitted with a tiara and veil. Her make-up and nails done tastefully (courtesy of Ruby and Belle) and the small silver anchor necklace Killian had given her around her neck. She looked like a princess. She looked like a stranger.

But the stranger looked happy. There was a smile on her face that never faltered, a rosy blush to her cheeks that had nothing to do with make-up and she seemed to glow from the inside. This was a woman on the brink of her happy ending.

Yet something still felt wrong. Something was trying to get her attention just at the periphery of her mind and it was annoying her. She ran her hand over the anchor, an unconscious gesture she had picked up when he had placed it around her neck, self consciously ducking his head when he realized he couldn't do the clasp with his one hand.

She had loved him more in that moment than all the times in Neverland or after. Her pirate. Her saviour...her

It hit her like lightening and the room suddenly felt colder and all she could think about was getting to the store room. Her mother had given her a few minutes to prepare herself and for her to run around the ship for the hundredth time making sure a seat cover hadn't flown away in the nonexistent breeze. Picking up the bottom of her dress she chanced a look out of the door, when she was confident no one was making an appearance she ducked out of the room as stealthily as she could in a wedding dress and walked the familiar path to the store room.

She paused for only a second before she knocked on the closed door. David, in all his charming, princely glory opened the door and his eyes widened comically as he practically slammed the door shut before Killian could see who it was.

"Emma is everything okay? What are you doing here? Does Snow know you're here?" The words were rushed, whispered and filled with a desperate need to protect her from whatever had made her leave the Captain's quarters.

"I'm fine I just need to speak to Killian"

"What? Why? You're not calling off-"

"No!" that was louder than she intended. They both cast a weary glance towards the thick door of the store and when nothing seemed to happen she looked at her father who was practically itching to draw her into a hug. "No just, could you get him to come to the door. I don't want him to see me but I need to talk to him. Please?"

David looked at her critically, first her eyes, then her mouth and then shook his head in an exasperated manner telling her to wait there before disappearing behind the door. He reappeared a few seconds later looking both worried and confused.

"I'll just be... stalling your mother" He pressed a kiss to her head as he sloped off.

"Emma? You alright lass? Your father said you wanted to talk" His voice held just as much confusion as panic and she could practically feel his hand on the door handle itching to rip it open.

"I'm fine. I just needed...Let me talk okay? Because I need to say this before anything else happens today"

"Else? Love; what's happened?" She let out a breathy chuckle and shook her head remembering that a lifetime of giving orders meant that he was quite bad at following them

"Killian!"

His contrite 'sorry' melted her heart and before she knew it her hand was placed on the door where she just knew his head was resting and she was glad he couldn't see her close her eyes and take a deep breath to prepare herself for this.

"I realized something today. Something that really hadn't occurred to me before. Something that I couldn't marry you without you knowing" She took another deep breath, practically absorbing the nervous energy seeping out of the door that separated them.

"I've called you a pirate so many times and I know it affects you every time I do. I guess I hoped that you'd come to see it as an affectionate pet name"

"Pet? Swan are you calling me an animal?" if the reuse of her (by this point almost scarcely used) last name hadn't made her regret her word choice the outrage in his tone would have.

"No! No. Sorry, it's this worlds term for...I guess the best comparison is term of endearment" There was a short pause waiting for him to say something, anything, to let her know that she hadn't screwed up.

"As you were saying, Love"

"Right, I uh, I needed to tell you that I can't marry a pirate. That I'm not in love with a pirate" She touched her anchor necklace with the hand not pressed against the door gathering her courage.

"Emma..."

"I'm in love with a good man. I'm marrying a good man" She interrupted his heartbroken voice and grabbed hold of the door handle to stop him opening it when it started to turn. The rattling stopped and she chocked back the lump in her throat "I couldn't get married today without you knowing that. You're a good man Killian. I'm sorry I never told you before now"

She refused to let the tears ruin her make-up as she waited for whatever reply she knew was coming, steeling her heart against everything from denial to heartbreak. She had only ever made him speechless one time, when she first told him she loved him. His method of reply wasn't really appropriate at the moment.

"Gods, don't scare me like that Lass. This hearts a fair bit older than yours and not likely to survive something like this again! I love you, Emma." his voice was shaky, and the feeling that something was wrong was lifted from Emma like removing a cloak. She knew at that moment he had needed to hear the words.

"I love you too, Killian," she said, knowing she'd spend the rest of her life showing him just how good of a man she thought he was.

"You should head back up Love, your father can only keep your mother busy for so long. Besides I can't wait to see you in that dress, lass," he added and she could hear the old Captain come back. Captain. Not pirate, and it made her smile.

"You should see what's under it" she flirted back through the door and held onto the door handle tighter when it gave a sudden shake. She gave a watery laugh as she pressed her cheek to the door. "Might be fun seeing if your old heart can handle it"

"Aye, but it's not my heart you need worry about lass. A man can only take so much teasing"

Emma could practically see him smirking through the door. She bit her bottom lip imagining all the ways he could punish her for teasing him and found that the thrill of finding out was worth any amount of fuss and lectures she would have to put up with when her mother discovered her missing.

"Bring it on, Captain" She walked away listening to the sound of him laughing and finally everything was perfect. This was the start of her happy ending and as she slipped back into the Captain's quarters she fought very hard to look apologetic as her mother glared at her. The smile betrayed her.


Reviews anyone?