AU: Moving In
Part 2
A week had passed. The unpacking was still in progress, but going much faster due to the extra set of hands. Killian would come over every morning, always with a smug grin and a raise of his eyebrow. By the end of the week, he didn't even bother knocking anymore. Emma knew to keep the door unlocked and Killian eventually knew to just let himself in.
The days when Henry decided to help were her favorite. She loved to watch how well Killian got along with him. Henry had never had much of a father figure, and even though Killian was a fairly new addition to their lives, he treated Henry like he was his own. He made him laugh and taught him tricks on how to get out of doing chores (which Emma was not particularly grateful for). But one of the best parts of the day was when it was time for Killian to leave. He would stand at the door of his apartment and she would stand at the door of hers, right across the hall from him. Then the staring contest would commence! Whoever lost was on lunch duty the next day. (Despite the fact that the kitchens in both of their apartments worked completely fine, the burgers at Granny's Diner next door were just too irresistible to pass up). Emma usually won, but that's only because Killian couldn't stand to see her lose.
The next morning, Emma barely heard the door open. She and Henry had gotten an early start on unpacking his room, and they were currently in the middle of a very intense pillow fight. Feathers weren't flying just yet, but their laughter was enough to prevent Emma from noticing as Killian walked through the entrance to Henry's bedroom.
"I feel betrayed!" she heard Killian exclaim, causing her to jump, tripping over the side of Henry's bed and falling on top of her pillow with laughter coursing through her. "Not only did you start without me but you had a pillow fight, too?! Swan, how could you do this?" he stared at her, the teasing in his voice evident and light and playful.
She locked eyes with him and gave him a smile that lit up her whole face. Shaking her head while trying to contain her laughter, she picked her pillow up from the ground and threw it at his head. He laughed it off before taking it to the head of Henry's bed and putting it down, fluffing it all the while.
"Sorry, Killian! My mom and I just got a bit carried away," Henry explained.
Killian reached down and ruffled Henry's hair playfully. "It's alright, lad! Why don't we get started on some of these boxes, eh? We've got a lot of work to do."
Henry ran to the other side of his room to grab a box as Emma made her way to Killian, her arms crossed in front of her. She smiled up at his face and he looked back at her.
"Good morning, love," he whispered to her, sending a slight shiver down her spine, which she decided to write off as nothing more than a result of the draft coming from the open window. But who was she kidding herself.
"Good morning to you, as well," she countered. "It's probably good you got here when you did. Otherwise we would be dealing with a mess of feathers to clean up."
He only lightly chuckled in response.
They spent the next 45 minutes going through boxes, much like they had been doing for the past week. They talked about Henry and if he was looking forward to school and if he had made any friends yet. Killian's interest made Emma glow on the inside and out. She could tell that it made Henry happy, too; him finally having someone who was truly interested in him and the occurrences in his life. Killian left around noon to get lunch and suddenly there was an eerie silence in the air. It wasn't that Emma and Henry didn't love to have fun with each other, but it just felt like there was a piece of the puzzle missing.
"So, mom," Henry began, "what exactly is going on with you and Killian?"
"Henry we have been over this. What's going on is that Killian is a nice man who enjoys coming over so he can help us get settled in. That's all there is to it."
Henry gave his mother a look of disbelief. "I'm pretty sure that helping us unpack is not the reason he enjoys coming over here every single day."
Emma sighed, knowing in the back of her mind that her son could be right. She put her hand on her head in frustration. "Henry you know what it's like for me. I mean, you saw what happened with Walsh."
"Mom…not every guy is gonna leave you and not every guy is gonna betray you." Henry assured her. The look in his eyes was a mixture between certainty in what he was telling her and worry that she would never find happiness again. He had spent his childhood with only one parent, and as soon as he was old enough, Emma had told him the truth about his dad. Ever since then, Henry's main priority had always been looking out for his mother.
She held out her arms and pulled him close to her. It was times like this where she knew that she would be completely lost without him at her side. "You know I love you, right?"
She felt him chuckle. "You only tell me every day."
Placing her chin on the top of his head, she closed her eyes and grinned. Even when the door opened again, they didn't pull apart.
"It looks like I missed a hugfest…any chance I could join in?" she heard Killian's voice in the room again, teasing and housing a smirk.
She finally let go of Henry, walking over to where Killian had placed the bags of food, the heavenly scent of Granny's burgers wafting out of them.
"In your dreams, Jones," she said, pulling a fry out of one of the bags and popping it into her mouth.
"Oh, Emma, believe me when I say, you don't want to know the contents of my dreams," he countered with a suggestive smirk.
They distributed the food before sitting on the edge of Henry's bed and digging in.
"You know, lad," Killian started, speaking in Henry's direction, "I was thinking that you might want to come with me for a round on my boat this weekend. What d'ya say?"
Henry's face perked up, his eyes suddenly bright with interest.
"Are you kidding? I would love that!" Henry answered. He stood up to walk over to Killian, giving him a high five. "But wait…can my mom come, too?"
Killian looked over to where Emma was sitting right next to him, his soft eyes falling upon her gaze. "I certainly have no opposition to that suggestion. What do you say, love? Care to join us?" His gentle voice was enough to make her melt, and she mentally admired the way he could speak to Henry one moment with that playful tone of his and the next minute his heavy, accented vocal quality was flowing from his lips.
"I'm not sure…Killian I don't want to impose –"
"Oh, come on, lass! It will be a great chance for you to see the town, and I can assure you that there is no one more qualified to show you all it has to offer," he countered with his usual leer.
Emma thought it over. She wasn't too keen on the idea, even though her instincts were telling her that she should give it a shot. "I'm sure it will be fun with just you and Hen –"
"Emma," Killian purred, cutting her off, "it will be quite the adventure." It was nice hearing him call her by her first name. He was so close to her face now that she could feel his breath, warm and comforting, as he reached up and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. The physical contact made her shiver, and she pulled away quickly as to not fully fall under his spell.
"I guess it wouldn't hurt to have a small trip around the town," she eventually sighed, letting herself give in to the temptation of not only getting to know the town, but spending time with her neighbor and her son, the two people she felt the most comfortable with.
Henry and Killian's faces simultaneously broke into smiles. Emma stood up off the bed, now finished with her meal, and grabbed another box from the corner of the room, trying not to blush as Killian's grin still lingered as he gazed at her from his spot on the bed.
The unpacking commenced yet again and they worked diligently all day, going through all the remaining boxes in Henry's room. By 9 pm, Henry had passed out on his bed and Emma and Killian were doing their best not to wake him.
"I suppose I had better be off," Killian muttered quietly, sounding almost disappointed.
"Of course," Emma replied, realizing for the first time that she didn't want him to go. She wanted him to stay. She wanted to feel anything but lonely that night. But she knew that she wasn't being realistic.
They walked out of Henry's room together until they both stood, facing each other at the door of her apartment. She noticed that she was staring shyly down at her feet and she wasn't saying anything. But neither was he.
Say something, you idiot, she encouraged herself. Her heart rate was beginning to quicken and she could have sworn that she could actually hear the blood pumping through her veins.
"Thank you, again, for the boat thing. I think Henry is really going to enjoy it," Emma spoke, finally working up the courage to say something. She looked up at his face, only to be met with piercing blue eyes and a soft smile that was much closer to her than she had previously thought.
He moved so that his shoulder was leaning against the wall next to them, giving her the same look he always did, raising his eyebrow and cocking his head to the side like a puppy. It made her heart melt. "And you?"
Emma frowned. "What?"
"Are you going to enjoy it?" he clarified with a smile.
Emma couldn't help but blush and look down at her feet again like a shy schoolgirl. "We'll have to wait and see," she told him with a sly smirk.
Emma could feel the room getting warmer. Their stares were so intense on each other that neither one was blinking, reminding her of their many staring contests that took place at the end of every day. But this one was much different. They weren't searching for a winner here.
Before Emma could stop herself, she was leaning up to plant a quick kiss on his right cheek, brushing her lips against his scruff. Coming down, she smiled at him and he looked at her like she was the only thing in the entire world that mattered.
As their gazes locked again, she began to let loose the giggles that had built up inside of her. She had never been one to be shy or timid with guys, but something about this one made her feel like a teenager again.
Suddenly, she felt his fingers tender on her chin, lifting her head up and giving her a smile, not a smirk, but a true smile that showed that he was happy, and leaning in to sweep his lips lightly over hers. Despite being caught off guard, Emma responded immediately, putting her hands on his chest and tilting her head up to sink in. His hands came up to carefully touch her shoulders, the heat from them warming every inch of her body. Before she could even begin to enjoy it, it was over. They were pulling away, though their hands were still on each other.
They stood there, just breathing steadily, until one of them finally spoke.
"Goodnight, Swan," Killian murmured to her, his forehead still pressed firmly to hers.
"Goodnight, Jones."
He let go of her shoulders slowly, not wanting to break their touch, and when he finally did, she felt cold from where his hands had been. She removed hers from his chest, and before she could put them to her sides, he pulled them to him and kissed them briefly before letting go. He didn't take his eyes off of her until the door to her apartment was fully shut.
"How tall is he? Does he have a hot bod..? Have you slept with him yet? Emma I need to know everything!"
Her best friend from New York, Ruby, was currently berating her on the topic of Killian Jones and she began to wonder if telling her about their shared moment was a mistake.
Ever since she and Killian had kissed the night before, Emma wanted to feel like every normal woman would after she'd been kissed by an attractive man with a sexy accent: light, bubbly, like she was on cloud nine. And while that had been her initial reaction, she was beginning to agonize over it. She had tried to have a normal, domestic relationship back in the city with Walsh and everyone knew how that had turned out. Emma was not one for commitment, and while she knew nothing for certain, she knew that the feelings for Killian that were starting to surface were not something she could ignore; not just another thing she could put walls up to block out in order to avoid complication or, in recent circumstances, pain.
"Slow down, Ruby," she encouraged. Conversations with this girl could turn into day long discussions, and she only had an hour before she and Henry were planning on heading down to the docks to meet Killian. "I don't even know why I'm calling you over this, to be honest with you."
"So I take it you haven't slept with him yet…"
"Ruby!"
She could hear her friend's elongated sigh over the phone. "You called me because of a man. That is how I know this is a serious situation," Ruby affirmed.
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Emma questioned. Was she really that easy to read?
"It means that I know you. And I know that you don't talk to me about men unless you're starting to feel some serious shit about them, good or bad. Remember Walsh?"
How could she forget? "Of course I remember Walsh. Ruby, I would appreciate it if we didn't dwell on this any longer."
"Oh no, no, no, sister. You brought this up. We're talking about it," Ruby pushed.
There was no use in fighting it. Relationship talk was Ruby's specialty and there was no way she was going to let Emma get out of this one. So, giving in, Emma fell onto the couch and waited for her friend to begin her rant.
"Now," Ruby finally began, "I am going to ask you some questions. But you can only answer with yes or no."
"Ruby I don't thin-"
"Ah! No. Listen to me for I am all-knowing."
"You're fucking pathetic is what you are…" Emma muttered under her breath.
"Nah you love me. Don't try and change the subject! Now…like I said. Only yes or no. No comments. Nothing. Ready?"
Emma let out a heavy sigh. "Ready." She wasn't ready.
"Do you enjoy being around this man?"
Emma didn't have to ponder that one for long. She really had been enjoying his company all week, and now that he wasn't around for just part of the day, she felt lonely from the loss of his presence. "Yes."
Ruby spoke again, "Does Henry like him?"
Another easy one. "Yes."
"Is he nice to you?"
"Of course. Ruby, what is the point of this?"
Ruby growled through her teeth like she always did when she was frustrated. "Emma Swan you are ruining the game. Next question! Does he like you?"
A little tougher. She thought he did. If he didn't, why had he kissed her? But there was always that lingering doubt… "Yes," she ultimately decided on.
She could hear Ruby grinning on the other side. "Do you like him?"
"...Yes," she said, after hesitating for a brief moment.
"Last question: can you see yourself being happy with him?"
There it was. The question that seemed to have only one obvious answer and yet a million more at the same time. She had clearly been happy with him for the short time they had known each other. In fact, it was a sort of happiness that Emma rarely had the pleasure of feeling. It was the kind of happiness she experienced when she was with Henry; when she saw her son happy and was able to forget every awful thing that had ever happened to her because that feeling overpowered it, even if it were just for a moment. Much like that, Killian just had a way of making her feel…exhilarated. But how long would that feeling linger? Was it a temporary thing that she was experiencing in the midst his romantic gesture or was it something that was there for the long haul?
She didn't know how long she sat in silence, contemplating her answer, but knowing that a simple yes or no could never even begin to describe what she was truly feeling. It could have been years for all she cared, but she was eventually pulled back into reality by the sound of Ruby's voice.
"Earth to Emma…"
Emma blinked rapidly, coming out of her daze. "Sorry, Ruby. That's, uh…that's a lot to think about."
There was another pause before Ruby impatiently piped in again. "So? Yes or no?"
With one last deep breath, Emma spoke. "Yes."
It was a good day to be down at the docks. There was a slight breeze in the air and the sun was barely behind the clouds, quickly descending as the afternoon morphed into early evening. Emma and Henry made their way to the rendezvous point at Killian's boat.
Emma watched as Killian stepped out onto the deck, laying eyes on him for the first time since the night before. She was suddenly feeling nervous, like all of this was a mistake. Like maybe they shouldn't have come. But he was dressed in that leather jacket of his, and his hair was blowing in the wind, giving it that sex-tousled look she had grown to love. Irresistible.
"Killian!" Henry called, running to the boat and stepping onto it carefully, reminding her that he was part of the reason they were there. Henry needed to get out and see the town and have someone other than his mother to keep him company. Stop being such a child, she thought to herself. Just go with this. No big deal. Remember what Ruby said. Just go with it…
She hadn't even realized how fast she had been walking until she was hitting her leg on the side of his boat and nearly falling over the edge of the dock and into the water below. She gasped and she wasn't sure if it was because of the shock of feeling like she was falling, or the firm hands that were now around her waist and helping her onto the deck.
"Easy there, love," Killian's warm voice spoke, sending goose bumps along the skin on her arms and just about everywhere else on her body.
His hands rested there for just a bit longer, taking the moment to look down at her and wink, before moving away from her to greet Henry.
Emma's breath was still caught in her throat even after he had walked away and watching how he was with Henry didn't make it any better. She saw how Killian patted his head like a father and bent down to talk to him at his level. It made her smile. It made her melt.
Killian motioned for them to follow him, and he led them to the steering mechanism. Emma wasn't too educated in the field of sailboats and their properties, but she could infer that this was where the boat was controlled.
"Swan, could you reach over and untie us from the dock, please?" Killian asked, motioning toward the side of the boat. Doing as she was told, she reached over and undid the rope from the dock and she could feel the boat beginning to drift out onto the water.
Killian laughed heartily. "I think you're a natural at this, love."
"Surprised, Jones?"
He raised his eyebrows and lifted his head slightly. "Not in the very least."
She stood for a while, watching him explain to Henry how to work the controls. As they set off onto the water, she couldn't help but close her eyes and take in the breeze blowing through her hair and on her face, breathing in the salty air. She hadn't felt this peaceful in months. Savoring the moment, she opened her eyes and decided to take a stroll around the boat.
She shifted over to the front of it and just stood; thinking about how fast hers and Henry's lives had changed. A month ago they were in New York, content for the most part. Walsh's proposal had caught her off guard and it took her a long time to actually agree to it. When she finally did, he became violent, hitting her over silly things and yelling at her if she made any mistakes. Thank God for Henry, for he was the one who pulled his mother out of that relationship, opening her eyes and making her realize that she did not need another heartbreaking relationship in her life. She lost her job not long after, and took that as a sign. A new start was needed. Somewhere where they didn't know anyone. Somewhere that didn't have any bad memories tied to it. So here they were in a small town in Maine. And they were on a boat…why was that again?
"Mind if I join you, darling?" Killian's voice startled her out of her daydream. Oh yes. It was Killian's boat. That's why.
She turned around quickly to find that he was already close enough to touch her, though he didn't, waiting for her permission before doing anything that might send up a red flag. He was grinning, amused at the fact that he made her jump.
"Um…sure," she offered. He came and stood right next to her, the warmth from his body radiating off of him and sending searing heat through her veins. Neither one of them said anything for what felt like a lifetime.
The sun was beginning to set, and Emma couldn't help realizing that this looked like quite a good setting for some sort of romantic movie, where the man confesses his love for the woman in front of a beautiful sunset and then they kiss as the camera pans out and the screen fades to black. These were the things she used to dream about when she was a girl, but never thought they were actually realistic. But now, standing with him, she began to wonder if it were possible.
Finally, he spoke. "The lad is below deck. I think he's enjoying playing captain for a day." She knew he was smiling, despite that they were still not looking at one another.
Emma hummed in response, not wanting to say anything stupid, knowing her mouth would surely betray her if she opened it.
Suddenly, she felt a hand on her wrist, fingers inching their way down to tangle with hers. She complied, muscles beginning to tense, palm becoming sweaty at the touch of his hand. Slowly, he turned into her, leaning his forehead gently against hers and closing his eyes. Her heart rate quickened, and she wondered if his was doing the same.
Then his lips were on hers again. He was sinking into it. She was leaning up to ensure their connection. She could feel his hands on her waist, tender and caring, and she reached up to put hers on his shoulders. It was a chaste kiss, but long and lingering. She felt him lightly nibble on her bottom lip, and she sighed despite herself, bringing her arms up to encircle his neck.
As they pulled apart, she realized that she wanted more. Their breaths intermingling and their hands on each other, she took deep breaths, trying to restrain herself from going in for another round.
"Love, I've been meaning to tell you…" Killian began.
"What?" she asked impatiently.
The corners of his lips turned up into a smirk. "I quite fancy you, darling."
Her heart skipped a beat, for that was the only confirmation she needed. All the worry that she had built up inside her was now fading away.
"Is that so?" she coaxed quietly.
"Oh I believe it is," he growled, kissing her again, just briefly, before letting go of her completely and stepping back.
"What are you doing?" Emma questioned with a curious raise of her eyebrow.
He was standing in front of her with his hands behind his back and his feet together. He looked quite proper and his head was held high.
"Emma Swan. We have known each other for a little over a week, is this correct?"
Emma did the math quickly in her head. "Uh…yes?"
"And we have gotten along fetchingly; if I do say do myself."
She giggled, slowly moving closer to him. "Yes, I would say so."
"Well then. I would like to take this chance to ask you out. On a proper date. Not unpacking boxes. Not babysitting Henry (as much as I love the lad). A real date. In a restaurant. Just the two of us. What do you say?" he suddenly bent down into a bow, arms outstretched like he was some sort of prince.
Emma laughed, surprised at his sudden show of chivalry, and took hold of his wrists, coaxing him standing again and pulling him to her for another searing kiss.
"Is that a yes, then?" he questioned sarcastically, holding her closely to him by her waist.
Emma smiled, before going to press her lips to his. "Yes," she spoke against his mouth, and she felt his smirk before they sunk back into their cliché, sunset, romantic movie worthy kiss.
Hello! So not the most eventful chapter but...at least we finally got to see a bit of Captain Swan action. Wonder how that date is going to turn out...
Just a few things:
Would you guys like to see smut in the last chapter? I've never written it before, but I'm willing to give it a go, if that's what you all want. Tell me in a review if you want to see it. If I don't get any reviews about it, I'll write it very mild so make sure to let me know.
Also, I'm going to be out of town starting on Thursday with zero access to a computer. I'll be able to check reviews and stats and things from my phone, but actually writing anything isn't going to happen. *cries forever*. Sooooo the last chapter won't be out for over a week. MY SUMMER IS SO BUSY I'M SO SORRY.
Thanks for all of your reviews! I know that this is super fluffy so far, but maybe we'll see some action/angst in the next chapter...it's always a possibility. I just really like fluff ok. SO YES REVIEWS ALWAYS WELCOME! Remember to tell me if you want smut or no smut. xxx