Can you believe it? I'm posting again just one day later! I had to take advantage of the moment, now that it seems that my muse has decided to make an appearance. I hope you like this second part, which contains a bit of backstory, and some cute moments between Killian, Emma, and Henry.
(This is unbeta'd, so I apologize in advance for the many mistakes and nonsense)
A few hours later, Emma was in her apartment enjoying another of their traditions on Sunday, movie and popcorn afternoon with her two favorite people in the world, her son and her best friend. They had established that tradition long ago, when Henry was introduced to the Marvel universe and Star Wars. Since then, every Sunday afternoon without exception they met there and enjoyed the good company and their favorite movies.
They had been doing the same thing for a long time, but even so, Emma couldn't help but feel some disbelief at the fact that, despite her history and her need to protect her heart after her traumatic past, she would have been able to open herself up in such a way to a person other than Henry.
That level of blind trust had only been achieved with Killian. The idea of snuggling on the couch with someone who knew all (almost) her secrets without entering a spiral of panic was unthinkable with another person, but with Killian, everything felt so natural, so right, that Emma treasured those moments as something precious.
In fact, that very couch had witnessed confessions of their tragic past on both sides sprinkled with laughter an tears. They had also gotten drunk and even both had fallen asleep together on some occasions, waking hours later wrapped in a blanket that wasn't there previously (Henry's work, of course).
On this occasion, the image on the screen was completely forgotten, going into the background, since Henry was so excited about the Queen event that, since they arrived at the apartment, he had not stopped talking and talking, even though he would have to settle for enjoying it from a distance. Killian —how could it be otherwise?— got along with him. If there was a bigger Queen fan than Henry, that was Killian. The complicity between them was evident, something that Emma valued more than anything and for which she would be eternally grateful. Luckily, his son would never miss a father figure, either in Killian's persona or in that of the other two men around, David (their neighbor and the closest thing to a brother Emma would ever have) and Robin (David's best friend and former Killian's roommate)
Maybe that's where her son's love for the band came from. He had grown up listening to that music since he was a little boy. Well, rather since Killian arrived in the States from England seven years ago and settled in as Robin's roommate in his apartment. It had been him, in fact, who had infected them with his love for Queen in the first place. You could say that the moment Killian had entered their lives, hadn't done it alone, but with Freddie and the band as partners. Now even Henry associated some events with Queen songs and had incorporated some verses into his usual vocabulary.
Is this real life? Is this just fantasy?
If you wanna have a good time, just give me a call
I want it all, and I want it now
And his favorite, whenever he won playing video games or just passed to the next level, he stood with his arms raised in triumph while singing loudly. 'We are the champions!'
"Are you sure you don't want to sing, Mom? It'll be fun!"
"Nope. I'm not singing, kid."
"Not even a song with the group?" Killian asked in a gentle way, nudging her softly with his shoulder. Her lips drew a tight smile as she glanced at him and denied with an imperceptible shake of her head. She appreciated the gesture, his subtle way of assuring that everything would be all right, that she would be accompanied on stage. But still, the trauma she brought from the past was too paralyzing.
Killian knew the reason why she wasn't able to get on stage and sing. That was one of the first confessions she had shared with him on that very couch one night, between shots of rum while they both hummed The Show Must Go On.
He had told her that her voice was magnificent and that maybe she should consider dedicating herself to singing professionally. She had been aware that it had been nothing more than an innocent compliment, but she couldn't help but snort as she shook her head and, after taking a shot in one gulp, she had explained the reasons why that would never happen.
Once upon a time, when she was a little girl she'd had the opportunity to participate in the annual school festival. Emma had clung to that opportunity with all her strength since her dream had always been to get on stage and shine even if it was only for a couple of minutes. It didn't matter if she had to return to her bland and lonely life afterward.
Emma hadn't always been given this chance, jumping from one foster home to the next one or to a group home, never staying the time necessary to form some sort of bond. This time, though, a small ray of hope had appeared among the storm clouds that always accompanied her.
During the weeks leading up to the festival, she had been rehearsing relentlessly, determined that her performance would be perfect. When the day arrived, she had bounced with excitement, the adrenaline rushing through her veins causing her stomach to flutter as her heart pounded in her chest.
All that excitement had gone out the window just a few minutes before going on stage, when she heard two other girls gossiping about her. They had laughed at her and her nervousness while saying that no matter how hard she tried, no one would be there to see her, no one would cheer her up, no one would congratulate her at the end of the day. She could pretend she was a star for a couple of minutes, but when she came down from the stage, she would be the same invisible girl, the same orphan girl she had always been.
Once she stood in the middle of the stage, her throat had closed, leaving her unable to articulate any words as tears of humiliation ran down her cheeks. Not only had her dream of singing vanished in an instant, but the embarrassment and misery she had felt had generated the trauma that had accompanied her ever since.
That sense of loneliness had almost completely disappeared. First, with Henry's arrival and later with the rest of the people she had met along the way and who had accepted her despite her issues. Now her heart was occupied with the love received by her son and her friends, her unconventional family. She also had a source of unceasing love to offer. Even so, that little thorn was still stuck in a corner of her heart, causing a paralyzing fear. Maybe at some point, she would feel sufficiently protected by her loved ones to get rid of that thorn, but that moment had not yet arrived.
Killian put a protective arm over her shoulders, drawing her to him, perhaps perceiving that her old ghosts of the past were hovering in her head. "It's a shame, because there's a song that suits you perfectly." Emma appreciated his attempts, never ignoring what troubled her, but using a tone casual enough to make her feel safe, easing the tension as he managed to get her ghosts back into the recesses of her mind.
"Does it have anything to do with the yellow color?" Henry asked, an incipient smirk blooming on his face.
"You've got it, lad."
Her brows furrowed in confusion, pulling back a bit to look at Killian as she bit her lower lip. "What are you talking about?"
"Why, 'I'm In Love With My Car', of course."
"Really?" She scoffed while directing a suspicious look at the two of them. Henry chuckled in the armchair next to her as Killian's smirk grew wider. "How's that?"
Killian shrugged. "Otherwise it wouldn't be understood that you still have that atrocious contraption that you call a vehicle."
"Hey, what's wrong with my Bug?" She hit him in the arm with the back of her hand while her scowl deepened.
"Oi, Swan, there's no need for getting violent." He rubbed the area where she had hit him while his lips turned down in an exaggerated pout. "Accept it, love, your car is a minuscule metal trap."
Two could play this game, so Emma rushed to fight back. "I didn't hear you complain when you needed a driver at the beginning when you arrived at The States because you didn't dare to drive on the other side of the road." She crossed her arms while raising an eyebrow in triumph.
This time it was Killian who frowned in an exasperated manner. "That wasn't the reason at all. I just didn't have a car at the time."
"Whatever."
Their discussion was cut off when they both heard the sound of a shutter release and turned in Henry's direction.
He ignored them for a moment, typing something on his phone. Then he simply shrugged his shoulders at their scrutiny. "What? You two guys are kind of cute while arguing. I thought the others would like to see it."
Emma's eyes widened as Killian mumbled at her side. "Remind me why we let your lad join the group chat."
"Because I'm cool." Henry raised his eyebrows, a smile pulling at his lips in a gesture too adorable for his own good, causing her heart to melt a bit in the process.
After their little discussion about her beloved car, they continued their talk, trying to match the other members of the group with the most appropriate songs for each of them. Henry seemed to be the only one who didn't hesitate in his predictions while assigning songs to the rest of their friends. His strange occurrences caused them to burst into laughter in more than one occasion, while he assured them that he would be right and that he wanted, once again, graphic proofs of it.
A few hours later, after enjoying pizza in their usual Sunday dinner, Killian finally left to his own apartment. After closing the door, Emma leaned against the smooth surface as she couldn't help a smile of contentment appear on her face while her heart fluttered in her chest. Both Killian and Henry had the ability not only to see through her armor but to make her walls fall down, showing herself with no need for masks. These evenings with her two favorite people, sharing laughter, memories, and complicity, always brought her that feeling of stability and security that she had longed for all her life.
Only when Henry cleared his throat did she realize that she was leaning against the door with a lost look and a goofy smile adorning her face. She pressed her lips together and forced herself to focus, glancing at her son.
"What?"
"Nothing ... It's just that, if by chance you changed your mind about singing…"
"That's not happening, kid."
"I know, but…" Henry made an exaggerated pause to make sure he got her attention. "…Just in case you changed your mind, I've already chosen the most appropriate song for you, besides the one with the car involved, of course."
She tried to resist, especially since the mischievous glance he was directing at her didn't bode well, but finally, her curiosity won. After letting out a heavy sigh, she asked, "and what would it be?"
Before answering, Henry raised an eyebrow in a gesture perhaps too much like the one of certain British guy. "I'd choose You're my Best Friend."
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion, she wasn't getting the reason why Henry would choose that song when it wasn't Queen's best-known verse and wasn't even one of her favorites.
"Don't you want to know why?"
She rolled her eyes, realizing that Henry had gotten her to fall into the trap with his enigmatic games while teasing her, something he had learned, once again, from, precisely, her best friend. Something clicked in her brain at that moment, a strange sensation washing over her as her stomach tightened into knots, anticipating what the possible response would be, but still, she couldn't help asking. "Why?"
Henry's face split into a giant grin. "Because Killian will be there."
"Yeah, he'll be there and he's my best friend, but..." Emma's voice trailed off as she realized what her son meant, the lyrics of the song echoing in her brain, causing her heart to skip a beat.
I want you to know
That my feelings are true
I really love you
Oh, you're my best friend
She gasped, feeling a flush creep up her neck to her cheeks. She shook her head in disbelief. In no way was she going to have this kind of conversation with her son. Absolutely not.
She did not have time for a reply, though. Just as she took a deep breath trying to pull herself together, Henry continued.
"I'd have chosen 'I Was Born to Love You', but Uncle David just confirmed me that he and Mary Margaret have already picked it for them, so..." Henry shrugged and then put his phone in front of her eyes, showing David's message.
"Oh my god..." She muttered under her breath, as she felt her cheeks burn again. She forced herself to take a deep breath before answering her son, ignoring the flutter of her stomach and the frantic beating of her heart. "Killian and I are just friends, kid. You already know it."
"I know, I know, that's what you keep saying, but you like him and he likes you." He replied as if it were the most obvious answer. It was evident that he wasn't going to give up so easily.
This was not the first time Henry acted as a matchmaker with the two of them, but until then it had been nothing more than an innocent child's play. This time, however, his face was marked by an expression of determination, while his eyes glowed in a special way.
Her brows knit together while wondering what could have changed for Henry to take up his plan so insistently. Her eyes narrowed as she cast a scrutinizing glance at her son, trying to discern what was going on in his head. An idea popped up in her mind then, causing a sense of guilt to wash over her. What if her son was afraid of losing Killian in some way? What if he was just trying to make sure that Killian would stay by his (their) side one way or another?
"Henry..." She tried, but he cut her shortly.
"How long have you known Killian? I don't even remember not having him around. You have nothing to fear, Mom." Henry insisted, debunking all her excuses by using only a handful of words.
Henry was right, of course. Killian had come into their lives when Henry was only five years old and she was still trying to survive, heartbroken after the abandonment and betrayal of Neal, Henry's father. He, on the other hand, had fled London following in the footsteps of his friend Robin after the death of his girlfriend, Milah.
At that time, both had been so emotionally broken that, even though the attraction between them had been evident from the beginning, they were content to seek refuge in each other, forming an unbreakable friendship, bringing Emma the security and stability that she needed.
"Things are not that simple, Henry... Besides... Killian has made it clear that we're just friends... he does not..." Emma paused, not really knowing how to continue without revealing how she really felt, trying that her voice did not show her vulnerability, her fear of rejection and that their dynamic would change forever if she dared to take the next step.
Henry rolled his eyes before answering. "I may just be only twelve, but even I can see that Killian looks at you the same way David looks at Mary Margaret. He's just waiting for you, Mom."
Another thought crossed her mind at that moment, causing her knees to weaken and her stomach to drop to her toes. "You haven't talked about this with him, have you?" She muttered hating the hint of insecurity in her voice.
"Of course not, but I'm quite perceptive." His lips drew a reassuring smile before continuing. "And no, don't worry, I haven't suggested any songs to him. Yet."
He approached her and reached out, giving her arm an affectionate squeeze. "I just want you to be happy, Mom."
The corners of her lips rose slightly, while she gave him a look full of affection, her chest bursting of pure love towards her son. "I am happy. I have you, I have Killian and all our friends. I don't need anything else." Without waiting for an answer, she pulled Henry toward her, wrapping him in a tight embrace.
She wasn't singing, definitely, but after the conversation with her son, she couldn't help thinking what song Killian would choose, wondering if he would be brave enough for the both of them to express his feelings even if it was through the lyrics of a song.
New verses resounded again in her head. Maybe the time had come, maybe thanks to Queen she would find the necessary strength to take a leap of faith and risk opening her heart again.
So take a chance with me
Let me romance with you
I'm caught in a dream
And my dream's come true
So hard to believe
This is happening to me
An amazing feeling
Comin' through -
The karaoke party will finally happen in the third part. That means Killian is singing :D
Thanks for reading :)