an: so after a long day of travel, you'd think I wouldn't be up for posting this chapter, but things are starting to get interesting and I can't resist. :) Leave a review if you so wish! I love hearing your thoughts.
four.
month twenty-one. venue, dallas, texas.
She wakes up feeling dizzy. Dizzy and sick.
It sends her running. Unfortunately, the bus has an incredibly small bathroom, and she doesn't want to make a mess of it, so she heads out to the front of the bus and out into the early morning air.
It's sort of cool, and there's a breeze that picks up her hair as she leans over the curb and loses everything she'd had for dinner the night before.
She holds her hair back and groans as she leans over afterward.
She hadn't had anything weird to eat, but food poisoning is always an option, she guesses. Emma wipes her mouth on her wrist and straightens, looking around.
The sun is barely rising, which means Killian will be getting up soon, and she's going to be caught out here if she hesitates much longer, so with her arms folded against the cool air, she hurries back up into the bus and manages to get a glass of water so she can get the taste out of her mouth.
Right on time, Killian slides out of his bunk and shuffles into the area she stands in and he winces a little at her, his hair a mess and his face scarred with lines from his pillow.
"Hey, Swan," he says tiredly.
She manages to smile a little at him. "Good morning."
Killian steps up to her and she has another sip of water as he sets his hand on her hip. "I had a rather interesting dream last night," he tells her lowly, pressing his lips against her neck.
Emma starts squirming, laughing at the way his beard scratches sensitive skin. "Killian, we're on the bus."
He hums, then meets her eyes, obviously trying to kiss her good morning. She shakes her head. "You can't kiss me."
He gives her a curious look. "Why not?"
"I…" She sets her glass of water down and swallows, cringing at the lingering taste. "I just got a little sick this morning. I'm fine though."
Killian just looks worried as he stares at her. His hands fall away from her. "Are you certain?"
Emma nods. "Yeah. Probably just what I ate last night."
Killian hesitates. He doesn't seem so easily swayed into the idea, but Emma forces a smile and steps away from him so he can't fight her.
"Welcome to Texas," she says. "The show's in six hours."
Killian grins. "Aye. I suppose it is." He stares outside. "How big is the show tonight?"
Emma bites on her lip. "It's pretty big. I think the venue holds five thousand."
His eyes widen. "Bloody hell. Are we sold out?"
She hums in thought, going to grab her phone. "I don't think we are yet. The local radio show wants to talk to you though. They actually called me when I was looking around for venues and they sponsored this one."
"Oh." Killian says. "Well that's…"
"Kind of huge," Emma laughs. "This is the biggest of the tour. The rest of the places aren't as big as this."
As she stands there considering the day ahead, she takes a deep breath.
The band is massively popular and she doesn't know how they've gone from nights at bars to stage events with lights and pyro, but they're almost there. She's so proud of them and she's so proud to be managing them.
"Your interview is in an hour and I'm going to need you to help me wake the guys up for it. I think they wanted a song in studio."
Emma heads toward the bunks and peels back the curtains on every bunk she can. "Good morning! Welcome to Texas! You're going on radio in an hour. Time to get up!"
The guys groan at her in unison and Killian chuckles. "You heard her. Come on, lads. We've got a huge day ahead of us!"
"Who are you? My mum?" Will snips as she studies his face. He grimaces at her and she just shakes her head.
"Come on, Will. I'm paying for coffee as soon as we get off of this bus. So the faster you can do that, the faster we can get some coffee in you."
Turning around, she meets Killian's grin with her own and lifts her eyebrows. "Okay. Showers in the hotel tonight and breakfast on the way to the radio station. I think today's on schedule."
Killian's smile spreads wider. "Aye. Thank you for that, Swan."
"I try," she shrugs.
/
month twenty-one. radio station, dallas, texas.
Emma sips at her coffee as she watches through the glass window into the studio. The guys are gathered around a microphone and Killian has his guitar around him while Will sits on a cajon.
They're playing one of the singles they'd released a few months ago and everyone seems to be in high spirits.
She feels a little lightheaded still and she folds her arms to her chest as she holds her coffee in front of her. It's an instantaneous sensation and she grimaces, turning to head out of the little recording room to quietly find herself a bathroom.
Thankfully, she makes it in time, and no one's occupying it.
She kneels on the tile floor of the bathroom and holds back her hair, and she grimaces between wretches, because this isn't how she wants to be spending her day- on the floors of bathrooms regurgitating everything she puts into her stomach.
She feels lightheaded and sweaty by the time it's over and she wipes her mouth as she leans back against the wall. She doesn't want Killian to worry about her, but she knows he's probably noticed that she's not in the room watching by now, and she has no choice but to face facts with that.
Emma studies herself in the mirror as she's washing her hands and sighs at her appearance. It's kind of obvious that she's not at her best. Between everything she's stressed about and this sudden ailment, she isn't sure how she hasn't collapsed by now. She probably could, actually. She's incredibly worn out.
After swishing some water and tossing her coffee, Emma heads back out into the hallway. She settles her hand over her middle as she walks toward the recording room and enters quietly, just in time to hear them being interviewed again.
"So, you've been a band for how long?" The host asks.
Killian grins against the microphone he's standing at. He exchanges glances with the guys.
"Erm… we've been together for something like ten years I think. But we've been serious for around seven now. We put out three albums prior to this one on our own time. Not very many people know about that. Except for my wife. She's a fanatic."
The host laughs and so do the guys.
"She is!" Robin agrees. "I've never met someone as invested as her. She's touring with us, actually. Maybe it's time we drop the hint that we don't want her around."
Everyone bursts out laughing and Killian meets her eyes then, shaking his head. "She's listening in right now, you know. Darling, we're only teasing. Of course we want you following us around."
She rolls her eyes.
"Now, tell me about that," the host says, turned toward Killian. "You were on that show, right? You married her as perfect strangers."
"Aye," Killian grins. "Aren't we proper idiots?"
The guys chuckle.
"No, no," Killian shakes his head. "It's great. When I married Emma on the show, I wasn't expecting I'd fall in love with my best friend, but I did, and I'm incredibly thankful. I owe much of who I am now to that show and to Emma. She's incredible. I'm the luckiest man alive to have been matched up with such a devastatingly amazing and fantastic woman."
Her heart squeezes tight and she feels her cheeks heating up as she stares at him. A smile presses into her lips and he meets her eyes then, all but telling her that he loves her all over again.
"And now we've got an album full of that gushy love nonsense," Will says jokingly.
Everyone laughs, including Emma, and Killian turns to Will. "I wouldn't complain about it, mate. Emma's in charge of the paychecks."
"Love you, Emma!" Robin says, turning to look at her.
The guys echo the sentiment, and the host chuckles warmly when Emma waves back at them, shaking her head slowly.
"Up next, we'll play a round of rapid fire with the guys, but in the meanwhile, Killian, could you introduce the next song?"
"Aye. Of course." Killian starts plucking at the strings of his guitar. "This one's a tune I wrote before Emma. One about my first love: the sea."
/
month twenty-one. venue, dallas, texas.
Killian's enthusiasm about the day increases as the hours tick on and he starts to get nervous only as show time gets closer.
He sits on the couch beside Emma as she rests and finds himself watching as her chest rises and falls so easily. It's good to see her asleep, but she'd been pretty tired all morning, and he's a little worried about the implications of her getting sick in the morning in addition to this exhaustion she's suddenly having.
After her fighting him those days at the beginning, he should be glad she's slowed down, but oddly enough, he's not.
Emma's alarm goes off then and she flinches awake, reaching for the device and forcing it off before she puts her hand over her eyes and groans.
"Good morning, sleeping beauty," he teases.
She removes her hand and scoffs, rolling her eyes before she slides upright and leans her head against the back cushion of the couch. "Hey. Sorry. I just… I'm so tired."
Killian takes a breath and nods. "Aye."
He searches her face and she grimaces before cursing under her breath. She slides away from the couch and hurries for the front door and he knows what she's gone to do, because no one runs from a perfectly good sofa to go outside in their socks.
He starts to worry more about Emma again, rather than the show he's about to perform tonight, and he slides his hand over his head.
When Emma returns a few minutes later, she avoids him and grabs a bottle of water from the countertop and has a good drink.
After she turns to him again, she bites on her lip.
"How many times is that now?" He asks, rising to his feet. "Three? Four? I think you went twice while we were out this morning."
Emma tilts her head at him. "I'm fine, Killian. It's just a stomach bug."
He hums. "I don't know. Emma, you're suddenly sleeping quite a bit too."
His wife gives him a look and goes to the couch to grab her computer and get back to work.
"I don't think you should be here if you're miserable," he says. He sits beside her. "And if you're trying to do your job while you're sick…"
Emma groans. "I'm not sick."
"You've thrown up multiple times today," Killian points out firmly. "And you're telling me you're not sick."
She drops her shoulders and looks at him. Her hair is kind of a mess from her nap, all piled up on top of her head, and she has a weary expression on her face, along with bags under her eyes.
"I'm fine."
He stares at her for a few moments, clenching his jaw, and then looks outside at the venue waiting for him. It's a huge night for the band and he knows she's probably just as nervous as he is about it.
"You can stay as long as you're feeling better in the morning." Killian tells her.
Emma sighs. "Okay." She glances outside the window. "Are you nervous?"
"I'm more nervous about you being sick so suddenly," he says. "But aye. I am."
She reaches for his hand and gives it a squeeze. "You are going to be incredible, Killian. I'll be in the front row tonight, okay?"
His heart leaps at the thought and he smiles, unable to keep himself from doing it. "Aye. Alright."
/
The place is packed out. There's standing room only toward the back, but everyone's on their feet anyway, and the excitement in the room is palpable.
Everyone around her is buzzing and chatting and every so often, she catches a glimpse of Killian or one of the guys peeking out from back stage. She smiles a little and texts them to try to make them feel better. They always tell her thank you and send her an emoji or two.
The merch table is well stocked tonight, with plenty of backup boxes tucked nearby, and a few fans are manning it. There are a few photographers tonight and she's updating social media as the show time gets closer and closer.
When the radio host from earlier in the day comes on stage to announce them, she bites down on her lip, because she can see Killian standing in the wings, and he has nervousness written in his features, but a smile on his lips, and she knows with everything in her that he'll be more than amazing.
Killian leads the band out and they're fast, getting to their positions. They start in immediately with a song and Killian wears the most excited grin on his face she's ever seen in her life, and she loves it.
When the song is finished, he laughs, "How's everybody doing tonight?"
The place erupts and Emma can't help but laugh at it, wishing she could feel what he's feeling, because surely it's exactly how she feels. Light thrums in her veins and her heart races passionately.
"We're The Pirates," Killian introduces them, to a resounding scream, and he laughs again. "Bloody hell, you're not going to let me get a word out, are you?"
She laughs along with the thousands gathered and Robin chuckles into his microphone. "They're a rambunctious group."
"Apparently!" Killian says, turning to interact with his friend. He turns back to the crowd. "So, we're from New York, but we've moved to Maine. This weather is fantastic. I don't think I've seen as much sun as I have in this one day."
He grins as he plucks the strings of his guitar and he meets her eyes. "Alright. This is a song I wrote a little while back for my wife. She's here tonight. Can everybody say, 'hi Emma'?"
She laughs when they do as he asks them to and he chuckles. "Well, that's fantastic. I'm sure you've got great singing voices too. Why don't we test that out?"
And with that, he starts to teach them the chorus of her song and she can't help but feel just the slightest bit overwhelmed at it, because the words are loud in her ears and she feels them in her chest.
At some point as the band continues to play, she starts feeling lightheaded again and she curses herself for it, but she has to walk out in the middle of a rather exciting song that has the room dancing and clapping with their hands above their heads.
She finds a bathroom just in time and hides there for the rest of the show, listening to the echoes of the band playing on.
She feels nothing short of misery as she sits there against the tile wall and she shuts her eyes as she throws her head back.
/
"That was incredible," Robin says excitedly as they head backstage.
Killian grins. "Aye. It was."
Whale claps him on the back. "That encore was great, man."
"I like to think I've still got a few surprises in me." Killian laughs.
They stumble into the green room and he's not surprised at all to find Emma sitting on one of the couches. She stands up and smiles widely at them. "Hey! You guys were amazing. Twitter is kind of blowing up right now."
Killian's heart is still racing, but his stomach twists, because he knows she left in lieu of the bathroom. There's no other reason she would have left, especially since she'd been so content and excited for them prior.
"Is it?" Robin asks, taking her phone from her.
The guys crowd around and they read a series of tweets to each other. Killian isn't interested. He tilts his head to the door from which they'd come and Emma sighs, sticking her hands into her pockets.
He leads her out into the hallway, then into an empty room, where he sighs. "Emma, I don't think I want to wait for the morning to ask you to go. Dallas has an airport. You can be home by morning."
Emma gives him a look. "Killian. I told you, I'm fine. I just have a little bit of a bug."
"You're working yourself too hard." Killian tells her. "I would feel better if you just went home and saw a doctor and got plenty of rest there. On the road, there are distractions and shows and I know you love it, but, I worry so much about you when you're holed up in the bus on your computer, and even more when you leave to get sick in the bathroom."
Emma tucks her hair behind her ears and then settles her hands on her hips. "What if I saw a doctor here? To prove I'm fine."
Killian sighs. "How are you going to do that? It's nearly ten at night."
She shrugs. "I could go to the emergency room." But, she shakes her head. "No, scratch that. We're leaving tomorrow morning. There could be a long wait and I'm exhausted."
He widens his eyes. "Then go home. Even if it's just for a few days. You can meet up with us in a few cities."
She hesitates and he reaches for her hand. Her runs his thumb in circles over her wrist and his brow creases. "I'm just worried. I'm sure you'd be concerned if I fell ill."
Emma smiles a little, nodding. "Yeah. I would." She takes a deep breath. "Okay. I'll go home. Let's see when the next flight takes off."
/
month twenty-one. airport, dallas, texas.
He stands with her outside of the security entrance and she smiles a little at him, giving his hand a squeeze before she turns to him fully. She takes his other hand.
"I'll call when I land. And I'll be back for the show in Ohio."
Killian just stares at her worriedly, as he had earlier, with his brows furrowed and creases in his forehead. His eyes are stormy and he's tense. "When you get home I want you to rest, okay? You work far too hard."
Emma nods. "I'll try my best."
"Trying isn't enough," he tells her pointedly and she'd laugh, because he's so serious.
"I know. I'll sleep. And I'll miss you." She smiles softly.
Killian swallows and nods in agreement. He leans forward and kisses her forehead. "I'll miss you the most."
Emma shrugs. "I don't think that's true."
Her husband lifts his eyebrows at her and swings their linked arms a little. "Really? You think you'll miss me more than I'll miss you? It gets awfully lonely when I'm surrounded by those idiots."
She laughs. "They're not so bad."
Killian laughs too. "Aye. I suppose." He searches her face with a small smile on his lips.
Emma glances over her shoulder and releases a heavy breath. "I gotta go. Storybrooke is calling."
He nods. "Very well." They kiss sweetly, lingering a half second before parting. Killian squeezes her hands. "I love you. Be safe. Call me the minute you land."
Emma bobs her head. "I love you too."
She reluctantly releases his hands and she realizes that this is the first time in a while that they've been separated. It makes her heart sink to her belly as she steps away from him and she feels tears burning behind her eyes, but she doesn't let them out until she's sitting at her gate half an hour later.
Her phone vibrates as she sits there, biting down on her lip to keep from losing it, and a soft smile manages to spread on her face.
Killian: Miss you already.
Emma: I miss you more.
Killian: How much more? Because I miss you more than a sailor misses the sea.
Emma: More than that.
Killian: I love you. Thank you for doing this. I know you didn't want to.
Emma: No you were right. Thank you for making me stay healthy. You're a good husband.
Killian: I know.
Emma: I'm missing you just a little bit less now.
Killian: I don't think that's true in the least.
Emma: You're right.