THE PROMPT (from amagicalship): If you'd be so kind...I want Captain Swan and "Please don't argue. You have to leave right now, you aren't safe here."
Her magic had been crackling beneath the surface for some time. It was as if her time as the Dark One had awakened something within her – some deeper connection to the light that fuelled her power. The darkness had been taken from her but this surge of energy remained.
She had kept it hidden from all of them, acted as if everything was normal but she knew she would be forever altered. Her control walked a thin line, her magic threatening to spill over at any moment – and somehow his proximity made it all the more difficult.
Killian had been by her side since he had found her and brought her back. As had Henry, her parents, the rest of Storybrooke. There had been no quiet moment to finish what they had started as the darkness engulfed her, no time to say the words that had tripped her up time after time until there had been no other chance than the worst one of all.
The love she felt for Killian had fought through the darkness. Even in its depths, she felt the pull of her heart – anchoring her in light and hope, battling the forces that tethered her elsewhere.
When his hand brushed hers, she could not believe the sparks were not visible to everyone around them. Her skin crackled, her body hummed, electricity coursed through every fibre. She held her breath as she waited – for the lights to blow out, or the windows to shatter. She was putting everyone she loved in danger.
"I need a minute." She was gone from the booth before he could protest, or pull her back.
(If he touched her now there was no telling what damage she would do.)
She stood in the hall, back against the wall, eyes closed, her breath coming in shallow pants. The energy continued to spark within her, simmering, maybe settling a little.
"Swan?"
The timbre of his voice was enough to set the power bubbling again. She opened her eyes, deep breaths her only weapon against the magic as he looked at her searchingly.
"That was a sudden departure, love. You have me concerned." He took a step towards her and a ripple of power surged down her spine. She held up a hand cautiously, willing him to stay back.
"Killian, listen to me. And please don't argue. You have to leave right now, you aren't safe here."
His features clouded in confusion. Another step, another rush of electricity.
"My magic, Killian. I'm losing control of it. It's worse when you are near me. I need to…" She trailed off, hot tears threatening to spill down her cheeks. Someone hated her, somewhere, she was sure. She wanted nothing more than to be with him, to let him wrap his arms around her and love her. But at what cost?
Her moment of despair distracted her from his movement towards her. His hand was on her face, hook pulling her against him, lips crashing into hers – the match for a kiss they had shared on this very spot what seemed like a lifetime ago. That day, she had held his heart. Today he held hers.
The lights flickered as she kissed him back, hungrily, desperately. His tongue swept across her lips, and she opened them willingly, a low moan forming in the back of her throat. His hand moved to tangle in her hair, tilting her head gently as he deepened the kiss.
As they came up for air, a tiny moment of reflection, Emma realised the crackle that had threatened to overwhelm her had taken on a new form. She could feel the power still, beneath her skin, but now it felt like strength, like a calm that reached out and enveloped them both. It had never been darkness fighting against them. It had been her magic fighting for them.
It was light and hope and…
"I love you," she breathed, their foreheads touching as he held her close, his joy at having her in his arms, her magic wrapped around them, written clearly on his features.
"Aye, Swan. And I, you."