"Well, this is an unexpected turn of events, Swan."

Her news is leaving him equally concerned and proud, as he knows that journeying back into her past will be difficult but also a necessary step for her to begin to heal old wounds. He's touched that she would want him by her side for this, but then again, he's been her partner in most things since the day they met so he can't say that he's all that surprised at the invitation.

Emma moves to sit up and he slides his hand from her hair, groaning internally at the feel of her palm high on his thigh as she readjusts to face him on the couch. Memories of what her hands are capable of has him squirming a bit in his seat and he forces himself to redirect his wayward thoughts back to the present and the conversation at hand. She's looking at him intently from her new position sitting cross legged beside him and he turns his legs towards her to give her his full attention.

"I know, Emma Swan running towards her problems instead of away, hard to believe, right?"

He reaches for her at that, finding her hand in her lap so he can twine their fingers together and give her palm a gentle squeeze.

"You seem to be getting better at facing things, love, in case you haven't noticed."

Her head dips slightly and he can see her cheeks being to blush, but her hand squeezes his back and he feels himself falling even more in love with her (if that's even possible). Before he has the chance, she leans in and presses a soft kiss to his lips, just a light brush of skin against skin, and then she's pulling back from his mouth and settling back on her cushion.

"I've noticed."

This new, affectionate Emma is someone he is really looking forward to seeing more of. Sensing he's the one who's probably blushing now, he smiles his brightest smile in her direction in encouragement for her to continue.

"I was thinking about you, actually. Back when you were dealing, well…not dealing, with everything that happened with Liam and how our trip to London changed everything for you. You let me be there for you when you needed to make peace with your past and well, I think it's time for me to do the same. I know, our situations are different and I don't mean to compare a lost friendship with your brother's death…"

Too overwhelmed to speak, he silences her rambling with his lips, kissing her through her surprise as he tries to express how much her words mean to him with the press of his mouth and the caress of his fingers as he cradles her cheeks. When she releases a soft sigh against his lips he knows she understands and then she's kissing him back, matching his slow and gentle pace as her hand wraps lightly around his neck. Angling his head slightly, he presses a soft kiss to the corner of her mouth, once, twice and then a third time, replacing the three words threatening to spill from his lips that he's longing to say aloud. Leaning back, he tilts her chin with his fingers and waits until her eyes open and find his in the small space between them.

"I'm proud of you, Swan."

"I'm proud of me, too."

They spend the next hour cuddled in front of his laptop, mapping out their road trip from Boston to where Lily lives in downtown Philadelphia just around the corner from the art museum with the iconic Rocky steps. He can already envision Emma laughing at him as he attempts to recreate the famous movie moment, pumping his fists in the air like an idiot to just to make her smile.

"When do you want to go?"

"This week, if you can swing it? I'm afraid I'll talk myself out of it if we wait to long."

"Let me call the hospital and see about my shifts. I do, however, have one stipulation."

"Oh really, what's that?"

"Let me take you on a date before we go?"

Her hands go still on the keyboard and she looks over at him, meeting his hopeful smile with a surprised one of her own.

"A date?"

"Yes, Swan, a date. You know, where we both get a little dressed up, go out for a nice meal, candlelight, roses."

"I never knew you were such a romantic? That's really sweet…"

"If that's a yes, how about this evening? If you're feeling up to it, that is?"

He can feel his ears heating up as the blush reaches the tips when she leans in to kiss his cheek, her lips lingering for a moment so she can speak softly against his skin.

"I'm definitely feeling up to it. Plus, I seem to remember being promised dessert later…"

Turning his head to face her, he leans in, his lips a breath away from hers as he runs his hand lightly against the inside of her thigh.

"Dessert is definitely on the menu, Swan."

He sees her breath catch and she presses her forehead tightly against his as the air thickens around them, the laptop across his legs thankfully hiding his body's response to the turn of their conversation.

"I'm calling Ruby to come pick me up so I can get ready."

She sounds as though she is convincing herself of this idea as much as announcing her plans, her eyes still focused on his lips as he reluctantly stops his hand from venturing further up her thigh.

"I can drive you home."

She shakes her head slightly, the action causing her nose to accidentally brush his, breaking the spell between them as she smiles and pulls back.

"No, I need to apologize to her for last night anyway. Plus, she'll want me to try on half her closet so I might as well kill two birds with one stone. You can pick me up there."

He can't help his mind from reeling at the possibilities of attire he will find Emma in, Ruby's style not on the demure side, short skirts and leather almost always in the mix somewhere.

"Killian?"

"Sorry, yeah, sounds perfect. I'll get things figured out at the hospital and see you at 7?"

"It's a date."

She leans in to press a quick kiss to his lips and pushes herself from the couch, leaving him to crane his neck to watch her as she disappears down the hall to his bedroom. When she's out of sight, he lets his head fall back against the cushion as he moves the laptop from his thighs, barely resisting the urge to take himself in hand to relieve the pressure that's been building in the last few minutes. Taking a few deep breaths, he forces his thoughts to shift to the calls he needs to make and possible restaurant options for the evening.


"Emma, you look great, stop it!"

Ruby's voice causes him to stop his hand from knocking, the exasperation in her tone evident through the door and he can't help but smile as he pictures Emma complaining about whatever sexy frock Ruby's convinced her to wear. He cranes his ear closer in hopes of hearing Emma's response, but her voice is unfortunately too far away. Angling his hand behind his back, he raps lightly on Ruby's door and waits patiently for his evening with Emma to begin.

The door opens and he's surprised to see Emma instead of Ruby and she quite literally takes his breath away. Whatever she'd done with her makeup is making her eyes sparkle like emeralds as she looks shyly at him and he's so caught up in her gaze that it takes him a moment to realize that he hasn't even taken in the rest of her yet. Her hair is softly curled and pulled over her shoulder, golden blonde shining against the long sleeves of a black dress that's hugging her curves in bloody sinful ways.

"How did I get so lucky?"

"You don't look too bad yourself, Captain."

He looks down at himself, shaking his head at his slate blue shirt, dark grey vest and black jeans, feeling as if even if he was wearing a tuxedo in this moment he'd still not be even close to the same league as her. Thankful he thought of something special for this moment, he shifts his focus back to her and pulls his hand from behind his back.

"For you, milady."

Her fingertips reach up to lightly grip the long stem of the rose in his hand and she steps a bit closer to him, the sweet and spicy scent of her perfume filling his nose as he breathes her in. Never one for floral scents, she always seems to smell of cinnamon apples or some other fruity dessert, making him constantly hungry for something sweet and for her.

"You really are a romantic. It's beautiful."

"As are you, Swan."

"Thank Ruby, this is all her doing. Let me put this in water before we go."

He's about to call out his thanks to Ruby, who's disappeared somewhere out of sight, but then Emma turns and all coherent thought escapes him. Her dress from the front was tight fitting, but not at all scandalous, but the back, holy hell is that a different story. There is so much of Emma's back on display that he's not entirely sure of how she's keeping the frock on her body at all. All pale skin and freckles, she's bloody gorgeous and he wants more than anything to cross over to her and touch her, mold himself against her and never let her go.

"You're welcome, Jones."

Ruby's appearance out of nowhere shakes him from his slack jawed perusal of Emma and he turns to see the brunette standing in the hallway, hands on her hips and smug smile on her face. She gives him a wink before pushing past him to the kitchen and he watches as she takes the rose from Emma's fingers.

"I'll find the bud vase. You two get out of here."

The two women share a silent moment and he moves to the door, happy to have a second to get his body under control and compose himself before their evening begins. Seeing Emma in that dress has him wishing that they could skip dinner altogether, but at the same time he's so happy that he can finally have nights like this with her and doesn't want to rush a second of it.

"Ready?"

Emma's making her way towards him, small bag in hand and a bright smile on her face.

"After you."

He feels no shame when he allows his hand to linger on the small of her back as he ushers her through the door and down the stairs. The sultry look she sends his way when he does tells him that she's not minding it in the least.

They end up at a small Italian restaurant, white linen and candlelight, sipping wine with her leg pressed against his under the table. He flirts and she reciprocates, kissing pasta sauce from his lips after she feeds him some of her lasagna with her fork. It's romantic and clichéd and bloody perfect. Her chair has made its way flush with his and he sees a devilish look take over her features just before he feels her hand on his knee. His blood is rushing downward at an agonizingly fast pace and he hopes that she's hungry for the next course, cause he's about to crawl out of his skin. They're close enough now that he can lean in and press his lips against his ear, whispering as his hand seeks the exposed skin at her waist.

"Ready for dessert, love."

"Aye."

He smiles against her ear at her impression of him and she gives his knee a gentle squeeze when he leaves a quick kiss to her cheek before pulling back. While she excuses herself to use the restroom he flags down the waiter to pay the bill, hoping to have a cab at the ready when she meets him at the exit. The waiter senses his eagerness, returning quickly with the receipt, earning an extra bit of tip for his insightfulness.

Emma smiles when she sees him by the cab, grabbing his hand in hers as soon as he's settled beside her on the leather seat. He gives the driver her address and turns his attention to his date and for the second time today has to hold himself back from telling her he loves her. She looks so happy, cheeks flushed slightly from the wine, her eyes looking down contentedly at their hands held firmly in her lap. Reaching for her with his free hand, he tilts her chin to meet his lips and he nearly groans when she melts against him, her mouth hot against his as she kisses him back in earnest. He wants to haul her into his lap and ravish her, right here in this cab, but he holds himself back (barely), distracting himself with the feel of her tongue curling around his and her fingers threading through his hair.

The cab driver grunts his disapproval, but doesn't ask them to stop, earning him a hefty tip of his own when they finally arrive outside of Emma's apartment. Her hand is warm in his as she follows him down her hallway, his fingers suddenly clumsy when she presses her breasts against his back as he tries to turn his key in her door.

"Emma, you're killing me. Let me get you inside before we end up scandalizing your neighbors."

He almost breaks the key in the lock altogether when she reaches around to cup him over his jeans, laughing softly as she challenges his resolve.

"Bloody vixen…"

By the grace of God, or some other deity, he gets the door open and they stumble inside, his mouth silencing her laughter as he slants his lips over hers, pressing her firmly against the back of the door with his hips. She feels like heaven under his hands, finally exploring the long planes of her back before cupping her ass to hold her in place as he grinds purposefully against her center.

Her mouth tears from his on a moan and he grips her waist, holding her steady as he nips his teeth and lips against along her jaw on a journey to her ear.

"Do you trust me?"

Her body's response to his is addictive, making him want to feel and touch all of her, bring her to the brink and watch her fall over and over again. Her breath is hot against his cheek as she finally finds her voice to respond and he feels her hands pulling restlessly at the back of his shirt.

"…of course I do."

Stepping back from the door, he pulls her forward, locking eyes with her before slowly maneuvering her with his hands at her waist to turn her so she's facing the wall. Pressing his chest against her back, he runs his hands down her arms to thread his fingers between hers, his lips hot on her neck when she responds by arching her back towards him. Placing their joined hands against the wall in front of her, he molds his hips to her backside, too lost in the feel of her to continue without giving in to his own need for a brief moment.

"Emma..."

Her ass pushes back against him and he almost loses all control, groaning against her neck as he tightens his fingers around hers on the wall before slowly releasing his grip.

"Leave your hands."

She peers over her shoulder at him and he's nearly knocked over by the desire he sees there. Leaning in, he presses his cheek against hers as he skims his hand down her sides, his fingertips just barely inching beneath the open fabric of her dress.

"Killian…please…"

Her plea gives him the permission he's been waiting for and he slides his hands along her skin under the thin material until he's cupping her breasts, catching her head on his shoulder as it falls back at his touch. The feel of her nipples tightly pebbled under his fingers and the heavy breaths escaping her lips are like sweet torture, his erection straining uncomfortably in his jeans as he continues to gently rock against her from behind. Sensing she's as ready for the next step as he is, he closes his lips over her earlobe as he slowly inches his hand down her stomach, taking his time to map every dip and curve of her with his fingers.

He feels her intake of breath as his fingertips slide underneath the lace of her panties and he finds himself leaning forward with her as she pushes her hips towards his hand searching for contact. Her warmth is like an ocean, pulling him deeper as he finds and treasures her, her soft cries and moans the most beautiful siren song to his ears.

"You feel bloody incredible, love."

He presses harder against her center, slick with want as he circles with his thumb, barely teasing her entrance with his fingers. Her arms are beginning to shake and he knows she must be close and selfishly, he wants to feel her when she comes. She's tight against his fingers as he finds a gentle rhythm, keeping the pressure of his thumb steady until her hips begin to move against his hand with a more forceful pace.

"Harder…god, Killian…."

Hearing his name from her lips in the throes of passion has him hardening almost to a point of no return and he renews his efforts in earnest, pinching her nipple as he curls his fingers inside of her in search of the spot that he's been told should send her over the edge. When her inner muscles begin to clench and her hand falls from the wall to reach back and grab his hips from behind he knows he's succeeded.

"Oh holy fuck…"

Her voice is ragged and she's shaking against him, rocking her center against his hand as he eases her through her climax, and he swears he will make it his own personal mission to bring Emma Swan pleasure if this is what it is like to witness. She drops her other hand from the wall and tries to turn in his arms, his hands still trapped inside her dress causing an awkward shuffle for a moment until they're face to face and her back is pressed against the wall. Still slightly out of breath, she wraps her hand around his neck and pulls his lips towards hers and he loses himself in the desperation he feels in her kiss. His lips and tongue are at her mercy as she nips and sucks, her hands digging into his back pockets to pull him closer, a move he remembers fondly from their time in that closet.

The feel of him hard against her still sensitive center he can only assume is what causes her to gasp, her lips tearing from his as her head falls back against the wall.

"You okay there, love?"

"Yeah, I think I just need a minute."

He can't help himself from raising an eyebrow to tease her and she rolls her eyes before giving his ass a squeeze with her palm still in his pocket.

"That was a dirty trick and you know it."

"A good pirate always knows how to find his treasure, Swan."

"Oh really? You're a pirate now? So what does that make me, your wench?"

He has no idea how this conversation led down this hilarious path, but he'll play along if it means she'll keep smiling at him the way she is right now.

"No, you are a Royal of the finest blood, lowering herself to my attentions for reasons unknown."

"Well, in that case, I command that we retire to my bedchamber so I can see what other tricks you have up your sleeve."

He hears the request behind her joke and he finds himself desperately searching her eyes for her true meaning.

"Emma?"

"I think 6 years is long enough to wait, don't you?"

"It's been bloody torture…"

Reaching behind her to haul her hips up and wrap her legs around his waist, he leans in to capture her mouth, pouring years of pent up desire into a deep, mind-numbing kiss that leaves them both breathless. Thankful that he knows every inch of her apartment like the back of his hand, he maneuvers them towards her bedroom as she begins a passionate assault of his neck with her teeth and lips and tongue. Her fingers are trying to unbutton his shirt buttons unsuccessfully as they walk and he chuckles at her impatience, her antics giving him something else to focus on besides the rubbing of her center against his erection with each stride.

Finally reaching her bed, he sets her down on her feet and she immediately goes to work on his shirt buttons as he removes his vest, her determination to get him undressed simultaneously adorable and deeply arousing. Arousing wins the battle when she finally get his shirt open and her mouth descends on his collarbone, her tongue and lips tracing his skin as she pushes his arms free from his sleeves. Desperately needing to feel her skin against his, he hooks his fingers into the material at her shoulders and slowly begins to push the fabric down her arms, the miracle that is her dress coming free and pooling at her waist with very little effort.

He can feel his pulse race as he takes her in, nipples still hardened and breasts flushed with desire, firm against his chest as steps forward to slide her dress the rest of the way down her hips. She leans up to kiss him as the material falls to her feet and he groans against her mouth, swiveling his hips back to give her more room as she works his belt free with her hands. In the times he's allowed himself to fantasize about their first time, he's imagined a slow, dizzying experience, but the reality is more desperate, longing and desire fueling them to a frenzied pace.

The feel of her hand as she frees him from his boxer briefs almost sends him over the edge and he'll be damned if he comes before he's inside of her.

"Emma, I'm too far gone for you, love. I need…"

She stills her hand and looks up into his eyes before releasing him to push down forcefully against the waistband of his jeans.

"Get these off then."

Not needing to be told twice, he shoves his jeans and boxers down his legs, remembering at the last moment to dig the condom out of his wallet before adding the last of his garments to the growing pile of clothes on the floor. When he looks up he sees that Emma's moved to the center of her bed, completely bare and waiting for him.

"Gods above, you're perfect."

"Killian, get over here."

Her legs wrap around him as he crawls onto the bed towards her, his forearms snapping to hold his weight as he nearly collapses at the feel of his erection settling hot against her center. Her hands wrap around his waist as he settles himself more comfortably against her, kissing her softly when she leans her lips towards his in invitation. He pulls back to look her in the eyes when the kiss grows heated, knowing he's reaching perilously close to the end of his control.

"Next time, I will explore every inch of you, taste you, cherish you, I promise. I just need you too bloody much right now, love."

"This isn't a one-time thing, Killian. I need you just as much."

He rolls his hips against hers, the tip of him brushing against her core causing a gasp to escape her lips and him to blindly search for the condom next to them on the bed. Leaning back on his knees, he tears the package open, looking away from her eyes only long enough to sheath himself, desperate to keep connected with her as they head into this moment together. When he leans back over her she meets him halfway, wrapping her hand around his neck to pull him down, her lips seeking his as he settles between her thighs. Her hands slide through his hair as she angles her head to deepen the kiss and he palms her breast before sliding his hand down her side to grab her hip. He rocks against her once before lining himself up at her entrance, his lips pulling from hers as a shuddering breath escapes his mouth at the feel of her welcoming him into the warmth of her body.

She's so tight around him and he tries to move slowly, but her legs wind around his waist and her hips push up and suddenly he's fully seated within her and he swears he's seconds from coming apart. Before he dares to move his hips, he closes the distance to her lips and finds her tongue with his as he snakes his hand between them to find where they are joined. Finding her bundle of nerves, he begins to press and circle in hopes that he doesn't leave her behind when he inevitably crashes over the edge. Bracing his other hand beside her head, he begins to move his hips, slowly at first, wanting to prolong this as much as he can and give her time to adjust to his size.

She has other ideas and pulls back from his mouth on a moan as her hands grab his waist to drag him back down towards her with force.

"Faster… move faster…"

He picks up the pace, matching her rhythm as their hips collide over and over, no longer able to work her with his fingers as he's too focused on keeping himself upright as he slams into her.

"Fuck, Emma…I…are you close?"

"Yes, don't stop…don't…Killian, oh my god…"

He hopes she's about to come, because pleasure is coiling in his belly and everything's tightening and he's finds himself unable to hold back any longer. His hips stutter against hers as pleasure courses through him, the tightening of her muscles around him prolonging his release as he pulses inside of her, his body finally collapsing against hers in the aftermath of their joint climax. The sweat along her neck where he's pressed against her mingled with her perfume is sweet and he nuzzles closer, brushing his lips against her skin as he struggles to find a steady breath. Her hands are clamped tight around him and he can feel her body softening as she relaxes, her legs falling to the mattress as she unwraps herself from around his waist.

"Do you need me to move?"

"Don't you dare."

Lifting his head from her neck he peers down at her, so overwhelmed with everything that has occurred that he doesn't think there are words to describe everything he is feeling right now. The looks she's giving him seems to reflect a similar sentiment and he leans in to kiss her sweetly, smiling when she turns her head to bump her nose against his.

"Ruby was right."

"About what, love?"

"She said you'd like that dress."


A/N: Don't worry, you will learn more about what happened to Liam in future chapters. I hope this was worth the wait!