Killian woke slowly, lazily and found himself in an empty bed. He stretched out and rolled himself over to Emma's side of the bed, inhaling the scent from her shampoo that still clung to her pillow before begrudgingly wriggling himself to sitting on the edge of the mattress. He didn't want to get up this early, especially on a Saturday, but this was the last Saturday he had to get the rest of his things moved from his apartment. It was hard to believe that he had officially been living with Emma for two weeks.
They had decided since she had the bigger apartment and Killian wasn't particularly fond of his area, moving into Emma's place was the best option. Being on a month to month sublet lease made things much easier to resolve in terms of actually terminating his rental agreement, but it also meant he had less time to work with in actually moving out. Killian leaned forward and a glare of sunlight caught him directly in the eyes from between the gap in the curtains.
"Bloody hell." He grumbled and leaned backwards, squinting. This morning definitely called for coffee. Strong coffee. And lots of it. Yawning, he made his way down the short hallway wearing nothing but his boxer briefs. He scratched his stomach lazily and briefly thought about giving Robin or Will a wake up call so he wouldn't suffer alone. He would have included Merida in that thought but he valued his head being attached to his shoulders too much to brave something like that. He decided against any rude awakenings as he rounded the corner into the living room on his way to the kitchen. He stopped dead in his tracks before he could make it there.
Emma sat on the barstool at the counter, clad in his faded Sex Pistols t-shirt, now more than prevalent baby bump straining against the fabric, and her ugly pink rubber duckie pajamas. One leg was cocked up on the stool in front of her and it was tapping. He noticed the ear buds firmly implanted in her ears and attached to her phone and knew she would be listening to the morning show on that indie rock station she liked. Her golden tresses were piled on top of her head in what she liked to call a 'messy bun', but Killian just called it adorable. She took a sip of what he knew was hot cocoa with cinnamon since she couldn't stand the taste of coffee anymore as she skimmed her eyes over the newspaper in front of her. What really had stopped him in his tracks, and honestly nearly took his breath away, was that she was wearing her black, thick-rimmed glasses.
He had no idea she even had them still, but it was like being catapulted back in time to when he first saw her. The little bubbly 18-year-old who would never shy away from a challenge, never take no for an answer. Her take no prisoners attitude was what had captivated him in the first place. And he would never forget the magnified beauty of those emerald pools she called eyes peeking up at him through those very same glasses for the first time.
Emma's head popped up as she saw him. She smiled and pulled an ear bud out of one ear.
"Good morning, handsome. Ready for the day?" She took another sip of her chocolate.
"Aye." He cleared his throat, finding his voice. He walked across the room to her. "I will be after I get some coffee and do this." He bent his head and captured her lips. She grunted softly in surprise before tilting her head up to kiss him back. "Good morning, Swan. You look sensational." He murmured against her lips.
"I think your vision is blurry from sleep still. I'm a mess." She laughed between kisses.
"You cut through the thickest of hazes, luv." He informed her with a final peck on her lips and made his way to the coffee pot, finding a fresh brew already waiting for him. "And those glasses are stunning. I'd no idea you still had them. Thank you for the coffee." He poured a cup and turned to face her, taking a long sip.
Emma flushed slightly. "You're welcome. My eyes were bothering me this morning and I didn't want to mess with my contacts." She explained with a shrug.
"I shall thank my lucky stars for small annoyances then and allow you to wax me nostalgic with your accessories." He smirked and took another drink from his mug. Emma rolled her eyes.
"Okay, Professor Jones. Easy on the vocabulary lessons before noon, alright?" She teased.
"I've always been good with my tongue, darling." He waggled his eyebrows salaciously at her and she giggled.
"You don't have to tell me." She replied. Killian opened his mouth to keep the banter going but his phone rang, effectively silencing him. Emma grinned and he knew she was relishing getting the last word as she popped her ear bud back in.
"Jones." He answered, watching Emma resume tapping her foot and reading the paper.
"Fantastic, you're awake. I'm keen on getting this done and over with." Robin balked in greeting.
"Good morning to you, too, sunshine." Killian grinned and took another drink from his coffee mug. "Heard from Scarlett yet?"
"Nah, mate. I've only just forced myself from bed. You're damn lucky I love Emma and like seeing her this happy." He grumbled. "Besides, we're moving out of your sodding apartment. You get the honors of waking the troll under the bridge."
"And here I thought we had something special." He chuckled. "Alright, I'll call Scarlett but you get the bleeding hellbeast known as Morning Merida."
"On second thought, calling Scarlett may not-"
"Nope, no taksies-backsies." Killian interrupted Robin's attempt to turn the tables. "Gotta run, ta ta!"
"Jones, you asshole." Robin ended the call and Killian did not envy the one he was about to make. He had a call of his own waiting for him.
He downed the rest of his coffee and made his way into the bedroom to put some clothes on, thumbing through his contacts on the way and halting on Will's name. He pressed call and put the device on speaker, laying it on his dresser. He rifled through his drawers and pulled free a pair of pants as the call rang a couple times.
"'Lo?" A soft voice croaked on the other end, barely heard through the speaker.
"Good morning, sweetheart. I was just lounging in my underwear, thinking about you, and thought I'd wake you for the day." Killian smirked and waited for the response he was sure was not going to be polite.
"Well," A clearer and decidedly female voice began, freezing his blood in his veins and causing him to squeeze his eyes shut. "You had your chance with me, Killian Jones. I'm happily curled up next to my boyfriend in my underwear, so I guess you'll have that image to console you."
"Good morning, Ashley. I'm sorry about that. I thought you were Will. Can I speak to him?" He asked tightly, all humor gone from his voice.
"Do you make a habit of informing all your friends what you're wearing when calling? Or do you save that for when you're talking to me?" Ashley's voice was flirtatious and Killian's stomach turned slightly.
"Ashley, I didn't know it was you. Can I please talk to Scarlett?" He asked, becoming annoyed.
"Suuuuuure you didn't know it was me, Killian. Will is asleep." She replied matter-of-factly.
"I need to speak to him, can you please wake him?" Killian was beginning to envy Robin getting to call Merida.
"I suppose." She huffed. Rustling was heard on the other line.
"Oi, woman! Don't pinch!" Will's voice piped up in the background and Ashley said something uninteligble in response. More rustling and then Will's voice was on the line.
"Jones. What bleedin' time is it?" Will sounded especially cranky, but from the sounds of it, Ashley hadn't been so delicate in rousing him.
"It's 8:24. Time to wake up, sleeping beauty." Killian grinned.
"You know I really hate you sometimes." He groaned in response.
"Nah, I know you're secretly madly in love with me. I have to pick up the moving van at 9:30. Robin is calling Merida now and if they're both still alive after he wakes her up, they'll be meeting us at the apartment by 11:00. I'm coming to pick you up to drive the van while I drive my car. I'll be there in 20." He said, eliciting another groan from Will, along with a few colorful pieces of vocabulary.
"I love you, too, princess." Killian said with a chuckle.
"Bugger off, Jones. You're lucky I happen to adore Emma and therefore will not do you bodily harm." He growled.
"That seems to be the theme of the day." He smirked and knew that Will would soon catch hell from Ashley for that. "Up and at 'em, Scarlett. See you soon." He hung up the phone and finished getting dressed in a pair of blue jeans and an old Manchester United t-shirt. He was just slipping on his chucks when Emma came in and headed towards the dresser herself, mouthing along to the music in her headphones. Almost as if she was alone in the room, she stripped off her shirt and wriggled out of her pajama pants, leaving her standing in front of their dresser dressed only a pair of heart laden boy shorts.
Killian Jones was never a man to leer, but there were limits to how much temptation he could take. He leaned back on the bed to take it all in. Her standing topless before him in those glasses was like something out of his fantasies. He swallowed thickly and decided immediately that even looking at her was an intensely bad idea if they were going to get out of there on time. Just when he thought he had gotten control of himself, Emma threw a glance over her shoulder that liquefied his insides.
"What?" She asked, flushing all the way down to the curve of her breasts as she reached up and let her hair fall from the elastic that held it in place. Killian shook his head and swallowed again involuntarily as he watched the sheet of gold spill over her shoulders.
"You really have no idea how truly stunning you are, do you, luv?" He murmured. She flushed redder at his gaze.
"Stunningly fat, maybe." She said, mirth playing in her tone. Killian tutted in response and got up from their bed. He moved in front of her and placed his hands on either side of her swollen abdomen.
"Firstly, bad form to call a pregnant woman fat, Swan. Especially if that pregnant woman is you." He admonished with a grin. "Secondly, this delightful addition to your physique happens to only add to your appeal. How could I not find it sexy that you are carrying my child? Evidence that I have known you so intimately and completely that we have brought forth life together?"
"Well, when you put it that way..." Emma mumbled. His hands travelled up her bare sides, leaving goosebumps in their wake, and moved around her face to cup her cheeks. He pulled her in for a languid, searching kiss, which she more than willingly melted into.
"As unbelievably tempting as you are, enchantress, I have to go fetch Scarlett and retrieve the van so I can finally finish moving out of the old apartment." He released her face and she blinked her eyes open at him.
"David and Mary Margaret should be here any minute to pick me up. We'll meet you there." She pecked a chaste kiss to his lips and bent to retrieve some leggings from the bottom drawer. He couldn't resist giving her poised rear a good natured slap as he walked away, reveling in the squeal and giggle that followed.
He made his way to the SUV, trying to rid himself of the thought of Emma bending over nearly naked in front of him. It took strength he didn't know he possessed to walk out the door. He unlocked the doors and opened the back first, folding down the seats for extra room for anything the van might not carry or anything he might need immediately. He clicked the key into his engine and pressed the switch to start it up.
'People fall in love in mysterious ways...' The radio blasted back at him, making him jump and crank the volume down with a smirk. Emma's choice in music didn't always meld with his, but he had to admit, Ed Sheeran has grown on him. He hummed along to the song as he pulled away towards Will's apartment.
Emma finished getting dressed and made her way into the bathroom to finally put in her contacts and sweep her hair back up in a pony tail. She left her thick rimmed glasses sitting on the counter as she looked at herself a thousand different ways in the full length mirror, picking herself apart as she usually did. She decided that the long white t-shirt and black leggings with the silver stars on them would have to do. She missed her jeans, she couldn't help but think as she cupped her hand around her baby bump. She gave one final glance to the spectacles she'd left on the counter before heading back into the kitchen.
She was a little surprised at Killian's reaction to her glasses this morning. Of course he had seen her wear them before. That's all she wore for the first two years she knew him. She poured herself a glass of orange juice and popped a prenatal vitamin in her mouth, swallowing it down. She chuckled at the memory of how he'd reacted to the first time without her glasses. It was such a bittersweet memory.
"Fucking asshole!" Emma threw her phone against the wall, not caring if it was broken. She sank down on her floor in front of her day bed, thankful her roommate was elsewhere, and sobbed. A soft knock sounded on her dormitory door.
"Swan? You alright in here?" Killian's voice called out as he eased in the room. Emma furiously wiped the tears from her face.
"I'm fine." She said, voice husky with tears. "Go away."
"Now that would only make me the world's worst friend, luv." Killian came across the room and sat beside her on the floor. "Come on, Swan. What's happened?" He nudged her with his shoulder.
"Neal is gone. He left me without even saying goodbye." Emma chuckled darkly. "Didn't even have the balls to face me. Just slipped a note under my door that said 'Sorry, I can't.' Son of a bitch." Her hand came down to rest on her thigh and she hiccuped back a sob. Killian's face washed over with anger.
"I'll kill the bastard." He snarled.
"Trust me, you'll have to get in line. David has been trying to find him all night, despite my begging him to leave it alone." Emma sniffed and looked up at Killian. He sighed and furrowed his brow, pulling Emma into a hug as they sat on the floor.
"David fancies himself the hero type. He won't do anything too drastic. But he is your brother, Swan. I wouldn't expect that coward to make it out unscathed." Killian kissed the top of Emma's head and she giggled through a sniffle.
"I didn't ask him to 'adopt' me as his little sister. He and Mary Margaret just sort of attached themselves to me." She said, trying to hide a smile. She waited so long for a family in foster care that she had given up. She tried to shake off the pair as they began fussing after her, caring for her, bringing themselves into every part of her life, but David and Mary Margaret were there to stay. And she secretly couldn't be happier to call them brother and sister-in-law, even if the two weren't quite married yet.
"Aye, but you love them like family. And that's good. They love you, too. As for your other, ah, appointment issue, I'd be more than happy to accompany you, if you wish, Swan." He offered hesitantly. Emma nodded against his shoulder.
"I would really love that, Killian. Thank you." She looked up at him and he smiled at her.
"What are friends for? And for what it's worth, Neal is a bloody moron. He will regret this sooner rather than later." Killian pressed a kiss to her forehead. "And I'm sure now isn't the best time to tell you, Swan, but I've never noticed how stunning your eyes are without your glasses. You should wear contacts more often."
"Yeah, I'm total Glamour Shot material right now." She chuckled and drew the back of her hand over her nose and wiped it on her pants. Killian bit his lip, smothering a smart response. "But thanks for the compliment. You're just what every girl needs for a pick me up after her heart's been broken."
"Like I said before, Swan, what are friends for?"
The intercom buzzed and Emma hit the entry button, allowing David and Mary Margaret into the building. They were at her door in less than a minute, not even bothering to knock as they entered.
"Hi, Em. Sorry we're late." Mary Margaret greeted her and gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek, then bent to press her lips to Emma's belly. "And hewwo my pwincess niecy poo." Emma rolled her eyes but couldn't help but smile.
"Couldn't Killian do this on his own? I mean you just got out of the hospital and you're expecting." David asked grumpily.
"Hi, David." She ignored his gripe and gave him a hug as well. "I'm going on my own insistence. Just organizing and labelling."
"Well, I guess we better get going then." David relented with a harrumph. The three headed out to Mary Margaret's station wagon and left to Killian's apartment.
Killian pulled up outside Will's duplex and honked his horn, turning down the radio. Will appeared in a manner of seconds, Ashley scurrying close behind him, which made Killian roll his eyes.
"Let's go, Scarlett!" Killian called through the open window. "We're going to be late!"
"Don't get fresh with me, mate, or my box lifting arm might go out on me suddenly." Will pointed at his less than amused friend with a grin as he opened the front door.
"I'm sure you're just looking for an excuse to get out of this anyways. Even after I broke my toe moving that godforsaken couch into your basement." Killian chuckled and Will opened his mouth to utter an offended reply when Ashley's voice cut in.
"Hey, Killian, your seats are folded down. Where am I going to sit?" She pouted.
Killian tried his best to reel in his shocked and slightly angry reaction as he turned to Will, who only gave him a shrug and a sheepish half smile.
"I wasn't aware you were coming, Ashley. I'm not sure I'll have the room." He said curtly, not taking his eyes from Will. Emma would be furious if he brought her to move him out.
"Oh, Will didn't tell you? Baaaaabyyyy!" She whined at Will who was turning redder by the minute.
"C'mon, mate." Will said lowly between clenched teeth. Killian's eyes blazed into his and he gave an almost impercitible shake of his head no. "Please. Anything you want." Will continued to murmur. Killian sighed and rubbed his eyes with the thumb and forefinger of his right hand, pinching the bridge of his nose. He was definitely going to regret this.
"You so owe me, Scarlett." Killian growled under his breath and Will nodded enthusiastically. Killian got out of the car and walked around to the passenger side, putting the seat in the back up and stepping aside for Ashley to enter.
"Such a gentleman." Ashley pinched Killian's cheek as she slipped in the seat and he couldn't help but feel his jaw tighten. He walked back around the driver's side and got in, slamming the door a little more forcefully than usual, causing Will to wince.
"So...let's go get the van, yeah?" The man in the passenger seat spoke, voice wavering, and Killian shot him a glare before starting the car and cranking the music way up.
Emma and Mary Margaret walked side by side up the stairs as David trudged behind carrying a stack of flat moving boxes. As they reached the top, Emma winced slightly, her leg giving a twinge from walking up the stairs.
"You okay?" Mary Margaret asked, sweeping a piece of her ebony bangs out of her eyes and back in line with the rest of her pixie cut. Emma nodded with a forced smile.
"Just need the bathroom." She lied, not wanting her to worry or give David any reason to exercise his big brother attitude. Mary Margaret nodded and looked at her disbelievingly, but she said nothing as they continued forward to Killian's apartment.
After unlocking the door, they stepped inside and turned on the lights. David flopped the boxes on the floor brusquely. There were a few scattered boxes around the apartment already, filled with papers and things Killian wouldn't need immediately but hardly anything else had been done. With Emma just getting out of the hospital, preparing for the trial, and plain old regular daily life, there just hadn't been time. And Monday was his last day to be out.
Emma ignored the growing ache in her leg and walked to the bathroom, turning on all the lights in her wake. She really did have to go. Pregnancy problems.
As she returned, she heard David and Mary Margaret talking in the living room before she rounded the corner.
"She's just...I don't know. She's been through so much." David sighed. Emma felt a little guilty eavesdropping, but once she knew they were talking about her, she couldn't help but listen.
"She's strong, David." Mary Margaret said in between the shuffling of the sound of cardboard boxes being folded. "And she's smart. She is going to be okay."
"I just want her to be safe. Killian... he's a good guy. But he has a past. They don't call him a pirate for nothing." David's voice was a little gruffer. Emma's brow furrowed and she wanted to leap to Killian's defense. She knows he had some trouble in the past, but he fought hard to get where he was. And her life had been far from perfect as well. She didn't move, though, just continued to listen.
"David, you have to let it go. Emma loves you. You are her brother. She will always turn to you for guidance but not if you keep trying to smother her. Her love life is her own. That ship has sailed, and there's a pirate on it." Mary Margaret admonished. David groaned.
"Fine. But I'm still going to watch him." He relented.
Emma let her head thump softly against the wall beside her and smiled softly. They may both have pasts they were scarred by, but their future was together. A healing balm on the soul.
It's strange how pasts and futures somehow find a way to intertwine in the most unexpected times.
AN: Sorry it's been a minute since my last update. This chapter seemed to be dragging on, and so I split it in two. I'm not entirely satisfied with it, but there is a point lol. As always, I adore each and every person that has followed, favorited, and reviewed! You love and support give me the warm fuzzies and I adore all of you!