"Killian." His name wasn't much more than a quiet, desperate, needy whisper.

He didn't know what spurred him on more: the way his name left her mouth in little hiccups or the way her fingernails dug deep into his shoulders from underneath his shirt. Or maybe…

"Killian!"

Maybe it was the way her body clamped around him, taking seize of him and commanding the shuddered pulse of a release. Yes, maybe that was it…

"Bloody hell." He head dropped, his mouth finding her shoulder and settling firmly there.

"Killian." It was a whimper now, Emma's voice soft near his ear as he kept himself from collapsing atop her. Instead, her leg wrapped around his hip, pulling him the rest of the way down to her.

"Can we stay just like this until enough strength enters my body so that we can do it all over again?" It was his turn to murmur, the words getting lost against her shoulder. It wasn't all in jest. Emma had a way of corrupting his entire body, in all the good ways, and she had just done it.

Her fingernails etched into the back and her body clung to his, her leg wrapping tight around his. The hiccup was gone, leaving behind shallow breaths. God, could they just stay exactly like this? Or perhaps trailing a path of kisses down the center of her body until he reached right there.

"You're insatiable," Emma reminded him, her voice still that delectable whimper.

Killian pressed his lips against her shoulder and muttered, "Only whenever you let me be."

She sighed an Um before her hands fell from underneath his shirt.

"I don't think staying here is going to be an option anyway." Those hands slipped over his back before pushing into the hair found at his nape.

Killian lifted his head, meaning to look into the face of the one that had drained him completely.

The look he found there gave him pause. The glow was there, a sheen of pleasure that he was sure was coursing through her. But there was something about her eyes. There was something that he didn't want to akin to a mixture of sadness and hope. As her fingers sifted through the hair at the nape of his neck, as her eyes wandered across his face, he wondered about her thoughts.

He had the question of Why on his lips, but the answer came in the form of his phone before he even had the chance to ask. Emma was right. Her all-knowing smile said that she knew she was right as well, glancing from him to the nightstand beside them.

"Bloody hell." This time, the curse held a note of exasperation. He moved reluctantly, letting Emma slip away from underneath him as he reached over for his phone.

"We promised," she reminded him.

Liam's name filled the screen boldly, forcing Killian to roll over onto his back as he answered the call.

"Hello."

He watched as Emma made her way over to her dresser, appreciating the wobbly-legged progression. Her movement also meant that it was time to put their amazing morning behind them and ready themselves for the day that was to come.

"Good morning, brother." There was a smile in Liam's voice. "We just wanted to let you know that we'll be there in about… twenty minutes?"

Killian could hear Ruby's quiet affirmation from the other end.

"Yeah, twenty minutes," Liam told him.

"They're on their way," Killian said, watching Emma drop both the pair of panties and bra onto the top of the dresser before closing the drawer they'd come from.

"Okay, we'll be ready." She looked over her shoulder, the waves of blonde hair partially covering her face.

"We'll be… ready," he echoed into the phone.

"Okay, good." Liam's voice still held the smile. "We really appreciate you guys doing this."

"We're looking forward to a day with the boys," Killian assured his brother, watching Emma give a quick nod of agreement. "So no worries. We'll see you when you get here."

"Okay. See you in the next twenty minutes," Liam said easily.

Emma was disappearing into the bathroom…

"See you then, brother." Killian slid the phone from his ear and disconnected the call. There was nothing to complain about. Not really. Not after…

He could have lived in that memory for the entire twenty minutes, but that wasn't possible. Their day was about to really begin. Connor and Brennan would be there soon.

"Everything that you could possibly need is packed in either one of their bags."

"When she says everything, she means everything."

Killian heard Ruby and Liam's voices from the staircase, making his steps quicker.

"I'm positive that we won't have any problems," Emma assured them. "And we're looking forward to having an entire day with the boys. Especially with all the festivities going on."

It would be good practice. It was always good practice, Kilian thought to himself, making his final descent from the stairs. It wasn't officially an annual event, but it would be the second year in a row that the boys would be in the care of he and Emma the day before Independence Day. Not only was it good practice, but there was a real joy that he felt about getting his hands dirty when it came to the boys. When it was an overnight stay, including an early morning start, there was no way of getting out of getting his hands dirty.

"Killian." Liam's voice was chipper, a smile to match crossed his face. "Good morning, brother."

Killian murmured his greeting, taking in the sight of his brother and sister-in-law standing together with their oldest hugged to Ruby's hip. His eyes swept the room until he heard the heavy-pounding of little sneakers hitting the wood of the floor. There wasn't much more than a second to share a quick look with his wife before his attention was averted.

"Killy!" Brennan's shriek was followed by the young boy opening his arms,lunging right for Killian.

He scooped him up immediately, putting a hold on the whirlwind of his younger nephew, but not the pure giggles that were falling out of him.

"Good morning there," Killian muttered, heaving Brennan up in his arms until they met eye to eye. "Now, you're going to be extra good for Uncle Killy and Auntie Em, aren't you, Brennan?"

"Brennan wants to swim." Connor's quiet voice brought Killian's attention towards the older Jones boy to see his head pop up from Ruby's shoulder. " Mommy said we can swim, Uncle Killy."

"Swim! Swim!" The mantra was followed by another set of giggles from Brennan.

"I'm sure it'll be hot enough to do just that, Connor," Killian assured him. The smile that crossed his face was genuine while thoughts of capturing the soulful blue eyes of the preschooler came to mind.

"Well, I guess we have part of our day all planned out," Emma sighed. She moved then, making her way over towards Liam and Ruby. Arms held out, it was easy to tell that it was Connor that had her attention.

Connor didn't show the least bit of apprehension over slipping into Emma's arms over his mother, the smile of his face small but happy.

"We have to thank you two again," Ruby sighed, her own gaze watching the way Connor easily transitioned from her to Emma.

"Ruby, we're family," Emma reminded her, shutting down any need to hear more gratefulness coming from her. "We're happy to keep the boys so that you two get to have a free day."

It was Ruby and Liam's turn to share a smile.

"Well, at least let me take these bags up to the bedroom for you." Liam was already turning as he said it, the boys' bags sitting on the floor behind them.

"Leave them," Killian told him. His attention waned from his brother, turning fully to the squirming and insistent toddler in his arm.

"Down. Down."

It only took Brennan saying it twice before Killian did as he requested.

"Are you sure?" Liam asked, sounding wary at doing so.

"We'll get everything up to Henry's room." Emma was the next to unload a child. Most likely at the request of Brennan, who had quickly found his way up to her side. "We told you to drop the boys off early so that you could get an early start, remember? There's no reason for you to put off your day any more than you have to."

Killian watched both boys run off, heading back the way that Brennan had once come from.

"Don't worry." He looked back up to see the shared look between Liam and Ruby. "They'll be okay when we all meet up for tomorrow's festivities."

"I think… that's our cue to leave, my love," Liam murmured quietly to Ruby. His hand swept across her back, pulling her closer.

"Well, let me just say goodbye to the boys," she said, sounding a bit reflectional about the whole deal.

Killian's lips turned up as he tracked Ruby's steps, meeting both Connor and Brennan halfway. Then his gaze went on a search for his wife.

He liked the smile on her face, the light in her eyes. It was only the way her fingers slipped over her bare arms as they lay across her chest. He wondered what it did to her, to see Ruby kiss her sons' lips, hugging them tight, and receiving all the love back… She had Henry. Did it remind her of the very earliest of days? Or did it leave her amiss? Did it leave her… wanting more?

"Are you ready to have fun with your Uncle Killian and your Auntie Emma?" Ruby asked the boys brightly. "I want you to be the best boys that you can be. Play nice. Have fun. And don't drive them crazy."

Smiling as Ruby laughed with the giggling boys, Killian searched out Emma once more. The smile was still intact. The caress of her skin was still there.

"Connor, you be a good big brother and watch out for your little brother," Liam said firmly, suddenly meeting the rest of their small family in the middle of the room.

Connor, oh Connor! Killian loved the firm nod and sweet promise he made to his father, assuring him that he would be a good big brother and watch out for Brennan.

They were working towards the first, so how selfish was it of him to want to have this same conversation with his son? He'd come into this world as the little brother, but it didn't mean that he couldn't be a big brother as well. He wanted this conversation. He wanted… at the very least, he wanted two more children in addition to Henry.

"Okay, you guys know their routine." It was the firm Mommy that Ruby was giving both him and Emma now.

It put another smile on Killian's face. He glanced down at the scene of goodbye hugs and kisses for daddy before turning his attention back to Ruby.

"I know that you've planned some fun and exciting things for the boys, but it's still important to keep their schedule in mind," she continued. "Naptime is a must if you want to avoid crankiness. Their lunch and snack times are also important to keep in mind. I know it'll be tempting to let them go crazy today, but then you'll… have Brennan at an even higher tempo than he normally is."

The pounding of sneakers accentuated her point as he was off and running again.

"So be mindful of the sugar intake, okay?" Ruby took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly. "You know they're good sleepers, but their monitor is also in their bag. They know the routine of sharing Henry's bed, but just in case they wake up in the middle of the night and call out for you, you'll be aware."

"You're right, Ruby," Killian assured her. "We know the routine."

"And we'll stick with it," Emma added.

Killian saw the smile cross his wife's face, something genuine as she addressed the cautious mother Ruby had turned into.

"Thanks for the lecture," he said, slowly lifted an eyebrow his sister's way. "We've got this. You've said your goodbyes to the boys, they've no issue with your departure. It seems as if your presence is no longer needed."

Ruby's smile was less convincing.

"Thanks again, guys," Liam offered, taking hold of his wife's hand and bringing her close to him. "We really appreciate this."

"We do," Ruby sighed, letting him lead her back to the door. "Goodbye, boys."

Again, the contrast between the two showed as Brennan made circles around Connor, who stood still as he watched his parents walk out the open door.

"Bye bye, Mommy." Damn, it tugged at his own heartstrings. "Bye bye, Daddy."

It was the only goodbye they got before they were out of the house, first Ruby and then Liam. Killian placed himself at the door after them, watching for only a moment as they made their way off of the porch. Then he closed the door behind them, shutting out the heat of the mid-morning.

"Are you hungry?"

Killian turned around in time to see Emma place a hand in her hair, flipping it out of her face before looking from the boys to him.

"The boys have eaten, but if you're hungry…" She left it up to him with a shrug of her shoulders.

Killian lifted his chin, a slight smile gracing his lips.

"I'll take the boys with me as I get their things upstairs," he told her. "Perhaps by the time breakfast is ready, young Brennan here will have a bit of the excitement of being here out of his system."

Seeing the raise of Emma's brow, he wasn't expecting the outstretched arms of Brennan attacking his lower half in a hug. He hadn't expected the scruff of tiny shoes climbing up his leg until…

Killian lifted his nephew into his arm, returning the silly smile that Brennan gave him.

"I'll call you when I'm done then," Emma said lightly, already turning towards the kitchen.

Killian watched her for only a moment before being pulled back to the matter at hand.

"Okay, Connor."

His head popped up, his blue eyes meeting Killian.

"I'm grabbing the bags," Killian told him, leaning over to do just that.

"Yeah, Uncle Killy?"

He lifted his chin towards the staircase. "You head on up, and I'm right behind you." The bags, for all intents and purposes, weren't all that heavy. Luckily so, with the extra weight of Brennan in his other arm.

"Okay." Connor said it as he turned, his feet moving quickly towards the staircase.

Killian smiled as he watched Connor take the steps on with both hands and feet, making quick work of the steps.

Yes, definitely good and hands-on practice for the near future.

She looked beautiful. She looked… radiant.

It was her laugh that had caught his attention this time, turning Killian's head away from the Connor and the bucket of sand that would soon make a castle.

Emma glanced his way, her mouth gaped open and her eyes shining. She was busy with an active nephew of her own, Brennan hanging practically from the tips of her fingers as he splish-splashed his way across the shore. He looked tempted to take her farther into the body of water, letting it slip past his ankles and possibly reaching… Well, knowing Brennan…

It didn't seem to faze Emma. Not enough to pull him back. Not enough to stop the joy that Brennan seemed to be having. It was possible that she was having just as much fun, splashing around with the two-year-old. If that was the case, then… Killian could understand that. He could understand it very well.

She looked gorgeous in the one-piece bathing suit, patriotic through and through, the red, white, and blue of catching and accentuating every damn curve of her body. It was truly a toss-up, his thoughts. Did they stay on the fact that she completely blew his mind at the ease and gracefulness of her beauty, or did his thoughts turn towards the other marvel: watching Emma Jones and her interactions with a child, loving and appreciating every moment of it?

Killian chose the latter…

Gone was the stiffness, the layers of whatever she liked to hide herself behind. (He knew she had layers. He had always prided in the fact that he was able to get underneath them. There were still some that he couldn't wait to peel away.) Left in its place was a carefree Emma. What was left was a woman, free of her inhibitions, while she held on more firmly to the hand of the toddler and leading them another foot away from the surf.

She was a good aunt. Killian knew how lucky he was to have found a woman who loved his family just as much as he did, and Emma loved his family. Their family.

He wanted to give her more. He wanted to expand what they had already created. He wanted to give her a child of her own. A child that would be slipped into her arms that she could hold and love for as long as she wanted to. That's what Killian wanted. He wanted everything that they'd had today with Connor and Brennan to not be something that was borrowed, but something that was all theirs. He wanted… Bloody hell, he wanted their family.

Killian glanced down at Connor, coming in contact with the brown head that was bent over as he packed more and more sand into his pail.

Would Liam and Ruby wonder if he and Emma had slathered enough suntan lotion on their boys before making a day partially at the beach? Would they wonder just how far Emma would take Brennan out in the water before she turned them both back around and headed back to the beach? Would they wonder how long was too long to watch a fireworks display out on the front porch of their house?

The questions weren't meant to be demeaning. Killian knew that both Liam and Ruby trusted them with the boys' lives. He knew that they wouldn't look to anyone else before Killian and Emma to take the best care of the them. It didn't stop…

It didn't change that these boys… These boys were not their boys. They were their nephews, spending a day with them. They were not theirs.

When would it be their turn? He tried to convince Emma that eight months wasn't too long to worry. It didn't mean that their chances weren't good. It didn't mean that they couldn't have their own. It didn't mean that they wouldn't have their own.

He just wanted to have their own. It wasn't about being worried. It wasn't even about being envious.

"Killian!"

His name brought his head around again, turning to look at the sight that Emma and Brennan were.

"Take a picture, okay?" she called out to him just as she pulled Brennan into her.

Brennan's squeal came through a wide-open mouth, his own dark hair spiking all over his head as he shook it.

Killian turned to the bag sitting away from him and pulled out his cell phone. Sliding his way through to the camera, his eyes slipped back over to the two, seeing Emma grab up the lad and swinging his legs through the air.

He bit down on his lip, keeping the grin at a minimum. It was her though. He knew that she had called for a picture because of Brennan's sheer delight of playing in the surf, but… It was her. It was all her…

"Uncle Killy?" Connor called from next to him.

"Aye, Connor?" He murmured, finding the camera before looking at the boy.

"It's ready," Connor informed him, beginning to sit up on his knees, preparing to tip the pail over and make the next foray into castle-making.

"Just a second," Killian said. "I'll take this picture of you brother and aunt, then will start making our tower. Okay, Conner?"

He gave a quick nod as he turned his attention completely back to the sand, taking a small bite of his lip.

It brought a smile to Killian's face. His gaze slipped back towards the two out in the water. He watched his nephew as his toes dipped into the water before pulling him up farther into Emma's arms. Then he looked at his wife. Bringing the phone up, it was her smile, her eyes, her everything that he captured first. She wouldn't like that, he thought. The camera focused again, this time on the both of them.

It wasn't the same as a drawing. It wasn't the same as capturing her on paper with pencil, but there was something about that picture. Something that he really liked.

"Got it?"

From far away, Emma called out the question, raising an eyebrow his way.

"Got it," Killian called back.

She nodded her head, her smile wide as she placed Brennan back on his own feet.

He could have watched her for a moment longer, could have let his gaze linger. Licking at his lips, Killian placed the phone back into the bag. He turned his attention back to his older nephew, turning back to the task of building a sandcastle worthy of the Ninja Turtle that sat on a beach blanket not too far away from their working site.

"Okay, you ready?" Killian asked.

Connor's hands were already on the pail when he nodded.

Killian smiled again, placing his hands over Connor's. It was a joint effort, the flipping of the pail. Small hands underneath the larger pair. Just like that, with a firm hold, the pail flipped, leaving the most perfect tower for their castle.

He didn't expect such an easy night. Knowing Brennan, having experienced Brennan on many occasions, he hadn't expected to find the lad practically passing out in his arms.

Perhaps it was all for the best. From their seats on the back porch, the fireworks display they were being treated to was nice for July third, but wasn't the spectacle he had expected. He didn't think that had anything to do with the open-mouth, lolling head of the toddler laid out on him.

"He's out like a light," Killian murmured, lifting Brennan's arm a few inches from its resting spot and watching it fall limply back into place.

"Connor's been down for a while now," Emma said.

Killian turned his attention to the pair sitting on the opposite end of the porch. They were bathed in darkness, choosing to not turn on the outside light in favor of a better showing. Emma was a mere silhouette.

A streak of something bright shot up into the sky, leaving a trail of gold in its wake. It was followed by a succession of pops of something else lighting up the sky in the distance.

"I think he missed most of it," Emma continued, her eyes lifting up to watch the night sky.

"I think we tired them out," Killian said lightly.

She looked at him then, sharing an easy smile until… it wasn't easy. There was something about the barely there change in the lift of her lips. What was she thinking?

He was missing something, wasn't he? Emma's mood had been all over the place as of late. Emma, herself, had been all over the place. What he'd just seen could sum her up: the easiness, until it wasn't anymore. Her need to pull away had been disconcerting. What made her do it, though?

He tried to not let it seep into them. He needed it to not affect who they were. He knew he needed to be there for her. It was only… would she let him? Not always… What he wanted… was to focus on this moment right here.

There was something about the way Connor lay in her arms. There was something about seeing how she cradled his head in the crook of her arm and how all the innocence and trust of the little boy let him rest just so.

Killian let his eyes fall over every part of her. He let his eyes drink in the sight of his wife. She would be a good mother, he knew. Damn, she was already a great mother. What he had to correct was that he would love to watch her be that amazing mother to a child from birth, to watch her mother their child from birth.

He consciously stopped himself from taking in a deep breath, stopping himself from any outward physical change.

"I'd have to say that it is time to get these two off to bed then," Killian told her.

Emma smiled again, her hand coming up to slip over Connor's cheek.

"I think so, too."

Killian took only another second to watch her. Then he moved, lifting himself and Brennan from the chair.

"I have them," he told her as he watched her begin to move as well.

Emma's eyes slid up to his. "Are you sure?" She looked reluctant to relinquish her hold on Connor when Killian made his way to her.

"I'm sure." He bent over, keeping a firm hold on his younger nephew before slipping his other arm around the older one.

"Okay," Emma sighed. This time, her smile was small, a sign of wonder written all over her face. "Does that also put an end to our night as well?"

The two loads weren't that heavy, even when put together, but the weight felt good.

"Sounds good to me," he murmured softly.

Emma moved then, going to open the door wide and letting Killian go in first.

"You take care of stuff upstairs, and I'll clean up a bit down here," she instructed. "It looks like it'll be an early night for us."

An early night…

It wasn't as if they were few and far between, but Killian had an incredible need for some alone time with his wife. That was the reason for the quick sweep of the back of her from head to toe and back again.

He followed as she lead the way, his tongue slipping over his lip as they made their way from the dining room and into the kitchen.

"I'm sure I won't be long," he told her. "I'll be down to help as well."

She turned her head, looking over her shoulder at him.

"Okay," she breathed. Her eyes falling over him as well.

Killian pursed his lips this time, walking past her as she made her first stop in the kitchen. It was bedtime for the boys. Soon, at least he was hoping, it would be bedtime for him also.

"Today was really amazing, don't you think?" Emma sighed, slipping onto the edge of the bed. She dropped her chin to her chest and rolled her shoulders, perhaps shaking off everything that had made up that amazing day.

"I do," Killian agreed with a short nod.

It was difficult taking his eyes off of her as he climbed into the bed from behind her. Giving in to the idea that there wasn't a reason to take his eyes off of her, he watched her lift both arms, stretching her muscles, and the way she rotated her head first left and then right.

"And the boys did too, right?" Emma pressed her hands into the mattress and turned her head towards him. "I mean, they didn't seem to miss or pine away for Ruby or Liam. At least I didn't get that impression."

The way she angled herself on the bed left her breasts in a gorgeous profile, Killian realized, his eyes lingering for only a moment.

"No," he assured her, shaking his head. "I don't think they missed their parents. They had great time."

Emma blinked her eyes, her soft pink lips parting just so, and gave a single nod of her head.

Bloody hell…

They were nearing the end of her fertile period once more. It was the reason why their early morning activities before the boys had gotten there had taken place. They had attempted to make a baby that morning. It didn't quell the urge in him now. It didn't take away from the need that was swelling up inside him.

Killian wrapped his hand around himself and pajama bottoms quickly, holding for just a moment as he watched Emma back her way up onto her side of the bed. As her own nightshirt rode up as she moved up the bed, seeing only a sliver of the nude-colored panties almost put his hand back there.

He wanted it to happen. He wanted her to get pregnant. He wanted that part of life that he knew they deserved. What it seemed as if she needed… was for it to happen now. For that reason, he wished like hell it would happen sooner rather than later.

He also just wanted her. He wanted to bury himself deep inside her, listen to her cute hiccups of his name, listen to her soft murmurs that turned into cries. He wanted her.

What he didn't want, and he hated that his mind went there as they both slipped under the single sheet that covered the bed, was the devastating rejection that he'd experienced… a month ago.

Killian spied the hand that laid on top of the sheet as Emma moved to get comfortable. He moved then, sliding down on the mattress as he picked up that hand and brought his lips down to it. He pressed a kiss there, closing his eyes and lingering to take in her scent at such close proximity.

It was easy, and natural, to let his mouth run up, over her wrist and up her arm.

"What are you doing?" Emma asked quietly.

There wasn't a hint of apprehension in her voice or in her muscles. She wasn't admonishing his kisses or his caresses.

There was a part of him that thought perhaps it wasn't only a lack of admonishment. There was a part of him that thought that he was welcomed.

Killian rotated her wrist slowly, taking the opposite path down her arm this time.

"Remember when you said that I was insatiable, love?" He looked up at her, planted a final kiss at her palm, and then let go of her hand. His gaze stayed on her as he fell flat on his back.

Emma bit her lip instead of answering. Her green eyes sparkled as he took hold on her hand in his own once more. This time, there was a gently nudging, a suggestion for her to come closer.

She did come closer. It was with a tilt of her head and a squint of her eyes as she moved. The sheet rustled underneath her movement. He loved that tilt. He loved how the squint became cutting as she found herself sitting on her heels beside him.

"I think you're right," Killian agreed with her thickly.

This time, there was a quiet hum that came way of an answer, the smile following only slight.

His own eyes widened on her every move. He held his breath as she finally swung her leg over his side and settled on top of him. She was a dream. A dream that he almost pinched himself to make sure she was real. Instead, he slid his hands on her waist softly, following the gentle curves on her body. Not only was she a dream, but she was his dream.

"Connor and Brennan?" Emma whispered lightly, her hand falling down onto his chest even as she mentioned their names.

"The monitor is on and is sitting right there on the nightstand," Killian pointed out. It wasn't only her hand that stilled his own on her ribcage. Her quest to find a comfortable spot in her seat was gripping him hard. "We'll be able to hear them and they won't hear us." It was his turn to move, his fingers spreading wide over her stomach. He paused there, for just a moment. It was a conscious decision to not linger, to not risk her connecting that touch to something else (even when it was on his mind as well). His fingers slipped farther down, down until….

Emma nodded her head. "You're right."

Her eyes met his, a bit wider, and her nails scraped over his arm.

"Lift up a bit, love," Killian instructed thickly, the pure need for her growing to almost unbearable. "Just like that."

His hands made quick work of both the pajama bottoms and underwear, pushing them down and out of the way. He left the rest of the work to his feet, shucking at the clothes until they made their way to the of the bed.

"And now… just…"

Emma tilted her head, her eyes closing and taking a visible swallow.

It was tempting to close his own eyes. Tempting, as his fingers slipped over her delicate skin just inside of her panties. But the desire to watch her was far greater. Seeing the flush of her face, the pucker of those pink lips, the slight arch of her back as she moved in closer to him.

"Why do you get to be naked?" Emma asked with a rush of air, sounding perplexed at the thought.

His wife wanted to be naked with him…

At the end of her fertile period, when they had tried to conceive that morning, his wife wanted to be naked with him.

"We'll get you there, too," Killian promised, the words still leaving his mouth thickly.

She was warm against his fingers. She was more than warm, a silky wet heat already building up.

"Now?" Her question was almost a whimper.

When his wife had such a request...

Killian's brought his hand up to capture the back of her head, his fingers slipping into her hair. His opened mouth met hers halfway, locking together in a searing kiss..The hand inside her panties slipped around to the back, cupping her bottom and pressing her deeper into him.

It didn't change the state of her dress, but that didn't hinder much in the way her body hugged against his. A mere scrap of cotton…

He abandoned his hold on her head, gave in to the slow way her mouth sipped at his, and curved that hand in between their bodies. First over her belly. A brush of his knuckles across her navel. He shouldn't have. Shouldn't have let the idea of creating that life he burned to create with her enter his mind, but it had. For a second. His hand turned, rotating on its way down until…

Emma pressed her chest into his, lifting just so. It created more space. He could take advantage of that space, his fingers once again seeking that silky heat under cotton. His hand on her bottom gripped tight with the new angle.

He felt her stutter, her body stiffening and the hesitation of her kiss.

He'd thought of her all day, had struggle to keep this off of his mind. What he hadn't let himself believe was that…

"Now?"

She would be receptive.

Killian's smile was quick before biting gently at her lower lip. It was supposed to be a tease, a way of taking back control of their kiss.

He lost control again as her hands slid over his shoulders at the same moment she grinded hard against him, hand and all. It was his turn to stutter, to nearly whine at the feel of all of her above him.

"Now."

It was no longer a question...

Killian's hand slipped out from in between them, coming back to meet his other hand and quickly and insistently grinded her against his once more.

"Bloody hell." He had to agree with her. "Now."

It happened in a flurry of minimal movements, the need to stay as physically close as possible while still ridding her of panties and sleeping shirt.

It was quick, filling the void, filling the need. Then... it wasn't quick. The need… was still there. A deeper need. A need for something much more. A need… that they were both willing to feed, nurture, grow.

He loved seeing that need on her face, loved seeing the flecks of gold in her otherwise green eyes as they darkened slightly. Loved seeing the way her lips parted as his fingers brushed up against her uninhibited. Loved everything about… the way the came together.

Curled up with her back to his chest, Emma's breathing was even. A good sign. That thought put a grin to his face, laced with bravado. He took her position as a really good sign.

Killian sifted his fingers into the hair that slipped over her back, falling into the tiny crevice between them.

She was beautiful. Lovely. Surprising. And he was damned lucky to have her.

It wasn't always so easy. He didn't want to think about the parts that weren't easy. Not now. Not with her naked body flushed and spent in front of him. No. He would rather… press kisses to her shoulder. Soft kisses that wouldn't disturb her rest. A well-deserved rest after the day she'd had.

Killian's lips were on the move, slipping across her shoulder towards her neck. Light kisses. Soft. Barely there.

Emma's Mm was just as soft, conjuring up memories of other sounds she'd shared not that long ago.

She turned suddenly, her back disappearing and her front pressing into him instead. Her head found the crook of his arm, cuddling up against his chest.

Was it him? It was probably him… He wouldn't kiss her anymore. He would leave her be. He would try to get some rest himself.

"Do you think we did it this time?" Emma's voice was a quiet murmur as she nuzzled her head deeper into the crook of his arm.

Her words froze him. Killian became all too aware of his thumping heart in his chest.

"Do you think we made a baby this time?" she asked, her hand slipping onto his chest before sleep completely won out.

She had a way of being so guarded sometimes. Killian knew that. She hadn't been so damn outwardly optimistic in… months.

That meant something. It meant something when, in a sleep-induced haze, she admitted the want, confess to the desire.

Sometimes he felt like he was in on this all alone. Or, at least, they were on different sides of the dream. But her words…

Killian felt the tightness of his lips, felt the frown crease his brows. He pulled his wife closer to him, held her tight in his arms.

"I hope so, love."

She was already asleep. She hadn't heard his wobbly and weak reply. She wouldn't remember her question, or the fact that it had been much easier to be honest and vulnerable in a sleepy state than it had been to do in the light of day.

Killian nestled close to her, closing her eyes and keeping close. He already knew that sleep wouldn't likely to come easy any time soon.