A/N: And we're back. I hope you all had a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. I'm not entirely sure how this chapter managed to be 5,000 words but I find that when writing solely about captain swan, it's very easy to get carried away. So, all I can say is enjoy the calm before the storm...
Thank you, Rouhn, for beta-ing.
Killian stood up to clear the plates, stacking them in his hands. His mind was frazzled; he had been so nervous for their date that it was hard for him to even think straight. He had rushed getting out of work and coming home to make the house look picture perfect. He had a housekeeper who cleaned three times a week because the house was too big for him to clean himself with his busy schedule, but today had been her day off. He had tidied up his room and did another cleaning of the downstairs bathroom, kitchen and main rooms before he had showered. He just wanted everything to be perfect.
"Let me help you," Emma offered as she stood up and grabbed the glasses.
"Don't even think about it, love. Why don't you relax in the living room? I will meet you there in a few minutes."
She shook her head. "Uh-uh, I don't think so. You went through all of this trouble to cook. Let me clean."
Killian chuckled at her obstinacy and put the plates down on the table. The lass was stubborn, but nothing he couldn't handle. He knew she would not give him the glasses without a bit of cajolery so he came up behind her while she bent over the table to grab the silverware and serving dishes. She straightened up and was trying to juggle the serving dishes in one hand and the glasses in the other as Killian put his hands on her hips. She gasped in surprise at his touch.
He immediately regretted his actions and started to back away, letting his hands fall from her body. "Sorry, love, I didn't mean to startle you."
"It's okay, I just didn't expect it," she breathed.
He stepped up to her again, relief pooling inside of him. "So, this is okay?" He asked for approval as his palms slowly slid up her back in a soothing manner.
"Yeah." Her breathing became shallow as he started massaging her shoulders, his fingers and thumbs kneading circles into her skin. In an instant, she allowed herself to relax underneath his touch and she gently tilted her head back. He was amazed she didn't drop the dishes from how relaxed she was.
As his fingers worked, he leaned in to speak in a low, gentle voice. "You've worked all day and you're seven months pregnant. You need to rest, so please darling, just let me take care of the dishes."
A light laugh escaped her lips as she set the glasses and dishes on the table so that she wouldn't drop them. "This is cheating."
He smirked as his hands made their way down her back. "I figured if I gave you a sneak peak of what you'd be receiving, I would win you over."
A smile reached her lips; he couldn't see it, but he could see the muscles in her cheeks pull back. "You don't need trickery to win me over..."
His heart sank at her words. He would never want her to feel like he was trying to manipulate her. He would never do that. His voice was broken and quiet as she turned around in his arms and curled her hands around the back of his neck. "Love, that's not what I meant-"
She put her finger to his lips to stop him, her eyes looking down at his mouth. "I know. I was only saying that..." Her lashes lifted, revealing the gorgeous, emerald depths that were brilliantly colored even in the dimness of the room as her voice was reduced to a whisper; "...you've already won my heart." The breath from her lips lingered in the air between them and his heart all but stopped in his chest as he watched the flicker of light from the candles dance in her eyes.
His hands came up to cup her cheeks, thumbs caressing the soft skin there. He was completely entranced as he breathed her in. He wasn't sure how he had won her heart or why; it didn't really matter but he knew that he felt the same. He tilted his head, nuzzling her nose with his before capturing her lips in slow torture, tongues moving to fondle one another. She tasted irresistible and sweet like grape juice and apple pie as her fingers toyed with the hair at his nape.
Gods, he was falling in the deep end for her and honestly, it scared him. He had never felt like this since Milah and he didn't know what he would do if he suffered another loss. That's the reasons he'd kept his heart locked up for so long. He didn't want to go through what he went through when he lost Milah. But his heart was being pulled from his grasp. Emma was slowly stealing it and he had decided he was going to let her.
As he nipped at her bottom lip, soothing the tender, pink flesh with a lick of his tongue, he was consumed by emotion and desire. Her stomach was crushed between them as his hands went to her waist. The dishes were forgotten at the moment and all he wanted to do was deliver what he had promised.
Killian broke the kiss, leaving them both panting for air as they planted their foreheads against one another for balance, their lips only centimeters apart. "Why don't we take this somewhere more comfortable, love?"
She licked her lips and nodded her approval. "Okay."
He reluctantly released himself from her warm embrace and took her hand, leading her to the family room. It was even more cozier than the living room with earth tones and soft carpeting. There was a beige sectional couch adorned with simple-design throw pillows and a cream-colored knit blanket that his sister-in-law had made him. Sitting across the room at an angle was a beige, chaise lounge chair with tufting and silver tack detail and there was a dark gray, marble coffee table in the middle of the room and a large plasma television attached to the wall. He had more photographs scattered around the room of his friends from school and his brother and sister-in-law.
Emma wandered around, admiring them. He saw the perfect opportunity to clear the dishes from the table and rinse them, not wishing to leave a mess for the housekeeper in the morning. "Who are these people?" she asked, picking up one of the photos.
Killian smiled a little. He was happy that she was interested in knowing more about him and the people who were close to him. He came up beside her, looking at which photograph she was referring to. "Those are some friends I went to school with." It was a photo of him and Milah on a ski trip with some mutual friends. He pointed to three of his mates who were with them. "That's Jeff, William and Victor. I still hang out with them from time to time but Jeff and William are married with children and all of them doctors. We all scattered to different locations once we finished medical school."
Killian could immediately see the flash of insecurity in her eyes but he wasn't sure why. "Love, you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She gave him a smile and put the photo in its place before continuing to look at the others on the shelving.
"I'll be right back, then. Make yourself at home."
"Okay." Emma nodded as she picked up one with Liam and Killian during a fishing trip they had taken a few years ago.
He walked away and stepped out of the room, hurrying to the dining room to blow out the candles and gather the plates. He took them to the kitchen and came back to the dining room to grab the rest of the items. When he went back into the kitchen, he was surprised to find Emma rinsing the plates off. While he was not agreeable with what she was doing, he was impressed with the energy she still had after a long day of work and then being stuffed with food and pie, all on top of the fact that she was pregnant.
He walked up behind her and put one hand on her hip, making her breath hitch while the other hand gathered her hair, moving it over to one shoulder. He lowered his hand to her bare shoulder and leaned in to kiss her cheek. He could feel her shudder underneath the press of his lips and she angled her head towards him, fully embracing the feel of his lips.
His hands moved to caress as he spoke softly in her ear. "You're a stubborn lass, you do realize that, right?"
"Killian, just because I'm pregnant doesn't mean I can't clean and besides, you went to the trouble to cook for me after you worked all day."
He let out a chuckle as he pulled away to step next to her, taking the plates she had rinsed and loading them into the dishwasher. "I have no doubt that you're relentless, but I didn't invite you over to clean my dishes, I invited you over so we could spend time together outside of the diner and my office. And my intentions were for you to be able to relax. You're my guest, not my housekeeper. I didn't even want to leave her a mess to clean after."
Emma gave him a side glance and opened her mouth to say something but stopped, as though he had answered a question she had never asked.
"Yes, I have a housekeeper," he admitted. "I'm just too busy and the house is just too big for me to clean myself. Not that I'm very messy," he clarified as he gave her a playful wink. "But I am a doctor so I often leave medical reference books and notepads scattered throughout the house."
"I wasn't judging. I couldn't imagine what it must be like being a doctor and trying to juggle that along with your personal life." She looked thoughtful as she continued to rinse the dishes. "I worked a full time job and then had to come home to meet the demands of a controlling husband. I didn't have time for a social life; couldn't if I wanted to or even if I was allowed to... and I was just a waitress."
He gave her a weak smile as he took a dishtowel from a drawer to dry his hands before soothing a hand over her shoulder.
"I wanted to go to college, but there was always something getting in the way... marriage, moving to another side of the country, getting pregnant and not to mention Neal would never let me go."
"Sorry, love." He spoke in a deep voice as he leaned over to kiss her shoulder. She seemed unaffected by the subject, but maybe it was because she was just too exhausted from the day. "So tell me, what would Emma Swan do if nothing had gotten in the way. If you could be anything, what would you be?"
She shrugged casually. "I'm not really sure. Maybe be a doctor and help save lives, maybe a cop. Something to make a difference."
"You do make a difference. You serve people coffee and brighten their day."
"I don't know about that," she said with a coy smile. "Coffee, yes but brightening someone's day... I'm not so sure about that."
"Well you certainly brighten my day," he said sincerely with a smile. He could see the faded pink rush to her cheeks as she smiled back and looked at the dish in her hand, rinsing it with the sprayer. "You know what I think?"
Her eyes lifted and came over to meet his with a curious raise of her brow. "I don't know, do I want to?" She asked teasingly. He gave her a serious look and hers immediately mirrored his as she swallowed thickly. "Tell me."
"I think you can do anything. I think once you make up your mind about something, there's nothing that can stand in your way."
"Oh really? And how do you know that?"
He gave her a hard stare as though the answer should have been obvious. "You left an abusive marriage for one thing. That could not have been easy, no matter how much you wanted to. And then you came here. It must have been terrifying. Traveling such a long way while you're pregnant and alone and knowing that he might be trailing behind you."
Emma was quiet as she handed him the last of the dishes and he took them, putting them in the dishwasher.
"Not to mention, you didn't give up on me."
Her eyes were quickly drawn back to his.
"Or haven't yet," he murmured.
"So you're implying I had my mind set on you?" She asked, a bit of playfulness to her words as she shut the faucet off and dried her hands with the dishtowel before placing them on her hips.
He offered a nod as he took the towel from her hands and dried his own before setting it on the counter. He stepped into her space, cupping her cheek. "Aye. I think you made a decision about me and followed through. Why else would you be here?"
She pursed her lips, pondering his words carefully before speaking. "Good point... I suppose..." Her eyes were racked with guilt as she paused, contemplating her next move. "But, I almost did give up," she murmured as she slipped past him, heading out of the kitchen, in an attempt to deflect a response from him.
He was confused as he followed behind her. "You did?"
She sighed as they entered the foyer and made their way into the family room.
"Love?" he attempted when she still had not responded. She was still reluctant to tell him, regret in her eyes from even saying something in the first place. It was his fault though. He knew she wanted to keep their conversations light tonight, but he still ached to know more about her. So he opted for a more subtle approach as he went to the lounge chair and sat down, placing his legs on either side while leaving room for her to sit. He looked up at her and patted the spot in front of him.
She arched a brow.
"I believe I owe you a much needed massage, aye?"
Her features became soft as she came up to the chaise and sat down on the edge of it.
"Now, I just want you to relax." He scooted closer and brushed her hair to one side before placing his hands on her shoulders. The muscles were firm yet delicate as he kneaded into her skin. She let her head fall back and loosened her body invitingly. He grinned in success as he worked his fingers and thumbs into her shoulders. If she didn't answer him, he would be fine with that. He truly wanted her to unwind from the day.
"I almost left Storybrooke," she finally spoke, her words a bit shaken from the movement of his hands.
He didn't respond, only made his way down her back, massaging slowly but firmly to work out the knots in her muscles.
She let her body mold to his touch, thoroughly enjoying the pressure of his talented hands. "That night you came to the diner, I was planning on leaving."
His expression fell although he didn't really know how to feel about that. It was his fault after all. He could only imagine how she must have felt after he ran out of her loft. And then he spent the rest of the week avoiding her, trying not to give into temptation. That week must have been hell for her after putting herself on the line, being rejected and then avoided. He still felt miserable for doing that to her, but making a decision that could cost him his career was nothing close to being simple.
"I had my bags packed and I left Mary Margaret that note that I had you get from underneath the door. It was to inform her and David that I was leaving."
"Ah." He didn't really know he wanted that little mystery solved, but now he was glad that she told him. He reached the middle of her back and she leaned forward a bit. "You know that the reason I ran had nothing to do with my feelings for you, right?" he asked softly.
She turned her body around to look at him and placed her hand on his cheek. "Yeah, I know."
"I care for you more than you know..." He gently grabbed her hand and pressed his lips to her fingers.
A small smile grew upon her lips as he brushed his thumb over her skin. "Now, turn around if you would, love. I'm not finished with you yet."
She complied and fell into her previous position and he continued his ministrations. "I'm glad you decided to stay." If she had left, he'd have probably gone after her. Scratch that - he would have definitely gone after her.
"Me too. This town has grown on me, and also the people in this town," she admitted.
"Yes, the citizens here in Storybrooke have that sort of affect on people, especially the Nolans. They're quite the pair." His hands reached her lower back and she straightened her posture to allow him better access.
"Mmm..."
Killian's heart sped a little at the sound, although he couldn't tell if it was a moan from his touch or a sound of agreement. Perhaps a mixture of both. "Did Mary Margaret tell you she scheduled an appointment to get checked out? Her and David have been trying for a baby."
Emma stiffened a little. "No, she didn't. I mean, I knew they were trying but I didn't know she was going in to see you."
"Well, it's understandable. Admitting failure, no matter how much you have control over something is not easy. Not that being unable to conceive is considered failure, but that's the way most couples feel when they're not or may not be capable of having children."
"Is that how you and Milah felt before you found out she couldn't bear children?" she asked curiously.
It was Killian's turn to stiffen as his hands stopped massaging her and she looked back at him, a flash of regret in her eyes.
"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have..."
"It's alright. I told you I wanted you to know everything. But actually, Milah already knew she couldn't have children when we came here to storybrooke." His throat became dry at the memories when Milah told him she couldn't bear his child.
"I'm sorry." Her eyes were dark as he stood up and offered his hand. She took it, allowing him to lead her to the couch. She sat down and he tried to push away the painful memories as he turned on some soft music that played through the speakers in the room.
"How about we talk about something that's not-"
"So intense?" she suggested. "It is only our first date after all." He looked at her in surprise as he sat next to her.
"So you admit that this is a date?" he asked with a playful smirk.
"Well, I've been impressed so far, but I might need a little more persuading because I could still change my mind." Her tone was suggestive as he urged her to lay on her back. She got situated into a comfortable position as he lifted her leg and planted her foot on his lap. He started massaging the arch and she moaned her assent. He wouldn't deny that he loved that sound escaping her wonderful lips. It stirred things inside him that he tried to fight. He wanted to take things slow and was in no rush to take their relationship in another direction. He was quite content with just being with her. Plus, he had other reasons he wanted to wait.
"God, that feels sooooo good..." she breathed, practically purring from his touch, her eyes closed as she rested her hands on her belly. His thumbs circled into her skin a few more times before moving downward to the middle of her foot. She greedily accepted the way his hands moved in such a brilliant way, touching and soothing every tense muscle much like magic. She let out a strangled moan when he reached the heal of her foot. He could tell she was trying to hold back. They both knew that things could take a very different and tempting turn if they weren't careful.
He had to stifle a groan himself and he cleared his throat as he switched to the other foot, giving the same care and attention.
She started to let herself go, probably too tired too care as she let out a lengthy mewl when he touched on a particular spot. "Oh yes... right there." Her encouraging words were almost a whisper that pulled at his stomach.
He did as he was told and pressed his thumbs more firmly into the spot that had her crumbling apart.
She moaned quietly and he had to steady his breathing and maintain his composure. This blonde temptress was laying on his couch, making irresistible noises and she looked so unbelievably sexy like she was. Her breasts were plump, prepared for pregnancy and trying to break free from the confines of her dress. And as his hands moved to her ankles and slowly made their ascent, he could feel how tone and silky smooth her legs were.
He stopped when he was slightly hunched over her, massaging her thighs under the material of her dress and switched to her other leg, working his way down towards her feet. If he had gone any further upwards, he knew he wouldn't be able to stop. By the time he was finished, she looked so peaceful and unwound, a blissful smile on her lips.
He chuckled as he rested her feet in his lap, his hands settling around her ankles. "You alright, love?"
She gave a tired nod. "Mmhmm," was all she could muster.
Once she was able to gather herself, she sat up from her position as he reached a hand to help her. He scooted to the corner of the couch and he lifted his arm, gesturing her to him. "Come here, sweetheart."
Emma's features were soft as she leaned in, resting her head on his shoulder as she curled her arm around her stomach. He breathed out slowly as his hand settled on her arm, pulling her close. Her side was pressed into his as he angled his head to kiss her forehead.
"That was amazing," she managed after a moment. "Thank you."
"It was my pleasure, Emma."
"No really, that was like life-altering," she laughed. "You should have become a massage therepist instead."
He chuckled and dropped a kiss to her crown through her hair. "Well, I did warn you... I am pretty good with my hands."
"You won't hear an argument from me."
The air grew silent, apart from the music as he leaned his head on hers, relishing in her warm embrace. The perfume she was wearing and the feel of warm skin underneath his fingertips enveloped him.
"So, tell me something. Are all of your friends doctors?" she asked of nowhere.
His fingers grazed along her skin as he happily answered. "Aye, mostly. We all went to school together and I've been surrounded by doctors my whole life. My mother and father were both military trauma surgeons before they started their own practice in England."
"Really? So, how come Liam became a mechanic?" She asked curiously.
"Well, he was always the oddball of the family," Killian joked. "I knew I wanted to be a doctor since I was seven and while I had my head in textbooks, he had his head under the hood of cars. But don't get me wrong, he's very smart. He's always had a curiosity for how things work and he'd take things apart just to put them back together."
"So I guess being good with your hands runs in the Jones family then?"
"Aye, very much so. Although, I decided quickly that I didn't want to do what my parents did. They saw horrifying death and pain all the time. I found that by following my wife's dream, I see much more joy and happiness. There can be death and there's definitely pain too of course but when working with pregnant women, you never have an impact on just one person, you have an impact on several lives; the mother, her baby, her family. And bringing a life into the world is something unreal. I would never want to do anything else."
"I wish I could say the same. I wish I could do something other than waitressing."
"I told you, you can do anything you want to. You could even open up your own bakery with those pies that you make."
She let out a light chuckle, then her face suddenly contorted as her hand gravitated to her belly. "Oooh," she groaned.
His head sprang up and he looked down at her, a worried look washing over his features. "You alright?"
"Yeah," she laughed and reached for his hand, placing it on her belly. "Feel that?"
Killian grinned as he felt the wee lad kicking relentlessly. "Aye. It's a wonderful feeling." He caressed her covered belly and settled on that spot as her hand rested on his, their fingers entwining. He's felt her baby kick before within the walls of his practice while he was examining her, but being in the privacy of his home and touching her because he wanted to, not just because he had to, it was much more intimate. He decided that he could very much get used to this.
After a while, she had drifted off to sleep and he debated whether he should carry her to the downstairs bedroom or if he should wake her. But she looked too peaceful to disturb. Before he could make a decision, she started stirring in his arms.
"What time is it?" She asked groggily, nuzzling her face into the crook of his neck.
He looked at the clock on the wall before answering. "It's 12:30."
"Mm-kay, I should go," she mumbled against his skin.
"Love, if you'd prefer to stay here and sleep, I would happily carry you to the guest bed."
"Are you kidding? I'd probably break your back."
"Please... I've had to move patients that were three times your weight."
"That's okay, I'll be fine going home." As she spoke, she didn't move from her spot.
"At least let me drive you."
"But what about my car? I have to work in the afternoon."
"I'll bring it back to you tomorrow. Don't worry, love."
She lifted her head and arched a brow at him, a bit of skepticism etched into her features, eliciting a chuckle from his throat.
"You'll get it back, I promise."
They eventually got up and he fetched her belongings from the closet. She slipped on her shoes as he helped her with her jacket and handed her purse to her. He made sure the house was locked and secured. He had a security system set up in his house after it was built. The town was quiet for the most part but every once in a while, a thief would show up and try to break into his house. They never manged to get past the entry alarms though.
Killian keyed in the code to set the alarm in 'away' mode and followed Emma into the garage. They got into his car and fell into a comfortable silence on the drive to her loft. He was very glad that she let him drive her back. He constantly worried about her when she was driving alone, particularly at night. Especially knowing that her husband could be lurking around Storybrooke just waiting for the opportune moment to do god only knows what to her. Killian would do anything to protect her, but there's nothing he could do if he's not around.
Killian pulled up to the building and came around to open the door for her. He helped her out and walked her up to her unit.
"Thank you for driving me home." She yawned, her eyes struggling to stay open. "I had a nice time tonight."
"Me too, love." He stepped closer to her, settling his hands on her hips. "Next time we'll have to meet earlier in the day, perhaps?"
She managed a sly smirk. "Next time? Who said there will be a next time?"
Killian flashed her a grin, a hopeful look in his eyes. "Will you come over to my place again?" He asked a little too eagerly as he leaned in, brushing his lips against hers.
"I suppose," she teased as she grabbed the lapels of his jacket. "You do owe me a tour of your house, remember?"
"I do, love."
"Okay, how about next Friday? I don't work that day. You could teach me how to cook like you do," she suggested as she planted a sweet kiss to his lips.
"Sold," he stated with an enthusiastic smirk. "I take it you haven't changed your mind about this being a date?"
She let out a weak laugh. "No. I'd say you've earned the privilege to call this a date. And I'm sorry I fell asleep at the end. I promise it was not out of boredom," she assured him.
"I know." He lifted his hand to stroke her hair, looking deeply into her eyes. He heard her breath hitch as he closed the distance between them to kiss her one last time before they parted.
"Goodnight, love. Sleep well."
"Night, Killian."
They broke apart and she walked inside, closing the door behind her before he turned around and headed down the stairs. As he went to his car, he thought about how he was going to get Emma's yellow bug to her, but eventually he had another idea in mind.
Early the next morning, Killian called up his brother asking him for a favor.