A/N: Hey everyone! This week 'Wedded Bliss' is shaking things up a bit. Don't worry. Things on the CS front are totally okay, but this week one of Emma's friends is faced with an old love interest come back again. Now, for any of you who don't like any angst for ANY characters, I will suggest that you hold off on reading until next week's update when all will be made better. But to the rest of you I thank you all for reading and I hope you enjoy!
In the two weeks since Killian first published the article on Emma's shop, there had been little in the world that could deter from his constant state of happiness. Things at work were great, things with Emma were better, but arguably the best part of all of this was that time was allowing everything in his life to settle.
For the first few days having everything that he'd wanted for so long felt almost like a dream, but now Killian was convinced that this wasn't his imagination. He was really here, standing in Emma's kitchen on a weekday morning making breakfast as Emma slept soundly. He planned to wake her in just a few more minutes, but for now he was trying to show her that having him here was a good thing. He figured pancakes and coffee were a good start.
If the first step in any plan to securing Emma was talking to her on the train, and the second was romancing her the way that she deserved, then the third step needed to be making himself indispensible to her. If Killian had any hope of keeping Emma in his life permanently as he already wanted to do, he'd have to prove himself, and that wasn't a challenge he was running from in any way. The problem was he'd never had another relationship that he cared about so fiercely. There had yet to be a moment in Killian's life when the need to hold onto someone or something was so strong. In many ways he was sailing into all of this blind, but damn if the rush wasn't a dizzying kind of high, and the moments of success that came weren't the bright spots in any day.
"One of the pros of having a guy spend the night is supposed to be waking up to him the next morning."
Emma's words from the doorway of the kitchen pulled Killian's attention from the stovetop, and he found her standing there against the frame just as stunningly beautiful as she always was. Killian had to admit the special appeal of Emma like this; seeing Emma with her hair still messy from sleep and her fresh face smiling at him warmly as sunlight streamed in from the window sent a pang of longing through him. Suddenly the only thing he wanted was to have this every morning, and his mind was racing a thousand miles a minute trying to devise a way to get to such a lovely state. Only after a moment did he fully take in her words and a little of his good humor slipped away.
"I wouldn't know, Swan. I'll have to take your word for it," Killian grumbled. Emma laughed and Killian looked at her, wondering if his dislike of hearing about any past suitors of hers was that apparent, but she just flashed him another smile and sent some calming words his way.
"Come to think of it I wouldn't either. This is all new territory," Emma said as she came up to him and stepped into his arms like it was the most natural thing to do. The space around him filled with that familiar scent of lavender and Emma and his heart was full of contentment at having the chance at such a first with Emma. He wanted all her firsts from this point on, and if he had any say in the matter, he'd be her last for all these milestones as well.
"Is it wrong of me to admit how much I like knowing that?" Killian asked after pressing a kiss to her lips and Emma shook her head.
"No. And if it were I would forgive you for a spread like this. Usually on a Monday I'm grabbing cereal or begging Elsa for something when I get to the shop. But this is way better."
Killian handed Emma a plate with pancakes at the ready and she retrieved the necessary toppings for such a breakfast before meeting him at the kitchen table. It was incredibly domestic, but despite the newness of this dance between them, Killian found it familiar. With Emma everything was new and exciting, but it was also instinctive. His body and mind were so attuned to her that he anticipated things before they even happened, and it was the same for her. This meant that breakfast together was a perfect balance of enjoying the food he'd prepared and talk about the days before them.
Again Killian slipped into thoughts about how it would be if this were their state of normal. What would it be like to sit across the table every night and every morning from Emma? He knew it would be perfect, and that these glimpses into her day and her thoughts on everything going on in her life were precious, but all of these hopes he was now carrying were big and heavy. He had to be careful not to give too much away too fast at the risk of scaring Emma off and breaking this happy spell that he was already too in love with to ever give up.
"Okay, I'll admit. This is a pretty good consolation prize," Emma confessed at the end of their meal and Killian's brow rose.
"Consolation prize?" He repeated.
"Well for the other morning activities we could have had if you stayed in bed. You know, the ones I hinted at earlier," Emma said, a knowing smile appearing on her face as her hand came to take his plate and put it in the sink. Too quickly she'd dismissed her own line of thinking, turning her attention to rinsing off the dishes, but Killian had other ideas and they involved exploring those alternate activities of hers.
He moved to stand just at her back, boxing her in with his arms on either side of her, and though she pretended to be unaffected just moments ago, the familiar tells of Emma's desire appeared at the action. Killian felt the tiny shiver that coursed through her, and the difference in her breathing at his closeness and the intimate contact between them. If that weren't enough, that beautiful flush of pink crept up her neck and to her cheeks, and at the sight of it, Killian was lost, knowing that he'd never make it through the day if he couldn't satisfy his Swan's wanting in some way.
"You speak as if we can't have both, love. But from where I'm standing, we've quite a few options in appeasing your earlier desires."
Killian watched as Emma swallowed harshly, and it only added to his arousal. Yet that was nothing to the mix of breathiness and gravel that made Emma's voice all the sweeter to his ears. Those rich tones gave away the severity of her want for him, and it almost allowed him to believe that she felt as deeply as he did. That was an intoxicating prospect, and it took everything in him to draw this out and not just turn her around now and set about savoring every inch of her.
"Last I checked we both have work, and much as I might like to spend the day making good on those ideas of yours, I can't. I have to shower and…"
Emma trailed off as if realizing that she'd just given him the perfect in and a grin appeared on Killian's face that she turned to see. The range of emotion on Emma's face was apparent, but there was nothing like denial or disdain in sight. Actually, Emma was as transparent as he'd ever seen her, clearly liking the idea of her usual normal routine being heightened by his presence.
"I think we have our answer then, Swan."
The two of them moved into Emma's bathroom, and Killian found himself thanking his lucky stars that though Emma lived in a rather modest one-bedroom, the bathroom in this place was spacious enough for all he had in mind. With a shower this size there were many a way to pleasure Emma, and as those tactics swirled around his mind, his own need notched up higher and higher.
Distraction threatened his resolve when Emma stripped away the t-shirt she'd been wearing and the garments underneath and moved into the shower, turning on the spray of water. There was a moment when Killian wasn't sure if he'd get it together, but her sultry smile and teasing 'Are you coming?' was enough to get him moving again. Once he was naked himself and under that same spray of water, things moved exactly as he imagined. There was an element of playfulness between the two of them as they got each other cleaned, and though Killian bit back more than a few curses at the tempting moves and kisses Emma used against him, he eventually had her right where he wanted her, against the far wall, pinned for his perusal and panting for more.
The same sense of disbelief washed over him as he took Emma in then. She was soaked from the warm spray they'd been under, her hair slicked back with droplets slowly falling from the blond strands. The steam of the shower and the heat both from the water and between them left Emma flushed and gorgeous, but the most entrancing part of the picture she made was the trust in Emma's green eyes. It was clear as day under the desire and the need, and it shot straight to Killian's core.
He took her mouth in a demanding kiss to try and cool the craving that resided deep in his gut now, but it only riled him further when Emma arched into him and clung to him readily. Killian almost lost sight of where they were, but in the back of his mind was the idea that this was a trickier place to find this bliss. He had to protect Emma from any potential pitfalls while still giving her what she wanted and the natural thing for him then was to kneel before her and open her to his perusal.
"I don't think I'll ever have my fill of you, Emma," Killian whispered and he almost doubted that she could hear him over the continuing spray of the water but the way she moaned and writhed against him told a different story. Her non-verbal insistence was enough to have him moving towards what they both so badly wanted, and the taste of her arousal on his tongue and the sound of her crying out at the contact made him all the harder.
This was a fantasy made real, having Emma for the taking like this in this way, but Killian also knew that time was not on his side. He might like to spend the day loving this woman the way that she deserved, but those wishes would have to wait to be answered. For now though, he could nip and suck and lick at just the right moments to watch Emma's need coil tighter and tighter. He could feel the vibrations of her lust as her muscles tensed up more and more, and finally with the right pressure on her clit she broke apart, stealing his breath away as she did.
When he had righted himself and was back with her again, Emma was only just catching her breath, and the look of wonder and amazement in her expression filled Killian with pride. If ever there was a compliment to the way he gave her pleasure this was it. Emma's look said a thousand words and the most important were that she'd never known connection like this, and she had no desire to look anywhere else for moments like these.
While Killian was still reveling in Emma's reaction, Emma turned the tables on him, switching their positions and having him against the wall in seconds. The fire in her eyes burned hotter than anything Killian had ever felt, and when her hand took his hard length in her grasp, he growled out his approval of the feeling.
"God that's good, love, but this was about you," Killian argued, knowing full well he'd cave with another few seconds of her hand on him.
"There's nothing saying this can't be about both of us," Emma countered, before kissing him again and then pulling back only to move down to her knees and drive Killian crazy in the process.
Words didn't exist to express the sensation of Emma's mouth on him, and though he tried to hold off on finding his own release as long as he could, Emma was demanding and Killian was unable to deny her. She proved all too quickly that though he might have some command over her, she held his every need and every claim to happiness in her hands. She was a siren and a temptress, and through some kind of miracle she also happened to be his.
The two of them washed up one last time before getting out and greeting the day for real, both of them getting ready and continuing that domestic display Killian had been rejoicing in this morning. It felt right to have a change of clothes here and to be getting ready for his workday with Emma just across the room doing the same. He felt privy to a process that was incredibly intimate, watching her get ready for the day ahead, and it was a miracle he got ready at all, as focused as he was on Emma.
But eventually Killian was dressed and prepared for the morning commute and he tried to soak in every last second of this morning that he could. As he was doing that, a notification pinged from his phone. He expected something work related, perhaps an update on some fluctuating items on his agenda this week before getting into the office, but instead it was a text from Liam.
L: Thursday.
That was it. There was nothing else in the text, but Killian took it's meaning. Liam had kept in touch while away in London, and though his trip had taken a whole week longer than expected to wrap up, Killian hadn't minded so much. It gave him more time to enjoy with just Emma and without the pressure of introducing her to anyone. Now though, Killian knew he had to face the incoming reality; because Liam wasn't the type of person to hear no, and if Killian made an excuse, Liam would simply find another way to see Emma and meet her on his own.
"What have you got going on Thursday night?" Killian asked, and Emma smirked at the words, returning from the bathroom where she'd added the final touches to her morning ensemble.
"Nothing at the moment, but Thursday is a while away. Are you planning not to see me until then?" Emma joked.
"Ha! Just try and shake me, love." Emma laughed at that and Killian scratched behind his ear, knowing the awkwardness was coming. "No, I'm actually asking because my brother will be back in town and he was hoping to meet us for dinner."
Emma stilled at the mention of the potential plans and panic began to seep into Killian's chest. He had been working so hard not to push Emma too far too fast and he knew that family was a touchier subject for her. Because she didn't know her own family origins, and because she had never been very interested in seriously dating, Killian gathered Emma wouldn't have much experience with something like this.
"Liam's back in town?" Emma asked, her voice quieter and a touch higher than normal.
"Aye, love. I know it's fast, but you have to understand that to my brother, normal time constraints aren't really up for consideration. Liam has always done things his way at his pace, and while that might drive me mad sometimes, I know that whether it's three days, three months, or three years from now, I do want you to know him."
He gave so much away with those words, and one heart beat of silence turned into two and then three, but finally Emma replied with a shy smile. It wasn't the same, fully unguarded one that he was growing more accustomed to, but it was an acceptance, and another show of her faith in him.
"Well when you put it that way… sure. I'd like to meet Liam too," Emma said, and Killian closed his eyes in a quick burst of relief and then turned back around and took Emma into his arms, waiting until she met his gaze.
"I'm not unaware of this gift you've given me, Emma, and I promise to make it up to you." The shadow of a more playful smile played at Emma's lips when he made that vow.
"Wow, he's that bad, huh?" Killian shook his head and smiled.
"No. Liam's a good man. I couldn't ask for a better brother. He's just an annoyance in our otherwise perfect bubble right now."
"It is pretty great, isn't it?" Emma murmured before pressing a light kiss to his lips.
"I can't think of anything better," Killian agreed, his hands running along the lines of her dress as he did. The sharp green color was a beautiful shade against her skin, but the way it made her eyes pop was what made it truly magical. All it took was a few seconds for Killian's thoughts to turn again towards taking a day off and locking themselves away from any more real world interference.
"Oh no you don't. I meant it when I said I had to get to work. And so do you."
Did he though? Killian had to wonder, but Emma soon set him to rights, reminding him that if he wasn't there then Will would be in charge. Though he trusted his friend, Killian didn't know what he'd find tomorrow if he stayed away for all of today. It was a question he didn't want to have answered, at least not right now. Instead he followed Emma out the door and waited for her to lock up her apartment before setting off to the train with her, assured that if he just had a little patience, he'd get more time like this with Emma, which was exactly what he wanted.
….
Hours after walking into Bliss for work that day, Emma was still adjusting to the new hurdle she was heading towards later in the week. Because that was what this was: an obstacle in her otherwise smooth and obstruction-free path.
Whenever Killian mentioned Liam in passing Emma could see that the two brothers were close and that they loved each other dearly. Growing up the way they did, without a father and then losing their mother so young, it made total sense that they would have a strong bond. But when Killian said that Liam was 'involved' in his life, Emma didn't imagine that she would be the focus of Liam's attention, at least not so soon.
From her understanding, most family's waited until things were a little more set in stone before meeting boyfriends or girlfriends. Now Emma was left here contemplating this thing from every angle even though she didn't really have any answers, and as with most other problems in her life, Emma took the issue to three of the people she trusted the most.
"Wow, already meeting the family. That's pretty big stuff," Mary Margaret declared after Emma filled in her friends about the dinner. Emma didn't know if her friend was trying to helpfully commiserate or make Emma more anxious, but Emma was edging more firmly towards the latter feeling.
"Oh come on. Meeting Killian's brother is nothing!" Ruby exclaimed. "This man wrote you a whole article about your passions and your life, and then he essentially said he's falling in love with you to the whole city. This is just one dinner with one guy. You'll be fine."
"And if Liam doesn't like me?" Emma asked, actually caring for the first time in a long time whether someone 'approved' of her.
"If Killian's brother doesn't like you then he's an idiot, Emma. It's that simple," Elsa said, looking completely consumed by the process before her.
The four friends were all congregated in the back of the bakery, sipping on cocoa during their scheduled coffee break, but Elsa clearly hadn't gotten the memo. Instead she was attaching sugar flowers with extreme delicacy to an engagement party cake that Emma thought was so elaborate it could pass easily for a wedding day delicacy itself. Yet Elsa affirmed more than once that while this might seem decadent, the bride and groom for the wedding in question had much higher expectations for the big day itself.
"Except it isn't. Liam is the most important person in Killian's life. If we don't get along for whatever reason then I'm screwed."
Emma's confession put in words the worries she'd had since Killian asked her about dinner. One second she was wrapped up in that happy, magical feeling that came whenever it was just the two of them. She was actually struggling to understand how a morning could be so perfect, and then everything changed with the mention of his family. And it wasn't like Killian had done anything wrong; it was totally normal for him to want to connect these two parts of his world, especially when Emma had made sure to put him in the path of the friends she considered her sisters more and more over the past week. But this was a lot of pressure to be facing, because if Liam and she didn't mesh well, how could Killian possibly envision a future for the two of them together?
"I wouldn't be so sure," Ruby countered, pulling Emma from her runaway thoughts. "Killian is in this, Emma, and he hasn't tried to hide that at all. He's told you, he's told us. Hell he told the entire readership of the magazine he runs."
"Wait. He told you guys he was serious about this?" Emma asked and her three friends nodded. "When?"
"Oh well there were some words exchanged during the interviews for the article," Mary Margaret tossed out.
"And then again when he came to get you for lunch the other day," Ruby added with a smirk.
"And then finally this weekend when you brought him to Graham's to hang out with us all," Elsa finished.
"What did he say exactly?" Emma asked, feeling a sudden need to know and that need only grew stronger when Mary Margaret and Ruby popped off of their stools and feigned a need to get going.
"Wow is that the time? Mary Margaret, we have that thing with the Millers, right?" Ruby asked and Emma huffed out a frustrated sound as Mary Margaret clung to Ruby's offered lifeboat.
"Oh yeah. The Millers. We don't want to be late for that!" The charade was so clearly fake that Emma rolled her eyes.
"The Miller's are coming tomorrow," Emma retorted, pulling a surprised but almost impressed look from Ruby and a guilty one from Mary Margaret.
"They rescheduled. Okay well we'll be seeing you. And Emma, don't keep Elsa too long. This is a very important cake she's working on."
Ruby and Mary Margaret practically sprinted out of the kitchen with Ruby's parting words, leaving Emma slightly amused at the display and then turning her attention to Elsa. There was a bit of wariness in her friend's blue eyes, but Elsa immediately spoke her peace, giving it to Emma straight.
"Look, Emma. I know you want to know what he said, but just trust us on this. Some things are better heard straight from the source, and you should take the fact that Ruby isn't gossiping about it to you as a sign that it's special. Killian will tell you everything when he's ready. Who knows? Maybe he already has."
Emma let her friend's words sink in, and she felt the same happy flutter that she'd had most of the morning return. This was a happy medium in many ways, because she knew that Killian was really serious about her, but she also got to think back on how many ways he'd said and showed that to her already. There were some words unspoken between them still, words that arguably had no place in a relationship this new, but deep in Emma's heart she knew that they were coming. Someday she'd tell Killian that she loved him and he would do the same. At least she hoped he would.
"From what I know about Liam," Emma said, changing the subject and prompting a relieved exhale from her friend as she did, "he's even more obsessed with his work than Killian. He's built a big business, made a lot of money, and he's very proud of that."
Elsa let out a barked out laugh that sounded more hostile than anything Emma usually heard from her kind, often quiet friend.
"I know the type. Money is important to some people, Emma, but you just have to remember that you're impressive too. You're making a name for yourself in an industry that is tremendously unfriendly to newcomers. Don't let him intimidate you. You're the one doing something hard. You're following your passion and making that a business. Money is just money."
Clearly Elsa's words and opinions were prompted from her experience with people in ritzier circles. Emma couldn't imagine what it had been like for Elsa growing up rich. When she was a kid, Emma was as dirt poor as one could be, and in college she'd worked like crazy to keep her ship afloat on top of all of the scholarships she earned. Only now did she feel like she was starting to find her bearings and build up the kind of savings people were supposed to strive for.
But Elsa had never been comfortable floating around at society galas and she'd never been content with being an heiress. She wanted to work and she wanted to create, and she also wanted to do things on her own. Luckily she had a family that could support that despite their own entanglements with the upper class world, but not everyone from Elsa's past was as understanding, and Emma knew that irked her friend more than anything.
"So I should go up to him, shake his hand, and then immediately tell him that I'm better than him?" Emma teased, knowing that the whole idea was preposterous. From the way Elsa broke into a smile and let her earlier tensions ease away, Emma knew the joke had been well received.
"Okay maybe not… Wait! You know what works for everyone, money or not? Food – more specifically cupcakes." Elsa pulled down a binder from one of the shelves above her. "I know I have something in here he would like. There are some universal flavor profiles after all. I'll make something and you can bring it. Then you'll win him over without any problems at all."
"You're the best, Elsa," Emma said, coming around to hug her friend and Elsa laughed.
"I try. But for your sake I won't go telling Ruby or Mary Margaret that you said that. You know how they get when anyone picks favorites. It always blows up into a 'who can be a better friend' competition."
Emma agreed with Elsa that it was for the best that they keep that last remark on the down low, but she thanked Elsa again before heading back into the larger fray of the shop. When she did she spotted Ruby and Mary Margaret very clearly not speaking with the Millers, but gossiping amongst themselves, and was about to poke fun when the bell above the door jingled and Mary Margaret looked up and then immediately went white as a sheet. Emma followed her friend's gaze to the door and found herself biting back a curse.
What the fuck is Kathryn Parker doing here?! Emma yelled internally and she moved without any thought at all towards Mary Margaret, trying to shield her friend from the rude and sometimes even cruel woman that they'd met at college. With her shiny blonde hair and lithe frame, Kathryn thought herself the bell of the ball, and Emma had never liked her, even before everything happened between Mary Margaret and her all those years back.
"We're closed," Ruby tossed out upon seeing Kathryn and the blonde woman paused but then smiled meanly.
"Really? The sign on the door says open, and as a new business I can't imagine you can just go turning away customers," Kathryn said, tilting her head in silent challenge.
"Well broaden your mind to the possibility, honey, because we are too damn busy for whatever game you're playing." Ruby's words were greeted with a laugh from Kathryn and her movement further into the shop.
"Oh Ruby, you always were a trip. And I'm not playing any game. I'm getting married."
Kathryn offered her hand out for them all to see, and there, resting on her finger was a ring so ghastly that Emma actually winced. It was way too big, way too tacky, and clearly a statement of wealth over love. How anyone could find a rock like that romantic was beyond Emma. It lacked any kind of taste in her opinion, but it also did the job of announcing to the world (and the satellites taking pictures from outer space) that Kathryn was engaged.
"Wow. So you finally tricked a man into tying himself to you. I'll keep him in my prayers," Ruby quipped and Kathryn's smile evaporated. Now she just looked cold and angry.
"I'll let David know you said that," She spat out and Emma's gut clenched as she felt the energy shift behind her.
David Nolan was the one person Mary Margaret had ever been in love with. It started off harmlessly enough, with the two of them in many of the same classes and study groups while they were all at Columbia, but from the start Mary Margaret liked him as more than a friend. He had always been dating Kathryn though, and while everyone could tell that he wasn't actually interested, Mary Margaret told Emma that it was expected of him. David's father was very controlling and had already arranged for David and Kathryn to be together for the sake of some big business merger between the two families. Emma always thought that David would man up one day and break it off, but then a few weeks before graduation, Mary Margaret told them all she never wanted to talk about David again and they agreed no questions asked, not wanting to upset her any further with whatever was going on.
"I'm going to go in back and -,"
Whatever words Mary Margaret was about to say died on her lips as the bell above the door jingled again and in walked David himself. As far as awkward situations went this had to be the worst one Emma had ever lived through, but it only got more confusing when David spied all of them and his shock and horror were clearly evident. But through those obvious responses, there was an underlying tone of disbelief and maybe even happiness.
"Mary Margaret?"
It felt like spying on a far too intimate moment watching these two people with the kind of history they had crossing paths after so long. Emma felt the need to go and give them privacy, but then she watched as every shield and barrier Mary Margaret had was erected against him. Her loving and often overly-open friend was suddenly untouchable and she withdrew so quickly, it made Emma's head spin.
"I can't," Mary Margaret whispered and ran back towards her office, with Emma and Ruby both wanting to go after her. As soon as they figured out this horror show, they were going to do just that. Meanwhile, David looked liable to follow her and Kathryn moved to stop him.
"David, darling, you made it. We were just talking about you." Kathryn oozed the words with a fakeness that made Emma's stomach turn. God, how could anybody be so openly malicious?
"Kathryn, I don't know what you think you're doing but-," David was cut off by a sharp laugh from the crazy woman at his side.
"Well I'm planning the wedding, silly."
"The wedding?" David laughed and then looked to Emma and Ruby and realized they both thought she was serious. "Kathryn there is no wedding!"
A beat past where Kathryn didn't say anything, and the room was so thick with tension one could cut it with a knife. The anger and rage radiating off of this woman was palpable, but she wasn't the only one who was angry. David looked pissed, and Emma knew for a fact that Ruby was just as mad at Kathryn for doing this as she was. Finally, Kathryn appeared to regain her composure, and she just ran her hand up and down David's arm.
"I guess my little surprise isn't going the way I hoped. I just thought we could get some guidance from some old friends. We'll talk about this later. Emma. Ruby."
"Bitch," Ruby muttered under her breath, and Emma was right there agreeing with that title as they watched Kathryn leave. Only when she was gone and out of sight did Emma breathe easy again. Then her eyes moved to David who was gazing in the direction that Mary Margaret had walked towards. Emma's protective instincts rose and her own walls came back up again in an instant.
"I think you should leave, David," Emma said firmly but when he looked at her, Emma's heart went out to him. Clearly he was miserable over this.
"I had no idea Kathryn would come here," David began, trying to explain himself as Ruby huffed out an angry breath.
"She might be evil, but she does have taste. Not that we'd ever work on a wedding for her. I'd actually rather die."
"You guys, you have to believe me. It's not true. I'm not marrying Kathryn. She's been hounding me recently and said if I met her at this address she'd stop. I didn't know where here was until it was too late. I called things off between us a long time ago." Emma wanted to believe David, and her internal sirens that usually rang when someone lied weren't going off, but when it came to the wellbeing of one of her friends, she couldn't be too careful.
"Well she clearly doesn't know that. Instead she's coming here out of spite to torture my best friend. Why is that?" David flinched at Emma's accusatory tone, but he eventually manned up and spoke the truth.
"Because she knows that I've only ever loved one woman and that woman is Mary Margaret."
David's confession hung in the air between them all until finally Ruby countered with the burning questions both she and Emma had.
"If you love her, why didn't you ever tell her? Why didn't you fight for her? It's been years David. She's moved on. She has a new life now."
"I tried to! But something happened and she wouldn't talk to me. One day I had ended things with Kathryn and gone against my father ready to choose Mary Margaret, and the next she was saying she never wanted to talk to me again. I tried for weeks but she shut me out and there was no way back in. Finally I realized that even if I didn't understand why, I was hurting her too much. Seeing me for whatever reason caused her pain and I couldn't do that to her, so I walked away even though I knew it was a mistake."
"Mary Margaret wouldn't just right someone she cared about off, David. Not without a reason."
These words from Emma were softer than the others, and something seemed to occur to David in that moment. Emma couldn't say exactly what was running through the man's mind, but eventually he spoke again, more determined to fix this then even before.
"Whatever it is, I'll find out and I'll make it right. I swear I'll make it right."
With that David turned and walked out the door, leaving Emma and Ruby standing there in the middle of the store both wondering how the hell the day had gone so wonky. Another second or two past, but then Emma was in motion and pulling Ruby with her so that they could find Mary Margaret and try and comfort her about all of this. But soon enough they realized their friend was just beyond the bend in the hall, standing with Elsa who must have come out at some point. Being this close there was a very good chance she had heard everything and Emma's heart went out to her.
"So you caught all that, huh?" Ruby asked and Mary Margaret gave a jerked nod.
"Yeah. I heard it." Mary Margaret's voice was so closed off right now, like she was numbed to everything happening. Emma didn't know how to take that. Was she angry? Shocked? Overwhelmed?
"Want us to go back out there and kick his ass? He can't have gotten far." Elsa offered and Mary Margaret shook her head.
"I think he was telling the truth." Emma, Ruby, and Elsa all gaped at Mary Margaret's words. If she truly believed David loved her and hadn't done anything wrong, why wasn't she going after him? But then she clarified. "I mean about not marrying Kathryn."
"Why do you think that?" Emma asked and Mary Margaret gave a sad attempt at a smile.
"The ring was wrong."
"You can say that again," Ruby retorted, clearly about the size and cut and not for whatever other reason Mary Margaret was thinking.
"David told me once that the only ring he'd ever give his future wife was his mother's, and that wasn't it. The one he showed me was smaller, nicer. It was really beautiful actually." The wistfulness in her friend's voice couldn't be ignored, and Emma thought to herself how telling it was that a college guy had shown a girl his mother's ring. Who did that with someone they didn't actually care about? Definitely no one Emma had ever met.
"And you're sure that he wasn't telling the truth about the rest of it?" Emma asked, placing her hand on Mary Margaret's arm as a sign of support.
"I don't know what I believe anymore," Mary Margaret said. "If you'd asked me that ten minutes ago I'd say yes. But now… do you think I should go after him and hear him out? I don't even know where – I mean – I shut him out for so long. I had to go cold turkey – I had to cut him out of my life completely and try to forget about all of it. I don't know where I'd even start to look to find him."
The fear in Mary Margaret's voice spoke to her lingering feelings for David, and in that moment Emma knew that this was all going to work out. Whatever had transpired all those years ago, there was an explanation for it. There had to be. Two people with intense emotions that remained after all this time had to find their way back to each other. Emma truly believed that.
"He'll be back," Ruby said definitively and Mary Margaret looked relieved and hopeful.
"How can you be so sure?" she asked and Ruby looked to Emma for confirmation.
"Did that look like a guy who was going to let this go?"
"Not even a little bit," Emma agreed and Mary Margaret nodded, still trapped in her daze. Emma wondered if she was going to be okay when finally Mary Margaret straightened up and shook it off.
"Well whatever happens, we have business to take care of here. I let Kathryn Parker take enough from me back then. I won't give her the satisfaction of causing problems with my work."
"Atta, girl. And you know what? I could probably whip up some of that safe to eat cookie dough if you -,"
"Yes!" Ruby and Emma yelled at the same time on Mary Margaret's behalf. There were few things in the world that could ease a heartache like Elsa's cookie dough.
"I think that's exactly what we need," Ruby said and they all agreed to that and to a drink after the shop closed for good measure before going their separate ways again and trying to let things go back to normal.
But as she walked back to her appointments, reemerging into the calls on her time for the day once again, Emma had to admit one thing: She might be nervous about meeting Liam, and she might question her ability to make a good impression, but what she didn't have to question was Killian or the fact that he wanted her and that he was going to continue to want her no matter what. Whatever happened at this dinner, Emma truly believed they would make it out okay, and that, after everything she'd witnessed this afternoon, was a comfort Emma would cling to as long as she could.
Post-Note: So there we have it. I know some of you are probably wondering why I separated the Snowing get together like this, but I've got a vision, and I promise the way they make up will be worth it (basically big confessions and cuteness abound because I live for adorable 'I love yous' and reunions scenes). Plus there are happy endings for everyone in all my stories, or at least the good guys, and those added happy endings always feel like they add an extra layer of fluff for CS themselves. Anyway, thank you all so much for reading and I hope you all have a wonderful rest of your day!