A/N: The final official chapter of this fic brings us ahead in the story one year. It starts with a celebratory dinner for Emma for her graduation from her masters program with her parents and her friends in Boston. By the end of the night there will be cuteness, a proposal and some smut. Also a bit of a flash of what will happen for Emma and Killian in the future. It's basically exactly how I end all of my other fics – with so much fluff it makes your heart hurt. Hope you all enjoy and thanks for reading!

One Year Later

Emma

Gathered around a table in a swanky Boston restaurant tonight in the North End sat a showing of Emma Swan's favorite people in the entire world. Everyone was there, her friends, her parents, even Liam and Elsa had made the trip, despite Elsa's pretty recent announcement that the two of them were expecting a new addition to their family. It was a lovely feeling, to know that all of these people cared for her as much as they did and that they wanted to celebrate the newest stage in her life with her.

"I'm so proud of you, love." It wasn't the first time Killian had whispered the words in her ear tonight, but they brought the same rush of happiness all the same. Sitting beside her, chairs pushed together and his arm around her waist, holding her close, Killian looked as handsome as ever in a black button up shirt and black blazer. This was no late night at the bar with their friends, it was a high-end party in honor of her newly earned masters degree, and Killian had spared no expense. Emma didn't need all of this, really all she'd wanted was a moment she'd already gotten, the one where she'd walked across the stage to receive her degree, and had seen him waiting in the crowd. As long as she got to come home to Killian every night, as long as he stood by her side, that would be enough.

"So you've said once or twice." Emma watched the way his blue eyes held the small reflection of candlelight from their table, but the fire there stemmed from more than their surroundings. Emma knew he had more to say, more that he wanted to tell her, but instead of pressing, he simply kissed her before Mary Margaret stood up with her glass of champagne.

"Everyone, I'd like to give a toast. To my best friend, Emma, who inspires me every day. She never stops fighting for what she wants, but she also never sacrifices friends or family to do it. Despite a grueling schedule, crazy coursework, and all sorts of field research, Emma has been there for all of us just as much as ever. When we've needed guidance, or a shoulder to cry on, or a distraction from our own crazy lives, she always delivers in a nearly selfless way. We're all lucky to have her, and today, she is more than a Master of Sociology, she's a Master of Life. To Emma!"

"To Emma!" They all chorused and as Emma sipped her champagne, she thought of how lucky she was to have all of these people, cheesy toasts and all. Over the past year, she'd been living with her three best friends, exploring all that this city had to offer as they all took the next steps in their lives.

While Emma had been studying, Mary Margaret had been doing the same, having gotten into Harvard Med like she'd wanted. Belle meanwhile, had taken a gap year, volunteering mostly with the city's literacy program. Her journey into continued academia would start in the fall when she went to Emerson College for her chance at a degree. And Ruby? Well, Ruby had taken the world by storm, to the surprise of no one. In a year she'd gone from intern to associate at one of the city's top marketing firms and continued to make a name for herself day in and day out.

Technically her home was with those friends, but Emma spent nearly every night with Killian usually at his apartment. Emma loved the everyday routine of waking up to him beside her before they started their days at work and at school. Though she hated to be away from him so long, it made their reconnection later all the sweeter. Still, Emma was slightly upset with herself. Killian had asked her when they'd both been back in school how she felt about moving in together and she'd said that she'd want to be engaged. At the time it hadn't felt like the need for them to get to that next step was so pressing, but now it was all she wanted. Killian was her forever. There was never a moment when she waivered in believing that, and she knew he was just as devoted. She just had to figure out how to make him see that she was ready.

"Emma, love, will you come with me for a minute. Just to grab a bit of air before dinner is served?" Emma nodded, happy to escape with Killian for a little while. She loved having everyone around, but she loved her moments with him too. As they walked away from the restaurant, Killian surprised Emma by pulling her across the street and moving into the building directly in front of where they'd been. Once inside he pulled her into the elevator.

"Killian, where are we going?" He turned to face her, cupping her cheek with his hand, looking so hopeful and determined, she'd never have said no to him whatever his reply was.

"Do you trust me?" She nodded filled with complete certainty. He grinned, and kissed her hand before pressing the button that said RT. Only when the doors opened did she realize RT meant Rooftop.

"Wow!" There was no other word to describe the sight before her. Here, hidden in a patch of cement amongst a larger concrete jungle was a garden, beautiful and full of color and picturesque blossoms. Strings of twinkling lights, not unlike the ones Killian had used in the observatory years ago, hung above the flowers, and with Killian's hand still in hers, Emma took a step forward, wanting to explore the amazing place Killian had brought her into.

All along the walkway were stunning bushes and trellises of flowers with everything from roses to irises to tiger lilies. They were all gorgeous and so entirely unexpected that Emma could hardly believe they were real. Yet there was no denying the sweet smell in the air, or the way the slight breeze whistled through the plants. All around them were the sounds of the city but the plants lived on, unfazed by the harshness of their surroundings.

"Do you like it, love?" She turned around to face Killian and kissed him, trying to show him exactly how much she loved the thoughtful gift. Only he could find a way to give her everything she never knew she wanted casually in the middle of dinner.

"Yes, it's like magic," she said when she finally pulled back. Killian smiled at her statement but Emma noticed a sobering of his features. One moment he was enjoying all of this with her, the next a sort of heaviness had settled over him. He pulled her over to the middle of the display and Emma noticed on the ground a smattering of rose petals. She didn't think much of it until Killian bent down on one knee before her, pulling out a tiny black box. All at once, the gesture made sense, and Emma's heart pounded in her chest. Tears welled in her eyes, because now she actually had her perfect moment.

"Emma, love, I knew from the moment I met you that you were unlike any other. It took me three years, but eventually I turned that infatuation into more. By the end of our first date there was no doubt left in my mind, you are the one for me, and there's not a day that will ever go by where I don't love you with every part of me. Please make me the happiest man in the world and say you'll be my wife." Emma felt the tears streaming down her face, and she closed her eyes just for a second, taking the time to memorize this moment. She wanted to remember this instant in time and how he'd done all of this for her for the rest of her days. When her eyes opened once more, he was anxiously awaiting her reply.

"Yes, Killian. Yes I will marry you." He was up in a split second, bringing her into his strong embrace and twirling her around in his excitement. She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her, and when he finally stopped, when her feet touched the ground once more, she went to kiss him only for him to surprise her.

"One last thing, love." Killian opened the box he'd been holding, and only then did Emma remember that she hadn't actually received the ring. Inside the little felt compartment, Emma saw the most beautiful ring, a lovely sapphire with a wreath of diamonds all around. Slipping it onto her finger, Killian smiled, the overwhelming joy in his face was undeniable, but he continued on. "I had the design slightly altered, but it was my mother's the stones and the band. She would have thanked God every day that I found you, Emma, for nothing and no one has ever made me so happy."

"You make me happy too, more than I ever imagined I could be." With that, they sealed their union with a kiss, and though they'd loved each other for quite a while, it instantly became a favorite of Emma's. The charge of passion swirling around them fed their actions, all thoughts of dinner and the others had completely left Emma's mind until she heard something in the background that didn't seem to belong. Killian pulled back and she watched a flush break out across his cheeks. His hand went to scratch at his ear and suddenly she knew that strange sort of cheering she heard was for them.

Gazing across the street, Emma saw that directly across from them were all of the people who they'd been at dinner with, watching and waving from the roof of the restaurant's building. Only slightly embarrassed, but mostly just too happy to think straight, Emma gave them a little wave.

"I didn't realize we had an audience," she said in a teasing voice to Killian.

"What can I say, love? There are an awful lot of people who want to see you happy." Emma gave a contented sigh, hugging him tighter to her. Soon enough they'd have to head back, to finish dinner and to face the fanfare of her friends and family. But right now, in this moment, she just wanted to hold him.

As if her deepest desires had been willed into fruition, Emma heard a song, wafting all around them, and it only took the first few bars for Emma to recognize it. It was their song, the one that had brought them together, and followed them ever since, playing through some hidden speakers. Emma looked up at Killian, shaking her head as she stared at him in awe.

"Jeez you really thought of everything, didn't you?" He shook his head, looking just as surprised as she did.

"This wasn't me, love."

"Ask her to dance already!" Every single one of their friends along with her parents had yelled the directive, and thankfully, Killian heeded their request.

"Shall we, Swan?" He extended his hand, which she immediately took, and there, amongst the flowers and the lights, they shared a dance to herald in their new engagement. Emma's eyes never waivered from Killian's, but if they had, she might have seen that across the way, all of her friends and her parents were dancing too, proving that true love when strong enough could change the lives of the people around it too.

….

Killian

She said yes! Killian thought to himself, still reeling from the night that he'd shared with Emma. For months he'd been trying to find the right time, warring with himself about the virtues of taking action and having patience. She'd said at one point that she wanted to graduate from all of her schooling first, and so he'd respected that, but damn if it hadn't been one of the hardest things he'd ever done.

Now at least Emma was here, lying beside him in their bed, the picture of loveliness with her golden hair splayed out on her pillow, a small smile playing at her lips even in sleep. After she'd said yes, they'd returned to the fray of festivities, a new achievement to celebrate, but Killian had waited all the while to get her home where she belonged. She'd promised in the taxi back that she'd be moving in with him straight away, and the relief that came with knowing she'd be making this her home as well was unimaginable.

Killian then spent the night showing her how right she was to say yes, and gave her a taste of everything he planned to present her with for the rest of their lives. Just thinking of all that was to come sent adrenaline coursing through him. While pleasant, the surge of energy was why he was here, completely awake at three in the morning when he should have been asleep. Maybe it was the fact that he was living a life better than any dream he'd ever had that kept his eyes open. He didn't want to risk sleep only to find that all this had been some vivid imagining in his head. His hold around Emma tightened slightly at the thought that that would happen.

"Babe, I love you, but sometimes you love me too loudly." Her mumbled teasing caused a skip in Killian's heartbeat, but he pressed a kiss to her forehead. He hadn't meant to wake her, and now felt a little guilty that she would lose sleep because of him.

"I'm sorry, love. Go back to sleep." She shook her head, the action causing her nose to brush across his shoulder, as her sleepy green eyes opened up. Running a hand across his jaw, she sent zings of pleasure coursing through him that he was powerless to stop.

"I want you to go with me. You need your rest." Killian brought her fingers to his lips to kiss them lightly at the tips.

"I'll be fine, love."

"You need to be more than fine for what I have in mind tomorrow." The gravel in her voice that spoke to these plans falling on the naughtier end of the spectrum and had Killian's already hard length twitching with want. It didn't escape Emma's notice, and she brought her hand down his chest, over the ridges of his abs until her fingers came to grasp him pulling out a moan from him. "Guess I'll have to try and tire you out."

He certainly wasn't going to argue with that logic, at worst he'd find more pleasure and then remain awake. As Emma came above him, one hand still pumping his cock, and the other placed on his stomach for balance, Killian succumbed to the pleasure of her touch and the picture she presented. With her long blonde hair falling in a curtain around her face, and her green eyes now filled with lust and satisfaction at her power over him, she was a goddess, and she was his. All of it together was going to have this over so much sooner than he wanted to, so he flipped their positions, dropping a kiss to her lips to muffle her slightly outraged protests.

"Marriage, I'm told, is a lot of negotiation, Swan, negotiations I think we should practice now. So… I'll let you have me, if I can have you first." Emma moaned as his mouth moved down to suck on her hardened nipple. Her fingers moved through his hair instinctively. Still, his love had a few words for his theory on marital sex.

"You've already had me at least half a dozen times tonight." That was true, but still he growled against her, moving towards her other breast as his hand came to open her legs wider and his fingers made their way into her sex. He contemplated giving her everything hard and fast, or stretching out the pleasure into a stronger release thanks to a slower momentum. He opted for a happy middle ground, seeking the best of both strategies.

"It's not enough, love. When will you learn, it'll never be enough?" Emma practically purred as he continued to pleasure her clit but he kissed his way down her body until he was pulling her, up, and setting his mouth at the junction of her pleasure. With a long swipe of his tongue against her, he had her bucking for more, and a grin broke out across his face. He loved to watch her come undone; it was what drove him day in and day out. Slowly he urged her closer to madness, with well placed licks and sucks designed to drive her as crazy as her very presence drove him. Soon enough he got his wish, watching as Emma writhed beneath him, eventually shattering into an orgasm that filled him with pride. As she returned back to herself he came to rise above her, kissing along her neck and her jaw.

"Please, Killian. I need you with me." He grinned against her pulse point, breathing in her scent and taking a moment to thank the Gods for her again before he whispered his acceptance of her plea.

"As you wish, love." As Killian and Emma moved together, both trying to get what they needed and wanted more than anything else, Killian listened to Emma promise him forever, and tell him that he loved her over and over. It was music to his ears, to know that the woman who had so resolutely stolen his heart had freely given hers in return, and it brought them both to the brink faster than he might have liked. But when they'd fallen, diving into the bliss they'd both been craving, Killian felt the tug of sleep pull at him for the first time all night. She'd gotten her wish, in the end, and he felt powerless to deny her.

"I promise when you wake up I'll be here. I'm not going anywhere, ever." How she'd known his irrational worry, the one that had nagged at him silently all night, Killian might never know, but her words relieved the last bit of tension that pulled at his chest. Soon enough, his eyes closed, his breathing steadied, and right after Emma joined him, both of them falling into a well-earned sleep.

….

True to her word, Emma was with Killian the next morning, and every day following that. They sailed through their engagement with all the joy one would expect, excited for the future, despite the hundreds of opinions everyone seemed to have about when and how the union should take place. Mary Margaret had even gone so far as to create a wedding theme scrapbook for the two of them, which then prompted Emma's mother to do the same. It was kindly done, but incredibly overwhelming and neither Emma nor Killian felt particularly strongly about table settings or venues. All that mattered was the person they were marrying and the promises they'd make on that special day.

Their families and friends then opted for a big ceremony. Emma was an only child, and Killian was Liam's only true family, and as such the day was planned with the intention that it would be a date to remember. Their friends were just as excited at the prospect of a big party, and Emma and Killian too liked the thought of a day just where their love was the star. So they worked through the summer to make such a magical day for the couple in just a few months time. What most of their loved ones did not know though, was that Emma and Killian were tired of waiting, and had no intention to do so.

Instead of making it through to mid-fall when they'd marry in Maine amongst the beautiful leaves and Emma's beloved fall festivities, Emma and Killian found themselves eloping on the cliffs in Dover while on a visit to Elsa and Liam in August. The service was small, but incredibly meaningful, especially to Killian, who felt his mother's presence through the entire thing. A few weeks later, when they made their vows again in front of far more people, they both meant them just as strongly, for time would never dull their ties or commitments to each other.

The life that Killian and Emma both had been dreaming of, the one with the white picket fence, and the kids and the happiness that never faded, was theirs. It was something they fought hard to protect each and every day, finding the good in nearly every moment, even those that weren't so great. Through it all they had each other, and the firm belief that love was enough and that for them it always would be.

Years later, when their children asked about how they'd met and how they'd known they were true love, Killian would always say the same thing in the face of their curiosity – when you love someone, you just know. He'd known Emma would change his life forever, known he'd love her until the end of time, and now he knew that the world they'd built together was more than magical. It was real and right for them in a way nothing else ever could be. Emma agreed with all those things, but would always tell her children just one more thing – to have a love like theirs, you needed to be brave and to let people in. True love never came to those who shied away. Instead it came to people who said yes, even in the face of fear. Thank god she'd had the strength to do just that, for it had given her a beautiful happily ever after.

Post-Note: There we have it! The final official chapter of 'Like You Do' is done. It's incredibly crazy to think that this story is so close to being over (I do have a planned epilogue coming soon), but I have loved writing it and talking with my lovely readers about it as well. I hope that you all enjoyed the story, and I thank you for reading as it truly means the world to me!