It's been a while on this one, hasn't it!? The reasoning is that I've been pretty busy writing my Hiatus AU, "Family," and life has been pretty crazy lately! But I have this book with like 600 different prompts for writing in it and I decided that maybe I'd try something new, just to keep my writing skills fresh and give them a challenge over the rest of the summer. I'll take prompts out of the book and write them to CaptainSwan! Of course, if you have another prompt, feel more than free to send it to me too!

This prompt was "a conversation about you that you weren't supposed to overhear!"

Disclaimer: Ha ha. You're funny.

Enjoy!

Overheard

A conversation about you that you weren't supposed to overhear.

She didn't mean to listen to the conversation. In fact, she was an entire room away, and initially had no idea that they were only a few feet away. It just sort of happened, and if she had left the room once she realized what they were talking about, then it would have only seemed more suspicious. Nope, she was stuck here, listening in to the conversation between Killian and her father.

It had started out simple enough, with Killian asking if he could talk to David with a mimicked "aye" coming a moment later, the voices muffled through the wall. Emma figured it would be about something unimportant, and tuned out for a while, turning back to her book.

Only when her ears picked up the word marriage did she pay closer attention to what they were saying. She couldn't hear everything from her vantage point, but one thing was blatantly obvious, they were talking about her.

She heard Killian mention something about Milah, and it brought back memories from a conversation they had not long before, revisiting the topic they had discussed back when Marian had caused such pain for Regina. Emma had felt guilty about it all, about starting a relationship of her own when she completely ruined someone else's. She had fought him off with an argument about Milah, and "what if she had come back to life instead of Marian? What would you do then?" Killian hadn't said much, other than the fact that he would choose her, Emma, over and over. He had loved Milah, yes, but he wasn't in love with her anymore, and there was only one person he wanted for the rest of his life.

Then she could make out her father's voice, accompanied by a laugh. Her boyfriend and father, as odd as it was, were close mates, or at least as close as you could be when you're a 300 year old pirate dating his friend's daughter who also happens to be the same age as all three of them. David would have no opposition to accepting Killian's plea for her hand in marriage, but her mother was another story, as was evident when he made the comment that maybe Killian should ask Snow as well.

Conversation dried up over the next few minutes, and Emma turned back to her book once again, trying to focus on the words on the page instead of the meaning of the two men talking next door, the implications of the discussion finally making their way into her mind. She almost jumped when a softer voice filled the quiet silence, indicating her mother's addition to the conversation. Killian's voice was shakier now, once again explaining his love for their daughter and his intentions to marry her.

The problem was, Emma couldn't quite make out what her mother was saying. Her voice was just a bit too soft to clearly make its way through the wall, even as Emma inched closer to it. And then, suddenly, the voices all vanished, instead being replaced by three sets of footsteps, one of which was headed towards her room.

With a jump, Emma hurried back to the chair she had been sitting in, throwing her legs over the side and quickly settling herself in, opening the book back up to a random page just as her pirate opened the door. "Love, you in here?"

"Right…" she started, her voice cracking. She cleared her throat and began again, "Right here."

He closed the door behind him, making his way into the room with a soft smile on his face. Emma moved to make room for him on the oversized chair so he could sit with her, and he did so quickly, wrapping an arm around her and placing a kiss to her forehead before glancing at her book. "What are you doing here?" she asked, trying to stay calm, "I thought you had to work today."

Killian laughed, his arm wrapping tighter around her, "I wanted to talk to your father about something. The real question is, what are you doing here? It's not like you to take a day off."

"Dad forced it upon me," she commented, smiling, "Said I needed a break since I had so many vacation days built up. Plus, with Robin joining the force we get more time off. What did you want to talk to David about?"

He shook his head lightly, pressing his lips against her forehead once more, "Nothing to be concerned about. Now, what are you reading?" he said, trailing off and changing the subject. If only he knew.

~K&E~

It took over a week for him to finally ask. Emma was growing more and more uncomfortable, still unsure what her mother had said to the pirate during their discussion. It wasn't that her was afraid Snow turned Killian down, but simply that she hated this waiting. She wanted to marry Killian more than anything, but he had to actually ask first.

Then, in an odd move, he asked if she wanted to go for a walk after dinner with her parents, and it was impossible for Emma to miss the glances between her parents and her boyfriend as they stood from the table. Henry was with Regina for the night, and the family dinner had been more like some awkward sort of double-date in the Charming's apartment. Normally after these sorts of things they just headed home, but tonight they made their way just out of town to the toll bridge. Emma couldn't help but realize the irony of the situation, as well as the thoughtfulness he had obviously put into the moment.

Suddenly he slowed a little ways from the bridge itself, turning and sort of grabbing her other hand with his hook. He may not have a hand, but they did it often enough, Emma accepting the piece of metal as a part of him, gripping it as if it were his own flesh.

"Emma…" he started, his breathing picking up, and she smiled a bit.

"Killian? You brought me out here for more than one reason tonight, didn't you?" Emma asked, their eyes locking.

"Listen. I...300 Years ago I loved a woman named Milah, and I thought that I would love her for eternity. I thought that she was my true love and that, when she died, I was destined to be alone, a villain forever. But you proved all of that wrong. You saw past the moniker and the tough shell I built up and you made me a better person because of it. So yeah, I did bring you here for more than one reason" he finished before bending down on one knee, looking back up at her as his fingers fumbled around in one of his coat pockets. "When we traveled back in time and watched your parents fall in love, I couldn't help but wonder what it might be like for you to wear that ring too" Killian continued, pulling out the ring she recognized as her mother's, the same one she had worn 30 years in the past, the one her mother had stolen from her father on the adventure that led them to true love. "So will you, Emma Swan, marry me?"

A soft cry left Emma as she quickly moved down to his level, her knees hitting the ground as she took his face in her hands, "Of course I will marry you. I'll marry you a million times over." She pulled him to her then, their lips locking while her arms moved around his neck. After a moment he stood, taking her with him, arms around her waist as he spun her around. Once her feet were back on the ground she laughed as he slipped the ring onto her finger.

As they walked back towards the town, hand in hand, Emma let out another laugh. Killian glanced at her from the corner of his eye, "What?"

"I have a bit of a confession." He responded with a smirk. "I may have overheard you talking to my parents the other day about this."

"You what?" Killian asked, halting their movement as she began a fit of giggles. "Emma Swan, you sneaky little…" he said, attacking her with his fingers, running them over her stomach to make her laugh even harder. When she was just about crying, he picked her up and threw her over his shoulder.

"Killian, what are you doing!? Put me down!" she cried out, beating lightly against his back with her fists.

"Oh no no no," he said with a mocking tone. "I do believe the princess is in trouble. Listening in on my private conversations."

"The princess?" she asked with a laugh, "more like your princess."

"Aye. My Princess" he finished, carrying them both back towards town and their new future together.