Last Friday this story passed its first anniversary. The story starts in April and while I didn't specify a date, the one I chose was April 22nd because that was the actual day this story was born. It came to be randomly, just a fleeting idea that maybe I could try a real AU and put Emma and Killian at the beach, one of my favorite places. I didn't start for a writing for a while later (we'll celebrate that anniversary too) but I thought I'd share to give those of you who have read along from the beginning a bit of random A/N history.
Chapter 38: Killian
"Hello?" Killian answered his cell phone.
"Killian?" An elderly voice asked.
"Yes?"
The line crackled and then the voice became clearer. "Killian, it's Beverly. Sorry about that, I must have been in a bad service area. How are you?" The owner of his condo asked.
With a start Killian realized that it had already become mid-September, a hint of fall in the air and less than two months before his lease was supposed to end.
"I ah, I'm good. How are you?" He managed to ask, brain churning over the prospect of finding another place to live.
"Good, good. Bill and I are having a great time down here. How has the town treated you this summer?" Beverly wanted to know.
Killian couldn't help but smile, thinking back over the tourist season he had spent in the tiny seaside town. "Oh it has been rather kind to me. It's truly beautiful here. I ended up working at a marina in Dewey and filling in as the piano player at Coconut's." Killian told her.
"Oh that's wonderful! I see Rita did her job of finding you musical work." Beverly said.
"She did. Your list of suggestions was also rather helpful. I'm very fond of the crepes Betsy makes." Killian replied.
Beverly sighed wistfully. "Oh I miss those crepes. Now forgive me for sounding like a meddling grandmother, but have you found anyone? I'd hate to see such a nice boy like yourself alone."
Killian laughed. Beverly sounded exactly like a meddling grandmother but Killian found he didn't mind. He had a feeling she was the cheek pinching type to send you home with a dozen cookies too. "I have. There was a lass that caught my eye not long after arriving here and we've recently started dating."
On the other end of the line Beverly clapped. "Wonderful. I wonder if we know her."
Killian hesitated for a moment unsure of how to reply. "Her name is Emma Swan. She works at Mad Hatter Auto and is a waitress at Coconut's during the summertime."
"Hmm." Beverly replied, thinking hard. "Oh, Emma! Is she blonde? Friends with Rachelle, although that girl hasn't gone by her given name since she was a child."
Killian laughed again. He had nearly forgotten Ruby's first name, so used to calling her by her nickname like everyone else. "Yes, that's her."
"Beautiful girl. I don't know if we've ever spoken but I'm sure she's wonderful." Beverly said.
"Yes. She is." Killian replied, finding himself pleasantly surprised and pleased that a woman he barely even knew would speak so highly of his girlfriend.
"Ah, now I suppose you're wondering why I'm calling. Not as though I don't mind just catching up with my favorite tenant." Beverly said changing the subject.
"Aren't I your only tenant?" Killian asked catching on quickly.
"That's semantics. Anyway, I know we initially told you that your lease would run through October, but I was curious to see if you'd be interested in staying on longer? Bill and I haven't been able to decide what we want to do with the condo and if you're there…" She trailed off.
Killian breathed a sigh of relief. "That would be great actually. The summer has passed by so quickly hasn't realized how near the end of my lease term I was. I'd be glad to stay on. How long would you like me to stay?"
"At least through the end of the year. I know that's only a little over three months and may not be worth it for you, but we're not ready to come back just yet." Beverly answered.
"No, that's fine. Really. It's quite fascinating here during the summer that I'd love to see the contrast in the winter." Killian replied.
"Splendid. I'll let Bill know. We'll keep in contact with you to let you know what we'll do at the end of the year, but please don't feel obligated to wait on us. If you plan on staying another year and find somewhere else, don't pass it up because of an indecisively elderly couple." Beverly told him.
Killian laughed. "I promise I won't."
"Good, now I'll let you get back to your afternoon. We'll keep in touch. Thank you so much Killian." She said.
"You're quite welcome. Continue to have a lovely time in Florida." He told her and disconnected the call.
-/-
Anna had thrown her arms around his neck before he had seen her coming. They were shutting down the marina for the season. "I don't care how unprofessional it is to hug an employee. You don't care right?" she asked him words tumbling from her lips at record speed, worry lines marring her features.
He awkwardly patted her on the back. "I don't."
Her face lit up again. "Oh good!" She squeezed him tight. ""You're just the best employee we've ever had. Well, you're kind of the only employee we've ever had but that doesn't matter. You've been simply wonderful to us Killian and we really can't thank you enough. I have no idea where we would be this summer if you hadn't come in on the day that you did. It's like fate or something. I don't know that I believe in fate now that I think about it. Destiny maybe?"
"Perhaps it was just meant to be." Killian offered.
"It was something, that's for sure." Kris said coming up to join them. "Anna, hon, please let go of Killian."
"What? Oh right, sorry." Anna replied, releasing him with such force he had to brace himself not to stumble backward.
Kris shot him an apologetic glance, one of many that seemed to occur when they were in Anna's presence, but like all of the others, Killian waved it away.
Almost inhumanly energetic, a splash awkward and a tad overbearing, Killian found Anna endearing. He had never met anyone as eternally optimistic and welcoming as her and in a way, she was a breath of fresh air compared to most other people.
"Do you have any plans now that the tourist season is over?" Kris asked him.
"Nothing in particular although I quite like it here. I've been offered to stay in my condo until the end of this year, which is great. I really like the place. What about you? What do you two do over the winter?" Killian asked.
Kris and Anna exchanged a look that left Killian briefly wondering if it would have been better for him not to ask.
"Anna has some distant relative who runs a trading post somewhere in Alaska. His wife is about to give birth and they're short handed so we're going to help them out." Kris replied neutrally.
"Sounds...cold." Killian managed to offer.
"Oh I'm sure it will be fine. It's not like they live in an igloo. Well, actually Oren is a bit strange but I'm fairly certain he said their house is just shaped like an igloo. Or maybe it's near igloos. I can't remember. But we'll have layers of clothing and hardly spend any time outside so it will be fine. It's not like the Alaskans go on afternoon strolls. Wait, what if they do?" Anna rambled on.
"I would assume that would only be a summertime activity." Killian offered.
"I'm sure you are right." Anna declared.
"We really can't thank you enough for all of your help this summer. Anna is right, I'm not sure what we would have done without you." Kris said, holding out an envelope to Killian. "Here, take this."
Killian shook his head. "It's not necessary. Working here was all my pleasure."
"Take it." Kris pressed and Killian refused, back and forth until the envelope was shoved into his hand. He could feel the cash within.
He slid his fingernail under the corner of the envelope, catching the paper to pull back the flap. His eyes widened as he took in the amount of stack of bills within. He thrust the envelope back in the other man's direction. "Absolutely not. You have plans to remodel and add to this place. No way in hell am I taking your hard earned money when it could go towards that instead."
Kris folded his arms over his chest, refusing the envelope. "I barely paid you above minimum wage! We did well this season. Take it, you deserve it."
"I told you when you hired me it wasn't about the money. I simply wanted to work somewhere where I could be useful and you provided me with that. I need nothing else." Killian argued.
"You worked your ass off! I guarantee you half the reason we did so well is because of you. The jet skis were always cleaned and refueled before the next rental. The boats were kept in immaculate shape. Even the lot." Kris argued back.
"You let me take out the boats for personal excursions. That's bonus enough." Killian countered.
"You know the blue tip jar that sat at the register in the rental office?" Anna asked, butting in.
Killian nodded. The jar rarely had more than a handful of change or a few singles in it.
"The majority of the money in that envelope came from there. The customers loved you Killian! I had to constantly empty the jar and put the money in the safe. You earned it, seriously." Anna told him.
Killian felt himself flush with a mixture of pride and embarrassment. He had no idea the customers had made a special trip into the rental office to leave a tip for him. He had been asked here and there for one at the jet ski rental shed but had simply told the customers tips were not accepted. In his eyes he had done nothing special, simply coming to work each day with a smile on his face and an opportunity to spend time near the water. Killian looked at the cash in the envelope again.
He extracted a single hundred dollar bill. "I'll concede and accept this."
Anna and Kris looked at each other and Killian knew they were having a conversation without communicating.
"Fine." Kris said eventually, taking the envelope from Killian's outstretched hand. "But you promise me right now that if you're here next summer and wish to work here again, you let me pay you what I seen as fair from the start."
Killian thought about it for a moment and agreed with a nod of his head, holding out his hand for the other man to shake.
-/-
Feeling his own wave of melancholy at the end of the tourist season, Killian made his way to Coconut's to have a beer. The lack of patrons within startled him, as did seeing that one of the overflow dining rooms had already been closed off until they needed the extra space next year. He found Ruby at the bar and slid onto his usual stood, waiting for her to head over in his direction.
"Hey Killian! What brings you in?" Ruby asked.
"I spent the afternoon closing up the marina with Anna and Kris and thought I might reward myself with a cold adult beverage." Killian answered.
"Has it hit you yet?" Ruby asked. "The end of the season?"
Killian nodded, accepting the bottle she placed in front of him. "I think it's beginning to. You get used to it, I assume?"
"Oh yeah, in a week you'll be thrilled they're all gone." Ruby laughed.
She moved to the end of the counter and collected cash from another patron before coming back over to him. "So isn't your lease ending soon? Are you staying around?"
Killian hid the surprise from his face at her line of questioning. "It is, or rather it was. Yesterday I got a call from the condo owners and they let me know they still haven't decided whether they want to stay in Florida permanently or not and have asked me if I'd be willing to extend my lease throughout the end of the year. I agreed." Killian replied.
"Have you mentioned any of this to Emma by chance?" Ruby asked.
"No, why?" Killian asked.
"Don't be dense, blue eyes. Emma is worried that you're going to leave but is being stubborn and refusing to ask you about it." Ruby told him.
Realization dawned on Killian. It explained why Emma had been slightly more distant recently. "Ah, I hadn't thought about that. I'll let her know tonight. We have plans for dinner."
-/-
"They're all gone." She said with a sigh, looking wistfully out the window at the empty street.
"Who is?" Killian asked, concerned.
"The tourists." Emma replied as though the answer were obvious.
"I seem to remember meeting a lass this past April who wasn't fond of tourists; the kind that came for a week's vacation or those who stayed around longer. 'Extended tourist' I believe she called them. Funny thing, this lass looked an awful lot like you." Killian teased her.
Emma rolled her eyes at him. "I'm not fond of tourists. They make finding long-term rentals hell, they can't drive for shit, they get in the way of everything and they make fifty miles in either direction a driving nightmare. But they put money in my pocket and they bring this town to life. I spend half more than half the year being able to drive the speed limit and not wait in ridiculously long lines. The town is sleepy and quiet and everything moves at a slower pace. Then May rolls around and it's like a switch flips. Everything is busy and hectic and crazy. And then before you know it, it's September and the switch has been flipped again. I mean, I obviously don't hate them or I wouldn't live in a resort town but it's an adjustment." Emma explained.
Killian nodded. "I suppose I'd never thought of it like that, but it makes sense. I had a bit of a similar feeling closing up the marina with Kris and Anna today."
"Do you remember that feeling on the Fourth of July? How it felt like the entire town had come alive; how you could practically feel the excitement and energy in the air? Winter here is the opposite, but it's somehow the same. It's like a calm peacefulness. You breathe in the cold air a little deeper and walk a little slower and it's like you can feel the buildings sleeping, just waiting to be needed again next season. That probably sounds ridiculous." Emma said abruptly, blushing slightly.
Killian reached his hand out across the table to cover hers. "Not at all love. It's a beautiful description of the contrast in seasons here."
"Are either of you interested in dessert?" The waitress asked, breaking them out of their spell.
Killian looked to Emma who shook her head slightly. "No thank you, just the check please."
"So you closed up the marina today? Now what?" Enma asked him.
"I'm not sure. Perhaps enjoying the dwindling pace of the town. Kris tried to give me a ridiculous bonus today which I refused." He answered, grabbing the check before she was able to.
"I thought we agreed I could pay for dinner sometimes." Emma commented, raising her eyebrows at him.
Killian shrugged. "You can. Kris insisted on some sort of bonus so I accepted a hundred dollars and it bought us dinner."
"Hmm. I guess it's okay then." Emma mused.
"I had another interesting conversation today." Killian said, sliding her hand in his as they walked down the sidewalk.
"Oh yeah? With who?" Emma asked.
"Beverly; the owner of my condo." He replied, picking up on the slight hitch in her step.
"Really? What for?" She asked and he could tell she was struggling to keep her voice neutral.
"She and Bill are unable to decide if they want to sell the condo or not. They've asked me to stay on through the end of the year." Killian replied.
He felt her relax slightly. she turned her head to his and smiled. "That's great news." She said but he could tell she was still holding back. He expected her to ask what would happen after the year end, but she remained silent.
The drive back to her cottage was quick, Killian was surprised at just how much busier tourists made the town. The first lyrics of a popular Marvin Gaye song were just beginning to play when he pulled to a stop in her driveway.
Feeling impulsive, Killian turned up the radio and grabbed Emma's hand, pulling her across the bench seat and out of the drivers side door.
"What-" she started to ask but he cut her off.
"Dance with me." He asked.
"Here?" She replied incredulously.
"I see no better of a place." He said, tugging her closer to him and wrapping his hands around her waist.
With a slight shake of her head and roll of her eyes, she gave in, arms going around his neck as her hips swayed with his.
"You've never danced under the stars?" He asked softly.
"Nope." Emma replied.
"Perhaps you should add it to your bucket list then cross it off." He suggested.
"I'm pretty sure that's not how it works." She replied.
He was about to tell her that there were no rules to bucket lists when out of nowhere fat raindrops cascaded down from the sky. Emma turned to run for the cover of her porch but he held onto her. "It's just a little rain. Finish dancing this song with me."
Emma offered him another look as though she thought he was crazy, but remained there, still swaying with him as they both got drenched. "I can't even hear the music. The song could be over."
Killian shrugged. "I can't either. I suppose we'll just have to improvise."
He ducked his head, resting his lips near her temple and picked up where the music had been drowned out by the pouring rain.
"Don't you want to know, Emma?" He asked a few moments later.
"Know what?" She asked, tilting her head up to his confused.
He removed his arm from her waist and brushed the wet tendrils of her hair off her cheek and behind her ear. "What I'm doing next year."
"Oh, um." She hesitated breaking eye contact.
He tightened his grip on her, pressing a kiss to her forehead before tilting his head to meet her eye. "Staying, Emma. I have no plans to leave. I love it here. The town is friendly, the location is beautiful and then there's this stunning blonde I can't seem to get out of my head."
"Shut up." She whispered at his compliment.
Killian shrugged as though he were considering it, but then he realized there were better things to do if she wasn't going to listen to his compliments. Ducking his head, he captured her lips in a searing kiss, swallowing her surprised gasp.