A/N: Hello, hello! I apologise for this being a day late - I felt awful yesterday so was in bed quite early last night.
Thank you so much for your wonderful reviews! I love hearing what you guys have to say! Thank you also for the follows/favourites over the week!
For those who may be interested, I posted my one-shot Enraged Confessions during the week if you want to check it out too!
Keep Smiling!
It has been two weeks since their return from the Underworld. Killian has become more and more withdrawn from everyone, leaving his room at the bed and breakfast early in the morning and arriving quietly in the late evening. According to Granny, he rarely speaks other than to thank her for the food she forces on him - of which he eats very little. Emma has officially moved into her new house, but it isn't home yet, no when Killian isn't there with her.
The pirate in question hasn't been seen much. He has hesitantly agreed to go on a few lunch dates with Emma and one with Robin. However, he always remained quiet and glanced awkwardly at those who were around him. The guilt he carries after his actions as the Dark One, and how the Darkness made him feel, weigh very heavily on his shoulders.
Emma can sense that something is very amiss with Killian thanks to their shared heart. There is very little happiness in him, dampened down by anger and such sadness. She wants to help him, but hasn't wished to push him so he just retreats from her again.
It is after another long shift at the Station and no desire to return to an empty house that spurs on Emma's thoughts of visiting Granny's to see if Killian is in his room. She passes Granny herself as she moves towards his room. The gentle nod she is given by the elderly woman tells her that he is in.
She finds his room and stands outside it for a moment, praying that he will open up. She knocks strongly on the door but receives no answer. Taking a deep breath, she tries the handle and opens the door. Emma winces at the loud squeak it makes.
Her gaze fixes on Killian almost immediately. He is laying on the end of the bed, feet planted on the floor and his right arm thrown over his eyes. He doesn't acknowledge her as the door shuts.
"Are you all right?" Her voice is quiet, soothing. Yet, her love does not respond. "Killian, please. Talk to me. I love you and want to help you."
Emma still receives no answer. She pulls off her jacket as she moves into his room. It is thrown over one of the chairs before she suddenly climbs onto the bed, straddling his lap. Killian swiftly removes his arm and looks up at her.
"I won't leave until you talk to me." Emma says, kindly.
He sighs and sits up a moment later, arms moving so they loosely wrap around Emma's waist. Emma pushes his long hair away from his eyes and strokes his cheek with the back of her fingers. Killian's jaw ticks once before he drops his head to Emma's shoulder. Her hand shifts so she cups the back of his head, allowing her fingers to thread through his hair. She offers him silent comfort for a lengthened few minutes.
"What's wrong, Killian?" she asks, her voice no more than a rasp. "I've barely seen you the past couple of weeks. I've missed you."
Killian shudders out a sigh against her skin. He thinks for a moment.
"How can you still love me after everything I've done?"
Emma pulls back and cups his face in her palms so he looks at her.
"That wasn't you." she says firmly. "That was the Darkness controlling you and manipulating your thoughts."
"But Emma-"
"I've been in the same position, Killian." Emma reminds. "It takes any good memory and warps it into something horrible. It takes old hates and regrets and fears, twisting them and causing you to act on them."
Killian searches his girlfriend's eyes, seeking the truth he knows it there. He can feel tears welling in his own eyes.
"I love you, Killian," Emma continues. "and if I believed for even a second that you were not worth it then I would never have risked my life as much as I have for you. Most importantly, a half of my heart would not be beating away in your chest which proves just how much I love and trust you, Killian Jones."
A heavy sob makes it way out of Killian's throat. Emma lets him bury his face in her neck again, his entire body trembling.
"Despite what you think, no one hates you and no one distrusts you in any way. You are simply Killian Jones; my Killian Jones."
He slumps into her body more and Emma welcomes him. She presses gentle kisses to the side of his head until his cries have mostly died and he emerges, looking at her. Emma wipes away his tears before she runs her hands through his hair again, fingers gripping the long strands extremely easily.
An idea comes to mind then and she smiles slightly.
"I think that you would feel better if you were a little more yourself." she says.
Killian's brows draw together in confusion. "How?"
Emma smiles and kisses Killian's forehead. "I can't see that devilishly handsome face with all that hair in the way."
He catches on to what she is referring and nods. "I trust you, Emma."
She smiles again and climbs off his lap. Grabbing hold of his hook, Emma guides Killian into the adjoining bathroom. She turns on the light and nudges him towards the small bath tub.
"Can you lean over it for me?" she asks and he nods in response.
Quickly, she organises a few towels before standing on Killian's right side to reach for the showerhead. She drops a kiss to his head where he is kneeling to lean over the booth before washing his hair for him, helping him to relax.
Once she has rinsed him off, Emma lightly towel dries his hair so it doesn't drip much before draping it around his shoulders. She helps him stand and guides him back to the bed.
"I'll be just a minute." she says, smiling softly at him.
She walks into the bathroom once more, grabbing one of the larger towels from the side cabinet. Whilst she is out of sight, she produces a pair of scissors that she can use.
"Where are we doing this, Swan?" His voice carries into the bathroom, which Emma quickly exits with items in hand.
A smile comes to her lips and she spreads out the towel on the foot of the bed. She pats it and her pirate immediately sits down. Emma decides to start in the back so climbs onto the bed and kneels behind him, knees hugging his hips.
Killian's hair is cut in a very comfortable silence, Emma moving the scissors carefully. Once the back of his head is completed, she stands in front of him, his legs either side of her. The hair in front is mostly trimmed and Emma uses her fingers to test the length of his hair, cutting a few bits here and there to ensure it is even. After a few more minutes, Emma puts down the scissors and picks up his comb, brushing his hair through.
"All done." she says, putting the comb back.
Killian looks up at her before he leans forwards, resting his forehead on her chest. Emma rests her chin on his damp hair, her arms draping loosely over his shoulders. She lets him stay in that position as long as he needs to, knowing that he still needs to sort through his thoughts.
He pulls back and smiles weakly up at her. Emma leans forwards and kisses his forehead.
"There's my pirate." she mumbles lovingly. Her hands brush slowly through his hair once more before beginning to clean everything up, insisting Killian relaxes.
She takes the towels into the bathroom and shakes off the hair into the bin before hanging them up on the rack. Exiting the bathroom, Emma sees that Killian is now laying down, head propped up against the headboard. She pulls off her boots and climbs onto the mattress, laying beside her boyfriend. Her arms open and Killian very willingly cuddles against her like she has done with him many times, mindful of his hook against her side.
"Thank you, Emma." His voice is incredibly quiet, but much less haunted than earlier. "You were right. I just needed to be myself again."
Emma's fingers run over his neck, over the shell of his ear and against his hairline soothingly.
"You will always be the man I love, Killian. Nothing will change that."
Killian's face turns into Emma's chest, his lips pressing a delicate kiss there.
"I love you so much, Emma." he says, voice thick with emotion. "I'm so sorry for how I've been behaving. I shouldn't have been so distant."
"Don't be so silly." Emma chides, fingers slipping through his hair. "You needed the space but I want you to know that you can come to me about this sort of thing - I do understand it."
Killian nods against her, releasing a breath. A question comes to Emma's mind, one she has been wanting to ask for a while now. Yet, she hesitates. He notices the signs in her body quickly and pulls back to look at her.
"What's going on in that beautiful head of yours?" he asks.
Emma smiles sheepishly. With a deep breath she asks, "Will you move in with me? It isn't just my house, it is our home."
Killian's eyes fill with tears as his lips stretch into a smile. His hand raises to cup her cheek.
"I would love to, Emma. I would absolutely love to."
A grin appears on Emma's face. She lifts her head and meets Killian in the middle for a kiss. But this isn't just any kiss.
Warmth fills their entire bodies as a rainbow of light bursts outwards from them. They quickly part with wide eyes, realising what has just occurred. Their gazes meet and they each grin widely, any troubles momentarily forgotten.
"I love you so much, Killian Jones." Emma whispers.
Killian looks at his True Love with such tenderness, it makes her heart soar higher than ever before.
"I love you too, Emma Swan. With all our heart."
End note: Please review! :)