Your Case or Mine
Chapter 16
David had expected some kind of resistance, or at least a level of wariness about accompanying them to the station. But instead, August seemed willing to help. They'd asked him to voluntarily come down for an interview on the basis of him being the last person to see their first victim alive, keeping the fact that he was currently their prime suspect in her murder under wraps. Will was ready to pull out his cuffs and do things 'the hard way', but August hadn't even needed to be asked twice.
David and Will had exchanged suspicious glances as they'd walked with him to the station, wary that his willingness to help with simply a cover. It wouldn't be the first time they'd seen that tactic used by guilty parties, who were so cocky and sure of their manipulation and acting skills that they assumed they'd be able to fool the detectives.
Once they had August in an interrogation room, supplying him with a cup of coffee as a gesture meant to put him at ease, David collected the files of evidence from his office that they wanted to discuss with him. He'd gone through the interview format with Will on their way to speak to August, so he knew exactly what tactics they were going to use. They knew the man, after all, so the rapor was already established, and they'd use a casual approach to avoid alerting him that they suspected he could potentially be the killer. David would conduct the interview alone, to avoid making the man feel too much like he was being interrogated, while Will took the opportunity to do some digging into August's background, with Belle's help, while he was there.
Returning to the interview room where their potential serial killer was waiting for him, David placed the files down on the table and sat down opposite the man. He opened the file casually and pulled out the picture of the first victim, sliding it across the table as August looked at it calmly.
"As you're probably aware from the media, we're investigating a string of murders. This young woman was one of the victims."
"Taryn, right?"
August said quietly, staring at the photo, and David's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He hadn't expected an admission that he knew the woman in some capacity. August raised his eyes to David's and sighed, pushing the photo of a happy, smiling Taryn Wheeler back across the table.
"I saw her picture on the news. She came into my bar a couple times. The last time...before she, y'know," he grimaced, "She'd had some big fight with her mom, and her husband was out of town. I noticed she looked miserable so I chatted with her, and then I gave her a ride home. I don't know anything else, and I didn't even know her that well. I was just...being nice."
He sighed and shook his head, gaze flickering back to the picture across the table. David kept his expression passive, carefully choosing his words so that they wouldn't sound accusatory.
"What time did you drop her off? Did she mention what the fight with her mom was about?"
"Uh...about midnight. Maybe a little before. She was the last one left at the bar - it was a Tuesday night so it wasn't packed out. She said she was gonna hail a cab, but she looked a little worse for wear, so I figured it'd be safer to give her a ride home," he sighed again, "And she didn't go into detail about what she'd fought with her mom about. Just said she didn't want to have a kid and her mom was pressuring her."
David nodded thoughtfully, August's story checking out time-wise as far as the CCTV evidence was concerned. He pulled the other victims' photos from the other files then, laying them out side-by-side and watching the other man carefully. There was no flash of recognition in his face that David could tell, but he pushed on regardless.
"And have you seen any of these other women before? Have any of them been customers at your bar?"
August frowned, studying each photo in turn before shaking his head.
"I don't recognize any of them, other than having seen them on the news. They've never been to my bar, as far as I'm aware. Why? You think the killer meets them at my bar?"
He looked perplexed, and David narrowed his eyes slightly, trying to detect whether August was genuinely oblivious or if he was simply just a very good actor. He quickly decided to continue with the casual tone of the interview, in an effort to negate the likelihood of August suddenly shutting down and lawyering up if he showed his cards and made it too obvious that they'd brought him in for more than just a helpful, voluntarily interview.
"We're not entirely sure, but we're...looking at it from all angles. Have you heard of a man named Robert Gold?"
August stiffened, leaning back in his chair and trying to play down his instinctive reaction to the name he very clearly recognized. The color had drained from his face and he glanced toward the mirror, as though the man could be summoned Bloody Mary-style just by uttering his name.
"Uh...I'm not sure."
August replied, suddenly guarded, his knee bouncing under the table. Not a good actor then, David mused.
"Best just to tell me the truth now, mate."
August visibly gulped and eyed David cautiously across the table. He remained silent for a few moments, weighing up his options. The interview was voluntary, after all, but that didn't rule out the possibility of him being dragged in on a less than voluntary basis later on. With his shoulders dropping in defeat he shook his head.
"Look, he's not a guy you want to cross, Dave. I certainly don't wanna be on his hit list..uh, I don't mean...not a literal hit list...well, I don't know," he was flustered, and took a steadying breath, "I know of him, though I've never actually met him in person."
"Go on."
David said slowly, noting the way the other man was looking increasingly uncomfortable, gaze darting to the door repeatedly. His shoulders slumped slightly after a prolonged moment of uncertainty playing on his features and he swiped his palm across his forehead, where a faint sheen of sweat had started to form.
"I...did some jobs for him," August grimaced, "But I really don't think that's got anything to do with your case."
"What kind of jobs?"
David pressed. August folded his arms, jaw twitching as his expression hardened.
"If you want more than that, then I want a lawyer. But for the record, whatever jobs I did for him had nothing to do with any of the women in those pictures. Is that all? Can I leave now?"
After assessing him silently across the table for a few moments, David gave a succinct nod and gathered the photos, waiting until August had bolted for the door and pulled it open before calling out to him.
"Stick around, won't you, mate? We may have some more questions. I don't think your errand boy jobs for Gold had anything to do with the victims, but we may ask you to come down here again. You were the last person to see Taryn Wheeler alive, after all. I'm sure you can understand that it's just protocol for us to ask as many questions as we can. You never know what tiny, seemingly-insignificant piece of information could end up helping us crack the case and get justice for these women."
August wavered, the defensive set of his shoulders easing slightly as he finally nodded. David watched him leave and then followed him out after gathering the file contents. Will was waiting for him, a grin on his face.
"Looks like your assignment was a little more fruitful than mine. He basically just confirmed what we already know, and then pulled the shutters down and said he wanted a lawyer if we wanted more dirt on Gold."
David sighed. Will's grin didn't waver, however, and he canted his head toward his computer.
"Yep, I found some pretty juicy shit," Will replied, leading his superior over to his desk, "I'd even go so far as sayin' it could give him motive."
David's eyebrows shot up.
"For the murders?"
He asked, surprised to have such a development falling into their laps, and Will nodded, unlocking his computer and gesturing toward the screen that showed August's picture, accompanied by all the information Will and Belle had garnered about him.
"He was adopted. Spent most of his childhood in the system, and...wait fer it," Will scrolled down, "He spent some time in one of the group homes run by the Evil Queen, Ms. Regina Mills. Well, not run by her, but she inherited the family biz of tradin' in kids from her mam."
David frowned at the screen, eyes darting over the abundance of information Will and Belle had collected.
"And he has a record..."
"Yeah, but only, like, petty theft an' shit when he was a kid. There's a juvie record, but that's it. Nowt since he got adopted. Don't mean he weren't up to no good though. He was doin' Gold's dirty work. Coulda been doin' anythin' under the radar that he never got caught for. Like, y'know, murderin' women and rippin' their hearts out. What do the quacks call it? Makin' em 'surrogates' or summat? Just 'cause he got adopted don't mean he ain't still pissed at his birth mam for givin' him up. Maybe he found out she was some big hot shot and that 'triggered' his inner serial killer," Will shrugged, "It's a possible motive, ain't it?"
David processed the barrage of information silently for a moment, lips pursed and a furrow in his brow, until finally he sighed and rubbed his temples, nodding.
"Yes, I suppose it is. Or at the very least it's given us another reason to pull him in for more questioning...this time on a more official visit. He'll no doubt lawyer up, but we don't have to necessarily hide the fact that we're questioning him as a suspect, and not just a potential witness, this time. Before we do that, though, we call Emma and Killian and fill them in on everything."
CS
When her phone rang, Emma was mid-workout in the basement gym. She and Killian had decided to train together while they waited for any updates on August's interview. A good workout always served to settle her restless tendencies, and usually she'd go for a run, but after her discomfiting experience last time, she opted to stick to the home gym.
Killian had asked if she minded him joining her, keen to work off some energy with the workout regime he employed weekly when he was back in Virginia, though he quickly assured her that he wouldn't invade her space. Emma had agreed easily, and the two had lost themselves in their individual workouts. Even the occasional and accidental meeting of gazes wasn't awkward, despite the undeniable electricity they could feel simmering below the surface. There was something about working up a sweat together, in a completely non-sexual situation, that had their pulses quickening with every shared glance.
But they each kept to themselves, the Spotify workout playlist Emma had put on providing an easy soundtrack for both of them. When the shrill sound of her phone ringing interrupted the music, Killian quickly put down the free weights he was working with and hurried over to Emma. She chewed on her bottom lip, inexplicably nervous about what David and Will might have found out from the interview with August.
Part of her didn't want to believe that someone she'd actually considered a friend could be capable of doing the terrible things the killer had done. But another part of her whispered that she knew better than to believe she could ever truly know someone or what they were capable of. Neal had been a prime example. She'd been young and easily manipulated, convinced he'd loved her and blind to the reality that he was a liar and a coward, and would always put his own interests first, even when that meant destroying her heart and her life.
Shaking her head and banishing unwelcome thoughts, Emma answered the phone, foregoing a greeting and diving straight in with her own interrogation.
"So, how'd it go? Is it him? What did he say?"
She was still out of breath from the punishing pace she'd set on the treadmill, and there was a pause before David answered.
"Uh...is this a bad time?"
Emma frowned in confusion, staring at her phone and sharing a bewildered look with Killian.
"A bad time? No? Why? We've been waiting for you to call with an update."
She could hear Will chuckling in the background as she waited for David's clarification. He cleared his throat and mumbled something to Will that Emma couldn't quite catch, before Will's voice suddenly came on the line.
"A'ight, Swan. Dave's all flustered 'ere 'cause he thinks we just interrupted you two fuckin'."
Emma felt herself flush from head to toe, embarrassment surging under her skin and making her splutter indignantly. She didn't dare to look at Killian, but she could feel his palpable discomfort too and was somewhat grateful it was a mutual feeling.
"What the fuck?! Seriously? If you must know, we were working out. And I mean that literally, not as a euphemism. We're in the home gym, because we were getting restless waiting for you to call and tell us how the interview went! We were not-...God, you're both idiots."
Emma ranted, her indignant anger rooted in her embarrassment that her boss and her partner were acutely aware of the extracurricular activities she'd partaken in with Killian, and that they so easily assumed the two were just jumping each other's bones at any given opportunity.
Will was chuckling again, which didn't help Emma's frustration, and she glared at her phone, tempted to hang up on them. But the need to know what, if anything, had come from August's interview overshadowed her irritation at the assumptions they'd made. So, she simply gritted her teeth and chose not to comment further.
"Anything to report?"
Killian asked, trying to direct the conversation away from the decidedly more personal turn it had taken, and back to the real purpose of their call. David was silently appreciative of the redirection and took the lead once more.
"Yes, we've had quite the productive morning. Not so much from the interview though, despite August confirming that he'd met the first victim at his bar the night she died. The CCTV footage corroborates his story to a point, and we'll have Belle put together a timeline for when he dropped her off home, using traffic cams. But that's not what we wanted to tell you. He did admit to working for Gold, doing 'the odd job here and there' for him, though he did clam up when I pushed that angle."
Emma threw her gym towel around her neck and nodded thoughtfully.
"Well, if this Gold guy is as bad as you guys think he is, then I'm not surprised he shut down when you tried to squeeze him for deets. If he's worked for him, he probably knows not to cross the dude."
"That's not all," David pressed on, "Turns out, August was in the system; more specifically, he spent time in a group home run by the Mills family - back then, it was Regina Mills' mother who ran the show. He's got a juvie record, though that's just circumstantial, really, and they were all non-violent crimes. But his past could give him motive."
Emma scowled, her lips pressed into a thin line, and Killian eyed her carefully as they listened to David continue.
"He was adopted, but that doesn't rule out the idea that he could have found his birth mother, seen her living a comfortable life, and been enraged by her circumstances, still bitter that he grew up in the system. A trigger, I believe Killian's team call it, with the victims being surrogates, as we've already theorized. We're checking into every angle we possibly can, but we're going to bring him in for official questioning on the basis of his background giving him a potential motive, perhaps being a predisposing factor to resentment and violence, as well as being the last one to see one of the victims alive."
Emma's jaw was clenched and Killian fought the urge to reach out for her and softly ask her if she was okay. She was clearly angry, and her eyes were glassy, giving away the fact that something David had said had deeply upset her. It took her a moment to find her words, but when she finally spoke, her tone had a definite edge to it, emotion and anger carefully curled around every word.
"A 'predisposing factor to resentment and violence'? So, what you're saying is that you think it's reasonable to assume he's more likely to be a criminal, and a murderer at that, because he was an orphan? That's the angle you're going with?"
There was a pause, and David seemed to realize his own tactlessness, his tone apologetic.
"Emma-"
"No. Don't 'Emma' me. Is there a timescale I should know about? For when you expect me to flip the script and fulfil my inevitable destiny of turning into a homicidal orphan? Am I more likely to go on a rampage and start ripping hearts out because I was never adopted? I'd love to hear more of your preconceived ideas about what terrible people us orphans are deep down. Maybe August is the killer, or maybe he isn't and it's all a bit too convenient that everything is suddenly pointing to him. Because all you actually have right now is a shitty, judgemental theory that makes you sound like a fucking asshole. Call me when you actually have something solid."
With that, Emma hit the button to end the call, hands shaking and tears glistening in her eyes as she turned away from Killian, trying to gather her composure.
"Swan…"
"Don't try to defend that bullshit."
"I wasn't going to," Killian shook his head and tentatively reached out to touch her arm, "I was simply going to ask if you were alright."
Emma's shoulders sagged and she turned to face him once more, gaze downturned and hurt clearly etched into the soft lines of her frown. As she blinked, a lone tear slipped down her cheek and she brushed it away immediately.
"I'm okay…" she chanced a glance up at him, and seeing that he clearly didn't believe her, she sighed, "It's just...it kinda sucks to hear one of the very few people I've trusted in my life talk about my background like it makes it a given that a person who grew up the way I did would become a criminal. That we'd hurt people and resent them their happiness because we didn't have it. And I know he was talking about August, but the way he generalized...it hurts to know he thinks that way."
Without waiting for her to protest or put her walls back up, Killian pulled her into his arms, feeling her initially stiffen in surprise but quickly relax into the embrace. She rested her head against his shoulder, allowing herself to accept the silent comfort he was offering her, and choosing not to think too much about how easy it was, once again, to share such moments with him.
In many ways, she found the act of a simple comforting embrace, letting him hold her as tears slipped silently down her cheeks despite her attempts to will them away, to be more intimate than actual sex. She could keep her walls up and rationalize sex as a purely physical thing; being vulnerable and exposing her emotions in front of someone required so much more trust, at least for Emma.
"Y'know what upsets me most about it…" Emma said softly, words slightly muffled into Killian's shirt, "Maybe he's not completely wrong. I mean, I've got a record. I'm not a saint. I saw it as doing what I had to do to survive, and maybe I used a little more force than was strictly necessary anytime I was defending myself from some scumbag bailskip, when I was a teenager. And my job now isn't exactly free from violence either...we're out here trying to catch some serial murderer after all."
Killian frowned, pulling back and cupping her cheeks in his hands, thumbs brushing away her tears as he shook his head vehemently.
"No, Emma. Stop that. You went to prison for something you didn't do. And you had to be tough as nails to survive the life you had; no one could ever fault you for defending yourself. Your past doesn't define who you are as a person now though, love. And I believe you were drawn to this profession for much more altruistic reasons than wanting a violent job. You have a good heart, Swan. That much I know for certain. Please don't doubt yourself or think for a moment that your childhood has shaped you into anything other than a strong, brave, capable woman who's made it through the other side of circumstances that no one should have to experience. I have nothing but admiration for you, darling."
He smiled down at her softly and a lump of emotion lodged itself in Emma's throat as she stared back up into his eyes. The man in front of her hadn't been in her life very long at all, yet he already seemed to read her like an open book, and had no hesitation when it came to wearing his heart on his sleeve with her.
Frankly, it terrified her. And everytime she took a step forward, letting down her walls and allowing herself to be vulnerable with him, her traitorous mind would remind her that he was going to leave too. She was playing with fire and just setting herself up for a broken heart all over again by letting him tear down her walls. But as much as it scared her, a tiny part of her so desperately wanted to throw caution to the wind and take everything he was willing to offer, for the short time they'd have together.
When she dropped her gaze, Killian sensed her hesitancy and gave her the space her body language was silently telling him she needed. He stepped back, eyes still impossibly soft as he gazed at the beautiful, broken woman he was losing pieces of his heart to everyday, and nodded toward her phone.
"Perhaps you should call them back? Dave was an insensitive prat, but he cares deeply for you, Swan."
Emma shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself and feeling decidedly indignant about the idea of calling David back. Killian nodded, holding his hands up and chuckling.
"Alright, just a suggestion. I'm sure he'll call back anyway, if there's anything important we need to know. Now...how about we clean up and order food in for dinner? Maybe we could even watch a movie tonight. What do you say, love?"
Emma bit her lip, her heart feeling just a little bit lighter already, and tilted her head to consider Killian.
"Dinner and a movie? Like a date?"
Killian's eyes widened almost imperceptibly, though Emma caught it and couldn't help the small smile tugging at the corners of her lips when she saw the telltale sign of the tips of his ears turning pink. He ducked his head and chuckled again.
"I didn't mean-...I just thought it might be something nice to make you feel better."
He mumbled and she stepped forward, back into his personal space, effectively silencing him. Leaning up, she pressed a kiss to his cheek and smiled when he met her gaze.
"I'd like that. But I have one condition…"
Killian raised his eyebrows, heart still fluttering with her sudden proximity. When she dropped her voice to that seductive purr, he knew very well that she could ask for anything and he'd most likely give it to her more than willingly.
"Aye…?"
He answered, swallowing thickly and absently wondering when the hell the situation had become so charged considering Emma had been crying in his arms just a few minutes earlier. Her eyes were still slightly red, and the huskiness in her voice could probably be partly attributed to her earlier upset, but there was definitely some purposefulness to it as well. She swiped her tongue across her bottom lip and looked up at Killian from under her lashes.
"I get to choose the takeout place and the movie."
She said airlily, grabbing her phone and making toward the stairs, throwing a smirk over her shoulder as Killian stared after her. He followed then, shaking his head with a grin and growling under his breath.
"Minx."
CS
Emma disappeared into the bathroom as Killian pottered around the bedroom, patiently waiting for his turn to shower after their workout session. Knowing Emma was naked just a few feet away, behind the closed door of their ensuite, was enough have him keyed up and desperately trying to not replay their shared shower experience on loop in his mind.
When the door suddenly opened, Killian glanced up, surprised at how quick she'd been...and his mouth immediately went dry. Emma stood there in the doorway, wearing nothing but a coy smile as she leaned against the door frame with her gaze locked on him.
"Fuck me…"
He muttered, unable to stop his eyes from hungrily roaming the lean lines of her body. No matter how many times he was blessed with this view, he couldn't get enough. And the way her nipples pebbled under his lustful perusal gave away the fact that she wasn't exactly unaffected by him either.
"Well, that was gonna be my line," she joked, arching an eyebrow, "But I was at least gonna use the excuse of saving water and all that…"
Already shirtless, Killian made quick work of ridding himself of his pants, too, and strode toward her in the snug Calvin Klein boxers he knew she had a thing for by the way her eyes flashed with want everytime she saw him in them.
Before she had the chance to say another word, he had her pressed to the bathroom door, attacking her mouth with a bruising kiss that left her breathless and clinging to him. When he broke the kiss, he wasted no time in leading her toward the shower that she'd turned on before extending the invitation for him to join her.
They kissed lazily under the hot spray of water for long moments, content to take their time. Killian silently mused that David's presumption about their activities earlier had ended up coming to fruition, though he hoped there wouldn't be another phonecall just yet. Not until they'd had their fill of one another and temporarily sated their hunger, at least.
Letting his hand trail down from her neck to her breast and then lower, Killian revelled in how responsive Emma always was to his touch. The soft whimpers and gasps from her set his pulse on fire and had him harder than he'd ever been in his life. One look from her could get him going; being able to touch her and watch pleasure dance across her face, her skin like silk under his fingertips, he was truly a lost cause.
He slipped his hand between her legs then, and she gasped against his lips when he rubbed her roughly. He groaned in response as he felt how slick she was for him already.
"Always so responsive, sweetheart. So wet for me."
"We're in the shower."
She retorted, her sarcasm losing its edge when she punctuated it with a whimper and he pushed two fingers inside her in response, angling his hand so that his thumb could still press against her clit. She cried out, back arching, and he leaned forward to nip at the tender skin of her collarbone, his fingers continuing to thrust into her.
"If you want to come, I'd watch that sassy mouth of yours, lass."
Killian growled, dragging his teeth against her skin, causing her to shudder and let out a throaty groan.
"You love my sassy mouth and everything I do to you with it."
She breathed, eyes closed as she lost herself in the pleasure he was creating. It had never been this good with anyone, and she couldn't get enough of him or the things he could make her body do. A sharp spank on her ass had her choking on a moan and her eyes snapped open to find him watching her with unrestrained hunger and a sexy smirk.
"Aye, you're not wrong. You do have a very naughty mouth."
He was staring intently at her lips, hand still moving between her legs, and she surged forward to kiss him deeply. When she pulled back, she somewhat-reluctantly grabbed his wrist, but halting her own pleasure was worth it when she lifted his hand and wrapped her lips around two of his fingers, holding his eye contact the whole time. If he wanted naughty, she'd give him naughty.
Killian's eyes darkened even more than, and she saw him swallow hard as his gaze locked on her mouth working around his fingers the same way she'd done with other areas of his anatomy before.
"Christ, I need to fuck you."
He bit out, and she released his fingers, licking her lips and shifting her weight onto one foot so she could left her other leg and wrap it around his hip. His length rubbed against her and they both shuddered. Testing her boundaries, he lifted her leg higher and when he felt no resistance and she simply smirked and nodded, he tugged it over his shoulder. Gulping at her impressive show of flexibility, and cursing under his breath at how hot it made him, he couldn't hold back any longer and with a tilt of his hips he was pushing inside her.
Emma grasped for purchase against the shower wall, knocking over shampoo bottles on the shelf but paying no attention to it as they clattered to the floor while a guttural groan tore from her throat. She was fast becoming addicted to the way he filled her up, and how he effortlessly played her body like an instrument.
He pistoned his hips, driving into her deeply, and she met him thrust for thrust, thrilling in the desperation she knew they both felt. It was as good as it always was between them, no matter whether they went hot and heavy or slow and tender. There was always that fire that burned them both up, their bodies feeling like they were somehow made for one another when they fit so perfectly together. But she didn't want to dwell on deep thoughts like that, so instead she gave herself over to nothing but sensation. The tingling that started at the bottom of her spine and exploded outwards; the shudder that made every muscle in her body contract when he hit just the right spot.
"God, I can feel that."
Killian groaned, his lips against her neck, fucking her through the hard and fast orgasm that stole her breath and made her feel like she was floating. Pinpricks of pleasure danced under her skin as she drifted down from her high and he increased his pace. The stuttering of his hips told her he was close and she consciously squeezed him with her inner muscles, biting back her smirk as he choked on a gasp.
"Do that again, love...please."
He begged, voice hardly more than a broken whimper, and she complied with the request. Being able to wreck this gorgeous man so thoroughly was a high that nothing quite compared to. He ducked down to take a nipple in his mouth, moaning against her breast as his hips kept up their rhythm, cock moving in and out of her until he was roughly fucking her into the tiles of the shower wall with her leg still thrown over his shoulder. The position had amplified everything for both of them, the angle causing him to hit her clit with every down thrust and making frissons of electricity consume every nerve ending in her body.
He released her nipple and buried his face into the crook of her shoulder, grazing her skin with his teeth.
"Fuck, I'm gonna come, Emma…"
He gasped, and a moment later reared back, pulling out of her and letting her leg drop as he wrapped his hand around himself. The head of his cock rubbed against the smooth, wet skin of her belly as he jerked once, twice, before coming with a hoarse groan. She watched as his release spurted upwards across her belly, reaching her breasts, and he gradually slowed the twists of his wrist until he started he soften in his hand. She smiled coyly, holding eye contact as she drew her finger through his seed, bringing it to her lips and wrapping her tongue around it, humming at the taste of him. He cursed quietly, staring at her in awe before she turned and stepped back under the shower to clean away the evidence of their tryst.
"God, the things you do to me, woman."
Killian muttered, stepping up behind her and wrapping his arms around her slight frame. She leaned back into his embrace and they silently basked in the afterglow for long, blissful minutes. They then shared the sensual task of cleaning one another, an act that somehow felt even more intimate than the steamy sex they'd just engaged in, as they decided to forgo a washcloth in favor of soaped-up hands roaming one another's bodies.
That, of course, led to another round, with Killian sat on the floor of the shower and Emma riding him with abandon, screaming his name when she came hard and he finished deep inside her. By the time they left the shower, the water had long since cooled and they were both exhausted.
It was getting late, and as they dried off and changed into PJs, Killian suggested they watch a movie in bed with a takeout pizza. Emma eagerly agreed. The idea of curling up under the covers and eating her own body weight in carbs, while watching some silly comedy movie, sounded highly appealing.
So, that's what they did, laying towels on top of their bedcovers and sharing an extra large pizza with half-and-half toppings, along with a side of onion rings and some beers, while watching Deadpool. David didn't call back, and Emma decided to wait until the next day to call him, trying not to dwell on the sour note they'd ended on earlier that evening. She knew if there were any important developments, he'd call regardless, so she put it to the back of her mind.
Throughout the movie, Emma kept sneaking glances at Killian, unable to keep the smile from tugging at her lips everytime he snorted laughing around a mouthful of pizza. It was the most relaxed she'd ever seen him outside of sleeping, and if possible, he was even more handsome with a goofy grin and laugh lines. When he'd missed his mouth with a slice of pizza and a dollop of sauce had dropped onto his bare chest, Emma had been so tempted to lean over and lick it off. He'd caught her darkened gaze as he wiped it up, and smirked, somehow reading the less-than-pure thoughts running through her head.
They'd finished off the pizza and onion rings, and polished off a couple of beers each, and by the end of the movie, they were both stifling yawns. After disposing of the empty boxes and bottles, while Killian folded and put away the bath towels they'd used to keep grease from getting on the bedcovers, she returned to the bedroom to find her lover had passed out the second his head hit the pillow.
Smiling at the adorable sight of him sleeping so soundly, mouth open and a little bit of pizza sauce on his chin, she slipped into bed beside him, being careful not to wake him. As she did so, she heard the soft buzz of her cell phone beside her on the bedside table, and quickly reached for it. Holding her breath, with a knot made of half anticipation and half dread tightening in her stomach when she saw it was a text from WIll, she quickly opened it.
"Just so ya know, I'm sorry me and Dave were prats today. Well, ok, not even me really. But I'm sorry for embarassin ya with the whole 'we thought you was fuckin' thing. And Dave's sorry for bein an insensitive knobhead. You okay?"
Emma breathed a sigh of relief. No new victims and no dramatic revelations to contend with that evening. She shook her head as she typed out a reply to Will.
"Yeah, I'm alright. And David was an asshole, so he should feel bad. But I know it wasn't intentional, and that he didn't mean to suggest all of us orphans are destined to be shitty people."
"You know he doesn't think that, Swan. None of us do."
Emma rolled her eyes, biting back the bitterness on her tongue and refusing to let things turn sour again, so she changed the subject.
"Nothing new with August?"
"Nah. I'm pullin a late one tonight to try and dig up anythin else I can find. We're gonna bring him in again tomorrow, so I'll keep ya updated with that. What you doin up late anyways?"
Emma glanced at Killian sleeping beside her and smiled, lifting her phone to snap a quick picture of him and sending it to Will with a soft chuckle.
"We watched a movie and ate pizza. This lightweight passed out. Pizza coma, I think. Hopefully not fatal."
Will immediately sent her a line of smirking emojis in response, which she countered with a rolling eyes one.
"Bet the pizza ain't the only thing that tired him out tonight, eh?"
Emma felt her cheeks burn and was glad of the fact that her friend couldn't see that through texts.
"Shut up."
"Ha, not denyin it this time then, Swan?!"
He responded gleefully, his text accompanied by a gif of the kid from Home Alone wiggling his eyebrows. Emma rolled her eyes and resisted the urge to laugh.
"You're really annoying, did anyone ever tell you that?"
She knew she was actively avoiding answering his question, and that in itself was answer enough. There was no use denying what was going on with Killian to her bestfriend, when he'd already witnessed it first-hand. She cringed as she remembered that fact, and watched the three dots on the screen telling her he was tying a response.
"Aye, you've pretty much told me every day since we met. I'd despair if we broke that daily tradition now, luv. But honestly? I'm happy for ya, Swan. He seems like a good fella and you ain't exactly one for lettin yer walls down for no one. So ya must like him a lot. And that ain't nothin to be embarrassed about. Specially cos I seen the way he looks at ya. The bloke adores ya."
Emma felt her throat tighten as she stole another glance at Killian. Her vision blurred as tears sprang to her eyes and she blinked them back. Her hands trembled slightly as she responded to the text, exhaling a shaky sigh.
"Have you turned into a massive sap while I've been gone? He's hot and he's not exactly terrible to be stuck in a house with. But I'm not out here planning a real wedding or anything, jeez. We have sex. Really good sex. But we both have lives to go back to after we close this case, so I'm not making it into something more than what it is."
The tiny voice at the back of her mind whispered traitorously at her that even she didn't believe that. But she was still trying to convince herself it was true, in some weak attempt at making their future goodbyes marginally easier, if that was at all possible.
"Hmm. Whatever you say, mate. Long as I get to be ya maid of honor when ya come to ya senses. Or man of honor. Whatevs. I'd rock a dress an we all know it."
Emma flushed and rolled her eyes, despite the quiet laugh she couldn't help bubbling up from her chest. Only he could get away with insinuating that she'd end up marrying Killian without Emma immediately biting his head off. With a jaw-cracking yawn, she fired off a response.
"You've lost your goddamn mind, buddy. Maybe Ruby'll let you wear a dress and be her maid/man of honor. Anyway. I'm gonna call it a night before you think up anymore ridiculous ideas. Don't work too hard. And text me with updates tomorrow."
"A'ight love," Will replied quickly, along with another smirk emoji, "I'll let you go cuddle up with loverboy and get some sleep. And yeah, I'll text you everythin tomorrow. Love ya. Ps. Don't forget to use condoms, I ain't ready to be an uncle yet."
With a growl of amused exasperation, Emma simply replied by flipping him off via emoji, and then set her phone on the bedside table again. He was a piece of work, but she loved the idiot dearly. He was the brother she'd never had, and as annoying as he could be, she did treasure their relationship. Turning to face Killian, she absently wondered what things would have been like for them if they'd met under different circumstances, and if their time together didn't have an expiration date. She couldn't help but wonder if he could have been someone she'd have a treasured relationship with, if things had been different for them. But as she drifted off, the only thought in her mind was that it didn't matter...because she already felt that way, regardless of the circumstances.
CS
N.B. Thank you, as always, for the patience and encouragement of those of you who are still with me and have been waiting for this update for way too long.
Also big thank yous to whoever nominated this lil fic in the OUAT Fandom Awards on Tumblr, and voted it into the finals alongside two fics/writers that I mega admire!
Here's hoping my muse and my shifts at work play nicely together so the next update doesn't take quite as long.