Over the next few days, Emma and Killian began to adjust to their new situation. August and Marco returned home, but called regularly for updates. Mary Margaret and David either called or stopped over every day. The couple also heard frequently from Will and Belle, Ruby, and Ashley.
Before he and his father left, August filled Killian in on exactly what had happened to Emma during the attack, since he hadn't been there to hear her statement to the police. Her brother knew that Killian would never ask her to tell him the details, and August felt like he should know. He wasn't sure that he'd done the right thing when he saw his sister's boyfriend swallowing hard to keep from getting sick, while his face drained of color.
Mary Margaret came to the house Wednesday and helped Emma take a shower. She had borrowed a shower seat from a teacher friend so Emma wouldn't have to stand for the duration, and it worked out quite well. Mary Margaret was also able to wash her friend's hair, which made Emma feel much better.
Killian took Emma for her follow-up medical appointment on Thursday. The doctor was pleased with her progress, but warned that she still needed to be very cautious. She continued to take pain medication, but the time between doses was lengthening.
On Friday morning, she insisted on going with Killian when he took Evie for a walk to the park. Even though Emma wore her sunglasses, being out in the sunlight for less than thirty minutes caused her to suffer a severe headache. She had to lie in her darkened bedroom for hours.
Killian was in the living room later that afternoon, catching up with some of the work for his online classes, when Emma emerged from her bedroom. Quickly, he jumped up and pulled the blinds to diminish the amount of light in the room.
She still looked wobbly on her feet, so he put his arm around her and helped her take a seat on the sofa. She cuddled into his side and laid her head on his shoulder, with her nose buried in his neck.
"I hate this," he heard her mutter. "I just wanted to go to the park with my dog and my boyfriend, and I couldn't even do that." He could hear the exasperation in her voice.
"I know, but it's only been five days, and you heard the doctor say that there will be good days and bad days with your concussion symptoms. This just happens to be a bad day."
"I'm still waiting for a good day."
Killian rubbed his hand up and down her arm, and turned to kiss the crown of her head. He knew that she just needed to vent her frustration, and he was actually rather glad to hear it. She hadn't complained about anything since she'd come home from the hospital, although she had plenty of reason to do so.
"Would you like something to eat, Love?"
"Um, not yet. I still feel a little queasy." The headache had gotten so bad that it caused her to vomit twice before she had finally fallen asleep. Killian had felt helpless as he sat beside her on the tile floor in the bathroom, holding a cool, wet cloth to the back of her neck.
She turned her face to look up at him. "You're gonna get tired of putting up with me. I'm a mess."
"That will never happen," he reassured her, "and I didn't know it was possible for a woman to be so sick, and still look absolutely gorgeous."
Emma scoffed. "Yeah, right."
He kissed her forehead. "I'm telling you the truth, Swan. You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. I noticed that as soon as I met you at our preliminary PT appointment."
"Well, you're not so bad yourself, soldier," she returned.
"Some people might even say I'm striking," he teased.
She bumped her left shoulder into him and he was happy to see it didn't seem to cause her pain. The doctor had said that in another week or so, she could begin physical therapy sessions for her shoulder. Emma had already contacted her colleague, Kelly West, to set up her first appointment at the end of the next week. Kelly was more than happy to honor Emma's request to have Ashley assist during her upcoming sessions.
Emma didn't sleep well Friday night after having spent most of the day in bed. She tossed and turned, and at one point insisted that Killian go sleep in the spare bedroom so she wouldn't keep him awake. He refused because every night so far, she had woken up in pain and he'd helped her take her medicine. He didn't want her to have to handle it alone.
Her usual method of helping herself fall asleep was to read for a while, but the doctor had suggested not to do any reading for a couple of weeks. She was nearly to the point of breaking down in tears from frustration, when Killian began telling her stories from his childhood in Ireland. His soothing voice, along with his fingers softly stroking through her hair, calmed her, and at last she was able to fall asleep.
True to their word, Marco, August and Claire came back to visit on Saturday. They brought several days worth of meals that they'd worked together to prepare for Emma to use at her convenience.
While they were there, Killian took the opportunity to go to the hotel, pack up his things and check out. He had already signed a lease on the apartment he and Emma agreed upon, and knew that she would probably need him to stay with her until he could move into it in a couple of months.
Emma insisted that Killian go back to work the following week. He asked the library director if he could work a reduced number of shifts for a few weeks, and she was happy to accommodate. When he worked during the day on Tuesdays, Mary Margaret stayed with Emma, and Ruby came over when he worked Thursday evenings.
Killian took her to the doctor on Wednesday to have her stitches removed, and to have a neurological test administered, which showed improvement. Killian could see that she was getting better each day. She was able to tolerate a little more light and sound, and had been gradually spending some time outside, including joining Killian and Evie for their walks, though he was careful to keep them short.
She took over-the-counter pain medication when necessary, instead of the stronger, prescription pills, and she no longer woke up in the middle of the night in pain, (although Killian continued to sleep in her bed, just in case.)
Once she started physical therapy, she didn't have to wear the sling anymore, unless her pain increased from using her shoulder too much. Her ribs only gave her twinges of pain now and then, so she didn't keep them wrapped. She no longer needed anyone to help her take a shower, though Killian still helped her brush out her hair afterwards.
The couple barely even realized how comfortable they'd become with each other as the days passed.
One day at the end of the third week after the assault, Emma and Killian were sitting together on the couch watching an episode of Supernatural. She was still limiting her screen time, but she told Killian it wouldn't bother her to watch that show because, "Jensen and Jared are easy on the eyes!"
When his ringtone sounded, Killian took his phone into another room to answer. She could tell something was wrong as soon as he returned. She pushed the power button on the remote to turn off the TV and asked, "What is it, Babe?"
"My apartment is available next week," he informed her.
"I thought they said it would be another two months!"
"They did, but the previous tenants moved out earlier than expected."
"Oh. I guess that means you'll be moving then," Emma said, not meeting his eyes.
He scratched behind his ear, then rubbed the back of his neck. "Yeah, I guess so. But I'll stay here until you no longer need me."
She wanted to reply that she would always need him, but she couldn't force the words past the lump suddenly clogging her throat.
It was quiet around the house for the next few hours. Emma spent some time in the kitchen, cleaning and organizing her spice cabinet, while Killian attempted to work on an assignment. Neither were able to concentrate.
There was very little conversation during dinner, and Emma decided to go to bed early, claiming she was exhausted. After Killian and Evie went for a short stroll, he took a shower, and tried to do some reading. When he'd read two pages and couldn't remember anything they said, he gave up, brushed his teeth, then went quietly into Emma's bedroom.
He looked at his girlfriend who was on her side facing the wall, before he carefully slid between the sheets and lay staring at the ceiling.
"I don't want you to leave," she said, so softly that he barely heard her.
He turned and propped his head on his left wrist. "What do you mean, Love?"
She rolled over to face him. He could see that her eyes were red and a little puffy, and realized that she'd been crying.
"I...I like having you here, Killian. It's, I don't know, it just...feels right, you know? Like this is where you belong. I'm sorry, I know that sounds…"
"I agree, Emma. I love being here with you. It feels like...like home, and if I were to leave, I would just miss it. I mean, I know it started out as a necessity because you needed someone to stay with you, but now...like you said, it feels right."
"Can you get out of that lease?"
"I don't think so," he saw her face fall, and quickly added, "but I can try to find somebody to sublet the apartment. Are you saying what I think you are?" Tentative hope flickered in his eyes.
"Yeah. Move in with me, Killian. I mean, I know we haven't been dating that long, but...I love you and I love spending every day with you, even when I feel like crap. I just...I know this is what I want." She reached toward him and took his hand in her own.
"When you put it like that, I would love to move in with you. It's what I want, too."
Before he could even register what was happening, Emma pulled him closer and crashed her lips into his. He wrapped his arms around her, being careful not to crush her too tightly, and swiped his tongue against hers. The kiss went on for long moments as they thoroughly explored each other's mouth, stealing quick breaths when necessary.
When he tilted his head to plunge his tongue deeper, she gasped into his mouth, and he moved to her ear, licking around the shell, then sucking at her lobe. He trailed little kisses along her neck, and delighted in her shiver as he slid his tongue along her throat. She moaned softly as he flicked it against her collarbone, then sucked a mark into the soft skin below it.
Emma tugged on his hair and panted into his ear, spurring him on. "Killian, make love to me," she breathed.
He pulled back. "Are you sure? I...I don't want to hurt you," he stammered.
"You won't," she said confidently, staring into his eyes "and yes, I'm very sure."
"Let me, um, I need to get…"
"Hurry," she whispered.
He threw back the sheet and dashed to the other bedroom, digging through his bag frantically until he pulled out the box of condoms tucked in there, then opened the box while retracing his steps as quickly as possible. He climbed back into bed, reaching over Emma to place the box on her nightstand, with one of the foil packets on top.
She tugged at the hem of his T-shirt. He took the hint and pulled it over his head, dropping it onto the floor. She traced his abs, ran her fingers through the soft hair covering his chest, and spread her hands across his shoulders and biceps. He kept his eyes on her face while she explored his body, almost unable to believe the desire that he saw in her beautiful features.
When she finally lifted her eyes to meet his, the same desire she felt was reflected in their blue depths. As she leaned in to kiss him, she guided his hand to the bottom of her own shirt. He slowly slid it up her body, enjoying the feel of her silky skin as he exposed it a little bit at a time. When it was above her breasts, she wiggled out of it, then dropped her eyes, biting her lip.
Killian used his finger to lift her chin until she looked up at him. "There's no reason to doubt or fear what I feel for you, Emma. You are so gorgeous, Sweetheart. I love you so much."
Her breath hitched as she heard him say those words. "I love you, too," she managed to answer. He moved his hand down to one of her breasts, gently squeezing, kneading and twisting her nipple until it peaked, while his mouth paid attention to the other one. As he drove her higher and higher, she slid both hands down inside the back of his pajama pants and squeezed.
It wasn't long before their remaining clothes joined their shirts on the floor, while they continued to take their time kissing, tasting and exploring each other's body. Neither of them had ever been with someone that they truly, deeply loved, and revelled in both the physical and emotional feelings they were experiencing.
When Emma reached over and grabbed the condom that Killian had set out, he knew that she was ready. He used his teeth to help tear open the package, and held it out to her, in a silent question. She didn't hesitate, but took it and slowly rolled it into place. He closed his eyes as she did, shivering at her touch and knowing that the moment they'd both anticipated had finally arrived.
Killian moved over the top of his love, caging her in between his arms. She widened her legs to let him settle between them, then he glanced down at her, raising his eyebrows. She smiled and nodded, verifying her readiness, and he watched himself slowly enter her inch by inch until she was completely filled. When he looked back into her face, he saw tears sliding down both cheeks.
"Oh, Sweetheart, am I..."
"No! No Killian!" she interrupted vehemently. "You're not hurting me! I just...I've never made love with anyone before...I mean, I've had sex, but this is different. This is...I love you, Killian, and I know you love me, and that makes this mean so much more. I've never felt this way before. It's perfect!"
"You're perfect, my love! I know we're meant to be together. I've never felt like this, either, Emma."
"Please move, Killian," she begged. "Let me feel your love for me."
He did as she asked, moving slowly at first as they got used to one another. He experimented with ways to please her, utilizing different angles while continuing to touch her with his fingers and mouth, and was delighted with her responses.
At one point, she saw the strain on his face, and knew he was holding back for fear of hurting her. Running her hands along his clenched jaws to the back of his head, she pulled him down to her, hoping to encourage him to let go. Pushing her tongue into his mouth, she brazenly explored as their teeth clacked together and their breathing grew ragged. Her hands roamed over his muscles and tangled in his messy hair. She locked her ankles around his waist to push him even deeper inside her, if that was possible.
Soon, he was giving back as good as he got, his hips mirroring the action of his mouth, his tongue twisting and thrusting into Emma's warm, slippery mouth.
Although they both wanted the feeling to last as long as possible, the sensations overwhelmed them. They came almost simultaneously, wrapped together tightly and gasping words of love into each other's skin.
Afterwards, they lay entangled, trying to get their breathing back under control.
"That was…" Killian panted.
"Yeah, it really was," Emma smiled, turning her head to leave a sweet kiss to his neck, just below his ear. "I love you."
"I...Emma, I can't begin to describe how much I love you. You are everything to me."
She sighed happily and continued to nestle into the juncture of his neck and shoulder.
"So...I guess we're living together, huh?" she asked.
"Yeah, I just have to get the apartment situation worked out. That is, unless you change your mind."
"Never gonna happen, Babe."
He chuckled as his hand drifted up and down her back. Then he grew serious. "Are you feeling okay, Sweetheart?"
She pushed up on her elbow so he could see the honesty in her face. "I feel good, Killian. Better than good, actually. Maybe we should've had sex a couple of weeks ago, so I could have recovered faster." Her playful grin soon turned into a fit of giggles, which caused her boyfriend to laugh out loud.
Three weeks prior, Killian thought he would have to overcome yet another loss in his life. The fact that he was holding his girlfriend in his arms after they'd decided to live together and then shared such intimate moments, was astounding.
They talked and cuddled for a while longer, but soon Killian noticed signs of her fatigue. He went to the bathroom to dispose of the condom, and brought back a washcloth for her to clean up. Then he collected their pajamas from the floor, handed Emma hers. After he dressed, he noticed that she was still sitting on the side of the bed, holding her T-shirt and dozing off.
"Emma, love, let's finish getting you dressed." He pulled the shirt over her head, then helped her get comfortable in the bed and lovingly covered her with the sheet and blanket. When he laid down beside her, she rolled toward him and he gathered her into his arms.
They both went to sleep with smiles on their faces, and had nothing but good dreams and restful sleep all night.
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Emma awoke the next morning and realized she was alone in bed. She took inventory of how her body was feeling, and decided she would try to go without any pain medication for the time being. The clock read 10:17, so she swung her feet to the floor and shuffled out to the kitchen.
Killian was bent over looking into the refrigerator when she entered the room. She took a moment to appreciate the view, then walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Immediately, he brought his arms up to cover hers.
"Good morning, Love."
"Why did you let me sleep so long?" she asked.
He turned and pulled her against him. "Because you need your rest to heal, and also because you look so damn adorable when you're sleeping."
"How is it possible to look adorable with drool coming out of my mouth?"
"Well, I can't say the same for anyone else, but it certainly applies to you."
She scoffed, then stretched up to kiss him. "You're ridiculous!" she giggled.
His smile stretched across his face before he asked, "Are you hungry? I made breakfast and tried to keep it warm for you."
"Do I smell pancakes?"
"Not just any pancakes-your dad's secret recipe pancakes. I didn't even attempt to make his eggs, though. But there is bacon."
She poured herself a cup of coffee, happy that the doctor had lifted the restriction on caffeine at her last appointment. Killian was putting her plate of food on the table as she sat down. He watched as she took her first bite, waiting for her response.
"These are great! Almost as good as Dad's!"
"Almost?"
"Well, it might take a lot more practice to make them perfect," she smirked.
He chuckled as he figured out her sneaky tactics for getting him to make pancakes more often.
"What time did you get up?" she asked between mouthfuls.
"About 7:30."
"Three hours ago? What have you been doing all this time?"
"Well, Evie needed to go out, so we took a short walk. Then I carried in the remaining boxes from my truck and called the leasing office for the apartment."
"What did they say?"
"They were fine with it. They said they have a waiting list and they'll just take the next person, and refund my money."
"So you're officially living with me then, huh?"
"Yes ma'am, you're stuck with me now!"
She got up and went to sit in his lap, draping her arms around his neck. "I've never been so happy to be 'stuck' with someone in my entire life, Babe."
Emma couldn't believe that she had just left her bed a few minutes before, and suddenly found herself right back in it. This time, however, it was for more enjoyable activities.
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Emma smiled as her call to her father connected. "Hi Dad."
"Ah, Cygnet! How good to hear from you! I was planning to call you later today. How are you feeling?"
"Almost back to normal. I have a doctor's appointment next Thursday and I'm hoping he'll let me start going back to work a few hours a week."
"That's very good news, my dear girl, very good indeed! Are you still having any pain or are you off of the medication completely?"
"I went all day yesterday without taking anything, so I'm hoping that I'm done with it. Of course, I'm aware that the concussion symptoms can continue to pop up from time to time, so I'm being careful not to be in bright sunlight for very long, and I'm still limiting my time on electronics. I haven't had to wear my sling for several days, though. Killian has been helping me do my exercises for my shoulder here at home."
"How is that young man of yours?" Marco asked pleasantly.
"Killian? He's...Dad, he's great! I'm so happy to have him in my life! I wanted to let you know that we're, um, we've decided that he should continue to stay here, even after I'm fully recovered. He's moving in for good."
There was silence on the other end for a few seconds and Emma held her breath. She knew that her father had been raised with the belief that a couple should be married before they lived together, so she wasn't quite sure how he was going to react.
"That's wonderful news, Cygnet! I have always prayed you would find someone who would treat you the way you deserve, and I've witnessed that from Killian. I'm so happy for you!"
Emma breathed a sigh of relief. It wasn't because she was ashamed of their decision to live together; she just never wanted her father to be disappointed with her, or the choices she made.
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Mary Margaret and David had gotten into the habit of bringing dinner over for their friends on Mondays, and staying to eat with them. Killian and Emma knew they would tell the other couple their news sometime during the evening, and they'd talked about how they wanted to do it. They decided to drop little hints to see who would catch on first.
When Mary Margaret took the foil off of the green bean casserole, Killian crumpled it up and told her, "I'll put this into our recycling bin."
David was petting Evie, when Emma said, "Daddy took you for a walk right before Uncle David and Aunt M's came to our house, didn't he Evie?"
When they sat down to eat, Emma asked, "Would you please close our blinds, Babe? The light is hitting me right in the face." Neither of them noticed any reaction from either of their friends.
After dinner, they decided to take a walk together. Since it was a cooler evening, Killian said, "I'll grab a sweater for you from our bedroom, Sweetheart." That time, Emma saw Mary Margaret look at David with a raised eyebrow.
Halfway around the block, Killian reminded his girlfriend, "Don't forget we have dessert in our freezer when we get home."
David suddenly turned around to face them on the sidewalk. "Okay, what gives?" he asked, looking between Killian and Emma.
"What do you mean, Mate?" Killian asked innocently.
"What is all this talk about our bedroom and our freezer, and saying that Killian is Evie's daddy?"
Emma and Killian couldn't contain their grins. Mary Margaret suddenly exclaimed, "Oh! Have you...are you...you ARE, aren't you?" She squealed and pulled Emma into a hug.
David stood watching with a confused look on his face. "Are what? Is someone gonna tell me what's going on?"
Killian finally took pity on him. "Emma asked me to move in permanently."
A grin slowly spread across his friend's face. "That's fantastic, man! Congratulations!" He grabbed the other man's hand and pulled him forward into a back pounding hug. Then he folded Emma into a gentler embrace while Mary Margaret hugged Killian.
"When did you decide? What happened with the apartment? Have you told your family?" Mary Margaret fired off.
"Sweetheart, take a breath and give them a chance to answer!" her husband fondly admonished.
All four friends laughed and resumed walking, as Killian and Emma answered their friend's questions with their arms wound tightly around each other's waist.
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Emma watched Killian look out the front window for the fourth time in less than a minute.
"Babe, go ahead and leave. I'm sure Ruby will be here in a few minutes. If you wait much longer, you're gonna be late."
"I know, but I don't want to leave..."
"I'll be fine by myself for a while."
"But...you'll have to answer the door. Maybe you should text her and tell her to go around back."
"Oh," Emma whispered. Even though she was only having occasional nightmares, she still tensed every time there was a knock at the front door. One Tuesday morning, when Killian was in the backyard with Evie, Mary Margaret had arrived early. She'd seen Emma look out the side panel window when she knocked, but the door never opened. Sensing what probably happened, she hurried to the back of the house. She and Killian had found Emma sitting beside the door with her knees drawn up to her chest, trembling and ashen-faced. She'd seen her friend at the door, but her imagination had played tricks on her, causing her to think it could be Milah instead.
"I can call the library and…" A loud knock on the door interrupted him. He looked out the window and turned to nod to Emma.
As soon as the door opened, Ruby came bursting through. "I'm sorry! Graham stopped in and…"
"I'm taking off. I'd rather not hear all the details," Killian chuckled, stopping to brush his lips against Emma's. Then he grabbed his keys and hurried out the door.
"Do you want to order food now, or wait a while?" Emma asked. Takeout food had become the two friends' tradition on Thursday nights.
"Now! I'm starving!"
"Of course you are," Emma laughed, going into the kitchen for the menus. "Chinese, pizza or Mexican? What are you hungry for?"
Ruby was coming out of the spare bedroom when Emma re-entered the room. "Hey, what's with all the boxes in here?" she asked.
"Why were you in there?"
"I needed to look in the mirror to make sure that I was, um, presentable, and that room was the closest. Sooo?"
"Yeah, well, Killian has officially moved in with me."
Emma winced at the loudness of the squeal that came from her friend. "Rubes! Seriously? I have neighbors, you know! The last time they heard a scream like that…" her voice trailed off as she dropped her eyes down to the floor.
"Oh, Emma! I'm sorry! I'm just so excited for you guys! I knew that 'Operation Help Emma Get Her Man' would work eventually!"
"Operation who did what? What are you talking about?"
"Uhhh, nothing! I think Mexican sounds good, don't you?"
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Killian pulled into the library parking lot and looked to his left to see Will and Belle standing beside Will's car kissing. He stepped out and slammed his truck door a little harder than necessary.
The couple broke apart and turned to look at the source of the noise.
"Oi! Ya wanker! You interrupted a beautiful moment!"
"Maybe you should have your moment in a more private setting!" Killian smirked.
Belle laughed and turned to give her boyfriend one more kiss. "I've got to get inside anyway, Sweetie. I'll see you in a few hours."
"Oh, I wanted to tell the two of you - Emma and I have decided to live together."
Belle clasped her hands together and gave a happy little bounce. "Oh Killian! That's the best news! Congratulations to both of you!" She ran over to give him a quick hug.
He looked over at Will, who hadn't moved, and was wearing an unreadable expression. Finally, he walked over to stand beside Belle.
Killian was expecting some quip or sarcastic remark to come out of his friend's mouth, but that's not what he heard. Instead, Will put his hands on Killian's shoulders, looked him in the eyes, and said, "If anyone deserves all the good things in life, it's you, mate. I couldn't be happier for you."
Killian looked at his friend who had been a first-hand witness to so much of the injury and pain he'd suffered during the past year. He swallowed hard to force down his emotions. "Thanks, Will," he replied simply.
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