Thanksgiving morning dawns too early for my liking for a day I finally have completely off of work and school. Having spent the night at their house, Mary Margaret ever so gently wakes me up not long after the sun has broken over the horizon.
"Emma, you said you'd help out today," she flips on the light and tugs the blanket off my body, "there are potatoes that need peeling and apples that need slicing. Plus you know I'm hopeless with that electric can opener thing."
I groan, shivering at the loss of my blanket cocoon, and heavily pull myself into a sitting position. "Alright, alright just let me shower first."
After a quick, hot shower, a hastily eaten granola bar, and three very large cups of strong coffee I almost feel like a human again and thanksgiving dinner is well on its way. I've peeled and chopped potatoes to be mashed and apples to be pied, kept on eye on the bird so M&m can shower, and set out the ingredients for the pumpkin pie and stuffing. I'm no where near as good at cooking as my annoyingly chipper friend so I leave the hard stuff to her. I just stay out of her way and hand her things as she needs them.
"David said he and Killian will be here at one so I thought we'd eat by two? Everything should be ready by then. The pies will go in the oven to bake while we eat and we can watch the game until they're done or maybe the parade? I don't know, just really give him the whole American thanksgiving experience."
"Is there any kind of thanksgiving experience but the American kind?" I joke before starting on my fourth cup of coffee.
She swats me away, smiling. "Just hand me that potato masher and go get changed."
I look down at my yoga pants and loose fitting tank top and laugh, "what's wrong with this? When has thanksgiving ever been a lack tie event here?"
A little too nonchalantly, she shrugs and adopts an odd, airy voice, "I just thought you might want to look nice today. Since we have a guest coming today. I don't know, whatever you want to do."
I make a mostly convincing scoffing sound and drop my eyes to the left out pumpkin pie recipe, avoiding her gaze.
"Emma..." her voice is gentle now, "you can talk to me, about anything, you know. I know something is going on with you. Your emotions have been all over the place the last few months."
I'm silent long enough that she tacks on, "or not."
"Maybe just not right now, okay?" I say with a little laugh.
I do decide to change my clothes. Nothing fancy, just jeans and a white sweater, but Mary Margaret gives me a knowing smirk when I come back out into the kitchen. I decide to ignore her, hopping up on the counter to talk to her until David walks in with Killian in tow.
He's wearing a dark red v neck with a black sweater over it and dark wash jeans. His hair is mussed from the wind and he's wearing that little bit of eye liner again. When he smiles and greets me, my heart flutters against my ribs.
Returning his hello, I slip off the counter while everyone talks. David hands Mary Margaret a can of aerosol spray whipped cream for the pie.
"My hero," she coos, kissing his cheek. I watch them, smiling. Their love is so easy and constant. i'm jealous for just a second or two.
David slips an arm around her, turning his attention to Killian. "It's really thanks to him I'm even still here. We were coming out of the grocery store, crossing over by the main street entrance you know, and I was almost hit by a bus. I didn't even know they ran on thanksgiving but Killian pulled me back and I felt my shirt rustle in the breeze of that passing mammoth of death. My life flashed before my eyes."
Killian looks embarrassed, "I just pulled you back on the sidewalk, mate."
"No," I say, thinking of Halloween when he tried to save me too, "you're a little bit of a hero, Killian."
He tries to laughs off the attention but now Mm is in on it. "I guess we know what we're thankful for today; Killian Jones, our hero. We'll have to toast it later, but right now I have to baste this bird. Everyone out of my kitchen, I need to work."
We all slip out into the living room. "Ready for some football, Jones?"
"This sport is nothing like real football but alright, mate, bring on the pigskin," he draws out the last word like it's an alien language.
I laugh as I drop onto the couch and he grins, sitting next to me. And maybe i'm just a little pleased about it.
We spend the next quarter of an hour explaining the rules of American football to Killian who catches on quickly enough but maintains soccer is the superior "football". The rest of the hour we trade horror stories of all the intense kids and awful professors in our classes. I haven't laughed so much in ages.
"It's doooone," Mm trills in a sing songy voice. We file back into the kitchen and settle around the table now heaped with food; stuffing, potatoes and gravy, cranberry sauce, turkey, rolls, corn, sweet potatoes. Really there's way too much food for just four people. The heavenly aromas have us all closing our eyes and inhaling deeply, appreciatively.
"Dig in," Mary Margaret says, pouring wine into all of our glasses. David carves the turkey while we load our plates. For a while there's silence as we all enjoy the food.
"Mary Margaret," Killian says reverently, eyes closed, "this is the best food I've had in ages."
She says it was nothing, but her cheeks turn just a shade pinker so I know she's pleased. As she reaches for her wine glass, she glances at David who, in the telepathic soulmate way that they have with each other, nods and picks up his own, turning to Killian.
"To Killian, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here, enjoying my darling girlfriend's incredible food!" Killian twists his mouth to the side and shoots him a half exasperated, half embarrassed look. "I thought he deserved a little credit."
"To Killian," M&m and I echo with huge grins and we all drink.
"Thank you, " Killian nearly whispers, looking at each of us in turn. "For all of this, more than just the food. I haven't had ... any of this in a long time."
Thoughts of his brother and Milah pass through my mind and I think again about how lonely he has been. Without thinking, I reach for his free hand and squeeze it. He focuses on me and my breath catches, his blue eyes smoldering me, giving me that xray feeling like he can see right into my brain. I pull my hand back quickly and drop my eyes to my food, shoveling mashed potatoes in my mouth to cover my unease.
The rest of the meal passes amiably. We all stuff ourselves to bursting with Mary Margaret's delicious meal and then sit around the table talking, the homey smell of cooking pies pervading the air and lulling us into calm.
After a time, I head to the spare room to change into a lighter shirt since the meal has risen the temperature in the house to sauna levels. I turn into the hallway, flipping my hair out of the collar of my shirt, and run right into Killian.
"Sorry, I didn't see you."
"No worries, love."
I look at his easy smile and decide David is right, he does deserve some credit.
"I wanted to thank you, Killian, for coming today... and for sticking with me through all my bullshit." he gives a small laugh here. "and, of course, for saving David."
"It really was nothing but, you're welcome."
"It is something, a big something, David is my family, just about all I have left, so it's a big something to me." I go to move around him but he doesn't budge.
"well, perhaps gratitude is in order now, " he raises an eyebrow impishly.
Is he flirting with me right now? I grin, almost disbelieving, "yeah, that's what the thank you was for."
He takes a step closer to me, answering my grin with his own crooked one and my heart starts to race, "mm, is that all your brother's life is worth to you?" He bends his head down close to mine.
I step back, my back pressed into the wall, the small space between us feels charged, electric, like a storm rolling in over the sea. He wants me to kiss him, for saving David. Do I want to kiss him?
"Please, " I breathe, stalling for time, "you couldn't handle it. "
He swaggers one step closer, our chests only inches apart, and whispers huskily, "perhaps you're the one who couldn't handle it." He pops the last 't' and I see his tongue run along the inside of his bottom lip. And it's so damn enticing.
So I don't think about how it'll complicate things or how it'll imply my feelings for him. I don't even think about how David and Mary Margaret could come out of the kitchen at any second. I just think about his beautiful, smug face and meet his challenge.
I grip the collar of his sweater in one hand and slide my fingers into the hair at the back of his neck, pulling his face to mine. As our lips meet, he responds enthusiastically, twisting an arm around my waist to hold me closer while his other hand weaves into my hair.
The kiss is wild and passionate and seems to last eons. Now that I've started, I don't want to stop. He smells faintly of leather and sea salt and that, combined with the delicious pressure of his chest against mine, has me reeling. Why didn't i do this sooner?
Eventually, it softens and slows until we aren't kissing anymore, i just have my cheek pressed against his, still clutching him tightly, while we pant.
"That was..." he whispers.
Without the kiss clouding my mind, all the reasons for why we shouldn't do this come rushing back, almost having an audience being at the forefront. I panic when i realize he's trying to kiss me again, both wanting and not wanting it. Moving sideways, down the hallway, I release him, really I almost push him away.
"A one time thing. Don't follow me right away," I turn away from him and add softly, "go to the bathroom or something." I'm breathing heavily and can feel my face flush, thoroughly undone.
"As you wish." He says it quietly, but I can hear the sincerity. He's not being glib.
My heart melts over that and I almost go back to him but I can see David in the kitchen now and don't want to risk anything else today.
As I turn into the bright, hot dining room I pause just got a moment, looking back to see Killian in the shadows of the hallway, leaning heavily against the wall, one hand raised to his lips almost reverently. My heart thumps unevenly as I realize, I love him.
Shit
a/n wow sorry this is taking forever guys. my motivation is shot lately. one, maaaaaybe two chapters left though. i promise this story will be done by Christmas. thanks for reading