Chapter 14 - Old Fears

Granny's was a cacophony of loud voices, people shouting over each other. There were a lot of tears and and a lot of laughter. She didn't even get two steps into the diner before her mother rushed towards her and pulled her into her arms.

"Emma, thank God you're here."

Another set of arms enveloped her from the side, lips brushing over her forehead while a hand cradled the back of her head. She had to close her eyes and gulp hard to keep herself from bursting into tears when her father pulled her and her mother into a tight embrace.

"We missed you," her father whispered against her ear and new tears pricked the back of her eyes. God, she'd cried enough over the last few days. She shouldn't have any tears left in her.

"Mom!" Her parents were hardly able to get out of the way before Henry barreled into her almost knocking her off her feet. "We were cursed. Can you believe it?"

"Yes, kiddo. I can." She found Killian's eyes over her son's head and she smiled, her heart swelling in her chest.

"Of all things you became a priest," Regina said as she walked towards them, eyeing Killian from head to toe.

"Madame Mayor," Killian replied, bowing slightly.

"Pan had a weird sense of humor."

"That isn't humor. He was a madman," Killian said, his eyes turning dark as he spoke of the man who'd woven the curse. Maybe one day she could ask him what exactly he had to endure in all the years he was forced to spend on the island. She would like to know everything that shaped him into the man he was today.

"That, too," Regina replied dryly. "So how did the curse got broken?"

Killian's gaze flickered to her, clearly leaving the explanation to her. She wasn't ready to let everyone know that she'd found her True Love so she opted for the slightly cryptic answer, "Magic, of course."

"I won't let you get away with that answer, Emma." Regina glared at her and crossed her arms over her chest. But thankfully Robin joined them and distracted Regina successfully by pulling her into an embrace and kissing her.

She'd hoped for a little more time with Killian, but he was pulled away by Robin a moment later and Henry needed her attention, talking excitedly about all the cool stuff that happened during the curse. After he left her to go back to Regina, it was a whirlwind of people coming to talk to her, all certain that their Savior had broken the curse. Of course, they were right. But she always gave the same answer she'd given Regina, avoiding to go into any more details.

"Emma, come on," Ruby's voice echoed through the diner and she spotted her friend behind the bar, waving her over enthusiastically. "It's time for some margaritas."

She grinned at her friend, glad that Ruby offered a break from the constant conversations. And drinking a margarita sounded wonderful.

Emma had been whisked away almost immediately after they'd entered the diner and he didn't really mind. After all, she had been the one who broke the curse and deserved the townspeople singing her praise. He also understood why she didn't want to tell everyone how exactly the curse had been broken. His cursed self had talked to a lot of people over the last months, but now where they all had their memories back he didn't know how they would react to the fact that their Savior's True Love was a pirate with a very dark past.

Reaching for his beer, he took a sip, letting his eyes roam through the diner. Everyone was celebrating, ignoring him for the moment, for which he was grateful. He needed a few minutes to himself to come to grips with everything that happened over the last months. Especially with the fact that Emma loved him. Truly loved him. He still couldn't believe it. His memories of their time together during the curse clashed with the memories he had of her from their time in the Enchanted Forest and Neverland. She'd definitely warmed up to him in Neverland, but they hadn't been anywhere close to entering a relationship.

The curse had changed that. Brought them together in a whole new way. A rush of heat washed over him as he remembered how often she'd offered her body to him, how incredible it'd been to push deep inside of her and make her come with his name on her lips. He wanted to do it again soon. Hopefully the celebration would wind down eventually and they could sneak away. Henry had told him excitedly that he planned on staying the night with his other mother, making up for lost time. He couldn't help feeling slightly relieved about that. He and Emma still needed to talk about a lot of things and it would make things easier if her son wasn't present for that. Especially since he planned on showing her that having all his memories back would make their lovemaking even better.

But Emma wasn't the only one he'd gotten close to over the last months. He'd made a few friends as the town's priest. One of those friends was sitting beside Regina in a booth, their heads bent together in deep conversation, the serious expression on their faces telling him that they were probably talking about Robin's son. Robin had told him about his life in the Enchanted Forest over a glass of rum after he'd pulled Killian in his arms and slapped his back. He was one of the few people who got to know him as a priest and didn't know anything about his past as a pirate, and he didn't treat him any differently after having all his memories back. Robin even thanked him once again for pointing him in the right direction. Even if the curse had pulled him away from his life, he'd found Regina with the help of a priest.

Talking to David had been much more stilted, but that didn't came as much of a surprise. David had never been very fond of him, though saving him in Neverland had thawed his icy demeanor a little bit. But the prince struggled with the current situation like anyone else. They'd forged a much closer friendship over the last months, but now they were thrown back into their old lives and it would take some time until everything sorted itself out again.

He could be patient. And David was Emma's father. He wanted his blessing when it came to being together with his daughter. Being True Love might make it easier. After all, David just wanted Emma to be happy and with a man who respected and loved her.

Shifting in his seat, his eyes fell on the prosthetic on his left hand. He had to admit he kind of missed his hook and would definitely feel more like himself when he could click it back into place. Not to mention that wearing the clothes of a priest made him slightly uncomfortable. He didn't consider himself a good man. He'd made a lot of mistakes in his life. But maybe God was really as forgiving as the church said. At least lightning hadn't struck him yet for having the audacity to wear a white collar.

A laugh rang through the diner and he smiled, recognizing the sound immediately. Watching Emma joking around with Henry at the bar lightened his heart. She'd carried so much weight for such a long time on her shoulders and he would do anything to lighten that burden. He could do that now. After she'd let down her walls and let him truly in.

He might not deserve her, but True Love's Kiss didn't lie. They were destined to be together and he would cherish her until his last breath.

Emma should have known this had been all too good to be true. Had she really believed her fears would just evaporate into thin air? Of course they didn't. They had apparently just waited for her to have the time to lean back and take a breath without anyone needing her immediate attention. Now they were back in full force.

Suddenly it felt all too much. She wasn't ready for this. She'd never be ready for this. Her whole family was here. Her friends. The man she loved. But the air around her seemed to be suddenly extremely thin, making it hard for her to breathe. For twenty-nine years she had no one – no family, hardly any friends. And the friends she did have...they'd all betrayed her at some point. First Lily, then Neal.

This couldn't last. It never lasted.

She couldn't breathe in here. She needed to get out.

Looking around, she realized that no one was paying her any attention right now. Killian was talking to one of the dwarves, David and Mary Margaret were busy with each other, Ruby sat in a corner with Victor and Mulan, their entwined hands telling Emma that they would weather this storm together. She was really glad for her friend. Henry was sitting in a booth with Robin and Regina, the adults listening attentively to him.

But she just couldn't embrace the good things the curse had brought into her life as easily as all the others. The fear of losing everything again was still there and she didn't know how to deal with it. She walked towards the restrooms and slipped out of the back door.

She ended up at the playground Henry was so fond of, sitting down on the monkey bars and ignoring the cold for the moment. The silence surrounding her was exactly what she'd needed. But it didn't last long. She hadn't even made a dent in the mountain of conflicting emotions swirling through her mind when two figures approached her. She'd expected Killian or Ruby to come find her, not her parents.

"Why are you here?" she asked them when they reached her.

"Neal told us the whole story," her mother replied, putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Of course he did."

"A pirate, Emma?" David said incredulously, shaking his head.

"David!" Mary Margaret scolded him, smacking her hand against his chest.

"He is so much more than that. Not that it matters now. I can't…" Emma trailed off, not able to explain the turmoil in her mind. "Look, the curse is broken. There is no need for us to stay together."

"But you want to," Mary Margaret said softly.

"No...yes...God damn it, I don't know what I want."

"But you do you love him, right?" David asked, a frown still between his eyes.

"I...I don't know...I…" She didn't even know why she tried to deny it. They had broken the curse. No matter how scared she was about feeling so deeply for him, magic didn't lie. They shared True Love's Kiss. God, she was scared shitless. But still… "Yes, I do love him."

"Emma," David pulled her into his arms, cupping her head. The familiar gesture choked her up all over again. "What are you so afraid of?"

"Losing him," she whispered, voicing her biggest fear out loud. "I can't lose him."

Her parents were silent for a few heartbeats before her father spoke up again, "True Love isn't easy. But it must be fought for, because once you find it, it can never be replaced."

"You're not helping here, David."

"It does," Emma murmured into her father's shoulder. "Strangely, it helps."

She couldn't turn away from Killian, no matter how scared she was. She loved him, truly loved him. And she didn't want to live without him again. She would take all the time she could get with him no matter how long it might be.

"Can you tell him that I'll be at the cabin?"

"We will."

"Thank you."

The fire she'd started when she reached the cabin had just began to emanate some heat when the door opened and Killian stepped in. Just seeing him was enough to push the lingering tendrils of her fears back. She rushed forwards and wrapped her arms tightly around him.

"Are you all right, love?"

"Now, I am," she murmured, tilting her head to bury her nose in his neck. "I'm just scared."

"What are you scared of?"

"Losing you."

He pushed her gently back to look her in the eyes, a soft smile pulling his lips up. "If there's one thing I'm good at...it's surviving. I'm over three hundred years old, Emma. You won't lose me."

"I'm sorry."

"What are you apologizing for, love?"

"For running."

"It's understandable. As always, you've had a hefty load lying on your shoulders. But you don't have to carry the savior's duties alone anymore. I'll be at your side to help carry the burden. Always and forever."

"I love you," she whispered, pushing him backwards until his knees hit the couch and he fell down on it.

"And I love you," he replied, wrapping his fingers around her hand to pull her down. But she resisted the pull, only leaning down to brush her mouth over his.

"Too many clothes," she mumbled against his lips, her fingers already busy with opening her pants.

"Agreed."

She couldn't keep her eyes off him as he rid himself of his clothes while still sitting down. Being this distracted wasn't conducive to shedding her own clothes any faster, but what a sight it was. As always, she was utterly mesmerized by the ease with which he got out of his clothes using only one hand.

"You need a hand, love?" he drawled while wrapping his hand around his thick cock and pumping it slowly.

Her mouth went dry as he gathered the precum at the tip and smoothed it down his length. Her voice shook as she said, "No, I've got it."

She almost ripped the buttons of her shirt apart in her haste to get naked, letting out a few curse words when her pants didn't want to cooperate, her frantic efforts earning her a deep chuckle from Killian. Her eyes snapped up to him when her panties finally hit the floor and the breath stuttered out of her.

God, he was stunning. Just stunning.

His broad shoulders tapered out into a narrow waist, his thick cock practically seeking her attention. His eyes were hooded with need, his tongue coming out to lick obscenely over his bottom lip as his gaze trailed over her body, every spot his eyes lingered over going up in flames, lust racing through her veins.

The fire might have already generated enough heat so that they didn't freeze without clothes on, but Emma didn't have any concerns about being cold. Killian was a living furnace and the moment he pulled her down into his lap all she could feel was heat.

Straddling him, she pushed down, rubbing her already wet folds over his fingers that were still wrapped around his length. He groaned and pulled his hand back, resting it over her hip. She moaned when his cock nestled between her folds and pressed against her clit. This was definitely one of her favorite positions. She loved being on top, riding him. Making love to him this way meant she could torture him as long and as much as she wanted to while being so close to his face that she could watch every single change of his eye color. From stormy gray to startling blue, and at the end almost black when his pupils blew wide the moment his orgasm hit him.

When she took his cock in hand and pumped it slowly, stormy gray. And then that startling blue when she lifted up to position him at her entrance. The hitch of his breath accompanied the widening of his pupils as she pushed down and took him in until her ass rested on his thighs.

In this position, he didn't even have to bend down to put his lips around her nipple. He liked to keep one arm wrapped around her tightly to keep her in place with his cock all the way inside of her while he worshipped her nipples into stiff, aching points. He always reduced her to a whimpering, writhing mess. Hence the torture from her the moment he loosened his arm and let her move.

She only rotated her hips slightly, relishing in his moans. She could see the tension all over his body, his need to take over apparent in the flexing of his fingers against her skin and the muscle that jumped in his cheek.

"You like that, don't you, love?" he rasped, pushing slightly upwards to urge her silently into moving.

"Don't know what you're talking about," Emma said, lifting her hips just an inch before sliding down again.

"Torturing me like that."

"Like this?" she asked, pulling completely off him, only letting the head of his cock rest between her folds.

"Enough," he growled, snapping his hips up and pulling her down, thrusting deep into her.

"Fine," she replied, trying to go for nonchalant but her voice came out way too breathy. And if she was honest with herself, she couldn't wait any longer either.

She curled her hands around his shoulders and started to move, riding him slowly at first, but picking up speed with each glide until she was riding him as fast as she could go. He screwed his eyes shut, his head falling back on the couch as he met every one of her movements with his own. She closed her eyes, too, just concentrating on the sensations he elicited in her as she let completely go. Her muscles started to tremble with the effort, her breathing ragged as sweat popped out all over her body, but she ignored it. She just needed to hold out a little while longer. She could already feel the orgasm building up inside her, it would only take...and then his thumb was at her clit, rubbing it. Her eyes snapped opened as her body went taught, a guttural moan spilling from her lips as her climax hit her. He kept pumping into her, drawing it out until he stiffened beneath her and spilled his release into her.

She slumped against him, too exhausted to move. He shifted with his arms wrapped tightly around her until they were lying on the couch with her sprawled over his chest and his cock still inside her. She should feel uncomfortable with their sweaty skin sticking together and his cum trickling out of her, but she was just too content to move.

The fire crackled in the background and Emma's eyes fell on his clothes lying haphazardly on the ground. She smiled when she spotted the white collar. She kind of missed his pirate coat and leather trousers now that she had all her memories back, but the whole priest outfit definitely had its own perks.

"Can we keep the collar and the robes?" she asked, propping herself up to look him in the eyes.

He raised one eyebrow and gave her one of his cocky smirks. "You have a priest kink?"

"Apparently." Emma let out a moan when she felt him thickening inside of her again. "God damn it, Killian. Where do you get that stamina?"

"Are you complaining?" he asked, tightening his arm around her and flipping them around. How they didn't end up on the floor was a miracle to her, especially since he was still lodged deep inside her. But before she could voice her surprise he slipped out of her excruciatingly slowly, making her feel every single inch of his deliciously thick cock.

"No," she whispered, biting back another moan when he thrust forwards, burying himself inside of her again. "No complaints here."

"Are you certain?"

"Shut up and get to work, pirate."

He pulled out again, his mouth curling up in a smug smirk when she whimpered before he looked down at where they were joined. She dug her nails in his skin to get his attention and was almost blinded by the huge grin on his face as he met her gaze. He hovered at her entrance for a few more agonizing seconds, shifting against her but not pushing in. She almost lost her patience with him and smacked him, but then his eyes turned blazing hot and she knew the teasing was finally over.

"As you wish."

He slammed into her, the thrust hitting her just in the right spot and she moaned his name, completely losing herself as he took her hard and fast, bringing her higher and higher until they fell over the edge together.

As he crashed down on her, his weight pressing her into the mattress she could only smile like a fool. She'd never been more happy than just right now. With him being still deep inside her. She was right where she wanted to be. In the arms of her pirate. In the arms of her True Love.

She finally found her home.