Just a ball of fluff set in the happy six weeks between 4A and 4B, with a sprinkle of Captain Cobra Swan for good measure…
At the end of their second date, she's the one to ask for another, her smile as wide as his when he had done the same after their first. She reminds him of her invitation to come over and watch Netflix, an activity that at the time still a mystery, but will eventually become one of his most cherished of pastimes.
The first night, they're seated shoulder to shoulder on the couch in the loft, Emma's portable magic box on the coffee table in front of them as she tries to explain the rather complicated technology this Netflix entails. Realizing she may grow weary of his inability to grasp this realm's magic, he merely nods as if he understands, making a note to seek out young Henry for a lesson the next day. He's proven quite helpful during their weekly sailing trips, doing his best to explain electricity and cell phones, microwave ovens and even airplanes, a contraption he hopes to never need the aid of. The swell of the ocean beneath a sturdy boat sounds infinitely safer than a flying metal bucket, no matter what engineering has supposedly mastered its buoyancy.
He couldn't tell you the name of any of the stories Emma chooses to watch, the flashing pictures and franticly paced dialogue often a bit much for him, but being next to Emma for this prolonged stretch of time manages to make it all worthwhile.
The second time she invites him upstairs and they stretch out on her bed, the movie she chooses this night is one filled with fantastical characters and singing, the story of a young princess fighting her way through a labyrinth to save her younger brother from a seductive king's grasp. Finding himself completely engrossed in the vibrant images, he almost flinches when Emma covers his hand with hers, embarrassment tinting the tips of his ears as he tangles their fingers together and her head falls to his shoulder. The end of the film comes too soon, both for the entertaining story and the simple intimacy of feeling her hand warm in his with no intention of letting go.
After a long day at sea with Henry, the three of them curl up one night to watch something together, but to this day he has no memory of what. Neither he nor Henry make it longer than ten minutes, the sun and fatigue sending them both deep into slumber, Henry's head in Emma's lap and Killian's pressed into the side of her neck. When he wakes, Henry has retired to his bed and Emma is curled up against his side on the couch, her arm tight around his waist and her legs draped over his lap, her warm breath caressing the skin of his throat as she sleeps. It's this night that he decides that of all of the modern inventions he has come to love, Netflix has moved to the top of his list.
They are thankfully back in Emma's bed the first time he sees a love scene, the intimate act on display reminding him of some of the more raucous nights at port with his crew, the warmth of Emma's body beside his and the lustful images before them sparking urges their slow courtship has yet to afford. Her hand in his tightens and he presses his leg more firmly against her thigh, the quickening of her breath finally giving him the courage to seek her gaze. Want is evident in her eyes and the flush of her cheeks, slight nervousness lingering as she digs her teeth softly into her lower lip. She begins to mumble something about actors and how it's not real, but his focus has shifted to the movement of her mouth, his brain no longer comprehending words as he leans over in desperate need of contact. Blessedly she doesn't withdraw, instead curling her free hand around his neck to hold him in place as their mouths speak volumes, lips hot and greedy as their kisses become more adventurous and demanding. Things could have progressed further, but her leg shifting to get closer knocked the screen off the end of the bed, prompting him to hastily pull back in fear that the noise alone might prompt her father to come up the stairs at any moment. He's not quite sure that his burgeoning friendship with David would survive such a sight, and loathe as he is to admit it, he values the respect he's earned from the man.
The amorous activities of that previous encounter set a lofty bar, but tonight is shaping up to be his most enjoyable of all of their Netflix dates, and they have yet to watch a thing. She had arrived a short time ago, all prepared to finally introduce him to one of her favorite shows, something with zombies or some other manner of undead creatures having taken over the world. Just as they were settling in, the storm that had been raging all day finally took its toll, wiping out the power in his room at Granny's and throughout the rest of the town in one fell swoop. With her father on the way to power up the generator, the two of them are now left to wait, the single candle by his bedside casting a soft glow, the quiet only interrupted by the occasional spark of lightning from his window. After a few moments of silent indecision from them both on how to proceed, he finally takes charge, patting the space beside him as he suggests they play a game.
With Emma curled against his side, his arm tangled in the hair falling at her waist and his hook held firmly between her fingers, they talk. Twenty questions turn in to thirty until they both lose count, giving them an opportunity to finally get to know each other in ways there was never time for before, both of them taking back all of the moments previously stolen by crisis and tragedy. He finally learns everything that had transpired with Neal, what it was like for her when she first arrived in Storybrooke before she believed and her conflicted emotions when finally finding her parents after so many years alone. She listens as he opens up about Milah, quietly telling her the bittersweet tale of their romance and the regrets he still clings to in regards to Baelfire, the blame he feels for depriving him of a mother of his own. He tries to speak of Liam, but the words get caught in his throat, her gentle kiss to his temple as she moves to hold him reassuring him that she is okay with waiting for another time for that story.
They eventually fall asleep in each other's arms, legs tangled and bodies pressed tight, contentment and a new sense of understanding pulling them closer until it's hard to know where one begins and the other ends. They're awoken briefly when the power surges to life and his room is cast aglow, the too bright light quickly extinguished with a sleepy snap of her fingers before she snuggles back against his chest. His smile against her hair is the last he remembers as he surrenders to slumber with her, happiness he has never known filling his dreams with visions of a future he finally has the courage to hope for.