Thank you so much for all the feedback and I hope you enjoy the way Emma and Killian finally come together.
Emma wakes up to the sound of a puppy crying for her mother and for a moment she panics because she doesn't remember where she is, but then she breathes in Killian's scent and she knows that's she's safe.
She is lying practically on top of him, her cheek resting on his chest and her bare leg trapped between his, both his hand and stump pressing against the small of her back; they have never been this close, and it doesn't take her more than a minute to wake up fully, her body coming alive with a rush of heat and awareness.
For a lazy beat of a heart Emma's is motionless, then she shifts a little, trying to determine how much wiggle room she's got, and Killian mutters something unintelligible before rubbing his chin against the top of her head and quiets again, still deeply asleep judging by the sound of his breathing.
"Killian", Emma whispers and lifts her head, her hand tracing over his shoulder and up his neck before it comes to frame his cheek. "Killian, wake up."
"Hmm?" Killian murmurs and slowly traces his hand up her back, the corner of his mouth lifting up into a smile underneath her thumb.
"I'm gonna go cuddle the puppy until she goes back to sleep", Emma tells him and he nods, but doesn't make a move to let her go.
He feels so firm underneath her and he smells so good, and Emma feels the insistent pressure of need down low which makes her reluctant to pull away because she doesn't want to shock him awake and make him retreat.
"Open yours arms", Emma murmurs and kisses his cheek, and after a while of gentle coaxing Killian complies, leaving her enough room to slip out of bed and tiptoe down the hallways, one hand trailing the wall until she reaches the source of all the sad noise. "Shhhh, go to sleep."
The puppy quiets as soon as Emma hugs her close, but Emma stays kneeling on the floor until she falls back asleep.
"Swan", Killian whispers from the doorway and Emma gently puts Daisy down, then retraces her steps and walks right into his arms.
"Hey", she murmurs and sneaks her hands underneath his shirt, tracing the hard lines of his back while his hand settles on her hip. "I didn't mean to make you."
"You should've woken me", he admonishes softly and presses her against the wall, his hips aligning with hers as she rests her palms on his chest.
"You were sleeping so soundly", Emma tells him and tilts her head back, feeling a puff of air brush her lips when Killian breathes out and she breathes in, her hands sliding down and around him, pressing him harder against her.
"Swan", he says, a tone of warning in his voice that sends a shiver down her spine and makes her even more determined to take their relationship to the next level.
She wants him more than she had ever wanted anybody, and she is not afraid anymore.
"Lights on or off?"
"Off", Killian says and Emma takes his hand in hers and pulls him back to the bedroom, then stands on tiptoes and kisses him until there are stars bursting behind her closed lids.
"Touch me", she tells him and Killian leans down to grasp the edge of her shirt, slowly lifting it up, goose bumps coming out on her skin in the wake of his fingertips.
He hesitates when the hem reaches her breasts and Emma lifts her arms, shivering in anticipation and pulling him in for another kiss, Killian's splayed fingers pressing against the centre of her naked back.
It saddens her that he's keeping his left arm well away from her body, and she realizes that she has to show him she doesn't mind it touching her before he starts thinking she prefers him not to.
"My turn", she says and lifts his shirt up, revealing the strong planes of his chest and back to her eager explorations.
Emma kisses Killian's shoulder and rests her hands on his upper arms, her thumbs pressing against the firm mounds of his biceps as she applies her lips to his neck, gently sucking on the tender skin and smiling when he groans in response.
He stiffens when she starts moving her hands down over the wiry strength of his arms, but Emma doesn't let go, reaching first his stump and then his hand and holding on while she presses kisses against Killian's collarbone.
"It's alright", she tells him and kisses the underside of his jaw, her fingers smoothing over his knuckles and the stark scar that makes her heart hurt because she can only imagine how much pain and grief he had been through.
Emma guides both his arms around her waist and brushes her nose against the hollow of his throat, staying still until he finally gathers up the courage to touch her without holding back.
And boy does he touch her, his fingertips gliding over his skin as he keeps her pressed against him with his handless arm, his chest hair grazing her sensitive nipples as his tongue slides into her mouth and teases hers.
Killian lies her down on his bed and kisses a path down her chest and stomach before he drags his scruffy chin over her hipbone, then tugs her panties off, easing them down her legs and pressing kisses against the inside of her thighs, leaving her a quivering mess before he even touches her where she needs him most.
It's been so long since Emma had shared a bed with a man, and she had never done it like this, in complete darkness where her sense of touch seems heightened, and Neal's fumbling attempts to please her pale in comparison with Killian's superior skill and, what's even more important, care for her.
"Oh God", she gasps and twines her fingers in his hair, arching her hips and biting her lip as the pressure builds until she thinks her skin might be catching fire, her entire body craving more.
Emma says Killian's name with a needy whine that makes him redouble his efforts to get her off, but she doesn't want to be selfish, doesn't want to fall without him, so she pulls him up and reaches for his pajama pants, pushing them down almost desperately, eagerly taking him in her hand as soon as the offending garments are gone.
"Slow down, Swan", Killian tells her and covers her hand with his, guiding her movements as his weight presses her into the mattress, his breath fanning her cheeks with every sharp inhale.
"I don't want to slow down", she says and opens her legs wider, guiding him inside and sighing with pleasure because nothing had ever felt like this, and she had never felt so complete.
Killian kisses her and their bodies catch the common rhythm, her hands holding onto his shoulders while he rocks above her and sends the pressure inside her skyrocketing, spiraling higher and higher until she explodes and he chases his own release, catching it a few moments later.
There's a part of Killian that isn't quite sure the last half an hour wasn't just an incredible dream, and the darkness of his bedroom amplifies the feeling, but his racing heart and heavy breathing are proof enough that he had just made love to Emma and not just dreamed he was doing it.
"You okay?" She asks him, pressing her fingers against his spine one at a time as if playing a piano, and he carefully rolls on his side to give her room to breathe, his hand settling possessively on her hip.
"More than okay, I should think", he says and Emma laughs, her foot sliding up his calf and her nose nuzzling his shoulder as he arranges the covers over them.
"Are all florists like this?" Emma asks him and chuckles when Killian huffs in mock offense, then snuggles deeper into his embrace and starts trailing her fingers over his chest.
"Looking for more tattoos?"
"Found one", she says and traces the scar on the right side of his ribs.
"Not a tattoo", Killian tells her and guides her fingers to the tattoo over his heart. "This is."
"I can't tell what's it supposed to be."
"An anchor", Killian says and Emma presses a kiss against first the scar, then the tattoo, her hair tickling Killian's nose and making him smile.
"And this one?" Emma asks, her thumb tracing the parallel lines on his bicep that cover the only tattoo he'd ever regretted getting.
"You tell me."
"It feels like prison bars?"
"Close enough", Killian says, and explains how he needed to cover the tattoo of his rank within the gang because it was a constant reminder of everything that's been lost.
"And the snake on your back?" Emma asks him softly and he shrugs, telling her how it's too big to cover like that, and he can't see it anyway.
For a little while Emma is quiet, then leans in and kisses his cheek, embracing him tighter than before.
"Any more secret tattoos on you?" He asks her and tickles the base of her spine to lighten the mood, shushing her when she laughs because he's afraid the puppy will wake up and attract all her attention again.
"There's just the one", she tells him and continues with her explorations, eager to hear all his stories and never shying away from his scars.
Any of his scars.
He discovers quickly that she's got a fair share of her own, silent witnesses of a decade spent living in the dark with unseen obstacles on every corner.
They fall asleep hours later just to be woken by the whimpering puppy and the sound of Emma's cell phone ringing in the living room, then going quiet just to start up once more.
Emma groans and buries her face against Killian's neck and he stares at the pale line of her spine because both his hand and stump and pressing against the base of it and he had doubted he would ever see such a sight while being awake.
"I don't wanna get up", she grumbles and tightens her grip on his bicep when he tries to sit up. "You can't get up either."
"Might be your parents wanting to wish you a happy Christmas", Killian murmurs and Emma tilts her head back as if to look at him, her glorious hair tangled around her face as she contemplates his suggestion.
"But I'm warm here."
"I'll get your phone", Killian tells her and kisses her before she can object, then carefully extracts from her embrace and pulls on his pajama bottoms, padding barefoot down the hallway.
Daisy is giving him a mournful look and as he steps around the little puddle she'd left next to her bed Killian sighs to himself, cleaning up the mess first before he washes his hand and carries Emma's phone back to the bedroom.
"You have six missed calls from your parents", he says and sits on the edge of the bed, his eyes widening when he sees how many bruises adorn Emma's creamy skin; she doesn't seem to be in any pain, calling her mother and wishing her a merry Christmas.
"Why wouldn't I be fine?" Emma asks and Killian looks up to see her cheeks turn pink as she explains to Mary Margaret that nothing has happened to her and that she had spent the night at Killian's place. "Mom and dad say Merry Christmas."
"They were worried?"
"They came by my apartment and freaked when I didn't answer the door or pick up my phone. What time is it?"
"Close to 10", Killian says and presses a kiss against the faint bruise on her shoulder, then asks her if she wants to stay in bed while he makes her breakfast.
"Is Daisy okay?"
"She's fine", Killian assures her and hands her his shirt. "You could keep me company in the kitchen and make sure Daisy isn't lonely at the same time."
Emma puts his shirt on and straddles his lap, kissing him long and hard before skipping off to the bathroom, then joins him five minutes later with Daisy in her arms.
"What's for breakfast?" She asks and Killian slides mistletoe against her neck, then kisses her before handing it over. "Patience, love."
"Is this mistletoe?"
"Happy Christmas, Emma."
"Happy Christmas, Killian", Emma echoes and catches his wrist before he returns to the counter, pulling him down for another kiss. "Thank you."
"Nothing to thank me for."
"I disagree", Emma says softly and releases him before going back to petting Daisy.
Killian loses a full minute just watching her sit there in his kitchen with one long, bare leg curled under her, wearing his shirt and holding his dog close, her hair spilling over her shoulders in gentle locks, and he comes to the realization that he loves her not with a jolt of fear, but with a soothing click of things falling into place.
Emma Swan is it for him, and he couldn't be happier that life had turned out this way, because nothing had ever been sweeter than this morning.
"Quit staring at me and start cooking", she says and Killian smiles, then busies himself with taking out the ingredients for pancakes from the cupboards.
"As you wish", he tells her, and judging by her smile, she knows as well as he does that this was the third time he'd said it.
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