I am 100% responsible for the feels I am about to cause and I'm not one bit sorry [evil giggle]
Hope you guys enjoy this even fluffier addition to the tale so far!
Although I wish I did, I do not own Once Upon a Time or any of its characters. Adam and Eddy do. And my goodness, are they lucky that they do.
As he had predicted, Killian had not slept. He had spent the night sitting by the window, staring at the ring he was going to give Emma. Just then, the first rays of the sun hit the ring and the color refracted on the wall behind him. He looked up and saw the sun begin to rise. Killian held the ring to his lips and kissed it for good luck.
Later that day, Emma ran into him in the kitchens.
"Still hungry?"
"No, just reminiscing all of the days I slaved away in here."
"Slaved away? Didn't I spend most of them with you?" she smirked and chuckled at her reaction. He reached out for her hand and she took it, while sitting on his lap. With his hook, he gently pulled the sleeve of her dress off her shoulder and planted a kiss on it. Emma smiled to herself at the small gesture.
"Point taken, lass. So, yes, I had fun here. D'you remember the flour fight?"
"Of course I do! You had flour stuck between your eyelashes." She tried to gasp out in between a fit of laughter.
"Look who's talking, Ms. I-Had-Flour-Shoved-Down-My-Petticoats!" Emma suddenly stopped laughing and raised an eyebrow at him. He roared with laughter at her expression.
"Killian, please don't remind me. I had an itch for days."
"Oh come on, love, you know that for it was worth, it was a lot of fun."
"Agreed." She placed a quick kiss on his forehead.
"But… you have had more fun with me. Believe me, I know."
Emma looked at him and playfully shoved his shoulder. He was known for his innuendos, especially since they were all directed at her. They had become even more frequent since his return and the night of her eighteenth birthday. And even with his jokes and his lack of a left hand, he understood her better than anyone else ever had.
The hours burned away like the wax of a candle, as they hid in their little corner in the kitchens. All of a sudden, Killian remembered, with a look of alarm, what today was and what he had wanted to do for so very long.
"What time is it, lass?"
"Almost sunset, why?"
"Come with me!" He took her hand as they ran out of the kitchens, through the passage that connected the kitchens to the dining room straight to the grand hall and out the front doors.
"Killian! Killian, what the hell are you doing? What's the rush out he—" Emma began to inquire but he cut her off.
"You'll understand in a second, darling. Look, do you know what today is?"
"Wednesday?"
"No, think harder."
She frowned and knitted her eyebrows together in thought, then her eyes lit up as she remembered.
"Today's the day we met…" she began.
"…Ten years ago." Killian finished for her. "And we're standing on the exact same spot where you first spoke to me." Blue was clashing with green as he took a deep breath and composed himself on the inside, his heart threatening to burst from his chest.
"Listen, love, for ten years, you have been my best friend, my savior, my lover, my sun and moon and stars and everything in between. Without you, I'd either be dead or a horrible, bitter pirate roaming the world with a meaningless life filled with regret. But you found me when I was lost and I'll never find the proper way to thank you in words. So I guess I'll just thank you with my actions."
Killian got down on one knee and he heard Emma's breath catch in her throat. He grinned at her and held up the ring to her.
"Emma, will you marry me?"
She tried not to cry, but the tears welled in her eyes as she nodded. He sighed with relief and joy and placed the ring on her finger.
"It's the one you always liked on me. Now it's yours, la—" Emma cut him off with a passionate kiss, wrapping her arms around his neck. They pulled away breathless and she whispered in his ear,
"You're welcome."