HAPPY NEW YEAR MY DARLING CUPCAKES!
First and foremost, I am sorry for not uploading the epiogue sooner - these last few days since Christmas have been hectic for me and filled with family issues that go decades back [insert wistful sigh here]. And as much as I would have loved to use writing as a delicious means of escape, I didn't have enough time in my hands to do so :(
So, for now I'll give you part I of the epilogue as I still haven't managed to write all of it down, but I promise I'll do it as soon as I can (believe me, I'm as eager to write this down as you guys are to read it!)
A special thanks goes to theredhead93, JulieCS, Polkie2, CuteMcBeauty and daniellm for giving me lovely reviews and expressing your excitement with the story! Thanks a lot for you kind words and your contagious enthusiasm! 3
That's enough of my rambling now, you've waited long enough. I hope you enjoy this extended teaser. B xxxxxx
[Edit: Sooo, I've finally had the time to read this over and edit it. All those awful grammar mistakes were plucked out xD sorry about that!]
Epilogue - part I
New Year's Eve Eve - 7:52pm
"You sure you'll be alright on your own?" She asked him, one foot out of the door, one hesitating inside.
"It's only pasta, love. You've showed me how to make this dish enough times, I can assure you I know all the steps by heart." He rolled his eyes in a manner he had definitely picked up from her flashing her a reassuring grin.
"Have you put salt in the water before adding the noodles?" "Aye." "Know which cabinet the noodle drainer is in?" "Top one, second door, yes." "Don't forget to-"
"Turn the flame out once the sauce is ready, aye, Swan. Don't worry, I won't nearly burn your entire kitchen down a second time. I can recall your warning quite clearly, love."
(I'd hate to have to kick you out for being a walking home safety hazard.)
(He might have taken her warning tone to mean something more threatening than the sheer concern on her face if it wasn't for the simple fact that she'd proceeded to kiss him senseless afterwards - murmuring barely audible words of "you made me so worried" and "don't ever do that again you idiot" into his skin - before even giving him a chance to apologise for making a mess of her kitchen.)
"I'll be fine, love. Go now, don't you need to get whatever Mary Margaret asked for before the market closes?" He said over his shoulders, his hands too busy with the chopping board and the fresh parsley leaves to turn to face her.
One day, Emma thought, one day he would get used to the idea that supermarkets are called that due to their super power of being open 24/7. There were still many wonders of this realm the pirate had yet to get used to. But, he was doing a good job, especially when it came to learning his way around the kitchen appliances and the food he insisted on cooking for her every single day. He'd said it was simply the best way to learn how to use a modern stove and frying pans, but she could read it in the dimpled smile that accompanied his concentrated frown how he had a secret passion for cooking - something she filed in the archives of her mind under ask him about later.
"Yeah. Getting the ham should be quick, then I just have to pick Henry up from Regina's. We'll be back in half an hour max." She all but shouted, finally grabbing the door knob. "And please don't turn the radio on if you're gonna be distracted and burn the place down." She added, emphasis on the exasperated tone in her voice.
He snorted. "Alright, alright. I'll see you soon, love."
He hadn't replied with his usual as you wish whenever she asked him to do something. She rolled her eyes as she walked out closing the door behind her.
She knew he would do it anyway.
New Year's Eve Eve - 9:46pm
What was supposed to be a quick trip to the supermarket turned out to take much longer than Emma had expected. It turns out she wasn't the only one in Storybrooke who had some last minute shopping to do on New Year's Eve Eve. She made it to Regina's house 40 minutes later than originally planned and for that her punishment was having to endure the woman's vast repertoire of snark retorts during the few minutes that passed - though Emma's tired mind kept telling her it must have lasted for another 40 minutes at least - before Henry was ready to go.
"I'm ready. Bye, mum!" He said, giving Regina a quick hug and bouncing off to Emma's bug.
"Again, I'm sorry about that, Regina." Emma said with an apologetic smile. "You wouldn't believe how long the line until the cashiers was."
"It's fine, Emma. It's not like I didn't enjoy having him in for a bit longer." She replied with a softened frown and a smile - a small one, but still a smile - and for a few moments Emma was a little glad for the chaos she'd had to face in the supermarket if it meant that Henry had kept Regina company for a while longer. She was still grieving about Robin, and Emma doubted she would manage to put on a genuine smile for quite some time. But, if she was at least making an effort to be friendly, surely that meant some progress.
"So, we'll see you tomorrow for the party at Granny's?" Regina huffed out a deep sigh and shook her head in response. "Come on, Regina, you know it won't do you any good to spend New Year's Eve alone at home."
"I'll think about it. But thanks." Regina replied with another tight smile, and Emma had the feeling Regina knew she was right and would show up tomorrow despite the significant part of her that just wanted to stay home sulking over bottles of her favourite apple cider.
"Sure. Take care."
Emma got in the car and with a mere glimpse of Henry's glimmering eyes and his wide smile she already knew she wouldn't be able to deny whatever it was that he was about to ask her.
"Can we please stop at Granny's on our way home?" She opened her mouth to say something but he continued to speak regardless. "Please? We still have like 10 minutes before Ruby closes up."
"I'm sorry, kid, but Killian's been waiting to have dinner with us for almost an hour now."
"We'll bring him a cup, too! It can be our appetizer before the food. We can make this a new family tradition!" He said, his hopeful smile breaking through the remains of Emma's resolve.
She sighed. "Fine. But you'd better not lose your appetite because Killian cooked us dinner all by himself this time."
"Oh." Henry's eyes widened almost comically if it wasn't for the actual worry showing in his expression. "Then we should hurry to get the cocoas and get home quickly before he nearly destroys your kitchen again."
New Year's Eve Eve - 9:57pm
"Emma, it's good to see you! I think you're a bit early for the party, though." Ruby laughed as she greeted Emma with a friendly smile. "Let me guess, Henry desperately needs his hot cocoa with cinnamon?"
"Yep." Henry chimed in. "But make that three."
"Three?" Ruby asked pointedly looking at Emma.
"Yeah... Killian's waiting for us at home so we thought we should bring him some as well." Emma replied in a low voice, and she could feel herself starting to blush under Ruby's scrutinising gaze.
"Killian's at home waiting for the two of you? That's adorable, Em." She said placing her hand on Emma's shoulder and winking before moving away to get started on the drinks.
Henry left them to go the toilet and Emma couldn't tell if she was dreading or excited for the conversation that was sure to follow now that the two women were left alone. Ruby placed the first takeout cup on the counter with a smirk on her face and, surprisingly, all the nervousness in Emma's gut disappeared as she realised how she had missed having a friend to talk about these things with. Of course she told her mum about Killian but, even though Mary Margaret had been her first friend in town and was definitely her best friend, Emma missed having someone who wasn't part of her family to talk about the sort of things you only feel 100% comfortable discussing with a friend.
Which is why, when Ruby started enquiring about the most recent developments in her relationship with Killian, Emma found herself willingly - no, scratch that, - excitedly chirping about her love life to the she wolf in whom she knew she could find a true friend.
"Mary Margaret tells me you guys have officially moved in together.." Ruby started a bit hesitantly, but finding in Emma's somewhat relaxed expression all the encouragement she needed to go on. "You know, it was about time, Emma. You and Killian have been dancing around your feelings for a while now, it's good that you finally allowed it to happen." She added with a understanding smile.
Emma's eyebrows instantly shot up. She was no more surprised at how Ruby's unusually careful approach to the topic than at how she had perceived Emma's reluctance to let her relationship with Killian so well from afar. It's not like she'd ever talked about it with her - hell she didn't even tell Mary Margaret that much. But somehow Ruby had seen them together enough times to notice how her body language spoke volumes. She wondered if Ruby's wolf senses had somewhat contributed to her perceptiveness.
"Come on, it's not like everybody doesn't see you guys making eyes at each other all the time." Ruby added huffing out a laugh.
"We don't make eyes." Emma rolled her eyes skyward and chuckled realising there was no point in trying to convince anyone of that, much less herself like she'd been doing before.
"Right, if you say so." Ruby raised both her hands up in a surrender gesture and went back to making the rest of the drinks, all the while speaking to Emma over her shoulders. "But I'm sure you're excited to spend New Year's Eve with your pirate boyfriend, hm?"
"As excited as I can be given I'll spend it with Killian and the rest of the city," she replied with a slightly confused tone to her voice. "Did you forget about the party tomorrow?"
Ruby sighed. "I'm talking about your little private after-party, Emma," she clarified with an unmistakable tone of pure lust etched into her words.
"Oh," Emma all but whispered, having been caught completely off guard. "I, uh... didn't have anything special planned." She felt her cheeks starting to burn with both the thoughts Ruby's implication prompted in her mind and the embarrassment for not having thought of that before.
How could she not have realised it? This would not only be their first New Year's together, but also the beginning of a new phase in their lives where everything would be different. For one thing, they'll be waking up together every single day. Damn it, of course it was a special occasion, and of course she had forgotten to think of a special way to celebrate it with him.
"Really? Well, there's still time to fix that." Ruby said offering her a crooked smile that hinted at the many ideas she already had for what Emma could do to make their night truly memorable.
"You think?"
"Yeah, I could help you find something nice to wear for him..." She trailed off, leaving the rest to Emma's imagination.
"Erm, won't that be a little awkward?" Emma said scrunching her nose with a comic grimace on her face.
Ruby turned to face her setting the last two cocoas on the counter, bursting into a laughter fit when she saw the look on Emma's face. "Only if you say it's awkward." Ruby rolled her eyes. "Listen, I really don't want a mental picture of you guys in bed so let's just focus on the part where I'm helping a friend find something sexy to wear on New Year's Eve, okay?"
"Yeah, I guess that could work." Emma laughed and helped Ruby set the three cups on a cardboard cup holder before clearing her throat and abruptly changing the -subject when she realised Henry was walking to them, her cheeks betraying their nonchalant chat about the weather forecast for tomorrow by blushing even more now that she was too aware of the presence of her son in the room.
"Can we go?" Henry asked as he took the cup holder from the counter and thanked Ruby with that shiny boyish smile of his. "Killian's just texted me asking where we are. Is your phone not working or something?"
"I ran out of batteries on my way to Regina's. We should hurry, he's probably worried sick about us at this point." She said, gently nudging Henry to the door with a hand over his shoulders. "Thanks, Ruby. I'll meet you here tomorrow?"
"Yep. I'll see you tomorrow, Em." She replied with a none too subtle eyebrow wiggle filled with mischievousness and a wolfish grin hanging on her lips.
New Year's Eve Eve - 10:17pm
Emma was looking for her keys as Henry and her crossed the corridor in long strides until they reached her door, both of them looking at each other with a thoroughly bemused look on their faces when they heard music coming from inside.
"So I guess this is going to become a regular thing." Henry told Emma making her giggle. She brough her index finger to her lips and tilted her head indicating the door.
"Shh, let's see what he's up to this time." She winked at Henry just before turning the key in the lock and opening her front door to find a rather domestic-looking Killian Jones still wearing the apron Henry had given him for Christmas (which, by the by, read 'kiss the cook' in bold red letters) as he scrubbed a wet cloth over the kitchen counter with a deep frown tugging his eyebrows together.
If that wasn't enough of a scene, Killian also had the radio on (obviously), as they had gathered from the noise coming from the apartment, and he was shamelessly singing the last song Emma could have expected him to like.
You go talk to your friends, talk to my friends, talk to me
Killian sang along passionately as if he really had a scoundrel ex-boyfriend for whom to be singing such lyrics - his thick accent emphasised the plosive 't' sounds, only making the episode all the more amusing for Emma and Henry, who were still able to witness the show without getting caught.
"But we-EEE are never, ever, ever, EVER-" He stopped mid-lyric when the flash of Henry's phone camera caught his attention.
"Getting back together?" Henry finished for him with the sassiest grin Emma had ever seen on her boy's face.
"Like. Ever." Emma added, high-fiving Henry before looking at the photo on his phone screen, both bursting into laughter with the image of the pirate wearing that ridiculous apron, wet cloth in hand, hook resting on his hips, mouth ajar and eyes closed as he going for a high-pitched key.
Killian staggered towards them with furious astonishment taking over his features and seemingly going into his angry pirate mode - though the deep crimson that spread all over his cheeks and the tips of his slightly pointy ears betrayed whatever imposing stance he was trying to take.
"Spying on a man without him acknowledging your presence, that's bad form, lad." He said, glaring at Henry, whose response was simply to laugh even harder until he was forced to stop or his aching cheeks might never go back into a serious expression again.
Henry lightly tapped him on the shoulder with a smirk, still chuckling as he said, "don't worry mr. Hook, your secret is safe with me. Maybe." He ran off to his room before Killian could say anything.
"If he thinks he's going to show that picture to a living soul then he's going to be in serious trouble-" Killian started to say when Emma quickly cut him off.
"Oh, I'm sure you'll give him some trouble, trouble, trouble." She sang in an exaggerated high pitch, not managing to stifle a very unladylike snort as she started to giggle again when his eyes widened in what she was pretty sure was either an indignant or a sarcastic expression.
"I beg your pardon, Swan?" His brows pinched together in confusion.
"Nevermind, I'll show you that song someday." Emma managed to huff out the words in between new bursts of laughter that bubbled involuntarily from her lips.
"Ah, so now the lady is jesting with me, too?" He narrowed his eyes and scowled at her.
"Aye, sir. But if it makes you feel any better, you've never looked more devilishly handsome than with this apron on." She said, biting the inside of her cheek to prevent another laughter fit.
His tongue darted out to moisten his bottom lip in that offensively attractive way of his, immediately attracting Emma's gaze in that direction. He brought his arms to her lower back, pulling her closer until their bodies touched.
"It seems you're the one who's going to be in for trouble, lass. Haven't you heard messing with a pirate can have dangerous consequences?"
"Is that so?"
"Aye, Swan. But, alas, I'm afraid you'll need your energy refuelled before I deal with you later. Shall we finally have dinner?"
"As long as you haven't added too much paprika to the sauce this time again, yes, we shall."
He scowled at her rolling his eyes skyward. A dashing crooked smile betrayed his mock glare though, and he placed a soft kiss to her forehead before nudging her towards the kitchen and walking over to the corridor to call Henry for dinner.
End of part I
Well, this is it for now. Again, I'm so sorry for not giving you a full update but part II will be up really soon! Thank you all for sticking with me through this story, and for your lovely reviews and messages. It means the world to me to see that you guys enjoy this story, as I've grown really attached to it :)
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