Title: When the Sun Rises
Part: 3/3
Author: Roguie
Fandom: Once Upon a Time
Characters: Killian/Emma, Charmings, Henry, Regina.
Rating: K+
Spoilers: Not really. Most of this is its own head canon verse.
Summary: He's known her long enough for three Christmas Eves to pass. All were notable in their own way: good and not so good, yet all a part of their path to happiness.
Disclaimer: OuaT isn't mine. If it were we'd not be on three month hiatuses every other three months. Oh, and Hook and Emma would have long dissolved their UST and be living happily ever after in a little beach house taking over a quiet corner of Storybrooke for themselves. Just saying.
A/N: This is written entirely. Good morning and welcome to the third and final part of When the Sun Rises – also known as my muse's Christmas gift to me for 2014. The challenge remains, give us 30 reviews over the 3 chapters and I'll see if the muse is willing to provide a smutty little epilogue. Yeah, I'm not opposed for begging for my very own Christmas love. ;D Enjoy – and Merry Christmas!
~~~?~~~
The third Christmas he spent in the presence of Emma Swan, he finally understood the draw to the holiday. Laughter echoed around them at Granny's, her family piled in the booth around them. Mary Margaret sat perched upon David's lap, baby Neal in his carrier taking up a good chunk of one half of the booth as everyone stopped by to dote on him. The table was piled high with cups of coffee, hot chocolate, cookies, and brightly wrapped gifts. Henry sat in a corner, stuffing cookies into his mouth as if they were endangered, talking around crumbs in such an unprincely manner that the Queen, who sat next to him, rolled her eyes in grave distaste as his grandparents and birth mother laughed at his antics.
With no space available to place him when Killian arrived, Emma moved from the stool she'd been sat upon and gestured for him to take her place. He brushed a gentle hand across her back as he passed her by, settling into the warmth she left behind on the stool. They'd grown more and more comfortable with each other as the last year passed, sharing sweet kisses that had grown more and more physically tormenting each time they grew deeper. He'd yet to bed his beautiful princess as they moved forward together slowly, a thought that was never far from his mind though he'd agreed to move at her pace. Publicly, they'd been very reserved; they'd been caught a time or two sharing heated glances or gentle touches, and their dates had been public enough that their growing relationship was nothing secret, but the private moments they shared between them? Those they saved for times without an audience. Her parents stairwell had seen more than its fair share of kisses and heated passes of fingers over warm skin; the hall in front of his room at Granny's had seen perhaps even more. The night she'd returned his heart to his chest he'd very nearly taken her against the door, pressing into her with a need so strong and a love so overwhelming that for a moment he'd lost control and she'd done nothing to discourage his actions. Only the voice of her boy calling up the stairs for her attention put space between them, and since that day he'd taken every care possible to ensure he'd not slip again. Every care possible. Every time he knew he'd be in a position to have a moment alone with the woman who held his heart in every way but physically.
As such, when she mirrored her mother and slipped onto his lap, her hand slipping under the short leather coat he'd taken to wearing, her fingers brushing over the muscles of his back, her warm lips pressed to his in greeting as she settled against him and then immediately went back to the conversation he'd interrupted with his arrival, the expression on his face had nothing to do with the immediate reaction of his body to her settling into his lap and more to do with the public display of them that she was putting on for every single person in her life that mattered.
He swallowed thickly, hand and hook lying limply at his sides as he considered what he was supposed to do with them, nervous eyes rising to take in the expressions of those around them. The prince's jaw hardened but a quick sigh softened his expression, and a cold, unopened beer was passed across the table to the pirate holding his daughter. Mary Margaret's expression wasn't difficult to read through misty eyes and the wistful smile that curved her lips. The lad barely spared them a glance, the roll of his eyes shared with the Queen herself in no way missed by the pirate, but he'd take that over awkwardness or open hostility any day. He'd win the lad over at some point, perhaps when they managed to get his mother settled with Robin Hood properly, perhaps then some of the pressure would be lifted from Killian's shoulders.
While Emma opened the bottle of beer for him, Killian curved his bad arm around her waist, the cool metal of his hook resting against her stomach as he quietly listened to the conversation around them. He was surprised when Emma moved from his lap a mere hour later, picking up a bag stuffed overfull with presents, leaning across Regina to kiss Henry on the forehead.
"Merry Christmas, kid," she grinned down at him before handing the bag of gifts to Killian and turning to give the same kiss to her brother, father and mother.
"Emma, it's barely nine, why are you leaving so early?" Mary Margaret's sad voice gave his princess pause for a moment before she shrugged and grinned at her mother.
"I have other gifts to give, Mom," she murmured quietly, flicking her eyes over to Killian and then back to her mother pointedly. "Ones I'd prefer to give alone."
The sudden, sharp giggle that escaped her mother's mouth caught the attention of her father, and the prince's piercing gaze narrowed in on the pirate standing just slightly out of the conversation.
Killian cleared his throat, his discomfort visible as he backed slightly further away from the table. "Um, Your Highness, Charmings, Henry – I bid you all quite the Merry Christmas. Swan, um, I'll just stow this in your vessel while you make your goodnights, then?"
The flash of Mary Margaret's camera caught him by surprise, and Killian found himself staring at her in disbelief as the royal merely grinned at him, wagged her eyebrows and shrugged, brushing off the sharp cry of, "Mom!" that escaped Emma as the entire table broke into fresh laughter.
"Now, Emma, give a mother her fun on Christmas Eve, will you? I just wanted to take a picture of Hook now, while he was still afraid of your father's glare."
Killian cleared his throat once more, shaking his head as the amusement helped bleed the new tension from his body. "Alas, m'lady, I fear you've wasted your time and your device taking that photograph tonight, as I assure you, I will eternally be utterly terrified of your dear husband's glare."
"Damn straight you will be." Charming grumbled good naturedly.
"Eh, it loses its strength as he gets older," Mary Margaret winked at Killian and Emma as his princess shook her head and gave her mother another kiss, ignoring Henry's confused questions.
"What did I miss?"
"Your bedtime, kid. Have a good night at Regina's."
The suddenly understanding snicker that came from her teenager made her jaw drop in surprise and the entire table burst out into a new gale of uproarious laughter. "Yeah, sure, mom, have a good night with Killian."
"Are you kidding me right now? No! It's enough I get this from the rest of you, but my own kid? No. That's it, bud; all your gifts are going back."
"Aw, c'mon, Mom, you wouldn't do that after the year we've had. You wouldn't want me to be disappointed at Christmas... y'know, after changing schools, finding out everything I believed in was fake, almost being killed by the wicked witch of the west, almost being erased from history and well, finding out your mom is dating Captain Hook…"
"Guilt, emotional blackmail, and pointing out the obvious? You learn quick, kid," Emma grumbled good-naturedly, reaching out to ruffle his hair. "We'll see everyone for breakfast back at the loft."
"With presents?"
"Yeah, yeah. Regina, I blame you for this."
Everyone was surprised by the Queen's amused chuckle. "Believe me, Miss Swan; I blame myself every time he backs me into a corner. The joys of motherhood are unending."
"Hey, when did this become a pick on Henry conversation?" The boy gave them all an exaggerated pout, his sparkling brown eyes belying any hurt his voice may have portrayed.
"The moment you chose to join this very adult conversation, kid." Emma grinned at the table one last time before turning to leave.
"Emma," her father's voice stopped her from moving forward, and she sighed softly.
"David, I swear to god if you tell me to be safe…"
He winced and chuckled lightly, shaking his head. "Be happy. Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas, dad."
With that final word said, Emma disappeared through the doorway, holding her laughter in check until she fell into Killian's open arms where he waited against the door of her car.
"Jesus, that was interesting," she laughed through the kisses she pressed against his jaw, burying her face into the crook of his neck as he chuckled along with her.
"I could think of better ways to announce our physical relationship to an entire group of your closest friends and family, love, but I thought not to correct your path at the time."
She giggled uncontrollably, shaking her head, a deep blush warming her skin. "Oh, my god, that was not my intent at the time, and then my mother… Jesus, that got away from me!"
"As long as you have no intentions of getting away from me tonight, Swan, I have no issues with the way the evening has progressed thus far."
"Change my intentions after living through that conversation? Yeah, not gonna happen, buddy. I have plans for you, pirate."
"Then consider me at your mercy, Princess, for I shall endeavor to fulfill your every want or need as the night progresses."
Emma dropped her voice to a sultry level, dragging a soft finger down the open v-neck of his shirt, curving her lips into a soft smile against his throat as she darted her tongue out to swiftly taste the salt of his skin. "Really? My every want or need? Are you sure about that, Killian?"
"Gods, yes, love. I can assure you that I harbor not a single doubt." The words rushed out of him on a breathless moan, the beat of his heart strong and fast under her touch.
"The list could be long. It could take all night. Are you up for all night, Killian?"
"Emma?"
"Hmm," she hummed against his skin, her fingers drifting dangerously lower, across his stomach, settling to brush just lightly over the zipper of the brand new black jeans he wore loose across his hips.
"Take an old pirate home, lass. I love you more than I've loved anything, living or not, in all the centuries of my life. Should you want nothing more of me tonight than to unpack the dozen boxes I know still sit in your new resting area unattended, than I shall be your willing slave. A night spent in your presence is enough of a gift to an old heart that has only just learned to beat again, love, and to wake tomorrow to the sight of you is all I could ever want or need."
Tears clouded her eyes as she pushed away from her pirate, keeping her head turned from him while she unlocked the car door and slipped behind the wheel, reaching across the seats to open the passenger door for him. She waited without word while he settled himself into the car beside her, silently struggling to get her emotions under control. Finally, she looked up at him, no longer hiding her tears, but broadcasting mischief as her eyes danced happily.
"How about the sight of me naked?"
Killian choked back his laughter, his head bouncing against the headrest on his seat as his body shook, the curve of his lips lightening his face and bleeding away all trace of tension and uncertainty his body had held. For that single moment in time, her pirate was completely and utterly happy.
"I stand corrected, love. A naked you trumps any and all wants or needs that have ever been thought or could ever be thought."
Her thoughts instantly turned to the scarlet red lingerie set she wore under her normal jeans and shirt combination. She had a feeling that before the night was over, he'd stand corrected one more time.
"Merry Christmas, Killian," she murmured softly, a smile gracing her own features as his blue eyes met her green, adoringly.
"Merry Christmas, love," he murmured back, just as quietly.
She turned the car onto the road and steered in the direction of her new apartment, feeling no trace of panic, having no second thoughts, knowing only the excitement and anticipation of taking a new step in the right direction.
She was finally, finally happy.
~~~Fin~~~
Merry Christmas, everyone, and remember much like magic, all muses come with a price. This muse's price is that little box down below. Please don't make her chase you today, it is Christmas after all. Even muse's need time with their families.