"Swan, please," Killian begged her as she walked out the door. Emma spun around and glared at him, her eyes red-rimmed and puffy from crying. Her hands sparked every so often, her magic starting to run freely again. "Please, Emma. Just hear me out!"

"Why should I, Hook?" she yelled, and the wounded look on his face sent a sharp wrench of guilt straight to her gut. She never called him 'Hook' anymore unless she was really upset with him. This time, she was beyond furious. "You were out with her. You were out with Lily."

"Aye, I was, but it isn't what you think, Swan!" he urged.

"I saw you kiss her, Killian. I saw how you looked at her," she replied, her voice suddenly breaking and going soft as she averted his gaze. "I thought we really had something, Killian."

"We do, lass, just let me explain, please."

Emma took a deep breath and sighed. "Fine. You get five minutes to explain," she relented. Killian reached for her hand and tried to lead her to the couch to sit down, but Emma tugged it away and sat on her own, far away from him.

"I wanted to surprise you, Emma, for your birthday. I went to your parents' apartment for help, but neither of them were there. I checked the station, the school, but they weren't anywhere. Even Regina was busy, and Henry was with his mates and I didn't want to bother him. Belle was with Will, too." he began. She looked at him, the anger still rolling like the sea inside of her and causing her magic to spark from her fingers again. "Lily found me, to talk about something about pointless. Then she talked about you, and it reminded me that you two spent quite a bit of time together as children, which got me thinking about how maybe she could help."

"That still doesn't explain the kissing, and you're running out of time, Killian," she stated plainly.

"We got to talking, and she gave me a lot of good ideas, one of which was a romantic dinner date. All I could think of was how you'd react to the date, and you know how I look when I think of you, Swan. But I didn't know that she was flirting until she leaned in and kissed me," Killian recalled, his voice going sour when the memory filled his mind. "I pushed her away immediately, told her that I wasn't close to being interested, that I loved you. But I guess you left at that part…"

"Yeah. I did leave. I left because you kissed her, Killian. Do you know how much that hurt to watch? Do you know how much it hurts now to look at you, even knowing that whether or not it was your fault you kissed someone else who, might I add, is technically my other half thanks to my parents?" Emma exclaimed. Her heart clenched painfully as the hurt washed over her again, new tears springing to her eyes. When Killian failed to reply, she muttered, "It hurt a lot, Killian, and it still hurts now."

"Emma, I'm sorry," he murmured. "I truly am. Please tell me that you can forgive me, Emma, love, please."

Emma looked at her pirate, the man she still loved, with tear-blurred eyes. "I...I don't know, maybe. But it's going to take time, Killian. I'm just really upset right now."

"I understand, love. I'll wait as long as I have to," Killian replied. "Whenever you feel okay again, I'll be here. I love you, Emma."

She sighed. "I know, Killian. And I love you too, even if it doesn't seem like it right now." A tear rolled down her cheek as the guilt of shutting him out and not forgiving him threatened to overcome her. Emma moved a little bit closer to him on the couch, missing his warmth and his embrace. Killian didn't come closer, so she stood up and walked over to where he was and sat down again. He looked at her with hesitant eyes, and she nodded slightly as to say It's okay, you can wrap your arms around me, and he did just that. A sigh of relief fell from his lips as she rested her head on his chest, and his good arm came around to rub her shoulder.

"I'm sorry," Emma whispered as her guilt claimed control over her emotions. Her pent-up tears now flowed freely from her eyes, wetting his shirt.

"Don't apologize, Swan. You didn't do anything wrong, I did. I shouldn't have been so daft to her advances," he said quietly, regret and frustration creeping into his voice. It did nothing to stop her crying, and she repeated her apologies into his chest, voice cracking and breaking.

"I put you through hell again," she confessed.

"Emma, love, it's okay. You're forgiven, you're always forgiven. I promise you, I'm always gonna be here for you, no matter what you do."

She felt his soft lips press on the top of her head, felt his love for her in his words and his embrace. How could she stay mad at him? He hadn't been the one to start the kiss, it wasn't his fault, she thought; yet here she was, upset with the fact that he was victimized by her darkness again. How could she keep doing this to the man she loved? Her tears started anew, the sobs rocking her body viciously. Killian only tightened his grip on her, holding her close as she cried, tears coming to his eyes at the sight of his broken Swan. Neither of them knew how long it was, but eventually Emma stopped crying.

"I do forgive you, Killian. It wasn't your fault," she whispered out, the words cracking and her voice hoarse from crying. "I'm sorry I didn't hear you out at first, I should've trusted you."

"Shh, Swan, all is forgiven. I wasn't ever mad at you, or less than anything but in love with you," Killian murmured against her hair. His good hand stroked through her blonde tresses, soothing her. Emma picked up her head and looked at him. His eyes shone and were a little red rimmed; how had she not noticed that he had been crying too? Her thumb brushed along his scruff as she cupped his face in her hand, and he smiled a little bit. Slowly, she leaned in and pressed a kiss to his cheek, then his lips. He kissed back gently, and wrapped his arms around her back again. "I love you, Emma Swan," he whispered against her lips, making her smile a bit.

"I love you too, Killian Jones," she replied softly.

They both stayed on the sofa, curled into each other, for hours later, until the sun set and the stars glimmered in the sky outside of the window. Finally, all seemed to be well in the Jones-Swan home.