First off … Happy New Year, everyone!

Second … wow, I didn't expect so many reviews, favorites and alerts already after this short first chapter. Thank you all so much!

Third … I had two options to choose from. You all want the talk. But a part wanted the talk combined with fluff, and a part wanted the talk combined with smut. Since I've already written the talk combined with smut in my one-shot collection 'You and Me', and my muse immediately came up with an open end for the fluff option … you get the talk with fluff combination. I tried to incorporate as much of your ideas as possible.

Hope you enjoy! :-)

Chapter 2

She was actually holding her breath as she heard him approaching the door, her heart still beating like a sledgehammer in her chest. When he opened the door and she finally could see for herself that he was still okay, she let out a soft sigh.

"Something wrong, Swan?"

Just now she realized that she must look like a mess. She should have probably taken a look in the mirror before rushing to him.

"Love?"

It was just too much. The worries of the whole day, saying goodbye to Elsa, the fear of losing him, the relief washing through her when Belle had stopped Gold from crushing his heart, and then his heart finally being back in his chest.

"You are an idiot," she hissed, stepping forward and punching her fist into his shoulder.

"What …" She didn't let him finish, closing her fingers around his shirt and yanking him forward, crashing her lips on his, kissing him like her life depended on it.

She didn't let go of him afterwards, their foreheads touching as they both breathed heavily, her fingers still curled around his shirt.

"That was ..." he murmured, and she knew when she opened her eyes he would look utterly devastated, with this slight blush on his cheeks, like he had looked in Neverland after their first kiss.

"Necessary," she mumbled, releasing his shirt out of her death grip as she stepped back and met his gaze. "Because you are an idiot."

"I'm sorry I've worried you so much, Swan."

"Tell me," she said softly, wrapping her hand around his and pulling him towards the bed, the only place where they could both sit down. "Tell me everything."

And he did. Every little detail. From his deal with Gold to get his hand back, the blackmail, the things he did while Gold had his heart, and the guilt she saw written all over his face while he told her everything made her heart ache in her chest.

"I honestly don't even know where to start," she told him, seeing a flicker of defeat wash over his eyes, and she tightened her fingers around his as he started to get up from the bed. "Where do you think you are going, Captain?"

Her heart melted in her chest as he saw the uncertainty in his eyes, his voice barely audible as he murmured. "I thought ..."

"You thought wrong," she interrupted him. "You shouldn't beat yourself up about the things you did while Gold had your heart. That wasn't you, Killian." She squeezed his hand, shooting him a reassuring smile as she added. "We will find a way to destroy this hat, and free everyone in it."

"I hope so."

They stayed silent for a while, her head on his shoulder, their fingers intertwined. But she knew there was one thing left she needed to address. Lifting her head, she shifted beside him, reaching out with her other hand, letting her fingers trail over his hook, and her voice cracked as she whispered. "Why did you think you had to make a deal with Gold to get your hand back? I … the hook ..." She looked up at him then, locking her eyes with his. "This hook is a part of you. Part of your past. Part of who you are. And I am a fan of every part of you."

A smile flickered over his lips as she used the same words he had used after she hadn't gotten rid of her magic, and her heart constricted in her chest as she realized he had already been heartless at this time. Gold had ripped it out of his chest moments before Killian had rushed into the mansion, and her fingers were trembling as she lifted her hand to his chest and pressed it right over his heart.

"You scared me, Killian," she whispered. "When Gold froze me and I saw you kneeling in front of him, your heart in his hand … and I couldn't do a damn thing to save you."

"I know, love. I'm sorry."

"You know I have my own insecurities, and I understand why you thought you needed both your hands. You thought I needed both your hands. But I don't."

She stood up then, pulling him up with her, her eyes meeting his, and her hand hovered over his brace as she whispered. "May I?"

She saw his Adam's apple bob up and down as he gulped hard, but she waited, resting her hand lightly on his hook, giving him the time to decide if he was ready to let her see his stump. His lips parted slightly as he let out a soft sigh, giving her a short nod of permission, and she reached for his shirt, pulling it over his head.

She had herself prepared for seeing his stump, but she had forgotten that the stump wasn't the only scar he had. She had forgotten that he had spent most of his over three hundred years of life as a pirate. A hard life. The scars on his body showing how hard it had been.

Her fingers ghosted over a thick scar at the end of his ribcage, outlining every inch of it, wondering what the story behind this one might be.

"One day I want to hear all the stories."

"Stories?"

"How you got each and every one of those scars."

"I will tell you," he said quietly. "One day."

She reached for his hook, clicking it out of his brace and putting it on the table.

"You okay?" she asked softly, feeling him shiver under her fingers.

"Aye, love."

She loosened the buckles that held his brace in place, pulling it carefully down over his stump. She could feel him staring at her as she let the brace drop on the ground, tears pricking the back of her eyes as she looked at the scar tissue, imagining how painful it must have been when the wound had been still fresh, especially since he hadn't only lost his hand but his love too.

"Come," she breathed, closing her fingers around his stump and leading him towards the bed.

"Swan?"

She pushed him down on the bed until he was lying flat on the comforter. She slipped under his left arm and pulled it over her shoulder, pressing a soft kiss on his stump before she laid her head on his chest.

"Love?"

"Shhh," she murmured, pressing herself harder against his side. "I need to hear your heartbeat. Need to know it's where it's supposed to be."

"As you wish." His lips brushed over her forehead, and she smiled, closing her eyes and relaxing against him.

"Good night, Emma."

"Good night, Killian."

-/-

She woke up to his chest hair tickling her nose, and she opened her eyes slowly, tilting her head to look up into his face. He was already awake, though his eyes were still hooded with sleep, and she reached up, brushing her fingers over his scruff.

"Morning, sailor."

"Morning," he replied with a husky voice, leaning down to kiss her, but she buried her face against his chest, shaking her head.

"No. No kiss." She felt him stiffen, and she pushed herself up from his chest, shrugging a shoulder as she said. "Morning breath."

He let out a soft chuckle and swung his legs out of the bed. Her eyes followed him as he walked towards the table, her gaze wandering over his back and down over his ass.

God, he was one gorgeous man. Damn it.

Her fingers itched to discover every inch of him, especially the ones between his legs. Her cheeks flushed bright red as he turned around to her and caught her staring, his mouth tilting up into a lopsided smirk as he popped the cap of his rum flask open and took a huge gulp, swirling it around in his mouth before he swallowed it.

"Rum in the morning?" she asked incredulously. "Are you serious?"

"You don't have to swallow it, Swan," he replied. "Just use it to wash your mouth with."

"But you swallowed," she said, scrambling up from the bed.

"I'm not gonna waste perfectly good rum."

"Pirate," she grumbled, rolling her eyes as she reached for the flask, a spark of lust shooting down her spine as he flashed her a grin, and she took a huge sip herself, shuddering as she swallowed it down.

"That's a good girl," he rasped, and a moment later she was in his arms, and his lips on hers.

She felt her knees go weak as his arm went around her waist and pulled her closer, the proof of his arousal digging into her stomach, his hand cupping her cheek as his kiss turned more passionate. They stumbled backwards towards the bed, her hands smoothing over his back, her fingers dipping under the waistband of his pants.

Her body was going up in flames, and she wanted nothing more than to finally wrap her hands around him, to feel him deep inside of her.

She was just about to pull his pants down, her fingers actually trembling with anticipation. She was so close, only a few inches away from … and then someone knocked at the door.

Let me know who you think is at the door, and what happens next. :-)