I changed the title because this one fits better. :-)

Chapter 6

She could get used to this. Waking up in his arms every morning.

Holding her breath, she waited for the panic to start. Waited to feel the need to push him away. Waited for the unbearable urge to run. But the seconds ticked by, and nothing happened.

She felt safe with him. She didn't need to run anymore. She found her home.

Turning around in his arms, she watched him sleep, relishing in seeing the relaxed expression on his face. She couldn't keep herself from lifting her hand, trailing her fingers over the scar on his cheek, skimming her thumb over his lips.

He jerked slightly, the brush of her fingers apparently tickling him, and she smiled as his eyes blinked open and found hers. His mouth curled up into a sleepy smirk, and his arm tightened around her, his fingers splaying out over the small of her back.

"Morning, love," he rasped, his voice still husky from sleep.

"How about breakfast?" she asked, scooting closer. "And then a bath?"

"Sounds perfect."

-/-

They'd enjoyed a small breakfast, assembled from the rest of their dinner of the previous evening, before Emma linked her fingers with his and pulled him into the adjoining room. He hadn't even noticed it the day before. It apparently was a bathroom with a big wooden tub standing in the middle, and his swan turned around and grinned up at him, pressing a kiss on his lips before she told him he needed to go outside, and bring some snow in to fill the tub.

He wondered how they would get the water warm as he hauled buckets of snow into the cabin and emptied them into the tub. But when he'd finally filled the tub until the brim with snow, his fingers half frozen, she shot him a wicked smirk and closed her eyes, her fingers splaying out over the snow packed in the tub, and a moment later golden light spilled from her fingertips and the snow started to melt.

She never ceased to amaze him, and he just watched her, wondering for the umpteenth time how he deserved being loved by her.

"Come on, pirate." Her teasing voice jerked him out of his reveries, and a jolt of desire rushed straight down to his groin as she slipped out of her clothes and stepped into the tub, lowering herself with a contented sigh. "Time for a bath."

He shimmied out of his clothes and joined her, a moan rumbling out of his chest as his muscles relaxed in the hot water. He leaned back against her, feeling her breasts press into his back. Her lips ghosted over his neck, her fingers smoothing over his chest, and he actually whimpered as her hands trailed lower, her fingers brushing against his arousal.

"Not yet, Killian," she whispered in his ear and he opened his eyes slowly, turning his head to look her in the eyes.

"You're a bloody tease, Swan," he growled as her fingers played over his rock hard erection before trailing back up his chest, leaving his cock hard and throbbing.

"I know," she replied, grinning down at him, and his heart skipped a beat upon seeing her so happy.

He couldn't remember the last time he had been this happy himself. They still had problems to attend to. Like finding a way to free the fairies from the hat. He would have never asked Emma to take a break, knowing that it wasn't in her nature to abandon her savior duties. But apparently she'd decided to slow down for just a few days, and he wouldn't start questioning it.

His mind was amazingly blank when her fingers started to knead the tense muscles in his neck, and he almost dropped off to sleep as he relaxed even further under her hands. The pounding between his legs sizzled away, the urgent need to have her dulling to a slight throb in the pit of his stomach. But then she murmured in his ear to sit up and he obeyed immediately, wondering what she was up to now.

He actually groaned as her fingers threaded through his hair, massaging the shampoo in. He could have sat there for hours, feeling her fingers in his hair and all over his body. But he wanted to touch her too, and when she was finished with rinsing the shampoo out of his hair, he stood up and drew her into his arms.

Steam billowed around them as he just held her for a few minutes, his fingers trailing over her back and her ass, feeling the arousal stirring in his groin again as she writhed against him.

"Take me to bed, Killian."

But he didn't take her to bed. He stepped out of the tub and scooped her up in his arms, ignoring the water dripping down from their bodies onto the floor as he carried her back into the main room.

"I need a fire, love," he murmured when he put her down on her feet.

She flicked her hand, and a second later the hearth was roaring. He wandered over to the bed and reached for the blanket and pillows, throwing them all down on the ground before the fire.

She stepped into his arms, rising up on her tiptoes to press her lips on his mouth, her body pressing into him, and just like that his body was going up in flames. One second they were standing, and the next he was lying flat on the floor, Emma straddling his lap. She guided him inside of her, and he let out a guttural groan when she lowered herself on his length.

She rode him slowly until he couldn't take it any longer and sat up, pulling her head down to his and kissing her hungrily. She rocked her hips back and forth in a faster pace, but it still wasn't enough.

He pushed her back, her legs spreading wide as he plunged back in. But after a few thrusts she shoved him back and scrambled up on her knees, presenting her ass to him, and he growled as he grabbed her hip and slammed back home, taking her hard and fast, feeling her walls clamp down on him as her climax hit her, the flutters of her wet cunt around his cock throwing him over the edge only seconds later.

She'd refused to let him get up to find something to clean them both up afterwards, mumbling against his skin that they could hop back into the bathtub later, and he was too exhausted to stand up anyway, more than happy to just lay there on the floor, and watch the light of the fire play over her naked body.

He didn't know how long they were just laying there in silence. He just wished they could stay here longer, but he knew their time was running out. They needed to go back to town. Soon.

"Killian, I wanted to ask you something." Her voice was barely audible, her fingers playing with his necklace, her hand never far away from his heart.

"What is it?" he asked softly.

"Your heart ..." she trailed off, her fingers curling over his chest, her voice shaking slightly when she continued, "I want to use a protection spell. If you have no objections. I … I don't want to see your heart out of your body ever again."

"You can do that?"

"Yes, I can."

She pushed herself up and looked down at him, waiting for his answer. He just nodded, and her fingers tightened against his chest, a frown appearing between her brows as she concentrated. He felt his skin warm under her hand, the golden glow of her magic illuminating his skin, and then she felt as if her fingers wrapped around his heart, a soft squeeze, and then it was done.

"It's safe now," Emma breathed, her eyes shining with unshed tears, and he pulled her back down into his arms, pressing his lips against hers, kissing her gently until he felt her relax against him.

At least he had been able to take that worry off her shoulders, and he would help carry the rest of the weight with her for as long as he lived.

I didn't really have a plan when I started this story, and somehow I don't want to bring any angst into this. I have a few ideas about what they did in the six weeks between 4x12 and 4x13, so I think there is only one, maybe two chapters left, until I'll wrap this story up. Feel free to PM me here or on Tumblr if you want to read about anything specific. :-)