Any hope Killian had that the awkwardness of last night would disappear once morning came was quickly dashed once he opened his eyes and saw Emma's bed empty. He rubbed his eyes and sighed, kicking himself for being so stupid last night and went to put on some fresh clothes when the door opened.
"Oh, good morning," Emma said, her eyes still not meeting his.
"Morning," Killian tried to sound cheerful, but he knew the Emma could see right through the fake cheeriness.
"I got you a bagel again, we should probably get back on the road soon; I want to get to at least Texas, possibly New Mexico, today and it looks like a summer storm is coming in," she said somewhat tersely.
"Okay, you do the check out and I'll do the idiot check again?" he asked, taking a bite of his bagel.
"Sure," Emma responded, taking her toiletries bag into the bathroom to brush her teeth and pack up.
Killian sighed and ate the rest of his bagel and changed out of what he slept in and into some shorts. The sky outside looked much darker and cloudier than it had the day before and Killian knew he would have regretting putting on his usual jeans in this humidity.
Emma strode out of the bathroom and grabbed her suitcase, "See you at the car," she tossed over her shoulder at him.
He did a quick scope of the room and bathroom, before grabbing his own bag and following her out to the bug.
"Holy fuck is it humid out here!" Killian exclaimed once he caught up to Emma next to the bug.
"I know let's get out of here, the AC should help somewhat," Emma tossed her bag into the trunk. Killian followed suit and groaned when he felt the blast of the AC hit him, Emma started the engine and they took off in silence. He drummed his fingers on his knee and stared out the window, trying to think of something, anything, to say that would make this seemingly endless awkward silence end. But what could he say that would somehow make the awkwardness of last night disappear?
"Sorry I'm an utter ponce it's just that I'm pretty sure I've been in love with you since we were 12 but I don't want to lose you as a friend?"
"Sorry I let my hormones take over last night and I wish I could blame it completely on the hormones but I've liked you as perhaps more than a friend should for years now and sometimes I want nothing more than to kiss you?"
"Sorry the mere thought of unclasping your bra turned my brain into oatmeal but I think you are very attractive and smart and amazing and maybe we should just try dating?"
The pitter patter of rain shook Killian from his thoughts, he looked up to see what seemed like an ocean's worth of water falling from the sky. The windshield wipers seemed to be going at a breakneck speed to keep their vision clear, Killian looked over at Emma to see how she was handling it.
"You all right? I know you get nervous driving around in storms," Killian asked.
"I'm fine, it's just rain," Emma said sharply and drove on through the rain, he sighed and went back to looking at the now rain soaked corn fields.
"Can you stop sighing?" Emma snapped.
"Sorry I didn't realize I was doing it," Killian said. The rain continued to pour down, the sound amplified by the car's metal roof, filling the silence between them. Out the window Killian could see the stalks of corn bowing back and forth in the wind, the rain coming down almost sideways. The deep rumble of thunder made itself heard, Killian heard Emma's sharp intake of breath. He looked back at her, knowing she hated storms. A flash of lightning caused her to jump in her seat and the car swerved, luckily Emma was able to regain control.
"Shit sorry it just caught me off guard," Emma said, now white knuckling the steering wheel.
"Maybe we should pull over and wait out the storm?" Killian suggested.
"I can handle a little summer storm Killian, we've barely been driving for 2 hours and we're still 100 miles outside Texas," Emma said angrily.
"Well we're never going to get anywhere if we hydroplane!" Killian tried reasoning over another boom of thunder.
"We are not going to hydroplane," Emma rolled her eyes and yelped when another fork of lightning lit up the sky, "Okay maybe it's not a terrible idea to pull over for a bit."
Emma steered the bug off to the side of the road and parked, taking off her seat belt and reclining her seat.
"Getting comfy?" Killian asked, hoping to get her to at least crack a small smile.
"Might as well since it looks like we won't be going anywhere any time soon," she huffed. Killian tried not to sigh in frustration, really he could understand being a little awkward in the morning, but she was his best friend and she had never been this quiet and distant from him before, at least not since when he first started dating Milah. He drummed his fingers on his knee, hoping that whatever wall that stood between them would just disappear.
"Want to play I Spy?" he half heartedly suggested.
"No I do not want to play I Spy," she sounded exasperated.
"Okay, than do you want to tell me why you're acting this way?" Killian said before he could stop himself.
"Why I'm acting this way? Please Killian, tell me what way I'm acting?" Emma turned to him her brow furrowed and eyes narrowed.
"You know how you're acting, like you'd rather be anywhere than here! Like I'm some douchey guy we went to high school with and not the person who's been your best friend since grade school. Now you can tell me what's wrong!"
"How can you think I don't want to be here! You're the one sighing every five seconds and staring out the window!"
"Because I don't know what you want me to do! You seem irritated whenever I open my mouth and now you're telling me that I'm too quiet? What do you want Emma?"
"I want you to stop being so fucking weird okay?"
"Well I'll stop being weird if you stop being weird!" Killian was close to shouting now.
"I, ugh, I need some air," Emma threw up her hands and got out of the car, stomping down the road.
"Swan! Emma come on," Killian called after her as he got out of the car, "Where are you even going to walk to?"
"I don't know Killian, I just need to walk!" Emma shouted over the pouring rain.
"Emma what is wrong? We never fight like this, just please tell me what is bothering you," he pleaded with her, his hair completely soaked by the warm rain.
"You really want to know what's wrong?" Emma asked, a challenging edge to her question.
"Yes, why else would I be standing here in the fucking rain?"
"Because this fucking trip is making me realize that I actually have feelings for you, like real feelings and that it scares the shit out of me," Emma admitted. Killian stood there, rooted in the ground like the many stalks of corn around them, at an utter loss for words.
"Well now you know," Emma said, her voice shaking. She turned to walk away when Killian remembered he had control over his limbs and reached out and caught her hand.
"Do you mean that?" he asked, searching her face for any sign that she wasn't being honest and finding none.
"Every word."
"Emma, I've had real feelings towards you since we were twelve years old," he admitted to her, feeling a weight lift off his shoulders.
"You mean it?" she asked, her hair soaked and her eyes brimming with unshed tears.
"Every word," he breathed before he felt her grab hold of the front of his shirt and pull him towards her. Their lips meeting in a desperate and messy kiss, their hands all over the place and their tongues sliding against each other, putting years of pent up emotions into it. His hands circled around her, one tangling itself in her hair the other anchoring itself on her waist. He poured every bit of feeling he could into that kiss and Emma took it and poured in her own until a loud boom of thunder forced them apart.
"Perhaps we should get back in the car?" Killian asked, smiling and leaning his forehead against hers.
Emma chuckled and nodded, taking his hand and running back to the bug and they both climbed inside, "So does this change everything?" she asked once they were out of the rain.
"Well yeah, but I think it's a change for the better," Killian said reaching out and tucking a lock of hair behind her ear.
"Why?"
"Because I can do this now," Killian leaned in and captured his lips in his, both so preoccupied that they didn't notice the rain letting up.