Chapter Twenty-Five
Robin Hood's Camp
"Why is the forest so loud?!" Emma mumbles as she rolls over in the camp bed and reaches up to hold her pounding head. She pops one eye open to see Killian standing beside the camp bed looking down at her with a smirk. He is already fully dressed and holding a bundle of clothes in his hands.
"These were left outside the tent, Love. And it seems the giant left us some useful jewelry." He says holding up the braided leather cuffs to examine them.
Emma squints at him for a moment before flopping back down, face first onto the bed with a groan. She hears Killian chuckle and start moving around before the bed shifts as he sits on the edge of it, beside her.
"Come on now, darling." He says and Emma struggles to sit up as he holds his flask out under her nose. Emma flinches at the smell and pushes the flask back to him.
"No thanks. I'll feel better in a few minutes." She says as he shrugs, takes a small swig and puts the flask back inside his jacket.
"That was quite the party last night." she says, looking down at her lap and letting the memories of the night before trickle in. She looks up at Killian in amused confusion.
"Did you literally rip my clothes off? I don't think I remember anything after that."
Killian chuckles and holds up his hands in mock surrender.
"I assure you, Swan, after you passed out from the drink, I was a perfect gentleman and fell asleep myself."
Emma gives a short laugh and then leans towards him, letting the blanket fall away and drawing his full attention to her bare chest.
"I never doubted your honour for a second, Killian. But now that I am feeling a little better…" she trails off as she presses her lips to his neck and then to his lips; pulling him into a tantalizing kiss which he returns and deepens before breaking away.
"Sadly, most of the others in the camp are already up and about, Love. We are expected at breakfast shortly." He says regretfully and Emma sighs loudly and pouts.
"Fine. Give me those clothes then. Don't think that this is over, though, Captain." She says with a sultry murmur as she stands before him, completely naked, to take the clothes. Killian shakes off the shot of heat that runs up his spine at her words and leans back on the bed to watch Emma dress.
"Wouldn't dream of it, Love"
oOoOoOoOoOo
During breakfast Emma thanks the woman that left her the clothes and presses Antione for any more details he might remember about Atlantis or where they might find the amulet when they get up the beanstalk. After having a couple of sacks of provisions forced on them and hugging everyone goodbye, Emma kneels down to give Roland one last hug and promises to see him soon. Her heart breaks a little as they walk away and she looks back to see Little John scoop up a quietly crying Roland.
Killian takes Emma's hand again and they walk in silence for a while.
"You look better attired for adventure today, Love." Killian says in an attempt to cheer her up.
Emma looks down at the soft doe-skin pants and vest, loose fitting shirt and knee-high leather boots and nods at him.
"At least I don't have to worry about snagging my skirt on the beanstalk and falling to my death or just not being able to move in that corset. [she glances sideways at Killian] I think the whole outfit was a lost cause anyway." She says smirking at him.
Killian grins fiendishly at her.
"Necessary casualties. Otherwise I'm fairly certain it would have taken hours to get you out of that thing and I don't know about you, Love, but I wasn't willing to wait that long to have you naked." He says, pulling on her hand to spin her around and up against his chest for a heated kiss.
They break apart after a few minutes and smile lazily at each other as they continue on their way towards the beanstalk in the distance.
oOoOoOoOoOo
At the base of the beanstalk Emma and Killian decide to rest and have a quick lunch before they start the climb.
"Do you realize this is the setting of our very first adventure together?" Killian says as they both lean against a large oak tree, munching on the apples from their rucksack. Emma tilts her head to consider his words and her face softens with a small smile of nostalgia.
"And up that beanstalk is where I was first attracted to you." She says, watching Killian's brows shoot up in surprise.
"Really?" he says, chucking his apple aside and leaning over to crawl closer to her. Emma giggles and falls over onto the grass as he crawls into her lap and pushes her over.
"And what, pray tell, was is about me that finally got under that thick skin of yours, darling?" he asks her before lowering his head to run his tongue along her collarbone. Emma closes her eyes and gasps when he nips at her neck lightly.
"Mmm When you bandaged my hand, at the top of the beanstalk. Your eyes held mine when you used your mouth to tie off the bandage and I remember thinking that I wanted your mouth on other parts of me."
Killian's head pops up suddenly and he grins down at her.
"Coincidentally, I was thinking the exact same thing, Love. I wanted my mouth on other parts of you, as well." He says with an arrogant and lusty whisper. Emma arches up onto her elbows to kiss him passionately, battling his tongue with her own.
"Let's make up for lost time, then." Emma says as Killian's hands start pulling her shirt free of her pants to put his hands on her skin. She feels him grin against her lips.
"Once again, our thoughts are aligned, Love." Killian growls out as he pushes himself up onto his knees to shed his leather coat and spread it out on the ground and then lift Emma up and onto it. Emma uses their temporary parting to wriggle out of her pants and unbutton her vest before Killian is back to her, aiding her efforts. Left only in the billowy white shirt and her panties, Emma gives Killian a hard kiss before blindly attacking his belt buckle and pants. Her hands falter when she feels Killian's fingers sliding down her stomach and tease the edge of her red lace panties, making her body arch up towards his. Her eyes close and Emma lets a loud moan escape her lips when Killian's fingers slip beneath the lace to caress the spot she needs it the most.
Killian groans quietly when his fingers slide easily over her wetness and he gives a loving kiss to one of her breasts, laving her nipple through the shirt. Emma is panting with need for him and she reaches up to touch his jaw, tilting his face up so she can kiss him, biting down on his bottom lip as he slips a finger inside her opening.
"Killian…" Emma says on a gasp.
"Yes, Love?" he asks, equally as breathless. In answer, Emma reaches inside his undone leather pants and wraps her hand around him, stroking him from base to tip, causing his eyes to close and throw his head back with a loud gasp. Smiling to herself, Emma repeats the action, relishing the control for a moment before Killian palms her clit and curls his fingers inside her.
"OH! Fuck!" she yells suddenly and opens her eyes to find Killian staring at her with a challenge in his lust-filled eyes. Emma grins in response and tightens her hand around him, reaching down to run a fingernail over the seam of his testicles and then sliding her hand up to swirl the drops of precum around his head with her thumb.
Killian sees spots bursting in front of his eyes and nearly collapses on top of Emma from the sensations she is producing with just her hand.
"Bloody Hell, Swan!" he struggles to get out as he is forced to remove his fingers from her to steady himself. Emma uses her other hand to pull his hips closer to her as she rubs him. She strokes him upwards again and sneakily bumps the head of his cock into her clit and moans.
Killian's glazed eyes refocus on Emma's face as he realizes what she is doing. He experimentally shifts his hips to slide his cock over her clit again and Emma cries out.
Killian slips his fingers back inside Emma, determined to give as good as he gets and after a few minutes they are both on the edge of orgasm, panting and clutching at each other with an insatiable hunger for release.
"Gods, Emma…" he growls out, trying to hold back for her.
"Killian. Come for me. Come with me." she says as she starts tensing around his fingers and moaning his name. He watches her eyes close and her body arch up before closing his own eyes to lose himself in the sensation. Leaning hard on the hand holding him up, Killian grunts noisily as he thrusts into Emma's hand and splatters his sperm onto her stomach as she convulses on his slick fingers. He has just enough mental capacity to hold his thumb down on Emma's clit to prolong her orgasm before he collapses beside her.
Both panting harshly, Emma and Killian stare at each other with wide eyes.
"Well… that took an unexpected turn." Killian says, a grin slowly spreading across his face as he loops his hand around Emma's neck and pulls her forward to press a quick kiss to her forehead.
"Yeah. I'm not sure who won that round but,… damn that was intense." Emma says between pants, making Killian chuckle.
"Indeed it was, Love." He says, reaching over to tug a bandana out from the pocket of his jacket that they are lying on. Pushing himself up onto one elbow to look down at her, he uses the bandana to wipe his mess from her stomach with gentle touches.
Emma gives Killian a sweet smile at the gentlemanly gesture and has a satisfying stretch as he lays down beside her once more. She curls up to him with her head on his chest and they doze in the sunshine for an hour or so before Emma rolls away from Killian with a sigh.
"We should really get going if we want to be back down here before nightfall." She says as she sits up to look around for her discarded clothing. Killian rubs a hand over his face and sits up beside her and after a minute, starts righting the clothing that never actually made it off his body.
After several minutes of gathering up things and re-dressing, Emma and Killian stand looking up at the beanstalk. Steeling themselves, they slip on the bracelets that Antione made them and start to climb.
Emma's arms are aching when they finally reach the top and Killian helps her over the edge of the stone circling the beanstalk. Catching their breath for a moment, Emma looks around at the crumbling giant's domain.
"Antione said he thought the amulet might be in the eastern treasure room." She says when her breathing steadies.
With a greedy grin, Killian raises a roguish eyebrow at her.
"That is an exceedingly sexy name for any room." He says excitedly.
Emma rolls her eyes and starts walking.
"What?" he asks, feigning a wounded expression.
"Still a pirate, Love." He whispers in her ear as he catches up to her and Emma laughs. Walking into the treasure room, the two of them stop to stare around in wonder at the mountains of gold before them.
"Today could very well be the best day of my life…" Killian says in a dazed euphoria as he holds out his arms and spins around in a slow circle, taking it all in. Emma watches the pirate and rolls her eyes, amused by his antics.
"You can't take it, you know." She says, eyeing him with her arms crossed over her chest and Killian's head snaps in her direction.
"What?! Emma, the giant said himself he never wanted to come back here, you're saying you want me to let all this just sit here and rot? Or to be plundered by a less well-meaning soul?" he says in wounded disbelief.
Emma tilts her head to the side, unconvinced, before walking over to him and placing a sympathetic hand on his cheek.
"And what if Antione changes his mind some day and comes back to find that his friends have robbed him?" she asks seriously.
Putting on a pout that would do justice to any toddler, Killian looks longingly at the piles of gold.
"There is more to this 'hero' business than I originally thought." He mumbles and Emma looks around at the treasure as she drapes her arms lazily around his hips.
"But maybe Antione would forgive us for a few missing pieces…" she says, watching Killian with a smirk as his face darkens and he roughly pulls her tight against him for a savage kiss.
Emma breaks off the kiss with a hand on his chest.
"BUT, only what you can fit in your pockets AND we give half of it to the merry men for Roland. Deal?" she says in a commanding voice and Killian beams at her.
"Of course, darling. Good thing I wore my coat with plenty of hidden pockets." He says as he strides away to survey what he can fit in his coat.
"He's gonna fall right off the beanstalk with all that gold on him." Emma murmurs as she shakes her head. Killian talks to her as he rifles through the nearest pile of gold, pausing to look at and then toss aside a golden crown.
"So, did the giant say what this amulet looked like or are we just to take them all." He says, turning to her with a saucy grin as he stuffs a sapphire the size of a strawberry in his coat. Emma scans the piles of treasure as she walks around and answers him.
"Antione said it was about half the size of my hand, white gold, had a bunch of swirling gold threads around a large aqua-coloured stone. He said it was on a long golden chain and the last time he saw it, it was hanging off statue of a silver elephant. That shouldn't be too hard to find." She says, rounding a pile of gold coins that was at least three times taller than her.
Killian comes up behind her and wraps his arms around her to nuzzle her neck and Emma notices several extra rings on his fingers and a distinct rattle to his coat that weren't there before.
"A silver elephant, you say?" he says as he takes her hand and pulls her along after him as he giddily swaggers from pile to pile of treasure.
"Darling, would you say you're more of a pearls or diamonds kind of woman?" he asks, holding out a necklace in each hand to scrutinize them and then tossing them over his shoulder as his eyes focus on something else.
"Ooo there's one with both."
Emma laughs again as she continues her search.
"Thanks, but no thanks. I'm more of a beach glass kinda girl." She says quietly, blushing as she looks down at her engagement ring. Killian stands frozen, staring at Emma for a full minute before he drops all the gold he was holding and wordlessly walks over to her to kiss her slowly and sweetly. When the kiss ends Killian presses his forehead to hers and holds her close.
"I almost forgot that I already have greatest treasure in all the realms." And then he looked in her eyes to emphasize every word. Emma's blush creeps from her cheeks down her chest as she looks away.
"Love you too, Killian." She says in a very small voice and he smiles at her and then pulls her along again as they search the massive hall for the amulet.
They finally find the statue hidden away behind several piles of treasure and Killian lifts Emma up so she can reach the necklace hanging from the elephant's over-sized ear.
"Finally!" Emma exclaims as Killian lowers her back down and they stop to have a look at the amulet. Emma runs her fingers over the smooth swirls of white gold, etched with strange markings and then over the large stone at the bottom.
"It's beautiful." She says and then sighs and turns to Killian.
"Ready to get out of here?"
Killian pretends to ponder her question before grinning at her.
"After you, Love." And Emma pretended not to notice his hand darting out those few times towards the treasure on their way out.