Remember Me:
Again much thanks for all the reviews, faves and follows, fingers crossed this will be finished or near done by the time this infinite hiatus comes to a close…. Anyway I hope you do enjoy…
Entering the building that they were to spend the evening at Killian's face let up in awe as he watched all the flashing neon lights and took in all the bloops and bleeps of the various games lining the arcades walls mixed in between the music playing from the stereo. He'd been getting rather used to modern things but this place just was a sensory overload. He listened as Emma's laugh broke him from his spell as he looked over toward mother and so who were watching him with smiles on their faces.
"I take it you've never been to an arcade before," Emma spoke with a smile.
"Can't say that I have Swan," he replied shaking his head, "but I fancy that there won't be a dull moment here tonight."
Emma shook her head clear that she hoped the night would be one to remember as she turned to the two men.
"I'm going to go ahead and order pizza, any preferences?" she asked.
"Extra Cheese," Henry spoke as Emma's eyes fell to Killian.
"I'm fine with whatever," he spoke only having pizza once before so he really didn't have an opinion on things.
Once Emma walked away toward the ordering counter, Killian turned to Henry with a smirk.
"So, what does one do at an arcade now lad?" he asked; "well besides eat pizza, as I assume these buzzing machines aren't just here for ambiance."
Henry shook his head.
"They are games Kyle," he replied, "You play them and earn tickets to gain prizes."
Killian nodded. Prizes, like treasure he thought to himself looking over at a counter next to the one where Emma had been standing which was filled with various trinkets and he knew at once he had to win something for his Emma provided that he could even play in these games with one hand.
"I'll get tokens and we can play," Henry said getting up from the booth that the two men had sat down in mere seconds ago. He tried to protest the boys leaving as he didn't know if Emma would of wanted him to run off however he was too late as Henry had already walked off. Shrugging his shoulders back, Killian leaned back into his booth his eyes falling back to Emma taking in everything about her from the distance, the way her nails drummed against the counter as she talked, the way her curls bounced as she moved her head...he watched as she smiled up at him upon turning around, a card with a number in one hand and cups in the other. Making her way into the booth across from him and placing the objects on the table she raised her brows.
"I see Henry couldn't wait until after dinner to hit the games," she spoke with a chuckle clearly expecting the boys absence from the table upon her arrival much to his relief as the last thing he wanted was for her to be mad at him.
"I guess," Killian replied, "the lad said something about getting tokens." As he said that, Henry made his way back to the bench placing a clear cup on the center of the table its contents catching the pirate's eye. The pieces in the cup were reminiscent of the doubloons he'd once pillaged and plundered to collect back in the period of his life between loosing Liam and plotting his revenge against the Crocodile. Picking one of the coins up to examine he heard Henry's voice explain that you put them in the machines to play the games. He nodded his head at the explanation placing the coin back in the cup as Emma looked over toward the boy.
"Henry, would you and Kyle mind getting drinks?"
Henry nodded and soon the two men had stood up and began to walk toward the soda machine passing the prize counter on the way.
"You should try and win my mom a stuffed animal," Henry said pointing toward the prize wall, "girls love stuffed animals."
Killian raised a brow at the young man's comment thinking the boy was just a child and what could he possibly know what girls loved. Deciding not to ask he simply nodded his head thinking to himself if a stuffed animal was what they liked then that is what Emma would get.
x-x-x-x
Emma smiled as she watched her boys make their way toward the drink machines. Her boys, did she just think that? Letting out a sigh she shook her head thinking about something her adoptive mother used to always say to her before she passed. When she could see that Emma had been working something out in her head she'd comment how she'd been 'in it' and right now as she watched the way Kyle and her son were talking and laughing with one another and she began to assess his step father potential she was definitely in it. Her thoughts were soon broken as the waiter placed their pizza on the table and the boys returned from getting drinks laughing.
"Care to share?" Emma asked as the two men shook their head deciding to keep some unspoken secret to themselves.
x-x-x-x-x
They sat and ate their pizza which in Killian's opinion was just as great as his first time as he thought to those moments while they'd been getting drinks a few moments ago and Henry was chatting to him telling him about getting his mom a stuffed animal and which one specifically she'd like before coming to the realization of just how many tickets they'd need and him slipping the lad a couple dollars from his wallet to accumulate some more tokens….he would win Emma the toy he was determined.
"So, what game should we play first," Killian asked once they'd been done eating as Henry pointed to a row of games lined up against the wall.
"What about Skeeball, it's a classic and one of my favorites."
"Aye," he replied standing up along with the boy, "lead the way."
Killian followed Henry across the room toward where the games sat as Henry popped in a token and he watched as a row of balls slid into view.
"Okay, watch me," Henry replied as Killian did as he was told watching as Henry picked up one of the balls with one of his hands and rolled it up some kind or ramp where it fell into some hole causing the score on the screen above the lane to change. It seemed simple enough and soon Henry placed one of the balls into his good hand. "Now you try."
Killian nodded as he rolled the ball and it skewed to the side landing in a hole none the less.
"Are you sure you haven't played before?" Henry asked eyes lit up before noting that he'd just dropped the ball into the 100 slot which was one of the harder slots to let it fall into apparently.
"Beginners luck," he replied with a smirk as he rolled another ball this time not making it into the 100 slot but still making it into a high slot none the less causing Henry to smile.
"Keep this up and we'll be winning my mom her prize in no time," he replied causing Killian to nod….the sooner he could gain enough tickets for that stuffed bear he'd promised he'd win the sooner he could spend more time with Emma basking in her beauty.
x-x-x-x
Emma didn't know why she always seemed to be drawn to the shooting games however there she was taking the handful of tokens that she'd pilfered from her son's stash and was taking a toy gun and shooting at plastic ducks rolling by on a conveyer belt. It gave her such a rush and she decided to not question it as she scooped up her share of tickets and made her way toward where the boys were playing skeeball.
"Having fun?" she asked causing both boys to turn to her and smile giving her an answer. "Anyway kid I got these for you."
Handing the tickets to her son she watched as his face and Kyle's lit up causing her to smile.
"Anyway, now that I've added to your ticket stash how about letting me borrow a few more tokens and playing some Dance Dance Revolution with me."
She watched as Henry rolled his eyes.
"MOM," he said clearly too cool to dance in public or at least attempt to with his dear old mom.
"You're loss," she replied taking a few tokens regardless and began to walk away.
"May I lad?" Killian asked as Emma began to leave and the boy simply smiled causing him to turn on his heels, "Emma, wait."
Turning on her heel, Emma watched as he came toward her.
"Kyle, don't tell me that you're not too embarrassed to be seen playing Dance Dance Revolution with me."
"And why would I be embarrassed?" he asked causing Emma simply shake her head laughing. This was Kyle's first time at an arcade so it was probably didn't even know what the game was about. Once they reached the bank of machines Emma curled her lips up at him.
"It's pretty simple, see the little squares on the ground," she spoke watching him nod and telling him that you followed the arrows on screen and they would say what spots to step on before adding, "I promise I'll go easy on you."
She watched as he nodded before following her up on the platform. Placing tokens into the machine she soon began to scan the music choices before settling on a song which soon began to play.
Dark in the city night is a wire
Steam in the subway earth is afire
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo
Woman you want me give me a sign
And catch my breathing even closer behind
Do do do do do do do dodo dododo dodo
-x-x-x-x
True to Emma's words arrows told Killian where to place his feet however his eyes were more enamored with Emma's dancing which caused his dancing to fall flat.
"I feel that I was the one to embarrass you," he replied stepping off the platform as the song ended, "I'm sorry about that."
He watched as Emma shook her head as she began to dance around some more with a laugh.
"It's okay, not everyone has these moves."
Killian couldn't help but let out a chuckle before Henry arrived rolling his eyes.
"MOM," he replied in an annoyed tone causing Emma to stop in her tracks now letting out a laugh of her own. Oh how he loved her laugh. "I need to borrow Kyle if you don't mind."
He watched as Emma nodded and Henry ushered him over to the ticket counter.
"So, I decided to take a break from skeeball and play that Deal or No Deal game and I hit ticket gold…."
Killian's eyes lit up yet again at the young boy's news.
"So how do we go about trading in these tickets for the goods," he replied as Henry motioned back toward the prize counter where soon they exchanged their tickets for an oversized purple teddy bear.
"Thank you kind sir," Killian replied toward the teenager behind the counter who was, was he rolling his eyes at him. Clearly the young man had never heard a complement before. Letting his shoulders rise into a shrug he and Henry walked back over toward their booth where Emma had returned herself to after the whole Dancing thing.
"So," he heard her ask, "what did you get Henry."
"I didn't get anything," Henry replied as Killian placed the bear besides Emma on the bench.
"For m'lady," he replied bending his body into a bow and watching as a blush crossed Emma's cheek. He liked the way he'd been able to do that and he hoped that once her memories were back he'd find a way to still get her to do that.
"I see we've already reached the point in the relationship where I'm receiving lavish gifts."
At her usage of the word relationship he let his eyebrow rise up.
"Relationship?"
"I know it's crazy, I mean we've met less than a week ago and the circumstances were a bit…anyway I know we're grown adults but do you mind if I call you my boyfriend?"
"Boyfriend?" he asked thinking that if not for some of the movies he'd seen the term would be lost on him however instead he simply smiled, "would this mean that you were my girlfriend?"
"You know," he watched her speak with a smile; "I think it would."
Killian couldn't help but let a smile cross his lips as he felt his heart racing. Emma Swan had declared herself his girlfriend a bridge where they hadn't even begun to cross in her other life as they'd been friends with benefits at best if they even put a label on what they had at all. He spend a moment taking it all in before Henry whose face was beaming as if to say 'I told you she'd love the bear,' piped up.
"I don't want to break up your love fest but can we get some dessert."
Killian looked to Emma who nodded however before anything else was said, Killian excused himself from the table. He noticed before that aside from pizza the menu at the arcade's restaurant featured a café selection and he knew just what to pick up for a perfect ending to what was becoming a perfect evening and he soon returned to the table with three warm cups.
He watched Emma take a sip, her green eyes widening in surprise.
"Hot Chocolate with Cinnamon?" she asked with a raised brow.
"I know it's an odd choice, but I'm quite fond of it."
"It's my favorite," she replied as he watched her eyes locked on his deeper, more passionately then they ever seemed to be at least while he'd been with her in New York. He could feel his heart race as her face moved closer toward his. This was it, the moment of truth…they were going to kiss and hopefully remember everything and if not…. well he could betray his promise to Snow and Charming and regenerate into this Kyle Ward persona on a permanent basis now couldn't he? He could feel her breath on his skin as she inched closer and closer still and then as she was mere inches away he watched her hand rise up to his lip.
"You have a little whipped cream right here," she replied brushing away the substance from his lips. Oh such a tease his Swan.
x-x-x-x
She wanted to kiss him she really did and she'd been hoping that once she wiped his lip he'd go in for the kiss himself. Sighing that he didn't they finished their cocoa and made their way toward the bug after all it was a school night and it was starting to get late.
Making their way back toward the apartments, Emma watched as Kyle opened her door for her yet again and lead her and Henry to the doorstep. Henry said his goodnights taking the bear into the apartment leaving the two of them together.
"Tonight was," she began with a pause trying to come up with a word before finally settling on… "magical."
"Interesting choice of word there love," Killian replied.
"We should do it again, going out, I mean now that we're official we should go on a real grown up adult date, no bars, no kids, you know dinner, drinks, dancing."
She chuckled at the last word causing him to laugh as well.
"I promise I'm a much better dancer when video games aren't involved," he replied thinking back to the balls he attended with Liam back when he was Lieutenant of the Royal Navy. "Anyway when do you propose we have this real grown up date? I believe Friday is considered Date Night if I'm not mistaken."
Emma nodded thinking that yes Friday was considered date night but she was above conventions and really she just really couldn't wait to spend more time with Kyle.
"I was thinking more along the lines of tomorrow night, I mean I doubt it will be too hard to make last minute reservations for a Wednesday evening."
"Until tomorrow then my Emma," he replied as her cheeks flushed and their eyes locked just as intently as they did at the arcade however this time there was no whipped cream coming between her and his lips, they inched closer and closer however before they could let their lips meet he was bowing down and kissing her hand. She guessed this was payback for earlier and she deserved it though she hoped that the following evening there wouldn't be any interruptions.
TBC
PS while I don't think I mentioned it my Emma head cannon for her NEW MEMORIES is that she was abandoned at birth but was left at a fire station and not on the side of the road. One of the firemen and his wife took her in….he died in the line of duty when she was young and her mom died of cancer when she was in her teens which then lead her to the streets and to her dalliance with Neil/Henry's conception….I most likely won't state this in the piece but I just wanted to share my extended universe. Also song used to dance to is Hungry Like The Wolf by Duran Duran.