A/N: This chapter brings us to the reunion I've been hinting about since the first chapter and to our M rating, because I have decided to dive head first into cuteness and fluff. Every single story I'm writing right now is giving me too many emotions, so why not just pour all of the excess feels back into these chapters? Seems like a good idea to me. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy and happy Sunday!
"So, you guys are like, together?" Emma strained so hard not to roll her eyes, but with each question like this her will to preserve people's feelings grew weaker and weaker.
At least twenty people had asked her and Killian this exact same question since they'd walked into Storybrooke High School tonight, and that was a conservative guess. Some askers had been gracious enough to pretend that they had interests in something else before getting to that question, but others were blunt and to the point. Not that Emma could really blame them. They already knew what Emma was doing with her life because they saw her all the time. Killian though was apparently still a hot commodity despite his being here for a few months himself. And the two of them together…well that was either the most unbelievable thing or a long foretold destiny that these random former classmates had dreamed up for them depending on who you asked.
"We are, yes." Killian said, his arm slung around the back of Emma's chair, while his other hand held hers under the table. They'd managed to grab a seat about ten minutes in, but despite their table being full, people were flocking to them. It made Emma's stomach hurt to get all of this attention, but at least she had Killian. This was white knight level rescuing as far as Emma was concerned, because she had no interest in being this on display for people. If she hadn't promised Mary Margaret they'd be here, she would beg Killian to take her home right now.
"That's fantastic! I think I hear wedding bells, and it's been too long since we had a town wedding!" Emma nearly choked on her drink. God did people have no sense of boundaries anymore?! As if someone had put out the bat signal, more people started to crowd around.
"You know I've recently been getting into wedding planning – well it's mostly just a collection of Pinterest aesthetics but -," Standing up suddenly, Killian handled the barrage of inappropriate public thoughts with a smile and more charm than Emma ever could have mustered.
"We appreciate all the support, ladies, but if you'll excuse us." Killian reached for Emma's hand, pulling her from the table and that was it. He had no real excuse for their leaving, but no one resented it and now Emma was free, or at least as free as she could be while still remaining in the high school gymnasium.
In truth, their location was still weirding Emma out a bit. She had memories in here from a lifetime ago that she'd been wading through for months thanks to Killian, but now she was making a new memory here. It felt so strange, and yet it might have been kind of nice, if they weren't surrounded by people with ridiculous questions like these.
Killian's hand pressed on the small of her back leading her through the space, and he was still close enough for her to feel his warmth despite the chill in the room. When he leaned down to whisper in her ear, she felt the tickle of his breath and was surrounded by that smell that was so typically Killian. Leave it to him to affect her like this mere seconds after she'd been clammed up and hostile from a class-wide interrogation.
"I think we've both earned another drink at this point, love." Emma grinned, nodding quickly. With his usual charm, and a bit of straight up rebellion, Killian convinced the bartender to let him behind the station to make their drinks for himself. The ease with which he got his way had Emma smiling, but when he came back with rum, Emma couldn't hold back the laughter anymore.
"Well this is… an interesting choice," Emma said, eying the glass before her with amusement. That only compounded when she watched Killian get a little flustered and scratch behind his ear in that way he always did when feeling a bit bashful.
"It was the first drink either of us ever had. I thought that fitting for tonight." Emma took his hand in hers, twining their fingers together, and smiling up at him. They'd been sixteen and found the bottle in a locked cabinet of Liam's. She'd thought it was terrible and they'd quickly decided that getting drunk would never be in the cards for them if high school parties ever came along in their social calendar. The taste had grown on her a little bit as the years went on, but she hadn't indulged in a long time.
"You know you don't have to be so incredibly thoughtful all the time, Killian." He unlinked their hands just to wrap his arm around her, pulling her closer to him.
"But I do love. It's my natural state of living when it comes to you." Emma felt a happy little zing of pleasure at the words and raised her glass slightly.
"So what do we drink to?" His grin was back in a second, as he seemed to consider what their best option would be.
"To everything still to come. This night is about the past, but I would toast to our future, together." Emma kissed him, taking him by surprise and then pulling back before he could deepen the kiss. She could see the surprise and undertones of hunger in his shining blue eyes. "I'm not sure that's how a toast works traditionally, Swan, but I like your way of thinking."
"Sometimes you just have to go for what you want, and I wanted you." His brow raised at that.
"Wanted?" Emma faked a sigh.
"Want. I want you. Always have, always will." Killian put his glass down on the table beside them, quickly doing the same with Emma's and pulled her to him for another kiss.
"Forget the bloody rum, love. I think we should stick with your plan." But just as he was about to give them both the pleasure of another tantalizing kiss, they were interrupted again, this time by David.
"Okay don't hate me, but my wife has insisted on pictures, and the soccer team is up." Emma could feel Killian's growl from his chest, the vibration simultaneously riling her up further and giving her a sense of calm. He wanted her just as much as she wanted him, and his hands tightened their hold on her, keeping her in place against him before he leaned forward in defeat.
"It would appear I'm needed elsewhere, love." Emma laughed.
"It'll all be over before you know it, and then we can revisit this conversation." Killian grinned, pressing a quick kiss to her forehead before following David."
"That man is crazy over you," Emma turned to see Ruby beside her and grinned. How could she not, when all she wanted was for him to love her as much as she loved him?
"Oh Emma, just the person I wanted to talk to!" Emma almost groaned at the interruption by yet another classmate but Ruby grabbed her hand quickly and whispered.
"Pretend you just got a phone call. I'll make an excuse." There were no words for how grateful Emma was in that moment for her friend and she did just that, successfully evading another posse of women looking for details on what it was like to love Killian Jones.
Emma slipped into the hallway, feeling a weight lift as she put more and more distance between herself and the masses of people in there who didn't actually matter. Killian, for his part, was making this a far more bearable night than it might have been otherwise, but she couldn't expect to take up all his time and so she'd brought a back up plan.
Opening her clutch, Emma pulled the last two pages of the chapter that Killian gifted her today, which she'd folded up and saved in case she needed them tonight. It was the last snippet of a chapter all about their senior prom, and right when things were getting good, she'd cut herself off, a sense of foreboding telling her she might need some assistance getting through this reunion. Looking around once more to make sure that no one was out here, Emma delved into the chapter, losing herself in his words.
…
"Just ask her to dance, man. She came here with you, there's no way she's gonna say no. Besides I thought this was your night to finally make the move." David's words rang in my ears, making a lot of rational sense, but my mind couldn't process it with my heart beating this wildly. I felt so incredibly out of my element, hovering by Emma like a fool when all I wanted to do was exactly as David had suggested.
"What if it muddles everything up? What if I put myself out there and she doesn't feel the same? I could be ruining the best thing in my life just for the chance of something better." David looked at me blankly.
"You've been wrestling with the same questions since I met you. At some point you just have to man up and tell her, but start with something easy. A dance will not make or break your friendship."
Okay, so maybe Dave had a point, and the thought of holding Emma in my arms as we swayed to the music was one I'd been thinking of for months. I just couldn't seem to get any coherent thoughts out around her tonight. Every time I tried my eyes traced the way she looked in that form fitting pink dress, or the way she'd opted to wear her flowers in her hair instead of on her wrist. She hadn't a thought for what people would think, and I loved that about her. Besides, she was right, the flowers looked better placed amongst her golden tresses than nearly falling off as everyone else's were.
"Hey." Emma's voice took me by surprise as I spun around to see her smiling at me. One second too late I realized I was openly gawking at her, completely under her spell and craving so much more than just her friendship. "So I was thinking that we should probably dance."
"You were?!" My voice sounded half strangled all of a sudden but Emma only nodded.
"Well when you asked me to prom, you said we should be going for the full high school experience. I think your exact words were 'we only have one shot at this, Swan.'" Her impersonation of my accent, terrible as it always was, made me heart sing.
"I recall something along those lines being said." I'd somehow managed to string a line of words together, which felt like a miracle in itself.
"Dancing seems to be a part of this." I could only nod at this point and Emma looked down for a moment before looking back up at me. "So do you want to dance?"
"I – um – yeah." My lack of eloquence amazed even me in that moment, but Emma only laughed, easing my nerves some as she took my hand and led me to the floor. My whole body felt shaky as we made our way out into the sea of other students, but when she stepped into my arms, I reached the pinnacle. This close I could smell the faint scent of vanilla and lavender on her skin, I could see the flecks of lighter green within her emerald eyes, and I could feel nothing but unbridled bliss.
"I guess I should have warned you before, but I'm kind of a terrible dancer." I didn't believe that for a second, but I smiled, instinctively trying to reassure the bit of anxiety now marred her beautiful features.
"There's only one rule to dancing." Emma raised a brow at me, easing into my hold whether or not she realized it.
"And that would be…?" I moved an inch closer, close enough that with just a another small motion I could kiss those lips I'd been dreaming of since our first meeting.
"Pick a partner who knows what he's doing." She giggled, and this close I could feel it down to my bones. I dared to hope in that moment that I would never have to let her go, that by the end of the night she'd understand she had my heart, and that we'd be together after all these years.
"How do you know what you're doing?" Emma asked pulling me from the happy thoughts I'd been lost in.
"You've made me watch about a hundred movies that end with a high school dance, love, and in every one all they do is sway a little back and forth." Emma rolled her eyes but smiled nonetheless.
"Hey I listen to you go on about 'real football' all the time, you can handle my movies. Besides, that's what best friends do."
Just like that my heart deflated, and all the confidence I'd mustered from holding her close slipped away. The reminder that we were friends hit home my biggest fear all over again, and I cowered in the sight of it. No matter what I could not lose my Emma, but damn if being this close still didn't feel like a million miles from where I wanted most to be.
…
Perhaps it made him a worse person than most, but Killian had come to a very strong conclusion: he didn't actually give a shit about what had transpired in the lives of ninety percent of his fellow classmates. This fact made his entire attendance at the reunion a largely undesirable one, save one part – Emma was here, somewhere, only he couldn't seem to find her.
"Ruby just saved her from a new wave of inquiring minds. I saw her move into the hallway." Killian looked over to see Belle warily sipping at her drink in hand and looking around the room. "You know, everyone can't stop talking about how much things changed, and I feel like I'm right back there in the thick of it."
"Why do you say that, love?" Belle looked at Killian for a moment and then back at the sea of people.
"I still have no idea how to carry on a conversation with half of these people, this room kind of smells like gym socks, and I would rather be home with a good book than anywhere with dancing." Killian couldn't help but laugh. That sounded like the Belle he knew.
"So why are you here then?" Killian thought she might be blushing at his question but then she looked back at him.
"I lost a bet, and now I not only have to come to this, but I'm letting Ruby set me up on a blind double date in…" Belle looked at her phone, "thirty minutes or so."
"She still seeing Graham?" Killian probably needn't ask, given that he'd seen the two of them making out at some point nearly every day Graham came to work on the house, but it was best to be certain.
"Yeah. He has a friend Ruby thinks might 'get me.' Whatever that means." Killian muffled another laugh at that.
"Well at least you have a reason to bow out early, should Mary Margaret decide to enquire." Belle simply raised her glass to that and then her eyes darted across the room. Killian's followed to find Emma walking towards him.
Bloody hell she looks fantastic, Killian thought, having already seen her of course, but it was still a lot to take in. The things she did to that sleeveless black dress made him weak in the knees. Belle had mentioned things feeling like high school and he had to agree. All of his responses to Emma remained just as fierce as they had when he was still a boy.
"Emma," No sooner was her name passed his lips than his Swan pulled him to her for a kiss, one with so much feeling it nearly knocked him over. Whatever was the cause, Killian could only thank the Gods he had the right to kiss her like this, and that they'd gotten this far again. He would never take a single look for granted from Emma, never mind a kiss like this.
"You know there's nothing keeping us from being best friends and…more than friends at the same time." Killian didn't take her meaning for a moment, but when he did he grinned.
"Ah, I see you read the last part." Emma's hands were on his chest, one placed gently above his heart. He wondered if she could feel it speeding up from her presence.
"I keep thinking that one of these days, your words wont take my breath away, but they always do. I wish I had some to give you back but all I have is 'I love you.'" Killian tilted her face up to his.
"Those three little words are the best of them all, love. I don't need anything more than that." Wrapped up as he was in Emma, Killian completely missed that someone was calling his name until Emma cleared her throat.
"I think someone's trying to get your attention." Killian looked over to see the DJ waving like a maniac.
"You asked for a song, man, and you just missed the intro." Killian could feel his face heating up at the announcement the man made over the speakers and Emma smiled at him with amusement in her eyes.
"You're actually blushing right now." Killian harrumphed, which only made her giggle more, and so he didn't care if he looked like an idiot. She seemed to like it, and he was all in favor of supplying Emma with more amusement.
"Last time you asked me for a dance, love. Perhaps this time I might ask you." Emma didn't say anything for a moment.
"Technically that wasn't asking me." Killian groaned at that and kissed her again just to pull back.
"Emma Swan, would you do me the honor of dancing with me?" Instead of poking fun at his formality she only nodded, taking his hand readily. Now the song played, the very one the two of them danced to at the prom as he held Emma close.
"Part of me wishes you'd told me that night, but then I realize that if everything hadn't happened exactly as it has so far, we wouldn't have this moment." Killian understood her meaning. He was still coming to terms with it himself, and sometimes the pain of all they'd lost cut deeper than others, but she was right, and good and perfect to think they should be grateful. Leave it to Emma to find a silver lining in everything.
"Humor me for a minute, love, and imagine what you would have said was I honest with my feelings." Emma looked him square on.
"I would have said I love you too. And then I probably would have asked you to make us a teen movie cliché and have sex with me in a hotel room after." Killian barked out a laugh at that, then brought up one of his hands to cup her cheek.
"You say you don't have a way with words, love, but I beg to differ." Killian watched as Emma closed her eyes and leaned into his hand before looking back at him.
"Then maybe you'll like this too: I'm ready Killian. I don't want to hold anything back. I don't want to waste another moment." Killian knew what she meant, and also knew that this was what he'd been waiting for. She needed to understand that for him this was forever. This second chance would not be wasted, and as soon as they took this step, he'd need her always.
"Are you sure, Swan? I mean really sure, because once we close this last bit of distance, there will be no shaking me." Emma pulled him closer so her mouth was only inches away from him when she whispered her reply.
"That's what I'm hoping for." Another kiss passed between them and then it was time. They could both feel it, and neither wanted to wait another second. Just as the song was ending they ran out hand in hand from this place of their past, squarely into their future.
…..
They made it back to Killian's house in record time, and now that they were, Emma had to take a moment to see everything he'd really built here. This place, this house that she'd always dreamed of owning and making a life in, was even more gorgeous on the inside than its exterior. He'd not only been working to change things, but furnishing as he went, and all of his choices, each style and selection felt warm and inviting, and like a home. Emma walked through each room on the ground floor, finding each one the picture of perfection.
"Do you like it?" Killian asked, his arms wrapping around her when they stepped into the kitchen and she nodded.
"It's beautiful." The words didn't feel like enough but Killian seemed pleased at them all the same.
"But is it right for you, Emma?" She turned around in his embrace, somewhat surprised at the bluntness of his question. On some level she knew all of this was her, but it still struck her to hear it.
"It's everything I ever dreamed this house could be." Killian's hand came to cup her cheek.
"Good, because it's yours."
"What?!" Killian moved to a drawer and pulled out a stack of papers. Emma read them to see it was the deed to the house, and right there was her name just next to Killian's. "You bought me this house. Why?"
"This house is your dream, love, but you are my dream. I want to give you anything and everything that makes you happy, for nothing compares to you in that regard for me." Emma shook her head.
"You're wrong." Killian's brow furrowed. "This house is a dream, but you're my dream too, the one I can't give up. I love you, Killian, and the fear I was feeling… it's been gone for a while now. I trust you, and I want you."
"Thank God." Killian said as his lips crashed down to hers and Emma immediately responded. Her arms came to wrap around him, her body molding to his, driven by an overwhelming desire for closeness. All sorts of thoughts flooded her mind about how to properly christen every room of this house, starting with this kitchen, but Killian had other ideas, sweeping her into his arms and bringing her upstairs.
"What? You're not going to show me the rest of the place?" Emma could hear the breathiness in her voice, but couldn't turn down the chance to tease him a bit. Killian shook his head.
"Later. Much, much later, Swan." He finally put her down inside the master bedroom, a gorgeous space that Emma stood in awe of. It looked so inviting, but also strangely unlived in. Killian must have read her mind, for he filled her in on why that was quickly.
"I've yet to spend a night in this house, love. It wouldn't have been right without you." Emma's heart felt near bursting at everything going on right now, and she couldn't help but think that life just wasn't right when they weren't together, but instead she kissed him, ready to take this next step. When he broke away, Killian turned her around again, peppering her neck and her shoulder with kisses as his hands ran over her dress.
"Killian," Emma could hear the little bit of pleading in her voice, but she didn't know if she wanted him to slow down, or to tell him that he was going just right.
"You are far and away the most beautiful woman alive, love." He took his time, easing the zipper down along the back of the dress, as he stood close behind her. She could feel his breath along her ear where he'd ducked to whisper his praise, and closed her eyes, wishing that his hands were on her. When the dress was removed and stepped out of, she got her wish.
Emma was familiar at this point with the mastery of Killian's hands, and the inferno they caused when he touched her, but this was different. This wasn't a teasing interlude, but the point where they were really finding each other again. She'd waited ten years to have another moment like this with him and her body reverberated with an energy she hadn't felt in all that time. Only Killian could pull these kinds of responses from her, and Emma was practically melting into him as he traced the curve of her hips. Looking into his eyes, her heart caught in her throat. Killian stood there staring at her like she was everything.
"How are you even more beautiful than I remembered?" Emma started unbuttoning his shirt, trying to even her breathing. "To think how much we've missed love. Ten years of this. It's nearly too much to bear." Emma could hear the regret in his voice, and wanted to find a way to combat it. She stepped back a bit, taking off her bra while he watched her with complete and utter focus.
"Sounds like a challenge." Killian looked back up to her eyes. "To make the best memories from here on out to make up for it."
That comment was enough to have him pin her against the wall. Emma hadn't expected quite that reaction, and she moaned in delight as the hard contours of his body pressed against her. He covered her mouth was his, ravenous for her and the chance to make those memories she'd mentioned. It was impossible not to feel branded by his kiss, because he gave and took so much with it. Her hands tangled in his hair, and Emma knew she was pulling at it roughly, but didn't care. Then his mouth left hers and made its way to her neck and she tilted her head to give him better access.
She sucked in a breath as his hands trailed lower and one of them made its way to the seam of her panties, dipping inside the black lace to where she wanted him most. Her sex was hot and aching for him and when he swirled against her clit she succumbed to the dizzy delight of it. Her only response was to moan again and arch into him further. She felt him grin against her.
"I've been dreaming for months of taking you in our bed, love, but I don't think I can wait to make you come." He filled her with two fingers at once and she cried out, relishing the feel but still wanting more. Her hips moved towards him but he didn't leave her hanging. He continued his meticulous attentions until soon she was falling apart by his hand while crying out his name.
"God, you're good at that!" Any other man would take those words and become a ball of ego, but Killian seemed only to draw more fire from the praise. Emma could see the thoughts racing in his mind about what to do with her next, and she was all needy anticipation waiting for him to make his decision. When he knelt down before her, ripping the last scrap of lace off of her like it was nothing, leaving her heated flesh exposed, Emma nearly passed out. He widened her stance, eventually opting to bear the brunt of her weight on his shoulders before taking a long, slow lick at her. Had he not been supporting her, this would have been a problem, because her knees gave way.
A sound came from Emma, but she couldn't tell if it was his name or a hallelujah. Most likely it was just an unidentifiable noise, but Emma didn't care. All she could focus on was this sensation like she was on fire in the best, most torturously pleasurable way. He used his tongue with perfect precision for what felt like an eternity, bringing her higher and then easing away. He knew exactly what he was doing, driving her crazy and then edging back from the tipping point, but right before she could scold him or beg him, he finally sucked on her clit pushing her into another climax even stronger than the first.
"Now we go to bed." Picking her up like she was nothing, Killian carried her over to the bed and lay her down on the giant, plush bed.
"You're a little overdressed." Emma noted, and Killian looked down at his pants, stripping the rest of his clothes away quickly.
"Better?" Emma nodded as he came above her, her hands running over him as reverently as his had on her body.
"I'm afraid I won't be able to be slow or gentle this first time, Emma."
"Who said anything about slow and gentle?" With a growl, Killian thrust into her, leaving Emma completely filled. She knew they'd been made for each other back when they were kids, but so much had changed, including the fact that there was nothing between them. She'd casually mentioned to him a few weeks before that she was on the pill, but that night ten years ago, she hadn't been. Because of that, this felt even more intimate than their first time. Killian had also been a boy then. Now he was all man, and he had a much better idea of what to do to have her chasing a third release.
"Let go, Emma. I'll catch you." That was all it took. Sincerity and the undeniable truth that he would be there set Emma off into ecstasy with him following almost immediately. Their hands never left each other, and Emma felt like the last thing in the world she wanted was to move from this spot. Maybe they could stay here forever, never having to face the rest of the world again. They could just be together, safe and warm and happy.
"There's nothing I love more than that smile," Killian said as his thumb came up to brush against the corner of her mouth. Emma looked into his cerulean eyes, shining bright with his undeniable joy. She couldn't help the mistiness that came to her eyes when she saw his honest love for her like this.
"I hope those are good tears, my love." Emma nodded.
"They are. I'm just really happy you came back."
"Nothing will ever take me away again, I promise you that." Emma snuggled into his chest.
"I still can't believe you bought me this house." She didn't have to look up to know Killian was grinning and then he pressed a kiss to the crown of her head.
"It's here whenever you're ready, love." Emma purposely kept her head tucked into him when she asked the next question.
"What if I said I was ready now?" Killian urged her to look up at him and she did, seeing the hope in his eyes.
"Then I would say that forever starts today." Emma pressed a kiss to his lips gently.
"Well okay then."
Post-Note: This week has just been fluff/smut central. It's so nice to be getting to these parts of the stories at similar times. All of them still feel new and fresh to me, but we're passed a lot of the set up for this story and 'In Your Light' specifically. Established CS is easily my favorite to write, and so look forward to more cuteness and gratuitous smuff in the coming weeks. I hope you all enjoyed, and thanks as always for reading!