Forgetting about the incident at the Christmas Party proved much harder than Emma expected. At night, she couldn't help but feel Killian's hand trailing along her sides, ghosting over her breast. She could recall the feel of his kisses, and she never failed to get lost in the memory, particularly at the most inopportune times. She felt like she'd become a ghost when she was at the office, barely interacting with anyone, as she was so lost in her own mind.
Days passed, and Emma did her usual work, processing payments and tracking photograph sales. So close to the end of the year, there was not much to do, other than prepare the last paycheck of the year for all the staff. It would be busier once the new year had begun, and she could begin to process everything from the holidays. But as it was, the final days of the year were dull and tedious, allowing Emma to spend her time lost in thought, and filling her heart with regret.
Killian had tried to see her once since the party, stopping by her office at the end of lunch, and Emma had seen him as she'd been coming back from the little diner down the street. She'd stopped and hidden from him, only returning to her office when she was sure he had gone. Mary Margaret had mentioned that Killian had come to talk to her twice, both times asking her about Emma and whether she was alright.
On New Year's Eve, Emma agreed to go out with Mary Margaret and David. It was nothing fancy, but the pub down the street from their townhouse was having a special party, and it was one of their favourite locations to hang out, so they had thought it might be nice for a night. Emma didn't really feel up to partying, but the idea of spending New Years Eve alone at home seemed too sad, so she had agreed to tag along. The one encouraging thing about it was that Emma knew for sure that Killian wouldn't be there, so perhaps she would have a chance to find some handsome stranger and erase the feel of Killian from her mind.
Emma indulged in a few drinks before she left her apartment to meet Mary Margaret and David, hoping that it would keep her mind from drifting to people she most definitely did not want to be thinking about. But the party at the bar was a mistake, because everyone at that bar seemed to have showed up with a spouse, fiancé, or partner, except Emma. She was beginning to regret her choice to go out, and was contemplating how best to excuse herself without hurting her friends' feelings. Maybe she would just go to bed early and wake up in the new year, hoping that her heart could leave its feelings behind in the old one.
"I never had a chance to give you your Christmas present."
Emma spun around so fast, her drink slopped over the sides of her tumbler, spilling onto her shoes, not that she noticed one bit. Because standing right in front of her, looking impeccably – and impossibly – good, was Killian Jones. If Emma believed in magic, she would have thought Killian was some kind of fairy or something.
"What gift?" she asked, curiosity getting the better of her. Maybe they could pretend nothing had happened in that alleyway during the Christmas party.
Tentatively, Killian pulled his left hand from behind his back, a small rectangular package in it. At first glance, it looked like a book, but when he handed it to Emma, she could feel that it was something different.
"Go on," he encouraged, giving her a curt smile.
All things considered, Killian didn't look as happy to see Emma as she might have expected. He hardly said more than he had to, and though he had sought her out, his smiles seemed tight and his muscles tense.
She pulled the wrapped paper – it was simple and classic, cream coloured paper with crimson deer arrayed across it, taped so perfectly it looked professional – off, to reveal two photo frames, complete with photos. Both were black and white, and Emma immediately recognized them as being from the Christmas party. The first was of her and Mary Margaret decorating the Christmas tree – they had baubles in their hands and both were laughing hysterically at something. It was crystal clear from the photo that the two of them had a strong bond, far beyond just coworkers. The second picture was of Emma talking to David, baby Henry's hands reaching out from his little carrier to grab at Emma's fingers. Her eyes were sparkling and happy, David's face sincere and earnest in their conversation. Emma felt a little teary just looking at the images.
"I didn't even realize you had your camera with you," Emma whispered, running her finger delicately over the photographs.
"Never go anywhere without it, love, you never know what beauty you might see," he answered with a grin.
Emma smiled shyly in return, a soft and special thing, and Killian wished he could capture that on film. She was so beautiful with a strength and fierceness that positively radiated from her.
"I have a confession to make," Killian said, leaning in to whisper in Emma's ear, and the feel of his breath on her neck brought back steamy memories of an alleyway at Christmas and unfinished business. She drew away slightly, giving him a quizzical look. He took a deep breath, steadying himself. "I read your wish, from the tree."
"You did what?!" Emma reeled, feeling something like angry. It certainly felt like a violation, but then, something in her said that Killian was the one person she could trust to understand the wish, and she couldn't find it in her to be truly mad about it.
"I wanted to grant it, whatever it was," he said, his blue eyes positively melting her. "Look at the back."
Emma flipped the frames over, finding Killian's neat writing scrawled across the backing. On the back of the photo of her, David, and Henry, he had written Never forget, you have a family, and on the other it continued With love, K. Emma was speechless as she read the words, unable to even begin to express how special a gift he had just given her.
"Emma, I would very much like to make all of your dreams come true, or at least I'd like to try," Killian said, stepping closer and reaching out his hands to tentatively brush against her waist.
Vaguely, Emma was aware of people counting down to the new year, but it didn't matter. She reached out and tangled her fingers in Killian's hair, pulling his lips to hers and fitting them together perfectly. This kiss was much more intimate than the one they had shared in the alleyway, both taking time to read everything the other was feeling. Finally, Emma understood what David had always said about knowing you'd found the other half of your soul. In Killian's arms, Emma felt her walls, her doubts and misgivings, all melt into insignificance. Her scars would always be with her, but she knew with inexplicable certainty that Killian could see past them, and that letting him into her heart wouldn't be a risk in the least.
"Happy New Year, Emma," Killian whispered, pulling away every so slightly and running his thumb across Emma's jaw.
"Happy New Year, Killian," she echoed, before closing the gap between them once more.
A/N: Thank you for reading! If you liked this, and would like to donate to me Ko-Fi account, please go to ko-fi dot com /owlwaysandforever! If not - I love and appreciate you anyway!