"We need information. Magical information," Emma said, lowering her voice as she, Killian and Robin sat in a booth at Granny's, finishing up their dinner. "Regina's back down the beanstalk, and Rumplestiltskin's a hippie librarian."
"Maybe he's exactly what we need," Killian said. "He's got access to lots of information. Perhaps he can find an old spellbook or tome that may instruct us. And there's also a chance that he may know Henry's whereabouts."
"You're right," Emma agreed. "So we talk to Rumple- I mean Rufus - to see what he knows. Then what? Back down the beanstalk?"
"That's my vote," Robin interjected. "If we don't have access to Rumplestiltskin, we need Regina more than ever. The trick is figuring out what her talisman could be."
"A crown?" Killian suggested.
"Or a tight dress," Emma smirked. "Maybe something associated with Henry or her life here - like the gavel in the mayor's office or something."
"The book." Robin rubbed his fingers across his chin. "It's the book. She's been determined to find the author - and it ties her to Henry."
"I kinda think that would be more Henry's talisman than hers," Emma said. "But maybe it could work for both of them?"
"So where do we find the book?" Killian asked.
Emma shrugged. "I guess we start with the library." She glanced up at the clock on Granny's wall. "It'll be closed by now. We're going to have to wait until morning."
"I've got Little John working on rounding up the rest of whatever Merry Men we can find," Robin said. "So far, we're not having much luck."
Emma swirled a french fry in a pool of ketchup. "How did you manage to bring him back to himself?"
"A roasted ham." Robin smiled. "The man does love to eat. Once I put it on the spit, it drew him like a moth to a flame."
"Well, that's another one to add to the roster," Killian said. "Smee managed to find another member of my crew, as well as Belle's father, and a few assorted others that I'm not familiar with. We brought two back around. No one had anything further to add in the way of details."
"I can't imagine we'll get much further tonight," Robin said, shoveling the last of his lasagna into his mouth. "I've taken a room for the night, since there seems to be no encampment in the woods that I can find."
"There's a lot to be said for a bed, mate," Killian pointed out, raising a brow.
Robin's eyes shifted from Killian to Emma. "Yes. Well, I'll say goodnight, then. See you both in the morning." He pushed himself up out of the booth and headed off down the hallway.
Emma continued eating, glancing over at Killian every so often, but not saying anything. Killian ate next to her in watchful silence, until he couldn't stand it anymore.
"All right, Swan. Let's have it out."
She turned her head to look at him, slightly startled. "Have what out?"
"You know what. Since when are you ever uncomfortable being alone with me? As soon as Robin left, you moved so far over I thought you'd melt into the wall."
"I was just...giving you room," she mumbled, dipping another fry in ketchup.
"Emma." He took her hand. "I know none of what happened before was really you. Why do you think I worked so hard to get you back to yourself?"
She stared down at the table. "I appreciate that."
He reached up, lifting her chin with his fingers. "You and I will continue from where we left off before all this mess swirled around us. As usual, it's only a minor diversion."
"Yeah. A really embarrassing, minor diversion."
"Don't be embarrassed, love." He held her eyes, raising his brows to give her that smile that never failed to warm her all over.
"Come on. We've got a lot to do tomorrow." She nudged him until he slid out of the booth, extending a hand to help her to her feet.
"Thanks," she mumbled.
"Well, I am a prince," he said. "I've got to brush up on my courtly manners."
"And apparently, I'm a pirate," she said, keeping hold of his hand as they walked down the hallway.
"And a bloody good one," he added. "You had everyone fooled but me."
She shot him a sideways grin. "I learned from the best."
They reached the door, and Killian brought her hand up to his lips. "I suppose we should get some sleep," he said, pressing a kiss to the back of her knuckles.
"Are you kidding me?" She looked up at him with raised brows. "I don't get a goodnight kiss? Just because I'm not a freewheeling pirate anymore doesn-"
Her words were swallowed up by his mouth, closing down over hers, plying her lips gently and thoroughly, then growing more insistent as he put that familiar burn low in her belly. It was impossible to forget how he'd felt against her...the way he'd moved on her...
He stepped back so abruptly, she caught her breath on a gasp. "Goodnight, Emma," he said it quietly.
"Killian." She managed his name, but didn't think she could do much more without leaning in for another kiss. She fumbled behind her for the doorknob, stepping inside and closing the door behind her. She leaned back, closing her eyes and letting out a loud sigh.
"It's about time, luv," Will said, lounging on the bed. "Thought I was going to have to wait all night."
Emma's eyes snapped open. "What the hell are you doing here?" She pushed away from the door, and it was a good thing, too, because the door flew open exactly half of a second later.
"You!"
Killian charged through the doorway and Will jumped off the bed, holding a pillow protectively in front of him.
"Don't be going crazy," he said. "She invited me!"
"What?" Killian turned to look at Emma, who had the grace to look chagrined.
"Uh...yeah. He's right." She looked over at Will. "But this is me uninviting you. You need to leave."
"All right, all right..." he moved slowly around the bed, keeping a wary eye on Killian before throwing the pillow in his face and making a break for the door. Killian turned to follow, but Emma put a hand on his arm.
"Killian."
"Bloody bastard, thinks he can just lie in wait - "
"Killian. It's okay." She reached up, sliding a hand around his neck.
"Did you really invite that blighter to your room?" He pointed emphatically at the door.
Emma bit her lip and winced. "Yeah, I sort of did. But that was before you got me back."
"But you were going to -" he blustered, unable to finish the sentence.
"Yep. And I would have with you, too, if you remember. I even chose you over him."
"And you know bloody well why I didn't take advantage," he growled, still rocking on his heels with the need to follow Will out the door. Emma reached around behind him, pushing the door shut.
"There. Now you're on this side of the door, and he's on that side," she smirked. "Feel better?"
He took in a deep, cleansing breath. "Slightly."
"You're going to sleep in front of my door tonight, aren't you?"
"I'm considering it." He ground his teeth, clearly still annoyed.
She peeked up at him, biting her lip to repress a smile.
"What?" he snapped.
"The jealous thing. It's...cute."
"Cute?" he said incredulously. He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm a pirate, love. I am never 'cute.'"
"Oh, you're cute, all right. Maybe even adorable." She leaned up, kissing him softly.
"Adorable?" he murmured, kissing her back. "I'm not sure that's better."
"Yes, it is," she kissed him again.
"Careful, Swan," he said, kissing her once more. "A man's like to get ideas."
"You mean," she said, kissing him, "he's likely to think I'm inviting him to stay?"
Killian froze.
"Are you?" he asked.
She looked up at him, and her gaze was steady. "Yeah. I am."
He stared at her hard, his hand coming up to cup her face. "We don't have to rush anything, love."
"You call this rushing? We've been dating for a while now."
"But these last two weeks have been...unsettling for us both."
She smiled. "For you more than me, I think."
He gave a quiet laugh. "That's the truth of it." He leaned in, resting his forehead against hers. "All the same, I don't want you to feel like we have to take it further just because the agenda got pushed forward a bit - "
"Killian."
"And I don't want you to feel like I'm expecting - "
"Killian."
He looked at her expectantly, wisely shutting his mouth.
"This is my decision. Me. The real me. And you're talking too much."
"Bloody hell - I'm glad we got that out of the way," he said in a rush, pushing her toward the bed. He turned at the last minute, sitting down on it, and pulling her into him.
His hand settled on her hip before sliding down, grazing her leg and urging her onto his lap. She heard him suck in his breath as settled herself on him, straddling him. His arms tightened, and he pulled her onto him as his mouth claimed hers again.
He was hot all over, anywhere she touched, and his hand seemed to be everywhere, lingering just where she needed it to. He pulled her hard against him, and she felt the throbbing length of him as he pushed into the spread of her legs. Her mouth left his as she gasped, leaning her head back to push her breasts and body tighter against him. Oh God, just remembering how this had ended the last time...
Killian's warm hand cupped her buttocks, lifting her and rocking her, rubbing her against the rock hard bulge in his pants. His mouth skimmed her neck, moving down across her collarbone, biting and sucking strongly on her breasts right through the thin material of her shirt. She moaned, clutching him tightly as her entire world condensed to the area between her legs and the need to rub, press and rub some more on his hardness.
"Please..." she panted. "I want you inside me this time..."
He smiled and she felt it against her neck. "Patience, love..." he murmured. "I promised you...we'd burn..."
He turned swiftly, rolling her beneath him, and in no time at all he managed to help her rid herself of her clothing - and his own, as well. His hand return to its task, rubbing, caressing, and her hands were wild on his back, in his hair, running up and down the length of him until he thought he'd go mad from it and from the feel of her beneath him. At last, she pulled him into her, and he slid inside with a low hiss that she echoed, her eyes clenching shut as she reveled in the feel of him.
He tried to take it slow, to prolong it and drown in every scalding, shuddering second of sensation, but his body - and hers - were fighting that with every thrust, every roll of his hips, every brush of her breasts against his chest.
Her thighs tightened around him, and her hips moved more quickly, almost without a connection to her brain. Killian noticed it, too, pulling her in even tighter and quickening his movements as she let out a shattered cry. He kept her pulsing a few moments longer, pulling her thighs out and moving harder against her until true to his word, he poured himself into her, the pleasure burning through him in an endless stream of fire until he was sure he'd been consumed entirely.
It felt like a long, long time before he was able to move.
"Apologies, love," he groaned. "I'm sure I'm heavy..."
He started to roll off her, but her arms came around him. "Not yet," she said, "Don't go yet."
"I'm not leaving the bed," he promised. "God's truth - I don't think I can."
"Mmmm," she answered, not able to give him much more than that. He slid down next to her, pulling her in to rest her head on him.
She let out a sigh as she rubbed her face into the soft hair on his chest. "So worth the wait..." she breathed.
"Aye. It was." He kissed the top of her head softly. "And thank you for not making me wait much longer. A man can only take so much provocation."
She smiled, a slow, sated smile. "Can't blame a girl for going after what she wants," she yawned. "And I thought you liked me as a pirate."
"You're an excellent pirate," he said. "But I always knew you would be." He let out a chuckle. "Get some sleep, love. We really do have a mess to start cleaning up tomorrow."
Emma yawned again.
"Same old, same old," she said, and her eyes drifted shut as his arms tightened around her.