Killian could only describe the past few days as perfect. Since that morning when Emma found out what he had sacrificed to find her he felt like a weight had been lifted off his shoulders, and it had appeared to help her as well. He noticed how easily she smiled now, how light her laugh was and how happy she looked. She was becoming more confident onboard, spending more time on deck when two days ago she would have shied away from it all.
Emma joined in with the crew when they were training to sword-fight, and he felt pride when she beat each one of them (he could tell a few of his best fighters had gone easy on her, but she was so happy that it didn't matter). She also played dice with Dawson and Craig and won every game. Craig was convinced she was a 'lucky one' and that Killian should never let her go (he had absolutely no intention of that ever happening of course).
She even wanted to talk to Smee, whom she had been avoiding as best she could considering he was the only crew member she had met in the present day. Smee was already a timid man, and Killian was worried he would act sheepish around Emma and make her uncomfortable, but as he watched from his position at the helm he saw them nervously laugh before settling into more natural conversation, soon talking animatedly about something that Emma appeared to find particularly amusing.
She fit in with the crew perfectly, and for a brief moment Killian forgot all about this mission to get home, because in many ways he felt at home already. He knew he couldn't have this life; they couldn't stay in the past forever, and in the present time his old life was long gone. He was just glad he could experience it with Emma, even if it was only for a short amount of time.
'Killian, come dance with me.' Emma exclaimed, bringing him back to reality. Baggins had pulled out his accordion and although the thing was rather old, he was an exceptional player and could make it sound a few years younger. Killian stared at her, shocked by her enthusiasm. It was not at all like her, but then again, maybe it really was. Their adventure had allowed him to see different sides of Emma, and he was falling further in love with her the more he discovered about her. While this easy-going, fun-loving side of her was new, he embraced it fully.
'Of course, love.' He took her hand as she pulled him into the space in front of Baggins and the rest of the crew. They came together the same way as he had held her at the ball, only this time Emma was more confident. She laughed as he twirled her around and her cheeks reddened when his hand slipped further down her back, but he knew she enjoyed it by the way she looked up at him through her lashes.
'I'd have told you about the Jolly a lot sooner had I known it would make you this happy.' Killian said quietly in her ear. Emma's smile faltered as she leaned back to look at him.
'Killian, I'm not happy that you gave up your ship for me. I'm overwhelmed by the gesture; no one has ever done anything like that for me. But...' She stopped, shaking her head slightly at her loss for words.
'You don't think you're worth it. You think it was too great of a sacrifice that I shouldn't have made for you.' He stated, knowing exactly what she was thinking. Her eyes widened briefly before she sighed.
'God, Killian you may as well have telepathy.' She muttered sarcastically, and he laughed, having missed her sharp tongue recently.
'So I'm right?' He asked smugly, brushing his lips against her earlobe.
'You know you are.' She whispered, and he was pleased to hear the tone of amusement in her voice. They were quiet in each other's arms for a moment, swaying to the rhythmic sound of the instrument with natural ease, even though both of their minds were focused on other things. Killian could feel the crew around him getting happier and more boisterous as they drank, and he felt more comfortable talking now that they would be less inclined to eavesdrop.
'Swan, I know that it's probably impossible to change your mind on this, but I just want you to know that I would give up my ship a thousand times over if it meant being with you again.' He said the words in a steady voice, wanting her to hear his sincerity.
'You're right, it is impossible to change my mind, but thank you for trying.' She laughed, and he slowly blinked at her in a mockingly annoyed way before biting his lip to hide the smirk forming. They leaned into each other again, continuing to dance happily in the glow of the moonlight. Emma hummed softly in amusement and it broke Killian out of his slight daze.
What is it, love?' He wondered with a soft smile.
'Well, Smee shared some rather interesting stories earlier. I particularly liked the one about the Moroccan massage incident.' Emma couldn't keep the grin off her face and Killian groaned in response, ducking his head in embarrassment.
'You weren't supposed to hear such stories that diminish my reputation with the ladies, Swan.' He joked humorously, but cheeks began burning and he wondered if they looked as red as they felt (and judging by the affectionate twinkle in Emma's eyes, they did).
'Not that your ego needs boosting anymore, but in a bid to protect it I can tell you that I actually found the story incredibly endearing.' Her eyes dropped briefly to his lips before travelling back up to meet his heavy gaze. They must have stared at each other for a while as the crew began chanting around them.
'Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss.' They repeated, banging their hands or mugs of rum on the wood of the deck. Emma blushed in embarrassment but smiled at him, her eyes never leaving his. They stopped dancing as he cupped her face with his good hand and gently lifted her chin until his lips were on hers; kissing her like they were alone in his cabin and not on deck for everyone to see.
Cheers, laughs and catcalls erupted from the crew and Killian broke the kiss to laugh, looking around at them all and shaking his head.
'Alright, lads, you've seen enough. Prepare the ship for night sail and you may return to your quarters early tonight.' They followed his orders with stupid grins on their faces, patting Killian on the back and nodding with mischievous smiles at Emma. It was late and he could tell Emma was tired by the way her eyelids dropped slowly as she blinked.
'Come on, Swan, you look exhausted.' Killian whispered softly in her ear as he guided her back to his cabin. She opens her mouth to protest but thought better of it, giving in to her tiredness. Killian skipped his usual read of a book to go straight to bed too, the excitement of the day catching up on him as well. They changed into their nightwear and climbed into the small bed, Emma snuggling against his body immediately with a soft sigh. 'I was wrong.' Emma muttered.
'About what, love?' He asked, brushing his fingers along the soft skin of her arm.
'You. I used to think you were a no-good, selfish pirate who only cared about himself. But you're not who I thought you were, and I'm glad.' Her speech was already becoming slow and distant as she fought off sleep to talk and he would have liked to have had this conversation when they both had the energy, but for now he appreciated her words.
'Aye, love, I'm full of surprises.' He kissed the top of her head and she hummed in appreciation of the gesture.
'Yes, you are. Who would have thought the pirate with a hook for a hand has one of the biggest hearts?' Emma placed her hand over his heart as she spoke before closing her eyes and quickly drifting off. There were so many things Killian wanted to say to her and he hoped that he would have another chance to tell her that she was the reason he had changed. Instead he finally succumbed to sleep in the small bed of his ship with Emma nestled in his arms once again.