Even though it was a bit more expensive than he'd like - he decided to get the apartment by the marina. Despite the fact that the water's edge had been where he'd lost his hand, he still found it calming. It was the first place he started to feel like he was finally getting his act together after he'd left home, and it felt fitting to start this new chapter by the water as well.
He started working at the new church this week, and so far it was mostly just getting to know the elders and the staff. It was going to be nice to have the flexibility to choose his own series topics, rather than the "regularly scheduled programming" of the liturgy - but at the moment he found the freedom a bit challenging. With so many options he found it that much harder to choose.
It's like standing in the bread section and being paralyzed with the choices between white, wheat, sourdough, rye, organic versions of all of the above, in at least six different brands… the possibilities made his head swim. He chose to focus on getting settled in, but (unfortunately) the move was fairly easy, since he really didn't have much in the way of personal items to cart around.
The apartment was sparse, but Killian had always preferred things that way anyway - he liked the modern school of decor, everything sleek and minimalist. He did buy himself a little indulgence the other day while he was walking around some of the shops near the new church - an antique ship in a large bottle. Honestly, it looked a little like a pirate ship - darker and more menacing than the bright yellow and blues of the more regal-looking ships you'd normally find encased in glass.
It seemed out of place - like it wasn't quite fit for its position of prominence, a bit too dinged up and dingy to warrant the reverence. It was Emma who pointed out that it's likely he picked it because it reminds him of himself. How that woman knows him so well after such a relatively short period of time together is still a mystery to him.
His heart stuttered in his chest just thinking about her, and it broke him from his thoughts.
Shit. It's late.
He hadn't even realized - but it was suddenly 7:30 and he was still sitting at his desk with the black line of the cursor blinking on the discouragingly empty page. He huffed out a sigh and scrubbed his hand through his hair, scratching at his scalp as he worked his hand backward.
Clicking shut the laptop and sliding it into his bag, he flicked off the lights and went about locking up for the night. He fished the keys from his pocket and pulled his phone out to send Emma a quick text.
The notification on his screen let him know that she beat him to it.
Emma: Rough day. Want to have some take-out with me tonight?
She sent it about an hour ago, but he was hopeful as he typed out his response.
Killian: Still up for some take-out? I've got some work to do, but I'd love to see you.
He'd made it to the car by the time his phone buzzed again.
Emma: Meet you at your place with the usual in 30?
His lips curled into a broad smile, wondering to himself how he got so lucky.
Killian: Sounds perfect, love. See you soon.
She let herself in - he'd given her a key the day he moved in - and set the bags on the counter before pressing her palms into the hard tiles and leaning her weight forward, stretching the muscles in her arms and back. She slowly rolled her head from side to side, cracking her neck to release some of the tension.
As soon as she stepped in she'd recognized the tell-tale hiss of running water, and she suddenly desperately wanted to be under the hot spray of the water. As she stepped lightly down the hallway and into the master bathroom and heard a few notes floating from the steamy room - the door still open a crack.
The tune was romantic, if not a little melancholy - and she leaned in closer to make out the words.
"She blows outta nowhere, roman candle of the wild. Laughing away through my feeble disguise. No other version of me I would rather be tonight. And, Lord, she found me just in time."
His voice curled around the words deliciously, and Emma couldn't help but feel lured by it. She slipped off her shoes and pulled her jacket from her shoulders before pushing the door open just a little further. He was singing in earnest now, and her heart leapt at his passion and talent for it..
"She's gonna save me, call me 'baby,' run her hands through my hair. She'll know me crazy, soothe me daily, better yet she wouldn't care."
The luscious tone of his voice and the steamy room (along with the image of him naked all soaped up just beyond that door) had her turned on in an instant. Not wanting to give the poor man a heart attack, she tapped lightly on the door to get his attention - his voice stopped immediately in embarrassment.
"Emma?" He called from behind the curtain. "Sorry, I'll be out in just a sec."
She quickly pulled off her jeans and t-shirt, slipping out of her bra and panties in record time, before sliding the curtain back to see his jaw drop at the sight in front of him. Her creamy pale skin was tantalizingly on display before him as she held back the shower curtain.
"Permission to come aboard, Captain?" She teased.
He swallowed thickly and she didn't miss the way his adam's apple bobbed and his cock twitched at her gloriously nude form. She wasn't disappointed in the state of him either, little bubbles of shampoo still lingering in his hair - trails of the soap streaking down the toned planes of his shoulders and chest, working their way down to his taught stomach, to the V at his waist - bringing her eyes directly to his growing arousal.
"Granted." He finally stammered before stepping back to allow her room to step in.
She put her hand to his chest as she gingerly lifted her foot over the edge of the tub, and he brought his good hand around to her waist to steady her. With both feet firmly planted he gripped her a little tighter, lust burning in his eyes.
"Got your sea legs there, sailor?" He teased back - arching an eyebrow at her. She wriggled a little in his grip, liking the pressure he applied to keep her right where he wanted her.
"Aye, Captain." She played along.
His gaze alight with mischief he simply replied "good" before bringing his lips to hers in an all-consuming kiss. She sighed into him, enjoying the beat of the warm water against her sore shoulders - each swipe of his tongue against hers relaxing her just a little bit more.
She slid her hands up his chest - the task made even easier as her fingertips rolled over the slick soap still clinging to his skin. His eyes fell closed at the feeling of her fingers moving over him, just a few minutes ago he'd been standing here alone - he couldn't have imagined such intense pleasure being moments away.
Her hands found their way to his hair, working through the remaining streaks of shampoo before turning them slowly so he could dip his head beneath the spray of the water. When he brought his head back up his knees gave out a little at the sight of her - moving out from the warm spray had made goosebumps crawl up her delicate skin, her rosy nipples standing at attention from the sudden cold.
He brought his good hand around her back and pulled one of them to his lips, kissing and sucking until he could hear her keening above him. Her soft skin felt like heaven against his lips - and if she wasn't literally begging for more he would've been quite happy to stay there forever.
"Killian, please - I need more." She breathed out in desperation - aching for him to fill her.
He chuckled lowly - "Aye, and you'll get it."
His hand dipped down to cup her where she needed him - finding her slick and ready for him. She moaned at the contact as he swiped his fingers upward to toy with her clit.
She was seeing stars already, he knew exactly how to dance his fingers across her sensitive bundle of nerves to have her panting and arching her back - the tense day leaving her ready to snap embarrassingly soon - but this wasn't how she wanted it.
"Please, Killian - I want you" she emphasized the final word as she snaked her hand between them to grip his length - a hiss escaping his lips at the sudden pressure.
He nodded his understanding and turned her around, running his bad arm down her back as his good hand gripped her hip - she leaned forward, knowing he must have a spectacular view of her ass like this.
Tilting his hips forward he took himself in hand and dragged himself through her soaking folds, coating his tip with her arousal before nudging at her entrance. With one swift thrust he was seated deeply in her - his cock buried to the hilt hitting that spot that made her breath hitch.
He slowly pulled himself back until he was nearly out of her entirely, before snapping his hips to push inside her with a grunt. He knew he wouldn't last long like this - the way her feet were set so close together had created a new deliciously tight sensation that would send him over the edge quickly.
Luckily he could feel her fluttering around him - and he knew she wasn't far behind. With renewed vigor he set a brutal pace, slamming into her as deeply as he could as he brought his hand around to her clit - rubbing tight circles until he could feel her start to convulse around him.
The twin sensations of his cock dragging heavily along her walls and his fingers expertly working her clit had her crashing over the edge - wave after wave of glorious pleasure washed over her as she cried out in ecstasy. The power of her orgasm triggered his own, her muscles clamping around his bare cock just too much for him to take - his hips stuttered as he spurted his release deeply inside her, choking out her name as he pulsed through his own orgasm.
They were both left feeling sated and boneless - and they washed up quickly before staggering out of the shower and toweling off to land in a tangled heap on the couch.
Killian was the one who got up long enough to stumble over to the takeout boxes (still relatively warm somehow) and drag them over the the sofa. They ate in relative silence, save only their shared laughter at Emma's Netflix choice of Peter Pan (he secretly loved her child-like tendencies, but reserved the right to tease her about them).
Once he was certain she was asleep, he carefully leaned over to pull his laptop from his bag. His first sermon was in two days - and he couldn't very well put it off any more. He had to come up with something.
It was hard to focus on anything but the incredible woman snuggled at his feet - he couldn't figure out how in the world he got lucky enough that she would give him the time of day, let alone look at him the way she does.
Wait… that's it! A sermon on God's grace and love. The fact that God loves us, even though we don't deserve it. Even though we didn't do anything to earn it - it's there, just the same. That kind of love can be such a blessing - if you can find it.
He smiled broadly - of course she would be his inspiration, as always. From that point on, the sermon practically wrote itself, and though he was up until nearly 2 a.m., it was done. Now all that was left was to deliver the damn thing - and try not to make an ass of himself on his first official day as the new pastor.
In a blur of new faces and eager handshakes - Killian was feeling unsteady at best. Without the traditional robes to obscure it, his prosthetic felt like it might as well be glowing in neon. He kept fidgeting with the sleeve of his dark blue button-down shirt, trying to pull it further down, the fabric straining slightly before pulling back up to it's natural resting place.
He'd been scanning the crowds for her - she said she'd come to support him, and possibly even bring her parents if she thought her father wouldn't hit him again. His jaw twinged a bit at the memory of the blow - Killian knew how to throw a punch (a necessity when you worked on the docks), and David Nolan could swing with the best of them.
All too soon one of the staff was helping him get his mic set up, and they were headed into the worship center. While the band played a few songs, he kept fidgeting and searching for her in the crowd. It wasn't until he was standing at the pulpit that he finally saw her - dressed casually in dark jeans and a plaid shirt, next to her mother (who'd predictably opted for a dressier long skirt and sweater combo) and - huh, David Nolan.
Well that's a surprise.
Just the sight of her calmed him down - and he started what would soon be the smoothest sermon of his entire life. He couldn't be sure if it was just that his life was finally starting to fall into place, or if God was feeling particularly kind today - but his preaching stayed on point, the churchgoers were attentive and polite and there wasn't even a crying baby to contend with.
He left the podium in high spirits, and was happily chatting with members of his new church home when he saw it - David and Mary Margaret had stepped away to catch up with some old friends, and Emma had been left on her own for just a few moments - long enough for a man to approach her.
Her body language changed immediately. She was on high-alert, her walls were up as high as he'd ever seen - and this man… something about him was just… off. He wasn't particularly tall, but he had an imposing sort of sensibility, he seemed to be crowding her in a way that she didn't appreciate - leaning further in than was necessary to talk to her.
He immediately excused himself from his current conversation and tried to make his way over to her, but there were so many people in between.
She had her back against the wall now, and he was still stepping closer, his hand making it's way down to her waist in a place that had Killian's blood boiling in an instant. He saw her push back against him, trying to put some space between them, but the man didn't move - in fact, he could swear he heard him laugh.
Running on pure adrenaline now, Killian pushed his way through the crowd to get to her - he had no idea who this man was, but he wanted to kill him for making her so uncomfortable - and in a bloody church no less!
"Neal, please - Can we do this somewhere else?" She pleaded with the man - fear tinging her voice with an unfamiliar tone.
Neal. Killian was seeing red now. This was the man who'd caused her so much pain - who'd hurt her. His fist was clenched as he closed the distance.
When he finally reached them he pulled on the man's shoulder to pry him away from Emma, the look of relief on her face a stark contrast to the look of anger and shock in his brown eyes.
"Leave her alone, mate." He was seething with anger, lips drawn tightly as his jaw clenched. "This is not the time, nor the place."
Neal's expression split into a sickening smile.
"Is that so, preacher-man?"
The last thing Killian wanted to do was cause a scene. Hell, he left his last church with a dramatic punch to the face - he really didn't want to start his tenure here the same way.
"Please. Leave." Killian hissed through clenched teeth.
Neal eyed him warily. "Fine." He turned back to Emma. "We were just leaving anyway, weren't we, Ems?"
Neal reached for her waist again and started to tug her toward the door - she jumped at the unwanted contact, starting to struggle against him.
Killian didn't even have a chance to make the smart decision - he was blinded by the fury he felt at this man blatantly hurting Emma, pushing her. His clenched fist made contact with Neal's jaw in a loud crack that had the entire congregation suddenly turned to stare.
So much for first impressions.
Neal stumbled backward a few steps, blinking rapidly as he brought his hand to the side of his face.
"I'm not going to ask you again. Please leave, now." Killian towered over Neal as he was doubled over from the hit.
Finally, he righted himself and walked out through the main doors - Killian breathing a sigh of relief at his departure.
A round of applause broke out behind him, and when he turned he saw the entire congregation clapping enthusiastically. Killian's face contorted into a mask of confusion - what the hell kind of church clapped for their pastor punching someone?!
Sensing his confusion - one of the staff members rushed over and whispered to him, "We've all been wanting to do that for years - and honestly, he had it coming."
In all of the commotion, Emma had found her way back to her parents - shoulders hunched as her father put his arm around her protectively. He'd never seen her like that. She looked so… small. The Emma he knew, and had come to love, was such a fearsome creature - and this man managed to make her cower in fear.
He wanted nothing more than to soothe her, and as he approached the Nolan family, he was met with yet another surprise. David released his daughter and stepped toward Killian with his hand extended.
"Thank you." David said, a little sheepishly. "I, uh, would've done the same."
Killian broke into a smile and rubbed his cheekbone - which was still a little sore.
"Don't I know it," he teased.
And just like that – the tension between them fell, and David stepped back to allow Emma to move into his arms. And for the first time in a long time, he felt like things really were going to work out for him.