#captain swan holiday

[piinfeathers]

a series of snapshots from captain swan’s first christmas together ✨🏴‍☠️♥️🦢✨

[booksteaandtoomuchtv]

"You traded your ship for me?"

"Aye."

[sotangledupinit]

a little bundle of icing - My CS Gift Exchange Fic

Prompt: Giftee's Wants: Established relationship, cs family fluff, cs parents, modern au with established relationship. NO: character death, angst

SUMMARY: She thought the hardest part would be hiding the gifts from the (mostly) reformed pirate. In actuality, the hardest part has been wrapping them. For some reason, every chance she’s gotten has been foiled by one thing or another.// or Emma tells Killian she's pregnant.

RATING: G for General Audiences

WORD COUNT: 4,575 words

TAGS: Captain Swan, Christmas, Holiday fluff, Pregnancy

AO3

AUTHOR’S NOTE: this was fun to work with and try, as i haven't done much established relationship writing. hope everyone enjoys this!

hi @middlemistcs13​ ! i picked your prompt for the gift exchange! as you already know (and read), this fic has been up on AO3 for a few days but here’s the tumblr post to accompany it! yay! for anyone who hasn’t read this yet - i hope you enjoy!

***

“And this Santa Claus… your world doesn’t consider him to be flagrant?”

The answering huff of a laugh from Henry is loud, even from the other end of the table. “Dude. Of course not. He leaves presents for you to reward a year of being a good person.”

“But aren’t you required to cook for him as well?”

Emma’s eyes drift to the end of the table where Henry and Killian stand side by side, each holding a piping bag of icing, one red and one green. Sprinkles litter the table and powdered sugar is dusted across Killian’s leather vest, not that he cares much. Their sleeves are rolled up to their elbows and a mixing spoon is still taped to his brace (a brilliant idea that he and her son supposedly had; the mess they have yet to clean up says otherwise).

She tries hard to suppress her grin at the image but she knows she’s failing miserably so she ducks her head and kneads the dough beneath her knuckles, listening along.

“Well, not really,” Henry says. Emma feels his eyes on her for a moment but she pretends not to notice. “It’s more like a donation or a gift.”

“Ah ha!” Killian cheers, mixing spoon gesturing wildly as he points a finger at Henry. Some of the red icing drips from the bag under the pressure and lands with a plop! on the counter between the naked gingerbread people and sugar cookies. “So it’s not from the goodness of his heart!”

At her quick glance up, she catches Killian’s eye and he winks at her. Her kid can be too easy to rile up sometimes, something Killian likes to do to get back at Henry’s quips about his struggles with modern technology. She doesn’t always understand their relationship, the way they can rile each other up one moment and immediately slide into the caring, supportive step-father/son dynamic the next – but she’s grateful nonetheless to have them be so close.

Henry rolls his eyes. “Yes, it is. He’s basically our world’s Robin Hood.”

“Didn’t this world already have a Robin Hood?”

“Oh my god.” Henry groans and then calls out to Emma, a gallop of green icing landing on the face of a gingerbread man. “Mom, you need to divorce your husband.”

“No, you need to start decorating those gingerbread cookies instead of the table.” She thinks she succeeds in keeping the amusement out of her voice but Killian’s quiet snickering tells her otherwise. “And you,” she continues, aiming her glare at the husband in question, “have to clean up. I’m not letting you two leave without cleaning up first.”

“Are you positive you can’t to come with us, love?”

There’s nothing more that Emma would love to do than pick out a tree with Henry and Killian for their first Christmas in their house when there’s nothing going on. No foes, evils witches, or snow monsters appearing out of nowhere to ruin any holiday plans. Storybrooke has been blissfully peaceful for the most part for the last two years following the Final Battle.

Emma still knocks on wood when those thoughts cross her mind. Best not to jinx it.

Still, as much as she wishes she could join the boys on their tree hunt, she can’t as she has far more pressing matters to attend to. Those being trying to wrap Killian’s Christmas gifts without him finding out what they are first. She thought the hardest part would be hiding the gifts from the (mostly) reformed pirate. In actuality, the hardest part has been wrapping them. For some reason, every chance she’s gotten has been foiled by one thing or another.

Her first attempt was when Killian was going out for a day excursion on the Jolly Roger with Smee. She waited until she was absolutely sure the ship left the docks to pull out her gifts only for her sheriff’s beeper to go off. By the time she handled the situation and returned home, the Jolly had returned to shore and it was only a matter of time before Killian came back.

There were a few more close calls at home after that – enough to make her consider wrapping his gifts at the station. By the time she actually attempted it, David had barged through the front doors at such a speed that Emma’s surprised she managed to hide the gifts in time. Despite what most of the town believes about her mother, there’s no worse gossiper or meddler in town than her father. The only thing possibly worse than Killian discovering his gifts early is finding out about them from someone else.

After that, she assumed her luck had almost completely abandoned her. Christmas is coming up quickly and she can’t bear to give him his gifts without wrapping them. Last year he took so much pleasure in showing Henry how easily he could rip through the wrapping with his hook. She can’t take the idea of preventing the look of glee on both of their faces appearing again.

Plus, she wants to be able to watch Killian unwrap one of the most life-changing gifts ever, see the different emotions play on his face as the realization sinks in.

“I’d love to but I really can’t,” she answers honestly. “I have to handle security at the school’s Christmas fair today and we can’t keep putting off the tree. At this rate, we’d be getting it in January.”

“We’ll pick out a good one, Mom, don’t worry,” Henry consoles. He winks at her once Killian isn’t looking and his comforting smile only grows bigger.

It’s her own fault, really. One of her earlier attempts to wrap Killian’s gifts only resulted in Henry coming home from school to see them laid out on her bedroom floor when he went looking for her. The surprise that crossed his face quickly turned into pure joy and Emma unsuccessfully willed herself not to cry.

No bribing was needed to make Henry keep the gifts a secret. He knows how special this is for her.

For the second time in her life, Emma’s pregnant. For the first time, it’s with someone she loves – her True Love at that – and she has no fear of what the future might hold for her and their baby. She’s excited.

All she needs now is just ten minutes of peace with a guarantee of No Killian so she can actually keep it a secret until Christmas.

Killian and Henry are able to appropriately decorate the gingerbread and sugar cookies after a few elbow nudges are exchanged while she puts the last batch of cookies in the oven, though there are some close calls that Emma has to shut down the moment her eyes catch what one of them is trying to do. She does not want to deal with her father’s sputtering and mother’s giggles at the sight of any cookie decorated in any way less than a G rating.

By the time they’re leaving and Killian is warming up the bug, Henry pulls Emma aside under the guise of finding his missing shoe.

“You’re not really missing your shoe, are you? Because otherwise you’re going barefoot, kid.”

Henry rolls his eyes. “Chill, it’s in my backpack.” He hooks a thumb to gesture at the bag on his shoulders and Emma nods. “Grandpa’s already at the school and says he hopes you ‘feel better’. I’m planning to take my sweet time inspecting every tree with Killian. I’m gonna feed him a bunch of fake facts so that he gets really invested too. Should buy you like two hours.”

Emma worries her lip, shoving her hands in her back pockets so she doesn’t play with her ring, a sure sign that she’s hiding something if Killian sees her. “What if Killian’s researched about Christmas trees though? He may be a pirate but he’s also a nerd.”

Henry exudes a confidence that she doesn’t have, given her track record this season. “Trust me, I know how to rile him up.” She rolls her eyes goodheartedly at that. As much as Killian loved to tease and rile Henry up, her kid loved to do the same just as much. She worried at first that it meant the two didn’t like each other and couldn’t get along, but her worries were quickly tossed away when she saw the two sitting at her kitchen table as Killian spoke to Henry in low whispers, helping him with an issue in his friend group.

He treated Henry like an equal, let him know that everything he said, saw, and felt held value. A trust existed between them that Emma didn’t breach – not that she wanted to. She respected that as much as she wants to be able to do everything for her kid, sometimes he needs to seek out someone else and she’s thrilled that most times he chooses Killian. Ribbing on each other is just another way to show that affection.

Emma bids her goodbyes to the two. Henry’s hug leaves her feeling the warmth one only gets from being a parent, and Killian’s goodbye kiss sends tingles down to her toes. That tingling is the exact feeling that got her into this situation and if she hadn’t been already, the look he gives her as he shuts the door behind him would’ve done it.

She waits for them to make it to the tree farm, according to Henry’s location and update texts, checking in with David who’s covering her shift at the school’s Christmas fair. It is then and only then that she feels comfortable enough to wrap the gifts.

Hauling them out of the closet in no time at all, she makes quick work of wrapping them. Despite the assurances that no one would be bothering her, especially her husband, she still chances a glance over her shoulder every few moments, just to be sure. She’s come this far and she’ll be damned if letting her guard down ruins the surprise.

Wrapping goes seamlessly and Emma triple checks that she has gathered and wrapped all the gifts before she places them in the closet under the stairs with the others. One more thing she can cross off her list.

*

When Emma wakes up the morning of Christmas, it’s to soft humming against her neck, a Christmas song that’s been on the radio more often than not this last week. She’s just thankful it’s one of Kelly Clarkson’s songs and not Wham!’s Last Christmas.

“Merry Christmas, love,” Killian whispers to her neck before placing a light kiss there. He wraps his arm tighter around her middle, pulling her back flush against his front, and she feels her stomach erupt in butterflies. He doesn’t know it yet but his hand rests right where their kid is growing and she works hard to refrain her glee for the time being.

Instead, she focuses on the trail of kisses he places down her jaw until he leans over her side to plant one on her mouth. She hums contently into the kiss, turning onto her back so she can wrap her arms around his neck. “Merry Christmas indeed.”

They share a smile before he leans back in for a short kiss.

“How long do you suppose we have before the lad comes stomping down the stairs for his gifts?”

Emma considers his question, furrowing her eyebrows when she realizes she forgot to charge her phone overnight and it’s dead. “What time is it?”

“Nearly eight.”

She laughs and shakes her head. “It’s a matter of seconds then, not minutes.”

“Think we can distract him with his PlayStation?”

“Wait – PlayStation? Not ‘Playing box’? Not ‘Stationary play’?” He crinkles his nose at her poor imitation of his accent and shakes his head.

“Of course I’ve learned the names by now, Swan.” He ignores her interjection of ‘Jones’ though it does earn her a smile. “I’ve known them for quite some time. But Henry doesn’t know that and I quite enjoy annoying him with that bit.”

She laughs and runs her fingers through his hair, tugging lightly on the silky soft strands as her reprimand. However, his reaction shows it is anything but. “I don’t know which of you is worse. Honestly.”

The two of them lean in with the full intent to enjoy as much of a lazy morning in bed as possible on the holiday but their lips don’t even meet before it’s interrupted.

“Merry Christmas!” Henry yells as he comes down the stairs. His feet stomp on each step and Emma grins at the way Killian cringes. He pauses on the landing outside their door and shouts before hurrying down the steps with stomping feet again. “You’ve got five minutes before I force you out so get dressed!”

“Like a bloody ogre,” Killian mutters as he rolls off of her. Despite his grumbling, the smile he gives her as he helps her out of bed and pulls her close is soft. The walls between them disappeared long ago and neither of them are afraid of the openness that exists in their relationship. It’s another first for Emma, being able to be so unapologetically herself and so vulnerable with her emotions when before Killian, she’d always been waiting for the other shoe to drop. Never before him did she allow such a complete offering of herself to another person. With him, it doesn’t feel so scary.

It's also why she’s so excited to have this baby. Being with Killian makes anything they face not seem so bad.

The thought of what lies beneath their tree brings a giddiness to her movements that even her husband notices.

“What’s gotten into you this morning?” he asks as he puts on his brace. He sends her a wicked grin that has her toes curling as he attaches the hook – the same one he shined the night before so he could show it off to Henry in all its unwrapping glory.

“I’m just… really happy.”

“Aye,” he says once he comes close to her again, one hand on her waist and his lips descending upon hers. “So am I.”

Their moment is broken by Henry banging on their door, warning that they better come down that instant or he’s opening everyone’s presents. The notion gets a laugh out of her, knowing that despite his threats, her kid wouldn’t follow through with this one. Maybe.

Nervousness doesn’t come to her until it’s time to hand her gifts over to Killian. He sits in a pile of wrapping paper on the couch, the ‘Best Dad in the Universe’ mug Henry got for him sitting on the coffee table. Henry had been sheepish as he handed over the gift, calling Killian ‘Dad’ on occasion now and then, nowhere near a regular occurrence. Still, the sentiment behind the gift, and the true feelings it relayed, left both her son and husband emotional. They exchanged quiet words that left them both teary-eyed and Killian had wrapped it up by showing Emma the mug as if she hadn’t helped Henry design it online. He then sat it on the coffee table so gently like a prized trophy and couldn’t stop looking at it.

If he reacted this way to Henry’s gifts, she can’t imagine the emotion that’ll come with hers.

The two of them have led hard lives, obstacles in their paths trying to prevent them from wanting to push for the light at the end of the tunnel. But they both did, whether out of sheer stubbornness or resilience, she’s not sure, and it held it them together until they found each other. Then suddenly they weren’t navigating the ups and downs of life alone and everything became a bit more bearable day by day.

Fatherhood is something that always came natural to Killian, she could see, and something that he wanted. His pirating ways took him to many lands and realms but he’d gotten to the point where he wanted to settle down and have a family. To live a life of peace he was never granted beforehand. Villains didn’t get happy endings though so he assumed it was out of the cards for him.

Henry accepted him, made him part of their family, and looked to him as a father. The remaining Lost Boys sought out his comforting presence, a familiar figure, despite their tangled pasts or because of it, when they were feeling particularly lonely or destructive, and he provided a guiding hand back. Hell, even baby Neal latched onto him almost as quickly as he did her parents.

There was a contentedness to Killian when he stepped into the role of father-figure that she never saw before. It shined brightest with Henry but she always saw the longing look in his eyes when Henry left for a weekend at Regina’s or when they saw Sean and Ashley with their baby at Granny’s.

Her mother once said, “Happy endings always start with hope.” Their life together was the start. This is the continuation of it.

“Ready for my gifts?” Emma asks. She discretely wipes her sweaty palms on her thighs and takes the gifts from Henry’s outstretched hands. He gives her a reassuring smile and she can only manage a quick, tight but grateful grin in return.

“Thanks, love.”

Killian lifts his hook to open the smallest of the boxes when Emma shoots her hand out to grab his wrist, a loud ‘No’ leaving her lips before she even realizes what she’s done.

Concern fills Killian’s gaze as he leans closer. His eyes rove over her person, searching, cataloging, trying to get any hint of what’s happening. “Emma, what’s gotten into you?”

“Actually…” she starts with a sardonic laugh, tilting her head.

“Ew, gross, Mom,” Henry crimes in, face wrinkled in disgust.

She clears her throat while rolling her eyes and instead taps the biggest of the three boxes. “Open this first.”

“O-kay…” Killian eyes her as he gently, slowly, unwraps the biggest box. Instead it lies a photo album titled Daddy & Me. “It’s blank?” he asks.

“Yeah, it’s for you to fill it with photos.”

“Ah.” Killian turns to Henry. “I suppose we should start filling this up, aye?”

A quick moment of panic flashes across Henry’s face as he looks to Emma for guidance, both of them floundering. “Uh, yeah!” he says in a hurry. “I can help you fill it up.” He then gives Emma a pointed look, Killian none the wiser.

“Open your second one,” Emma encourages. Killian takes another hard look at the album, the content in his gaze soothing any nerves that remained from Emma’s anticipation.

Earlier, Henry laughed smugly as Killian ripped through about thirty layers of wrapping paper to finally uncover the mug. Henry encouraged him to really dig into it, something that flashes Emma’s mind back to the beanstalk and made her laugh. Killian had taken the message to heart.

Now, he uses the hook to lift the edges of the wrapping paper and gently unravels it. Beneath the paper is a box and Killian gives her a watery grin once he sees what’s inside.

His very first Christmas ornament – or at least the first that’s meant specifically for him – lays inside. It features a large brown bear holding a baby bear wearing a diaper. Beneath the figures is a banner that reads, ‘Papa Bear, Est. 2022”.

Emma expects the questioning glance he sends her way and the subtle, confused one he gives to Henry. However, he receives no answers and Emma finally taps the small box. “Now you can open it.”

She bites her lip and her and Henry share a reassuring nod as Killian opens the last gift. Sitting inside the small box, cleaned off and surrounded in tissue paper is a positive pregnancy test.

Killian picks it up with a cautionary gentleness that she hasn’t seen before. His mouth drops open as he stares it down and he mouths the word ‘Pregnant’ over and over again as his eyes get misty. “Is – is this real?” he asks, voice full of emotion. Emma nods, blinking back her own tears.

“Yeah, Killian, it’s real.”

“Gods, love.” Suddenly, Emma is pulled out of her chair and swept off her feet as Killian tugs her into a tight embrace. He kisses every inch of skin he can find, pulling back every few kisses to catch her lips before he embraces her again. His arms are bound around her tightly, the squeeze between them only getting tighter as Killian urges Henry to join their hug. “You’re going to be a big brother, lad. The best there is,” he whispers and Emma nearly lets out the croaking sob stuck in her throat.

As much as it is a monumental moment for Killian, he still includes Henry and still makes sure that he’s wanted around. The notion makes her heart burst. Once again, she’s aware that she never needed any official True Love test to give her confirmation that Killian is it for her. The way he acts proves it more than enough. It doesn’t make her any less emotional, especially as Killian whispers, as giddy as she’d been that morning, “We’re having a baby!”

“Yes, we are!” she whispers back excitedly.

The trio embrace for a few more moments before Henry’s phone rings and lets him know that it’s Regina reaching out. He congrats the two of them, tells them what wonderful parents they already are, and then bounds out of the room.

“Wow,” Killian says with the long release of a deep breath. “You’re pregnant.”

“I am,” she teases.

Killian’s wide grin matches her own and even though he leans in to kiss her, they aren’t able to do much as their smiles keep breaking through.

It’s not until Killian places a hand on her stomach that her breath catches and realization sinks in. They’re really doing this. They’re having a baby. She can’t explain it but she thinks she’s having a girl. Even Killian’s seemingly decided so as well, babbling on about their daughter despite the fact that they won’t officially find out until Emma’s next appointment in two weeks.

They will have a baby. Together.

They’re going to bring someone into this world that’s half him and half her and it’ll be their responsibility to not screw them up.

With Henry it was easier. He was already ten by the time he connected with both of them, respect and manners already instilled in him. All they had to do was encourage them to flourish. But with a baby, they’ll be starting from scratch. In all honesty, neither of them know much of what to do aside from the basics to keep a baby alive, but she figures they’ll approach it like they do everything else: together.

“You know, little one,” Killian starts as he leans down towards her stomach. “Your grandma is a very wise woman and she once told me that happy endings always start with hope.” He swallows, glancing up at Emma for a moment as his voice gets even quieter. “I’m excited to meet you, Hope.”

*

4 years later…

*

“No, no, no, love, not like that.”

Emma looks up from drying dishes and fixes her gaze on the other end of the table. Killian and Henry are bent over it, heads close together. Between them, Hope kneels on a chair and squeezes an icing bag with so much force that fat glops of red icing plop onto the cookies, nearly covering an entire group of gingerbread men. She watches the way Killian keeps the rounded curve of his hook, sharp tip pointed away, pressed against the center of Hope’s back to keep her steady, attempting to guide her in how to decorate the cookie while she just wants to mix colors together.

One of Henry’s hands holds a gingerbread man in place for her, fingers turning red from the icing that’s slipped over the side, and he’s quick to grab the green icing bag before Hope’s grubby little fingers can grab it. “Oh no you don’t, munchkin.”

“I’m not a munchkin!” Hope pouts. Her glare is fierce as she turns her attention to Henry, cookies completely forgotten as she stands from her kneeling position.

“Oh really?” he eggs her on, fighting to keep the grin off his face. “How come you’re on a chair and I’m still taller than you then? Munchkin.”

“Stinky nose!”

“Short stack.”

“Hairy back!”

A whistle breaks through their teasing before Emma can step in and all eyes go to Killian. He leaves his hook pressed against Hope’s back even as he straightens and stands tall. “Enough of this nonsense from me crew!” Hope stares at him with wide eyes and a dropped jaw, joy filtering its way into her features.

An aspiring pirate captain herself, the three-year-old takes great glee in seeing her father step into his, admittedly watered down, pirate persona. She turns towards Killian, bouncing where she stands in the chair. Her hands attempt to come together in claps but only succeed in dropping more icing all over her hands and Henry’s.

Killian plucks the icing bag from Hope and places it aside. “Now,” he starts, voice an octave lower. “This mess needs to be cleaned otherwise I’ll let Santa know to toss yer presents overboard! Aye?”

“Noooo!” Hope shouts. “He can’t do that!”

“He knows Santa,” Henry says. He nods to Killian as he catches the wet washcloth Emma tosses to him and begins to wipe his icing covered fingers. “He can totally make it happen.”

“Aye,” Emma adds, grinning wide at the way Killian’s nose crinkles. She holds a second wet washcloth in her hands and comes over to Hope, gently wiping her hands clean. “But perhaps me and Papa can clean up the kitchen while you help Henry put some tinsel on the tree instead. It’d be a big help.”

“Aye, aye, captain!” Hope tugs at her hands, pouting when Emma won’t let them free yet. However, once she’s able to, she turns and jumps on Henry’s back, already urging him towards the living room.

“You know,” Killian says, “you’ve just granted her permission to make a mess even worse than this one.”

Emma grins, “Are you saying you weren’t also desperate for five minutes to ourselves?”

Killian hums, giving her a grin that she knows so well. His arms come around her waist while hers wrap around his neck and their lips meet in a soft kiss. When he tries to pull away, Emma keeps him locked with her and the heat between them rises. So lost in the progressing passion of their kisses, she doesn’t even realize Killian’s lifted her onto the table until Henry voices his disgust.

“Gross, guys,” he says. “We eat there.” He shakes his head, shuddering at catching them mid-make out, and reaches for the extra bag of tinsel on the counter. He holds it up and points at it before he leaves. “For scarring me, I am not cleaning this up.”

A snort comes out of Emma before she can stop it and she closes her eyes, content as Killian presses a soft kiss to her cheek. His hand drifts down to rest against her stomach and she feels the butterflies of excitement start up again. Only two more weeks before they can share their big secret.

“This will be a fun Christmas, love.”

[anmylica]

The City of Lights

A Captain Swan Fanfiction for @jrob64 as part of the CS Gift Exchange 2022.

Surprise! I am your gift exchange writer for this year’s exchange! I hope I nailed your request this year for a modern AU holiday fic! I am going to post this in two parts (because I am incapable of restraint, apparently). Part 2 will be posted on NYE!

Summary: Killian Jones has been waiting for the perfect opportunity to propose to the love of his life, Emma Swan. When he’s presented with the opportunity to whisk her away on a weekend trip to visit the Festival of Lights in Natchitoches, Louisiana, he’s confident that the perfect time will present itself. But even the best laid plans often go awry…

Tagging my usual crew: (want to be added? Let me know!) @xarandomdreamx @kmomof4 @snowbellewells @sotangledupinit @tiganasummertree @zaharadessert

Killian Jones opened the door of his apartment to the sound of his girlfriend, Emma “Swan” Nolan, quoting Steel Magnolias verbatim as the television blared in the background.  Emma was spread out on the couch, trying to cover every square inch of its surface with her body, blankets, and pillows, eating peanut butter straight out of the jar and quoting lines as if she were Shelby Eatenton herself.  He smiled at the sight she presented.

“You’re as bad as Mary Margaret, I hope you realize,” he called to the blonde, causing her to jump, as she didn’t hear the door open.

“You’re home early!” Emma exclaimed, smiling to see him but not moving from her spot on the couch.  “Slow shift?”

“Aye, it was.  I’m technically still on call for the next thirty minutes, but it should stay quiet.”  Killian removed his Boston PD jacket and placed his radio on the counter, making sure to turn the dial on the volume loud enough to hear it should he get called out.

Emma hummed, turning her attention back to the movie for a moment, quoting the lines, “My colors are blush and bashful” with the practiced ease of someone who had seen the movie dozens of times before.

Killian moved to sit on the arm of the couch.  “Would you want the colors of your wedding to be blush and bashful, love?”

Emma’s eyes widened and she made a shocked trilling sound in the back of her throat.  “Woah, woah, woah,” she started, wholeheartedly engaging in the game of cat and mouse they always partook when the subject was brought up.  Though Emma was not opposed to marriage (in fact, she was actually hoping that wedding bells would ring in the very near future), it was a running gag amongst all her friends and family that just the hint of white lace would set her running for the hills.

Killian held his hand up, cutting off her reply, and inserted, “Calm down, Swan, I’m not proposing.”  His eyes were on the screen so he missed the disgusted, let down expression that crossed her face at his words.  “I’m merely curious since this is your favorite movie if you would ever want to use the same color scheme.”

Emma huffed.  “I like blush and bashful well enough, but I wouldn’t want them together,” she replied tersely, a little annoyed with her boyfriend of three years.

Killian had brushed off any mentions of their making their relationship legal, a fact which Emma played off in front of their friends (especially her brother and his wife, Mary Margaret) but Emma secretly loathed.  She had been hinting for weeks and weeks that she was ready, but he either was playing dumb or he truly didn’t pick up on her hints.  She was about ready to admit that maybe she needed to be a little less subtle in her desires, but she wasn’t quite ready to throw in the towel yet.  What she didn’t realize was that Killian was very well-aware of her desires and was merely acting in that manner to make her less suspicious of his intentions.

“Too much pink, eh?”  Killian smirked.

Emma shrugged and said, “Maybe for you.”

The two fell into a companionable silence as they watched the screen for a few more moments.  When a shot of the town the movie was filmed in was shown, Emma said, “I’d love to see where they filmed this.”

Killian frowned.  “Where did they film it?”

“I have no idea,” Emma said as she grabbed her phone.  After a quick search, she announced, “It was filmed in a place called,” and she paused.  “I don’t know how to say this.”

Killian looked at the screen “Natch-uh-toes-es?” 

Emma shrugged and scrolled.  “It’s in Louisiana, apparently.  Just about an hour south of Shreveport on the western side of the state.”

Killian nodded.  “You want to go one day?”

Emma scoffed.  “There’s nothing there except trees and rednecks with jacked-up trucks, I’m sure.”

Killian took the phone from her and scrolled through some of the information.  “It says they have a ‘Festival of Lights’ in December.  It’s actually already started.”  

Emma gave him a side-eyed look.  “That’s just a way to draw tourists in to make money off the unsuspecting people who think there’s more there than there really is.”

Killian nodded in response absentmindedly.  An idea was forming in his mind.  He knew Emma actually would enjoy that trip, as they had done several like it in times past.  She was just trying to downplay how badly she wanted to tour the town so as to cope with the disappointment of not being able to go.  The best thing about her job is she could work from just about anywhere, as she worked in bail bonds, which required research online, and only paid her a check upon the successful delivery of the fugitive she was hunting.  If she wanted to take a few days’ vacation, then she could with no issues.  Killian had some time accumulated with the police force, and it would be nothing more than applying for a few days off.  

He continued to look through the pictures of the festival.  It looked quaint, with the lighted displays glinting off the water of the Cane River and accompanied by horse-drawn carriage rides.  Killian could suddenly feel a hole burning in his pocket, so to speak, at the thought of being able to propose to Emma in that setting.  He had bought the ring ages ago and was simply waiting for a moment when the time felt right.  Perhaps that would be it?  His mind suddenly made up, he handed her back her phone.

Emma took it absentmindedly, her attention already back on the movie.  Killian got up and moved to grab his radio even though his shift would end in just a few minutes.  He picked it up and carried it with him to the bedroom, where he closed the door and took out his phone to call his shift captain to arrange the vacation time. 

Once he had the necessary arrangements made, he called David (who, besides being Emma’s brother, was his partner with the Boston PD) and asked him to help him look at hotels, flights, and other necessities.  He also filled David in on his plan for proposing to his sister, a fact of which David was already aware. Within about forty minutes, Killian had plane tickets, a hotel room reserved, a rental car lined up, and was quickly looking up information on the Festival of Lights itself to plan out an itinerary.

He answered Emma when she called out to him wanting to know what he wanted for dinner, and then made his way to the shower to get rid of the dirt and grime that he often felt after a day spent upholding law and order.  A satisfied smirk on his face, he began whistling as he turned on the water.

This was going to be a Christmas surprise that Emma would never forget.

After his shower, he discreetly printed the plane tickets, hotel confirmation, rental agreement for the car they would need, and placed all the documents in a Manila folder.  Peeking into the living room, he saw that Emma was now sobbing in tears at the scene on the screen of Shelby’s funeral.  He smiled at her show of emotion.  Emma “Swan” Nolan may wear a layer of red leather as armor, but he knew she was a closet romantic and the sweetest soul he knew.  The only person he knew that could even hold a candle to her purity was Mary Margaret, David’s wife and Emma’s sister-in-law, and even she wasn’t on Emma’s level in some ways.

Killian watched Emma watch the screen, appreciating this quiet moment that he never thought he’d get to have.  After so many things had nearly torn them apart, from vengeful exes to their own stubbornness in admitting their feelings and then their sometimes dangerous jobs, he had never thought they would get here, but he now had everything he ever wanted.

Lost in his reverie, he didn’t notice when the movie ended and Emma stood up and sauntered over to him, a seductive smile on her face, though tear tracks stained her cheeks.  He thought there was no better sight than Emma in sweats and no makeup coming towards him with that look in her eyes.  

“Hey, Lieutenant, what’s a girl gotta do to get some company?” She wrapped her arms around him and he reciprocated the gesture, smiling as he did so.  “What’s that you’ve got?” She nodded towards the folder.

He lifted it and handed it to her.  “See for yourself.”

Emma took the folder and opened it, wondering what was in it.  She studied the print-outs for a moment, her brow furrowed, before she realized what she was looking at.  “Is this-” she started.

“A trip, fully booked and paid for, for us to go to this Natchitoches place to see where they filmed your second favorite movie in the whole wide world,” he finished for her.  “Aye, love.  It’s part of my Christmas gift to you.”

Emma’s eyes widened at what he said.  “You really booked this for us?”

Killian nodded.  “Just this evening.  You can’t fool me, Swan, I know you’d love to make that trip.  You’re always on about how beautiful the place looks on the screen.”

Emma smiled at him.  “Do I want to make that trip?”

Killian smirked.  “Well, you’re something of an open book.”

They both laughed and embraced for a long moment.  FInally pulling apart, but not completely, Emma gave him a sly smile and a pointed look.

“I believe I should show my gratitude, don’t you think, Lieutenant?”

Killian tapped his lips and returned her sly smile.  “Perhaps gratitude is in order now.”

Emma rose up and kissed him fiercely, grabbing his shirt to tug her closer.  Dropping the folder, he picked her up to carry her into the bedroom.  Everything else could wait.  He had his Swan to ravish, first.

Several days later, Emma was desperately trying to pack her carry-on suitcase for their trip.  Nothing seemed to be exactly right, though she didn’t know much about the Southern states’ climate having grown up only in the northern states.  She had desperately called Mary Margaret over to help, and her sister-in-law had promptly arrived thirty minutes later bearing two hot chocolates in hand, ready to help Emma solve her latest crisis.

“What do you even wear in Louisiana in December?!” Emma shouted in frustration, tugging at her hair as she scanned the contents of her side of the closet.  Their plane was set to leave from Logan International in the morning, and she was now only half packed. She had the essentials in her suitcase, like comfortable pajamas and her toiletries, but the actual outfits to wear during the day were still yet to be picked.  It was the beginning of winter, and Boston had snow on the ground already, but Louisiana wasn’t a winter state. Did they even get snow? What was their average temperature this time of year? Did she need a swimsuit? Did they go swimming in December? Emma let her head thump against the frame of the closet door in frustration.

“Clothes might be the best option,” David replied, coming in to get Killian’s suitcase to help load it in Killian’s truck so they wouldn’t be lugging heavy bags around in the morning in a rush. 

Emma rolled her eyes. “Nah, I think I’ll just wear my tattoo and a smile,” she snarled back at her brother. David grinned and grabbed the packed suitcase, walking out without replying.

Mary Margaret breezed in behind him after a bathroom break, replying as she did so, “Louisiana is usually around mid to low 70s or high 60s during the day at this time of year, and anywhere in the high forties or low 50s at night.  They would be warmer or colder, but it usually won’t be by much. Jeans, sweaters, some lighter shirts, a jacket and maybe a hat and gloves and boots, should be all you’ll need for the temperatures.”

Emma looked at her best friend in disbelief, leaning her head against the closet door frame. “Seriously? When did you become an expert in climates of states you’ve never been to?”

Mary Margaret handed Emma her phone with a weather app pulled up that showed a graphic of the same information she just told Emma. “Since I Googled it.”

Emma smiled in response, rolling her eyes as she turned back to her closet. She settled on pulling out her favorite pair of jeans, a pair of leggings, and a skirt that she liked to wear for dates with Killian sometimes. She threw them haphazardly in her suitcase, which caused Mary Margaret to tut in exasperation at her sister-in-law’s messy habits as she grabbed the items to fold them properly.

“Do you want tights to go with this skirt,” Mary Margaret asked as Emma dug for her favorite white Aran knit sweater. 

“Yes, can you grab me a pair of black ones?” 

Mary Margaret moved to grab the item Emma would need, and when she turned back to place the item in the suitcase, she saw Emma holding a black leather dress with a thoughtful look on her face.

“New dress?” Mary Margaret asked, noticing the tags still on it.

“Yeah,” Emma replied, a little breathlessly. “I bought it as a surprise for Killian for a special celebration.”

The brunette smiled excitedly. “Do you think he’s going to propose on this trip?”

Emma shook her head slightly. “I don’t think he even realizes that’s what I want.”

“Then you should tell him! And pack that dress just in case! If nothing else, you can wear it to tell him you’re ready to take the next step.”

Emma winced a bit. “What if he doesn’t feel the same?” she whispered softly, fearful of the possibility that the answer was that Killian didn’t feel the same as she did.

“Emma!” Mary Margaret chided gently. “Of course he feels the same! He told David that he was ‘in this for the long haul.’ His exact words. A proposal is probably going to happen sooner than you think!”

Emma sighed. “I hope so. I never thought I would find what we have together. I don’t want to lose it.”

Mary Margaret hugged her close and Emma held on tightly to her sister-in-law. “You won’t. And you should bring that dress and a pair of red heels with you on your trip.”

Emma smiled and turned to place the dress in the suitcase. “I think I will.”

Feeling much more centered, Emma quickly grabbed the rest of her items and finished packing. She rolled her bag out to the living room and passed it off to David. Killian was just coming back inside from where he had walked downstairs with David to load up his luggage.

“All set, love?” He asked, taking her in his arms. 

Emma nodded contentedly. “All set,” she sighed happily. She held onto him as tight as she could. She couldn’t wait for their next adventure together.

The roar of the planes taking off the next day could be heard in the background as Killian argued with the woman behind the counter at the car rental inside Dallas Fort-Worth International about the rental he had reserved. Emma stood a little ways down the concourse from him watching the planes arrive and depart through one of the windows, though she could still hear his frustration. It seemed that his information and reservation had been lost.

The plane ride from Boston to Dallas had been uneventful. Emma loved quick plane rides that didn’t involve any hassle. She just wanted to get where she needed to be. Having Killian be there to handle any problems they encountered was a blessing to her.

“Well, Swan, it seems we finally have a vehicle. The woman said the drive was a little under four hours if we hit traffic right.”  Killian had moved behind her while she was ruminating on her thoughts. She turned and smiled.

“Lead the way.”

They walked out of the airport and to the location of the car. Once they located it, they loaded their luggage and began to make the next part of their journey. Killian sang along to the radio as Emma stared at the scenery. Everything looked very different from home, though it did grow monotonous after a while.  After a couple of hours, they arrived in Shreveport and stopped for a quick lunch before continuing south on Interstate 49 to Natchitoches. They arrived at the Natchitoches exit around three in the afternoon.  Emma looked at the hotels and fast food joints that surrounded Highway 6 and turned to Killian.

“Is our hotel here?”

He grinned in reply.  “I thought we would stay at a more ‘on location’ site and booked us at the Saint Denis Hotel.  It’s right along Front Street.”

Emma nodded in understanding and kept watch out of the window.  As they came into the outskirts of the city, she noticed a university of some sort to the right.  

“Is that Northwestern State University?” She asked.  

Killian nodded.  “I think so.  We have tickets to a show their performing arts center is performing tomorrow night.”

Emma raised her eyebrows in mock disbelief.  “Getting fancy on me, aren’t you?”

Killian laughed.  “It’s called the Christmas Gala.  We’re going to dinner before and then the show starts at 9. I hope you brought something appropriate to wear.”  Killian shot her a sly look and licked his lips.  Emma laughed in delight, grateful now that she had listened to Mary Margaret’s advice about packing her black leather dress.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She teased back.  Killian grinned wider but didn’t say anything, instead turning his attention back to the road.  They drove past the college, eventually turning left onto Jefferson Street.

Up until that point, there had been Christmas lights draped along light poles and various other points, but the moment they turned onto Jefferson, the lights started.  As they drove, the road felt as if they were entering a tunnel of multicolored lights.  Light strands zigzagged above them, and there were light-drawn figures on every telephone pole.  As they drove, they could see some of the scenes that Natchitoches was famous for this time of year. It looked amazing, and it wasn’t even dusk yet.

After trawling through bumper to bumper traffic and getting turned around for a moment or two, they finally arrived.  The hotel lobby was decorated in a modern Provencal style that Emma had seen once before during a brief trip to New Orleans during Marci Gras with Killian a couple of years before.  Although not as ornate as other places Emma had seen, it still had a homey feel to the place.  Check-in was much less of a hassle than getting their rental car was, too, Emma noticed.  Once they made it into their room, which was decorated in a similar style, they set their luggage down and Emma flopped onto the bed.  Killian sat on the edge, watching her in amusement.

“Tired, love?” He asked.  It had been a long day of travel, after all.

Emma closed her eyes and nodded.  “A little.”

“What do you think so far?” 

“Emma opened her eyes and looked at him.  “Well, you’re sitting too prim for me but at least you're on the bed.”  Emma shrugged slightly, holding back a teasing grin.

Killian rolled his eyes.  “I meant about the town, Swan.”

“I know what you meant,” Emma laughed before continuing, “honestly, it’s all a bit cheesy, but I can see why it’s a popular lights destination for this area.  I’ve had fun so far.”

“I’m glad,” Killian replied and bent down to place a soft kiss on her lips, which she happily returned.  After several moments, he pulled away and stood.  “If you’ll get freshened up, we’ll go walk downtown and scope out the place.  I’ve heard they have a lot of great food here.”

Emma smiled and got up and walked to the bathroom.  “I’ll be right out,” she said, cocking her hips to the side sassily.

He laughed and returned, “I’ll be waiting.”

Once he was. certain she was ensconced in the shower, the door firmly closed behind her, he let out a shaky breath and put his hand in his pocket.  Clasping it in his hand, he pulled out a black velvet box and opened it.  The engagement ring was nestled safely inside, the huge center stone glistening in the light coming from the bedside lamps.  

Killian wasn’t sure when exactly he was going to propose, but he hoped that tomorrow night might provide the most romantic scene.  Surely there would be an opportunity sometime between dinner, the concert, and hopefully a nice stroll along the river taking in the lights.  Maybe they would luck out and get to do a carriage ride on one of the horse-drawn carriages he had spotted as they arrived.  All he knew was that he couldn't wait any longer.  He had had the ring for several months now, but something always stopped him from asking her.  

But not this time.  When they flew back to Boston in three days’ time, they would be engaged.  He knew Emma wanted it just as badly as he did, and there wasn’t anything he wouldn't do to help her have one of the best Christmas seasons of her life.  He just hoped he didn’t chicken out once he found the right moment.

An hour later, they were strolling along Front Street taking in the sights. The lights were on, but the sun hadn’t yet set, and Killian knew they would be better once it was dark. The streets were busy, as the area drew in a lot of tourism and the college kids were still in class and would likely continue to be until around the 15th. Emma, in true Emma fashion, found a street vendor who was selling hot chocolate, and they bought a couple of to-go cups and sipped on them as they walked. 

They passed a lot of shops, one of which was the Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile Store, which was a blast from the past that was apparently founded in 1838. They learned from a local working the cash register that the name of the town wasn’t pronounced how it looked. 

“It’s pronounced ‘Nack-a-tish,” the friendly-faced woman laughed, seemingly not surprised by their lack of ability at pronouncing the name. “It was the name of a local Native American tribe. You’d actually be surprised how many people come here unable to pronounce it.  And don’t even try to ask Siri anything about it.  She doesn’t understand the word at all!”

Killian and Emma shared a glance of amazement at just how wrong they had gotten the name, quickly wrapping up their purchases.  After they deposited their purchases in their room, it was late enough for them to grab dinner at one of the restaurants on Front Street, a place called Mama’s that was adjoined to another place called Papa’s.  Dinner passed quickly with both enjoying the live music playing and being together in a place where they had no worries.  Killian kept sneaking glances at her when she was watching the band, struck by how happy and relaxed she looked.  

Perhaps this was the moment?  Should he get down on one knee now?  Though he hadn’t planned on asking for her hand tonight, it seemed as if this time could be the time.  His hand drifted to the pocket of his leather jacket and gripped the black box residing in it.  Emma laughed at something the lead singer said (what it was, Killian couldn’t have said, because nothing existed but Emma and this moment), and he pulled the box out.

“Emma?” He called, a little louder than normal so as to be heard over the din.

She turned and looked at him, smiling brightly.  “Yeah, babe?”

He broke off for a moment as she looked at him expectantly.  The words he wanted to say, of adoration and forever and will you be mine, got stuck in his throat.  He cleared it, and grabbed her hand.  “I love you,” he stated a little flatly, let down by his inability to say what he wanted.  

Emma chuckled softly.  “I love you, too,” she replied.  “Are you okay?  You looked almost nervous just now.”

“I’m fine, love.” He looked down at the table for a moment, caressing her hand with his thumb, before he looked up and caught her eyes again.  “We’ve been together for a while, haven’t we?  Shared many adventures together?” He asked, trying to buy some time to get his thoughts together.

Emma tilted her head a bit in confusion.  “Aye,” she responded, teasing.  “Why do you bring it up?  You’re not breaking up with me are you?”  Her face fell at the unpleasant thought, and Killian’s heart skipped a beat at her words.

“Of course not!  I would never- I want you by my side always!”

Emma’s face relaxed from relief.  “Oh, good.  That’s good because I feel the same way.”

“I can’t believe you would think I’d take you all this way to break up with you,” Killian responded, momentarily derailed from the romantic speech he didn’t have planned to ask the question he knew that both of them wanted yet fully paralyzed him with fear at articulating to her.

Emma laughed and shrugged.  “Stranger things have happened to me before.”

“Indeed, they have,” Killian responded, not continuing as the waitress came over to see if they needed anything else.  Once they had settled the bill with her, they had silently agreed that it was a good time to head back to their room.  Killian lamented that the moment had passed, but he also couldn’t help but feel some relief.  If he couldn’t get out the question without botching it up, then he shouldn’t ask it until he could do so without making her question if he’s about to end their relationship.

After they had been walking for a moment or two, Emma said, “So why did you bring up how long we’ve been together?”

Killian looked out at the scene before them, of the glimmer of the lights on the Cane River and the romantic atmosphere of the quaint college town.  “I was just thinking about how much we’ve seen and done,” he finally responded before looking at her.  “There’s no one else I’d rather go through life with.”

Emma smiled and stopped them from walking any further.  She leaned up and gave him a long, slow, soft kiss, one that Killian gladly returned.  Their mouths moved in the perfect sync that came from years of devotion and adoration.  Killian drew her further into his embrace, wrapping his arms around her as she moved one hand to clench in his hair and the other to cup the back of his neck.  Neither carried the kiss much further, aware as they were of being in the middle of a public sidewalk with many other people around them for the festivities, but the heat that always seemed to simmer between them was stoked to a higher flame.

As they both pulled away from the kiss, Killian rested his forehead against hers.  He looked into her eyes, asking a silent question, one that Emma responded to with a similar look.  They both turned and quickly finished the trek back to their hotel room.  Once inside, they gave into the passion and love that consumed them in the dance of lovers as old as time itself.  After they lay sated and entwined, Killian briefly thought of asking her then, but when he turned his head to broach the subject, he saw that Emma lay peacefully asleep.  Smiling, he tugged her closer and gave into the exhaustion that ebbed at his consciousness.  There was always tomorrow, after all.

[cssecretsanta2020]

I know it’s August but the holidays feel fast approaching and with that my mind turns to this event.

I know the Once Upon a Time and Captain Swan fandom has dwindled over the years and with that events have begun to disappear. This being one of the last standing.

I don’t wish to see the event go but I don’t know if I have it in me to run this event or even if there is any more willing participants.

If there is interest in this event maybe I can do one last year or if anyone is available to co run it/run it in my stead.

PLEASE INTERACT WITH THIS POST AND BOOST IT IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SEE THIS EVENT CONTINUE! REBLOG COMMENT ADD TAGS! LIKES MEAN NOTHING BECAUSE I CANT DETERMINE MEANING BEHIND THEM!

[jennjenn615]

I was a little worried at first but I knew that things were going to work out. But add in the fact that Emma and Killian are having another baby is amazing!!!! This story is so true of how Emma and Killian are with each other!!!! I love this so so so much!!!!

Thank you so so so much!!!!!!

CS Secret Santa 2022: Gift Fic “Let Nothing You Dismay”

Hello, it’s your running late Secret Santa at last!! This fic is my gift for @zaharadessert , my giftee in the @cssecretsanta2020 event. I apologize that I am so close to the deadline for getting it posted on the 26th, but I have truly enjoyed being your Santa this year. I love your writing and CS fics, and I wanted this to be something you would enjoy in return. (I hope I’ve managed that to some degree!) I wanted a bit of one of them taking care of the other when they couldn’t, several of the side characters you mentioned enjoying, and a bit of post-s6 every day life in Storybrooke we could have seen for CS after their wedding. I also couldn’t resist trying to work in multiple Christmas tress in some way after you shared about that tradition from your real life. I can’t really fuss with it anymore though, so I’m going to put it in your hands and hope it will make you smile.

Merry (day after) Christmas @zaharadessert​ and I’m glad I got to be your Secret Santa!

by: @snowbellewells​ 

Summary: A quick check on the town’s power lines turns into a frightening emergency for Emma and Killian, but their family and friends prove neither of them are lost or forgotten anymore. And that’s not the only surprise this holiday season has in store…

Shivering and futilely trying to keep her teeth from clacking together as they chattered, Emma Swan blew out a worried, frustrated breath and crouched closer before the silent, empty fireplace. It shouldn’t be anything for her to kindle flames within using her magic, but as she stretched her trembling hands stinging with cold - and she feared oncoming frostbite - out toward the hearth once more, not even a fitful spark showed for her efforts.

Her head falling forward, chin resting on her chest, Emma cursed under her breath, feeling her desperation rising, but not wanting to alert her husband to her growing sense of panic. Instead, she gathered a deep, cleansing breath and tried to refocus her energy. Just as Killian often playfully reminded her of himself, they were both survivors, and they would get through this.

A low, pained groan caught her ear, just as Emma had managed to still her racing thoughts, and her breath hitched in her chest, worry clenching her heart once more. Stupid, ridiculous, dashing, selfless pirate, she berated internally as she watched his head toss back and forth on the pillow where it lay. He wasn’t fully conscious, and if she’d had any doubt of that, his moan of discomfort had silenced it; he was too stubborn and tough to have let such a sound escape and concern her if he were fully aware. 

Quickly, Emma stood and moved to his side of the rickety bed, where they had managed to perch his wounded and chilled form, before he had eventually sprawled insensibly, at last unable to keep up the appearance that he was fine. Biting her lower lip, which was becoming increasingly chapped and sensitive from the worried action, Emma reached out to brush what she hoped were soothing fingers over his brow, and nearly recoiled with a gasp from the heat now radiating off Killian’s skin. The dark hair that fell over his forehead was damp with perspiration as she brushed the strands back from his brow, and she felt her pulse kick up at the tremor she could feel running through him.

She was no nurse, but she knew that the dangers of a fever running too high, unchecked, for too long could be too awful to contemplate. Once more, she reached deep inside herself for her magic hoping to curb the fever that seemed to grip her husband, or at least to ease his pain or mend the ankle she feared might be badly broken. As before, however, she could feel the power and warmth begin to gather, start the tingle down her arms to her waiting fingers, then fizzle out uselessly. She wanted to cry or scream, angry at herself for her inability to use magic now when they needed it more than ever, when her True Love needed her so badly. Why was now the time that her power seemed unable to offer any comfort?!?

Keep reading

[thyme-in-a-bubble]

a list of some winter movies/series ❄️

hello! your friendly neighbourhood little organisation freak of a goblin is here again to give you a list of winter movies and series. this isn't a christmas focused list, just winter vibes, there's only a very very small handful of christmas centred stuff on here. as always, just close your eyes and point somewhere on this little list, or even put the numbers in a generator and go with whatever the result is ♡

spring | summer | autumn

🧣 ‧₊˚ ⋅ movies ⋅˚₊‧

star wars franchise (1977-)

the shining (1980)

edward scissorhands (1990)

beauty and the beast (1991)

the muppet christmas catol (1992) 

batman returns (1992)

the bodyguard (1992)

the cutting edge (1992, 2006, 2008)

while you were sleeping (1995)

titanic (1997)

anastasia (1997)

snow day (2000)

bridget jones’s diary (2001)

save the last dance (2001)

monsters, inc (2001)

peter pan (2003)

the day after tomorrow (2004)

family stone (2005)

ice princess (2005)

the chronicles of narnia: the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe (2005) 

the holiday (2006)

last holiday (2006)

eastern promises (2007)

the curious case of benjamin button (2008)

the time traveler’s wife (2009, 2022)

sherlock holms (2009)

black swan (2010)

inception (2010)

new year’s eve (2011)

the girl with the dragon tattoo (2011)

red riding hood (2011)

they grey (2011)

captain america: the first avenger (2011)

the vow (2012)

anna karenina (2012)

snow white and the huntsman (2012)

frozen (2013)

the wind rises (2013)

iron man 3 (2013)

snowpiercer (2013)

the drop (2014)

winter’s tale (2014)

the grand budapest hotel (2014)

carol (2015)

the age of adaline (2015)

the revenant (2015)

everest (2015)

krampus (2015)

split (2016)

phantom thread (2017)

wind river (2017)

murder on the orient express (2017)

atomic blond (2017)

the mountain between us (2017)

night hunter (2018)

hold the dark (2018)

the nutcracker and the four realms (2018)

alita: battle angel (2019)

anna (2019)

little women (2019)

five feet apart (2019)

last christmas (2019)

happiest season (2020)

the world to come (2020)

silver skates (2020)

spider-man: no way home (2021)

the mauritanian (2021)

black widow (2021)

something from tiffany's (2022)

ghostbusters: frozen empire (2014)

🛷 ‧₊˚ ⋅ series ⋅˚₊‧

criminal minds (2005-2020, 2022-)

downton abbey (2010-2015)

game of thrones (2011-2019)

orphan black (2013-2017)

peaky blinders (2013-2022)

critical role (2015-)

daredevil (2015-2018)

wynonna earp (2016-2021)

war and peace (2016)

godless (2017)

the punisher (2017-2019)

anne with an e (2017-2019)

the bodyguard (2018)

killing eve (2018-2022)

the mandalorian (2019-)

young royals (2021)

shadow and bone (2021-2023)

vikings valhalla (2022-2024)

the last of us (2023-)

masters of the air (2024)

[gatheredfates]

a homecoming | koret swan

Do you want to read all my FFXIV prompts? You can do that here! The master document also contains any misc. notes and information. 🌊

HORIZON: the line at which the earth's surface and the sky appear to meet. for example, the sun rose above the horizon.

A calloused hand thumbed the familiar notch of the king spoke; an irony of primals, a living metaphor for the concept of a ship of theseus, and the source of Koret Swan’s contemplation.

When was a ship no longer a ship? When all its parts were reforged—when its captain was replaced or displaced? A familiar groove affixed to unfamiliar bronze, barely in her hand before she had to hand it over.

Yet, as she stood in that familiar place against an unfamiliar backdrop, it felt like a homecoming.

“I do not mind the excuse for a holiday,” teased a familiar voice from behind. The captain rolled her eye (did it have the same effect as the plural? She supposed it didn’t matter—supposed he’d understand it all the same) and canted her head back to look at her first mate, ever stuffy in his fitted coat with curly-black hair mussed from the breeze.

“You’re fucking stupid,” she answered in turn, prompting Robince to laugh. He watched as the Wolfsbane went over its final checks: supplies for the voyage, people to account for, tallies to be counted. He’d be busier than he ever was, handing over his own captaincy for the voyage, but she’d accept no other vessel—no other crew. They’d gone to a hundred ‘new’ places, why would this new world be any different?

It did not. A ship was still a ship, a woman was still a leader, and the sea still an abyss.

When the signal was given he stood to point, rapt attention given to the deck and the men and women under their charge. They looked to him and awaited his signal—awaited her permission and her initiation.

“By your leave then, Madame,” he said, glancing at her for just a second. His lips pulled upwards, a smile to match her confident smirk. “You know which way to go?”

“Yeah.” Her thumb passed the notch one final time before she turned the wheel, feeling the rudder shudder beneath them. “To that horizon.”

Robince’s voice was loud and strong, cutting over the din.

“You heard the captain, men! To that horizon!”

[jrob64]

Self-Promo Sunday

The other day, I heard the song "That's How You Know" from the movie Enchanted, and it reminded me of this story I wrote. I also recently read an article that said some of the men who danced for that song were original chimney sweeps from "Chim-Chim-Cheree" in Mary Poppins, and the flowers they're holding resemble their chimney sweep brushes. I thought that was pretty cool trivia!

This was originally posted on Valentine's Day 2023, but love stories aren't just for one holiday out of the year, and Captain Swan is my favorite love story. I also have to say I'm quite proud of the pic set I created for it.

This is a one-shot of almost 3300 words, is canon compliant (giving us some CS domestic married scenes) and is rated T. I hope you enjoy it, whether reading it for the first time or rereading it.

You can find it in these places: ffn Ao3 Tumblr

Tagging:

@qualitycoffeethings @grimmswan @cs-rylie @wyntereyez @kmomof4 @hookedmom @ultraluckycatnd @paradiselady19 @xarandomdreamx @motherkatereloyshipper @lfh1226-linda

@pawshapedheart @vampcoffeegyrl23 @tiganasummertree @bluewildcatfanatic @eleveneitherway @elfiola @kday426

@julieenchanted-swans @gingerchangeling @andiirivera @djlbg @jonesfandomfanatic @snowbellewells @anmylica @booksteaandtoomuchtv @cocohook38 @ilovemesomekillianjones

@zaharadessert @lyssapup27 @undercaffinatednightmare @winterbaby89 @jennjenn615 @xsajx @jackieorioncat @teamhook @soniccat @jarienn972 @softkilly @kymbersmith-90 @apiratewhopines

@hollyethecurious @laianely @resident-of-storybrooke @exhaustedpirate @caught-in-the-filter @stahlop @veryverynotgoodwrites @darkshadow7 @fleurdepetite @whimsicallyenchantedrose @earanemith @superchocovian @idristardis @captainswan-kellie @beckettj

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Fluffy Fridays--Chapter 176: The Intervention

Fluffy Fridays—Chapter 176: The Intervention

Summary:   A series of unrelated, fluffy one shots featuring Killian Jones and  Emma Swan and the relationship that makes us all swoon. Will contain  both canon and AU stories. My contribution to Operation Rainbow Kisses  and Unicorn Stickers (aka, my attempt to drown out the season 4 finale  angst with ridiculous levels of fluff.)

Other Chapters: (from the beginning) (previous chapter)

Tagging a few people who may be interested (Let me know if you want to be added or taken off the list): @sailormew4 @annaamell @flslp87 @emmateo26 @bethacaciakay 

@ultraluckycatnd @effulgent-mind @ilovemesomekillianjones @kat2609 @brooke-to-broch 

@missgymgirl @galadriel26 @the-lady-of-misthaven @charmingturkeysandwich @jennjenn615 

@laschatzi @kimmy46 @snowbellewells @iamanneenigma @daxx04 

@nickillian  @gillie  @britishguyslover @ginnyjinxedandhanshotritafirst @kmomof4

 @linda8084 @golfgirld @captain-swan-coffee @searchingwardrobes @hollyethecurious 

@laughswaytoomuch  @allyourdarlingswans  @winterbaby89 @facesiousbutton82 @therooksshiningknight 

@lfh1226-linda @tiganasummertree @jrob64  @anmylica @booksteaandtoomuchtv

 @i-will-sing-no-requiem @bluewildcatfanatic @laianely

(ao3) (ff.net)

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Notes:  A little over a year since my last installment of fluff?  Sorry about that!  All I can say is that the muse has been a fickle mistress.  Happy (belated) 4th of July to all that celebrate it.  Enjoy some holiday themed CS-enjoying-their-happy-beginning fluff!

Emma swiveled back and forth in her chair at the sheriff’s station before bringing her mug of hot cocoa with cinnamon to her smiling lips.  She couldn’t seem to stop smiling.  She was so happy it almost–but not quite–scared her.

Two months ago she’d won the final battle with the Black Fairy, and the next day, she and Killian had headed out on their honeymoon.  With the town finally at peace, she and her brand new husband decided to take a long overdue and much needed break for some of the steamiest and most romantic R & R she’d ever experienced.

They’d had no real destination in mind, no specific plans.  They’d simply boarded the Jolly Roger and set sail (after Emma had once again put a cloaking spell on the magnificent vessel.  After all, they might get some stares sailing an eighteenth century vessel around the Land Without Magic.)  They’d largely followed the East coast, Killian after all, being fascinated to learn of the journeys and stories of this realm’s pirates of old, and had ended up in the Caribbean.

Emma’s smile widened as she remembered the couple of days they’d spent in Savannah, and in particular, Killian's reaction to the famous Pirate’s House restaurant.  He’d been fascinated with the history and pirate memorabilia, of course, until he’d learned that the institution bragged of its connection to Captain Flint.

“That absolute ponce?” Killian had scoffed. “He’s the one they idolize?  He makes bloody Blackbeard look like a worthy opponent.”

He’d been so adorably flummoxed by the reaction to Flint, that she’d immediately taken him back to the Jolly and had her wicked way with him.  (Not that she really needed much of an excuse.  This was their honeymoon after all.)

They’d returned to Storybrooke last Friday, taken the weekend to settle back in and returned to normal life this morning.

Normal life.

They actually had a normal life.  They’d had a full two month honeymoon with no frantic calls from Storybrooke talking about a new villain in town.  They’d returned to a normal, sleepy little town that wasn’t under a curse, a memory spell or any other enchantment.  Life was just…normal.

In fact, it was so normal that Regina had instituted monthly town meetings, and in the last one, the town had made plans for Storybrooke’s first annual Independence Day celebration, as the Fourth of July was right around the corner.

“If we’re gonna be a part of the Land Without Magic now,” Granny had argued, “we best start doing normal Land Without Magic things.”

“Maybe start by not calling it the Land Without Magic, sister,” Leroy had grumbled.

There was to be a parade, a big town festival, fireworks.  The whole patriotic thing.

Emma had so much work to do in order to coordinate security for all of it, but she couldn’t be happier.

(Maybe a certain husband who she couldn’t seem to get enough of had something to do with that happiness, but who could blame her, really?)

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Two days later, Emma was awoken by a sweet and rather passionate kiss from her husband.  Outside their window came the boom of a firework exploding.

“They’re still at it?” Emma asked, pulling slightly away and shaking her head.  “I don’t know who’s setting off those fireworks, but this is getting to be overkill.  The whole big display last night–and the night before–were kind of understandable given the time of year, but it seems like they never stop.”

“Aye,” Killian agreed.  “It would seem we have a veritable pyromaniac within our midst.”

“Well at least the 4th is tomorrow, so maybe they’ll knock it off after that.”

“Perhaps so,” Killian said with one final, lingering kiss, punctuated by another loud boom from outside. “At any rate, we’d best be up and at ‘em.”

Emma gave him a heavy lidded look.  “You sure about that?  I was kind of thinking we might need a little more….rest…this morning.  After all, last night was pretty….acrobatic.”

His grin turned wicked, before he leaned down and kissed her again. (Boom! from outside)  “Something tells me if I returned to our bed, we wouldn’t be leaving it until noon–but we wouldn’t be getting much rest.”

She shrugged and grinned.  “What’s wrong with that?”

He laughed.  “What’s wrong with that is that Regina will have our heads if we don’t attend the mandatory town meeting she called for nine a.m. sharp.”

Emma pushed herself up and tossed off the covers.  “I suppose you’re right,” she grumbled. “But I say, the minute we’re free, we pick up where we left off last night.”

“You’ll have no complaints from me, love.”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The first thing Emma noticed when she and Killian arrived at Town Hall hand in hand, was that someone had strung a big sign over the raised podium that said “Intervention.”

Was it just her, or was this town getting even weirder?

The second thing she noticed was that when they sat down beside her parents, David and Mary Margaret wouldn’t even meet their eyes.

“Okay, you guys, what is going on?” she asked.

Her mom gave her a big–way too big–smile, and simply said “Guess you’ll…I mean we’ll…find out.”

Emma was on the point of asking for further clarification, when Regina walked briskly to the podium and banged the gavel.

“I think we all know why we’re here,” she said grimly.  “We have a problem, and something needs to be done about it.”

Emma and Killian gave each other a bewildered look.

“Are we missing something?” he asked.

“The fireworks,” Leroy said.  “We’re here about the constant, round the clock, fireworks.”

For some reason, the dwarf glared at them ferociously while saying it.

Yeah, this town was definitely getting weirder.

“We were just talking about that this morning,” Emma said.  “Please tell me we don’t have some new, patriotic villain in town.”

“Nothing quite so dramatic, Mrs. Swan-Jones,” Regina said.

“So you found the culprit?” Emma asked.  “Why not just confront him–or have me arrest him?  What’s with the whole big town meeting?  And what’s with the ‘intervention’ sign?”

“That’s why we’re here, honey,” Snow said, her voice far too sunny.  “We…um…we think we figured out what’s going on.”

For some odd reason, beside her, David groaned, loudly, and muttered something like “I don’t want to be talking about this!”

“Okay….” Emma said, drawing out the word.  “Anybody want to elaborate?”

“It’s quite simple,” Rumple said, from the far side of the room. “We’ve noticed that you and your pirate have been exhibiting nauseating levels of affection.  PDA, if you will.  We believe the results have been rather magical and explosive and, in short, have led to our dilemma today.”

“You believe we are to blame for the festive displays all day and night?” Killian asked.

“Wait, this is an intervention for us?” Emma asked at the same time.

“We first noticed the fireworks after you came home from your honeymoon,” Aurora said.  “Small things at first–sparklers when you kissed her cheek, escalating up to…well…”

“What precisely were the two of you doing last night at approximately 10:15 pm?” Regina asked crisply.

Emma’s face flamed while Killian’s grin turned positively sinful and David…well, David turned a sickly shade of green.

“We were… we were,” Emma spluttered.  “Come on, Regina! We’re newlyweds!  What do you think we were doing?”

“Would you like all the sordid details, Your Majesty, or would a summary suffice?” Killian asked cheekily.

Beside them, David put his head in his hands muttering “Make it stop!”

“That’s what we thought,” Regina stated matter-of-factly, ignoring Killian’s question altogether.  “And did you notice when the fireworks display started last night?  Did you notice how it grew in intensity about half an hour later?”

“Oh my gods,” Emma muttered, imitating her dad, and burying her face in her hands, wanting nothing more than for the floor to swallow her and her husband whole.

“We aren’t blaming you, honey,” Mary Margaret said, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder.  “We all remember what it was like to be newlyweds.  Your dad and I couldn’t get enough of each other.”

Surely this had to be in the most awkward town hall meeting in the history of the world.

“But,” Zelena said, “we need to find a way to put a stop to it.  If my toddler is awoken in the middle of the night, one more time, I might have to turn wicked again.”

“If I’m understanding correctly,” Killian said, “you believe that when my wife and I show each other physical signs of affection–when we’re intimate–we create magical fireworks?”

“Indeed,” Regina said.  “And thus the intervention.”

“Ridiculous!” he stated.  “Surely my wife would realize it if she were performing magic.”

“Maybe not,” Granny said, reaching into her bag for a fresh skein of yarn to continue her latest knitting project.  “You both seem so consumed with each other, you don’t notice anything else around you.”

“There is a way we could test the theory,” Belle suggested.  “An experiment, if you will.”

Killian’s eyebrows rose.  “Surely you aren’t suggesting we engage in…relations…right here in town hall?”

Belle’s face flamed.  “Of course not!  A simple peck on the lips would do.”

Leroy began tapping his water bottle with his pen in the way wedding guests do when they want the newlyweds to kiss at a wedding reception.

Killian gave her a glance, and she shrugged.  “I guess it couldn’t hurt.”

He leaned down and gave her a quick, chaste kiss.  At the front of the hall, a sparkler materialized and began buzzing through the room.

“Whelp, I guess that gives us our answer,” Leroy said.  “The question is what are we gonna do about it?”

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Later that night, Emma lay in Killian’s arms, idly stroking his bare chest.  “Well that had to be one of the most embarrassing mornings of my life,” she said.

Killian nodded and then chuckled.  “Did you get a gander at your father’s face throughout the ‘intervention’?  I thought he would keel over from apoplexy.”

Emma laughed.  “Serves him right after my mom’s comment about their own activities as newlyweds.   So, do you think the town’s solution actually worked?”

Following Leroy’s question this morning, Killian had stated vociferously that under no circumstances would he stop making love to his wife, short of her refusing his advances.  Emma had then further traumatized her father by insisting–equally vociferously–that she didn’t see that happening any time soon–probably never.

Several rather ridiculous suggestions had been tossed out, including Zelena not-so-helpfully stating she’d have been more than willing to curse Killian’s lips again if only she still had her magic.  

Finally, a workable solution had been agreed upon.

Regina would put a magic dampening spell on both Emma’s and Killian’s lips until they had left the honeymoon period behind.

“Just their lips?” Leroy scoffed.  “I think you ought to curse their nether regions too, just to be sure.”

Fortunately, Regina had stated in no uncertain terms that she had no intention of getting anywhere near either of their “nether regions”.

And as soon as the spell was applied the town hall meeting had mercifully come to a close.

“Pardon, love?” Killian asked, bringing her back to the present.

“The magic dampening spell,” she said.  “Do you think it worked?

“There’s only one way to find out,” he said, swooping in with a kiss for the ages, the kind that made her knees weak and had her forgetting her own name.

When the kiss ended, he pulled away, and they both listened closely.

Silence.

“Looks like we’re in the clear,” Emma muttered, reaching up to bring him back to her.  “And now that we don’t have an entire town of voyeurs knowing exactly what we’re up to, I’d say it’s way past time we get back to the fun.”

[captainodonoghue]

It's that time of the year again! My absolute favourite time!

I was sad to see that there wasn't a Captain Swan Secret Santa event this year so I decided to take matters into my own hands and make gifts for everyone.

How to join.

You just send me a message, telling me what you want. Be as specific as you want. You can even write me more than one thing if you would like an element of surprise. (If you feel more comfortable, you can send me an anoymous message.)

(Also it doesn't have to be Captain Swan, I'm more than happy to make something Killian centric/Killian + other characters.)

What I make.

I make all kinds of gifsets and edits/graphics.

Deadline.

January 2nd will be the last day you can join.

When you should expect your gift.

I'll start posting gifts from Christmas Day up until a few days after the deadline. (depends on when you send me the message but the starting day is the 25th)

Happy Holidays everyone!!!

(Hope at least one person joins and this doesn't flop.)

[sotangledupinit]

run, run rogers - My CSSS 2021 Gift

hi there @ilovemesomekillianjones! here’s the fourth and final chapter of my @cssecretsanta2020​ gift to you from last year! thank you for being so understanding and patient (still. because i am the absolute worst!). 

also - this was uploaded to AO3 a few days ago, in case there’s any confusion!

run, run rogers (chapter 4 of 4)

SUMMARY: The last thing Emma Swan expected to be doing on Christmas Eve was last minute Christmas shopping. But Neal’s genius left her in the lurch, and she needs to fix things. And the Uber trip to get this all done? It’ll cost her.

RATING: T for Teen 

CHAPTER WORD COUNT: 5,267 words

TAGS: Captain Swan, Holiday, Uber Driver Killian Jones

AO3

AUTHOR’S NOTE: The muse did not want to cooperate for a few long months, hence the downgraded rating and lack of smut. But! I did finally get to write out my idea for the gift. My giftee @ilovemesomekillianjones​ is so patient and kind about the long wait so a very big shoutout to her (and a day late happy birthday as well)! if you haven’t already read this on AO3, then i hope you enjoy!

***

“Oi! Whaaaz been da hold up?”

Will’s voice is loud as he slurs his holler, taking particular delight from popping the P in ‘up’. His grin is lazy as he hangs half of his body out of the window he’s rolled down in the backseat, arms dangling against the car door. Emma shares a look with Killian, their mouths quirking up at the corner from Will’s antics, and she feels a weight lifted off of her shoulders.

Not completely, no. But Killian’s words have made her feel like she’s not a total failure. It still sucks that she can’t give her kid something completely new to open, something that isn’t what his father just copied, but she can still salvage the holiday one way or another.

When Emma approaches the car, Killian a few steps behind her, she sees the kind of state Will’s gotten himself into. He had clearly sprawled himself out on the seats, laying on his stomach. With the upper half of his body still out the car window, his legs are stretched behind him, feet resting on the door on the other side. She huffs a laugh. As annoyed as she’s been by him half the night, it’s like having a big kid around and her heart yearns for Henry.

She loves her kid and she knows he deserves to have some time with his dad, but she still wishes he was home Christmas Eve, baking cookies with her and drinking their hot chocolate while watching Home Alone and Die Hard.

She senses Killian’s presence before she feels his arm coming around her side and opening the passenger door for her. “You get to be my first mate.”

“Lucky me.” The smile Emma shoots Killian is unlike any she’s given someone in quite a long time. It’s flirty, which is no surprise, but there’s a layer of giddiness to it too. She settles herself in the seat as Killian helps Will back inside the car, a number of grunts and phrases, some of which she’s never heard but no doubt are not for the faint of heart, come from behind her seat and she stifles her laughter until Killian’s in the driver’s seat beside her again.

Her seat suddenly jerks forward and the faint smell of alcohol from Will’s breath makes its way into her personal space. She turns slightly to see his body slumped forward against the back of her seat, his chin resting beside the headrest and his eyes half open.

“I thought you were going shopping?” he mumbles to her.

“I was trying to.”

“Bollocks. Ye’ve got no shopping bags with ya.”

“Scarlet,” Killian cuts in, voice struggling on its precarious balance of amusement and frustration.

“Well yer not doing a good job then, Killian. Where’s the lady’s gifts?”

“Actually…” Her eyebrows furrow together as Killian runs his tongue along his bottom lip in deep thought. Without a word to her or Will, he throws the car in drive and sets off in the opposite direction of the address she told him.

“What are you doing?” If it had been anyone else, anyone but Killian, she’d be frightened. She’d have pulled out her mace by now and worked a means into stopping the car. Instead, she sits patiently in her seat with her head turned in his direction and the seatbelt digging into her neck.

“Try something new, darling. It’s called trust.”

“I do trust you.”

The lack of hesitation takes them both by surprise. Her mouth drops open as she struggles to build off of her statement and Killian continually glances at her from the side. After a few moments, she shrugs shyly and gives him a small smile.

Will mumbles something along the lines of ‘pathetic’ and falls back into his seat, head lolling towards the window as he views the house lights passing them by.

Never before had she said something like that to another adult with such conviction and she didn’t know how to proceed. Emma doesn’t voice her feelings, that’s not the kind of person she is. Their conversation outside of the toy store already left her feeling raw and vulnerable and her words slipped out of her mouth without any filtering. It’s as close as she can come to laying her heart bare.

Her eyes trace Killian’s tongue as it pokes out his mouth to lick his lips.

He glances at her once more before straightening in his seat, flicking on one blinker as they stop at a red light. “I can read you pretty well, love, and I know you’re still disappointed about your lad not having anything new to open tomorrow.” He shifts in his seat again as the tips of his ears begin to turn pink. “I think I have an idea to remedy that.” She practically melts as he softens his tone and finally looks at her. “If you’ll allow me to help?”

The man sitting across from her continues to amaze her.

Emma doesn’t even need to think. She nods her head and says softly, “Yes.”

They drive in silence for a few minutes, Will ooo-ing and ahhh-ing at various Christmas displays before Emma leans forward.

She smirks at Killian as she flicks the music on, an older man singing about jingle bells wafting from the speakers, her mood vastly improved from earlier. It’s not until they pull onto one of the streets on the outskirts of the city, bordering the city center and the suburbs, that she notices Will perk up in the backseat.

“No way, mate. Don’t do this to me,” he whines, suddenly acting wide awake and sober despite the sway to his positioning. Killian chuckles and shakes his head.

“Yes way. You can’t hide forever.”

“I can bloody well try. I’m not going in.”

“Then you can freeze in the car.”

“It’s fucking cold out! And snowing!”

Killian grins wide into the rearview mirror, catching Will’s eye, and lifts an eyebrow as if daring the other man to fight him. “I guess you’re coming inside then. Aye?”

Will grumbles and crosses his arms as he glares out the window until Killian comes to a stop in front of a small section of shops. It’s a part of the city she hasn’t been before. An ice cream shop, wedding store, therapist’s office, pawn shop, and a comic-book store line one side of the street with a police department – not David’s, that much she knows – across the street with a diner beside it.

Emma waits to ask until everyone is out of the car, Will huffing and puffing the entire time. Nearly all of the shops are dark and closed up for the holiday except for the comic-book store which looks to be having a work party. “Where are we?”

“At the wolf’s den,” Will says angrily, shooting a glare at Killian who only laughs in glee.

“Yeah,” Emma starts, glancing wearily between the two of them. “I’m going to need more than that.”

“Come on, love,” Killian says. His prosthetic comes to the middle of her back and she suppresses her shiver from how good his heat feels so close to her. “Trust me, remember?”

“Yes –”

“You really shouldn’t,” Will cuts in, gaze now turned towards the holiday party. “He’s a scoundrel.”

“Bloody hell,” Killian calls from her side. She leans into his chest as he turns towards Will and she pretends not to notice the way his arm slides along her waist, bringing her closer as well. “Weren’t you just trying to wing-man me an hour ago?”

Will waves the statement away. “You don’t deserve my talents. The lass can do better anyway.”

“I beg your pardon –”

“Guys,” Emma cuts in. “My kid. A present. Before midnight, please.”

They grumble at each other before Killian ushers her to the door of the comic-book shop, opening it for her as Will shrinks into his coat, shoulders raised to his ears. He rips his beanie from his pocket and forces it over his head at such an alarming speed that it nearly makes her laugh.

“Captain!” a velvety voice calls out from across the shop. “Thought you were skipping out on us tonight for the cash flow.”

Emma’s not sure what to expect from the voice. Surely, such an attractive sound belongs to an equally attractive person, but nothing could have prepared her for the gorgeous brunette that walks out of the crowd gathered at the back of the store and right towards them.

It’s been a long time since jealousy held a vicelike grip on her throat but the feeling invades the bubble she’s had with Killian all night.

The woman’s legs are shaped by tight red skinny jeans and she wears a green crop top lined with white fur. A Santa hat sits askew on her head, the perfect match for her blood red lipstick. Dark hair rests in waves down her back and her nails are painted such a deep red it could be mistaken for black. The smile she shoots their way is one Emma could imagine a predator wearing. But who was her prey?

Emma chances a glance at Killian and relaxes instantly at the feel of his prosthetic on her back again. The smile he shoots the woman looks so similar to the patient, kind grin he’d given Henry on their rides. In that brief look, she feels all jealousy shrink away. Not that she had any claim to Killian to start with, but if there’s a possibility… “Aye, but I had much more important matters to attend to. Miss Swan is in need of your expertise, Ruby.”

“Miss Swan?”

Emma struggles to find her voice for a moment, feeling as if she’s been pulled in a million different directions. All she can do is fall back on her instinct to fight. “Don’t listen to him,” she insists. “It’s Emma.”

“Aye, Emma is in need of your expertise.” The amusement in Killian’s voice is enough to earn a narrow-eyed look from her over her shoulder, his grin widening in reaction. His teasing starts to bring her back to herself and she finds breathing slightly easier than it’d been a moment ago. With a roll of her eyes, she faces their newcomer again.

“With what exactly?” Ruby inquires.

“A gift for her boy.” Emma’s cheeks heat up as Ruby’s calculating gaze bounces between herself and Killian. “He’s creative. Writes and draws his own comics. Isn’t that right, Swan?”

She nods furiously in agreement, centering herself on talk of her kid. Talking about Henry is always easy for her. Not that she’s biased or anything but he’s the greatest kid around. She tells Ruby as much. “He’s incredible. A creative genius, honestly. I don’t know how he comes up with half the stuff he does.”

“Huh,” Ruby says, eyeing Emma up and down. What the hell? She doesn’t know why but the urge to defend herself – against what, she’s not even sure – crawls up her throat.

“Huh?” Emma echoes, glancing back at Killian who narrows his gaze at Ruby.

“You’re different,” she elaborates, probing even though her sentence already feels like a statement.

“Ruby…” Killian warns. “Don’t start. Get the pages, lass.”

Ruby merely rolls her eyes and scoffs. “I meant it as a good thing.” She steps towards Emma, looping her arm through Emma’s so fast that all she can do is look at Killian with a bewildered expression. “I like her.” The smile she sends Emma’s way once she faces forward again is friendly and warm and Emma feels the feeble defenses she’d built back up at the other woman’s appearance come down again.

They near the party for a moment, a group of only a handful of people surrounded by alcohol and baked goods with a stereo in the corner playing a Kelly Clarkson song and surrounded by more of the string lights, tinsel, and mistletoe that decorates the rest of the shop.

“Killian’s idea is perfect for your kid, if he’s as creative as you say.”

“Oh, he definitely is.”

“How old is he?” Ruby tosses her a look over her shoulder out of pure curiosity. There’s no judgement to be thrown down based on her answer and Emma doesn’t even feel the urge defend herself as she answers.

“He’s 12.” Ruby grins at this and much like Killian, doesn’t question it further and accepts it for what it is.

“Then this really is perfect and I have to admit, Killian’s a genius. It’s right this way,” Ruby says. Her hand gestures to an alcove in the back corner, opposite the party. The lighting is dimmer there and it’s not as loud. Or at least it isn’t until Ruby yells back to where Killian leans against a counter by the door. “Don’t let Scarlet run away! He still owes me $500! I will get my money and if he keeps running, it won’t be pretty!”

“Fucking hell.”

Emma huffs out a laugh. She has no doubt that Will was attempting to escape out the front door or blend in with the party to avoid paying it. Killian’s chuckle drifts over to their area, confirming her suspicions.

Her eyes scan the shelves before her as Ruby detaches herself. “Stay here,” she orders and Emma shrugs. It’s not like she has any other choice.

While she waits, she continues browsing. Henry’s gotten so many comics over the years from herself, David, and Mary Margaret that she can’t even keep track of what he does and doesn’t have. The last thing she’d want is to try to get him something new only for it to be what he already has. It’s that exact line of thinking that’s gotten her into this situation.

Once she bores of that, she makes a quick perusal of the store. Garland circles the shelves and moldings, string lights hanging from the ceiling throughout the store, and mistletoe is placed throughout. Ruby had navigated the two of them through it without needing to look, clearly an expert at avoiding the tradition when not desired, but the rest of the party on the other side of the store takes glee at the catching each other underneath it.

A particularly loud cheer diverts her attention over to them, watching as two of the people gripe and groan, making a big deal over it before engaging in a short kiss amidst the cajoling party. A flash of black captures her gaze.

Killian’s made his way over to the party. He stands on the edge of it and laughs as a man in a Santa dress suit with a red velour top hat places a Santa hat on his head to match the rest of the store’s occupants. Will slinks between the other party-goers, snatching snacks from the tables around the area and grabbing a plate of lasagna someone abandoned atop a display.

She can’t stop the smile that grows on her face as Will gets slapped in the back of the head by one of the women there, her fierce attitude clear in her reprimanding as Will shrugs his shoulders and offers excuses. Killian’s shit-eating grin at the scene is hard to miss, especially as Will sighs in defeat and pulls out his wallet, and as he takes a swig of his water bottle, Killian catches her eye.

Her breath hitches in her throat and she finds it hard to swallow. It’s like there’s an electric current dancing along a wire connecting the two of them, tingling her skin beneath the surface. Her eyes follow the sight of his tongue as it sneaks between his lips to catch the water residue. He clearly swallows and when her eyes drift up his face to meet his, she sees the black of his pupils swallowing the blue coloring.

“Got it!”

Emma jumps at the sound of Ruby’s voice and turns quickly.

“Need a minute?” Ruby teases, raising an eyebrow and tilting her head in Killian’s direction. Emma swallows and shakes her head.

“Sorry, what do you have?”

Ruby takes one of her hands from behind her back and offers a Santa hat out to her. Emma eyes it, popping an eyebrow in question. “Uh, I am not giving my son a Santa hat for Christmas.”

“No, the hat’s for you.”

“I am not wearing a Santa hat. I just want to get a gift for my kid. If you can’t help out then –”

Ruby rolls her eyes and thrusts the hat towards her. “Don’t be a grinch. Have a little Christmas spirit – it won’t kill you. Wear the hat, then you’ll get the gift.”

The two of them stand in a stare-down for a few moments until Ruby smirks and tilts her head, pride already making its way onto her features before Emma even concedes.

She knows that Ruby means business. Her confident swagger nearly fills the store and Ruby knows just how desperate she is. With a frustrated sigh, Emma hastily grabs the hat from Ruby’s hand and shoves it on her head, frowning. “There. Now the gift?”

“Thanks for playing along,” Ruby begins, her voice taking on the tone of a game show host announcing the grand prize. “For that, you will receive…”

Everything else Ruby is saying fades to the background as she reveals what she’d been hiding behind her back.

Five packages of blank comic panel pages, each package representing different, commonly used templates for comic-books. There’s nearly 200 pages total in her hand and Emma could practically cry at how perfect the gift is. Her son – her incredibly brilliant and creative son can actually create his own comic with ease.

“I didn’t even know anyone made these,” she whispers in amazement, her hands gently, hesitantly, shakily, taking the packages from Ruby.

“I’m not the one you should thank.” Ruby’s smile is pointed yet gentle as she gestures over the Killian. A quick look over her shoulder and Emma sees the way he’s half listening to the conversation at his side between Will and the woman from before. Instead, he keeps trailing his eyes back over to her and even from afar, she notices the vested interest etched in the way his eyebrows lift as he watches them.

Ruby’s voice breaks her gaze.

“How did you guys meet?”

“Uh,” Emma starts before she shakes her head. “He’s my Uber driver, actually.” Ruby remains unconvinced and unsatisfied.

“Really? Just your driver?” She points her deep red nails, gesturing between Emma and Killian as their eyes catch again. “That’s what you’re going with?”

The half-shrug that comes from her lifted shoulder is sheepish. Heat rises to her cheeks and Emma feels as if she’s been transported back to middle school talking about her crush at a sleepover. Not that she did any of that, but she imagines this must have been what it felt like.

“Well… he was just my Uber driver. Now I’m not so sure.”

Ruby offers her an encouraging smile and grabs a bag from behind the counter as they leave the area. When Emma twice tries to pay, Ruby brushes her off. “My little Christmas gift to you,” she says. There’s no pity or guilt in Ruby as she says the words and Emma struggles to say anything other than a cracked thanks.

People always wanted something in return. Nothing is done for free. If someone offers you something, it’s because they want you to owe them a favor or they’re using you to assuage their own guilt.

At least, that’s the take Emma had before the start of the night.

Then Killian gave up a night of potentially heavy cash flow and became her… friend. Now Ruby is joining the ranks too, helping her make Christmas special for her kid. If she hadn’t met Killian, she’s sure her pride would’ve been a lot harder to swallow to accept such a gesture.

When they make it to the party, Ruby rushes over, pulling the hand belonging to the woman who gave Will a dressing down, and steps under the mistletoe. “Merry Christmas, Mulan,” Ruby whispers. The party start a cheer, noisemakers and chants of ‘Kiss! Kiss!’ filling the store. Emma meets Killian’s eye between Ruby and her lover and they share a grin before the kiss blocks them from each other.

Ruby eventually detaches herself from the kiss and introduces Emma to her fiancée Mulan. Between the two of them, they convince her to stay an extra half hour so she can enjoy the party.

“You can always join our poker game tonight too,” Mulan offers. Her face gives nothing away but there’s something in her voice that tugs at Emma’s warning bells.

“Babe,” Ruby says with a sigh. “We’re trying to make a good impression on Killian’s… friend. We can’t do that if you’re robbing her blind.”

“She’ll count every penny too!” Will adds around a mouthful of cheesecake. “Stole $350 from me wallet already tonight.”

“You owed me that.”

Ruby cuts in, “Wait, you paid her but you still haven’t paid me?!”

“You’re practically married, it’s all the same now!”

“Actually –”

“So,” Mulan cuts in, drowning out Will and Ruby. She compromises, eyeing Emma with a calculating gaze. The woman reminds her of a general in the army, observing the enemy and coming up with at least three strategies to ensure their defeat. “I’ll give you a month. Expect an invite. Bring enough cash not to disappoint.”

Before Emma can accept or decline the invitation – though she has no clue what answer would’ve come out of her mouth – Killian appears at her side. “Bloody hell, Ruby. I leave you to warm up my car and you’re already letting your fiancée take Emma for all she’s worth?!”

There’s no malice in his voice, just a thinly veiled teasing tone, and Emma suppresses a grin at the eye rolls and groans from his reprimand that fill their small group. “I guess that’s my cue,” Emma says instead, backing up. “You coming, Will?”

Will shakes his head. “I’m going to give these lovely ladies the privilege of my presence on their couch tomorrow morning.” His wide grin breaks at the slap on the back of his head from Mulan, but neither her nor Ruby do anything to stop Will.

Wishes of merry Christmases fill the room and soon enough, Emma and Kilian find themselves heading towards the shop’s exit.

“Do you think he’ll like it?” The gentleness of his voice, the care in which he takes with her mission, lights a fire in her chest.

Her smile is wide even if her voice is quiet and soft. “Thank you. Seriously. It’s going to blow his mind.”

Killian’s response is cut off by loud cheers and chants of ‘Kiss! Kiss!’ They both turn a curious glance over at the crowd, ready to see who the latest couple caught by the random sprig of mistletoe is, only to find the crowd already staring back at them. Her head slowly tilts back and her mouth drops open, dumbfounded.

It feels fated, almost, the way that she’s found herself under the mistletoe with the one man who’s been able to turn her world inside-out in just a night. The universe is pushing them together and for once in her life, she agrees with it.

“Please,” Killian scoffs, addressing the group. It becomes clear to her quickly that he’s trying to give her an out or a reason to jump. His statement offers her the choice and that’s what does it. Well, that and his next sentence leave no other option for her competitive side. “She couldn’t handle it.”

Then he turns to her with that wide, victorious smirk and she wishes to wipe it right off his face, the smug bastard. No matter the choice she makes, he still wins. So she does the only logical thing to do in the situation.

She lays the bag with the comic pages on the display stand behind her. Her eyes remain locked on Killian’s the entire time and she can tell that he’s itching to swipe his thumb across his lip.

Then her resolve crumbles to nothing and she grasps the lapels of his leather jacket and tugs him forward.

Their lips meet in a slow, hesitant kiss despite the passionate start to their embrace. The moment Emma sighs, relaxing slightly as her mouth remains pressed against Killian’s, Killian takes advantage. He moves with confidence and familiarity. The taste of his mouth is new but the way his fingers tangle in her hair feels like his hand is always supposed to cradle her head there.

It’s exhilarating and intoxicating all at once. The sounds of the party fade to nothing and the only thing she can hear other than her racing pulse in her ear is the way Killian sighs and groans as they kiss. It’s delicious and tempting and she wants it to stay imprinted on the forefront of her mind.

The spell is cracked, not broken, when they pull apart.

Emma’s left in a daze, not registering a single moment of their final goodbyes before she’s buckled back up in Killian’s car and waiting for him to pull away from the curb.

Despite their bubble splintering at the store, a crackle of electricity, a simmering heat, still rises beneath the surface. It’s so palpable she can almost taste it. She can’t let him leave her yet. Not without another taste. Especially when he looks so unfairly good in the Santa hat bestowed on him at the store.

Killian starts their route to her place and Emma can’t bear to say goodbye to him when they pull up. Her mind flitters to the to-do list she wrote that morning and all the things she needed or should be doing for the holiday. The few remaining gifts she had to wrap, the food she had to prepare for tomorrow, and the cookies left unmade. All of the ingredients in her cabinets are new and purchased for a single holiday. She’ll never get through all of it by tomorrow.

Swallowing hard, Emma turns in her seat and looks at Killian. “What’re your plans for the rest of the holiday?”

He licks his lips before he answers, his mouth as dry as hers suddenly feels. “Just heading home to watch a few films on the telly.”

“How do you feel about making sugar cookies?” It only takes a moment for the question in his gaze to disappear, giving way to a bright grin. Her heart flutters at the sight and instead of fretting, she lets out a deep breath and relaxes her shoulders.

The house is warm when they enter. Henry’s new gift is placed aside to be wrapped once the cookies are in the oven. Their fingers linger longer than necessary as they help each other tie their aprons, a twinkle in Killian’s eyes as he raises an eyebrow when Emma’s hand slides a little too low once she’s finished.

“Fair game,” is what he whispers to her as he trails his hand up her side before tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear. He leans down to place a soft kiss on her lips only for them to lose themselves in the action. Their Santa hats fall to the ground, not that either of them notice. The slight flour that got on Emma’s hand from pulling down ingredients before now runs a white streak through one side of Killian’s hair and he returns the favor once they actually start cooking.

She gets mesmerized by the way he uses his stump – brace off and arm washed clean – to knead the dough better than she’s ever been able to. It takes a near monumental effort to concentrate on the cookies and not what else he might be capable of.

That only lasts until the cookies are in the oven and the timer is set, Henry’s gift laying unwrapped where she left it as Killian proves just what he can do.

They trade lazy kisses once she finally gets around to wrapping Henry’s new gift. Neither of them attempt to repress the smiles that bloom on their faces and it’s the most at peace Emma has felt in possibly her entire life. The only thing that’d make the moment even better, she thinks to herself, would be if her kid were with them.

Perhaps it’s coincidence or luck. Or maybe Christmas magic, as hard as it is to believe, actually does exist. Because it’s not a moment later when, at 11:43pm Christmas Eve night, her phone rings.

“Hey, Mom?” Henry whispers once she picks up.

“Henry?” The hairs on the back of her neck raise in alert and she sees Killian’s posture straighten from beside her on the couch. He makes a quick move to pause Miracle on 34th Street.

“I’m okay,” her kid starts but Emma only feels a small bit of tension leave her shoulders. “I just… I miss you.”

Her heart lurches at his words. “I miss you too,” she whispers back and wills her eyes not to tear. It’s been a long time since they’ve been separated like this but time doesn’t make it easier. “How was your night, kid?”

Henry huff’s out a laugh. “Thanks for the gifts, I know they were your idea. Also, I’m pretty sure half of this stuff is actually his.”

She joins in his laughter with a quick snort of her own. “I wouldn’t be surprised.”

“Yeah…” He pauses and Emma leans back into the couch. Killian raises an eyebrow in her direction as he wraps an arm around her and she merely shrugs. She guesses Henry just wanted to talk. “It doesn’t really feel like Christmas here. Not without you. Can you pick me up? I want to come home.”

“Oh Henry,” Emma whispers again. She makes quick work of the tear that manages to escape and nods her head before she realizes that he can’t see her. “Of course. It’ll take me ten minutes to get there. Start packing up and wake your dad to let him know, okay?”

“Thanks, Mom. Love you.”

“I love you too.”

The moment after they hang up, Emma turns towards Killian and pulls him into a tight embrace, allowing only a few more tears free – the last thing she needs is to let Henry know how emotional their conversation got her.

“You’re right,” she mumbles into Killian’s neck. His hand and stump hold her closer and she feels every worry leave her body with a few strokes.

Killian was right. For as much as she focuses on the material things of the holiday, Henry doesn’t care about the gifts. She’s given him a home, a place of comfort and memories, and that’s what he wants this year. It’s nothing that Neal can provide him and Emma knows that just turning on their Christmas tree and watching Home Alone will be enough.

She glances at the gifts stuffed under the tree in their living room, especially the special new addition, and grins to herself.

The presents don’t hurt either.

Killian helps her to stand as she explains the situation. She can see the offer of a ride sitting on the tip of his tongue but his desire to not overstep holding it back. For most of the night, he’s been making the effort and opening up first. So this time, she resolves, it’s up to her.

With her hand out as an offering, she asks, “You willing to give us a ride?”

He grins wide, leaning down to give her a kiss. “Ride accepted.”

[anmylica]

Like Slow Spinning Redemption

Surprise! I am your Secret Santa this year, @their-seafaring-ways! I hope you enjoy this extended version of Season 5 Episode 15 “The Brothers Jones” I cooked up for you. When you expressed the interest in a Liam-comes-to-like Emma scenario, I knew I had to delve deeper, as I’ve always thought that episode was rather rushed. I also loved the idea of we-understand-each other and the concept that Emma and Killian are reflections of each other, and I deliberately tried to write these into the episode in a more apparent manner than the canon shows. This is the result.

I tried to stick to canon as much as possible, even though I was inspired like crazy for my “The Fields of Asphodel” Season 5 rewrite. I tried not to diverge, but when I did, think of it as a we-didn’t-see-everything-in-canon-so-this-is-totally-plausible type of divergence.

I am thinking this is going to be around the 15k mark, and I’m about 55% done with writing it as of now. I will be sprinting to finish it all in the next couple of days, and the next installment will be on the 28th! I hope to have it posted before I go back to work on January 3rd. I am aiming for 5 chapters!

Read it here on AO3

Tagging the usual crew: @xarandomdreamx @kmomof4 @zaharadessert @snowbellewells @sotangledupinit @tiganasummertree

Want to be added? Ask me!

Summary: Liam Jones does not like Emma Swan upon their first meeting. Of course, when he blames her for his brother’s death and subsequent entrapment in the Underworld, it’s not hard to understand why. But after seeing Emma and Killian in action (and seeing the man his brother became), he may just have to change his opinion…

Read under the cut (unless Tumblr ate it)

Liam Jones’ day consisted of restocking the bar and wiping down surfaces, the same old monotonous routine that he had followed since he had been sentenced upon his death and subsequent arrival in the Underworld.  The Rabbit Hole was one of the only establishments for which the denizens of this hellish realm could get a decent drink, and as such, it was usually heavily frequented in the evenings by souls who had no other recourse or comfort.  Liam didn’t know exactly why Hades had insisted he man the bar as his punishment, but he supposed it was the least he could serve given his actions during his all-too-short shot at life.  

The interactions he was forced to undergo with the rest of the crew from the Hispaniola were awkward, to say the least, but given that none of them suspected him of having a hand in their deaths, he could get through the paid transactions for rum just fine.  He even had begun to strike up a tentative sort of friendship with his old captain (and slaver) Silver, as strange as it was to think about.

It was on this typical evening, with no changes to his routine and duties, that he heard the words he had waited for so long to hear.  Silver had come in for his usual drink, sat at the counter, and waited to be served.  Once he had rum in hand, SIlver finally spoke to Liam, having remained uncharacteristically silent the whole time.

“So I hear that your brother is finally in town,” Silver stated, taking a sip of the libation before continuing, pretending that he didn’t notice Liam stilling out of shock, “Apparently he went by Captain Hook for a time.  Word on the street is that Hades has it out for him.”

Liam blinked, processing the information.  “Have you seen him?” he finally settled on asking.

Silver shook his head.  “I can’t say I have.  I’ve heard that there’s a woman down here looking for him, but I don’t know how true that is.”

Liam thought hard.  He wondered if Hades had Killian in the throne room; that was usually where he kept his new citizens while they were acclimated to the Underworld.  Perhaps he could go there and find out?  Hades surely wouldn’t turn him away if he sought out an audience, would he?  Hades didn’t owe him anything, but surely he would understand Liam’s need to seek out his brother one last time?  His mind made up, he continued to carry out his duties, only halfway paying attention to what it was he needed to do.  He was too busy focusing on getting to his brother to pay attention otherwise.

Liam would go to that house that he knew hosted the entrance to Hades’ throne room in the morning.  He would go into the basement, much like he had that last time he had sought an audience with Hades, and he would ask to see his brother one last time.  He wouldn’t let Killian be sentenced by Hades without trying to make things right with his brother, even if he couldn’t explain to Killian just what it was he was trying to atone for.

The next morning dawned as bright as it could in the Underworld under the sky of red haze.  Liam waited as long as he could stand before he finally gave in and made his way to that blue Victorian house he had visited when he had first arrived in the Underworld.  The house itself was an anomaly; it was a beautiful, welcoming home that Liam was sure would have housed a large family in the Land of the Living, but here it was vacant with the air of forlorn melancholy.  The rooms on the ground floor were filled with old toys, a baby’s crib, and sprinkled with a liberal application of dust and cobwebs.  The presence of the baby artifacts was always curious to Liam, but he had to push that curiosity aside the last time he had visited Hades.  He was sure that he’d push the curiosity aside once more.

When he arrived outside the house, he stopped in his tracks, startled at what he was seeing.  The lights were on inside; the last time he had been here, the house had been shrouded in darkness.  Perplexed as to what it meant, he paused.  Maybe the people to whom it belonged had recently passed, and they had claimed it as their own?  If this were the case, perhaps he could ask politely to pass through to the basement to have a word with Hades?  Surely they would allow him his request?

Squaring his shoulders, he ascended the front steps to the long front porch and knocked on the door.  He waited for a moment before a beautiful blonde woman opened the door.  Liam was momentarily taken aback by her appearance, but he quickly put his shock to the side at her greeting.

“Hi,” said the blonde with uncertainty.  “Can I-” 

Movement behind her caught his eye and he gasped.  “Killian?” He questioned, cutting off the blonde beauty in front of him.  

The blonde, realizing that this was someone that Killian must have known, stepped aside as Liam took a step forward into the house, not caring whether he was actually invited in or not.  Killian looked at him like a deer caught in a car’s headlights.

“Liam?” Killian asked huskily, not believing his eyes.  

Liam stepped further into the entryway of the house.  “So the rumors are true.  After all these years, my little brother is finally here.”

Killian stepped forward and threw his arms around Liam.  “That’s ‘younger brother’ to you,” he replied.  Liam chuckled, returning Killian’s embrace.

“It’s been too long,” Liam simply stated, feeling a bit choked up at seeing his brother after all this time.  “I never dreamed that you’d actually be here.”

Killian pulled back suddenly, leaving Liam feeling a bit bereft at their first meeting after centuries of being separated, but before Liam could say anything, Killian had turned to the blonde.  He waved her over, taking her hand and squeezing it tightly in his.  He turned to his brother and smiled. 

“Brother,” Killian began, turning back to the blonde, “this is Emma Swan, my love and savior.  Hades tried to send me to the depths of the River of Lost Souls, and she was able to save me before he was successful.  We owe our reunion to her.”  

Liam turned and looked at her and smiled slightly.  “Then we are in your debt.”

Emma returned his smile, saying as she did so, “I couldn’t let him stay down here at Hades’ mercy.  Not after all that happened before his…”. Emma stumbled a bit here before continuing, “…death.”

Liam watched as Killian’s smile, which had been genuine up to that moment, became strained and awkward.  No one said anything for several moments’ worth of silence before Emma cleared her throat and gestured towards the kitchen.

“Can I get you something to drink?” She asked.

Liam nodded.  “Water will be fine.”

Emma turned and moved into the kitchen to get them all glasses of water, Killian and Liam moving to follow her but sitting at the table.  Once they all had refreshments, Emma hovered for a moment indecisively.  Finally she turned to Killian.

“If it’s alright with you, I’m going to go check in with my parents and Henry.  Let them know what’s going on.  I’ll let you two catch up?”

Killian nodded.  “Aye, love.  We’ll be fine.”  

Liam noticed that Killian didn’t quite meet her eyes with his, and he wondered at the stilted air between the two lovers.  He didn’t say anything, just gave an acknowledging grimace that mimicked a smile at her glance his way, but he did watch her leave the room and head upstairs.

“I take it this was her house in life?” Liam asked.

Killian nodded.  “It still is,” his brother replied.  “I picked it for her as a symbol of our plans for the future.”

Liam’s brow raised in surprise.  “Plans?”

“Aye,” Killian responded simply.  “She came here from the Land of the Living to save me from Hades’ clutches, and she wants to try and restore my life.”

Liam stared.  “She’s not dead?”

Killian shook his head.  “No, none of her family or friends are.  They all came down here to help her.”

Liam shook his head.  “She wants to restore you to life?” 

Killian nodded.  He hesitated a moment, unsure of what his brother would say about the whole tale.

Liam sighed.  It seemed as if his brother needed a little coaxing into the tale of his life first.  “Well, tell me about how you lived so long.  What happened?”

Killian sighed as well and launched into that tale, of how he had turned pirate after Liam’s death and sought revenge for Liam’s poisoning.  He then continued to describe meeting Milah and running off with her on his ship, causing her to abandon her husband and young son.  He proceeded to describe how he met her estranged husband years later as the Dark One and lost his first love to the demon.  He spoke of how he used a magic bean to travel to the place where Liam had lost his life, Neverland, as a way of buying himself more time to figure out how to exact revenge against the Dark One.

Throughout the tale, Liam remained silent, choosing only to remark, “I’ve heard many a tale of Captain Hook these last few decades,” crossing his arms and looking reproachfully at his brother.  Killian had the decency to look ashamed of his actions, Liam was at least pleased to note.

Then Killian launched into his tale of meeting Emma, explaining how he had met the woman they called the Savior in the Enchanted Forest and was captivated by her light from the onset, but fought valiantly against his feelings, until it was finally too late.  He told of how many times they had been separated and how many times they had found their way back to each other, finishing the tale with their latest misadventure of becoming Dark Ones that ended with Killian sacrificing his own life to end the Darkness once and for all, only for that sacrifice to be in vain (as the imp Rumplestiltskin had found a way to take back his power at the expense of Killian’s life).  Though Killian tried to tell the tale in a way that protected Emma’s role in causing Killian’s future, the future Liam, himself, had worked so hard to protect, to be lost in a swirl of darkness, Liam could tell who he had to blame for Killian’s life being cut short.

He didn’t have to look very far, as she was just upstairs.  Liam decided at that moment that he couldn’t stand Emma Swan for wasting all of Liam’s hard work.  He knew that to say that out loud to Killian would be a mistake, however.  First of all, Killian didn’t know of Liam’s sacrifice, and second of all, Killian seemed quite enamored of the blonde (though Liam did pick up on some strain between the two; perhaps that was due to Killian’s tendency to bear the burden of guilt quite heavily?).  He would have to express his doubts about Emma’s role as hero in this quite carefully so as to avoid alienating his brother.

“She doesn’t exactly sound like someone who would encourage you to be the hero you should be.  I must admit, I’m a little taken aback that she was the one you’d pick,” Liam said, crossing his arms and pondering the story that Killian had told him, one of heroes and villains and Dark Ones and Excalibur and death.

Killian shook his head vehemently.  “She pulled me out of the darkness in which I found myself.  She’s good and true, a hero for all the realms.  You don’t know her, Liam.”

“I know enough,” Liam responded, taking a sip of his water.

“No, you don’t. You didn’t know her before she became the Dark One, you didn’t know her after she took the Darkness to save us all, and you didn’t see how she was able to overcome it.  You don’t know her better than I.  I won’t stand to hear you cast any more aspersions against her character.  She is all that is Light and good.  She makes me want to try and be the man I always wanted to be.”  Killian stared hard at Liam, trying to make him understand why Emma was his choice.

Liam considered Killian’s words for a moment before nodding to communicate his understanding.  Though he completely disagreed with his brother’s summation of Emma Swan, he wasn’t fool enough to continue to voice his opinions to his brother out loud.  After being unable to see his brother for so long, he didn’t want to anger Killian by offering an opinion that clearly wasn’t wanted.  But Liam thought it was perfectly acceptable to have an opinion on the lass that was different from his brother’s, and it was that opinion that he would hold onto.  After all, Liam hadn’t condemned an entire crew to death by drowning in a storm just for some blonde to come in and undo all of his hard work at making sure his brother had the chance to be a great hero.  Liam resolved that he would make it his personal mission to ensure that she wouldn't derail Killian’s death as one.  

He would be on his brother’s side regardless of whether his brother would want him to be or not. LIam and Killian drank their water, and after a few more moments Emma came down the stairs.  She sat down and picked up her glass and took a gulp.

“So I told my parents that we would meet them in an hour at the loft,” Emma announced.  Killian nodded.  “They told me that souls completing their unfinished business and moving on somehow manages to weaken Hades’ hold over everything.”

“So all we have to do is get as many people as possible to finish their unfinished business, then?”  Killian quirked an eyebrow at her.  “Do I understand it correctly?”

Emma shrugged.  “Apparently it can help, but I don’t know how we can figure out what each person’s unfinished business is.”

Killian hummed and played with his glass.  “Perhaps each person would have some idea of what it could be?”  He turned to Liam.  “Liam, what about you?  Why are you down here?”

Liam shook his head.  “I wish I knew.”  Liar, he thought.  “I spent countless years trying to figure out the reason.”  Liam’s eyes trailed down and stared at the right hand side of the table.  He didn’t catch Emma’s furrowed brow and the suspicious tilting of her eyes as he thought about the situation.  He hadn’t needed to spend years trying to discern a reason; the reason was sitting right in front of him, though Killian didn’t know it.  Liam had borne the countless years of guilt due to his decision that put them on the path they had followed.

Killian turned to Emma and told her, “There is no reason.  Hades has the game rigged so no one can leave.  My brother’s proof of that.  Never did a bad thing in his life.”  

Liam grimaced a pained smile that he hoped came off as geniune at Killian’s commendations.

“He even died nobly, stopping a treacherous king from poisoning the realm,” Killian finished.

Liam’s heart panged with guilt and shame.  His gut churned and he felt as if he were going to be sick all over their kitchen floor.  His palms felt sweaty, and it was lucky he were seated because his knees had suddenly gone weak and his legs had lost all feeling.

To cover his discomfort, he stated, “Stop it.  You’re making me blush.”

Luckily, Liam’s two companions didn’t notice his embarrassment.  Killian continued, “Hades has you, too, trapped down here, and that cannot stand.  The only way everyone will get free is if we defeat Hades once and for all.”  Emma nodded, and Killian turned back to his brother.  “Liam, you’ve been down here a long time.  Surely you must know something that can help us.”

Liam tried his best to set aside the guilt roiling in his gut to answer.  “I know this is a very dangerous game you’re playing,” he warned Killian and Emma, who seemed to pay it no heed.  “There are those who tried to overthrow Hades before,” he added.  “They always spoke of a… a book, which had the power to defeat him.  I tried to find it myself, but I’m not even sure what to look for.”  This was the rumor that had circulated over the years between the patrons of The Rabbit Hole.  He was sure that it wouldn’t mean anything to his brother or his brother’s lover.

Emma tilted her head in consideration.  “I think it’s a storybook,” she announced, drawing the attention of the two men.

Liam blinked.  “Storybook?  Oh, I’d wager it would take more than stories,” he dismissed.

Killian raised his right hand and waved a pointed finger.  “No, no, no, no, no.  She’s onto something.  In our world, there’s a book like this.”

Liam stared uncomprehendingly.

“Everything up there has a version down here.  There has to be one in the Underworld,” Emma explained.

Killian turned to Emma and added, “If there’s a story in that book about Hades,” he glanced briefly at Liam before turning his eyes back to Emma’s, “we can learn his weakness and exploit it.”

Liam drew a deep breath.  He had told them of the book as a throwaway comment; he hadn’t meant for them to take it seriously.  But looking at his brother, he could tell how serious Killian was about this goal.  Killian was stubborn, to put it mildly.  He wouldn't let this go until it was done.  He shrugged.

“All right,” Liam responded.  “If you believe in this, Killian, I’m with you to the end.  This fiend trapped me and tortured you.  The day you push your sailors too far…”

“Is the day mutiny begins,” Killian finished with a grin.  Liam returned it halfheartedly.  He knew it wasn’t Hades that had trapped him here in the Underworld; it was his own inability to face his worst mistake.  He just hoped he could continue to keep it a secret from his brother and from his old crew.

[omegaremix]

Omega Radio for August 2, 2014; #57.

Neu! “Hallogallo”

Captain Beefheart “The Host The Ghost The Most Holy-O”

Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers “Dodge Veg-O-Matic”

Death “Where Do We Go From Here?”

Destroy All Monsters “What Do I Get?”

Cramps, The “Hypno Sex-Ray”

Saints “Wild About You”

Stiff Little Fingers “No More Of That”

Minutemen, The “Bob Dylan Wrote Propaganda Songs”

Husker Du “New Day Rising”

Swans “Money Is Flesh” (live)

Henry’s Dress “You’re My Radio One”

Late! “Color Pictures Of A Marigold”

Meat Puppets, The “Plateau”

Beatings, The “Stockholm Syndrome Relapse”

Kurt Vile “So Outta Reach”

Boom Boom Box, The “Holiday”

Paint Fumes “Space Cadet”

Mark Feehan “See You In Brundisium”

Purling Hiss “Purple Hiss”

Jesu “Comforter”

Godflesh “Decline And Fall”

Marching Teeth “Sun God”

Cutthroats 9 “Induction”

Deluxe broadcast; all guitars.

[cs-rylie]

A continuation - the MASSIVE reading list, recommended from the amazing Captain Swan community! So this is what I've read from 8/3/23 -8/10/23

It's not too long this time, so I don't feel the need to line this 😘

Conviction - Hollyeleigh @hollyethecurious - 57k words Black Velvet - LetItRaines @let-it-raines - 20k words Walking in a Straight Line - msgenevieve @msgenevieve447 - 137k words Midnight - APirateWhoPines @apiratewhopines - 24k words It's About Bloody Time - Elizabeethan @elizabeethan - 53k words (series) In the Viper's Den - Kmomof4 @kmomof4 - 24k words The Holiday House - letitraines @let-it-raines - 9k words

Uhm. My total is 324k words this week.. apparently.. 😅 But I loved every word 💖💖💖💖💖 no I don't have a problem

[lifeinahole27]

Holiday Cards, Reboot 2023

Here’s how it works:

-Send me an ask or message with your name and mailing address, as long as you’re comfortable doing so.

-If you’re a fandom friend, feel free to request a fic snippet. These are usually a page or less, bullet-point-fic. They can be something new (around a trope or prompt of your choosing) or they can be headcanons/sidestories from my fics. The more specific you ask for, the better. It helps with the writing process if I’m not baking everything from scratch. Will accept Captain Swan (OUAT) or FirstPrince (RWRB)!

-It’s entirely up to you to tell me what fic prompt you want. If you don’t tell me you want a fic bit in your card, you’re just getting a card.

-If you have requested a card in the past, please resubmit an address. If I still have it, it’s either a) lost in an old notebook or b) lost in my asks/messages. I do not keep a steady address book. I really should, but I don’t.

-If you have a special holiday you celebrate (i.e., you do not want a Christmas card) then please let me know. I have generic winter cards, a surplus of Christmas, and I have no qualms going out to get specialty cards - but I’m aiming to only make one trip to get cards this year so I need to know asap if you want something special.

As always, I hope to send out cards no later than December 20, but I always try to get the international ones out first and fast so they arrive before New Year. But honestly, if you send me an ask up to NYE, I’ll still happily send a card. Oh yeah, and that’s the other thing: I don’t care where you live! I will send cards ANYWHERE in the world.

Feel free to share if you’d like. This is something I do for joy and happiness, for the smile it brings to people, and for the smile it brings to me. You do not have to be a mutual to get one. Hell, you don’t even have to be following me! I love when random people find this post and request cards, because I love being able to do this.

It's been one hell of a year, and just about everything in my life has changed since the last time I did this, so please send me addresses, requests, specifics, and I will eagerly get started on this.

Much love to you all!