#chainofpaperclips

[hookslovelyswan]

Fic Update: When Doves Cry, Chapter 17

Chapter 17 of my fic, When Doves Cry is now available on FF.net and AO3. 

If you unfamiliar with this fic, and you need to start at the beginning (or just need a re-read to refresh), you can start here or here, respectively.

Summary: She loved him as an adolescent, he admired her from afar; each thought their difference in station an insurmountable obstacle. Years later, Princess Emma and Lt. Killian Jones enter into a marriage of convenience, having long ago given up on obtaining the other's love. Can they overcome tragedy and re-discover each other again? 

Rating: M for sex, mature themes, triggers.

Edited because I was so nervous-sick about posting that forgot to tag the usual suspects, originally: @klar425, @strawwolf, @nummygraphics, @walkerfairytales, @iamanneenigma

[ao3feed-captainswan]

Always

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2DyPubf

by HooksLovelySwan (ChainOfPaperClips)

After 16 years of happiness, Tink's counter spell to Regina's Dark Curse has come reckoning--and can only be broken by Princess Emma finding her own True Love. The only problem is... she's never met him yet!

Words: 8742, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Once Upon a Time (TV)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Emma Swan, Captain Hook | Killian Jones, Snow White | Mary Margaret Blanchard, Prince Charming | David Nolan

Relationships: Captain Swan

read it on the AO3 at http://ift.tt/2DyPubf

[kmomof4]

Fic Rec List 6 of 6

It’s almost finished! Aren’t you glad? I know I am! This has been way too hard, but so much fun putting together and remembering all these wonderful fics! Once I’m done with this and finish reading Fragile Design, I’ll look forward to  immersing myself in the sheer joy and beauty of these fics and authors... Same as before, these all rate 11+, a single asterisk is a desert island fic, two additional asterisks means it’s a #1 all time favorite fic.

List 1  List 2  List 3  List 4  List 5

From @hookedonapirate on Tumblr and ff, Hookedonapirate on ao3

The Swan Stripper is a smutty one shot. Emma as a stripper, Killian is dragged to the club by his friends. ao3 and ff

Breathe Again is a modern AU where Killian and Emma meet at the daycare where they take their young children. Rated M with 21ch. ao3 and ff

Sweet Salutations is a modern AU where Killian has just moved to town to become the new sheriffs deputy. He doesn’t expect the sheriffs daughter to own a bakery across the street from the station. Rated E with 20ch. ao3 and ff

Unexpected is a rated M one shot based on the prompt, I don’t know how to tell you this love, but I think you’re pregnant. ao3 and ff 

Toilet Paper, Tampons, and the Hot Guy in the Checkout Lane and its sequel Sweaters, Lingerie, and Sex in the Fitting Room are both modern AU’s. The titles pretty much say it all. TPTHGCL is a rated T one shot. ao3 and ff. SLSFR is rated M one shot. ao3 and ff

*Tangled Up in Blue is a modern AU where pregnant Emma flees to Storybrooke Maine to escape an abusive Neal. There she meets OBGYN Killian Jones. Rated E WIP with 25ch so far. ao3 and ff

From haleigh91 on ff

Instantly in Love is a modern AU where bar owner Emma can’t stand her cocky, handsome star bartender. And the feeling is mutual. What neither one knows however is that the person they’ve been chatting online with for weeks is each other. Rated T with 7ch. 

*If Only For One Night is a canon divergent where a portal spits out Lieutenant Killian Jones right in front of a 19yr old Emma Swan. Rated M two shot.

From @gusenitsaa on Tumblr, gusenitsa on ff

Breaking and Entering is a canon compliant 2 shot where Emma and Killian get into a competition of breaking and entering. Rated K.

Letters to Home is a canon compliant fic of Hooks letters written to Emma during the missing year. Rated K with 6ch. 

From FreyReh on ao3 and ff

I Want You is a canon divergent one shot in which, spurred on by her mother, Emma finally goes after what she wants. Rated T.

Temptation is a rated M one shot of cursed!Killian in season 1. ao3 and ff

From @legendofthephoenixcs on Tumblr, PoeticJustice4665 ao3, PoeticJustice96 on ff 

Legend of the Phoenix is a soulmates AU. To have a soulmate is to be cursed and Emma is cursed with fire. The powerful sorcerer Killian Jones has killed every soulmate couple. Emma must find a way to stop him. Rated T with 20ch. ao3 and ff

Casualties is a modern AU where Emma and Killian are actors on the same TV show. When secrets from her past threatened to be exposed, she must fake a relationship with her costar. Rated M WIP with 13ch so far. ao3 and ff

From @icapturedkindness on Tumblr,  Cynthia03 on ff

The Usual Story is a modern AU with a meet cute between employee Emma and boss Killian. Rated M with 23ch. 

From @cutieodonoghue on Tumblr, colormyheartred on ao3 and ff

World Unknown is a modern AU in which Emma agrees to participate in a “guaranteed True Love Match.” The only catch is, she can't see him until their wedding day. Rated T with 23ch. ao3 and ff

To Build a Home is a new CS AU where Killian runs the orphanage in town and Emma is the new deputy. Rated T WIP with 6ch so far. ao3 and ff

I’ll Drop Anchor in Your Heart is a EF AU where Killian and his small daughter start on a new adventure by moving on land for Princess Emma and her young son Henry. Rated T WIP with 7ch so far. ao3 and ff

From @caprelloidea on Tumblr, ao3, and ff

Washed by the Water is a Neverland one shot. Rated M. ao3 and ff

From Annaelle on ao3 and ff

Arranged Marriages, You Know I Do and One Year Bliss are the 3 parts of the Prince!Killian & Princess!Emma AU. A beautiful trio of one shots that are exactly what they sound like. AM and YKID are both rated G, OYB is rated M. Click on the series to pull up all three on ao3. Click on the individual titles to pull up each fic on ff.

From @irishswanff on Tumblr, IrishSwan on ao3 and ff

Perched a Few Feet Above the Water is a fic where Emma the lifeguard gives swimming lessons to Killian Jones’s toddler Liam. Rated T with 27ch.  ao3 and ff

From @amagicalship on Tumblr, ao3 and ff

Parley is a EF AU where deckhand Hook is hiding onboard when Captain Emma Swan commanders Blackbeard’s ship. Rated M with 3ch. ao3 and ff

Once Upon a Dream I Knew You is a EF AU. What happens when a pirate crashes a royal ball in Misthaven? Rated M with 7ch. ao3 and ff

These Paths Our Hearts Wander is a canon divergent of the Emma, Neal, Killian triangle. Rated K with 5ch. ao3 and ff

If You Can’t Take the Heat is a modern AU where Emma is a chef and owner of her own restaurant and her ex tries to sabotage her when a Michelin food critic comes calling. Rated T one shot. 

Take My Breath Away is a Top Gun inspired AU. Rated M one shot. 

I Do, I Always Do is a canon divergent one shot set in Camelot. A secret wedding and a passionate night follows. Rated M one shot. 

Dance With Me is a canon divergent of the CS movie. Who knew there were so many empty rooms in the castle? Rated M one shot.

From @colinschest on Tumblr, majorshipper on ao3, afastmachine on ff

(She’s My) Cherry Pie is a EF AU. See, bar wench Emma and pirate captain Killian have an arrangement, savvy? Rated E one shot. ao3 and ff

Upon My Skin is a AU where Killian has a plan to be captured, sent to the queen’s harem, and make off with her treasure. Unfortunately Queen Emma is anything but simple. Rated M WIP with 4ch so far. ao3 and ff

A Little Too Much of that Poison Baby is a modern AU where Emma wakes up in Vegas married to Killian Jones. He has to chase her down to convince her that what they have is right. But Emma is stubborn. Rated E with 7ch. ao3 and ff

From @vickyvicarious on Tumblr, ao3 and ff

Civic Duty is a hilarious rated T one shot where Liam is sick and tired of hearing about Killian’s new girlfriend without ever meeting her. So he comes up with a plan to meet Emma and punish Killian for the delay all at the same time. ao3 and ff

From @overlordofthelollipopguild on Tumblr, CantEscapeMyFandoms on ao3, Can’t-Escape-My-Fandoms on ff

Fight For Her and its sequel Defending Her are canon divergent fics set in Neverland. Both are rated T one shots. FFH in which Charming plays wingman to Killian... for Emma. ao3 and ff. DH in which Killian confronts Neal after he upsets Emma. ao3 and ff

From @like-waves-on-the-beach on Tumblr, ao3 and ff

Lady Cutthroat is a modern AU where FBI agent Killian Jones is after his runaway star witness, professional gambler Emma Swan. Rated M one shot. ao3 and ff

The Dashing Florist is a modern AU based on the prompt, how do I passive-aggressively say fuck you in flower? Rated M one shot. ao3 and ff

Holiday Interlude and sequel Valentine’s Savior are modern AU’s that follows our favorite couple as they quickly and easily fall in love staying at the same bed and breakfast for Christmas. Both are rated M. HI is 7ch. ao3 and ff. VS is 4ch. ao3 and ff

Now that the main list is finished, I wanted to list a few other authors that I enjoy reading even though I don’t have a particular fic of theirs that’s a favorite. 

@captain-swan-coffee on Tumblr, rubyrose82 on ao3 and ff

msgenevieve447 on ff

Sassysazzles on ff

swaggercaptain on ff

@holdingoutforapiratehero on Tumblr, holdingoutforapiratehero on ff and ao3

@hookslovelyswan on Tumblr, ChainOfPaperclips on ff

headoverhook on ao3 and ff

thatsmuchbetter on ff

@bisexualwillscarlet on Tumblr, lovingcaptainswan on ff

@pirateherokillian on Tumblr

@sambethe on Tumblr

@unfolded73 on Tumblr, unfolded73 on ao3

Doodlelolly0910 on ff

@ive-always-been-a-pirate​ on Tumblr, alwaysbeenapirate on ao3, always-been-a-pirate on ff

@the-captains-ayebrows on Tumblr, the-captains-ayebrows on ao3

Tagging those authors who are on Tumblr. @hookedonapirate @gusenitsaa @legendofthephoenixcs @cutieodonoghue @caprelloidea @irishswanff @amagicalship @colinschest @vickyvicarious @overlordofthelollipopguild @icapturedkindness @like-waves-on-the-beach

Thank you all again for all your patience as I’ve worked on these. I hope you enjoy them as much as I have!

[capswantrue]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Once Upon a Time (TV) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Captain Hook | Killian Jones/Emma Swan Characters: Emma Swan, Captain Hook | Killian Jones Summary:

Emma's thoughts keep drifting to the kiss she shared with Killian in Neverland, and the sprig of mistletoe hung above the door at Granny's isn't helping at all. Will she finally get another kiss with the Captain, or will it only be in her daydreams? Fluff fic. One-shot. Rated T for mild very mild sexual themes.

[overlordofthelollipopguild]

For mags-love4ever

The only links that I could find for "Until I Met You" and "I Know You Care" are the fanfic ones that I used before. But I'll post them here again and hopefully they'll work this time? 

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/10100384/1/Until-I-Met-You

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/9508991/1/I-Know-You-Care

Just in case those links don't work still, here are the authors fanfiction and tumblrs, so maybe they could help out if there is still an issue.

"Until I Met You" - ChainOfPaperclips and hookslovelyswan.tumblr.com

"I Know You Care" - rumpelstiltskinsmagic and fuckstruckemma.tumblr.com

I hope that they do work this time. Sorry they didn't before.

:)

[hookslovelyswan]

Always (1/2)

This is a belated CSSS gift for @nerdyhuntress, since my electricity went out on Christmas evening, and I wasn’t able to get anything posted for a while. It’s a two shot fic, so it’s not complete yet, but it should be soon. 

Available on: FF.net or AO3

I hope you like your gift, Mary, and that it was worth the extra wait!

Summary: After 16 years of happiness, Tink's counter spell to Regina's Dark Curse has come reckoning--and can only be broken by Princess Emma finding her own True Love. The only problem is... she's never met him yet!

Rating: T

[hookslovelyswan]

Fic Update, Until I Met You, Chapter 14

All right, I did something a little bit different with this update, and I made two variants of the chapter. The only difference between the two chapters is in the last scene. I liked both versions so much I couldn’t decide between them, so I decided to post both. The FF.net version is softer and more romantic, and the AO3 version is more...edgy. ;)  

As always, if you’ve never read this fic before, but you want to check it out, you can start here on FF.net, or here on AO3.

Enjoy!

Summary:  Modern World AU. College Freshman Emma Nolan has no love for poetry, and not even her hot Lit. professor, Killian Jones, can make her understand it. Yet as she receives a series of mysterious notes and presents, understanding unfolds in her heart, & she falls in love with the stranger sending them. But to whom does her heart belong? And will her romance end in happiness or sorrow?

[hookslovelyswan]

Fic Excerpt, When Doves Cry, Chapter 17

This is still a little rough in places, and I still have parts of the chapter to write before I piece it all together, but I thought you all would enjoy a preview:

They lapsed into an awkward silence, and Killian stole several covert glances at his wife as he considered their current situation in light of all that she had been through. Although she had requested that Killian wash her hair and bathe her this evening, it was possible that she might find undressing before him and lying naked and vulnerable in the presence of a man more difficult than either of them anticipated. Perhaps time would be better spent growing at ease with each other’s physical closeness, and ensuring Emma felt as comfortable and safe with him as possible.

Turning to face his wife, Killian took her hands into his and drew her nearer. “Come sit with me,” he invited, leading her over to one of the plush settees. Emma, looking puzzled, offered no protest. Easing her into a comfortable position on the settee, Killian settled down next to her, placing himself in closer proximity than usual. Emma’s eyes lit with understanding, and she bridged the divide between them half again as much, until their thighs were close enough that Killian could feel the heat radiating between them.

Feeling self-conscious and rather foolish, Killian started to reach for her hand, and then thought better of it. Monitoring Emma carefully for her reaction, he slowly raised his arm and curved it around her shoulders.

Emma’s posture became rigid, her jaw clenching together. She swallowed several times, closing her eyes, as her fingers clenching together into fists.  The faint sound of her ragged gasps might as well have been cannon shot for all that it seemed to roar in his ears.

Feeling guilty, Killian started to withdraw his arm.

“Don’t,” Emma managed tersely, her eyes still shut. “We had an agreement,” she said between breaths, “remember? If I want you to stop something, I’ll make myself very clear.” Swallowing again, she inhaled deeply through her nose, held it for the beat of several seconds, and then exhaled through pursed lips. “I’ll be fine,” she assured him. “I was just…remembering something.” 

Killian frowned. “Emma, if this is too much for you—”

Her eyes cracked open, and a smile threatened at the corners of her mouth. “It’s not nearly enough,” she said with the trace of a laugh, surprising him. “My body is ready to fly apart at the seams, remember? It’s my mind that can’t let go.”

Killian absorbed her words and considered them. “You’re afraid?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “My only experience was…” She trailed off, looking ashamed, and Killian frowned  until she continued, “Things are so…different with you. It’s scary.”

“Then,” he said, reaching over to brush a lock of curling hair out of her face, “let’s try to fix that. You know you don’t ever need to fear me, Emma.” She nodded, her eyes meeting his. Hope and uncertainty intermingled within them, and for a moment Killian quailed at the thought of all the trust she was placing in him. Who was he to ask such a thing of her? He wasn’t half worthy of it. He was a commoner with no rank, a nobody from a broken family…

Respect, his brother’s words echoed in his head, Honor. Devotion. Wealth and blood and title mean nothing without a well-formed, honest character...

Bolstered by the memory of Liam’s encouragement, Killian drew closer to Emma again, embracing her.

“I’m going to kiss you now,” he whispered, nuzzling the small hollow just beneath her ear. Cradling her with the delicacy one might reserve for handling sculptured glass, he felt the shiver run through her at the slow press of kisses he trailed down the arch of her neck. He faltered for a moment in wonder at her reaction. With instincts born from experience, he knew her reaction was one of arousal, not fear. Encouraged, Killian resumed his kisses, holding her with more confidence when he laid his other hand against the curve of her hip.

[hookslovelyswan]

Until I Met You, Chapter 13

Chapter 13 of my modern day CS AU, Until I Met You, is now available on FF.net and AO3. Or, if you’re unfamiliar with the fic, you can start from the very beginning here, or here, respectively.

Summary:  Modern World AU. College Freshman Emma Nolan has no love for poetry, and not even her hot Lit. professor, Killian Jones, can make her understand it. Yet as she receives a series of mysterious notes and presents, understanding unfolds in her heart, & she falls in love with the stranger sending them. But to whom does her heart belong? And will her romance end in happiness or sorrow?

Rating: M, for mature themes and eventual sexual content (IT’S COMING GUYS, I SWEAR!!!)

[hookslovelyswan]

Fic Update, Accidentally In Love, Installment 5

The next installment of my Frozen Jewel-focused fic is now available on FF.net or AO3. If you haven’t read the first few chapters, but you’re interested in catching up, you can start at the beginning here or here, respectively.

Summary:  Elsa of Arendelle is finally settling into her role as queen, and everything is beginning to go quite smoothly until her advisor delivers the unpleasant news that she is betrothed to the prince of another kingdom. Determined to break the contract at any means, Elsa does the unthinkable and enlists Captain Liam Jones to fake a courtship with her in order to get out of it.

Rating: T, but will probably turn into an M later on, let’s be honest.

[hookslovelyswan]

The House Boy, (Final) Deleted Scene #8

The last deleted scene for The House Boy is now up at FF.net and AO3. For anyone who is unfamiliar with this fic, I suggest reading the first installment in the series, The Yard Boy (ff.net, AO3), before beginning The House Boy (ff.net, AO3), but it’s not strictly necessary, and you can certainly enjoy it on its own merits. 

Rating: M, for some sexual content and mature themes

[hookslovelyswan]

Fic Update, When Doves Cry, Chapter 16

Merry Captain Swan Wedding Eve, Shipmates! Have a massively long chapter in fortuitous celebration of their impending marriage!

Read chapter 16 on FF.net or AO3. Or, simply start from the beginning, if you’re unfamiliar with the story, here or here.

Summary:  She loved him as an adolescent, he admired her from afar; each thought their difference in station an insurmountable obstacle. Years later, Princess Emma and Lt. Killian Jones enter into a marriage of convenience, having long ago given up on obtaining the other's love. Can they overcome tragedy and re-discover each other again? Rated M for sex, mature themes, triggers.

Tagging all the usual suspects: @msgenevieve447, @klar425, @nummygraphics, @strawwolf, @aloha-4-ever, @walkerfairytales, @iamanneenigma

And now, while you’re all occupied, I’m just gonna

[hookslovelyswan]

10,000 Cups

My first Z Nation fic, based on the following prompt from this list:

“you give me a different fake name every time you come into starbucks and I just want to know your real name bc ur cute but here I am scrawling “batman” onto your stupid cappuccino”

———————————–

Read it on FF.Net and AO3

———————————–

Saturdays can be crazy busy working in a coffee shop. Morning rush is the worst, taking orders and making change at a pace that you almost need to be superhuman to keep up with. My boss, Roberta Warren, calls the weekend horde of customers “puppies and kittens,” because they’re just so sweet and adorable to deal with, tapping their feet with impatience, and making snide remarks about your basic arithmetic skills if you’re not fast enough counting out their change.

That’s how I first notice him–the quiet one among the mewling, barking crowd of strangers in my queue. Dressed in black from his spiky head of hair to his fingerless gloves and his lace-up combat boots, he looks like the illicit love child of Aphrodite and the Grim Reaper. I watch him study the beverage menu with silent intensity out of the corner of one eye, while scribbling names on coffee cups and making change. What’s your story? I wonder in the back of my mind.

“What can I get you?” I ask solicitously when he finally moves to the front of my queue. I try not to notice the lean muscles his sleeveless black tee displays, but it’s a lost cause, and I barely catch his order in time to shout it back to Doc, who’s working the shift with Addy and me.

“And your name?”

“Ten thousand,” he says in an even tone, peering at me with a slight frown.

Great, one of those, I think to myself as I take his money and make change.

“That is not a name, that’s a number!” protests Doc, overhearing our conversation as he fills orders behind me.

“Nevertheless, that’s my name,” he insists. “Made it up myself.”

Rolling my eyes, I scrawl the number on a coffee cup and hand it back to Doc. Not my problem, I tell myself.

“I suppose you’d have to,” Doc says with a shake of his head, putting lids on two coffees before handing them to am impatiently waiting customer. “Well hey, I get it kid. I prefer a nickname myself. Does it mean anything?”

“How many zombies I’m going to kill,” he says matter-of-factly as Doc fills his order. “In my game,” he emphasizes, patting the laptop bag slung across his torso.

“So now we know who to call during the zombie apocalypse,” I tease, grinning over at Doc.

“Already at 1,187,” he says, while Doc prepares his order. “You might do worse.”

I have no clever reply for that, and it irritates me a little as the machines whir and spit behind me. When Doc finishes his order, I hand it to the handsome, gothic, would-be zombie sniper a little resentfully. Raising his eyebrows at me in silent farewell, he makes his way to a secluded corner of the shop where he can put on headphones and kill Zs without distraction.

I don’t quite manage to forget his presence for the rest of my shift.

His visits are all the same. Insisting on his absurd nickname, ordering a large, heavily caffeinated beverage, and remaining largely tight-lipped except for his Z count. Doc in particular seems to look forward to the mysterious 10k’s Saturday visits. 10k seems to have awoken a long-denied fatherly instinct in him, for all that he’s in his fifties, along with a surprising mutual interest in zombies.

“Hey, it’s 10k!” Doc greets him one Saturday, long after his visits have become routine. “How ya doin’ kid? What’s the count?”

“2, 322,” he replies laconically as I prepare his cup.

I do the math, based on his last kill count. “206?” I comment skeptically, capping my marker. “In one week?”

“Slow week,” he shrugs.

I laugh shortly. “If that’s your idea of slow, I don’t even want to know what your regular count is. Don’t you do anything else?”

“Sure, I do other things,” he nods without elaborating. “Your name tag is missing,” he notes after a few moments, studying the selection of pastries on display.

“So it is,” I agree, surprised that he’d noticed. “I lost it somewhere. Warren wasn’t happy, but I figured I’d just make up a new name until I get a replacement,” I smile with a sarcastic lift of my eyebrows.

His eyes narrow a fraction. “So what’s your name?”

“Red,” I tell him with a glance down at my apron, suddenly seized with the unholy urge to fuck with him the way he kept fucking with me every time he ordered a coffee, “My name is Red.”

“That’s a color, that’s not a name,” he teases with the ghost of a smile as Doc hands him his coffee.

“You asked for my name, that’s my name,” I retort with satisfaction. “Ten thousand isn’t a name, either. It’s a number.”

He grins at me—the first genuine smile I’ve managed to extract from him—and it’s like the sun peeping through the clouds. “Batman, then,” he says before taking a sip of his coffee. “You can never go wrong with Batman, right?” he says, departing for his usual corner to snuff out zombies on his laptop.

“Batman has a real name!” I call after him in annoyance.

“Yeah, but almost nobody knows it,” Addy laughs from the register beside mine. “Face it, he beat you at your own twisted game. Better luck next time.”

“Games,” I mutter to myself as Warren shouts from the back room that it’s time for me to take my break. “Fracking men and zombies and games!”

The next few Saturdays, I do my best to ignore him beyond taking his order and making change. It works pretty well, except 10k has taken to lingering by the counter after receiving his coffee, talking to Doc and Addy whenever there’s a lull in the rush of customers. No matter how little I say, it’s impossible not to notice him. Nor can I help but hear his quiet, mellow voice making casual conversation with Doc and Addy about this or that zombie game or movie.

It’s all I can do to keep my mouth shut. They aren’t the only ones with a growing interest in zombies, thanks to 10k, but I’m not about to let on about that, or about anything else that might hint strongly at my attraction to him.

“So I guess you don’t go out a lot for coffee,” 10k says suddenly on one Saturday morning. Doc and Addy are preoccupied with servicing one of the machines, and the shop is blessedly still for late morning.

“Excuse me?” I blink, taken by surprise. I look up and find him studying me over his coffee cup, his expression neutral.

“I said I bet you don’t go out for coffee much,” he repeated with a shrug.  “A girl like you, working at a place like this…I bet you don’t get asked out for it, am I right?”

“No,” I admit slowly, seeing the logic of his thought process, “uh, I don’t.”

“Too bad,” he muses, gazing around the small little shop as if seeing it with brand new eyes. “This would be a nice place to go.” His eyes glitter at me over his coffee cup. “If you didn’t work here.” Raising his cup in a salute of farewell, he saunters off to increase his Z count at last.

“I can’t believe you,” Addy says to me exasperation after he retreats to his usual remote corner of the shop. She and Doc may still be struggling to fix the espresso machine, but their ears, apparently, aren’t broken in the least. “That boy clearly wanted to ask you out, and you just stood there and didn’t say anything!”

“Yeah?” I sniff defensively. “So why didn’t he, then?”

“Oh, come on. He’s so painfully shy, he’s probably still a virgin,” Addy says in a low tone, with a careful glance in 10k’s direction to make certain he couldn’t overhear. Mercifully, his headphones are already on and he’s too absorbed in loading his game to take notice of anything. “I don’t think he has any clue how to ask a girl out for a date. Give him a break and go make his day by flirting with him or something. Anyone with eyes and ears can tell you’re into him, too.”

“I am not.” But the protest sounds feeble, even to my ears.

“Liar,” Addy retorts cheerfully. “If you don’t like him, why do you watch the door so obsessively on Saturday mornings until he walks in?”

“Don’t you all have that machine working yet?” Warren interrupts, emerging from the break room to check on Doc and Addy’s progress. “Here, let me help.” She hops over one end of the counter to lend a hand, and I glance instinctively toward the corner where 10k sits.

“Warren, I’m taking a break,” I say suddenly, untying my apron strings.

“What?” she looks up in surprise. “But you already took your lunch.”

“Half of my lunch,” I remind her, watching 10k, who’s too intent on killing Zs to notice. “We got slammed, remember? Consider this my other half. This place is practically empty anyway.”

“All right,” she says following my gaze. She smiles in mild amusement. “But be back before the next rush.”

Nodding, I fold the apron over one arm and cross the length of the shop to where 10k sits. I hover for a moment, hesitating, and then slide into the booth next to him. The movement catches his attention, and it’s his turn to look up in surprise. “Red,” he says, pulling down his headphones. He quickly pauses his game, mid-zombie attack. “What’s wrong?”

“Someone pointed out to me that I don’t get asked out for a lot of coffee,” I say. He looks away in embarrassment, and I could swear he is blushing. “The truth is, I don’t drink much coffee, anyway.”

“Oh.” He tries to keep his expression neutral, but I catch the brief flash of disappointment on his face just the same. “So then why do you work in a coffee shop?” he wonders.

“I have a little foster brother that I help take care of,” I offer truthfully. “I don’t have to work to help out, but I like to, and it means I can take him places for fun that he wouldn’t be able to experience otherwise.” I pause, watching him as he considers this information. His expression is puzzled, as if he doesn’t know why in the world I’m telling him any of this.

“But,” I continue carefully, “just because I don’t drink coffee doesn’t mean I don’t like to go out and do other things. There’s a zombie run downtown next weekend, and I’m taking my little brother. Maybe you’d like to come with us?”

He stares at me for a moment, uncomprehending, and then slowly smiles as my meaning dawns on him.  “Oh,” he replies, in an entirely different tone this time. “Yeah, I could do that. If you want.”

“I do.” I smile back at him, and then hesitate for a moment before saying, “But would you please tell me your real name now? You already know mine from my name tag, and fair is fair.”

“It’s Thomas,” he says with a little embarrassment. “Tommy, for short. But I’d rather people just called me 10k.”

“All right, Ten,” I say with another smile, “I can do that. If you call me Red…”

THE END

[hookslovelyswan]

Fic Update: Neighborly Affection, Chapter 9

Chapter 9 of my fic, Neighborly Affection, is now available on FF.net and AO3. Or, if you’re unfamiliar with the story, you can start from the beginning, with chapter 1 here, or here, respectively.

Summary: Emma Swan's new neighbor, Killian Jones, is the talk of the neighborhood, and living next door to him is almost more than she can stand, especially since the man doesn't seem to own a shirt! But the tug she feels toward him is inexorable, and the genuine feelings that develop between them...quite unexpected. Captain Swan AU. Rated M for sex.

[hookslovelyswan]

Fic Excerpt, When Doves Cry, Chapter 16

Welp, the good news is that I’m over 2000 words into chapter 16 so far. The bad news, if it can be called that, is that this is going to be a really, really long chapter. So here’s an excerpt (I haven’t done one in a while) to tide you over...or drive you nuts. Six of one, half a dozen of the other, I suppose.

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“And how did it make you feel, when he didn’t return your kiss?”

Emma stared at the little cricket in front of her, still trying to adjust to the idea that the person she was supposed to share all of her innermost thoughts and feelings—things she could barely admit to herself—was a chirping insect. Yet somehow, the strange relationship seemed to work, for only minutes into the session, she’d found herself ranting not about Neal and the hell that he had put her through, but about Killian.

“Angry,” she admitted, feeling the sting of it still, even though it had happened three days ago.

“And why do you think you felt that?”

“Because he should have wanted to kiss me!” she burst out, surprising herself. “We’re married, and he says he wants a physical aspect to our relationship, but then he refuses me when I try to add one!”

“I see,” Jiminy replied with quiet patience. “How well did you know your husband before you married him, Emma?”

“I…not that well,” she admitted. “We saw each other sometimes, outside of official business, but our contact was limited by necessity. There wasn’t much time for deep and meaningful conversations.”

“So would you say that you have the type of relationship now where he might be comfortable enough to kiss you back?”

Her brow crinkled in thought. “I don’t know,” she shook her head. “I guess not.” Her shoulders drooped. “I pushed too hard, is that what you’re saying?”

“I can’t answer that for you,” he replied. “However, I would like to examine why it is that you kissed him in the first place. What were you feeling?”

“I don’t know,” she hedged.

“I think you do. Emma, I cannot help you if you are not honest with me.”

Embarrassed, she quickly explained about her ill-conceived plan to overcome her problems by repeated exposure to males, namely her husband. “But he didn’t want any part of that,” she whispered, feeling ashamed. “We had a fight, and he said he didn’t want to be used like that.”

“A valid sentiment,” the cricket approved. “But none of that answers my question. What were you feeling before you kissed him?”

“I…” Emma faltered, feeling her heart increase its pace. “I don’t know.”

“Think back to that moment,” he advised. “Remember everything that you were feeling and focus on it.”

Screwing her eyes shut, Emma scoured her memories. What did it matter what she was feeling when she did it? The point was that she had, and Killian hadn’t responded at all the way that she had anticipated. “Scared,” she finally said, after reflecting on it for a few moments. “I felt scared, and I hated Neal. I hated that he was controlling my life so much and he wasn’t even there. I was seething with anger because I didn’t want to think about him anymore, to have him consume my every waking thought and feeling. I wanted to make it go away, to smother it, to smother him until he and every last memory just died!”

“So what I’m hearing is that you weren’t angry with Killian at all, you were angry with Neal. And to make that anger go away, you tried to push the boundaries of what you were truly comfortable with. Then when it didn’t garner the result you expected, you took all of that anger and focused it on Killian because you couldn’t confront Neal, the real object of your ire. Is that what happened?”

A long, heavy silence followed Jiminy’s analysis. Emma felt a chill crawl down her spine. She felt the truth of his conjecture in her bones, and it made her feel ashamed. Killian didn’t deserve to serve as Neal’s whipping boy. “Yes,” she said hoarsely, when she could speak again. “That’s what happened.”

“Emma, I think what you’re dealing with right now is called displacement,” Jiminy continued. “When our emotions are too overwhelming or frightening to express to the one who aroused them in us, we sometimes transfer them to someone we perceive as safer, and therefore less likely to hurt or punish us in the way we fear. When you got angry with Killian, you weren’t really mad at him, you were mad at Neal; and you confronted that anger toward Neal in the only way your psyche felt safe in doing—by directing it toward Killian.”

Emma absorbed his words, feeling perturbed. Whatever she felt about the circumstances that had led to her marriage, she’d meant what she said to Killian about trying to make their marriage work. And work it would not, if she continued this pattern of taking things out on Killian that weren’t his doing. For it was a pattern, she realized, skimming her memories of the past few months. Ever since they’d become engaged, Killian had borne the brunt of her rage toward Neal in ways large and small. And he had endured all of it with a silent, patient understanding that left Emma confused. He didn’t have to put up with any of that. Most other men wouldn’t have put up with it, she felt certain; they’d have left to find someone normal and undamaged, with no baggage. And while Emma couldn’t possibly fathom Killian’s reasons for staying, she knew with certainty that she didn’t want to drive this remarkably patient man away. She couldn’t risk it, couldn’t risk--

An anxious knot formed in her belly, and she felt her throat close up. Her fingers clawed at the armrests of the chair she sat in, scrabbling in rhythm with her lungs as she struggled to breathe. Her thoughts spun out of control, nauseating her with their frantic pace, and she closed her eyes, instinctively trying to ward them off.

“Emma,” she heard Jiminy say, his voice faraway and warped, “visualize your emotions the way we talked about. Don’t try to run away from them.”

She rode out the panic attack with his gentle guidance. Gradually, her breaths became more regular, and her thoughts more ordered as she visualized her overwhelming feelings as ocean waves that lost power and speed, breaking one by one against the shoreline.

“That’s it,” Jiminy encouraged, when Emma dared to open her eyes and found the world still again. “Very good. See? Your feelings can’t drown you if you remember to swim through them.”

[hookslovelyswan]

Fic Update: The House Boy, Deleted Scene # 7

Deleted scene #7 is now available on FF.net and AO3. But if you want to know why I’m writing deleted scenes for this fic, try reading from the beginning, either here or here. 

Summary: Sequel to the Yard Boy. After six months of dating, Emma takes the next step in their relationship and asks Killian to move in with her. Rated M for sexual content. Lengthy one-shot fic with "deleted scenes" to be included later. Mild Princess Bride allusions.