#cs fic formal

[differenteagletragedy]

this is my first time doing an ask kfjhg but i love your fics and h/cs so much!! they're so cute and well written and make me smile :)) anyway, i think it would be cool to see a pov from baxter for the swap au? maybe during/after the almost-kiss scene or the confession scene would be so adorablee!! only an idea, though! ^^

Here is Baxter's confession for reference! And here it is from his point of view :)

Baxter had a good life.

He'd landed his dream job straight out of college, mixing his knack for leadership and practical knowledge of formal events (not to mention his love of romance) to be a wedding planner. He had a beautiful home. He had friends and family -- found family, anyway, with your parents and sister that had essentially counted him as a fourth family member for most of his life.

Still, he wanted more. He wanted you.

He had for years. You were his first crush, his only crush, and that crush had steadily over time developed into something much, much deeper. He couldn't see himself with anyone else but you, and he'd never even wanted to try.

There had been a handful of moments that had made Baxter think you might feel the same way. There was that phase during adolescence when his usual affections, all the hugs and hand-holding and linked arms, had stopped being accepted so easily and started bringing out blushes that made his little heart swell with pride. And prom night was something he thought of a bit more frequently than your average 23-year-old -- it was a night full of dancing and stolen looks that finished off with him holding you close against him, hand cupping your cheek and going in for a kiss that was stopped prematurely when your mom had interrupted.

"I believe it is time for a confession, no?" Xavier had told him over drinks one evening. "Time to put it out in the open instead of wasting time on baseless fears that your feelings won't shared."

Baseless as they may be, Baxter was still scared -- terrified even -- of telling you how he felt. What if he'd been reading the signals wrong? What if your lingering hugs were just habit, the goosebumps he felt when he slipped your bare arm through his because of something other than just being close to him?

If he lost you ...

Xavier wasn't the first person who called him out on this, far from it. Even when you were 13, Cove had bluntly asked him why he wasn't dating you, it was obvious to him, he'd said, that you both liked each other.

After you started hanging out with Miranda in high school, then when Terry started coming around too, they'd teased the both of you about it. Even now, when the four of you went out whenever you found your way back in the area, Terry cackled when he called your hangouts "double dates."

Almost as far back as he could remember, Liz had teased him, asking him when he'd become an official member of the family. It seemed like everyone who knew you both were just waiting on you to finally get together, but even despite all that encouragement, it was something he felt like he just couldn't risk.

Then, the night of your mothers' anniversary party, something changed.

He couldn't pinpoint what it was exactly. Maybe it was having you right next to him again after a good few years of only seeing each other every few months. Maybe it was the night before, when you stayed with him at his apartment and let him cook dinner for you, a preview of the domestic bliss he longed for with you. Or maybe he'd just had enough of being scared.

After a lovely party full of family, friends and dancing, Baxter quickly came up with a plan of action

"I have a proposition," he told you. "Do you think after we leave here, you might indulge me just a little?"

"In what way?" you asked.

"It's a surprise," was all he'd give away.

You agreed, and when the party was over, he walked you to his car and drove you back home to Sunset Bird.

Ever since he was very small, even before he moved within walking distance of a beach, he'd been terrified of the ocean. It was so big and so dark, and growing up in his home, he already had the feeling that the world would someday, one way or another, swallow him up and destroy him. He wasn't going to throw himself right into the abyss of the sea with that weighing over his head.

So, Baxter thought on the drive, if he could get over that, if he could hold your hand and wade into that frightening water, then maybe he could do the same thing metaphorically.

He parked outside your parents' house, and you hadn't figured it out. Even when he walked you to the shore and started removing his clothes, you still didn't quite get it. But that was all right -- he'd been waiting over a decade for this moment, it could stretch out a bit.

"I want to go swimming," he told you after he'd stripped down to his underwear. "With you. Out there. That's the surprise."

He saw your eyes widen, and he smiled. When you started taking your clothes off too, his smile remained in place, though it was a bit darker this time. He'd seen you in your swimsuit countless times over the years, but being out here like this, in your underwear in the dim moonlight, it was different.

Trying to focus on the task at hand, he walked down to the water. He'd gone up to his knees plenty of times, but now he kept going. He did need to take your hand to steady his nerves, but he was too close to stop now.

Once the water got up to his chest, he let out a laugh, in disbelief that he managed to get this far. You encouraged him, just like you always did, but he had more to prove, so he let go of you and started swimming in earnest.

After a moment, he realized it: he was fine. He was facing his fear, and he was surviving. It was the most freeing feeling in the world, and he smiled so wide his cheeks ached, splashing around out there around you. He felt invincible.

Holding onto the feeling, he made his way closer to the shore so he could stand solidly again. When you were close enough, he moved his hands through the water, found your hips and grabbed on, pulling you close. Before he could think about it too much, he brought his lips to meet yours.

There was a moment of hesitation, or maybe surprise, but soon you wrapped yourself around him and kissed him back. He smiled against you, not breaking the kiss, and tried to press you even closer to him. When he needed a breath, he'd pull back just enough to move his kisses to your cheek, your neck, your shoulders that glistened under the moon ...

It was heaven.

When he needed a real break, he couldn't bring himself to let you go, instead choosing to rest his forehead against yours. His smile was still firmly in place.

"What was that for?" you asked quietly.

"For being you," he said easily. "For being my favorite person. For being patient with me even though I should have done that years ago."

He melted when you started playing with his hair, and he saw that you weren't pulling away either. You were there, not wanting to let go of him either. You wanted him the same way he wanted you. If he'd ever felt this blissful, he certainly couldn't remember it.

"Baxter?" you said, breaking the silence.

"Yes?"

"Ask me the question again."

He did pull back at that to examine your expression. "The question" was one you both knew all too well, it was one he'd asked over and over since he'd moved to Prism Vista City. He wanted you to live with him, always telling you that he'd gotten a place with a guest room specifically for you. But the way you posed that question now gave him pause. Despite how well the evening was going, he couldn't help but think that surely there was a limit to this kind of exquisite happiness.

But he was never one to turn you down, so he asked.

"Will you move in with me?"

He watched you grin at him, and then you took your turn to make the first move. You were kissing again, slower this time, more deliberate. There was almost a lifetime of wanting that he was trying to express, and with the way you held him, it seemed like you'd been wanting him for quite a while too.

"That's a yes," you told him when you pulled away. "Just in case it wasn't obvious."

Instead of beginning to discuss the move, the logistics, the timeline, any of that, even instead of going back to kissing you, he took a moment to take one more leap.

"I am so deeply, desperately in love with you," he said. "Is that all right?"

"That's perfect," you told him.

And you were right. It was.

[frauleinsmaria]

Chance Encounters

Based on the prompt “I don’t know who you are but we keep running into each other on the street and getting into screaming arguments over the stupidest things and I’m actually looking forward to our next meeting bc you’re annoying as hell but damn you’re hot and it’s kind of fun to argue with you”

Written for my match for the Captain Swan Spring Fic Formal. Surprise @welllpthisishappening! Laura, I’ve had so much fun interacting with you over the past few weeks- although it’s been hard to make sure I didn’t reveal myself talking to you elsewhere 😂 You’re such a wonderful presence in this fandom and I’m so glad I got to be paired with you. I know you like both friends and enemies to lovers and lots of banter, so I hope you enjoy reading this lil fic as much as I enjoyed writing it <3 

Also thanks @distant-rose and @awkwardnessandbaseball for getting the @csficformal together! It’s been a blast

Also on AO3

It’s certainly not how he expects his Monday morning to start.

It shouldn’t surprise him though, considering the direction his day is already heading in from the moment he wakes up. A power outage in his apartment building the night before causes his alarm clock to reset, meaning he wakes up less than half an hour before he’s supposed to leave for work. He cuts himself shaving thanks to being in a hurry and hopes no one will notice the nick on his chin. He goes to make his regular cup of coffee after getting dressed and realizes he ran out of coffee beans over the weekend and forgot to buy more.

His last resort is leaving everything else he needs to do as is so he has time to stop by the coffee shop on his way to the office. Of course it’s not his biggest priority, but he’s already heard about the workload Regina has waiting for him today and knows he won’t be able to deal with it properly without some kind of caffeine.

Thankfully, the line this morning is short, and he’s able to order his drink and be on his way quickly. But it’s just his luck that his phone vibrates with a text from Liam as he’s turning to head out the door, and he’s reading it when he collides with a wall and spills coffee on the front of his white shirt.

“Damn it!”

Whoops, not a wall. A woman, and a very angry one at that, judging by the expression on her face and the similar coffee stain she now sports on her own grey blouse.

Killian shakes his head as the shock wears off and takes in the death stare he’s receiving from the blonde in front of him. She’s holding a drink in her hand as well, but most of it still seems to be in the cup rather than on their clothes like his. “I’m terribly sorry, love. I should have been paying more attention to what I was doing.”

“Yeah, you should have,” she snaps, pulling a napkin out of her purse and attempting to clean up the mess she’s wearing.

There’s a snarky comment on the tip of his tongue, but he manages to hold back and tries to think of a way to be the bigger person here.

“Love, if there’s anything I can do-”

“The best thing you can do right now is to leave me alone so I can go before I’m later for work than I already am. And I’m not your love.”

Any desire he has to be polite is out the window as the the events of the morning all catch up to him. “With that attitude, I’m bloody glad you aren’t!”

“So am I!” She turns on her heel and leaves the coffee shop before he has a chance to say anything else.

By some stroke of luck, he’s able to make it through the day without any other mishaps.

But he can’t explain why the thought of the annoying blonde from the coffee shop stays in his mind long afterwards.

-/-

It’s Thursday afternoon when Killian runs into her again- not literally this time, thank goodness. He’s on his lunch break, headed to the gym near his office when he sees her leaving the building as he’s walking up. She glances in his direction briefly when she sees him, doing a bit of a double take as she realizes where they’ve seen each other before.

“Afternoon, love.”

She makes a sour face. “I thought we established that I’m not your love,” she reminds him, using her fingers to draw air quotes around the word.

“Sorry, lo- lass,” he corrects himself. “Just a habit I suppose.” He blames it on Liam; their mother made quite the effort to ensure the two of them both had adequate manners, and he’d enforced the same ideals on Killian long after she passed.

But it’s clear by her unwavering expression that she doesn’t buy it. “Whatever.” It’s not unlike her reaction a few days earlier when he’d tried to apologize for the coffee incident.

As much as he wants to ignore her and go about with his day, something keeps him there. He’d be lying to himself if he said it wasn’t at least partly attraction; he hadn’t paid much attention to her in the coffee shop thanks to the circumstances, but now he can’t seem to focus on much besides blonde hair, green eyes, and the black and white outfit she’s clearly just finished a workout in judging by the way it sticks with sweat to her thin frame.

And yet, while he’ll willingly admit to finding her attractive, there’s something else- maybe it’s the attitude she’s developed toward him, or her unwavering stubbornness, he doesn’t know- that keeps him from letting things alone like he normally would. “Do you always act like this when someone tries to apologize or be nice to you?”

Killian watches as her jaw sets and sees he’s struck a cord, although he can’t say whether or not it was unintentional. “Do you always butt into other people’s business?”

“Regardless, it seems yours isn’t worth my time.” She rolls her eyes and walks away from him for the second time.

His annoyance with her is just the motivation he needs for his workout, but like the time before, his thoughts stay occupied with the woman he knows nothing about, aside from the fact that she must be some kind of a force to be reckoned with.

He can’t decide whether she intrigues or irritates him more.

-/-

The next Tuesday is when Killian becomes convinced that the universe hates him.

He’s walking to work, sans coffee after finally replenishing his stock at home, when he catches a familiar glimpse of blonde hair coming out of a store as its owner taps away at her phone. He doesn’t try to get her attention; she’s not exactly his biggest fan as it is, and bothering her for no reason certainly won’t change that.

It doesn’t matter how honorable his intentions are, though, since she notices him when she glances over her shoulder not a moment later. She stops in her tracks and he hears her groan as he’s walking up.

“Are you following me or something? Because I have a gun and-”

Killian holds a hand up to stop her. “Not to worry, lass.” (He’s remembered what not to call her this time.) “Believe it or not, it seems that you and I are yet again the victims of mere coincidence.”

“Seriously? Who talks like that?”

“A person who’s about as thrilled with our recent pattern of encounters as you are.”

“I’m not making you walk beside me to chat, you know! I think you and I both have better things to do.”

“Finally something we can agree on. Now, if you’ll excuse me…”

He wastes no time leaving her behind and getting to work just as fast as he can. He’s annoyed yet again, something he’s convinced will be a common theme whenever he runs into her. But, bloody hell, he still can’t answer the question as to how and why she’s managed to get both under his skin and stuck in his mind so easily.

-/-

Killian goes a week without running into her after their last encounter on the street. He feels relieved considering how things between them are all but guaranteed them to go- or, at least, he thinks he does. It’s Liam that brings it to his attention when they’re at The Rabbit Hole sharing a drink after work.

“Looking for someone, are you?” his brother asks, seeing Killian’s eyes go to the bar’s entrance when the bell above the door chimes. A group of women arrive together, but he quickly loses interest in the redheads and brunettes.

He shakes his head as he takes a drink. “No. What makes you ask?”

Liam doesn’t look convinced. “Every time we’ve been out over the past few weeks, you seem to be waiting for someone else to show up. Not only that, but you’ve been examining every blonde within a mile’s radius, and I’d like to know just why.”

“You’re not going to leave me alone about this, are you?”

“Not a chance in hell.”

“Alright then.” Killian pauses as he tries to figure out how to explain his recent series of meetings to his brother. “To make a long story shorter: there’s this woman-”

“I knew it,” Liam mutters under his breath.

“There’s this woman,” he continues, ignoring him. “I haven’t the slightest idea who she is, but we keep running into each other and always end up having some petty argument before we part ways, only to see each other a few days later and do the same thing all over again.”

“Huh. And just what exactly are you and this lass always arguing over?”

“That’s just it; it’s usually just mindless bickering because I seem to annoy her as much as she does me.”

“Is she pretty?”

“What’s that got to do with anything?”

“Just a question.”

Killian rolls his eyes, but mutters, “Aye. Very much so.”

A moment of silence passes as Liam taps at the side of his glass and processes everything Killian’s just told him. “Well, I wish I could think of something to say to help you out, but all I’ve got is that you’re making this situation much more difficult than it needs to be.”

“How?! It's not like I'm intentionally trying to run into her.”

“No, but it doesn't sound as if you're trying to avoid her, either,” Liam argues. “Just admit it, Killian: you like her.”

“I don't bloody know her well enough to like her!”

“Maybe you should get to know her then. What’s that saying, opposites attract? She could end up surprising you.”

Killian wants nothing more than to argue with his brother and insist his suggestion is ridiculous. But as much as it pains him to admit it, he's up for having another run in with her just to see if there’s a way to make it out without yelling or sarcastic remarks. He doesn't tell Liam all of this, only says, “Maybe I’ll think about it. Maybe.”

He can already tell from the smug look on Liam’s face that he's going to get an I told you so if things turn out in his favor.

-/-

It's only three days later when he thinks maybe the universe doesn't hate him after all.

He's only been at work for a little over an hour, things going relatively well for a Friday morning, when there's a knock on his office doo. He looks up from his seat behind the desk to see his boss in the doorway.

“Regina, something I can do?”

To Killian’s surprise, the brunette actually smiles at him. He can't tell if it's genuine or not, but it's a smile just the same. Those can be far and few between where Regina Mills is concerned.

“Yes. But first, there's someone I'd like for you to meet.” She steps to the side and Killian has to bite his tongue to keep from cursing. “This is Emma Swan. Miss Swan, this is Killian Jones, one of our top family law attorneys.”

Her eyes widen as she recognizes him, but she doesn't say anything other than a quick, “Nice to meet you” and shakes his hand when he stands and offers it to her.

“Killian, Miss Swan is here for Humbert’s Bail Bonds. She’s looking for some information regarding the Lewis case from a few weeks ago; I figured you would be the one she needed to see.”

She's not wrong, the file he'd used to hold the casework from a messy child support ordeal is still in the top drawer of his desk where he'd left it once the trial was over. “Yes, I'm sure I can help with whatever's necessary.”

“Good to know,” Regina answers. “I'm due for a meeting downstairs, so I'll leave you to it.” The blonde- Emma- thanks her as she walks away, leaving the two of them alone in his office.

“So, the Lewis case, eh? I hope that's an incident I don't have to repeat any time soon,” he says, going through the desk drawer and pulling out the file she needs. He gestures for her to sit down as she takes it from him.

“Yeah. I'm the one who tracked the husband down, and my boss apparently needs the rest of the case information to turn over to his boss for one reason or another.” Her eyes scan over the words on the pages before she pulls a small notebook out of her purse and begins to scribble notes on a blank page.

Killian waits for her to say something about their past meetings; some kind of sarcastic remark, at least. But to his surprise, her focus stays on her work for the ten or fifteen minutes she's there, occasionally asking a question or two about his work or making a comment about the weather. Either she wants to avoid a confrontation, or she actually doesn't recognize him. The second option seems unlikely, but still believable.

Emma hands him back the Lewis file once she's collected all the information she needs. “I appreciate your help.”

“It was my pleasure,” he answers, for once remembering not to refer to her as love.

“Oh, and Mr. Jones?” She stops at the door. “It was...surprisingly nice to have a conversation with you without any yelling.”

She's out the door and gone before the “bloody hell” has a chance to leave his lips.

-/-

It doesn’t take long for Killian to think that maybe the universe does in fact hate him after all, because having a name to go with the face only makes it that much harder to get Emma Swan out of his head.

They’re still all but strangers- knowing the other’s name and workplace doesn’t exactly count as having an acquaintance- but he had to admit that he could accept the idea of that changing. Seeing they were capable of having a pleasant conversation has him believing that it’s possible, if only barely so. He toys around with the idea of somehow trying to get more information about her from Regina, but that could likely end with both women angry at him, his boss for using her influence the wrong way and Emma for going out of his way to get to know her.

Things soon take another turn and make him wonder just what kind of ridiculous dream he's stuck in.

Liam talks him into going to his girlfriend’s sister’s birthday party the next Friday night. He doesn't want to go- socializing with a crowd of mostly strangers isn’t something he goes out of his way to do- but he likes Elsa, and Anna seemed like a nice girl from the few times they've met, so he agrees. He and Liam show up at Elsa’s apartment precisely at seven, a bottle of wine tucked under his brother’s arm.

It should be no surprise that Emma’s is the first face he sees after Elsa lets them in.

She’s standing in the hall talking to a brunette with a pixie cut, laughing at something the other woman has said when she notices him and pauses. They’ve gotten so good at this now that she doesn’t have to wonder who he is or where she’s seen him anymore, especially thanks to her office visit. Speaking to her hasn’t always been the greatest idea, but he’s not about to waste the chance if she is indeed warming up to him. He tells Liam he’s going to speak to someone, but she’s standing right in front of him when he turns back around.

“Jones?”

“Yes, it seems we meet again.”

“What are you doing here?” she asks.

“What are you doing here?”

“I asked you first.” He catches a glimpse of her quizzical expression as she takes a sip from the beer bottle she’s holding.

“Elsa is my brother’s girlfriend.”

“You’re Liam’s brother?!”

“You know him, too?”

“I’m pretty sure he’s tried to give me your number more than once.”

“Oh, bloody hell.” He glances over his shoulder at Liam who’s trying- and failing- to pretend he hasn’t been watching them. To think he’d already talked to his brother about her at the bar that night and he’d already known who she was.

“Yeah. But I don’t like it when my family and friends try to set me up with other people, so I thought I’d be nice and return, er, I guess not return the favor.” He can tell she was trying to save him from an unpleasant experience she’s likely had in the past, but it might be her way of letting him know she wouldn’t be interested regardless. He’d be lying if he said it didn’t deflate his confidence a bit. “Er, so how do you know Elsa and Anna?”

“They’re friends with my sister-in-law,” she answers, nodding her head towards the woman she’d been standing with earlier, who smiles when she sees them looking her way.

“Ah. It’s a small world, isn’t it?”

“Yeah, I guess so. Smaller than I thought.”

Killian chooses his next words carefully. “I would offer to get you a drink, but it seems that’s unnecessary,” he gestures to the one she already has.

“Maybe so, but rumor has it Elsa’s got pizza in the kitchen, and I haven’t had dinner yet.” Emma raises an eyebrow, indicating this is his chance and he’d better take advantage of it now.

“Give me five minutes.”

“I like pepperoni!”

-/-

“How long are you giving Liam to finally pop the question?”

“Honestly, love? I’m quite surprised he hasn’t already. Perhaps he’s worried Elsa won’t say yes.”

“Are you kidding? Look at her; she’s as much of a lovesick puppy as he is.”

Killian follows her eyes to where the couple stands outside together on the balcony, completely oblivious to everyone else around them. “Aye. They seem to be quite the good match for each other.”

“They remind me of David and Mary Margaret in that way; I couldn't have picked anyone more suited for either of them.” He senses a bit of disappointment in her words, but she doesn’t elaborate on the subject, and he doesn’t ask.

She’s asking about his job and the law firm when her phone vibrates. “It’s my boss,” she groans after taking a look at the screen. “Give me a sec?” He nods as steps out to answer.

Emma’s back not a minute later, frowning. “Sorry, I have to bail. A skip I’ve been tracking for almost a month was just spotted downtown, and my boss wants me to grab the jerk before he tries to run again.”

“Not a problem, lass,” he tells her, attempting to mask his own disappointment. “I can tell you put a lot of effort into what you do.”

“Yeah, maybe sometimes too much,” she mumbles, getting her purse and jacket from the seat beside him. “I guess I’ll see you around, Killian.”

He smiles as he watches her leave because he knows she’s probably right.

-/-

She’s right.

They cross each other’s paths three times over the next two weeks, twice at the coffee shop where they first unofficially met- with no coffee spilt either time, thankfully- and then at a local carnival that Liam has yet again coerced him into going to. (Killian thinks later that his brother wouldn’t need to go to so much effort to get him to do things if he knew Emma would be there.) Each encounter they’ve had since the party has been much different than the first few; although they both have a dry sense of humor and are too sarcastic for their own good, there has yet to be an instance that involves yelling or has someone convinced they hate the other.

It’s gotten to the point now that he’s begun to think of Emma as more than just a regular acquaintance, but maybe even a friend: He texts her corny jokes when she’s bored during a stakeout and she’s taken to willingly sitting at his table when they show up at the same restaurant for lunch. They haven’t gone as far as to share the more painful details of their pasts, but he’s convinced her background must closely mirror his own somehow based on her demeanor when something along the lines of childhood or family comes up in conversation. She always changes the subject or gives some kind of vague answer and he knows better than to push the subjects any further. It’s evident she’s been through quite a bit in her life and he sees no reason to make her reminisce any more than she already does.

And, yes, he likes her. A lot, if he’s being honest. And it’s just his luck that he realizes it about the same time Liam does.

“Why not ask her out already? The worst thing she can do is say no.”

“That’s what I’m afraid of,” Killian groans. “I can’t complain; I’m lucky we’re even able to be friends considering the way we met.”

“And you’re always going to wonder what could have been if you don’t take that chance.”

Liam’s words stick with him for quite some time afterwards because he knows he’s right. Emma may hate him for going through with this, but he may come to hate himself even more for being a coward.

It’s Monday night when he goes over to Emma’s apartment after leaving the office.

“Hey, Killian,” she greets him when she comes to the door. “What brings you by?”

“Go out with me?”

“What?” The dumbfounded expression on her face makes him regret not thinking this through.

“Sorry, love, it’s just I know we didn’t exactly start off on the right foot, but I’ve found myself becoming more and more fond of you and I was wondering if...oh, bloody hell,” he curses, running a hand through his already unkempt hair. She was definitely going to say no. “You know what, Swan, forget it. I’ll just go.”

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry for botheri- wait, what?” He can’t have heard her correctly.

“Yes.” Emma smiles. “I was hoping you would ask eventually.” She leans forward and presses a kiss to his cheek before turning to go back into her apartment. “Tomorrow night, pick me up at seven. I’ll be waiting.”

Liam yells “I bloody told you so!” when he calls him on the way home. Killian’s too thrilled to care.

[csficformal]

Attention Authors & Artists

Welcome to the 2018 Captain Swan Spring Fic Formal!

Hey there shippers! Do you enjoy interacting with shipmates? Like writing? Making art? Mixing some music? Making people smile? Didn’t have time for the other fandom events because the holiday season is insane? Bummed by the Spring slump between CSLB and CS Supernatural Summer? We have something for you!

The Captain Swan Spring Fic Formal is a mini secret gift giving event hosted by @distant-rose and @awkwardnessandbaseball​ to celebrate one of our favorite ships in Once Upon a Time and make the Spring season even brighter! Who needs to wait until Christmas or Valentine’s Day to spread the love? Certainly not us!

Matching is done in mid-March and the showering of gifts starts in late April!

SIGNS ARE NOW OPEN UNTIL MARCH 5!

Sign up here: [LINK]

Things that should be included in your initial joining ask: 1. If you’re participating from a sideblog. 2. If there are any users you wish to avoid 3. If you are willing to be a multi-gifter or buzzer beater gifter (aka people who are willing to give abandoned giftees fic/art in the event that they don’t receive anything from their gifters.)

Interested? Check out the following pages: Main | About | Guidelines | FAQ | Participants | Prompts

[emma-swan]

Hi love! CS Fic Formal gifter here. I have a treat for you. Here's a little snippet of what I've been working on. (1/2) “I don’t need a gentleman, and I’m not your love. And don’t make yourself a martyr in the name of being gentlemanly. It’s a king-sized bed. I’m sure we can work out a way to both sleep on it without encroaching in one another’s space.”

(2/2) Killian wasn’t so sure, but he bit his tongue. He was worried about laying next to Emma. Smelling her scent so close to him. Her tantalizing curves within arm’s reach. He flushed with embarrassment just thinking of how his body might react, to say nothing of the dreams he was sure to have.

Damn, okay. This is a wonderful treat. I needed this, thank you!!!

[shireness-says]

Clue was MARVELOUS XD I can’t believe I’ve never heard of it before, it’s so freaking fantastic! Wadsworth, Miss Scarlet and Mrs. White were definitely my faves XD And did you know Ryan Reynolds signed a deal with Fox to make a reboot?? I’m very interested to see what he plans to do with it - I’m sure it will be equally delightful, knowing him! Yes, that's the title for the Love Simon book - *not* going to backfire on you *and* the sequel, Leah on the Offbeat, is coming out on April 23! (1/?)

Tumblr will be Tumblr, what can you do :P AND RIGHT??? The Jumanji cast seemed like they were having such a riot - ESPECIALLY Jack Black, oh my god XD - and it was just so much more fun to watch because of that! I am so sorry your week has sucked, but I’m glad my messages help

Oh, I’m so glad you loved it! Mrs. White is the best. And has the best lines. I did know about the deal, but it’s kind of mixed feelings on my end. I’ll be so excited to see it if they do a good job. But at the same time... what if they don’t? I love the original so much that I’m nervous any reboot will completely screw that up. Plus, I’m struggling to figure out who Ryan Reynolds would be cast as. So lets leave it at this - I’m glad it’s beloved enough to warrant a reboot, but I’m reserving judgement.

On the Jumanji front, Jack Black as a teenage girl was something I never knew I needed to see. Brilliant casting, that. Brilliant casting all around!

Your messages totally help! Especially when it’s about how you loved Clue. ;) It’s the weekend anyways, so that automatically helps/makes it better. You’re going on a trip? Have so much fun! I’m terribly excited for the fic drop period - obviously for what you’ve created, but really for what everyone has cooked up. I think we’re all greedy enough to admit that one of the best parts of organized events is the sudden influx of lots of new fics all at once.

Have fun on your trip, and I look forward to the final product!

[fyeahcaptn]

I'd like to give LD/CW a shot but just in case, how about your top 5 other tropes? I agree that UK system seems to be better at specialization but I find the idea of A Levels even more daunting than SATs. To out myself a bit, I currently live in the UK as an American so I totally get the chips/crisps debacle and often use the terms interchangeably. Tea is the best. What are your thoughts on chai? I would love to hear more about your horse! Sorry for the wait! - CSFF Pal

I literally know nothing about SATs, other than what you hear on tv shows haha! SATs (but we say SAATS not S.A.T.S) are the exams we take in final year of primary school before we move up to high school haha, so when i hear that word, that’s literally all I think about. The crisps/chips thing is sooo confusing for everyone. We should just agree on the universal terms because just why do we do this? Make everyone’s life easier.Tea is awesome. Everyone should drink tea. I’ve actually never tried chai, but one of my friends is obsessed with it. Maybe I should try it?

Okay so tropes wise, I literally love everything. The only thing I’m not keen on is gender!swap fics. Idk why. But I live for aus! So friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, best friend’s little sister is myy fave, bed sharing, i love reading fics with ruby as emma’s troublesome friend (and i haven’t read one with her in forever). i’ve been reading tons of fluffy fics with cs as parents lately! (a one time thing and other untruths is one of my all time favourite cs fics, if you haven’t read it, you totally need to!). a one night stand that turns into more. rockstar!killian aus, famous!cs where emma wants to kill her hot new costar until she doesn’t. camping!aus. i live for protective older brother!david or protective daddy!charming, whichever way you wanna swing it. i have a looot, like there’s still tons more i love to read, but that’s what came into my mind.

[nerdyhuntress]

CS Spring Fic Formal: ”Home and Hearth”

Hi there @endlessmoonrise!!! I’m your gifter for the Captain Swan Spring Fic Formal! I’m so glad to share this story with you and I really hope you like it :) Here it is!

Summary: 4x02 “deleted” scene. After nearly freezing to death in that ice cave, Emma seeks warmth and comfort with Killian.

Emma Swan mused that spring was her favorite season now.

After that episode in the ice cave, she never wanted to see a single snowflake again. Unless she was inside in front of a roaring fire, bundled in blankets, with a mug of hot cocoa. Of course, she probably shouldn’t say that to Elsa. The snow queen had retired to the guest room for the night and her parents upstairs, just about to go to bed.

Killian still hadn’t left her side. They moved to the couch after she had complained about how uncomfortable the chair was. She had three blankets wrapped around her now, a third mug of hot cocoa, and a sleeping pirate keeping her warm.

What could be wrong?

She hadn’t told him how she felt, of course. She still didn’t even know if they were a thing. Emma didn’t really feel up to unraveling their relationship at the moment. What had Killian said to her before the snow monster?

There is always a crisis. Perhaps you should consider living a life during them. Otherwise, you might miss it.

He certainly had a way with weaving words. One of the many things that she admired in him. Though, of course, she’d never say that aloud. She could imagine his teasing already.

“Swan?” he muttered.

“Yeah?”

“Sorry, must’ve dozed off. It’s dark now. Shall I leave? Do you want to go to bed?”

A low blush crept over her face. As obvious as their attraction was, they still hadn’t done it yet. That probably wasn’t what was on his mind. Especially after she had almost froze to death in that ice cave. She was quite sure that he meant that as platonic as possible. But she didn’t trust herself if they somehow wound up in bed together. It would complicate things between more and it was the last thing Emma wanted at the moment.

“No, I kinda want to stay here. That alright?”

“Sure, love.”

They stayed silent like that for a moment. Emma couldn’t remember a time someone had held her like this. So cozy and comforting. It wasn’t just the heater that had warmed her up; his embrace helped out more than any machine could have.

“Hey, Killian?”

“Aye, Swan?”

“I kinda want to….to say thanks. For saving my life back there.”

He lifted his head so he could see her better, “My pleasure, love. You really think I’d let you freeze?”

“Given our history, can you blame me for being uncertain?”

The second she said that, Emma let out a giggle that she was sure everyone upstairs had heard. She wasn’t sleepy at all, despite how late the hour was. Killian looked surprised that she had thrown his own words back at him.

“Alright, love. I think you’ve had enough of those chocolate drinks.”

As he took the mug from her to place it in the kitchen sink, Emma grabbed his shirtsleeve.

“No, don’t. Stay. You’re so warm.”

He chuckled, setting the mug on the coffee table. Killian sat back down on the couch and put his arms around her waist, lifting her into his lap. She squealed embarassingly, putting her hands around his neck.

“What are you doing?” she asked.

“Romancing my lady love. Keeping her warm,” Killian explained, wrapping the blanket more tightly around her. “Is there something wrong with that?”

“No, just….just keep doing that,” she whispered, laying her head on his shoulder. “But let’s lay down.”

“Of course, love.”

They fell sleep in each other’s embrace like that. Emma regretted it when she woke up in the morning to find them asleep on the couch and her neck completely stiff. She blamed him for being so warm that she drifted right off without going to bed.

Emma was grateful no one else was awake yet; she didn’t want to deal with the awkward questions of falling asleep with Killian.

Sunlight streamed into the room, lighting up everything it touched. Ordinarily, she wasn’t such an early riser, but the new spring weather beckoned her to wake up and enjoy the new weather. And it felt more enjoyable after spending what felt like eternity in an ice cave.

Emma quietly disentangled herself from Killian’s embrace. She stood up to stretch her limbs; it felt good after being cooped up on the couch all night.  She peered out the window, seeing the usual inhabitants of Storybrooke going about their mornings. The good weather had no doubt brought out the best in people. She could hear the birds chirping (or talking, as her mother would say) from above. The ewly planted bulbs in the windowsill were beginning to bloom, their colorful petals gracefully opening.

“Swan?” Killian muttered blearily.

Apparently, the stress of yesterday had taken its toll on Killian too. He slept quite soundly in such tight quarters, which was probably familiar to him after spending much of his life on the Jolly Roger. But now he was awake, his hair tousled adorably and his eyes full of sleep. He reached out for her and she took his hand, feeling the comfortable warmth that had lulled her to sleep last night. The warmth that saved her from freezing to death.

“Good morning, sleepyhead,” she grinned, pushing away the locks that had fallen onto his face. “Do you want some breakfast?”

“Aye, that would be lovely. Give me a moment and I’ll lend a hand too.”

Maybe she wasn’t ready to truly be open with him, but she treasured these moments with him. The wise, old pirate’s advice was indeed true. Living a life during these crises was definitely worth it.

[elytrafemme]

hiyaa, i sometimes find it hard to concentrate on reading so i was wondering if there was any sort of audio form available for cs? i know that sometimes the author/authors friends will read it out on stream, or have an unlinked podfic so i thought id ask just in case. tyy

hi friend!

as far as i'm aware (and i sure hope i'm aware) i don't believe there's a podfic version of cs, no :( i don't have any friends that have streamed reading cs aloud either i don't believe

super sorry about that but hey, formal invite. if anyone ever wants to do a podfic of cs, please just dm me and ask! i'll almost 100% say yes i just want to like, know that it exists, so more of a check than anything. but yeah, it's a lengthy fic so i'm sure having an audio reading of it would help, i just don't do well reading that long of sections so i haven't done it myself, and think similarly others havent either.

[whimsicallyenchantedrose]

Christmas Reruns 2021: Day 2: A Christmas Miracle--Chapter 2 of 3

Christmas Reruns 2021: Day 2: A Christmas Miracle--Chapter 2 of 3

It’s that time again!  Time for Christmas reruns!  A couple years ago, I started the tradition of posting all my old CS Christmas fics in the weeks leading up to Christmas. These stories were written between 2013 and last year. I have enough stories to last us through New Year’s Day  So without further delay…

Rating: G

Word Count: 1197

Other Chapters: 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29

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

Note:  This is chapter two of my 2013 story A Christmas Miracle.  It was written just before the end of the Neverland arc and it fits within my “A Wish Your Heart Makes” universe.  References to curses and Camelot refer to that verse!

Hook adjusted the collar of his leather coat and then stepped from the hallway into Granny’s dining room. The chamber had been utterly transformed. A huge pine tree decorated with brightly colored lights, tinsel and hundreds of ornaments took up an entire corner. Red and green streamers, sprigs of holly and huge paper snowflakes adorned the wall and ceiling. Several small tables had been pushed together to form one long table elaborately set for nine.

As he sauntered into the room, Hook looked over the gathered assembly. Baelfire stood with Belle and the Crocodile, talking and laughing. Belle gazed adoringly up at the Crocodile, and he raised a hand to tenderly stroke her face. Hook waited for the familiar burning hatred to steal over him at the sight of his erstwhile enemy, but it never came. For that matter, it hadn’t come in quite some time. When had he given up the last vestiges of his vengeance?

Hook looked past Snow and Charming, busy with last minute preparations, to Emma and her lad who stood talking and laughing near the booths. Suddenly he knew exactly when his hatred for the crocodile had vanished. It was the moment he had finally let go of Milah’s memory, the moment he had fallen deeply, passionately, irretrievably in love with Emma Swan.

The lass was beautiful this evening. She wore an ice-blue tea-length gown and a matching lacy bolero sweater. Her golden hair was swept up at the sides and fell in riotous curls down her back. Hook didn’t think he’d ever seen her in formal attire, and the effect nearly stole the breath from his lungs.

As though feeling his gaze, Emma looked up and caught his eye. She colored slightly at the look he gave her, and then dropped her eyes. Hook sighed and walked forward toward his lady and her lad. Would he ever succeed in scaling that well-fortified fortress that she had built around her heart?

“Hook!” Henry called joyfully when the pirate was a few feet away. “I didn’t know you were coming too!”

Hook grinned and tousled the boy’s hair. “Aye lad; that I am.”

“Cool!” Henry beamed at him. Hook had spent quite some time with the lad during their last adventure, and he found he genuinely enjoyed the boy’s company. It gratified him that Emma’s son seemed glad to see him as well.

The diner door opened, and Regina stepped in, brushed the snow from her dark hair, and shrugged out of her coat.

“Mom!” Henry called, walking over to the queen.

Hook looked back at Emma, and she looked suddenly shy.

“You’re stunning, love,” Hook said with a soft smile. Emma’s blush grew.

“But then again,” he continued, his grin turning wicked, “I’ve no doubt you would be stunning in whatever you wore…or didn’t wear.”

She rolled her eyes at that, but he noticed she couldn’t quite stop the grin that spread over her lips.

“Please,” she said, “You are so full of it, Hook.”

His grin was pure pirate. “Full of charm, charisma, astonishingly good looks?” he drawled. “Aye lass; that I am.”

She laughed and playfully shoved his shoulder. He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. He was making headway, he knew it. He was starting to see a slight crack in that wall of hers.

“Ok, everyone,” Snow called from the table where she had just placed a fragrant, steaming turkey, “dinner’s ready.”

“Shall we?” Hook asked, gesturing with his hook.

Emma nodded and Hook followed her to the table. She took a seat next to Henry, and Hook seated himself on her other side. The Charmings had procured a veritable Christmas feast complete with turkey, dressing, mashed potatoes, steamed vegetables and cranberry sauce. Hook’s mouth watered at the delicious aromas. He suddenly remembered it had been hours since his last meal.

At the head of the table, Charming stood and tapped his wine glass with a knife.

“I would like to propose a toast,” he said, encompassing the whole group with his gaze. “It has been a rough year for all of us. We’ve dealt with difficulties, setbacks, danger, and heartbreak.”

Charming glanced at Regina, and the queen dropped her eyes. Hook felt a surge of pity for the woman. She had found Robin Hood, her true love, in the Enchanted Forest, and it looked like she would finally get her happy ending. Then they had found a way back to Storybrook…a way that couldn’t include Robin Hood and his little son. Hook knew all too well what it felt like to be separated from the one you love.

“But it has been a good year, as well,” Charming continued. “We’ve faced our challenges, and we’ve overcome them. We’ve succeeded in breaking not only one, but two curses, and we’ve succeeded in rescuing Henry from one of the most evil villains in any realm. Through it all, we’ve come to be a family. We’ve been able to put aside our grievances, our difficulties, even our hatred and work together toward some pretty difficult goals.”

Charming raised his glass higher and once more swept his gaze over the entire assembly. “So I ask you to raise your glasses. To family and friends and all those we love!”

Hook got to his feet with everyone else and raised his glass filled with ruby-red wine. Clinking his glass against Emma’s, he looked into her eyes. He held her gaze as he repeated “To family and friends and all those we love!”

Emma’s heart raced. She should look away, turn in the other direction, anything. But she simply couldn’t do it. His blue eyes were simply mesmerizing. That look on his face! What was she to do? There was no denying the attraction she felt toward him. After their kiss in Neverland, she couldn’t even pretend to herself that he meant nothing to her.

But he was a pirate! He flirted with anything in skirts. How could she possibly believe that he loved her and would fight for her? How could she let her guard down enough to give her heart to another man?

Besides, she was the savior, and, well, it seemed that meant she didn’t get her happy ending. She ensured everyone else had a chance at a happy ending, but it wasn’t in the cards for her. Hadn’t everything that had happened over the last few months proved that? As soon as one crisis ended another began.

“Uh, mom?” she heard Henry ask from her side.

The spell was broken; she was finally able to tear her gaze from Hook’s. Looking around, she saw that every single person at the table was seated but her and her pirate…and every single eye was on them. For the love of all that was holy, what was wrong with her? She dropped hastily to her seat and drained her glass of wine.

“You don’t happen to have an extra flask on you?” she asked Hook in a low voice.

“No, love,” he answered, laughter in his voice.

“Shame,” she said ruefully, “I have a feeling I’m going to need a whole lot of alcohol before this night is over.”

                                                                         NEXT CHAPTER-->

[frauleinsmaria]

Hello, it's your secret gifter here again! I'm so glad to hear that a fic will be acceptable for you :) I've got lots of questions for you and I hope you won't mind answering them so I can write something that's perfect for you! What types of fics do you like to read? Is there a specific genre that you prefer? What is your favourite/are your favourite CS scene/s? Is there a subject/AU that you've always wanted to read? Looking forward to hearing from you and I hope you have a fab week! ❤️

Hi! I once again have to apologize for how long it’s taken me to reply- I promise I’m going to be better about it in the future!

There are so many types of fics I like to read! I tend to read a lot of modern au’s, and I’m totally here for all the classic tropes (enemies and/or friends to lovers, co-workers, neighbors, fake dating, etc.) As far as genre goes, I tend to read stories that are a balance of both fluff and angst, although I’m open to other options as well. 

My favorite CS scenes? That’s a hard one. I love the wedding, of course, their first kiss in Neverland, the kiss at Granny’s in 3x22, their first date, the “I love you” scene at the end of s5, the scene outside their house in 6x12 (I think it’s 12?)…I could go on all day haha.

I hope you’re having a great weekend! I’ll try my best to respond quicker next time!

[csficformal]

Welcome to the 2018 Captain Swan Spring Fic Formal!

Hey there shippers! Do you enjoy interacting with shipmates? Like writing? Making art? Mixing some music? Making people smile? Didn’t have time for the other fandom events because the holiday season is insane? Bummed by the Spring slump between CSLB and CS Supernatural Summer? We have something for you!

The Captain Swan Spring Fic Formal is a mini secret gift giving event hosted by @distant-rose and @awkwardnessandbaseball​ to celebrate one of our favorite ships in Once Upon a Time and make the Spring season even brighter! Who needs to wait until Christmas or Valentine’s Day to spread the love? Certainly not us!

Matching is done in mid-March and the showering of gifts starts in late April!

SIGNS ARE NOW OPEN UNTIL MARCH 5! 

Sign up here: [LINK]

Things that should be included in your initial joining ask: 1. If you’re participating from a sideblog. 2. If there are any users you wish to avoid 3. If you are willing to be a multi-gifter or buzzer beater gifter (aka people who are willing to give abandoned giftees fic/art in the event that they don’t receive anything from their gifters.)

Interested? Check out the following pages: Main | About | Guidelines | FAQ | Participants | Prompts

[cssecretsanta2020]

WELCOME TO THE #CSSECRETSANTA2020 !!!

what’s this all about?

For those of you who haven’t been part of any secret gift exchange events like the CS Secret Santa (or CS Secret Valentine, Spring Formal, etc.) before and are wondering what’s that all about, here is your answer!

After you sign up you’ll get assigned to someone and you send this person nice anonymous messages to get to know this person better. Then on Christmas Eve, you give them a gift by posting it on your blog and tagging your giftee (the person you are assigned to) and this blog.  It’s a wonderful way of making new friends, especially now with the fandom barely being alive anymore.

what kind of gift can it be?

Your gift can be anything you want and be capable of. Here are a few suggestions but you can also come up with something yourself.

fanfiction

fanart

icons

imageset

gifset


manip

traditional or digital art

video

fic rec list

poem

playlist

self recorded song

etc

There are endless possibilities – get creative! Get to know your giftee, talk to her and find out what she would like to get and think about what you are able to gift. There are no bad presents.

are there any rules?

Unfortunately this event - like any other - won’t work without guidelines. Please read the ones below and if you are comfortable with them, don’t hesitate and sign up.

!!! THIS EVENT SHALL BE FUN. YOU CAN HELP MAKE THIS EVENT WONDERFUL !!!

spread the word, tell your friends, tag your friends and reblog the invitation post

follow this blog so you won’t miss any important information and deadlines

only send anonymous and positive messages to your giftee - don’t reveal yourself until it’s time to gift your present

NO HATE

try to send messages regularly (you don’t have to send one a day, just make sure your giftee doesn’t think you forgot her)

if you change your URL please also tell me asap

enable anonymous asks in your inbox!

find out what your giftee likes or dislikes

tell your giftee if you are uncomfortable using specific characters or explicit content or a specific trope - it shall be fun for both sides!

NO HATE

if you have any questions, please don’t hesitate in contacting me (don’t forget to come off-anon so I know who you are and how I can help)

be fair! don’t drop out without telling me. We all know December is a busy month and real life always comes first. so if you really have to drop out, please let me know asap so I can take appropriate measures

appreciate whatever you receive as a gift. Your Secret Santa spent a whole lot of time creating it for you, so please be fair and take a look at it and thank her for creating it for you!

HAVE FUN!!!

oh, and did I mention: NO HATE!

is there a schedule?

Yes, it can be found here

Thank you so much for taking the time and reading all these information. Now, if you are still interested, fill out the sign-up form to take part in this years Captain Swan Secret Santa!

[emma-swan]

Hi D! Your friendly neighborhood gift giver again. I've got something good in mind for your gift now and am starting to plot it out. No worries about the delays. I get the black hole that the internet can be. What anime do you watch? I used to love Cowboy Bebop and Card Captor Sakura back in the day! A few other questions: What things make you go "nope" when you're reading a fic? And what two shows, other than OUAT, do you love?

Hi gift giver! Forgive me, it’s been a while since I’ve sat down at my computer, so I’m going to start replying to all of the wonderful messages you’ve sent me these last couple of days!

I’ve been watching FullMetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, recently, AGAIN because I was finally catching up on InuYasha but then I almost flipped a table when I found out that they changed the voice actors for Kagome and Sesshomaru in InuYasha: the Final Act. So I have to give myself a decent break before I get back into that show, so I can not be so attached to the voice.

I loved Cowboy Bebop! I haven’t watched that in forever! It’s on my list of ones to tackle again, along with YuYu Hakusho, Ruroni Kenshin, Sailor Moon, and Ghost in the Shell: SAC. 

As for the fic things: a few things that generally make me go, “Nope, goodbye,” are when the characters start feeling like characterizations of themselves, or when they start feeling like just one trait, you know? When Emma’s so closed off that it’s like, “Well how did anyone get through to her like that, you didn’t even show it?” and oh man, when people try to make Killian into this huge womanizer. 

Also, there’s something about excessive amounts of smut that kind of have me stepping away for a moment, or skimming by it. I like the emotion of it all. 

As for two other shows I love, that’s easy (I’ll give you three, though, because you can’t make me choose between them!): Lucifer, Timeless, and iZombie.

[shireness-says]

Yeah, $8.50 for not-so-great movies sucks :( I am such a MCU junkie, I just love them - or, well, most of them. Some more than others, of course XD Which brings me to recent movie recommendations (note: this will be an extended gushing session, requiring multiple messages in your inbox, apologies in advance). As a superhero movie junkie, you've probably already seen Black Panther, but on the slimmest of slim chances you have not: DOOOOO IT. SO FREAKING FANTASTIC. (1/?)

Back when it was still Oscar season, my grandmother and I went to see Loving Vincent in theaters - animated entirely from hand-painted images, it was GORGEOUS and interesting and we *loved* it. It then got beaten by Coco for Best Animated Picture, and I was pretty surprised so I watched Coco and I have to admit, it was pretty fantastic as well, definitely worth watching. Back in theaters, I recently saw A Wrinkle In Time and I also loved that, without having reread the book since elem (2/?)

school, so that's something to consider. And the latest and possibly most life-consuming recent movie favorite is Love, Simon. I read the book (Simon vs the Homo Sapien Agenda) a few months before the movie came out and LOVED IT, so I was worried how the movie would translate but OHHH MAN they did such an amazing job

Dude, I treated you to a short dissertation on Clue. You’re totally fine to get a bit lengthy. 

I HAVE seen Black Panther! Oh my god, it was so good. I’m hoping to convince a friend of mine to go see it again - she’s got the discount popcorn bucket, so I like going with her to cut down on the costs a bit. Hopefully, we can go when she has a bit of spare cash. We’re a pair of MCU junkies too, so work permitting, we try to see them together. Speaking of, I should probably start planning when to see Infinity War with her...

Loving Vincent is one of my top wish list movies right now. I’m waiting for it to come back to the library so I can check it out. It was supposed to be returned last Friday... As I’m sure you can imagine, the concept of the thing is very much up my alley, with all that hand-painted animation. I’m glad to hear it was interesting, but let’s face it - I would have rented it just to see the artistry. Art history nerd, right here.

I suspect I’ll have to be in the right mood for Coco? It looks great - that’s not the thing. I’ll watch anything Pixar puts out. I’ve just been informed by several people that I’m going to probably cry, and as your local friendly Repressed Midwesterner(TM), I’ve got to be in the right frame of mind for that. It’ll probably take a while to get a hold of a copy anyways. 

Did you feel like you should have reread A Wrinkle In Time before you went? It’s been a while for me too, but I’m hearing such good things and the cast looks great, so I definitely want to watch at some point.

I am hearing such lovely things about Love, Simon! I’d have to go further afield to see it, but I’m willing to bet Popcorn Friend would be up for it, and she lives in an area with a decent movie theater anyways. Consider it added to the list! Would you recommend reading the book first, or just eventually?

Thanks for the great recommendations!

[cssns]

Hello, everyone!

Please welcome @killiansprincss to the CSSNS!

Tumblr Name killiansprincss

How long have you been in the CS/OUAT fandom? Since 2016. I binged the first 4 seasons when I should’ve been studying for my exams but I’m glad I watched ouat instead

When did you start shipping Captain Swan? I don’t have an exact moment as I binged 4 seasons in a week, but likely after the beanstalk

What drew you to this event? My 2021 goal is to write more, and this event will force me to work on my fics and I like the idea of the event

What inspired your topic? I’d written a CS Hogwarts au 5 years ago and always planned to write a sequel, but looking back it wasn’t a great story so I thought I would do something different that I hadn’t seen before. I don’t like crossovers but I love when you put the ouat characters into a different universe

If you would like to share a snippet/sneak peek/summary of your fic or artwork, please use the space below. “Well for starters your accent, we don’t get many British people at Ilvermorny. There’s also your politeness, no need for such formalities-assuming you’re who I think you are.”

Killian raises his eyebrows. “And who do you think I am, love?”

Feeling slightly flustered because damn this guy was attractive, she brushes it off with a smile, and the blonde says, “the new British Defence Against the Dark Arts Professor.”

He reaches out his hand, “That I am. Killian Jones. And who might you be?”

“Emma Swan. Charms Professor."

What are you looking forward to most about participating in this event? Reading everyone else’s stories, I’m always in need of more CS fics

Captain Swan at Hogwarts?! I know I'm excited for this idea -- be sure to cheer Evie on for this great fic!

[artistic-writer]

The Contract :: CS Omegaverse :: Ch 5

Title: The Contract Rating: E Summary: Emma had never wanted much in her life, despite being married to one of the richest men in the world. For ten years she has felt like a prisoner in her own marriage, denied the one thing she wants the most, but her husband cannot help but bargain her want like a cheap business deal.  Enter Killian Jones, the Alpha her husband has hired to make sure she gets what she wants. And then some. A/N: Here is ch 5!! Graham is still a dick, Emma is very naughty and Killian buys a sex toy!  This chapter is so much fun ;) Enjoy!  Thanks to @kmomof4 who beta’d this one, because she is awesome <3 I would also like to give a MASSIVE thank you to @itsfabianadocarmo for her beautiful artwork that she so graciously allowed me to use from now on! <3

This is an Omegaverse fic featuring A/B/O dynamics.  Whilst this varies from fandom to fandom, for the purposes of my fic, there will be no mpreg.  Just so you know.  There will however be knotting, breeding, heats and other delicious things that come along with A/B/O.  If you do not know what A/B/O is, feel free to message me :)  Many thanks to @hollyethecurious @shardminds @kmomof4 @darkcolinodonorgasm @resident-of-storybrooke and @effulgentcolors for letting me bounce my complicated ideas of you lol

If you wish to stay away from this fic, blacklist the A/B/O tag.

Taglist:  I’ll be honest, i have lost my taglist for this fic, so if you want a tag, please message me here on on discord (Salem #5158/ itwontalwaysbelikethis@gmail.com) and I’ll add you!  I’ve tagged the following people i KNOW want to read this, but i don’t want to accidentally tag you if you do not like ABO.

@hollyethecurious @shardminds @kmomof4 @resident-of-storybrooke @darkcolinodonorgasm @thisonesatellite @xemmaloveskillianx @hookedonapirate @teamhook​ @winterbaby89​ @carpedzem​ @courtorderedcake​ 

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The lobby of the hotel was as Killian would have expected when he had received a call from Graham’s PA informing him that they were to meet again. Graham had insisted, as part of their agreement, that Killian would be paid in cash upon a meeting after each visit with Emma. Of course, that meant that there was no paper trail of his or Emma’s indiscretions, which suited Killian just fine. It was the only part of the damned contract he actually agreed with.

Just like everything else Graham Humbert had a hand in, this meeting place was as flamboyant and pompous as Killian had foreseen, with silken drapes with golden embroidery hanging on every window. Massive diamond chandeliers hung along the hall, and the sound of water flowing through an indoor fountain was accompanied by the soothing lilt of music that Killian was sure was emanating from some kind of hidden speaker system. The huge, marble columns stood floor to ceiling, lining the edges of both sides of the room, and were so highly polished that Killian could see his reflection clearly in them as he walked past. The floor, equally as polished to within one inch of its life, did little to absorb the sound of his footsteps as he made his way to the bar area, and Killian kept a careful eye out for anyone who might be more than unwelcomed at the meeting.

He had noticed that Graham never travelled alone, always meeting him with two big, burly henchmen at his side. They never sat with them, but were never far enough away that Graham would be in any sort of trouble if he found himself in a sticky situation. In a world where strength was everything, Graham’s actions made Killian chuckle. Humbert so desperately wanted to be an Alpha that he often forgot that, fundamentally, an Alpha would never need protection, or a bodyguard, let alone two of them, and it just spoke to how insecure Graham really was.

Killian’s lips ticked up into a small, tight smile that he hid under a swipe of his tongue, lest one of them be nearby. It wasn’t long before Killian spotted one of them, a big, fat lump of a man he had seen before, distinguished by three neck ripples of fat sitting on top of the collar of his shirt. He was slouched forward over a table nursing a glass of amber liquid, most likely expensive whiskey due to the reputation of the place, with one foot up on the cross beam of the chair and the other resting on the toe of his shoe. He had sushi, Killian could smell that much, four tiny pieces of fish decorated with carrot and cucumber that probably cost as much as his suit.

Off to the sushi scoffing man’s left was the other pitbull Graham kept at hand who Killian liked to refer to as ‘bowtie’. The man was easily spotted in a crowd because he always insisted on wearing a red bowtie with a crisp white shirt with matching red cufflinks that sat next to his oversized hands. He didn’t say much, not even a little grunt, but he was always sitting closest to their boss, and it wasn’t long before Killian spotted Graham Humbert behind him. He was, as usual, pretending to watch the world go by like it owed him something, and Killian felt the bile rise in his throat.

“Jones,” Humbert greeted cordially, pushing himself to his feet and extending his hand. Killian’s eyes flicked towards the man’s palm but he scoffed, his jaw ticking in annoyance. When he lifted his gaze back to meet Graham’s, a sickly sweet smile grew over Humbert’s lips. “Sit down,” he commanded like he was talking to a dog and motioned to the seat opposite him.

Killian refrained from hitting the man by biting his inner cheek and undid the single button on his suit jacket so that he could sit more comfortably. He sank down into the seat, a plush but executive tub chair with a checkered pattern that only just accommodated his bulk, and leaned back to take in the man before him. He hated Humbert even more with each meeting and he couldn’t help but dig his nails into the brass rivets at the front side of the chair’s arm.

“I’ll spare you the formalities, Mr Jones, because I’m a busy man,” Humbert began, sinking down into his own chair.

Killian thought the knee high table between them wasn’t enough space and he despised the feeling he had when Graham reached into the breast pocket of his fine, tailored jacket and fished out a pristine white envelope that clearly bulged with his payment. Humbert slid it across the table, tapping it with a finger.

“I’d love to know what you did with my wife last night.” He raised a brow, almost impressed. “She’s very happy.”

The thought of knotting Emma flashed across his mind, and Killian had to suppress a smirk, shifting in the chair when his groin tingled.

“Not something I’m willing to share this time.” Killian looked Graham dead in the eyes and didn’t look away, emphasising the first word. “However much you pay me.”

Graham took him in, sniggering at Killian’s aggressive tone. “Yes, well, you can spare yourself the Alpha dramatics, Jones. I wasn’t looking to take anymore of your ‘secrets’.” Graham flicked his wrist, his clearly solid gold watch heavy and rattling just a tad against his skin, and then looked at the time. “I don’t have time for your stories today.”

“Something more important to do?” Killian snapped.

“Someone, actually,” Graham sneered, licking his lips afterwards. “And she won’t wait long.”

Killian bit his tongue, regretfully deciding to not upset the man who could control his access to Emma.

“Please,” Graham scoffed, brushing the wrinkles from the front of his shirt as he pushed himself to his feet. Out of the corner of his eye Killian saw both bodyguards stop whatever they were doing and prepare to leave as well. “Spare me the judgemental looks and angry Alpha brooding. A man has needs, I’m sure you can appreciate that.”

Killian leapt to his feet, chest to chest to Graham. “I’m not just a man though, am I?”

Graham didn’t flinch, instead grinning like a proud cheshire cat. “You’re whatever I pay you to be.”

The blood pounded in Killian’s ears, his heart rate well and truly elevated to beyond what his body was comfortable with. Emma was worth this. Emma was worth anything Humbert could throw at him, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t play unfairly either.

“Your wife wants a knot,” Killian blurted, his hot breath fogging Graham’s face through clenched teeth. When Humbert’s smile faded, Killian knew he had touched a sore subject. As much as Graham could pretend, he would never have that one true Alpha attribute he wanted as desperately as his wife. “It seems a shame to leave her so unfulfilled,” Killian shrugged. “I mean, we might as well not even have this arrangement at all if she isn’t getting what she wants so you can get what you want.”

Killian heard Humbert take a deep breath and consider his words. Killian mulled over his expression, watching the puny man’s entire thought process by simply studying his face, Graham’s eyes widening between frowns as his mind went to work. Killian could tell Graham was conflicted. No Alpha for Emma meant no mistress for him, and a small smile tugged at the corner of Killian’s lips.

“I might have an idea so that everyone is happy,” Killian shrugged casually, knowing from the way Graham was sweating that he hadn’t found an option to his own dilemma yet.

“Go on,” Graham encouraged.

“I know of a certain toy that could facilitate what your wife wants,” Killian offered. He stepped back and buttoned his jacket, pushing the button through its hole slowly and deliberately. The smile that graced Killian’s lips was a combination of memories of the day before, when he had actually knotted Emma for real, and the knowledge that Graham was so arrogant, he would believe this whole thing to be his idea. Killian knew Emma would want nothing less than the real thing, his knot thrust up into her as she whimpered in delight, but that didn’t stop Killian playing Graham’s ego against him. “There would be no actual knotting, of course,” he finished, looking up to Graham’s intent expression. “As per your contract.”

“Like a sex toy?” Graham frowned.

“Exactly,” Killian nodded smugly. “A lot of hired Alpha’s wear them during encounters.”

“How much extra would this cost me?” Graham sneered, disgusted but intrigued at the idea all the same.

“Nothing,” Killian shook his head. “I’m sure I can afford one, what with your generous payments.” Killian leaned down and retrieved the money from the table, the envelope crinkling in his hand as he folded it in half and tucked it into the front pocket of his pants. “I just need to know if it's against the agreement we have to use one.” Killian's voice was darker, and he fixed his gaze on Graham once more.

Graham waggled a finger in Killian’s direction, a small chuckle tumbling from his mouth. “You know, Mr Jones, I think I’m beginning to like you.”

Killian shuddered, swallowing hard and looking down to his feet.

“Go buy what you need,” Graham nodded, balling his hands in his pockets. “In fact, why don’t you take Emma with you and then go back to the apartment.” Killian’s head snapped up at his offer and Graham just gave him a sickeningly modest glare like it was still up to him whether Emma saw Killian or not.

“What’s the catch?” Killian narrowed his eyes.

“No catch,” Graham assured him with a bow of his head, the most honest thing Killian had ever seen him do. Maybe the fool was in love with his mistress after all. “Think of it as a bonus for a job well done.”

“And what’s in it for you?” Killian scrutinized Graham, knowing full well that a man of his stature never did anything without something in return.

“Let’s just say, with Emma away, the mice can play.” Graham winked and Killian felt his stomach turn over. Now he was absolutely sure the man before him held no love for his wife at all, willing to defile their marital bed with his mistress, something he knew Emma was against doing with him. Then again, he also knew it wasn’t about respect for her marriage, but finding something new with someone else, somewhere else that held no memories of Humbert repression.

Killian felt sick at the thought of Emma as some sort of transactional incentive, but he wouldn’t look a gift horse in the mouth, even if it was from Graham Humbert. Killian already knew he would do anything for her, Humbert be damned, and he dreamed of taking her away from everything she knew and showing her the life she deserved. Emma’s life wasn’t pleasant, he knew that, but when she was with him, she was herself, the real Emma, and Killian wanted that for her all of the time. Maybe he could show her that today.

“If you insist,” Killian nodded in agreement, only too willing to take Emma out and show her exactly how precious she actually was.

--

Not seeing Emma for a few days had almost killed Killian, especially when he knew that the next time they would see each other, they would be shopping for something he had tricked her husband into agreeing to. The idiot. Truth be told, Killian had in fact needed to pre-order the knotting toy in advance and they would just be popping to the sex store in order to retrieve it, and that freed up their entire afternoon. Because of his girth, the store had needed to have it custom made, something that had made Killian dance inside with glee because he was sure, at some point, Humbert would want to see it. Even if they didn’t need it, because Killian would be damned if he thought Emma wasn’t getting the real thing, he wouldn’t put it past Humbert to need proof.

All of his worries soon dissipated when his cell phone buzzed in the pocket of his pants. Killian had been lingering outside of the store for far longer than he should have been, one or two of the staff occasionally looking out of the black tinted windows to make sure he wasn’t some creep stalking their customers, and just like the last message, Emma was apologizing for being late. His thumb lingered on the cold surface of his cell phone, her words almost identical to the last message and setting panic in his bones.

His mind raced with scenarios that might make Emma late, from good to the very worst, and he cursed himself for even thinking some of them. He knew she would be arriving by a driven car, so graciously provided by her husband that Killian knew was just a front of generosity so Graham was sure she was out of the way whilst he entertained his mistress. Killian’s heart had long since given up breaking for Emma at the thought though, because he knew she would gladly let the mistress move in if it meant she could see him more often.

Finally, after what seemed like forever holding his breath and tapping his locked phone against his other hand, she came into view. He’d told her to dress for lunch but he had also neglected to remember the social divide between them, her dress far superior to his attire. He’d gone casual, just some chinos and a v-neck t-shirt under a summer blazer, but Emma took his breath away in what she was wearing. It wasn’t the plain, almost sheer magnolia off white top half that had him really rigid, but the bottom half, a short, black, thigh high skirt sitting under a matching rippled cumberbund style belt that hugged her waist and let him see the skin of her thigh. He swallowed hard as she approached, her hips sashaying from side to side with every step away from the car, shifting his weight from one foot to the other as her heels carried her closer.

Her hair was perfect, a fishbone braid across the top of her crown and hanging over one of her shoulders. Killian felt himself grow hot and imagined his hand wrapped around it, pulling her onto his cock over and over, just like a few days ago. Wisps of her perfectly toned blonde hair sprang out into the air but it just reminded him of how gorgeous she was as he watched her sleeping post coitus, his hands itching to flatten them and stroke the shape of her skull lovingly. Last but not least she was wearing a smile, one he had never seen in any photographs before, and one that was assuredly reserved for just him.

“Mr Jones,” she said sweetly, her hand reaching out for him after she tucked her matching cream clutch under her arm.

Killian took her hand with a growl, lifting it to his lips and inhaling her skin before looking up to her with a sultry stare and pressing his lips to her knuckles.

“Emma,” he breathed, her name everything. “You look beautiful, as always.”

“Thank you.” Emma smiled sweetly. “You don’t look so bad yourself.” Her eyes roamed his body, taking him in from head to toe and back up again, her tongue darting out to taste her lip as her eyes lingered on the bulge in his chinos.

“When you have quite finished,” Killian told her, tugging her fingers and bringing her back to reality. “One quick stop and we can be off to the restaurant for lunch.” Even saying it out loud made him tingle with warmth, like they were going on a real date, in public, with people seeing them side by side, and Killian couldn’t suppress his Alpha urge to let everyone know who Emma would be with at that moment.

“I’m not going to lie, Killian, I know exactly where we are, and there are no restaurants nearby.” Emma’s lips twisted into a coy smirk and she felt him squeeze her fingers. “What’s going on? Why are we here?”

Killian couldn’t hide his glee any longer and he let their hands dangle in front of them as he stepped forward to greet her with another kiss to her cheek. The softness of her skin made his knees buckle a little, but he managed to regain a sort of semi-composed state for what he had to tell her.

“This was actually Mr Humbert’s idea,” Killian smirked and when Emma’s eyebrows shot up on her forehead, he raised one too. “Or so he thinks.”

Emma looked perplexed. “Why would Graham let you take me to a sex shop?” She wasn’t even annoyed at the mention of her husband, because the idea of being here, with Killian, was far outweighing any hatred she had for the man who thought he supposedly owned her.

“That’s a story for another time,” Killian told her cryptically. He stepped back, interlocking their fingers and tugged her after him, encouraging her to follow. He bit his bottom lip, looking her up and down between steps, sighing audibly in appreciation of the way she moved after him. “I’m not sure this outfit is appropriate for lunch,” Killian teased, shaking his head. “How am I supposed to keep my eyes on you and one eye on every other man in the place?”

“And why would you need to do that?” Emma feigned modesty and Killian noticed a little more sway in her hips as she walked, drawing, tempting him to a fate he knew would have him killed one day.

Once they were through the doors, and hidden from any prying eyes by the darkness of tinted windows, Killian pulled his hand from hers and let it fall to her hip, his fingers hungrily grabbing at the material of her skirt and bunching it up until it was raised up towards her waist a little more. He stepped into her and Emma gasped when her bare shoulders hit the cold of the window and his knee between her legs stopped her from losing her balance and tumbling to the ground.

“You know why,” Killian growled sultrily, his nose pressed against hers and their lips a hair's breadth apart. She smelled of perfume, floral with undertones of her natural scent that had Killian rolling his eyes in his head and his jaw clenching tighter than he thought possible. It seemed a few days had been too long without her near him, and his hands skimmed the shape of her arse hungrily.

“How can you be so sure other men find me as desirable as you do?” Emma’s words were strangled in her throat that had gone bone dry from the way Killian’s thigh was rubbing against her clit through her panties.

Killian chuckled darkly, his tongue licking over her lips as he moistened his own in response to her fingers gripping his bicep through the material of his blazer. “Emma, Emma, Emma,” Killian taunted playfully with a shake of his head. “When are you going to realise how precious you are?”

Emma’s hand snaked up behind his head and held it in place as she moved hers to the side, the softness of her lips brushing against the shell of his ear as she whispered, “When are you going to show me?” Her fingers clawed over the back of his neck, raking through the hair there ever so gently that it had all of Killian’s nerve endings firing at once. “Again,” she added, her voice lowered and full of fire as she slipped out from underneath him and made her way into the main part of the shop.

Killian grunted in frustration, spinning his entire body off the window pane and following after her like a man on an invisible tether. She was something, he had to admit that, especially when, by watching the shape of her behind in her too short skirt, he had failed to realise that she was heading towards the lingerie section. He looked up just in time to see her holding the barest slip of material up to her body before looking back at him through her lashes and quirking a brow.

“How do you think this would look on me?” She asked innocently, tucking the material under her breasts and accenting them as she pushed them up.

“Not as good as it would look on the floor,” Killian whispered as he reached her and inspected the garment. It was made of lace as red as blood, with two cut outs on either side that would definitely show the contrast of her milky skin down to her hips where the built in lace underwear sat. The bra part was padded, hiding away her best parts behind another layer of matching lace and Killian made a mental note to make sure that never happened. His thoughts were soon interrupted when he noticed, with a glint in her eye, Emma was indicating to the slit like opening on the panties with a wiggling finger and a coy smirk.

“You sure that’s where you want it to be?” Emma teased, biting her tongue and feeling the material of the bra as if she were Killian kneading her breasts.

Killian whimpered and toyed with the little red bows that stuck to each hip of the garment, the material pure silk between his fingers. All he could do was shake his head, an Alpha pathetically reduced to just actions by a woman, and he wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.

“I’ll be right back,” he said quietly, his voice hoarse. He peeled the lingerie from her grip and Emma almost squealed with glee, her face erupting into an excited smile that made the skin behind his ears burn hot with pleasure. “I need to pay for this and retrieve something, then we shall go to lunch.” He took a step back, the air just two feet from Emma much easier to breathe in, but he immediately missed the heavy weight pressing down on his lungs.

“Perfect,” Emma beamed at him. She had that glint in her eye again and Killian’s jaw nearly hit the floor when she lifted her hand to her face and gave the tip of her thumb a salacious lick, the mystery behind the green of her eyes darkened by her lust once more. “I’m starving.”

--

Killian couldn’t help the way he was smiling, despite Emma telling him more than once to stop. They sat opposite each other in an almost rooftop restaurant and Killian had made sure they were seated next to the window so that they could both enjoy the view, not that he had seen much more than Emma right in front of him. Emma as she was. Emma in the new lingerie he had just bought her. Emma like she had been when she took his knot. God only knew how his brain managed to fathom much else at this point.

They had, somehow, managed to order some food, even if they were both anxious for what was to come afterward. Humbert had pretty much given him the green light to take Emma back to her apartment, so Killian wasn’t going to miss out on an opportunity when it presented itself. When he thought about it, finding loopholes in Humbert’s contract really was about as much fun as he had imagined, especially when so much was at stake.

“Thank you,” Emma said softly, shaking him out of his daydream by placing her hand over his. Killian looked down to where Emma’s fingers were tangling with his, the edge of their palms resting against the pristinely white table cloth, and gave her a sideways cock of his head.

“For what, love?” he asked sweetly, rubbing her thumb with his.

“For this,” Emma said with a nod, motioning around the slowly filling restaurant with a wave of her free hand. “For showing me that I’m not just arm candy for a businessman.”

Killian sucked in a breath and released a laugh at the same time. “Emma, you are so much more than that. What will it take for you to realise that?”

Emma blushed and diverted her eyes back down to focus on the hypnotic way Killian’s thumb was still etching the feel of his skin onto hers. Her smile faded and Killian was sure he saw a little bit of a tear in her eye, frowning and giving her hand a gentle tug until she looked back at him.

“Look,” he began, licking his lips. “I know this isn’t ideal, what we’re doing, but for what it’s worth, I’m having the time of my life.” Killian smiled at her warmly and she mirrored the shape of his lips with her own. “What happens when your husband is sick of his mistress is my only uncertainty.”

“You think he let this happen because he has a mistress?” Emma scoffed a laugh, looking away from him sadly. “Please, Killian, there have been other women and you’ve met the man. He’d do anything to avoid a divorce.” The sadness that laced her words pained him right to his soul and Killian felt his fingers tighten around hers when she turned her head to stare blankly out of the window. “The only reason you and I ever met is because he was trying to keep me quiet and retain his Humbert bravado. He can take this all away from me as quickly as it began.”

“I’d like to see him try,” Killian said defiantly.

“He’s done it before,” Emma almost sobbed, her voice weak and small in the back of her throat at the memory of how many times Graham had promised her so much only to rip it all away to keep her in line. She never wanted to imagine how it would feel to have Graham take Killian away from her now that she had known him.

“Aye, maybe, but you’ve never had me fighting for you before, have you, darling?”

At his words, Emma looked back to him and welcomed the way his confidence in her was written all over his face, from the curve of his lips as he smiled to the sparkle in the blue of his eyes. Emma had never known any Alpha other than the Humbert men, and certainly hadn’t known one to give the likes of her the time of day. But Killian was different, affectionate and passionate, and she knew that no matter what, she would be making the most of him tonight.

“You are a man of many firsts, Mr Jones,” Emma smirked. She pulled her hand from his and moved to lean forward, her head resting on her hand as the point of her elbow sat precariously on the edge of the table. She trailed one of her fingers over her lips, giving them a little tap.

“I’m also wonderfully committed to seconds,” Killian grinned. “And thirds, and fourths.” He winked, letting the corner of his lips pull up into a sideways smirk, one eyebrow jumping up higher on his brow.

“And is that what you want?” Emma teased, rolling her shoulders back so that Killian had no choice but to divert his eyes down to the sway of her breasts underneath the sheer, cream fabric of her dress. “To knot me again?” Emma blinked, looking up at him through her lashes. “And again?”

Killian didn’t mean to laugh but he hoped it helped that the tips of his ears turned a rather attractive rosy colour as he pawed at the patch of skin behind them, his tongue darting out at the memory of her taste on his lips.

“Like I need to breathe, love,” Killian said finally, rolling his bottom lip under his teeth and letting an appreciative hum escape his mouth at the memory of the feeling of her body around his knot. “I’ll beg if I have to,” he admitted with a nod.

“Would you want it now?” Emma’s eyes lit up with glee and she couldn’t hide the excited grin on her face. “With all these people around?”

“Aye,” Killian said, his words even and his voice a little huskier than it was before. He leaned forward and Emma could have sworn he was staring directly into her soul. “I’d fuck you over this table until you begged me to knot you because you couldn’t take not having it any longer.”

His words, despite what she had asked for, made Emma’s entire body prickle with heat. Every muscle was remembering the feel of his hands on her skin, the feel of his cock inside of her and recalling the way it felt to have such a rock hard, welcome intrusion like his knot. She pressed her thighs together at the thought, her core clenching with need and a little bit of hot, wet, discharge leaking out of her. She wasn’t sure if Killian could smell her, but his eyes definitely darkened around the edge of his hues and he drew his fingers into a clenched fist as he stared her down.

“I’m sorry,” Emma blushed, swallowing hard. “Would you excuse me? I just need to use the ladies room before our food arrives.”

Killian shook his head slightly, and pushed himself to his feet. It was probably the most gentlemanly thing Emma had ever seen and had been sure, when Graham failed to do it, it was the stuff of myths and legends that women only read about in books. The heat across her cheeks was more vibrant now, and there was no way Killian didn’t know what his words had done to her, or why she was heading to the bathroom at all.

“Of course,” he said cordially but grabbed her arm as she moved past him, leaning in and almost licking the shell of her ear with his words. “Hurry back,” he whispered, his words dripping into her ear like a hot wax that sent a shiver down her spine, before he stepped away and left her wanting even more than before.

Emma barely made it to the bathroom, her legs shaking and her skin on fire with a burning itch that only Killian could sate. She ran through the door, politely apologising to a woman she bumped into on the way, and flattened herself against the cool tiled wall. She let out a breath, long and uneven, her lips quivering slightly as she gulped down air, trying to quell her arousal. Emma had never felt so alive, her whole body aching as she pinned her weight against the wall, fingers clawing at the grout and her knees threatening to buckle at any second.

“Fuck,” she panted, pinching her eyes closed. How did Killian have the ability to make her feel this way with just his words and a sideways sultry glance? Emma was sure it was black magic. Or witchcraft. Or more simply, it was her pure, unadulterated need, two compatible people fitting together like puzzle pieces, her body crying out for him every time they met. Whatever it was, she was pretty sure that she would never make it back to her apartment without some sort of cooling relief for the sizzling heat that was eating her up from the inside out.

Emma bolted for the nearest stall, slamming the door closed behind her and sliding the lock into place. Not even the toilet seat lid offered her relief as she sat down on the cold plastic, and she slumped back against the cistern with a grumble. She pinched her eyes closed but all she could see was Killian, his eyes darkened to a lustful grey and his lips curved into that toying smirk he always did before he fully ravaged her. She loved it, and needed it - him - but all she had right now was her hand and her imagination, so with a hurried pant, Emma bunched up the material of her skirt, opened her legs and slipped her hand between her thighs.

The material of her underwear was already wet, the damp patch just below her clit cool on her skin. Her fingers toyed over it, sliding back and forth, teasing her body with the idea that she might slip lower. The friction was minimal but just enough, her nipples hardening in her bra and the material rubbing against them, causing her even more frustration. She let out a groan that was a little too loud, the sound of her voice reverberating off the bathroom walls.

She only stopped for a second to make sure no one had heard her, instantly missing the way her hand felt on the outside of her panties. She skimmed her fingers over the fabric again, sighing when she pushed through her folds and found her clit, circling the nub and feeling her entire body relax as she sucked in a breath through her teeth. Even just thinking about Killian had her body reacting like this, essence practically dripping from her core as she strummed out a beat over her clit.

She had to make it quick or Killian would grow suspicious, and Emma wouldn't put it past him to come looking for her. What if he did? Suddenly it didn't seem like such a bad idea to take her time, but Emma wasn't that patient, parting her legs even wider and settling the material of her underwear over herself where it contoured the shape of her clit and, with every flick, had white light erupting behind her eyelids.

Emma canted her hips to meet the rub of her hand, her body shaking as her clit grew harder and more sensitive with every sweep. Her thighs quivered and she needed to place her free hand on the stall wall for balance, her inevitable orgasm creeping up on her and leaving her whimpering Killian's name. The room was spinning, even behind her eyelids, and the warmth of the heated bathroom was beginning to affect her, a sheen of sweat condensing across her skin.

She’d never done this before, masturbated in a public place, and it was the most exciting thing she had ever done. Her entire body tingled, her hand shaking, her brain telling her to stop the assault on her clit that was pulsing and throbbing, but her body crying out for more. Her breathing was uneven and the skin under her braid tightened against her head, pulling all of her hair and reminding her of how Killian had grabbed it a few days ago. It was enough, the memory of Killian and what he could do to her making her legs and back stiffen as she came, her hand furiously rubbing at her clit through the material of her underwear and extending her pleasure through painfully gritted teeth.

It wasn’t enough, Emma could tell that the second her orgasm rippled away as quickly as it had arrived, but it was enough to keep her sated for now. Or so she hoped. Now her only problem was her soaking wet panties. Emma looked down between her legs, holding the ruffles of her black skirt aside as she inspected the dark grey patch that had appeared there, her clit still pulsing with aftershocks as she tugged the material from her skin. There was no way Killian wouldn’t know about this, because even she could smell herself in the confines of the cubicle.

He had done this to her. It was still beyond her exactly how, but Killian had this effect on her like nothing she had ever experienced before. It was like her body was his obedient puppy, eager to please him, willing to do anything for a little attention and it had never felt so right to let it. Emma’s lips turned up into a wry grin as she stood back on wobbly legs, shimmied her wet panties to the floor and then picked them up, straightening the creases in her skirt whilst balling the damp material in her fist. Horny didn’t even begin to describe how she felt, the thrill of masterbating in the bathroom of a restaurant combined with the knowledge Killian was hers all afternoon still coursing through every fibre of her being.

They had to skip lunch and Emma knew exactly how to do that.

When she reappeared, Killian was absentmindedly staring out of the window across the expanse of the city, but the slight rise of his elfen ear gave away his smile. He didn’t turn around when she approached, but he knew she was there, heels gently tapping the polished floor, their echoes eaten up by the sounds of the other diners. His hand rested on the tablecloth, fingers stretched outwards as if covering hers that had left the spot a few minutes ago.

“Sorry about that,” Emma chirped as she neared him. She reached the table, her hip brushing his shoulder as she passed, and in one swift motion that even left her surprised by her own audacity, Emma dropped her sodden lace panties to the table right next to his hand. “I needed to take care of something.”

Killian’s head snapped towards the garment beside his hand, his fingers lifting off the tablecloth that had suddenly become like hot embers under the tips. Similarly, his ears were burning with the tell tale tint of a blush that was soon replaced with the ferocity of his inner animal as he plucked the lace from the table and was immediately hit with her scent. It was the perfect combination of the sweetness of peaches and the exoticness of star anise, and he would gladly risk the toxicity of the latter if it meant he could feast on her for hours.

“You couldn’t wait until after lunch?” Killian smirked, tucking the panties under the table and out of sight of the other diners. He scrunched the material in his hand and rather than tuck it into his pocket, he unzipped his fly and tucked it into the crotch of his chinos and through the peephole of his boxers. Even the mere feeling of her clearly self-fuck soaked underwear against his cock had him hard in seconds and he had no doubt she knew exactly what she was doing when she had dropped them at his proverbial feet.

“I’m not hungry,” Emma lied coyly, leaning forward in her seat until her bare clit met the cold, harsh surface of her chair and her eyes fluttered closed.

“Oh, you’re hungry, love,” Killian teased, opening his legs a little wider so that his length wasn’t so painfully restricted in his pants. “Just not for what’s on the menu in this place.” He quirked his brow at her and Emma smirked back at him, rolling her bottom lip under her teeth and letting out a groan as she rocked forward again.

“And you are?” Emma teased back, twirling the tail of her braid around her hand and giving it a little tug, mimicking the way his primal urges had turned her on so much a few days before.

She couldn’t help the way he was playing her like a finely tuned piano, despite being in a public place, as if something was calling to her, telling her to jump and trust that Killian would catch her. Without a second thought she knew she would. She would leap from whatever height if it meant falling into his arms, especially now, and if the way he was looking at her like a ravenous animal was anything to go by, she would gladly let him devour her too.

“Pay,” Emma demanded quickly, hurrying to grab her clutch beside her.

“W-What?” Killian stammered, shocked by her sudden urgency to leave.

Emma pushed herself to her feet and Killian stumbled to follow her, the hard-on in his pants restricting his ability to stand upright. He stepped out from behind the table and she flattened herself to his body, not a sliver of light able to pass between them. She groaned in her throat, the feel of his hardness against her setting off another flow of slickness to escape her core, only this time there was no fabric to stop it and it began its descent down her inner thigh. Emma’s hand snaked up behind Killian’s head and she clutched the hair there in frustration, her only outlet in a room full of people.

“Pay now,” she ordered again, her breath hot against his neck where she couldn’t help but taste his skin there with a lap of her tongue. “And I’ll suck you off in the car.”

--

They had only just made it out of the car park when Emma had dove across the gap between them and was fumbling with the zipper of Killian’s chinos. He hissed as she snaked her hand into the opening, deft fingers stroking over the outside of his boxer shorts and hardening him even more than the anticipation was. Killian's knuckles were white from how hard he gripped the wheel and Emma tore into his underwear like a thing possessed once she realised how hard her prize was.

Emma had never blown an Alpha before and once his cock sprang out into the artificially heated air in the car, her eyes went wide with glee. Alphas certainly put most men to shame, and she licked her lips at the sight of him standing proudly for her attention before grasping him as firmly as she could close to the base of his cock and shivering from the filthy sound he made in response.

“Eyes on the road, Jones,” Emma said huskily, running her tongue over the point of her canine. She felt like a wolf, hungry for the meat Killian was dangling in front of her, the blood pounding in her ears as she used her other hand to grip the girth of him just under his tip.

Killian felt his hips shift forward in his seat, an involuntary spasm, the only reaction his body knew to her touch. He wanted her to stroke him, needed her to massage his length. What she had promised back at the restaurant was so close his balls ached. Her breath ghosted over his cock, the tip of her tongue flicking out to taste him as she held him, hot and hard and perpetually suspended in the promise of what was to come. He had to blink thrice as hard to focus his eyes on the road knowing that once her mouth encased his cock, it would be almost impossible to drive in a straight line.

“Emma, maybe we should wait until-,” Killian began, his heart hammering in his chest and the sound of his blood pounding in his ears.

“Shut up,” Emma snapped and Killian tore his eyes off the road to look at her beside him.

She was on her knees, crouched below the height of the window and hunched between the seats, her elbows resting on the only part of the seat visible beside his thigh. It twitched as his muscles contracted, his entire body as stiff as his cock was in Emma’s hands, her hands burning into his skin far hotter than his own body temperature. Emma was wet, he could smell her in the confined space of the car and it made him heady, his palms a little sweaty against the smooth surface of the wheel.

Killian had no idea what had gotten into Emma but he was not about to complain. Very few people had the bravery to tell an Alpha to shut up, and under normal circumstances the hormones raging through Killian’s body would have had him seeing red in no time, but the tone in Emma’s voice, insistent and desperate, had him hardening in her grip. She was ravenous and did something to him that he couldn’t explain. His body cried out for her, especially now he knew what it felt like to knot her, and one of his hands slipped off the wheel and smoothed over her back in gentle encouragement. Very little time passed between Killian touching her and Emma finally wrapping her lips around his length and all he could do was gasp in final, hot, wet relief and force his eyes to stay open whilst he drove through a foggy, sex hazed vision.

“Oh,” Killian gasped on an inward breath, his knuckles turning white with how hard he was gripping the wheel. “Bloody, Jesus, fuck,” he grunted when he felt Emma smirk against his length, her tongue lavishing over a particularly prominent vein that had swollen in her mouth as her hands went to work on the base of his shaft. With a hum, Emma let her hand drift into the opening of his fly, aching to have more of him in her grasp, her fingertips barely touching the bulb of his knot that was wrapped up in her come soaked panties.

Emma lifted her head, releasing him with a pop and hungrily licking her lips as she salivated over the taste of him in her mouth. Her hands went to work where her mouth had been, shifting up and down his cock and making Killian growl in frustration.

“So that’s where you put them,” Emma grinned triumphantly.

She hadn’t expected to find her underwear in his pants but it gave her a huge sense of gratification to find them there. She had never felt so powerful, so insanely and irrevocably turned on before. Her life had given her few chances to be the aggressor during sex, but Emma was a woman who knew what she wanted, if nothing else. Killian Jones was what she wanted, and she didn’t even wait for his reply before sealing her lips around his cock and stealing his breath once more.

Emma’s head bobbed up and down, spit dribbling out of her mouth and over her knuckles as she went down and her tongue slurping over his skin as she eased back up. Killian tried as hard as he could to focus on the road ahead of him, but thankfully the traffic was minimal, encouraging him to speed and run at least two red lights on their way to Emma’s apartment where he skidded to a stop in her parking spot. He had an overwhelming need to come, to fuck Emma’s mouth until his knot popped out of his body and he’d encourage her to extend his pleasure by sucking him some more. The mere thought had his fingertips digging into the curve of her behind, the only intimate part of her he could reach from his position.

But reality held him back. There was no way he wouldn’t draw attention by getting out of a car in broad daylight with an erection so massive, and as if Emma could read his mind, she doubled her efforts. Her movements sped up and Killian could feel his tip bumping the back of her throat, the muscles there contracting around him and pulling him in even deeper. At one point, Emma gagged a little and Killian wasn’t sure how much longer he would last under her assault. She hummed in appreciation, a soft whimper of pleasure slipping from her mouth between breaths as her fingers toyed with the smooth skin of Killian’s balls and caused another involuntary buck of his hips.

“You’re so close,” she purred, letting him slip from her mouth and not giving him a second before licking him from a straining knot bulb to tip. “Let go, Killian. Let me take care of you.”

“Oh, fuck, Emma,” he whimpered, legs shaking as he felt the unmistakeable thrum of his climax. “Suck it,” he growled and encouraged her to take him in her mouth once more with a gentle touch to the back of her head. His fingers toyed with her braid and his inner animal couldn’t be contained anymore. “I’m going to come so hard for you. Fill up the back of your throat like you need.”

An audible whine vibrated from Emma’s throat, a plea for what only Killian could give her. She arched her back, desperate for his touch where she needed him the most, her body language so incredibly wanton that Killian had no hope in holding off his orgasm. What he hadn’t expected was her skill, the way she swallowed him down like she had been made specifically for him, her throat relaxing around him as she crammed his entire cock into her mouth. Her tongue laved around his knot bulb, a soft wetness that, before he had time to stop it, had his knot popping from his body and his euphoria washing over him.

The world began to spin and Killian’s leg spasmed, his foot pushing so hard against the floor that he thought he might punch a hole right through the bottom of his car. He was coming, and he was coming harder than he had ever come from oral before. An Alpha’s place was to make his partner happy and so he had rarely been on the receiving end of a blow job, and they had never felt as good as the one Emma was giving him. It left him shaking and he held her face to his crotch, one hand around her jaw and her braid twisted around the other. When Emma gagged on his come, he tried to free her airway by pulling out, but Emma wouldn’t let him go, greedily swallowing every last drop of his load with a satisfying gulp.

“Wow,” Killian gasped, scrubbing his hands over his face in disbelief of his bodily reaction to Emma’s talents. “I...you...wow,” he giggled, ignoring the discomfort of his exposed knot and the hotness in his groin.

“You popped your knot,” Emma smirked gleefully, stroking her fingers over his still hard length and enjoying the way he twitched from her touch.

“I swear I didn’t mean to,” Killian laughed. “You were just...” he began but Emma’s proud grin stole his thought. “Just wow.”

“You need to work on your compliments,” Emma nodded with a raised eyebrow.

“Aye, love,” he agreed with a chuckle. “I have plenty of time to think that over whilst I wait for my knot to recede.” He blushed a little and Emma watched as he adorably scratched the patch of skin behind his ear.

“I’m sorry,” Emma offered sympathetically. She took his hand in hers, giving his fingers a little squeeze to emphasize her apology.

“Don’t be, love,” Killian assured her, interlocking their fingers. “It’s only uncomfortable for an hour or so,” he teased, lifting their hands and pressing a kiss to the back of her knuckles.

“Plenty of time then,” Emma smirked playfully.

“For what, love?” Killian asked her with a narrowed stare.

She leaned in close, gripping his hand tighter and holding it to her bosom. “For us to talk about later,” she whispered in his ear, her words making the hair on the back of his neck stand on end. “When we see just how good that outfit looks on the bedroom floor.”