#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.

[wttcsms]

Any Headcanons on prof naoya and prof YN? What happened in my cs class was that the projection board was the prof’s computer, and sometimes there was notifications pings that we saw from Microsoft teams from another staff/prof asking him if he was going to a school event or sumn, so I could totally imagine that happening to prof naoya where prof YN asks if he’s going to like a staff function lol but just a thought

umm thank you for asking this because !!!! you mentioning what happens on your prof's computer is so silly and fun !!!!

i can definitely see dr. naoya projecting something from his computer to the class, and it's not just you dm'ing him through teams to ask if he's attending a university-wide staff meeting, but i think naoya is the type who is guarded enough to not leave too much of a trace of your constant presence in his life. you know that quote that's like "if you look for it, you'll see that love really is everywhere", and for dr. naoya, his love is shown when the students catch a glimpse of his outlook calendar and see "dinner - 8pm" on it, but no one really knows why it's on his schedule until outlook sends a notification (that he can't click away from fast enough) that says "DR. [SURNAME] HAS ACCEPTED 'dinner - 8pm'". i think dr. naoya zenin is silly enough and yet formal enough to not just text you (like a normal person) to go to dinner; he needs it sectioned off on his calendar AND he likes having you specifically click the "yes, i'll attend" button when he sends you the invitation via microsoft outlook 😭 he's so lame, and it's so endearing, and the students are definitely giving each other looks as they realize that a nice professor such as yourself would even go out to dinner with someone like him.

i know for a fact that in the future, when he proposes, he's secretly so excited at the prospect of you legally becoming dr. zenin as well 🤭

for any new readers, you can find prof naoya's fic here! 💖

[hollyethecurious]

CS AU: The Law of Surprise (3/3)

Summary: The Law of Surprise: a custom as old as humanity itself. The Law dictates that a man saved by another is expected to offer to his savior a boon whose nature is unknown to one or both parties. In most cases, the boon takes the form of the saved man's firstborn child, conceived or born without the father's knowledge.

A/N: This is NOT a Witcher AU. The idea for this fic WAS inspired by the show, however. I’m not sure if the Law of Surprise was a show/game creation or if it existed before. Regardless, this fic is my spin on the concept and will be posted in three parts.

Much love and thanks to the @cssns mods for keeping this event going year after year! A HUGE shout out to my artist @eastwesthomeisbest for the AMAZING pieces she made to accompany my fic. Go give her ALL the flails! Finally, all the hot chocolate, rum, and grilled cheese sandwiches for my amazing betas @ultraluckycatnd and @kmomof4. LOVE YOU LADIES TO BITS!

Rated T / Also available on ao3 and ff.net / buy me a coffee / add to tag list / Curious? Come Ask Me!  

Part One | Part Two

Part Three

The castle was brimming with life and gaiety. Orchestral sounds spilled over the balconies and light seeped from every window, illuminating the stone walls and bathing the gardens in an exuberant glow. If he’d had to guess, Hook would estimate the overflow from the ballroom to be in the hundreds as he made his way through the crush of courtiers, adorned in their finery as they eagerly awaited to be announced.

Dukes and earls. Ambassadors and emissaries. Military leaders and loyal sycophants. The creme de la creme of Misthaven and her allied kingdoms were all in attendance - all who had received a royal summons, that is. Hook had witnessed a number of people being turned away at the gate when they had failed to produce the invitation. The exquisitely designed edict with its filigree and gilded letters announcing the event of the century:

The Formal Betrothal Ceremony and Ball between Her Royal Highness Princess Emma of Misthaven and His Royal Highness Prince Neal, Son and Heir of the Dark One.

Not that Hook had received one himself, of course; their Majesties had learned their lesson the last time they’d attempted to share blessed news and an invitation with him. Pan had been serious when he’d meant no interference, though they had underestimated what the evil bastard considered as such until he’d enticed most of the Misthaven male youths away from their beds and nearly to their deaths over one of the kingdom’s cliffs, because the sovereigns had dared to have an envoy deliver him news of the arrival of their second child - a son. When David and Hook had confronted Pan before he could lure the boys to their deaths, the demon brat had made it clear that any communication, any interaction, any attempts to maintain or strengthen relationships between Misthaven and “his pirate” would be seen as a breach of contract and met with severe penalties. After that, Hook had once again kept his distance from Misthaven, and Misthaven had kept its distance from him. So, naturally, Hook did not fault them for failing to send him an invite to tonight’s festivities. They could not possibly have known that circumstances were different now.

A fact Tink kept nagging on about these past few months.

Months they had spent attempting to set things right in the wake of Neverland’s liberation. Months they had spent establishing authority and restoring order while dealing with uprisings from those still loyal to Pan. Months Hook had spent ferrying those who had wished to return to their homes, not knowing if one even still existed for them, as he warred with himself over the prospect of returning to his own.

It had been the news of Emma’s betrothal that had started the quarrel with Tink up again. Enjoying a pint in a dark corner of anonymity whilst patroning a tavern in Glowerhaven, they’d heard the toasts and cheers go up wishing the princess and “her prince” well. The Dark One’s son wasn’t truly royalty, of course, but none were fool enough to challenge the title.

While the other patrons had reveled in the news of the betrothal, their spirits high from the glee of gossip and tankards of toasts, Hook had sat with a weighty stone of despondency in his belly even as he’d tried to muster up some semblance of jubilation over the news.

“You must go to Misthaven,” Tink urged. “You have to tell them. Tell her. You can’t let her enter a betrothal or get married without--”

“Do you think I would interfere in her life now?�� Hook replied through grit teeth. “Burden her with this… with me, when she has finally found happiness?”

“How do you know it is true happiness she has found? The Law of Surprise entrusted her to you. Gave you the responsibility and privilege of her destiny. You cannot sit by and allow her to--”

“To what?” Hook snapped. “To decide for herself? To pursue a destiny she has chosen? To fall in love and follow her heart while making alliances that will strengthen her kingdom and secure her reign? I am not her lord and master, nor am I her overseer.”

“No. You are not,” Tink said softly. “But you are fated to her. Bonded to her through the Law. Connected in a way she isn’t even aware of, because you haven’t allowed her to know. You owe her the truth before she establishes new bonds with another.”

Hook scoffed, but tapped the ring on his thumb against his tankard as he considered her words.

“At the very least,” Tink continued, “go see her. Before she is whisked off to the Dark Realm to prepare for her new life as Neal’s wife and future Queen of the Dark One’s subjects, go meet her. Make sure it is for love that she has chosen this path, and not out of a sense of duty or obligation. Slake your curiosity of who she has become and give yourself the peace of knowing that in spite of everything, she turned out well.” Hardening her gaze, she added, “And for the sake of all the gods, stop being a coward and go face your brother.”

He hated when the infernal fairy was right.

It was cowardice that had kept him from returning. Fear of having to divulge all he’d done in order to achieve his freedom, the lengths he’d had to go to and the ways in which he’d made Pan believe he’d broken him before finally being able to…

Afraid that there was no longer a place for him among society. Terrified over the prospect that, despite Neverland’s magic and the way it had kept him youthful, his life had already passed him by. Petrified to face the girl he’d been meant to watch over, daunted by the uncertainty of how she might react if he ever managed to work up the nerve to tell her the truth about him, about the Law of Surprise, about the fate’s design that had bonded them to one another before she was even born.

Tink had been right, though. He could not give in to cowardice, so he’d commissioned a new waistcoat and duster, one befitting a gentleman pirate paying court, and made port in Misthaven the evening of his princess’ betrothal ball. His lack of an invitation was no issue with the guards at the gate, he’d merely flashed them his hook and they’d allowed him entry, certifying that the king’s pardon of Hook’s crimes and promises of sanctuary within Misthaven still stood. Though Hook did feel it prudent to tuck his left arm behind his back, beneath his quilted, leather coat whilst in the receiving line, lest one of the guests glimpse it and start a fuss.

He wasn’t sure if it was the maddening wait, the stifling corridor, or the crowd of plumed and perfumed guests that began to grate on his nerves, spiking his anxiety and forcing him to withdraw from the ballroom hall. All he knew was that he’d suddenly found himself in a dark and isolated alcove around the corner from the crush, attempting to steady his breathing while muttering curses at himself for falling apart over something as simple as queuing for a ball.

“Is everything alright, good sir?”

Hook spun around, once more tucking his hook behind his back while his hand swept through his hair in an attempt to straighten his appearance. He stood in stupified silence for several skips of his heartbeat, too stunned by the gorgeous woman before him, until he finally cleared his throat and found his voice.

“Aye, lass,” he replied, unable to keep some of the awe out of his tone. “No need to concern yourself with me.”

The woman, young, blonde, with a slender form that did not fail to fill out the curves of her gown while demonstrating the strength he could detect beneath her proper posture, cocked her head to one side, her seaglass eyes narrowing at him even as a smile slightly tugged at the corners of her exquisite lips, rebutted, “A man hiding away in the shadows is a bit concerning, wouldn’t you agree?”

“I suppose so,” Hook conceded with a slight chuckle. Taking a step forward so she could get a better look at him, his smile broadened when her eyes widened and swept over his form with similar interest. “Truth be told,” he continued in a low timbre, “I am rather out of practice in the rules of court. It has been many years since I’ve attended a royal ball.”

Eyes snapping back up to his, she schooled her features and lifted her chin. “Have you not escorted someone to attend with you? Have you no one whose company you can rely on?”

Hook sighed wistfully. “My brother is here,” he said, attempting to keep all sense of melancholy or apprehension from his tone, “but I have not seen him in many years. My presence may come as something of a shock, and I do not wish to cast a pall on the evening. I would never wish to tarnish the memory of it for the princess.”

“The princess?” she parroted, her brows arching and achieving heights that nearly matched her voice. “You hold her in high regard then?”

“Aye. Very much.” Thoughts of his Emma, and the maelstrom of emotions they brought with them, made his voice constrict in his throat, making his next words a bit strained. “Though, I have not had the pleasure of her acquaintance since she was a child.”

The woman’s expression shifted, becoming pensive, almost far away, but as quickly as they had taken hold of her features, she shook off whatever thoughts she’d been contemplating. “Well, I highly doubt anything you do could tarnish this night for her.”

“I appreciate that vote of confidence, love.” Killian scratched behind his ear, his hips swinging with another swaggering step forward as he pressed a little too closely for decorum’s liking into her personal space. “I don’t suppose, once I’ve mustered up the courage to make my way into the ballroom, you would consider bestowing me the pleasure of a waltz?”

The corners of the woman’s lips tipped up again, and Hook wondered what it would take to encourage a full smile from her. Not that it mattered. He’d already accepted the challenge.

“Would such a consideration give you the necessary encouragement to face your brother and the court?” she asked.

Boldly, he took her hand and ran his thumb over the backs of her knuckles, murmuring, “Such consideration would give me the encouragement to do a great many things, Miss…”

Her lips parted, the response of her name on the tip of her tongue, when an attendant rounded the corner and jolted them apart with her exclamations. “Your Highness! I have been looking everywhere for you!”

Hook whipped his head from the attendant back to the woman who had snatched her hand from his and taken several steps back.

“Your Highness?” he said incredulously. “As in Her Royal Highness? Princess Emma?”

“I… I,” she stuttered. “I’m sorry, I must…”

“Excuse us, my lord,” the attendant said, encouraging her charge away from the alcove and towards the hallways that led to the royal entrance at the back of the ballroom.

Hook watched her depart, stunned by the realization that the woman with whom he’d been conversing - and was now rather taken with - was none other than the princess. His princess. His Emma. His Child of Surprise who was no longer a child.

He’d known that already of course, that she was no longer a child. More than ten years had passed since he’d last seen her, but as she was escorted down the hallway, briefly taking the opportunity to glance at him over her shoulder with an apologetic smile and a glimmer of attraction in her eyes, the reality of those years hit him full force. His princess was no longer a child, and once the betrothal ceremony was complete, she would no longer be his.

Forgoing the queue, Hook forced his way into the ballroom without being announced and found himself a vantage point where he could observe without taking on much notice. A resurgence of duty and responsibility filled him. He wanted to - no, needed to - weigh the measure of the man his princess was about to bind herself to in betrothal. Needed to know he was worthy of her.

Although, he was quite certain no man ever would be.

As the ballroom began to fill, his vantage point proved to be less than ideal. Unable to clearly see the dais, he started to shuffle his way through the throng as the prince and his father were announced, followed swiftly by Their Majesties and Princess Emma.

He was halfway across the room when the ceremony began, and the heavy weight of regret, knowing he was too late to do anything, pressed down upon him, keeping him rooted to his spot. His heart twisted painfully in his chest. He was about to lose her forever without having the chance to truly know her. He was a fool for wasting these past few months. A damned fool. All he could do now was watch as the prince and princess recited their vows while a fairy wove the betrothal bonds around them with her wand.

His heartache was quickly forgotten, however, when the final binding spell failed, leaving the betrothal void and eliciting a collective gasp from those assembled.

“I… I don’t understand,” the fairy stammered. “The magic should have worked. I… I don’t know what--”

“Clearly, you did something wrong, dearie,” the Dark One accused as he took a threatening step towards the young fairy.

“No,” Emma stated, stepping between her would-be father-in-law and the scared-out-of-her-wits fairy. “She didn’t. The magic failed to bind us, because…” Turning her attention back towards her would-be groom, Emma declared, “as I have told you numerous times, I have no intentions of marrying you. I don’t care about the deal our fathers made in order to end the war. My heart will never be yours, therefore no vows I make to love you will ever be true.”

Chaotic murmurs erupted throughout the ballroom, but Hook kept his focus on the dais.

“That matters not!” the Dark One shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Emma which made Hook’s hand itch for the hilt of his sword, unfortunately left behind on his ship. “Your feelings have no bearing and are not enough to void the betrothal spell.” Casting his ire upon King David and Queen Snow, he demanded, “Explain yourselves! We made a deal! You agreed to this betrothal on your daughter’s behalf. It is your word and your authority over her that binds that agreement, so why did it fail?”

Hook sucked in a startled breath. He knew why.

“I think I can answer that, and settle this matter,” he called out, causing all eyes to fall on him.

“And who might you be?” Prince Neal demanded.

“Captain Killian Jones,” he proclaimed, stepping forward as the crowd parted. “Though some have taken to calling me by my more colorful moniker.” Raising his left arm, he displayed his hook and a hysteria of murmurs further erupted amongst the crowd that was now cowering away from him.

David and Snow’s mouths dropped open and Liam, who had been standing by off to the side of the dais, rushed forward and took his place next to his sovereigns, a look of complete elation and shock coloring his aged face. The fairy fled, leaving Emma, Prince Neal, and the Dark One alone at the center of the raised platform, each of them staring at him with a variety of expressions.

“Hook!” Prince Neal exclaimed, before catching the eye of the many guards stationed along the walls. “Seize him!”

When none of the guards acquiesced to the command, an incensed and clearly alarmed Prince Neal sputtered, “W-Why are you all just s-standing there! Arrest him!”

“Oh, you must not be aware,” Hook said, swaggering his way towards the dais and stopping short of its steps. “You see, I have pardon in this land.”

Turning his incredulity and ire towards the King, Prince Neal opened his mouth, but was silenced by the quiet yet dangerous tone of the Dark One’s question.

“How, pray tell, do you plan to settle this matter, Captain?”

“By claiming that which was owed me the day I saved King David’s life and he vowed to honor me with a boon, dictated by the Law of Surprise.”

“A boon? What boon?” Emma demanded.

With confident, measured steps Hook made his way up to the top of the platform and stood in front of his princess, his body strategically placed between her and his new adversaries. His eyes captured hers and he knew they were crinkling in the corners as he smiled down at her.

“Don’t you know, Emma?” he murmured softly. “It’s you.”

Confusion and outrage flashed within her seaglass eyes and displayed themselves through each feature of her exquisite face. Though her reaction, not being what he’d hoped for, sliced through him, he could do nothing about that now, not when a fresh round of threats was being issued by the Dark One and his spawn.

“We had a deal!” the Dark One bellowed. “Your daughter’s hand in marriage to my son in exchange for me ending your war with George! You made a deal--”

“Which they have kept in good faith!” Hook roared, rounding on the imp and causing his son to stumble backwards. “They have prepared and presented the princess for betrothal, and Emma herself recited the vows, even as it went against everything she wished for herself. It is not their fault the fates did not bind the agreement. If you wish to lay declarations of war at anyone’s feet, then let it be mine, but I warn you…” Stepping closer, Hook loomed over the Dark One and in a timbre of hushed menace, he advised, “do so at your own peril.”

The Dark One’s eyes narrowed, perhaps sensing something about the man who stood before him that he had not registered before. Beside him, Prince Neal scoffed.

“Are we to be threatened by the likes of you? You are nothing but a filthy pirate.”

Hook grinned darkly and rocked back on his heels, tucking his thumb in his belt. “A few months ago I was nothing but a filthy pirate, but today,” hardening his expression, he declared, “I am Neverland’s King, and you do not want Neverland as your enemy.”

The Dark One visibly started, but the Prince merely snorted. “Neverland has no king.”

Keeping a calculating eye on the Dark One, Hook shrugged and addressed Neal with a casual air. “True. I never understood, with all his theatrics, why Pan had never outright declared himself king, but make no mistake…” The hard edge returned to his tone and countenance, “Pan ruled that island as a dictator king with an iron scepter and a crown of cruelty not even George could have dreamed of matching. Now that Pan’s dead,” the Dark One’s head snapped towards him, seemingly pulled from his thoughts with a number of questions swirling behind his dark gaze, “Neverland is under my rule. The island, its inhabitants, and…” Hook flicked his wrist and the entirety of the ballroom gasped when a jar of glittering dust appeared in his hand, “its magic. They all serve me now, so I say again. You do not want me as an enemy.”

Shrewdly, the Dark One scrutinized the jar in Hook’s hand, then inquired, “What, then, do you propose we do? The terms of the deal have not been met. I ended the war with King George. A debt is still owed.”

“Indeed,” Hook replied, holding out the jar towards the Dark One. “And I believe this canister of pixie dust is more than sufficient in settling that debt.” Hook pulled the jar back when the prince made an attempt to take it. “So long as you promise that accepting it means no further repercussions. Misthaven is safe from any further threats or acts of retaliation from you, and Emma is free to find love and happiness with whomever she chooses. Agreed?”

“Agreed.”

“Papa, no!” Prince Neal protested. “You can’t just--”

“I can, and I have,” the Dark One clipped in a tone of censure before snatching the jar from Hook’s hand. Addressing the King and Queen, he confirmed, “Our deal has been satisfied. My son and I will now take our leave, but heed this… do not call upon me for aid ever again.”

“We won’t,” King David assured him. His eyes cut to Hook’s, relief and gratitude swimming within their depths, but before he could make any further statements another round of gasps rippled through the ballroom as the Dark One and Prince Neal were enveloped in a plume of dark smoke and vanished.

A heavy exhale fell over Hook’s lips and he stood, frozen, in the gazes of his friends, his sovereigns, his brother, and… his Emma.

“It’s you,” she said, her expression and voice void of any inflection he could identify as her eyes seemed to look past him to that far off place he’d seen her subconscious go when they were alone before. “You’re… him. We’ve… we’ve met before.”

“Aye, Your Highness,” he hedged. Her demeanor and lack of response to all that had just transpired made him hesitant to push her too far, too fast. “Moments ago in the corridor--”

“No… no, that’s not. I mean…” Her eyes refocused on him with a mixture of awe, disbelief, and something that hadn’t quite made its way to the surface yet swirling through their verdant beauty as she whispered, “It’s you, isn’t it? The man from my… you’re him.”

“Him… who?”

“My pirate,” she exhaled, stunning Hook to his core as she lifted a chain that had been concealed beneath the high neck of her white gown. Dangling from the delicate links was a familiar looking pendant. The seashell he had gifted her - after she’d plucked it from his desk, the little thief - he realized. The far off look returned as she murmured, “Not a day has gone by that I have not thought of you.”

His heart swelling, Hook elated, “Good,” and took a step towards her. The action, like all his actions since he’d revealed himself, was not met with the response he’d been hoping for.

Taking several steps back from him, Emma rounded on her parents and shouted, “You lied to me! You made me think it was all in my head! You knew! You knew why I felt so… wrong, so deficient. So… broken. My entire life I’ve… You knew about him all this time and you never--”

“You mustn’t blame them, love,” Hook insisted. “It’s not their fault. I made your mother promise never to tell--”

“Perhaps we should take this discussion elsewhere,” Snow said, making them all acutely aware of their audience. The societal vultures practically circling in anticipation of the feast such morsels of scandal might provide.

“That won’t be necessary,” Emma seethed. “There won’t be any more discussion, because I’m not interested in anything any of you have to say!”

Hook gaped when she raised her hand, calling forth magic to transport her from the ballroom in a plume of white smoke.

“She has magic?”

“She’s the product of True Love. Of course she has magic,” the Blue Fairy replied with a terse and exasperated tone, having made her way onto the dais to address her sovereigns and offer her assistance. “Your Majesties, perhaps it would be best for you to withdraw with the… captain, whilst the other fairies and I tend to your guests?”

“Yes,” Snow agreed. “Thank you, Blue.”

Hook followed his sovereigns and brother to an adjoining room where they could converse and continue their reunion in private, though none of them seemed to know where to begin.

“I think I ought to go and check on Em--”

“No,” Hook said, cutting off Snow. “Leave her be. She’s had a terrible shock and no doubt needs some time to work out all that’s…”

They stood there awkwardly for a moment more until reality set in. They were here, together, reunited at last, and in a synchronized heartbeat they suddenly found themselves in a united embrace, laughing and crying tears of joy and relief at finally having the nightmare of separation behind them.

“Admit it,” Hook demanded of David, wiping the vestiges of his emotional release from his eyes. “You were hedging your bets when you made that deal with the Dark One. You suspected The Law of Surprise would void it when the time came, didn’t you?” Turning towards his brother, Hook surmised, “That’s why you wouldn’t let me relinquish my claim and bestow it upon you.”

Sheepishly, Snow admitted, “Blue was the one who suggested the idea. We could not be sure, though, given your… uncertain future under Pan’s rule.”

“Speaking of,” Liam chimed in. “However did you manage to defeat the little bastard?”

“It’s a bit of a sordid tale,” Hook told them. “And one I do not wish to relive in detail. Suffice it to say, I managed to gain a certain amount of trust with Pan, which allowed me close access to him. Revealing some of his weaknesses. One of them being… squid ink.”

Liam led them over to the settees and they all sat down as he remarked, “Squid ink is no easy substance to obtain.”

“Aye,” Hook affirmed. “Fortunately, whilst on one of my missions for Pan, I ran into a mermaid who wished to leave her life in the sea behind. In exchange for safe passage, and because she felt bad for nearly crashing my ship upon rocky shoals when she enchanted me with her siren song, she gave me the squid ink she’d stolen from her father’s vault. Tink and I used the ink to subdue Pan.” Fiddling with his hook, he cast his eyes towards the floor as he confessed, “My hook did the rest.”

“And Pan’s death gave you… magic?”

“Not exactly.” Hook pulled back the sleeve of his right arm, exposing the cuff secured to his wrist. “This does,” he said, tapping it with the side of his hook. “It was Pan’s. He was never without it. I learned that it tethered the Shadow to him, acting as a conduit to the island’s power which he could then bend to his will. At first, I had no desire for it, but its use became necessary in order for me to begin to set things right.”

Hook told them how he and Tink had spent the past few months: squashing rebellions from those on the island still loyal to Pan, learning about the island’s magic while working with the Shadow to restore balance to her shores, and returning those he’d brought there under Pan’s order against their will.

“There is still much to be done, but when I heard about Emma’s betrothal, I…” Not wishing to tell anymore half-truths, or admit that the news of her betrothal had not been enough without Tink’s prompting, he let his words trail off. He hadn’t shared with them his misgivings in returning, allowing them to believe these other distractions had been the reason for his delay, causing guilt to churn in his gut as he sat amongst them.

“Where is Tinkerbell?” Snow asked, perhaps sensing the shift in his demeanor.

“She remained behind in Neverland,” Hook replied. “Awaiting further orders.”

“Further orders?” David parroted. “What more could you ask of her?”

“Not from me,” Hook assured. “From Blue.” Glancing down at the cuff on his wrist, he imparted, “The island should go to the fairies. They are the only ones who can truly wield and balance its power. I have no wish to be its sovereign forever, but...”

“But?”

Hook sighed. “All magic comes with a price, and the price of using this cuff is that it cannot be removed unless both the wearer and the island agree to its removal.” A wry smile pulled at the corner of his mouth and he cheekily added, “or unless the wearer is dead and no longer has a say in the matter.”

“I don’t…” Liam floundered. “I don’t understand what you--”

“The island won’t let me relinquish my connection with its magic,” Hook said. “After Pan, I believe it finds me preferable and won’t risk falling into the wrong sort of hands again. My hope is that the fairies might be able to convince the island to free me of the obligation, which is one of the reasons Tink remained there. To continue working towards that end until reinforcements arrive.”

“Well,” Snow said, standing and causing the men to follow suit. “That is something we can certainly discuss in greater detail tomorrow. For now,” she turned to her husband and with a firm, yet regal, look, declared, “we really must return to our guests and assure them that all is well.”

“Of course,” David agreed. “You’re right. The gossip mill is no doubt having a field day and our allies deserve whatever reassurances we can give them.”

“My apologies for creating a spectacle.” Hook gave his sovereigns a chagrined and contrite look, but they quickly waved off his self-condemnation.

“You have nothing to apologize for,” Snow assured him.

“Snow is right,” David asserted. “Without you, we’d likely be preparing for war with the Dark One. You saved us… again.”

Hook grinned and nonchalantly scratched behind his ear. “I imagine another boon might be in order then?”

David shot him a less than amused look. “I’m not granting you another Law of Surprise, if that’s what you’re getting at.”

“Though we do not plan to have any more children, I agree with Charming,” Snow said, a hint of amusement coloring her words. “Once was more than enough.”

Hook sobered at the reminder of his Emma, and the mess he’d made of things between them.

“You owe me nothing,” he said. “It isn’t as though I’ve lived up to the last--”

“Enough of that,” Snow admonished. “I know things may not have gone as you’d hoped with Emma, but tomorrow is a new day. Let me have a room made up for you, and tomorrow we can all--”

“Thank you, Snow, but I think I’d rather return to my ship.” When Liam opened his mouth to protest, Hook assured him. “I’ll remain in port. I won’t leave without discussing the matter with you first, I just… I need…”

“Much has changed for you, too, little brother,” Liam acknowledged.

“Aye,” Hook admitted. “Freedom is not something I’ve had much practice with, and I’m still getting my bearings. Still trying to decide what I want to do with my life.”

“You know you always have a home here, right?” David said, placing a heavy hand upon his shoulder. “A place to belong.”

“I appreciate that, Your Majesty,” Hook said, hoping his eyes reflected just how much that fact meant to him. “But do you honestly think things can go back to how they would have been if you’d never sent us to Neverland? Or if we’d all managed to return from the accursed mission?”

David flinched and his features twisted into an expression of guilt and regret.

“Don’t misunderstand,” Hook said, now placing his own hand on his sovereign's shoulder. “I do not blame you. I have never blamed you, but let’s not pretend I can just take my place within your navy and serve as captain of one of your ships. For one, I am no longer a man who takes orders from others willingly, and two… what crew would wish to serve under the likes of me? A pirate. A blackguard.”

“No one is suggesting we pretend the past twenty years did not happen,” Liam said. “There is much to work out, much to resolve and decide upon. For you… and for Emma.”

David’s expression shifted and he now regarded Hook in a way the pirate had never experienced before. Not as his sovereign, nor as his friend, but as a father. A rather protective father. A protective father who might have just registered the charged interactions the pirate and his daughter had shared in the ballroom.

“Indeed,” the man said with a slightly hardened edge on his words. “Perhaps we should have a talk about your intentions with my daughter.”

“Charming,” Snow scolded, saving Hook from having to respond. “Now is not the time.” Squaring her shoulders and taking up her regal posture, the queen declared, “While these matters are all important and worthy of our time and thoughtful consideration, the more pressing issue awaits us in the ballroom.” Fixing her eyes on Liam, she continued, “David and I will need your diplomacy in dealing with our allies. You and the fairies are our ambassadors for the duration of the event.” Shifting her attention to Hook, she offered, “You are welcome to stay, however, it may be best if--”

“If it is all the same to you, Your Majesty,” Hook interrupted, “I think I’d prefer to take my leave for the evening and return to my ship.”

Giving him an acquiescing nod, Snow replied, “Very well. Let us all get through this evening and get ourselves as restful of a night’s sleep as we can. We will then reconvene tomorrow.”

“And Emma?” Hook inquired.

Snow and David shared a quick look of solidarity, then confirmed with a glance towards Liam before affirming, “We will leave her be, for now. As you requested.”

Their silent recognition and acceptance of his sovereignty in Emma’s life both relieved and disquieted him. He’d meant what he’d said to Tink about not being her lord and master, but he would not hesitate to advocate for her if he felt those around her were not acting in her best interest. She needed time. They both did.

“Then I shall bid you all a good night,” Hook said, not waiting for them to reciprocate before transporting himself back to the Jolly Roger in a swirl of crimson, in dire need of a refuge where he himself could process all that had come to pass this evening.

~/~

Hook’s jaw cracked from the wide yawn he released early the next morning, his body stiff and feeling its true age as he went about his normal routine, shuffling through his cabin in naught but his skin. He’d managed to pull on his leather pants, leaving them loosely tied around his waist, when he heard a voice drifting towards him from the dock.

“Ahoy! Captain, are you there?” a woman’s voice softly called out. From the tentative tone and reserved volume, he could tell she was trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. It mattered not, though. He’d know that voice anywhere.

Hastily, Hook pulled on his shirt, a few of the buttons he kept fastened in the front slipped free from their closures, leaving his chest completely exposed. Forgoing his boots or even bothering to check the state of his hair, he rushed from his quarters and onto the deck, stopping short at the sight of his Emma standing atop the gangplank, just shy of the deck. The morning sun bathed her in an ethereal glow, silhouetting her form, which was adorned in her riding apparel, hugging her curves and highlighting her shapely legs in a way that had Hook glad he’d left his trousers loose.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind, Hook continued to approach her, only now taking in her observations of him. Rather wide-eyed and pinked cheeked observations, he noted with a self-satisfied smirk.

“Princess?” he said, pulling her from her own thoughts, his breath catching at the way she wet her lips before clearing her throat.

“I apologize for arriving so early and unannounced,” she said, straightening her posture before inquiring, “Permission to come aboard, Captain?”

Hook grinned and closed the space between them with swaggering steps, holding out his hand to assist her. “Permission granted, Your Highness.”

When her feet hit the boards of the deck they stood there for a long moment, her hand still tucked in his as she took in the sight of his ship. When her gaze lifted to the mainsail a shudder ran down her spine. Though he was unsure how much she remembered from that night long ago when she last stood there, Hook was certain he knew what had caused her response.

“I sent him back,” he assured her, his voice low and soft.

“Who?”

“The Shadow. He’s the reason the sail is typically black, but I won’t need him until it is time for me to return to…”

Sensing this topic made her uneasy, his words trailed off and she pulled her hand from his. Noises from further up the dock grabbed their attention momentarily and Hook caught sight of her horse hitched at one of the posts, alone.

“Did you come here unaccompanied?”

“Yes,” she replied, uneasiness once again taking hold of her tone and demeanor. “I hadn’t planned it. I was out for my morning ride, clearing my head when…” Looking about she asked, “Is there somewhere we could go? Somewhere more private where we might converse?”

“Of course,” he said, not faulting her for not wanting to be seen fraternizing with him. “Follow me, Your Highness.”

He led her to his quarters and stopped at the threshold, allowing her entrance as he hung back. A soft gasp fell from her lips.

“It’s… it’s just as I remembered,” she whispered under her breath, taking in every detail of his cabin. “I thought you were a dream,” she confessed, though he wasn’t certain she was actually talking to him, her gaze far away and her words almost murmured to herself.

“I thought the whole thing was a nightmare.” Her hands skimmed over the top of his desk, pausing at his hook which he’d failed to secure in his brace before going on deck. “The shadow that kidnapped me, the dark island, the glass cage, the boy…” Her eyes flicked up, meeting his as she continued in a whisper, “The pirate.” Wetting her lips, her gaze never wavered even if his did briefly drop down to her mouth. “You’re real. You were real all this time.”

“Aye.”

Picking up his hook, she turned it over in her hands. “This is the hook you used to attach yourself to the barrel? The one my mother later gifted you?”

“How did you know--”

Setting it down she leaned back against his desk and let out a heavy breath. “I talked with them last night,” she told him. “My parents. After the ball, I demanded they tell me everything.” Her gaze dropped for a moment, then her eyes snapped up to his, determination shining from their depths. His princess was on a mission for the truth. “Did you really not know of my existence until Pan had…”

“No,” he confirmed. “I had no idea the King and Queen had a child, nor that the child was the fulfillment of the Surprise your father had granted me until Pan kidnapped you.”

Nodding her head in acceptance of his word her demeanor shifted slightly, her shoulders relaxing and her gaze softening.

“I want to apologize for the way I behaved last night,” she said. “How I reacted when you…” Her contrite expression gave way to one tinged with anger as she continued. “The morning after Neverland, when I woke up, everyone acted as though it hadn’t happened. My being kidnapped. My parents insisted I had dreamt the whole thing, even Blue made me think I’d…” Her hands gripped the edge of his desk, her knuckles turning white as she continued to lean against it for support, and it took everything within him to not go to her and offer himself as an anchor for her feelings of hurt and betrayal. “My whole life I have been sheltered, not allowed to make decisions for myself, feeling as though something… vital was missing from my life, yet unable to seek it out. Made to feel as though I were mad, because of this dream that would not leave me.”

Swallowing hard, she glanced around his cabin once more before her eyes fell shut. A deep breath filled her chest, followed by a cleansing exhale. When she opened her eyes the anger was gone, but a sadness lingered. Hook would do anything to alleviate it, but he knew she was not finished. There was still so much she needed to work through, to process, to accept, and he would give her the space to do all of it.

“Last night,” she carried on, “when the betrothal bond failed, I truly thought it was because my vows had been a lie. I thought I was standing up to Neal and his father, taking control of my destiny for the first time in my life, only to discover my future was never my own to control, because of another agreement my father made before I was even born.”

Hook winced. “I am sorry, Princess. Truly.” Pushing off from the doorway where he’d been leaning against the jamb, Hook took a few steps into the cabin, stopping at the corner of his bunk. “It was never my intention to leave you feeling powerless or alone. If I could go back, I’d--”

“You don’t have to apologize,” she said, her voice sincere and her eyes full of forgiveness. “You had no way of knowing what the Surprise would be, and with what George did to my mother, who would have ever guessed? I don’t blame you for how my life--”

“You shouldn’t blame your father either, Your Highness,” Hook said in defense of his sovereign. “He had no way of knowing either, otherwise you would never have become my Surprise.”

“True.” She crossed her hands over her chest, a hardened expression once more tightening her features. “The blame belongs to Blue and my mother.”

“What?” Hook balked.

Meeting his gaze, she informed him, “Blue knew about the barrel. She saw it listed on the inventory that was taken when the Jewel made it back with the survivors. They must have put it in the hold when they fished it and you from the sea. Blue could not be sure it had not been corrupted, so she gave the water to my mother without her knowing. It wasn’t until weeks later, when my mother came to Blue worried that something was terribly wrong with her, that Blue confessed what she’d done. She told my mother it was still too early to know for certain and that she should wait to tell my father until she was further along, then later that very same day…”

“He granted me the Law of Surprise.”

“My mother knew he intended to reward you for your bravery and sacrifice, but said she had no idea it would be… Father said it hadn’t even occurred to him to grant it to you until the moment before he declared it. So, no. I do not blame my father.”

Stepping forward, Hook closed the gap between them and took her hand in his. “I will not tell you how you ought to feel, Princess. I just urge you to not let anger and blame linger in your heart for too long. I know what it is like to let such emotions fester, letting darkness creep in and take root in your spirit, giving it a foothold in your soul. Learn from my mistakes, love. Resist it.”

“Why couldn’t you?”

Running his thumb over the back of her knuckles, he softly imparted, “For many years during my first deal with Pan, I didn’t think I had anything to live for. The demon made me a pirate and I became a villain, unworthy of association with people like your parents or my brother. I had resigned myself to a life of exile and wasn’t certain I’d even return to Misthaven, until…”

“Until… what?”

“Until I met you.” How he wished he still had his other hand so he could take both of hers in his grasp, instead, he settled for threading their fingers together. “I wanted to be a better man for you, Princess. I knew Pan would still require a villain, but I was determined to defeat him by any means necessary so that I could take back my own power and control my own destiny.”

“So… what now?” she asked, a soft tremble quaking through her words.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean…” she wet her lips, trying her best to hide her trepidations. “Your expectations. You said you returned in order to claim that which--”

“I said all that in an attempt to stop a war from brewing, and so you might be freed from a deal you never wished to be a part of,” he quickly assured her. “I know all too well the perils of making deals with demons, and it is a fate I would not wish upon anyone, least of all you.” Hook lifted their hands and cradled hers against his chest. “I have no expectations of you, love. I only wish to… to try and make up for lost time. To get to know you and have you get to know me. Fate may very well have its own plan, but as far as I’m concerned, whatever we become to one another is as much up to you as it is to me.”

A smile curled at the corners of her lips. “I’d hoped I hadn’t made that up about you,” she said. “I am glad to know you are, indeed, a man of honor and good form… just as I remembered you to be.”

Hook cocked his head to one side, his brows furrowed as he asked, “If you’ve always remembered the kidnapping, then why did you not recognize me in the alcove last night?”

“My memories weren’t… detailed,” she told him. “More like fragments. Impressions.” Looking past him, she began to call forth some of those memories. “I remembered you were a pirate. I remembered the silver fastenings of your waistcoat and the fact that you had dark hair, and I remembered… your eyes. They were probably the most vivid thing about you that I remembered.” Flicking her gaze up to his, she went on to say, “The truth of a person can always be found in their eyes.” Dipping her head, she demurred, “I’ve always been pretty good at knowing when someone is lying to me. It’s always in the eyes. I knew, from the moment I looked into yours, that I could trust you. That you were telling the truth about taking me home. Your eyes told me I’d be safe with you.” Locking her eyes with his, she wistfully admitted, “I’ve thought about your eyes so many times over the years.”

Her cheeks reddened and she suddenly could not meet his gaze. Hook wondered what other thoughts she might have had about her dream pirate as she grew older, but held back from making a saucy quip, allowing her to move past him towards his bookcase. Truth be told, he could do with a bit of space between them as well.

“My parents tell me that though you are finally free of Pan, there are still loose ends for you to tie up in Neverland.” Distracting herself she focused her attention on the contents of his shelves, picking through the books and lifting the lids on a few of the boxes. “Once that is done, what do you intend to do with your newfound freedom?”

“Honestly?” Hook exhaled heavily. “I’m not sure.” A tinkling melody filled the room when she lifted the top of what turned out to be a music box, hastily letting it fall shut before turning apologetic eyes towards him.

“Sorry,” she muttered, running her hands down the front of her riding jacket before clasping them in front of herself. “You were saying?”

Hook chuckled, then sobered a bit when he remembered what he was about to reveal. “I was saying, I’m not sure what I’ll do once my duty to Neverland is complete. I would like to return to Misthaven, I just… I’m not certain I have a place here any longer.” Fiddling with a few of the items on his desk, he added, “Of course, there are people here whom I wish to build relationships with.”

“Like your brother?”

“Aye,” he replied, lifting his gaze towards her. “Among others.” He paused, hoping she knew she was at the top of those considerations. “I have missed so much, and while I realize he is now old enough to be mistaken as my father, Liam is the only family I have left.” They both shared a quick laugh over that observation before he declared, “I do not want to miss any more of his life, or anyone else’s of importance to me.

Emma hummed, her eyes cast down towards her feet, perhaps unable to meet his gaze because of the intensity of it. “I’d imagine you’d want the chance to get to know his wife and your nephews as well.”

Her words rocked Hook to his core. “What?”

Emma’s head snapped up, her eyes widening and her jaw dropping from the realization. “I’m so sorry! I thought… I thought you knew!”

Hook slumped down on the edge of his bed, a new sense of melancholy and injustice washing over him as he ran his hand through his hair and pulled at the strands in the back. “How long has he… how old are his… why did he not…”

“They’ve been married almost ten years, and have two sons. Her name is Belle and she’s…”

Emma paused when Hook buried his face in his hand. So much time wasted. The toll of the years Pan had stolen from him never seemed to cease in its increase.

The sound of the music box filled his cabin once more, prompting Hook to look up from his sorrows. Tentatively, Emma approached.

“I wish there was something I could do about the time that was taken from you and your brother. I wish I had words of wisdom or answers that might guide you towards what’s next, but I don’t. All I can do in this moment is… make good on a promise I gave you last night.”

Confused, Hook could only stare at her, until she clarified, “I believe I owe you a waltz?”

Hook huffed out an amused breath. Reaching up he pawed at the patch of skin behind his ear and confessed, “I know I instigated that, but truth be told… I haven’t danced a waltz in over twenty years.”

“Well,” she replied, clearly not letting him off the proverbial hook. “Good thing for you there is only one rule.” She grabbed his hand and pulled him to his feet before wrapping his braced arm around her waist. Taking his hand in hers she flicked up her gaze and murmured, “Pick a partner who knows what they’re doing.”

She took the lead until muscle memory returned, then Hook glided them around his cabin, holding her close and marveling at how she’d been able to pull him from his sulliness with such a simple act of kindness.

His Emma was a marvel, to be sure.

“Do you, Princess?” he asked, causing her brows to pinch together as her head tilted to one side. “Do you know what you’re doing?” he clarified, his voice low and hushed, wanting to keep the moment tender despite the question burning at the back of his throat. “What you are going to do now that the threat of Pan and your obligation to marry Prince Neal has been lifted?”

Chewing her lip, she gave the inquiry her considerations before drawing closer to him. Moving her hand from his shoulder to toy with the back of his neck, she sent a cascade of shivers down his spine as she addressed his question with one of her own.

“Did you know that other than the night I was taken to Neverland, this is the furthest I have even been from the castle?”

That piece of information shocked him, though he knew it should not have. Her existence had been kept a secret for the first half of her life because of George, and the threat of Pan had kept her parents cautious for the past decade. Fear had made his sovereigns hypervigilant with their greatest treasure, so no, it should not have surprised him that they’d kept her close to home, safe behind the castle walls, never straying from the grounds.

“I have never left these shores. Never seen the beauty or experienced the culture of other realms, or met anyone who wasn’t thoroughly vetted by my parents.” Wetting her lips, her eyes fell to the charms hanging around his neck, but Hook knew her gaze was far away once again. “I know I have a duty and obligation to my kingdom, my people, and my parents, but…”

“But?”

Glancing back up with a slight expression of guilt pulling at her features, she murmured, “I can't help but wonder if my brother, Leo, was the fates way of allowing me to… That is… I know I should not wish to burden him unnecessarily, it’s just that--”

“Where would you go first?” Hook asked, still swirling them around his cabin, maneuvering their bodies with the same ease in which he attempted to change the course of their conversation. “If you had the means to go anywhere, where would you go first?”

“Neverland.”

Her quick and unexpected reply had him stopping them in their tracks. “Neverland? Why?”

Once again, she worried her lip, her breath hitching shallowly in her chest. “As much as I long to see the world, the memory of the one time I left Misthaven still haunts me,” she said, her voice a tad unsure at first, though it gained a sense of certainty and resolve as she continued on. “I want to go back so I can face it. So I can put the fear it has held over my life behind me, once and for all.”

When she flicked her gaze up to his, something new stirred within those seaglass depths and the effect of it seemed to hum between them, electrifying the atmosphere of his cabin.

“I want to see what sort of place it is now. With Pan gone. I want to know how it has fared under your rule. How it’s changed due to your influence and direction.” Swaying closer to one another, she was practically a hair’s breadth away when she murmured, “I want to see it for myself in the hopes that…”

“That what?”

Her eyes fell to his mouth and his pulse quickened.

“That it proves that I am… not wrong about you.”

It took his mind several skips of his heartbeat to register the feel of her lips against his, but once it did, instinct took over. His braced arm pressed into the small of her back, bringing her even closer to him, their chests nearly touching with the only obstacle between them being her hand. Her fingers curled through his chest hair, pulling a groan from the back of his throat that vibrated against her lips as his own slanted across them. Threading his fingers through her hair, he wrapped his hand around the base of her skull so he could position her head to his liking, deepening the kiss and coaxing her lips apart with his tongue.

The taste of her was captivating. He could spend the rest of his life drinking her in yet never be satisfied, always wanting more, always needing more… of her. Just her. His Emma.

However, now was not the time for more, and from the gentle, yet insistent, press of her hand against his chest, it was evident that his princess was not ready for what could come next if they continued down this path of passion.

“That was…” he whispered against her lips, chasing them without thought.

“Destiny?” She giggled, her nerves and inexperience quivering through her laugh.

Brushing his nose against hers, he loosened his hold, creating some space between them while assuring her, “As I said before, I have no expectations of you, no expectations for what might happen between us or what we might come to mean to one another. Only… only hope and a promise.”

“What promise would that be?”

“I promise to do whatever it takes to win your heart, Princess. I promise, that for as long as it pleases you, I’ll be here, at your service.” Taking her hand in his, Hook vowed, “I will take you to Neverland, and any other realm you wish to see. I will remain by your side, even if, one day, it is only to stand in support of my future queen.”

“What about Liam?” she said, clearly overjoyed by the prospects he’d laid out whilst harbouring some guilt that their fulfillment would take him away from his brother.

“My brother will be here whenever we choose to return,” he comforted. “Besides… he has his own life to live, and whether he chooses to acknowledge it or not, he’s been shouldering a duty and responsibility he was never meant to carry.”

“Are you suggesting I’ve been burdensome to your brother?” Her tone was laced with offense, but it was betrayed by the teasing expression she could not keep from her features.

“Oh, yes,” he cheeked back, winding his arms around her waist. “Quite the burden you are. How will I ever bear being bonded by the fates to Your Highness?”

“Hmmm,” she hummed, running her palms up his chest then wrapping her arms around his neck. “Perhaps, you could start by calling me by my name, Captain.”

“As you wish… Emma,” he obliged on an exhale.

She graced him with a smile, then asked, “And you? How may I address you? Or do you prefer Captain?”

He wouldn’t deny the pleasure it gave him, hearing her call him Captain, and he was about to make a tawdry statement attesting to that fact when his eye caught a glimpse of his hook, still sitting atop his desk.

“Call me…” he said, his voice choked and barely able to utter the name he’d long abandoned. “Killian. Please, Emma. Call me Killian.”

“Killian.”

The sound of his name on her breath shot a thrill of wonder up his spine. His lips crashed against hers and they both surrendered to the destiny fate had planned for them long ago.

Which, honestly, should not have come as a… surprise.

Thank you all for going on this journey with me! I hope you enjoyed the ride!

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[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

[aerica13]

Operation Parent Trap

Written as a gift for the lovely @shireness-says, my CS Fic Formal match, whose requests included: Killian having friends, Killian with kids (esp. Henry), Emma and Elsa, and reluctant set-ups; all of which percolated to become this 6k fic. Thank you for the brilliant ideas that led to this fantastic adventure, Shireness, it has been an absolute delight not only writing but also getting to know your wonderful self - I hope you enjoy this photoset and fic as much as I did creating them :)

Also many, many thanks to my (incredibly patient) betas, @paalme and @technicallysizzlingcloud, who were absolutely fantastic, and the amazing hosts of the CS Fic Formal event, @distant-rose and @awkwardnessandbaseball, without whose initiative none of this would have happened - much gratitude <3

AO3 link here.

Henry and Killian were staring each other down over a chessboard. This was match #399, the tiebreaker that could finally redeem Henry’s losses from the beginning of their games when he was still learning to play and Killian was wiping the floor with him. Now, Henry was highly capable at chess and determined to continue his winning streak and finally surpass his teacher. Unfortunately, Killian had plenty of surprises up his sleeve - enough to put Henry in checkmate. Henry scowled and pushed over his king while Killian smirked at him.

“Nice try there, lad,” he chuckled.

Henry scowled harder, then suddenly brightened. “How about a rematch later? Mom’s closing up the ice cream shop tonight so she’ll be home late. You can come over and we can play chess, then I won’t need a babysitter!”

Killian suddenly looked unsure. “Lad, I’m not sure how your mother would feel about me being the one babysitting you tonight - or your usual babysitter, for that matter.”

Henry groaned. “Graham’s boring. He doesn’t tell cool stories like you do, he sucks at chess - actually, all our board games - all he does is talk about Mom.”

Killian squinted suspiciously, opening his mouth as though to say something, when Uncle David poked his head through the doorway. “Alright kid, time for you to head home, Graham’s waiting for you!”

Henry groaned again but quickly packed up the portable chess board and ran out the door. “I’ll beat you tomorrow Killian!” he shouted behind him as he raced out to meet Graham.

Killian is left staring after him, clearly unhappy - or at least clearly to David, who asked what was wrong. And instead of coming up with some sort of diverting retort, he blurted the true question on his mind: “Is Graham only babysitting for Emma because he has a crush on her?”

David just blinked at him before declaring “I can’t have this conversation with you,” and walking away.

Killian let his head thunk onto his desk.

Emma was exhausted after a very long day at work. Declining revenue prompted a meeting attempting to brainstorm new ideas for business, until it was interrupted by an electrical malfunction that would cost even more money that they didn’t have - but now she was home. She could relax, hug her son, watch a mindless show on Netflix and pass out. But, of course, her bad luck continued.

As she paid Graham and went to close the door, Graham stuck his hand out to stop her and blurted, “Would you want to get dinner sometime?”

She just stared at him, unable to process. He took her shocked silence as a happy one - rather than the overwhelmed feeling that it was - and leaned in, wrapping his hands around her arms and moving in close. Too close.

Emma jerked back and pushed him away. “Graham, I’m - I’m sorry but no. Absolutely not. I’m very tired and I would like you to leave. Now.”

Graham promptly fled, leaving Emma to slam the door behind him, lean up against it and groan out her frustration. She did not have time for Graham to pull this shit. Rather than the relaxing evening she had hoped for, Emma couldn’t concentrate on anything other than how she had screwed up and was going to have to fire Graham (even though a voice in the back of her head kept reminding her that Graham hadn’t been very professional himself). She tossed and turned all night, worried about how Henry was going to take it.

But when she gingerly brought up getting a new babysitter the next morning over breakfast, rather than getting upset Henry looked over the moon. “Great! Can Killian be my new babysitter?”

Emma just blinked at him. “…You mean the deputy? Why him?”

Henry shrugged. “He’s really cool - he plays chess with me and he tells great stories!”

Emma snorted. “Okay kid, I can promise I’ll ask him, but no promises he’ll say yes!”

Henry smiled. “I know, Mom. Thanks.” He rushed off to get ready for school while Emma sat and thought about how she was going to ask the hot deputy, her brother’s best friend, to be her new babysitter without embarrassing herself beyond belief. With her luck, there was a guarantee something was going to go wrong.

Henry burst into the police station after school already shouting for Killian. Killian grinned, turning around to sweep Henry into a hug and lead him to their designated chess spot. “Feels like Lady Luck has granted me her favors today - are you ready to lose again, lad?” he asked smugly.

Henry rolled his eyes. “You wish. But, there are more important things to discuss: Operation Emu!”

Killian blinked at Henry’s abrupt announcement. “Operation Emu?”

Henry beamed. “Yes! Graham is finally gone, and I need a new babysitter - I want you to do it!”

Killian just stared. Henry just kept smiling. Killian muttered, “I suppose if it’s okay with your mother…”

Henry grabbed Killian’s phone and started pushing buttons. “This is my mom’s phone number, ask her now!”

Emma had just walked in the doors of Any Given Sundae, about to open up the store, when her phone rang. She didn’t recognize the number, but it was a local area code - it might be the repairman she had called yesterday about their electric problem.

She answered the call - “Hello, this is Emma Swan” - but instead of the gruff voice of the repairman, Emma only heard muffled whispers, one of which sounded very familiar. “Hello?” she asked again, louder and more suspiciously.

There was a deep sigh and an unfamiliar voice answered, “Hello Emma, this is Deputy Killian. Henry has a question he wants me to ask you.”

Emma groaned. “Please tell me he didn’t ask you to be his babysitter…”

Killian paused for a second and Emma could almost see him wincing. “I’m afraid so, love. It’s really no trouble, I’m happy to do it, I just wanted to make sure it was okay with you.”

Emma bit her lip. “This would explain why he was so confident you would say yes at breakfast. I swear, I had no idea he would – ”

Killian laughed, cutting her apology off. “Really Emma, I’m happy to do it, he’s a wonderful lad - but, um, if you don’t mind me asking, what prompted the change? I thought Graham was your regular babysitter?”

Emma groaned, loud and long. “Graham…asked an awkward question after a very long day yesterday and I didn’t handle it well. He’s probably scarred for life so I was going to take care of Henry myself tonight and talk to you tomorrow…”

Killian was quiet for a moment. “Honestly Emma, I can take him off your hands tonight and any night you need me to, so you can focus on whatever needs doing. Long days tend to compound into long weeks, so whatever I can do to help, you just say the word.”

Emma stammered, “Uh…taking him tonight and for the rest of the week would be a great start, thank you so much Killian!”

Killian’s smile was audible over the phone. “My pleasure, love. I’ll see you tonight.”

“S-see you.” Emma ended the call and started banging her head against the wall.

Elsa walked into Any Given Sundae expecting Emma to be hard at work brainstorming, or dealing with the new repairman Leroy. Instead, she was standing behind the counter staring into the half-empty tubs of ice cream like they held the secrets to the universe.

Elsa winced slightly - more product eaten meant less profits - but she had decided a long time ago her friendship with Emma was more important than her business. “Do you want to tell me what’s up while I scoop you a cone of Moose Tracks or after?” Elsa asked teasingly, grabbing her apron and a scoop.

Emma moaned into the countertop and slouched over to sit down at the closest table. “I’ll take that as an ice cream first request,” Elsa laughed, scooping a cone of Moose Tracks for Emma and a cup of mint chocolate chip for herself before plopping down in front of her partner. Emma pouted but grumbled out a thank you as she started attacking her cone. Elsa waited patiently as Emma finished off most of the cone, but when Emma was crunching down on the last few pieces, Elsa caught her eye and raised an eyebrow, silently asking what was up.

Emma rolled her eyes and half dramatically, half in all seriousness wailed “I thought I raised him better than this!”

Elsa just continued to stare. Emma gently thunked her head on the table and mumbled, “I got a call from Killian earlier – ”

“Wait,” Elsa interrupted, “hot-deputy-you’ve-been-crushing-on Killian?”

“Yep, that’s the one,” Emma sighed. “He was calling because Henry asked him to be his new babysitter.”

Elsa grinned. “Emma! Why on earth is that a bad thing?”

Emma picked up her head and started gesturing wildly. “Because! Because I was supposed to ask him, so I can make sure I trust my kid with him - I mean, what kind of mother lets her kid not only pick their new babysitter but actually lets them ask that potential new babysitter to take the position themselves? Even on the slight - slight! - chance that Killian isn’t offended, what must he think of me as a mother?”

Elsa’s smile dropped. “Emma. You can’t seriously think that Deputy Killian is ever going to think that you are anything other than a fantastic mother? He’s best friends with David and spends a ton of time with Henry, both of whom think you walk on water, not to mention having been raised by a single mother himself and seeing firsthand how wonderful Henry’s turning out to be - minus,” Elsa cuts Emma off as she starts to open her mouth, “one relatively small breach in the proper protocol of how to find a new babysitter.”

Emma smiled. “I guess that’s true. And, you think he’ll be an okay babysitter?” she asked, biting her lip worriedly.

“Killian’s a good guy, we both know he’s great with Henry - he’s going to be a fantastic babysitter.” Elsa replied.

Emma sighed. “Then I guess we should start focusing on work rather than my domestic drama?”

Elsa laughed, “I couldn’t have put it better myself! Let’s get to work.”

Emma came home tired but happy - she and Elsa had worked hard today, making progress with Leroy’s help, even if they hadn’t come up with a new way to bring in revenue quite yet. But hey, one step at a time. When she walked in the door and hung up her coat, Killian and Henry were locked in a stare down over a chessboard. Emma rolled her eyes - according to David, these stare downs were epic and most of the time needed outside interference to end. “Hey you two, I’m home,” she called.

Killian turned to face her. “Welcome home Emma!”

Henry stayed silent, still focused on the chess match, but Emma heard a quiet thump and Henry grunted a hello. He reached out to grab a chess piece, but then Emma noticed the clock. “HENRY! You were supposed to be in bed an hour ago!”

Henry turned and winced. “Sorry mom, we lost track of time. Five more minutes?”

Emma squinted at him suspiciously. “Will the game actually end in five minutes?”

Henry squirmed. “Probably not,” he confessed.

“Then it’s bedtime for you, kid.”

Henry sighed. “Got it. Night Killian, night mom!” he called as he headed toward his bedroom.

Emma walked over to where Killian was still sitting. “Sorry love, I should’ve made sure I knew what his bedtime was and stuck to it – ”

“Hey,” Emma interrupted, “no worries. It was your first night babysitting. Now you know what to expect for tomorrow night. For the record, he should be in bed by ten on school nights and by midnight on the weekend.”

Killian chuckled. “I’ll keep that in mind. How was work?”

Emma groaned as she flopped back on the couch. “We figured out how to fix our electrical problem, now we need to figure out another way to increase profits rather than take another hit when the colder weather starts.”

Killian was quiet for a second. “What if,” he started slowly, “you did something with the princess theme?”

Emma just blinked at him. “What princess theme?”

“Well, Elsa is Elsa - like from that movie, Frozen? - and Swan, your last name, is reminiscent of the princess from Swan Lake. What if you marketed something like - a Princess for a Day program on people’s birthdays, that comes with a tiara and a t-shirt or something? You could even sell ice-cream cakes with Elsa - from the movie - or the Swan Princess on them. Birthdays and birthday cakes are year-round, right?”

Emma stared. “Killian, that’s brilliant.”

Killian flushed. “I wouldn’t say that – ”

“I absolutely would! Oh man, Elsa’s going to love it, let me write this down – ” Emma rattled through her kitchen drawers for a piece of paper and a pencil, scribbling and muttering “princesses, tiara, birthday program, birthday cakes - yes, yes, yes, oh my god, Killian, I could kiss you!” It took a second, but once Emma’s words actually reached her brain, she froze. Did she actually just say that out loud?

Killian couldn’t believe what he had just heard. Did Emma just mention kissing him? As in, that was something she was actually thinking about or wanted to do? But before he could say anything, a very flushed Emma was fleeing the room, muttering something about needing a shower and he could leave whenever, just lock the door behind him.

Killian left smiling, a faint hope starting to blossom.

When Henry asked what she and Killian had talked about after he went to bed over breakfast the next morning, Emma spit out her coffee all over the table. She blushed fire-engine red and started to stutter out something about princesses and cakes, but Henry wasn’t fooled. Clearly something else had happened last night, but Emma wasn’t talking - luckily, Henry was pretty sure that he could convince Killian to spill the beans.

When he asked Killian, the deputy was also flustered - but differently. “Why, did your mum say anything this morning?” he tried to ask casually (and failing miserably, in Henry’s opinion).

“Nope,” Henry responded, “just went red and said something about princess cakes.”

Killian slumped a bit. “Oh yeah, I mentioned an idea for helping Any Given Sundae get a bit more business.”

Henry looked at him searchingly. “Well, that explains the princess cakes, but not the blushing. Did you guys talk about anything else?”

Killian flushed a light pink and stuttered “W-Well, not talking as such…”

Henry’s jaw dropped to the floor. “You and Mom were kissing??”

“WHAT?” Uncle David thundered, walking in at the worst possible moment.

Killian flushed darker and threw a hand over his eyes, groaning. “No we didn’t kiss! Emma just…mentioned it - in jest, I assume, but she ran out of the room before I could make sure. Then I left, nothing happened!” Killian added quickly as David loomed threateningly over him.

Henry just blinked, pieces falling into place. Killian was acting like Graham did around his mom - but not actually around her, just when he was talking about her. Major improvement. What was really interesting was hearing that his mom had gotten so embarrassed over mentioning kissing like that, usually she was a lot more cool and collected. Maybe, maybe Mom liked Killian - and Killian seemed to like Mom. This required a new operation.

Henry went and tugged on his uncle’s sleeve, stopping him mid-rant. “Uncle David, can I talk to you for a minute?”

Mary Margaret was a little surprised to get a call from David in the middle of his workday, but it happened to be the beginning of her class’ recess, so she quickly accepted the call, slightly worried it was some sort of emergency.

“Hey Aunt M, I need your help!”

Mary Margaret smiled. When her nephew couldn’t pronounce her full name and made the connection between Dorothy’s Aunt Em in his and Emma’s favorite movie and his own aunt, the nickname stuck, and it brought a smile to her face every time.

“What can I do for you, Henry?”

“I need you to help me with Operation Parent Trap.”

Mary Margaret was about to reply when she heard noises that sounded a lot like someone wrestling the phone away from Henry - confirmed by Henry’s indignant “hey!” sounding farther away than before - and then her husband was growling over the line, “I don’t think so. Operation Parents or whatever is a bad idea – ”

“David,” Mary Margaret chastised, “I can’t believe you just stole the phone from Henry. Hand it back, I want to hear what he has to say.”

“But – ” David started to whine.

“No buts! For goodness sake, David, even my third-graders know better than to steal the phone when someone’s still talking!”

Mary Margaret heard more grumbling from David and a triumphant “yay!” from Henry when he got the phone back, as well as Henry’s voice getting slightly more echoey; it sounded like she was on speaker now.

“Sorry about Uncle David, he’s just upset about a slight misunderstanding with Killian.”

“Oh?” Mary Margaret asked, intrigued.

“I’ll get to that later. The important thing is, I’m pretty sure that Killian and Emma both like each other, and I need your help to get them on a date without my mom freaking out!”

Mary Margaret blinked, not really expecting that despite the retrospectively obvious operation title. “Henry, are you sure?”

“Positive! Apparently Mom accidentally brought up kissing last night and left the room blushing, and Killian seemed happy about the idea of getting to kiss Mom even after Uncle David got all up in his face ‘cause he thought Mom and Killian were actually kissing – ”

David growled in the background. “I think this is a horrible idea and Killian should stay far away from my little sister – ”

“I think Operation Parent Trap sounds brilliant, and I’m in!” Mary Margaret declared.

Henry cheered while David’s silence indicated his jaw was probably practically on the floor. Mary Margaret couldn’t help herself, she chuckled as she imagined his face.

“Okay Henry, here’s what we’re going to do…”

Killian would have been concerned for whoever was trapped in David’s office with the growling, pacing sheriff - but since it was Henry and he himself was on David’s shit list at the moment, he busied himself with paperwork and keeping his head down rather than getting in the middle of it.

He jumped slightly when he heard the door bang open, but continued to keep his head down - so he missed the glare on David’s face that intensified when Henry gave him an obvious push in Killian’s direction, only to become a slightly sinister smirk. “Hey, you’ve been out of the dating game for a while, right?”

Killian sputtered a half-hearted denial before slumping and releasing a defeated “yes, mate, you know it’s been a while.”

David smiled viciously. “Great, that means you need practice before I’m letting you anywhere near Emma. You’re going on a blind date on Saturday.”

“Wait, what?” Killian blurted, standing up from his desk. “Why in the hell do you think – ”

David came over to sling his arm around Killian’s shoulders. “As your best buddy, your boss and the big brother of the woman you have your eye on…” Killian gulped as David squeezed. “I really think it’s a good idea.”

Killian sighed. “Sure, blind date on Saturday, I’m free.”

He didn’t notice Henry pumping his fist behind his back, before running forward to distract Killian with another chess game.

Emma couldn’t wait to tell Killian how excited Elsa was about his idea - not brilliant, her ass! Elsa was already planning designs for the cakes and posters for the birthday princess program, and even her sketches looked fantastic already. Emma pulled out her phone to call Killian - too impatient to wait until she got home - but before she could, Mary Margaret called her. She picked up quickly. “Hey Mary Margaret! Listen, I was just about to call Killian – ”

“Nonsense, you’ll see him when you get home, he can wait, but this can’t!”

Emma internally groaned. Please don’t let this have anything to do with Mary Margaret’s investment in her love life…

“You’re going on a blind date this weekend!”

Emma couldn’t help herself; she whined. “Noooo, Mary Margaret; please tell me you didn’t say yes for me already.”

Mary Margaret’s silence was telling.

Emma took a deep breath and let it out slowly. “No way for me to get out of it?” she asked calmly.

“Nope!” Mary Margaret replied happily. “Unless there’s someone else you want to make a date with instead…?” she asked leadingly.

Emma paused, wondering for just a second if Killian…but no, she was employing him now and even if that wasn’t a factor, she had already embarrassed herself enough in front of him for a lifetime, no need to ask him out and have him laugh in her face.

“No,” she responded glumly, “no one. I guess it wouldn’t kill me to go.”

Mary Margaret chirped, “That’s the spirit! It’ll be Saturday evening, so you should come over with Henry for Saturday brunch, I’ll make sure you look fabulous and David and I will babysit for the night. See you then!”

Emma stared at her phone, since apparently Mary Margaret had just hung up on her? Mary Margaret was not someone who was easy to get off the phone, it usually took at least ten minutes of goodbyes before Mary Margaret could bring herself to end a call - but before Emma could finish that train of thought, Elsa swept her into the cake and program planning and she forgot all about Mary Margaret’s weird behavior.

Mary Margaret had to hang up quickly before her giggling gave everything away. She was so excited she could burst, and she knew if Emma had heard her laughter she would have had questions - and under an Emma Swan InterrogationTM, Mary Margaret knew she would have folded like a house of cards. Luckily, all was still going according to plan and Mary Margaret texted Henry: Operation Parent Trap is a go! The only other thing was to make sure that Emma wasn’t scared off from going on the date if she saw Killian before entering the restaurant or sitting down. Mary Margaret suddenly grinned. Ruby owed her a favor, and her girlfriend worked at Tony’s…

Killian was a horrible person, no way around it. He had promised Emma only yesterday that he would babysit whenever she needed him to, not to worry, and now he was reneging on that promise not even twenty-four hours later. His self-recrimination was distracting, so Henry was wiping the board with him - at least one of them was happy. He was dreading Emma walking through the door –

“I’m home!” Emma called.

– just like that. He took a deep breath and headed over to talk to Emma - who had a wide, shining smile on her face that caught him completely off guard and scrambled his higher brain functions.

He was even more surprised when she threw her arms around him in a hug, crowing, “I told you your idea was brilliant! Elsa loved it, she’s so excited, and the few people we’ve mentioned it to have loved it and they’ve already promised to either sign up for the program, buy our cakes or both and - Killian, this is such a game-changer for Any Given Sundae, it’s amazing and it’s all thanks to you!”

She grinned up at him happily, still hugging him, and Killian could hardly breathe - much less speak and actually answer her, so he just kept staring.

Emma frowned. “Killian? Are you okay?”

Killian suddenly jolted in her arms - making her realize she was still hugging him, ugh, talk about violating his personal space and being completely unprofessional - so she quickly stepped back and linked her hands behind her, resisting the sudden impulse to get back to that surprisingly wonderful hugging thing.

While Emma had her internal freak out, Killian seemed to recover from whatever was bothering him. “Wow, Emma, that’s bloody fantastic! I’m glad that my little idea was helpful.” He took a deep breath and kept talking before Emma could scoff at how “little” his idea was. “I also, uh, wanted to tell you that I have plans Saturday night and I won’t be able to babysit the lad, I’m so sorry, right after I told you I could do it whenever you needed me to and – ”

“Killian, Killian, slow down.” Emma interrupted. “It’s fine, Mary Margaret already volunteered to babysit Henry Saturday night. We’ll be going over for Saturday brunch and staying for most of the day anyway, no worries.”

Killian let out a huge sigh. “Well, that’s a relief! Sorry for all the buildup, love, I just didn’t want you to think I was letting you down so soon after I promised I wouldn’t do that.”

Emma smiled softly. “Killian, life happens. Even if I hadn’t already heard from Mary Margaret, I would’ve understood - I would’ve canceled my plans or asked someone else to take care of him for the night if I couldn’t, it wouldn’t have been a big deal.”

Killian smiled back at her, that adorable dimple bringing a flush to her face - she whirled around to start doing the dishes, trying to distract him from noticing by asking, “So, what are your Saturday night plans?”

Killian winced and rubbed his hand over the back of his neck. “David’s actually setting me up on a blind date.”

Emma blinked and suddenly there was a splash of soapy water all over her. She spluttered and headed for the paper towel roll to start drying herself off, hearing Killian rush over to help.

“That plate slipped right out of my hands, is it broken?” she mumbled, not willing to look at Killian and see his reaction. She saw him reach towards her before withdrawing and walking off to the sink.

“Nope, all good, just the water splashing,” he reported, turning back to where Emma was drying herself off.

“Good, good,” she muttered, taking a deep breath before forcing a smile. “It’s funny. I’m actually going on a blind date too.”

Killian blinked at her. “Wh-what?” he stuttered.

Emma choked out a laugh. “Yeah, Mary Margaret’s been setting me up for ages - it slowed down for a while, I knew my luck was going to run out soon. That’s why she’s babysitting Henry, she likes to make sure I look good or whatever before I meet the poor bastard she convinced to be my date for the night.”

Killian just kept blinking at her. “Of course,” he muttered to himself, “that’s why David - I should have known.”

Emma heard the hurt in his voice and despite part of her screaming that she didn’t do emotions, what was she thinking, she walked over and put a hand on his shoulder to try and comfort him. “Killian? What about David?”

He took a step back - her heart twinged, another rejection and another reason she was certain he had no interest in her - and put a smile on his face, clearly forced. “Nothing, love. No need to worry. Since you’re home, I’ll just - head out, if you don’t need anything else?”

Stung by Killian’s clear desire to leave, Emma gritted through her teeth, “Nope, I don’t need anything. Go ahead and leave.”

She turned around and walked back to the sink, ignoring his slow footsteps towards the door. Before opening it, he cleared his throat and softly asked, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

Emma blinked hard, forcing her voice to sound normal. “No, it’s fine, I like to take Henry out to Granny’s on Fridays, celebrate the weekend beginning. Take the evening off, enjoy yourself. But,” she continued hesitantly, “I’ll see you Sunday? Elsa wants to meet up to discuss more marketing stuff, and someone needs to make sure Henry finishes up his homework.”

She didn’t look at him, still scrubbing stains off dishes that weren’t really there, but she could still hear the weak smile in his voice. “Of course, love. Sunday it is.”

When she heard the door shut, she stopped washing the dishes and took a deep breath. She was fine, she was fine, she was fine.

And Emma continued to be fine - despite the worried looks she got from Henry over breakfast and Elsa at work.

Every time she started to panic about her upcoming blind date or the fact that Killian was going on a blind date too, she pushed it all down, until she was ready to deal with it - which was definitely not right now. She knew Elsa could tell something was up, but she also knew that Elsa would respect her privacy until Emma felt ready to share; right now that was the last thing Emma felt like doing. So she forged on, emotions be damned. It was already Thursday when Mary Margaret called, so at least she didn’t have to worry about panicking for long. The work day was almost over, then she could go have dinner at Granny’s with Henry, go to sleep and deal with everything tomorrow.

Unsurprisingly, Emma did not feel better when she woke up the next morning. She was grouchy getting out of bed - although Henry bringing coffee to her bedroom was very sweet and very appreciated - and shook her out of her funk at least a little bit. When she got to David and Mary Margaret’s loft, and Henry beelined for David while Mary Margaret beelined for her, Emma’s grouchiness kicked up a notch - but she also knew resistance was futile, so she submitted to Mary Margaret’s makeover quietly.

Henry ran over to David and asked “How’s Killian doing?”

David just blinked at him. “He was moping a bit yesterday, but I thought it was because of the whole blind-date thing…”

Henry frowned. “Maybe,” he hedged, “but I’m pretty sure he and Mom had a fight on Thursday - or something, because Mom’s been in a funk since he left the house.”

David bit his lip, momentarily regretting he ever got involved in Henry and Mary Margaret’s scheme, before releasing a big sigh and ushering Henry out of the room - out of Emma’s earshot. “I’m sure it’ll be fine, they’ll figure it out over dinner tonight.”

Henry perked up at the reminder. “Yeah,” he agreed.

David pulled out a pack of cards. “Ready to learn Seven Card Stud tonight?”

Henry grinned. “You’re on!”

Mary Margaret was a little worried about Emma’s uncharacteristic silence as she ruffled through her closet to the find the perfect outfit and chattered away about her adorable class and all their shenanigans. Despite Emma’s glumness now, Mary Margaret just knew that this date would end well - love always found a way, even if it needed a little outside assistance every once in a while. Emma’s stubborn view of herself as undesirable would make even Cupid himself throw in the towel; luckily, Mary Margaret was made of sterner stuff and had no intention of letting Emma sabotage her love life any longer - this was going to be the second best thing to ever happen to her (second only to her amazing family, Mary Margaret included).

Emma was going to show up to the restaurant, as she promised Mary Margaret, but she was going to be as grouchy as she felt right now to scare her date off - then she would be free to go home, curl up on her couch, binge Queer Eye and eat Moose Tracks ice cream until she felt better. If only Mary Margaret had let her choose her own outfit, she’d have a better chance of scaring this guy; but even though she looked like the princess from The Breakfast Club in an admittedly gorgeous pink dress, she would make sure she came off as more of a basket case.

Or at least, that was the plan - until she entered the restaurant to see Killian sitting at a table by himself. She was going to have to watch her crush go on a date with another woman up close and personal? Nope, nope, she was leaving right now - but she screeched to a halt when she noticed who was manning the hostess booth at Tony’s. It was Dorothy, one of Mary Margaret’s friends and girlfriend to the town gossip Ruby. Dorothy had already seen Emma enter and if she saw Emma leave without going on her blind date, Mary Margaret would know within minutes and Emma would be screwed. She had to suck it up and just do it, or else Mary Margaret would pull out the puppy dog eyes and Emma would find herself agreeing to even more awful things she didn’t want to do. It was just one evening, she could do this. She took a deep, deep breath, and walked up to Dorothy. “Hi, Mary Margaret said there would be a table waiting for me?”

Dorothy smiled widely. “Of course, right this way!”

Killian knew he was sulking and almost certainly going to ruin this blind date with his attitude, but he couldn’t bring himself to care. He had pushed Emma away, ashamed of his irrational jealousy - the one time she reached out, despite David telling him over and over again how many times she’d been pushed away had created incredibly deep abandonment issues, Killian was too self-absorbed to remember and react accordingly. Instead he just offended her and caused her to put her walls up, the last thing he wanted to do.

As if to remind him how badly he fucked up, Emma walked in looking like a vision in a gorgeous pink dress he had never seen before.

Wonderful. The universe continued to punish him for his mistake - now he would have to watch Emma’s date up close and personal. It was only what he deserved.

He tried to distract himself with a menu, jumping when an unfamiliar female voice gently interrupted him. “Sir? Your date is here.”

Killian took a deep breath and put down the menu - only to gape when he saw the hostess from the front of the restaurant standing at his table with Emma Swan. “Wait, what?” They both asked in unison.

Emma suddenly glared and whirled to face the hostess. “Did Mary Margaret set this up??” she asked angrily.

The hostess just batted her eyes. “Of course Emma, Mary Margaret sets up all your dates - this is the first time she’s actually guessed right on who you have a crush on though!”

As Emma started to blush, Killian perked up. Emma had a crush on him? Could it be possible? The hostess winked at him before leaving.

Killian stood up to properly greet Emma, perhaps even pull out her chair if she let him, but she moaned and flung herself into her chair before he could do either. Ah well, plan B, start up conversation.

“I can’t believe she did this!” Emma groaned, hiding her face in her hands as though it might obscure her blush.

Killian grinned. “Maybe David told her? It’s not like my pining for you has been anything other than ‘disgustingly obvious,’ in his words; honestly, I’m surprised Mary Margaret was able to get him on board.”

Emma slowly drops her hands. “Wait, wait - David thinks you liking me is disgustingly obvious? Not - you know, having a snowball’s chance in hell?”

Killian blinked at her. “Emma, I’m pretty sure I’ve had a crush on you for weeks now - and I’m pretty sure that I was glaringly obvious and you had no interest.”

Emma flushed darker. “Well, I - no I didn’t know,” she hissed, “and obviously I like you, what the hell’s not to like!”

Killian smirked. “Really, love? Do tell,” he drawled.

Emma chuckled. “As though your ego needs anymore stroking.”

Killian pouted.

Emma rolled her eyes, laughing. “Okay, let’s just eat dinner and we can talk about it later.” She raised her water glass and smiled. “To successful first dates and interfering busybodies who make them happen.”

Killian clinked his glass with hers, grinning widely. “I’ll drink to that.”

When Emma entered the house smiling, Henry was the first to rush over. “Did you have a good date with Killian??”

Emma hugged him, laughing. “And how did you know, kid? Did Aunt M and Uncle David spill the beans?”

Henry pouted. “Of course not, Operation Parent Trap was my idea in the first place!”

Emma blinked down at him. “W-what?”

Henry just grinned up at her. “I was right though, wasn’t I? He really likes you and you really like him?”

Emma smiled and hugged him harder. “Yeah kid, you did good.”

Image sources:

Chessboard: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Chess_board_opening_staunton.jpg

Graham babysitting: http://www.darkmediaonline.com/once-upon-a-time-recap-the-heart-is-a-lonely-hunter/#

Killian on the phone: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl3p5oGcznE

Secret to winning: http://rebloggy.com/post/mine-1000-ouat-captain-hook-henry-mills-3x17-ouatedit-i-never-know-captain-cobra/82674963229

Henry supporting CS: http://rebloggy.com/post/mine-1000-ouat-captain-hook-henry-mills-3x17-ouatedit-i-never-know-captain-cobra/82674963229

Emma and Hook on their date: http://ew.com/tv/2017/03/19/once-upon-time-emma-hook-morrison/

Any Given Sundae: http://onceuponatimeabc.wikia.com/wiki/File:Joannbc-any-given-sundae-storybrooke-OnceUponATime.jpg

Emma and Elsa: https://twitter.com/jenmorrisonlive/status/525131480813817856

Elsa cake: http://www.livelovebake.com/portfolio/frozen-elsa-cake/

Original prompt(s) and vague outline, if anyone is interested:

Killian having friends. He needs that, dammit. I’m still grumpy about the fact we didn’t get more of the Killian and Belle friendship; Killian with kids, and especially little bitty Henry. Or not so little Henry. Kids; Emma and David, or Emma and Elsa, or both. Love this in any setting; Ooo, reluctant set-ups. I may have used this trope several times. Because it’s always hilarious. Especially in combination with Grouchy Emma. - Henry setting up his mom (with the help of his Aunt Mary Margaret/Uncle David of course) with David’s deputy, Killian. Who Henry knows because he often hangs out with him and David during the day when Emma’s working with Elsa at the ice cream store and he’s always awesome with Henry, and wouldn’t it be awesome if he could be Henry’s dad??

[idristardis]

Hello, hey, hi there! I hope your week has been going great & things have been getting warmer. I have on more very important plot detail I want to ask you before we get into the bulk of writing: do you have a fave ~other~ ship? I can't bring myself to write about a Mary Margaret & David who aren't sickeningly in love, but outside of that anyone who you're like YES, KISS AS WELL! Belle and Ruby? Belle and Will? An alive Liam with anyone? The plan now is to start posting late next week!

Thanks for the good wishes, Nonny, and I hope that you’ve been having a wonderful week as well!!

That *IS* an important question. Hm. Well, I’m always on board for MM & David sweetness, so we’re on the same page there. As to any other pairings, if Liam is present in fics I tend to highly favor him with Elsa...but I’m also fond of the idea of Liam/Belle.

I generally enjoy a good Regina/Robin side-pairing, but their presence (or absence) as a couple isn’t a major turning point in my enjoyment of a fic either way. I tend to prefer Ruby with Mulan (after having both Aurora and Ruby dangled as possibilities for Mulan’s LI and then taken away in show-canon...well, girl deserves a break, I think, and where better than fic to get it?)

BUT.

While I enjoy all of those other ships...if you want to know which side-pairing I am absolute, unadulterated, unrepentant trash for...it will forever and always be Merida and MacIntosh. I know, I know...the show only gave them a couple of episodes and barely sketched it in...but I fell down that rabbit hole early and fell HARD. Just check the #merintosh tag on my blog and you’ll see the madness.

So. I would be very happy with any of the above side pairings making an appearance...but Merintosh holds a very special place in my fangirl heart.

I mean....LOOOOOOOK at them:

I’m just so excited to see what you’re working on, Nonny. I can’t wait!!!!

[branlovestowrite]

CSFF Nonny here!! Huh. Well I guess tumblr just has it out for me and my messages these days. Sigh!! The one you didn't get was just saying that I have an idea for your gift that I'm starting to work on for a Modern AU Lt. Duckling story where Killian is assigned to the royal family's personal guard and crosses paths with the slightly-scandalous Princess Emma and has to (try) to keep her out of trouble. It's a little nebulous, but it's coming together!! (Message 1/2).

I’m so glad you like romance, humor and banter. I can’t write CS without making them sass each other at some point, and then be fluffy afterwards. It’s truly impossible for me not to go back and forth like that. They were a little bit that way in canon, but I love to just explore more of that in fic. I know what you mean about too much atmosphere in fics - if the prose gets too overdone, the plot gets a bit lost. I like to try to balance mood and plot. (Message 2/3, actually).

I’ve only been keeping up with S7 via gifs and tumblr, but it’s not for lack of a desire to watch. I have all the eps DVR’d and am going to binge soon. I had a lot going on in the fall and got behind, then when they canceled it (sob!) I held on to the eps, knowing once I start, it’s really the beginning of the end. I like what I’ve seen in gifs though! And I *love* that song for them! I have an idea for how the feel of it, if not the actual lyrics, can work into your gift. (3/3)

Nonny… I am so pumped for this story now. 

Season 7 is so lovely. Don’t get me wrong, there are some definite detours I could done without, but KnightRook totally makes up for it. Lucy is absolutely precious, and there are some who disagree, but I like the chemistry between Henry and Jacinda. And Tiana!!! OMG. Tiana was my favorite Disney Princess before I ever got into OUAT, and they have done her justice. My only complaint there is that I need more!

I am sad to see the end, but I’m glad I found this community to help continue the story. CS fans are great... when we’re not arguing over fanart of Rogers in boxers (which, WHY would you complain about that?) or proper etiquette for gif making. I think some people have too much time on their hands.

[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.

[hollyethecurious]

ooooh! I can definitely work with one of those prompts. And I've been shipping CS since like late 2012/early 2013, I was in my dorm and scrolling through tumblr and saw gifsets from either "Tallahassee" or "The Doctor" and was like "hmm this looks cool" and binge watched the first few episodes of season 2 on hulu. How long have you been shipping this amazing pairing?

Yay! I can’t wait to see what you come up with!

I’ve watched the show week-to-week since the pilot and definitely thought something might be there during their interactions in the The Doctor. May sails were fully set after Tallahassee. 

I mean... Come on!

What have been some of your favorite story lines? Are you watching Season 7?

[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

[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.