#i do not need a phone nicer than my laptops to bring me joy
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Boring life update:
After looking at all the options in the budget phone range, I'm just going with the newest version of the phone I have.
While a "nicer" phone would be good, the reviews from other long time moto g fans say the same thing--2023 is a huge improvement over the other ones in this line but you can still drop your phone with abandon and have it be okay.
My phone requirements are: basic internet and the ability to drop my phone an average of 3 times a day for 3 straight years and still have it function. I AM the intended original Nokia user. And moto g delivers on that kind of durability. So, basic budget phone it is!
#i call my budget style the marie kondo of finance#as long as my phone kind of works i'm happy with it and it brings me joy#i do not need a phone nicer than my laptops to bring me joy#so i'm not going to spend money on that#even with the repair policy added in the entire thing is cheaper than the current pixel 6a#and while i could probably limp my current phone along for that long to get black friday sales...#i need to admit my phone is dying and it's okay to buy a new one before i hold a total brick in my hands#i didn't do a trade in so I can use my old phone as emergency back up if my new one breaks or dies unexpectedly so#i have a phone while i wait for a replacement#i got the replacement policy because i am THAT hard on phones#i'm just a clumsy person#i'm getting better but i'll never be good at not knocking things over or falling over or dropping things#but i made my current phone last 3 years#hoping to get 3 years out of the next one
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I Hope We Never See October (2/?)
When his personal life and football career go up in flames, Killian Jones escapes England for America, finding seclusion in Marthaâs Vineyard in order to hide from his demons. Itâs a fresh start, or at the very least a paused moment in his life, and all he needs is a few months alone to allow his heart to heal. He doesnât count on meeting Emma Swan.
Emmaâs life depends on tourists who come to the island every summer. Itâs how she makes her money working in restaurants and clubs across the vineyard, but every year, she cannot wait until autumn comes and her life returns to normal. She especially cannot wait for Killian Jones to leave.
Rating: Mature
a/n: Thank you guys for reading the first part of this! I cannot say enough how much I appreciate all of you and how glad I am little things like this bring you guys joy! Thanks to @resident-of-storybrooke for reading over these words. â¤ď¸
AO3: Beginning | Current
Tumblr: One | TwoÂ
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âEmma, the couple at table two wants to talk to you, and the woman at table seven has a complaint about the quiche. Something about there being eggs in them.â
Emma groans and closes her laptop to look at Ashley, one of the new waitresses she hired this summer. Sheâs good, courteous, and sheâs always here on time. Emma is going to hate to lose her for a few weeks when she has her baby, but come hell or high water, the girl is getting maternity leave even if Emma canât manage more than three weeks without the owner getting involved and likely trying to fire all of them. She deserves months more than that, but Emma canât change the system.
Itâs a shit system, especially for moms.
âThey donât want eggsâŚin their quiche? Are you serious?â
âSheâs vegan and claims sheâs been misled.â
Emma rolls her eyes and stands from her chair. She pulls her jean shorts down, the frayed edges covering just a little more thigh, and unties the bottom of her button-down. She probably needs to start dressing up more for this job, but she canât be bothered. She managed to wear her Blue Dog Tavern polo last week, so that seems like enough effort. âWe have symbols on the menu to indicate dietary restrictions, but this isnât really a restaurant for dietary restrictions beyond one or two items. Iâll deal with it. Thanks, Ashley.â
Itâs Sunday morning, which is their second busiest time after Friday and Saturday nights, and the Blue Dog is packed. Itâs all hands on deck this morning, but Emma was hoping to get some scheduling and produce ordering done in her office during it. But this is a restaurant, so of course thereâs never any time for a breather when she needs it the most. Sheâll finish all that later, she guesses, because she has a feeling neither of these conversations are going to be a short one.
And sheâs right about that. The woman hating on the quiche pitches a fit and demands her money back before threatening to sue the place and, quite frankly, threatening to cut off Emmaâs legs, and Emma has to resolve that without losing her cool when all she wants to do is punch jerks like that straight across the jaw. Then the couple at table two asks her to run through every item on the menu and whether or not everything is organically sourced.
They serve fried mac and cheese balls at ten in the morning and have kitschy, slightly tacky artwork nailed onto the darkly stained wood. If you eat outside on the patio, you get a nice view of people taking off a little more than they should while sunbathing on the surrounding beaches and docked boats. Thereâs also the occasional ferry that drives by and blows a loud horn that tourists seem to get a kick out of. Do they really think everything is organically sourced?
God, sometimes she really hates tourists.
This is a nice place, though. Itâs not somewhere you go for fine dining, but their brunch is divine, itâs got a good atmosphere, and the new bartenders sheâs hired this summer make better drinks than you can get at any reasonably priced bar in a ten-mile radius. She likes this little part of the island, and even though she hates tourists, they do fund her entire life. So maybe she hates them a little less than usual when the paychecks roll in.
Today is not a day where the paycheck is rolling in.
Emma notices some of the tables are a little slow, so she picks up the slack, getting drinks and refills and checking on meals. It keeps her on her feet for most of the morning and through the lunch rush, but when itâs over, she collapses on a stool at the end of the bar.
âChip, can you get me a coffee?â she asks without looking up. âI donât care what milk or creamer you put in it as long as you donât bring it to me black. Though, I think I need the caffeine so badly that Iâd drink it. I donât know why I agreed to work the late dinner shift at The Oaks last night. Iâm exhausted.â
When she doesnât get a response, she looks up for Chip. Heâs nowhere to be seen, and when she checks her phone schedule, she realizes itâs his break time. Of course it is.
âLass, I donât believe the barkeep is here anymore.â
âYeah, itâs his break, but I can help you. Whatâs your poison?â
âThe coffee youâre having.â
Emma nods and turns to look at the man talking to her, and if she wasnât so tired, she would have recognized the voice a hell of a lot faster than she did. A lot of different accents pass through this place, but heâs the first British one in awhile. Also the first one to show up in her backyard. Or the Fishersâ backyard, technically, but sheâs been renting it for long enough for it to feel like her own even if sheâs changed very little of the furniture and decorations outside her bedroom.
Killian. She thinks that was his name. Honestly, sheâs surprised she remembers anything because she was in such a rush to get to work that she didnât have time to deal with all the people at her house. But he was unexpected and attractive â sheâs not blind to attractive men no matter what Ruby and Mary Margaret think â and he threw her off for a minute. He looked familiar, but she has no idea why. Thereâs no way she would have met him before.
But she also doesnât care. Sheâs got a gut feeling that she needs to watch out for him, that thereâs something thatâs not right, and him being at her job is proving that to her. What are the odds that heâd wander in a few days after meeting her when sheâs pretty sure heâs never been here before?
Then again, maybe thatâs why heâs familiar. Itâs June. A lot of people come through here, and sheâs not going to remember all their faces. Sometimes she does, though, in the back of her mind where vague, slightly blurry memories reside.
âSure thing,â Emma sighs, standing from the stool. âDo you have a server?â
âAye. Heather, I believe, butâŚâ
âBut sheâs on her phone.â Emma shakes her head. âMy bossâs niece. Not much I can do about it, but Iâll get you your coffee, a water, and take your order right away.â
He nods, going back to his own phone, and Emma takes that as her cue to get behind the bar and start making some coffee. She doesnât usually work this machine, so it takes her a minute to get it right all while she feels Killian staring at her.
âDo you need any suggestions on the menu?â Emma asks as the coffee percolates.
âHow are the salads?â
âI prefer things with more calories, but theyâre good. Our vegetables are fresh, and I personally enjoy the strawberry poppyseed with chicken, but I know not everyone loves fruit in salads.â He hums behind her as his mug fills, and she grabs some milk from the fridge under the sink, turning to show him. âMilk okay?â
âItâs perfect, Swan.â She raises her brows, which he mirrors, until he cocks his head forward and his lips form an obnoxious little smirk. âOn the nametag, love.â
âNow, what did I say about being your love?â
âThat youâre not.â
âExactly.â She finishes making his coffee and hands it over. Heâs a customer, she reminds herself. Sheâs got to try to be a little bit nicer than she wants to be. âSo, the salad? If youâre looking more toward the healthy options with protein, the grilled chicken breast on its own is fantastic. You get two sides, which you can find at the bottom of the menu.â
He nods and looks at the menu for half a second before looking up. âThe salad would be great. Thank you.â
He picks up his mug, pointing it toward her, and Emma takes it as a dismissal so she can put his order in, and hopefully she can get Heather to do her damn job and serve him for the rest of the meal. She doesnât like that he knows where she lives and works, and even though she doesnât think Ariel and Eric spend time with shady people, something about him gives her weird vibes.
His face just looks so damn familiar, and usually sheâs really good remembering faces. Huh.
And Emma is usually right about these things. Heâs likely nothing more than a rich man looking for a break from life by renting out a large house on the island. Heâll spend a week or two, maybe a month depending on his work situation, here, sleep with as many women as he can, and then heâll go, never thinking of Marthaâs Vineyard again. And sheâs pretty sure Ariel does something having to do with high-powered people over in London, so he fits the profile. God, she must have seen him before with Ariel or something. That has to be it.
But for now, heâs a customer, and since Heather seems to be completely checked out, Emma guesses sheâs going to have to deal with him. After this morning, he wonât be the worst person she has to deal with all day, and since sheâs working at The Oaks tonight, she imagines being treated like shit then will outshine all of this.
Why the hell did she decide to pick up so many shifts at The Oaks? Itâs a stuffy country club where tips reflecting the price of the meal arenât even guaranteed, but itâs extra money with a flexible schedule. Sheâs doing okay on the money front right now, though, and if she were sane, sheâd take some time off and relax, maybe enjoy the beach or any of the hundreds of good restaurants around here.
She is obviously not sane.
-/-
âOh my God,â Emma grumbles as she strips out of her jean shorts, kicking them to the ground before unbuttoning her shirt. âIâm so tired of people.â
âIâm people,â Ruby says. âNice bra, by the way. The girls look great.â
Emma rolls her eyes, but she does glance down at her boobs and hike them up a bit. They do look great today. âShut up.â Emma picks up the black dress she has to wear at the country club and slips it over her shoulders. âYou know Iâm not tired of you.â
âThatâs because youâve barely seen me.â
âBusy. Iâm busy. I work way too much. Speaking of that, why the hell arenât you at work?â
Ruby stands from her couch and grabs her name tag from the end table. âIâm in between shifts. Grannyâs in charge downstairs. I have a five-second commute to work, unlike you. Why are you changing here again?â
âDonât want to run into any of the people at my house.â Emma smooths her dress and turns to Rubyâs mirror to reapply lipstick and put on some mascara. Sheâs got to wash her hair tomorrow. Itâs hanging by on a thread today, if that thread is a little greasy and has a hell of a lot of dry shampoo in it. âBut donât worry, tomorrow, I will be out of your hair as they will soon be out of mine.â
âYou know Iâm always fine with you being in my business. Mary Margaret and David are coming here for dinner tonight. Any chance you can slip away?â
Emma finishes another coat of mascara. âCanât. Working until past closing and then heading straight home to sleep in my house of strangers.â
Ruby laughs, carefree as always, and for a moment, the jealousy stings. Ruby has plenty of her own shit going on, but she always handles it with such ease. Sheâs the most carefree person Emma has ever met, and Emma canât imagine living like that without way too much alcohol in her system.
âI told you that you could stay with me this week. Have I ever said itâs batshit crazy that they come to visit and are okay with you still staying there? Because that is batshit crazy.â
Emma shrugs and pulls back to take in her appearance. This is as good as itâs going to get. She doesnât think sheâll be using her looks to get her any tips tonight, which is a crying shame since thatâs half the reason she took this job in the first place. She knows exactly how to charm some of the older men into giving her more money by flirting a little, and sheâs not ashamed that she has to give away her dignity to do it. She had to hire a dinner-shift manager at the Blue Dog because she was doing the work of two people with the pay of one. Now sheâs doing the work of five people with the pay and of one and half people, so obviously sheâs winning at life.
âIâm never there, and they seem like good people. I think theyâre just glad I actually maintain the place and am slowly but surely getting through some of the renovations.â Emma looks at her hair again and ties it up in a ponytail with the elastic from her wrist. âAny way you can make me a grilled cheese to go?â
âOnly if you agree to go to a bar with all of us sometime in the next month.â
âYeah, fine. Whatever you want.â
God, she hopes Ruby doesnât remember this conversation. The last thing she wants to do right now is go out with her friends and then end up sitting alone as they all make out with their partners and leave without telling Emma goodbye.
Actually, the last thing she wants to do is go to work again today, but here she goes.
-/-
Emma quietly turns the key in her front door. She saw that the kitchen light was still on from the street, and while the Fishers likely just forgot to turn it off, she doesnât want to run the risk of seeing them tonight. Itâs their last night here, so she only has to make it through one or two more awkward conversations before she has the house to herself. Itâll be just her and the creaky floors. She can collapse on the couch in her dress instead of having to walk all the way up the stairs and make it to her bedroom like a responsible adult.
In another world, Emma would like to own a house like this. Itâs charming. Thatâs the best way to describe it. Itâs two floors, three bedrooms, has bay windows and built-in bookshelves, and the cabinets in the kitchen are a light green. She likes that itâs not cookie cutter white all the way around like some of the nicer houses around here. It has character, and though there are a few things sheâd change beyond the needed repairs she does for the Fishers, itâs got good bones. Plus, the location is fantastic, and the backyard is spacious. It allows Emma to spend time in the sun without being stuck on a crowded beach or near a busy dock.
But this is not another world, and Emma could never afford a house this close to the coastline. Sheâs got no idea why she still lives here. Well, thatâs not true, she knows exactly why she still lives here, and itâd be possible for her to pick up and move inland toward Boston. She justâŚshe canât. Sheâs been here for ten years after leaving her last foster home in Brockton, and itâs been a comfortable reprieve. Sheâs got her friends and her job(s), and even though sheâs got years of hospitality experience, thereâs no guarantee someone like her with a GED can get a job this well-paying and accommodating somewhere else. Plus, her housing is almost free, and she really canât pass that up.
It all comes back to the house, which sheâs dreading going into now no matter how much she wants to collapse onto her bed.
(Or the couch. She really misses the couch. Itâs the best for napping.)
Emma steps inside, avoiding the places that make the floor groan, but itâs impossible to dodge them all. She tenses, then hurries across the living room toward the stairs, only turning to the opening to the kitchen at the last minute.
âHoly fuck,â Emma gasps, dropping her purse. It hits the ground in a gentle thud, her keys spilling out and clacking along the floor.
âDidnât mean to scare you there, Swan.â
Emmaâs breath hitches as she realizes who it is sitting at her kitchen table.
KillianâŚwhatever his last name is. Sheâs got no clue and doesnât care to ask. What she does want to know is why heâs sitting here alone at two in the morning like a fucking serial killer.
âWhat the hell are you doing here?â
He takes a sip of his drink, coffee she thinks from the smell, and leans back in the chair, the front legs tipping up with him. âGetting sober so I can drive home. Had two drinks with dinner, and it appears Iâve become a bit of a lightweight.â
âDonât drink much then? I thought all you Brits liked going to the pub.â
He laughs, smile bright against the black of his stubble despite her poor attempt at his accent. âWe do, but not so much me anymore. Trying to cut back.â
âYeah, I get that.â She leans down to pick up her bag, grabbing her keys and tossing them back in. âI also get that we have Uber here. You might want to try that the next time you have a little too much to drink. You look like a murderer sitting in my kitchen like this.â
âIt was two glasses of rum, nothing excessive. Wishing Ariel and Eric well before they leave in the morning.â He leans forward, the chair landing on all four legs, and downs the rest of his mug. âI donât make a habit of drinking too much.â
âI donât care what you do in your personal time. Just donât make a mess in my houseâŚor your friendsâ house, I guess. And sleep on the couch if you want. There are blankets in the basket.â
She doesnât know why sheâs offering him the couch. She should be making him leave. Her heart is still leaping out of her chest from him scaring her, and even though this has been her home for years, she technically canât ask him to leave. In reality, Ariel has probably offered him the couch already.
What a long day.
She wants it to be over.
âThatâs surprisingly kind of you.â
Emmaâs step falters, and while she was turning away from the man, she decides to turn back and narrow her eyes. What the hell is that supposed to mean? âI guess Iâm full of surprises for men who donât know me.â
âJust who are you then, Swan?â he asks, standing from the chair and putting his mug in the sink, turning the faucet on while never losing eye contact.
âWouldnât you like to know?â
âPerhaps I would.â
A shiver runs down Emmaâs spine, but she ignores it and walks up the stairs. This is a weird week, one she doesnât want to repeat, and the last thing she needs is to spend too much time with a man who thinks he can charm his way into anything with a few smooth words and a smile. Sheâs been around enough men like that in her lifetime, but it doesnât matter with him. Tomorrow, heâll be gone with Eric and Ariel, and sheâll be back to being able to walk around her house without pants whenever she wants.
Tomorrow, this weird as hell week will be over, and sheâll be back to normalâŚmostly.
-/-
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#I hope we never see october#cs fic#cs ff#cs fanfic#cs fanfiction#captain swan fic#captain swan ff#captain swan fanfic#captain swan fanfiction#captain swan
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David x Patrick, 40k so far, A03 (read from the beginning here)
It starts with a reunion... but what happens after that?
Chapter 13
Monday morning after his run David goes into the office, closes the door, and gets to work. Â He spends a little bit of time figuring out whether he needs a printer (no), and if there are any office supplies he can order from Amazon and charge to the company (possibly; a larger monitor would be nice, and they arenât actually that expensive). Â The desk and chair are functional enough, although they probably werenât meant to be used for actual nine to five activity, and David is going to feel it in his back before the day is over.
He reluctantly logs on and starts checking emails. Â Thereâs a bunch from last week that he needs to deal with, and he messages Rory to see if he can respond to some of them. Â At ten thereâs a meeting with a vendor over Zoom (and yes, he thinks, I am capable of using Zoom, Stevie), and by eleven oâclock, heâs bored.
Itâs not that his job is bad, or even difficult. Â Itâs just boring. Â Although heâs still involved with the type of products he enjoyed selling at the Apothecary, most of the joy has gone out of it. Â Now bringing in a new product means finding some way to convince the hotel operations staff that they can use it, and there are only so many travel size toiletries that a motel chain can give out without losing money.
When Patrick knocks on his door at noon, heâs more than ready to take a break. Â They bring their lunches out onto the lanai, Patrick rocking back and forth on the chair as David eats the delicious salad Patrick has prepared. Â
âI should have known youâd appreciate the grapes,â Patrick says, smiling as David takes another forkful.
âAnd the goat cheese,â David says, his mouth full. Â âItâs quite good. Â This canât have come from the Publix.â
âNo, I went to the farmerâs market in town,â Patrick says. Â âThereâs a guy there with some really nice cheeses. Â From his own goats.â
David narrows his eyes at Patrick. Â âAre you being serious?â
âWhat, you think there canât be goats in Florida?â
âIt just doesnât seem very on theme.â
âYouâd rather they try to make cheese from alligators, or dolphins? Â I donât think it would work.â
âShut up.â
âPeople used to eat the armadillos, but now they give you the plague, so you wonât find that at the farm stand.â
David stares at Patrick. Â âNow youâre definitely making things up.â
âNope.â Â Patrick grins at him, then takes a long sip of his iced tea. Â âSo, howâs work?â
David opens his mouth to complain about how bored he is, and then shuts it again. Â He has no right to complain, heâs still involved with RA, heâs still employed. Â Patrick is neither.
Patrick sees exactly whatâs going on. Â âItâs okay. Â I can take it. Â What craziness are the vendors trying to pull today?â
David hesitates, but Patrickâs face is open and heâs genuinely interested. Â He launches into his tale of woe, the repetitiveness and the limits and the damn corporate frames, and all of a sudden heâs out of breath, sitting back in his chair with his jaw on the floor.
âSorry. Â I guess itâs been grating on me for a while. Â I didnât mean to spew that all over you.â
âNo, itâs okay. Â I get it.â Â Patrick shrugs. Â âI wasnât able to find anything I liked doing as much as our store. Â Itâs different, I guess, when youâre in charge.â
David smirks. Â âWhen <i>who</i> was in charge?â
âFine â when <I>we</i> were in charge.â Â Patrickâs face changes, and David can feel it in his chest. Â âIt was ours. Â Together.â
Thatâs the rub, isnât it? Â Rose Apothecary wasnât just the ideal place to express his creative side through high-end bath products, it was a labor of love with the love of his life. Â Together.
*****
âUgh, David, why wonât you help?â
âAlexis, for the hundredth time, I canât magically lower your rent. Â Iâm already working for you for a fraction of what my time is worth. Â If youâre not making enough money and you donât want to live somewhere our parents already own, get a real job.â
âEvery time I run the numbers it looks like it should work out. Â I donât know why my projects never make what they say they will.â
âWhat who says they will?â
âMy spreadsheets!â
Like a genie responding to his name, Patrick sticks his head in the door to the office, an Amazon box in his hand.  His eyes go wide when he sees Alexis on the screen.  âDavid, um, this came for you, I didnât know if youâd need itâŚâ
âOooh, thanks.â Â Davidâs pretty sure the package contains the sketch pads and colored pencils he ordered. Â He was planning on expensing them to the account heâs working on with Alexis, but it sounds like now is not the time to discuss it. Â
He stands up and goes to Patrick, taking the box from him and putting it on the couch, then reaching out to link his arm through Patrickâs. Â Patrick is possibly even paler than usual, and seems to have lost the power of speech as he stares at Alexis. Â Sheâs staring back at him, her hands frozen in whatever little flingy motions she was making when she caught sight of Patrick.
âSo, this is incredibly awkward,â David says, looking between the two of them. Â âWhat do we say we just move past it?â
Alexis recovers first, her need to disagree with David overpowering her distress. Â âDavid,â she starts, tossing her hair and shaking her head in an effort to get herself on track. Â âItâs <i>not</i> awkward. Â Weâre fine. Peachy. Â Right, Patrick?â
David moves them a little closer to his laptop, and guides Patrick to sit down in the chair. Â âYeah, um. Â Hi, Alexis.â
Alexis twists a lock of hair around a finger and leans in close, peering at Patrick through the screen. Â âIâm sorry you got hurt,â she says, gently sincere.
Patrickâs hand flies up to his head, as if he had forgotten all about his wound. Â âIs it that noticeable?â
âItâs not, not really.â Â David slides his arm around Patrickâs shoulders. Â âIâm sure she canât even see anything,â he says softly into his ear. Â âShe only knows because I told her about it.â
Patrick looks up at David a little helplessly, and David canât help leaning in and kissing him, a hand on his cheek, not letting up even as Alexis sighs loudly at them.
âEat nails, Alexis,â he says, without much venom.
âIâm not mad,â Alexis says. Â âI get it. Â Youâre each othersâ locks.â
Patrick blinks at her, confused. Â âWe canât both be locks.â
âWhatever, youâre the key that goes in his lock, you know what I mean.â
âThatâs quite an assumption,â David says, struggling to keep his face straight.
âEew, David, shut up.â
âYou started it.â
âI donât care, you still have to help me figure this out!â
Patrick shifts, sitting up a little taller. Â With a quick glance at David, he enters the fray. Â âDid I hear you say you were having problems with your budgeting spreadsheets?â
*****
Davidâs in the living room, waiting for Patrick to finish talking with Alexis and possibly reveal that she needs to declare bankruptcy, when the landline in the kitchen rings. Â Figuring it might be the hurricane screen guys (who he needs to be nicer to, they could be saving their lives) he scoots off the couch and hustles into the kitchen to pick it up. Â When he hears the voice on the other end, he really wishes he had let it go to voice mail.
Itâs not the hurricane screen guys. Â Itâs Marcy Brewer.
âDavid? Â Is that you?â
He imagines hanging up, but that would be unfathomably rude, and this is Patrickâs mom. Â Who David hasnât spoken to in over three years. Â Who probably hates him for leaving Patrick. Â
âUm, yes, hi, hello.â
âItâs so nice to hear your voice,â Marcy says. Â Sounds fake, but whatever. Â âHow are you?â
David rocks his head back and wonders how on earth he could have gotten into this situation again â heâs not going to be mistaken for Patrickâs business partner this time around, but do Marcy and Clint know theyâre back together? Â At least Marcy doesnât seem to be surprised that David is at their house picking up the phone.
âIâm good, thanks. Â How about you?â he responds, the standard phrases giving him a moment to catch his breath.
âOh, weâre fine. Â What have you and Patrick been up to?â Â Marcy sounds friendly, interested. Â Not at all like she wishes David was suffering in the deepest levels of hell.
David forces himself to try to respond to her question, and then nearly laughs, given that they havenât been âup toâ anything nearly as raunchy as Marcy probably expects. Â Best to escape as soon as possible. Â âNot much â hang on, let me get Patrick.â
âDavid, wait,â Marcy says, and David does, pressing a hand over his eyes and hoping that this isnât the scolding he was expecting. Â Not that he doesnât deserve it, but heâs really not looking forward to it.
âWhat is it?â
âI just wanted to say that Clint and I are so pleased that you two boys are giving it another go. Â Patrickâs never been as happy as he was when you were together.â
Davidâs throat gets tight. Â Heâd like to think thatâs true. Â Patrick seemed happy, at least most of the time. Â He had said he was. Â But then how does he explain the whole Mark thing?
âIt probably seems hard, but we have faith in you,â Marcy continues. Â âWe saw what the two of you had. Â It was something special.â
âIt was,â David says, Marcyâs kind words demanding an answer.  âYou have to know, he made me happy too.  Happier than I ever thought Iâd be.  But I blew it, I screwed it upâŚâ David has no idea why these words are falling out of his mouth, itâs some kind of effect that Brewers have on him, itâs horrible.
âDonât beat yourself up, dear. Â Sometimes getting everything you ever wanted can be overwhelming. Â Patrick wasnât used to that either, you realize. Â The important thing is that youâre both trying again, and learning from what happened before. Â Youâll make it work this time.â
David lets out a long, slow breath. Â From your mouth to godâs ears, Marcy. Â âDo you really think so?â
âI do. Â I have a good feeling about this. Â I know my boy. Â It can take him a while to figure out what he wants, but when he does, look out.â
David laughs weakly. Â âIs that a good thing?â
âWell, do you want to be with him?â
Heâs positive that there arenât words in spoken language to fully express how much he wants to be with Patrick. Â âYes.â
âThen itâs good. Â Because Patrick is sure about you. Â Let yourself be sure about him. Â Not everything has to end in disaster.â
David wants to argue with her, to point out how his life is an example of exactly the opposite. Â But then he remembers a conversation with his therapist where she made him reflect on things that have gone well for him, whether or not they were shaky at some point in the past â his relationship with his parents, his bond with Alexis, his work with RA. Â His recovery, and the effort heâs put into his mental health.
Maybe his relationship with Patrick can be like that. Â Shaky in the past, but solid now.
<i>Patrick is sure about you,</i> Marcy put it. Â Maybe David can be sure, too.
âThank you,â David says to her, his brain spinning.
âAnytime. Â Now go get yourself a glass of water, and put Patrick on the phone.â
Patrick chooses this moment to appear, his eyes questioning as David thrusts the phone at him and escapes into the bedroom. Â But heâs too jittery to just sit on the bed. Â He goes into the guest room, strips, and tugs on his swim trunks and a long-sleeved swim shirt. Â He pauses to look in the mirror over the dresser, his eyes looking back at him a bit wild. Â The thin shirt is white with a black stripe down each sleeve, and he runs his hands over the smooth material. Â Not exactly haute couture but itâll do in what is feeling very much like a pinch.
David feels Patrickâs gaze on him as he breezes through the living room and out on to the lanai, not letting himself pause before jumping feet-first into the deep end of the pool. Â The water is warmer than the air, but still a bit of a shock as it surrounds him. Â He pops up to breathe, pushing his hair out of his face, and starts swimming.
David had it in his head that he was going to swim laps until he burned out his nervous energy, but he rapidly discovers that the pool isnât really big enough for that, and also that as fit as he might be, swimming seems to use different muscles than running and breathlessly swimming miniature laps in a tiny pool isnât that much fun.
He still swims back and forth a few times, then bobs around in the deep end, letting himself sink down with his hands above his head, his fingertips seemingly staying above the water even when his toes touch the bottom. Â Itâs not very deep.
The pool isnât large but it is pretty, dark blue ceramic tiles running along the waterline, and seat-like ledges set in several places in both the shallow and deep ends, presumably so that the old people doing their water aerobics can rest. Â Or maybe to sit on while sipping a tropical drink, which is a decidedly appealing thought David files away for later.
He hears steps and spins around to see Patrick, clad in a white t-shirt and Kelly green swim trunks, standing by the edge of the pool.
âHi there,â Patrick says. Â His face is wavering between fondly amused and concerned.
âI like the pool,â David says. Â He reaches out to hold on to the concrete by Patrickâs feet. Â The angle is kind of funny, looking up at Patrickâs pale legs.
âI can see that.â Â Patrick fiddles with the hem of his shirt, glancing around and then back at David. Â âYou okay?â
âYeah.â Â David tries to make this sound confident. Â Why wouldnât he be? Â Getting worked up over talking to Marcy Brewer for the first time in more than three years and then throwing himself into the deep end of the pool is dramatic, fine, but itâs not completely out of character.
âWant some company?â
David canât help but smile at this. Â âAssuming you are referring to yourself, always.â
Patrick goes over to the shallow end, where there are steps leading into the water and a curved handrail. Â He pauses, and David sees him hesitate before tugging off his t-shirt. Â David swims over, reaching out to Patrick, catching him by the waist and guiding him into his arms.
They stand in the shallow end together, David carefully running his hands along Patrickâs flanks, wary of the still healing bruises. Â Patrick relaxes, his shoulders coming down, and he rests his head on Davidâs shoulder.
âHow are you feeling?â David asks softly, a hand splayed over Patrickâs ribs.
âGood. Â Really good.â Â Patrick looks up at David and presses a finger along his eyebrow, catching a stray drop of water. Â âHow are you?â
David shudders as he remembers the call with Marcy, which the sight of Patrickâs bare skin had managed to overshadow for just a moment. Â He takes a breath and squeezes Patrickâs shoulders, putting on a smile. Â âIâm fine.â
âDid my mother say something to upset you?â
He shakes his head. Â âNo, absolutely not.â
âThen what is it?â
âYou told your parents.â
Patrick tilts his head.  âYesâŚ?â
âAbout us. Â Being <i>back together.</i>â. The phrase still doesnât sit right with him, it seems too trivial for what is going on between them, but it gets the point across.
âYeah, I did. Â Was that not okay?â
âNo, of course itâs okay, it justâŚâ
âIt surprised you.â Â Patrick gives him a rueful glance. Â âBecause I didnât tell them, before, back in Schittâs Creek.â
âI just wasnât sure,â David says, âwhen I picked up the phone and it was your mother, whether she knew? Â And then it turned out that she did know, and she said â all these unbearably <i>sweet</i> things.â
âIâm sorry, she doesnât have much of a filter.â
âNo, itâs okay, like I said, she was really nice.â
âIt was just a lot?â Â Patrick suggests.
âIt was a lot. Â And from <i>your mother.</i>â
Patrick laughs. Â âSheâs just excited.â Â He backs them a little deeper into the pool, the water now up to their shoulders.
âBut why?â Â David says, a panicked whine creeping into his voice. Â âAfter what I did, why would she think this is a good idea?â
Patrick puts his hands firmly around Davidâs waist and finds his eyes. Â âAfter we broke up, I told my parents everything. Â <i>Everything.</i>. Â Itâs kind of embarrassing, looking back on it, but I did. Â They were getting ready for a wedding too, remember? Â They didnât understand what went wrong, so I told them about Mark, and how you knew something was off. Â They donât blame you for what happened, any more than they blame me.â
David feels his chest clench. Â âAre you ever going to tell me what really was going on? Â Why you were flirting with him?â Â He doesnât mean to sound accusatory, but thereâs a part of him that needs to know <i>why.</i> Was it something he did? Â Is there something he needs to do better? Â And if Patrick canât come up with a reason, how do they make sure it doesnât happen again?
Patrick steps back from David, one hand trailing down Davidâs arm to take his hand, putting a little distance between them but still hanging on. Â âI think I was just scared of getting something I thought Iâd never have.â
âBut you were going to marry Rachel. Â You had the chance before, you knew you could have it.â
âI could have been married to Rachel, but it wouldnât have been right. Â When I was with her, there was always something missing. Â Thatâs what I thought Iâd never have, even when I couldnât put my finger on it. Â Turns out, what was missing was you.â
Patrick pulls David in, brushing a kiss over his lips. Â He tastes like tea, and pool water, and the soft warm heat of his skin. Â David melts against him, his hips swaying to bring them close. Â âIâm so sorry I didnât know how to handle it,â Patrick says quietly. Â âIt was scary because you made it right, David. Â After all that wasted time, you made it right.â
When they part, David feels giddy. Â Itâs time to commit, he can feel it. Â He can feel how easy it is to love this person, who doesnât hesitate to share his feelings with David, who isnât scared off by how strongly David feels, by him spiraling literally into the deep end. Â He knows that loving someone is a risk, but Patrick is all in, and David wants to be there too. Â
âIâm sure about you, Patrick,â he says. Â Patrickâs eyes widen, fixed on his own, and David nods, feeling the truth of it all through his body. Â âIâm sure about you, too.â
Patrick surges forward in the water and climbs into his arms, his legs coming up and around David too, almost overbalancing them as David splashes to keep them upright. Â As he steadies he wraps his arms around Patrick and kisses him fiercely. Â Getting what youâve always wanted may be overwhelming, but itâs damn good just the same.
#David x Patrick#David Rose#Patrick Brewer#Schitt's Creek fic#SC fic#Schitt's Creek#Reunion fic#Literally spiraling into the deep end
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Catch Me If You Can (34/40)
298 days. Thatâs how long Killian Jones was away from a baseball field. Itâs less than a year, only part of a season for him, but it might as well have lasted a decade as he alternated between physical therapy and spending an excessive amount of time sitting on his couch.
But then he came back and won the World Series.
Itâs something no one saw coming, and itâs certainly not something anyone who knows about his arm would predict. Now itâs a new season with new possibilities, and anything could happen. On-field reporter Emma Swan will be there to cover it all even if she is not his biggest fan right now.
Asking her out live on-air will do that.
Rating: Mature
a/n: Iâm about to sit down to write some new words for the first time in about a month, and @shireness-saysâ has permission to yell at me if I donât. Now to decide what exactly Iâm going to work on đ
Thanks to my beta @resident-of-storybrookeâ for reading all of these words and being a super cool and supportive human being.Â
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-/-
September ends without anyone ever really noticing. The weather seems to get the hint, though, the daily temperatures in the eighties dipping down to the sixties for the high, and suddenly New York no longer feels and smells like melting concrete.
In truth, itâs amazing.
Killian loves summer and loves the feel of the sunshine beating down on his skin as he spends his days standing out on a baseball field, but thereâs something special that happens when the leaves begin to change and the air has a crisp feel to it when he walks out of his apartment in the mornings to go to do his workouts or to physical therapy. Itâs nice not to sweat as soon as he goes outside, and itâs even nicer to have the feeling that washes over him to know that his team is in the play-offs.
That starts today.
Nervous energy radiates over Killian, more than usual, and heâs not even playing today. He canât quite yet, but heâs been approved to practice again and if all of that goes well, heâll be able to play during the Championship Series which means heâll qualify to play for the World Series.
If those things happen.
Heâs getting ahead of himself. He tends to do that, especially lately when so much of his life is wanting and waiting for the future, and Killian definitely needs to put on the breaks.
But the smell of cinnamon is wafting through his apartment, the television is playing pre-game shows for the start of the Division Series today, and Emma is wandering around in a pair of thick socks pulled halfway up her calves with only an oversized sweater on and her curly blonde hair falling down her back in all of its unbrushed glory.
Itâs been a crazy two and a half weeks full of them dealing with the fallout from the article and all of the trickle-down effects from it. Everything has been difficult. He wonât lie about that, but things are calming down a little more each day. Walsh has officially been fired from ESPN, and while Killian was tempted to take back his decision to not sue after Emma told him how Walsh confronted her in his office, he did eventually decide against it. The man isnât worth it.
Contacting his father to confront him isnât worth it either.
Killian thought about it, paced back and forth in his living room for hours thinking about it, but like he and Emma (and Liam and Elsa and David and Anna and Robin and every other person he knows) keep talking about, they want a reaction out of the two of them. They want to hurt them, and reacting in any ways more than absolutely necessary means that the bad guys win.
His father is not going to win. Heâs taken enough. He wonât take anymore.
And if the pattern of photographers slowly disappearing from outside of his apartment door is going to be a pattern that continues, he thinks things will turn out just fine.
What crazy path to have to go through to get to fine.
His phone buzzes on the counter next to where heâs whipping together some oatmeal raisin cookies, much to Emmaâs dismay since she insisted on him using chocolate chips instead of raisins.
Sheâll never learn.
Robin: Are you coming to the game tonight?
Killian: Yep. Iâll be there. You didnât think I was going to miss this, did you?
Robin: Possibly. Roland is very concerned that youâre not going to give us one of your famous pre-game talks, and weâre going to lose.
Killian: Tell Roland that I am giving a speech, if you guys still let me, and then I will be in the suite watching with him.
Robin: Weâll definitely still let you. I canât wait for you to come back. Itâs been too long.
Killian: Aye, it has. Soon though. You guys have to win so I donât have to wait until March to come back.
Robin: Iâll try my best but no promises.
âHow do you feel about this for the centerpiece on your dining room table?â
âHmm?â
Emma slides her laptop across the island to show him her monitorâs screen where there are several artificial pumpkins and faux foliage in a long wooden tray.
âWhatâs this for again?â
Emma rolls her eyes at him, and he canât help but smile at her as he cracks an egg over the edge of his bowl. âYou said you were thinking about hosting Thanksgiving here. Your apartment is a very âa single man lives hereâ place. I was thinking you might need something to make it more festive on the folding table youâre going to have to bring in here to accommodate everyone.â
âItâs October fourth.â
âAnd?â
âItâs October fourth.â
Emma huffs and reaches over to the bag of chocolate chips (okay, so he broke down and is making some with chocolate chips for her but only some) and grabs a few, popping them into her mouth. âI am aware of the date, Professor Jones.â He sticks his tongue out at her for her use of Willâs nickname. âI canât look at my game notes anymore without going crazy, so obviously Iâm online shopping for you to distract myself.â
âI mean, obviously. What else would you do to waste your time away?â
âWatch TV or go back to sleep. I could go pluck my eyebrows or read a book. But then I wonât know when the cookies are ready, and thatâs all Iâm really here for.â
âItâs going to be thirty minutes. Technically, I should refrigerate the dough for a day instead of popping it in the oven right away. It makes the cookies fluffier.â
âYeah, but thatâs too long.â
âGive me ten minutes, and I will come and look at your decorations that youâve picked out for Thanksgiving, aye?â
âAye, aye, Captain,â Emma tells him as she gives him a mock salute and turns around to walk toward the couch, unceremoniously falling backwards down onto the couch so that her legs hang off the side.
Insane, wonderful woman.
Killian hums to himself as he finishes making the cookie dough, and even though he should let it cool for longer than this, he simply puts the bowl on a shelf in the fridge and turns the oven on, the number six flashing up on the menu to tell him itâll be finished preheating in six minutes.
Emmaâs still lounging on the couch, all of her attention focused on the pre-game show thatâs on the TV and her fall decorations, and he takes the opportunity to lean down over her, pressing his hands into the soft material of the couch on either side of her shoulders and to dip his head down so that he can sweep his tongue into her mouth. She gasps at the sudden movement, even if she opened for him, and it causes him to smirk down at her as she shifts beneath him, giving him more space to settle between her legs with his knees on the couch. Itâs a bit of awkward movement getting settled, especially with how Emma was laying down to begin with, but they figure it out soon enough as his hand snakes up underneath her sweater to feel the soft skin of her stomach and the firm flesh of her breast. He flicks his thumb against her nipple at the same time that he finally gets to sweep his tongue against hers once more, and heâs overwhelmed by the taste of chocolate.
Sheâs obviously been sneaking in a little more than he thought she was.
âHow many chocolate chips have you eaten?â Killian chuckles as he palms her breast while her nails scratch just above the waistband of his shorts.
âThatâs not important.â
He teasingly flicks her nipple. âBut it is.â
âNope,â she mumbles with this undeniable joy in her voice. âIt isnât.â
Sometimes he still canât believe that Emma is his to kiss and to hold and to laugh with. There have been a million and one obstacles along the way, things he never even could have imagined, and yet they are still here.
Together.
Emmaâs fingers dip between the waistband of his shorts, and he hisses at her touch before reaching his free hand up to tangle in her hair and kissing her with a purpose. Sheâs so damn soft and warm against him, every movement of her lips and her tongue sending a shiver down each of the vertebrae that make up his spine as her hands ghost over his growing arousal.
âBloody hell, love.â
âThatâs what you get for judging my chocolate consumption.â
He huffs against her and trails his lips over her jaw and down to behind her ear while his hand moves from her breast to lay flat against her stomach to keep her from writhing below him so much.
âYou know I donât like chocolate too much,â he says into her ear before biting down onto the lobe.
âBut you like me.â
âAye,â he chuckles before biting down a little possessively onto the skin of her neck right in a spot that he knows will show above the dress sheâs wearing today, âthat I do.â
âDonât leave a mark.â
âIâm not leaving a mark.â
âYes, you are.â
âNo, Iâm not,â he whispers against the warmth of her skin while he purposely does keep working where she doesnât want him to work at her skin. He wonât actually leave a mark.
Emma gasps in pleasure before moving her hands away from his waist and up to his chest to push at him. Sheâs strong, heâll give her that any and every day of the week, but heâs larger than her and manages to press all of his weight down on top of her while he stops sucking a mark into her skin and simple laughs into her ear while his entire body rumbles with amusement.
âYou,â she huffs, but Killian can still hear the smile in her face and feel her lips softly brush into the hollow of his throat, âare the most obnoxious man on the planet.â
âI know. I have the trophy in my bedroom.â
âStop,â she groans, pushing at him again, and this time he listens, moving off of her and the couch only to pull her up with him. Itâs probably a little too much on his shoulder, but Emma is a little slight thing and heâs feeling good this morning. She stumbles a bit when she stands, but he wraps his hands around her lower back and tugs her closer to him so that their chests are pressed together and Emmaâs arms are loosely wrapped around his neck while she smiles one of the biggest smiles heâs ever seen that he absolutely has to taste. âYou know, I thought this was going to go in a very different direction.â
The oven beeps behind him, and Killian dips his head down to pepper kisses across Emmaâs cheek and over her mouth so quickly that every kiss is as fleeting as a whisper of air. âI had a timer going for those cookies that you keep complaining about. There was never going to be time for that.â
Her eyes roll as her fingers thread into the hair at the nape of his neck as Killian starts walking them back to the kitchen. âItâs not nice to tease a woman into thinking that sheâs going to get some action and it turns out sheâs only getting cookies.â
âThat sounds like a euphemism.â
âIt wasnât.â
âHmm, it should have been,â he laughs as he backs Emma up into the countertop so that he knows the stone is digging into her lower back. Killian squeezes her hips before running his hands down to her bare thighs and holding her there while his forehead presses against hers and their noses brush together. âI love you quite a lot, you know?â
âFunny thing, I love you quite a lot too. I also love cookies, so get on that, babe.â
âI thought you didnât like that they were oatmeal.â
âI will literally eat anything. Also, I already ordered the centerpieces for Thanksgiving.â
âI expected nothing less.â
They spend the rest of the morning piddling around the apartment, not really getting anything accomplished before they both have to get ready to go. Emma, by nature of having to curl her hair and apply her makeup, takes much longer than him to get ready, so he straightens up a little before they leave. Emmaâs things seem to spread like wildfire, and heâs not entirely sure sheâll ever be able to clean up after herself.
He doesnât know how Ruby and Graham deal with it.
Then again, they donât have to too often anymore.
A little smile creeps onto his face at the thought, his mind recalling Emma making a joke about them living together a few weeks ago, and thatâs precisely when Emma walks out of the bathroom wearing a pair of skin-tight jeans with suede boots that go up to her thighs and a tight-fitting white sweater with her hair pulled back into a high ponytail.
âWhat?â she asks as she puts in a pair of dangling gold earrings in her ear. âWhy do you have that goofy little smile on my face?â
âI was just thinking about how undeniably smoking hot my girlfriend is.â
Emma huffs and keeps putting her earrings in. âThose arenât your usual eloquent words.â
âYouâve rendered me speechless today.â
Emma walks toward him, a sweet smile on her face, and leans down to press her hands on his shoulder and squeeze. âGood.â
And then sheâs walking away from him with a pointed sway of her hips that has her ass looking absolutely spectacular. âMinx.â
âI try,â she yells from the hallway. âCome on, Jones. Weâve got a baseball game to go to, and I have to be early.â
-/-
They easily win the game against the Astros that night.
They also win the next night, even if itâs much more of a nail bitter. Killian swears that watching it from the sidelines is a million times more nerve-wracking than actually being an active participant. He feels every little mistake magnified, and his mind focuses on the mistakes more than it usually does. Instead of being able to compartmentalize, Killian keeps replaying everything to figure out how they could have done things better.
He canât change the past, but there are always improvements to be made in the future.
Focusing on the entire game instead of simply his pitching changes the perspective, and heâs going to lose all of his nails if he has to continue completely watching from up in the family suite instead of getting to be a part of the action every few days. Belle and Ariel are fine to watch with and all, but itâs not what heâs grown used to.
The past six weeks havenât been too terribly bad, at least recovery wise, but now that theyâre one win away from moving on from the Division Series to the Championship Series, Killian isnât sure that he can wait much longer to get back out on the field for something other than practice.
âBe patient,â Emma always tells him.
Heâs trying, but itâs damn hard.
Off to Houston they go.
-/-
âDo you know weâve been together for six months, and this is technically our first date?â
âAnd you only had to follow me to Texas for us to accomplish it.â
âYouâre a very cheap date.â
Emma laughs as she hooks her arm into the crook of his elbow and walks a little closer to him while they walk down the sidewalk in downtown Houston. Theyâve only been in town for two hours, and while the rest of his team is at the fields practicing for tomorrowâs game in what they all hope will be the last game of this particular series so they can get one step closer to the World Series.
He doesnât even technically have to be here since heâs still on the injury list, and while the team didnât pay for him to have a room at the hotel, heâs set in being able to stay with Emma.
So while the guys all work their asses off, he and Emma are free to wander around completely freely for the first time, well, ever.
Itâs odd still not having to worry about anyone knowing that theyâre together. Heâs still accustomed to looking over his shoulder and around every corner for someone they know or for some inane photographer to be there. And while things are still a little crazy back home, no one is paying them any attention here.
And since Emma was very rudely heckled by a few fans (though that term is used loosely) at yesterdayâs game, Killian is thankful to simply be able to get away from it all. Theyâre doing a damn good job at dealing with things, but thereâs no need to feel the weight of the world on their shoulders â especially his if he thinks of it literally â all the time.
âSo,â Emma starts as they dodge a slight puddle on the concrete, âare you still not going to tell me what weâre doing tonight?â
âNope. I know how to plan an evening. You simply have to trust me.â
âI obviously trust you, you weirdo, but Iâm curious. All Iâve figured out was that weâre not going to some stuffy restaurant, which was kind of a surprise to me.â
âAnd whyâs that?â
âBecause youâre a romantic, Mr. Jones,â Emma sighs while she pats his forearm and rests her cheek against his shoulder. âYou like to do things like get all dressed up and go to a candlelight dinner with wine and flowers and really expensive small food.â
Killian scoffs, incredulous. âThat is not the only way to be romantic. Besides, we are not dressed for something like that. I donât think they let in people with ripped jeans and white sneakers on.â
âYeah, well, this is how you told me to dress. And you have on a plaid shirt over a t-shirt, so youâre not exactly dressed up either.â
âI thought you liked it when I dressed like this. Are you complaining?â
âNo, Killian,â Emma breathes out, and he can practically feel the smile in her face, âI am not complaining. I simply want to know where weâre going.â
He doesnât say anything, just continues to guide Emma along the sidewalk and follow the path that his phone told him to take. He swears that the GPS is leading him in circles and not to the destination, but then he sees the sign a bit of a way away and lets out a little sigh of relief.
âSwan,â he starts, stopping them in their tracks and placing his hands on her hips while a smirk stretches across his face, âyou may not be a candlelight dinner kind of girl, but you are very much a smash old pieces of furniture up with a hammer kind of girl.â
Both of her brows raise high on her forehead. âWhat?â He nods his head to the building in front of them, and she turns around to look. It takes approximately five seconds for her to figure out. She spins on her toes and looks up at him with a smile that he swears reaches her ears. âI have never loved you more than I love you right now.â
âExactly my intention.â He winks and places his hands on her ass, pushing her forward. âNow, come on, love. Weâve got a reservation.â
They hurry inside where Killian checks them in, and a woman comes out with safety equipment for them to slip into. They both look ridiculous wearing body suits and face masks to protect themselves from any flying shards of glass or pieces of wood from the broken downbroken-down furniture that theyâre about to smash. Killian had simply been looking up things to do in Houston when he found this place where people pay to destroy furniture. Immediately, he knew Emma would love it, so he booked a reservation after texting Archie and making sure that his shoulder would be okay to wield a hammer.
From the absolute beaming joy on Emmaâs face, he knows that he was right in his assumption of her loving this.
The room they get assigned to destroy is ironically a set-up of an old newspaper production office, and Killian is sure that Emma is very much pretending that all of the items in here belong to Walsh or his father or any other bastard who has hurt the two of them recently or in all of their years of life.
Smashing a hammer into a computer that has to be from the nineties is quite possibly the most cathartic thing that Killian has ever done.
Fuck Brennan Jones, Walsh Osbourne, Arthur King, and every other person who has ever hurt either of them.
And after the ten minutes of their session, Killianâs arms hurt from the exertion and his stomach hurts from the laughter of it all.
Totally worth it.
âOh my God,â Emma breathes out when they walk out of the building back and into the crisp autumn air. Theyâre back in their regular clothes, sweat dripping down both of their backs, and their hair will likely never be normal again. âI take back all of my teasing about you having us go to some stuffy dinner. All of it.â
âTechnically, thereâs still time for us to go to one of those. Itâs only eight.â
âDonât even mess with me like that,â Emma laughs before pressing up on her toes to brush her lips over his. âBut I wouldnât be opposed to going to get something to eat.â
âIâve got a plan for that.â
âYou think of everything.â
âThat I do.â
Itâs a pie place two blocks over. He came here the last time they were in Houston and has been wanting to come back ever since. Pies usually arenât his favorite thing, probably why he doesnât bake them too often, but this place is downright delicious.
Heâs also glad his workouts are back to being regular because the slices of rhubarb and key lime pie that he and Emma get are practically bigger than Emmaâs head, and he fully plans on enjoying all of it.
Emma is taking large bites out of both her pie and his, as well as sipping on her mug of hot cholate, while telling him this story about David and Mary Margaret and how they have a penchant for going to karaoke bars on their date nights but usually only when theyâve had a few drinks. David is always willing to go, funnily enough, but Mary Margaret who seems like the exact type of person to enjoy singing songs and letting birds dress her in the mornings, will only go when sheâs had at least two margaritas.
And for some reason they always sing We Are The Champions as if they have the vocal range of Freddie Mercury even when theyâre not sober.
Killian would pay big money to see David Nolan, the perennial serious guy and protective older brother, willingly go and sing karaoke. In fact, he is very much offering to take the Nolans out one night when he gets more free time.
The smile thatâs on Emmaâs face mirrors the one sheâs had all night, and Killianâs heart is suddenly struck with how much he loves her. She came into his life like a whirlwind, even if it was a slow going one, and Killian hasnât looked back since.
Itâs a funny thing. Love, that is. The world can be going up in flames around you with broken shards of glass having a trajectory straight to your heart, but none of that seems to truly matter when the person youâve been vulnerable enough to give your heart to has a firm enough grip on it so that the cuts seem a little less deep.
Killianâs been in love before, and even though that relationship didnât end well, he does know that it was love. But itâs not like this. Itâs not this all-consuming thing where Killian canât imagine living life eating pie in a diner with anyone else.
Heâs known for a good while that his future, whatever it may look like, is going to be with Emma, but for some reason sitting with her and laughing with her while sheâs got the smallest bit of whipped cream on the tip of her nose has truly cemented the idea in his mind.
And his heart.
Emma waves her fork in the air as she chews. âYouâve got that goofy smile on your face again.â
âI know not to which you are referring.â
She scrunches up her nose. âYouâre thinking about David singing karaoke, arenât you?â
âYou know what, my love,â he sighs, âthatâs exactly what Iâm thinking about.â
âYou know,â Emma sighs as she smiles at him with her fork full of pie, âthat is a pretty good first date even though itâs not really our first date. I think I might like you, Killian Jones.â
Killian scoops up a bit of his pie. âDoes that mean thereâs going to be a second date?â
âAnd possibly a third, but donât think that means Iâm going to sleep with you.â She winks at him, and he canât help but laugh. âA lady likes to be courted first.â
-/-
They win the next day.
Four more wins, and theyâre going to the World Series.
Itâs almost unreal, and yet it very much is real.
Theyâve just got to beat the Red Sox first.
-/-
âAre you nervous?â Liam asks Killian two days later as he sits on the examination table in the hospital waiting for his doctor to come in with the results of his six-week follow-up MRI and the reports from Archie on how his shoulderâs movement is recovering.
Heâs barely felt any pain in the past two weeks besides the occasional twinge, and while Killian has tried to tamper down the hope that things are going to be okay, it hasnât worked. His mind is already imagining him underneath stadium lights standing on that mound with thousands of people cheering around him.
Thatâs one of the things that he lives for. Not the only thing but a damn important thing.
And he wants to be back.
He needs  to be back.
âYes and no,â Killian tells his brother as his fingers tap against his thigh. âYou didnât have to come and wait for me, you know? I know you have your own patients.â
Liam shrugs his shoulder and sits down in the chair they leave for guests. âYou said Emma couldnât get out of a meeting at work, so I figured youâd want someone to be here.â
âIâm a grown man. I can handle going to the doctor by myself.â
âThe fact that weâre in here right proves that isnât true.â
âAss,â Killian mumbles underneath his breath.
âIâve made no claims to be anything else.â Liam looks damn proud of himself for having annoyed Killian, and it seems par for the course of things. âAre you surprised we havenât heard anymore from Brennan?â
Killianâs teeth grind at just the sound of the name, but he quickly unclenches his jaw. âNo. He wanted a reaction and more money. He didnât get it. All that came from the bloody article was that I got followed around by cameras for three weeks and Emma had to put up with shit from men who are nothing more than assholes. Why do you ask?â
âI was thinking about it is all. Momâs birthday is tomorrow, and that always makes me think of growing up, you know? Iâm so much older than you and had such a different experience with them, and I do get a bit sentimental even if our father ended up simply being an over-involved sperm donor.â
âFunny, thatâs how Elsa describes you.â
Liam reaches into the box of rubber gloves and snaps one at Killian only for him to catch it and for a smirk to slowly stretch across his lips. âAnd you call me an ass.â
âBeing an ass is simply in our blood.â
âAnd yet two of the most incredible women in the world have chosen to spend their lives with us.â
Killian raises a brow. âDo you know something I donât know?â
âNo,â Liam chuckles, spinning in the chair. âI didnât mean anything like that. Emma isnât filing marriage papers or anything. I simply mean that the two of us, screw-ups that we are, have managed to get pretty lucky with both Elsa and Emma. Itâs a big commitment to be stuck with a Jones man.â
âAh,â Killian sheepishly sighs while reaching up to scratch behind his ear, âwell, like you said, Emma isnât technically stuck with me.â
âNo?â
âNo.â âAnd yet she wears momâs ring around her neck. You hadnât taken that off in years, and suddenly I see someone else wearing it.â
âYep.â
âYep? All you have to say to that is yep?â
âAye,â he laughs, suddenly feeling a bit shier than he has in years. And itâs in front of Liam of all people. He hasnât been shy in front of Liam in years. âIs thatâŚare you upset about that?â
Liamâs brow pinch together, all of the lines on his forehead focusing in one place before they fall back to their normal spot and a soft smile graces his lips. âNo, Killian, Iâm not. IâŚthere was a reason we each got the same amount of momâs jewelry. She wanted us to give the pieces to the women we love. Iâve given pieces to Elsa, and youâve given a piece to Emma. Mom would like that.â
âWould she? Do you think sheâd like Emma?â
âSheâd be obsessed with her. I think she may love her more than Addy and Lucy combined love Emma.â
Killian snickers as warmth spreads across his cheeks and his head nods up and down. âThatâs a lot of love there.â
âThere was a lot of love in her heart.â
His mouth opens to say something else, but then the door to the exam room is opening and Killianâs doctor is walking in with a clipboard and absolutely no emotion on his face.
âDo you want the good news or the good news?â he asks, and Killianâs heart leaps.
âBoth.â
âWell,â he sighs, crossing his arms over his chest, âas long as you continue to monitor your shoulder, youâre cleared to play again. Congratulations, Mr. Jones.â
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