#or is she afraid her mom would be overwhelmed by the truth (as King suggested)

[wingsyliveblogs]

Time for a little more nighttime liveblogging! I’m getting more and more apprehensive about where this episode is going, but I’m sure Luz will be fine. Eventually. Probably. 

Is... is she aiming to win by confusing Grom so much it can’t figure out how to retaliate? Or is she trying to find a way to scare it back??

There’s a slim chance that more unorthodox tactics might actually be effective against it, since I imagine that the students chosen to fight would generally be more serious types. (Unless, say, Eda was chosen at some point while she was still attending Hexside..? She did kind of give off the impression that she has firsthand experience with this sort of situation... but it’s possible she was just being dramatic. It would be hard to say for sure either way unless it comes up in the episode, though.)

gee I wonder what the source of Luz’s worst fear could possibly be

[krreader]

ensorcell | chapter 8.

pairing: prince!taehyung x reader  fandom: bts warnings: non idol!au ; prince!taehyung ;  arranged marriage ; language ; sex  genre: fluff ; angst ; smut word count: 2.7k+ previous: 1 ; 2 ; 3 ; 4 ; 5 ; 6 ; 7

summary: it was funny, how meeting one single person could change your life forever. you were ordinary, he was not. he was rich, you were not. he fell in love with you and so did you. even though he was never supposed to.

a/n: i’m so sad I never get to update my originals as much as I want to, but I’m really happy when I do. especially with this one BECAUSE IT’S FINALLY SEXY TIME

It was on days like these that you were harshly reminded of not really belonging here.

It was on days like these that you realized that the girl struggling in college to get her degree and having frequent anxiety attacks due to the uncertainty of the future was the real you that you had left behind to play pretend. Because unlike some others, you were not cut out to play this game of royal intrigues that some seemed to excel in.

“You're mad.. aren't you?” the familiar voice would have made you turn around and smile a few hours ago, but now you kept your eyes firmly on the horizon and watched the sun set in the royal gardens while royal guards and maids were all around you, making sure that you were well taken care of.

Why, you might ask? Well, because they all thought you were carrying a royal heir, thanks to the man that now sat down next to you. When in reality, the only thing you were carrying was the weight of the lies that kept piling up.

“I'm not mad. I know why you did it,” when Taehyung let out a relieved sigh, you quickly added, “Doesn't mean I like what you did, though.”

“I had to say something. I've gotten so many inquiries about whether the rumors about Dae and me were true today, I knew the only way to make it stop was to say you were pregnant. A royal heir is the most precious thing a kingdom could have. You being pregnant will put an indefinite end to any possible other 'proposals' that my father could make.”

“But I'm not, Taehyung. I'm not pregnant. And I don't intend to get pregnant. Because in case you forgot, we've only been dating for a few weeks. Marrying is a big step after such a short amount of time, but having a baby?”

“I know,” he put his elbows on his knees and his face in his hands, brushing them over his tired eyes in desperation, “I thought it was the best solution at the time. I should have discussed it with you first, I'm sorry.”

It was a mess. A mess that would be hard to get out of, but at the same time, you really couldn't bring yourself to be angry with him. His father would have married him off to someone that he hated. He did it to ensure that the two of you could stay with each other. In some way, it showed you that he did it because, like his sister said, you meant a lot to him. And from the way he was acting now, a child hadn't been something that he had considered so early on either.

So at least you were on the same page in that sense.

Now, you'd have to figure out how to fix this and get out of this without birthing a baby in nine months. It’s not like you already had enough shit on your plate already.

“Give me a second,” you said when you felt your phone vibrate in your pocket, letting out a heavy sigh when you saw the name on the display. You already knew you were in deep shit when you answered, “Let me explain..-”

“No, you let me talk now and you just listen,” your mother started angrily, “You run off with some foreign prince that I've never met in my life without so much as a word to get married to him, because there is no other way to stay together, despite you and him only knowing each other for a few hours. Then you get knocked up by said prince before even getting married to him and are now pregnant without even having finished college yet and having absolutely zero fucking stability in your life while being in a country that is not home. Did I get all the details right?”

You clenched your jaw as you looked at the terrified 'foreign prince' that your mother seemed to like so much. Taehyung maybe should have asked more about your family, now that he was hearing her scream like this.

“I'm not pregnant, mom,” you lowered your voice, “It's.. extremely complicated and I promise I will explain it all eventually, but I am not pregnant, okay?”

“You know what? I've had enough. I'm taking the next flight out and I am taking you home with me.”

That alarmed Taehyung so much that he sat up straight, but you just put your hand on his leg to stop him from worrying, “I'm not five anymore, mom, you can't just come and get me. I'm an adult who can make her own decisions and I've made this one. I am getting married, with or without your approval.”

You knew that she was worried. That her saying that wasn't said out of any ill-will, but she was worried sick for you being here, so far away from home where she couldn't be with you.

And she instantly showed that side of herself when her voice broke a little, “Just come home, sweetheart. We can figure all of this out when you're back here. And maybe your boyfriend could come here too? Why can't he just..-”

If only it were so easy.

“Mom,” you got up and started walking, wanting a moment alone with your mother, “I miss you as much as you miss me, so I'm going to suggest that maybe, if you can, come here and spend a few days here. I actually would really like you to be here for the wedding. I want you to meet Taehyung and see what a great guy he is and his mother and sister, who take such good care of me. I want you to meet them.”

“It's not them I'm worried about. It's everything else. You don't understand how big of a thing this is, the media coverage on all of this is insane. Everyone is suddenly talking so much about you and I'm so afraid of what it's turning you into. I just don't want anything to happen to you, so leaving now..-”

“..- is not an option, I'm sorry, mom,” you said firmly, but at the same time, with a soft undertone, “Call (Y/B/F). She'll be here soon, maybe you can take the same flight as her. I'll prove to you that I'm doing okay and that you won't have to worry about me. I've got this.”

Fake it till you make it, right?

“How could you be so stupid?!” the king was pacing up and down the room, the queen and Taehyung's brother and sister all sitting across from you and him on a couch opposite, “I told you, the worst thing that you could do is get her pregnant and you do exactly that. This is an outrage!”

“Have you even listened to the news? Read an article? Because everything I've seen so far is well-wishes and happiness,” Taehyung leaned back and crossed one leg over the other, “We live in the 21st Century, father. Having a child before marriage isn't as big of a deal anymore as when you were younger.”

He was challenging him, so much that his mother had to gently shake her head to tell him to stop.

The king was already furious enough. Taehyung shouldn't add more fuel to the fire.

You had thought that Taehyung might have told his father the truth about the situation, but that would make little sense. What he did was to stop him from trying to ruin yours and his relationship. If he caught wind of this pregnancy being fake, it would be back to him trying to marry Taehyung off to princess Dae. His mother seemed to be unaware of the situation as well. Only his sister knew, why she did, though, you didn't know. Maybe Taehyung had confided in her beforehand.

“I thought I had raised you well, you know?” gone was the mad king, now all that you could see on his face was disappointment, “But ever since you met her..-” and as soon as your eyes met his, it was back to anger, “..you ruined everything.”

Taehyung let out a snort and got up, “If that's everything you have to say, then we shall take our leave. My fiancé has to rest,” he emphasized the word fiancé, which only seemed to make his father angrier.

But before this could escalate any further, he pulled you up by your hand and out of the room, walking with you to your bedroom.

And as soon as the doors behind you two were closed, his shoulders slumped and you could see just how tired he actually was.

You weren't the only one that was drained by all of this, he just hid it better than you.

Taehyung moved to the bed, then sat down on the foot of it and closed his eyes for a moment.

You watched him, but couldn't do so for long. Your need to reach out and support him was too great. And so you followed him and knelt down before him, gently cupping his face in your hands so that he looked at you.

“This is all my fault,” he whispered, “I made it worse.”

“Why did you do it? I mean.. really, why did you take such a drastic step?”

He looked into your eyes for a long while, then he put his hands over yours to hold them, his eyes becoming sadder by the second, “I was scared to lose you. The only one that I ever had feelings for and that I wanted to spend my future with. That was selfish, wasn't it?”

The corner of your mouth curled into a smile, “I wouldn't be here anymore if I didn't feel the same way about you.”

And the longer this eye contact lasted, the harder your heart beat against your chest. So much, that it felt like it was about to jump out. The urge to kiss him, to hold him and just... be with him, was so overwhelming that you couldn't hold back anymore.

And for the first time since you came here, it felt like you shut off your brain and just listened to your heart. You leaned up and kissed him, carefully at first because you were afraid of taking it too far, but Taehyung was as desperate for this as you were.

This wasn't even about sexual needs, this was about feeling the other person so close to you, to feel a union that would bring you closer together and would help you feel a little better in a shitty situation like this.

He wanted that too... so he deepened the kiss.

You sighed against his lips and slowly got up, only so you could straddle him a moment later.

His hands traveled from yours to your waist, holding you so tightly that you felt like his hands were leaving marks on your skin.

Keep in mind that you haven't had a proper moment like this since that first kiss that you shared back home. All those emotions, those feelings... you both just bottled them up because you had no other choice. But now, the bottle was overflowing. And there was no going back anymore.

Taehyung fell back into the mattress, you with him, without ever breaking the kiss once.

The only moment you both did, was for you and him to take off your shirts, then it was back to exploring the others mouth.

Fingertips running over your back, a trail of goosebumps forming where they touched and once he unclasped your bra, your entire upper body was covered in them.

One of his hands came up to your neck to hold it firmly, his thumb brushing against your jaw, stopping to kiss you for a moment, but leaning his forehead against yours and breathing heavily.

You thought he might say something, but he couldn't. It was all too much in that moment. Too many feelings and emotions. All he could do was quickly turn you around so that you were lying on your back and he on top of you.

His lips found their way to your neck, beginning to kiss every single spot on it.

Your hands were running through his beautiful and soft hair, letting out quiet moans every time he found a spot that made you shiver.

It was clear that he wanted to make you feel good. As if he wanted to make up for something, which he really didn't have to. But as his lips wrapped around your nipples, you couldn't bring yourself to say no. Not when his tongue felt so good and felt even better when it was finally between your exposed legs.

You had only been able to imagine what kind of lover he was before, but you were glad to see that – despite not knowing his sexual history – he seemed to know what he was doing. His tongue was caressing your clit, kissing it and biting down on it every now and again. Every time your moans became louder, he slowed down, just so you could fully enjoy this and he could draw this out for as long as possible.

He didn't say a word, just enjoyed making you feel beautiful, loved and outright good. 

Soft kisses, hard kisses, sucking on it.. he drove you mad relatively quickly.

“I think..- I think I'm..-” you couldn't finish this sentence, Taehyung had already felt your grip tighten in his hair. He licked on your clit like he had before and to top it all of, sucked on it a little harder than he had earlier. And that was all it took to bring you over the edge and to have you moan out his name. Loud.

Your body became limp afterwards, breathing heavily as he kissed his way back up.

A grin had spread on his face, kissing your cheek when he whispered, “I should thank whoever built this castle for making the walls thick.”

You let out a chuckle and spread your legs a little wider, grinning when he looked down, “You're not done, though, right?”

“Right..-” he dipped his head to kiss you once, twice, then he leaned down to your ear, his hardened length now resting against your throbbing clit, “Are you sure?”

Butterflies erupted in your belly when he said that. This caring and wonderful man, still worried if you maybe didn't want to continue after all this... it might have been stupid to think that way, but in that moment, you thought to yourself: ‘It's all worth it...’

“Yes,” you wrapped your arms around his neck, “I want you. All of you.”

“You have me,” he whispered back, slipping inside you so easily because of how wet you were, “All of me.”

You had seen his dick earlier and had seen that it was long, but now that he was actually inside you, rock-hard at that, you could really feel just how long.

The moment he was completely buried in you, you let out a breath that you had unconsciously been holding and waited for him to continue.

But it took him a while.

He just waited, held you in his arms and kissed your cheek every now and again. 

“Hey.. are you okay?” you asked eventually, putting your hand on his cheek to make him look at you.

And when he did, you were surprised to see tears in his eyes. Worry filled your face, but he quickly laughed, “Shit, I'm sorry. I'm just... I just really needed this.”

“My vagina?” you said, mainly to lighten the mood. And it did.

Taehyung let out a laugh and kissed your forehead, “No.. happiness. A moment of peace. With the woman that I'll marry.”

Your smile softened, your thumb brushing over his cheek, “Well then.. why don't you show your wife-to-be what she can expect from her future husband?”

“Many,” he pulled out a little, “many,” then pushed back in, a little harder than the first time to make you moan, “Orgasms.”

Now, that was music to your ears.

And the moans that escaped his throat afterwards as he continued pushing himself inside you again and again were an even sweeter melody. Every time he moaned your name and told you how good you felt, your heart felt like it was exploding.

This is what you had both needed.

Because now, there was no uncertainty anymore.

This was right. This felt right. You and him together.

And whatever obstacle would come your way, you would face it.

Together.

[donteattheappleshook]

Stone Hearts Chapter 13/13 - Epilogue

Here it is. It’s finally totally done. This is the first MC fic that I’ve completed and it took me a really long time but I wanted to say thank you to everyone who liked and reblogged and commented and flailed over this story. It might be cheesy to say but I could not have done it without all the support. You taking the time to tell me that you enjoyed this story kept me writing even when I didn’t want to.

So, after nearly 3 years (yeesh) here is the end of Stone Hearts. 

Summary:

Emma should have known. She should have known that they couldn’t just go to the underworld and not suffer any consequences. She should have known they’d bring something back with them.

Cannon Divergent after 5x21 Last Rites. No Hyde. No serum. No Evil Queen split. No prophecy. No season 6.

Read from the beginning on Ao3 or FFn because tumblr eats all my italics.

Rated E

Epilogue

“He’s going to forgive you, Swan,” Killian said, reaching for her hand where it was clutching the steering wheel, knuckles white.

“You don’t know that,” she said. “I sent him away. I'm his parent and I left him. You know how that feels.”

“Aye, I do. And so do you,” he answered, his thumb brushing back and forth over the back of her hand. “But you forgave your parents because they sent you away to protect you, to keep you safe - just as you did.” 

“But what if he doesn’t?” she asked, finally turning to look at him briefly before looking back at the road. They were nearly at the town line. After defeating the King, Emma, Killian, Belle and Tink had all found their way to Granny’s where all of the formerly cursed folk seemed to have ended up. 

There was confusion at first, chaos, anger and resentment over what cursed people had done to the uncursed. And there was regret, guilt and remorse over the actions that the cursed people’s bodies had taken without their consent. Storybrooke had been in a state of panicked relief that, while it would take a while for the wounds to truly disappear, her parents had been able to calm it slightly with another of their excellent hero speeches - for the time being.

Once that had settled, there was the matter of finding everyone, making sure each townsperson was accounted for and - Emma hated to think it even now - alive. The census was still in progress. People had been found all over - the mines, the forest - may with no sense of where they were when they woke up, or how to return home. They were still finding people now, two days later.

That was why Emma had waited until now to go get Henry. At least that was what she was telling herself. Her first thought after finding her parents and her friends and seeing that they were safe was that she needed to get him. But one look around and the state of the town had her believing this was not a good place for him to return to - not like this. 

She wanted to wait until the waters had calmed before bringing him home. The town would be forever changed but she didn’t want Henry to fall prey to the madness and the threats and the fear that had surrounded them for the first thirty-six hours after the curse broke. It wasn’t safe. 

But now she couldn’t wait any longer, didn’t want to wait any longer. She missed him. It had only been four days but not having him with her, not being in contact, not knowing if he was safe. She hated it. She wanted her son back. But she was so so afraid. 

The way he had looked at her when she tricked him into crossing the barrier - the anger and the hurt and the betrayal had felt like - well it felt like having her heart ripped out of her chest. What if he hated her? What if he never forgave her for this? Henry had always wanted to be the hero, had always wanted to do right, and she’d denied him that. 

“Emma, I can feel your heart racing,” Killian said, giving her hand a little squeeze. That was a strange side effect to the heart split, one she was still getting used to. It wasn’t unpleasant, per say, but it was new and unlike anything she’d ever experienced. They couldn’t feel everything the other felt, that would have been a whole other story. But, whenever one felt something acute, something overwhelming and intense, the other had a small sense of it, an echo in their own chest. 

They hadn’t had much experience with it yet, seeing as both had been living in a state of shared, high alertness for days now. But when Killian first saw one of the men he had gravely wounded, a deep welt still in the man’s shoulder, she had felt her heart flutter in her chest, like a feeling that something was wrong, an intuition. She hadn’t seen the man until she turned to find Killian, frozen in place as he stared at him, tense and breathing quickly. 

She took a deep breath. Tried to calm her pounding heart. 

“He will forgive you. I know a boy’s love for his mother. And I know Henry’s love for you. He may be angry,” he said and at least he was being honest. “But he’ll forgive you. In time.” 

She nodded, a little appeased by his assurance. He smiled at her softly and brought her knuckles to his lips, brushing a kiss against them. They were nearly at the line. They’d managed to text Ruby and had learned that she and Henry had been holed up at a motel for the last two days. Both of them were safe. They had arranged to meet them here at five, the King’s spell on the town line having disappeared along with his curse. 

Regina was in the car behind them. Snow and David following closely too. At first she’d worried about overwhelming him but she knew that Henry would want to see them all, that he would need to be assured that they were safe. And maybe a small part of her hoped that if he was wrapped up in the happiness of the reunion he wouldn’t remember to be as angry with her.

“Are you ready?” Killian asked as she put the bug in park. She wasn’t. She definitely wasn’t but she needed to see him and she needed to hold him in her arms and make sure he was really alright. 

She could see him, standing right at the edge with Ruby, looking eagerly at the cars that were approaching. He looked a little less tired, a little less hungry than he had the last time she’d seen him. 

Emma nodded. She was ready.

She’d hardly made it out of the car before she was bowled over by the force of a fourteen year old crashing into her. She took only a minute to be surprised, to be caught off guard before she wrapped him in a bone-crushing hug. 

“I knew you’d do it,” she heard him say from where his face was buried somewhere in her shoulder. Emma let out as small sob as she held him even closer, even tighter, as though that were possible. When she was pretty sure that she’d managed to squeeze absolutely every last bit of air from his lungs, she pulled back, took his face in her hands and bent down a little so they were at eye-level. She tried not to think about the fact that they wouldn’t be at eye level much longer at the rate he was growing. 

“I thought you’d hate me,” she admitted. Henry gave her an eyebrow raise that was so reminiscent of Killian it was almost eerie. 

“I don’t hate you. You’re my mom. I was really really mad at you.” Emma swallowed but let him continue. “But I was able to calm down after a bit and Ruby made me understand why you did it. It was like when I was born. You wanted to keep me safe.” Emma nodded, tears starting to blur her vision. “But mom, you can’t keep protecting me forever. Eventually you have to let me start fighting the battles with you.”

“No more battles -” she tried but he shook his head. 

“This is Storybrooke, Mom. There’s always a chance of something happening. We can’t make the mistake of pretending that’s not the truth. Not again.” 

Emma brushed some of his hair back, looked at him and really saw him - saw how much their latest tragedy had changed him, aged him, but also made him stronger. Even now he spoke to her with confidence way beyond his years. He was growing up. She had to accept it. 

“When did you get so wise?” she asked. 

“I’ve always been wise,” he scoffed and Emma laughed. “So will you let me help next time?”

“How about when you’re thirty?” Emma suggested with a small curl to her lip. 

“Mom.” 

“Fine. Twenty-eight. That’s the first time I fought a monster. Sounds fair.”

“Mom!”

Emma smiled at him. “Why don’t we deal with that when it happens,” she suggested, a peace offering. “For now, I’m just so happy you’re alright and you’re safe. I don’t want to think about the next time I could nearly lose you. Is that okay?”

She could tell by his expression that he wasn’t going to give this up, that they’d have this discussion again. But for now, he nodded and hugged her again.

“From what I saw of that slingshot, the boy does pretty well for himself against monsters already,” she heard Killian say behind her. Henry’s head instantly shot up, looking over her shoulder.

“Killian!” he cried before detangling himself from her and rushing at the man with as much force as he’d rushed her if Killian’s grunt at the impact was any indication. “You’re okay!” 

Emma wasn’t sure if the swell in her chest was because of her or Killian. It was probably both, but she watched as Killian put his hand on the back of Henry’s head and wrapped his hooked arm around him, a small awed smile on his face, like he still couldn’t quite believe that Henry cared for him as much as he did for Henry. She knew how much it affected him this time, she quite literally felt it tug at her heartstrings. 

“Aye, I’m alright,” he promised. 

“I never got to say thank you for saving me,” Henry said, pulling back. “In the mines.” 

Killian took hold of the side of his face, met his gaze. “Always, Henry,” he told her son. “I’d lay down my life for you.” Emma knew it was true, and she knew Henry did too. Her son clapped Killian on the shoulder in a very grown up sort of way and she saw Killian smile, she felt her own smile pulling at her lips. 

“Henry?”

“Mom!” he shouted, rushing past Killian to Regina who was getting out of her car. She received an equally enthusiastic tackle. 

Emma turned then to find Ruby. She closed the distance between them in a few strides, wrapping her arms around her friend’s neck and pulling her close. “Thank you,” she said as Ruby’s hands found her back. “Thank you for everything. I couldn’t have let him go if I didn’t know that you would keep him safe. Thank you for protecting him.” 

“Of course,” Ruby said, pulling back to look at her. “We’re family. We’re all family now.” She turned then to Killian who had joined them. “Glad to have you back, Captain,” she said with one of her cheeky smiles. “That pretty face isn’t nearly as fun without the swagger to go along with it."

Killian laughed. “I missed you too, Ruby. Thank you for everything. For helping Emma, for taking care of Henry…” 

“We should be thanking you guys for breaking the curse,” she said, looking between the two of them. 

“Yeah,” Henry piped up from beside David's truck. “How did you guys break the curse anyway?” 

Emma and Killian looked at each other, both of them going a little red as they smiled at one another. Killian scratched behind his ear. 

“True love’s kiss,” Emma told them. 

“But how?” David asked, with a surprised frown. “We tried that with Snow and I. The curse was too strong. Their memories were buried too deep to let them remember their feelings.” 

“Yeah and you hated Killian when he was cursed,” Henry added. “No offence,” he added for Killian’s sake. 

“None taken. But, it would seem that Emma cannot resist my charms regardless of my altered persona. Cursed or not, I am still startlingly handsome.” He had the biggest shit-eating grin on his face and Emma raised a brow at him. 

“Yeah, keep going,” she said. “See how far those charms get you.” 

Killian laughed. “And I, even in my cursed state, fell in love with her. It would seem it takes more than a lack of memories, feelings, and a heart encased in stone to sway the hold you have on me, Love.” He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, placed a kiss to her temple. Okay, he was nearly forgiven.

“Oh, you have to tell us that story,” Ruby said, looking way too intrigued while Mary Margaret put both her hands to her heart and sighed a little 'oh'. 

“Yeah! And I want to hear how you defeated the King!” Henry insisted. 

“Perhaps,” Regina interjected. “We should do this somewhere other than the middle of the road.” 

"You're right,” Emma said, slipping her arm around Killian’s waist, smiling at her son. “Let’s go home.” 

***

“So he just turned into dust?” Henry demanded, half standing in his seat at the table. They’d all made their way back to her and Killian’s house where Mary Margaret and David had whipped up a meal that would have impressed even Granny with the few resources that were left in the pantry. Emma wondered how long it would be before the stores were open again and they could get real food. 

“Yup,” Emma said before gesturing at him with her fork. “Eat your dinner.” 

Henry did as he was told, sitting down and shoveling a forkful into his mouth. “And Belle put my grandpa in Pandora’s box?” he asked around said mouthful. 

“Yeah. She was pretty great,” Emma said. “So was Tink.”She could feel Killian’s hand tighten on her knee at the mention of Gold and she wondered how much he remembered from being under the Dark One’s control. 

“Where are they now?” Ruby asked, her concern for her friend evident.

“On the Jolly Roger,” Killian answered for her. “Belle had made herself quite at home before the King arrived. She, uh,” he scratched behind his ear. “She didn’t want to return to her home with the Dark One, so I offered my ship again. Tink is with her - to ensure she’s not alone and that the child isn’t born on the Jolly.” Emma smirked at the way he cringed at the idea. 

“I should to go see her,” Ruby said. “I thought we’d lost her in the first wave.” Ruby stood setting down her napkin and thanking them for the meal. “I’m going to head to the docks,” she told them. Emma would have offered that she stay but she knew that Ruby was anxious to see Belle, to make sure she was alright in the same way that Emma had been anxious to see her and Henry. 

“I suppose I should get going too,” Regina noted when everyone had said their goodbyes to Ruby. She hesitated. “Henry, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow?” her face held a sadness that Emma saw reflected in her son’s and it drove her to say what she said next. 

“You should stay.” Several pairs of surprised eyes turned to her then. 

What? She wanted to say. She and Regina weren’t enemies anymore - hell they were even friends at this point, even if their last interaction before the curse had been tense. But she supposed their surprise was right - they were friends, but they weren’t the kind of friends who had sleepovers. But Emma didn’t want Henry to be forced to choose between his mothers - not tonight when he’d only just gotten them back. 

She saw her parents looking unsure as well so she added, “You should all stay. None of us should have to be apart tonight. There’s plenty of room.” She felt Killian take her hand under the table, brush his thumb over her knuckles again and she knew that he understood that she didn’t want to be separated from her son or her parents either. 

“I think that’s a great idea,” Snow said and Emma heard the shaky tearfulness of her voice. The plans were made, bedrooms decided on, and after, Henry practically begged that they all sit and watch a movie with Emma’s signature popcorn with milk duds.

“Aye,” Killian had said when Henry suggested it, his face cringing at the thought of the snack even more than Regina’s had and making Emma laugh. “I can’t think of anything more wonderfully normal.” 

It was normal, almost boring really. They watched The Princess Bride and laughed at all the right parts and Killian squeezed her hand at all the right bits, and it felt so wonderfully, perfectly normal. She’d missed normal. She’d missed boring - maybe not boring but rather quiet. And she’d missed having it with her family, with the people she loved. She felt Killian’s hand tighten in hers again and realised that a tear had slid down her cheek. 

“You alright, Love?” he whispered.

She nodded. “Just happy.” 

Killian smiled at her, dropped her hand to cup her cheek and kissed her deeply. 

“Ew,” she heard the sound of a disgusted fourteen-year-old. “And on that note,” he said. “I’m going to bed.” Emma pulled back, laughing, everyone else joining in - even Henry eventually. 

The movie had just wrapped up. It wasn’t that late but everyone was so tired all the time now, every day was so heavy and so emotional - and would probably be for a while to come. So nobody protested, everyone slowly milling out of the living room slowly and heading off in their respective directions. 

Emma hugged her mom and dad one more time and she was pretty sure that they were both trying to squeeze the air out of her lungs the same way that she had with Henry. She let them, hugged them back just as tight. She’d missed them. 

“We’ll be right down the hall if you need us,” David said and Emma bit back her smile. She wasn’t a little girl and sometimes her dad forgot that but it was kind of sweet really. Speaking of which, Emma needed to go say goodnight to Henry. She peeked her head into his room just as Regina was finishing saying goodnight. She kissed his forehead and found herself repeating the same words her father had. 

Finally, she made her way to her bedroom where Killian was already sitting on the edge of the bed, waiting for her. 

“Quite the full house we have tonight,” he said with a small, tired smile. 

She returned it. “Isn’t it great?” 

He nodded and Emma began getting ready for bed, stripping off her shirt and dreaming of her comfy PJs. She’d been wearing the same shirt and jeans for nearly two days. They hadn’t had a chance to go home and change, hadn’t had a moment’s rest since the King was defeated. There had been too much to do, too much chaos to wrangle. Last night she and Killian had spent the night at Granny’s, still helping and taking turns sleeping in the vinyl booths when they could. She was still sore now. 

She felt the tug at her heart, the one she’d only just discovered, hadn’t had a chance to get used to yet. Her head snapped up, worried that something was wrong, something that had sent Killian’s heart racing. She whirled around to find him unharmed, undistressed, but watching her, his eyes roving over her bare skin, eyes slightly hooded, cheeks slightly flushed.

Oh. 

He stood slowly, crossed the short distance between them and traced his fingers from the top of her shoulder down to her elbow where the shirt was still hooked. Emma shivered, as he pulled it free. It had been so long since she’d felt his hand on her - his hand, not Hooks but Killian’s, slow and purposeful and intent as it slid to her waist, following the curve around her back and down to the waist of her jeans. Her skin was on fire, goosebumps everywhere. He stepped closer, invading her space in the best way until she could feel his breath on her face and the heat from his body.

“I missed you,” he whispered, the words spoken against her lips. Emma couldn’t really explain what happened next. Maybe it was the fact of having him so close after so long, of knowing he’d missed her just as much as she’d missed him, or all the stress of the last few days, all the lost and the reunions and the heartbreak and the love. She leaned in, moving past his lips, burrowing her face in his neck and wrapping her arms around his back, holding as tightly to her as she could. 

She felt his surprise for a moment, his concerned ‘Swan?’ spoken into her ear. She was sure he could feel the wetness of her tears against the crook of his shoulder. His hand that had been tracing patterns on her lower back paused. 

“Just a minute,” she said, squeezing her arms tighter, nuzzling deeper and breathing him in. “Just a minute.” 

She felt him relax, his hand on her back sliding up to her shoulder, his thumb brushing the nape of her neck as he wrapped his hooked arm around her waist and pulled her in closer, his face turning into her hair. She just needed to hold him. Just for a minute. After all this time. 

Of course she wanted him, needed him, missed him. But she needed this more, needed this first. And so she held onto him and he let her for as long as she needed, craning his neck occasionally to press his lips to her temple, to her cheek, wherever he could reach and every kiss was another reminder. He’s here. Every soothing word and promise he breathed into her ear made her believe it more, trust that it was real and that she wouldn’t wake up from some amazing dream. He was here. She’d found him. He’d found her. 

His lips found her neck and she knew it was meant to be sweet, another soft reassurance, a comfort, but her body reacted immediately. Muscle memory kicking in and reminding her that she had Killian here, with her, finally, to hold and to touch and to kiss as she pleased. She pressed her lips to the spot where his neck met his shoulder, where her face was already, and began trailing them up the column of his throat to below his ear. 

She felt his muscles tense and his breathing hitch, and he turned his face to hers when she reached his jaw, capturing her mouth with his in a desperate, open mouthed kiss, his tongue delving deep, his hand sliding to the back of her neck to pull her closer, to open her up under him while his hooked arm pulled her closer, fusing them together. 

He groaned into her mouth and Emma felt it like a shock to her core. Maybe it would have been nice for their reunion to be slow, for them to take their time finding each other again. And maybe there would be time for that later. But right now, she needed him and she could feel how much he needed her. She rolled her hips against him and he gasped into her mouth before claiming it again with lips and teeth and tongue. 

She reached for the hem of his shirt, pulling it over his head so that she could look at him, run her hands over the warm skin and the soft hair beneath it. He pulled back reluctantly to allow her to lift the shirt off, only to focus his attention on her neck once he was free. His lips trailed fire, licking and biting and sucking his way to her throat, down her chest. 

“I missed you,” he whispered between kisses. “Gods, I missed you.” 

She reached behind herself frantically to discard her bra, throwing it somewhere on the floor just before his hand found one breast, teasing it with the pad of his thumb over it’s peak as he took the other into his mouth, hot and wet and God, she’d missed him too. 

“Killian,” she begged, trying her best to keep her voice down, to be conscious of the guests that could overhear, but it was difficult as he flicked his tongue over her nipple while he pulled and rolled the other. She was on fire, already so close to the edge and she just needed him now, needed him to stop teasing and fuck her. Fuck her so that they could erase the past few months, fuck her to prove that he was here and solid and hot and hers. There would be time to make love later. Right now she needed him hard and she needed him desperate.

“Killian,” she insisted again when he didn’t let up, this time reaching for his belt and pulling him with her, backing up until her knees hit the bed and she fell back against it. He was on her in a second, arm wrapping around her back so that he could lift her, toss her further up towards the middle. She saw it in his eyes, the desperation and the need that was reflected in her own. 

She reached for her own belt, undoing it and the fly of her jeans and starting to slide them down her legs, hooking her underwear with them. Killian followed her lead, reaching for his pants and hastily shedding them, his breathing ragged as he alternated between watching her undress and undressing himself. 

Finally he kicked his jeans off, reaching out to help her slide her own over her feet. He threw them out of the way, looking at her with hooded eyes, kneeling at the end of the bed between her legs as he caught one ankle in his hand. He placed it on his shoulder gently before pressing a soft kiss to the inside of her ankle, his lips trailing slowly down her calf, his eyes not leaving hers. 

Fuck. Fuck! She wanted him now, wanted to drag him up to her by his hair and grab hold of his cock and slide him inside of her. But it felt so damn good what he was doing to her. He looked so fucking hot looming over her, naked, cock hard and bobbing against his stomach as his teeth nipped at the skin on her inner thigh, just above her knee, his hand sliding slowly down to where she was wet and waiting for him. 

She writhed on the bed, desperate for him to just touch her already. His fingers toyed delicately at the spot where her leg met her hip, at the delicate skin there, so close to where she wanted them and she let out a frustrated cry. She was two seconds away from using her foot on his ankle to kick him off and do the job herself when he dove in, hand and hook wrapping around her thighs and spreading her open as his lips latched onto her clit. 

Jesus fucking christ! She nearly came right then and there as he took the bud into his mouth and sucked, slow, deep pulls that made her see stars and grind her hips against his face. He didn’t let up, sucking harder and harder and faster until she was racing towards the edge of that cliff so quickly she didn’t think there was any way she could stop. 

It wasn’t until he pushed two fingers inside of her that she came to her senses. She grabbed at his hair, pulling him back and trying to wiggle away from him before he could drive her over the edge. He looked up from between her thighs, met her eyes, his pupils blown and his hair falling over his forehead into them, cheeks flushed, lips damp and confusion maring his brow. 

“Inside,” she panted, her words as incoherent as her thoughts. “I want you inside me,” she said, watching as his eyes darkened. “I want to come around you. Together.” 

He practically growled as he crawled his way back up her body, steadying himself on his elbow before taking himself in hand and thrusting into her tight heat with no preamble. Emma cried out, back arching off the mattress at the intrusion. Yes. That was what she wanted. That was what she needed. 

His hand found her thigh, angling her as he pushed into her relentlessly, hard and fast and punishing as his lips found her neck again, his grunts and pants echoing in her ear. She bit her lip against the litany of cries and moans and curses and sobs that were trying to escape her. The whole bed shook under the force of his thrusts and Emma dug her nails into his back, desperate for something to grab on to. He’s here. He’s real and solid under your hands and inside of you. Flesh and blood and human and yours. 

“I never,” he gasped into her ear. “Fuck. I never want to forget you again,” he groaned and she knew that he needed this the same way she did. She felt like he was trying to imprint her under his skin so that they could never be separated again. He cried out as her nails dragged down his back, her hips canting up to meet his. “Yes,” he practically moaned against her skin. “Mark, me, Swan. Don’t let me forget.” 

She was close, so, so close but she needed him there with her, needed him to follow her over the edge. She held herself off with as much strength as she could, sliding her hands down his back to grab at his ass, to pull him closer, deeper, her hips matching his every thrust. 

“Please, Kilian,” she begged him, knowing she couldn’t hold out much longer. Her legs were shaking, the first pinpricks licking at her spine. He groaned, sliding his mouth over hers, his tongue desperately seeking her own, tangling together as he kept up his brutal pace. 

She could taste herself on him, could feel his groan reverberating through her chest and her core, heard his his mumbled ‘I love you’ against her lips and then she was there, her whole body tensing, wrapping herself around him, nails and heels and teeth digging into his flesh as she shook with the force of her climax. She whimpered, mouth open and brow screwing up, overwhelmed by the feeling, overpowered by it. She felt him finish with her, the heat of his release spilling inside her spurring on her own. 

They were still for a moment as Emma’s muscles slowly started to relax, until she could loosen the death grip she had on him. He wasn’t fairing much better, his whole body trembling over hers, his arm just barely keeping his full weight off of her. 

“Fuck,” she breathed out when she finally had control of her body again. He huffed out a laugh but it was weak, exhausted. He raised his head from her breast, hand cupping her face as he kissed her again, slowly, deeply, breathlessly. 

“I missed you.” She was the one to say it this time as he rested his forehead against hers, noses pressed to cheeks, lips barely a breath apart. 

“I gathered that,” he said, a smirk in his voice and if she’d had more energy she would have rolled her eyes, maybe smacked him for his cheek. But she didn’t. 

He rolled them over so that he lay on his back and curled her into his chest, her fingers drawing patterns through the hair beneath her hand. They found the ink there, the tattoo over his heart that marked their commitment and she leaned over to press her lips to it, then pulled back to trace it carefully. 

“I can feel you thinking,” he said after a moment. “You honestly shouldn’t be able to think at all after that. A man might take offence,” he teased and Emma smiled against his chest. God she’d missed him. His voice and his laugh and his teasing and all of the life in him that made him the man she loved. “What is it?” he asked, softer this time.

“I guess I’m just a bit bummed. With everything that happened… we’re probably going to have to delay the wedding. I don’t think the people of Storybrooke could handle that right now, not after everything that happened. A big, fancy party might look bad.” 

He hummed. “I don’t relish the idea of not being married to you for a second longer if I’m honest. But I understand what you mean.” 

“Maybe we should elope,” she said, head popping up to look at him. He smiled fondly, fingers tracing along her spine. She could tell he thought she was joking. “I’m serious,” she told him and he cocked his head to look at her. “Why don’t we just do it? Get married. Right now.”

“What, tonight?” he said in disbelief, brows shooting up to his hairline. 

“Why not? The only people I want there are in this house and on your ship. I don’t need a big wedding. I just want to be married to you. And I don’t want to wait. I want to start being with you forever right now.” 

He smiled at her again, a bright thing that lit up his whole face. She was serious. She wanted this. Right now. They’d fallen in love so many times now, had overcome so many odds, found each other again and again. She loved him, completely and totally and she didn’t want to wait another day to tell the whole world. And she didn’t have to. Her whole world was under this roof. Him, Henry, her parents. Why should they wait?

“I dare say I like the idea of being allowed to call you my wife tonight,” he said. She was taking that as a yes. She sat up, nearly laughing at his slightly put-out expression. “Where are you going?” he demanded. 

“Get dressed,” she told him. “Head down to the ship and wake Belle and Tink. Ruby’s probably there too. I’ll wake the others and meet you there in an hour,” she explained, throwing clothes on as he watched her from the bed, sliding his jeans over his legs. 

“Can fairies perform wedding ceremonies?” she asked. “Is that a thing? They feel all mystical and stuff and like they should be allowed to. Can you ask Tink? Oh god this will be hard to sell to my mom. Maybe she’ll think it’s romantic though -” She was fully dressed now, hurrying to the door, still rambling when he caught her elbow with his hook. “What?”

He pulled her back to him and she followed skeptically but not unwillingly. “We’re getting married tonight,” he told her and she felt the weight of his words, but not in a bad way. They felt like a wave washing over her, warming her, enveloping her. They were getting married tonight. “Let’s take a moment to enjoy that, shall we?” he teased. 

She bit her lip, realising she’d gone off the rails there for a moment. She watched the amused, affectionate smile cross his face and felt her own pulling at her lips, blissfully, perfectly happy. He took her face in hand, pulled her in and she rose on her tiptoes to meet his lips. His kiss was soft, gentle and excited, his mouth turning up at the corners against hers. 

“Go,” he said when they pulled apart. “I’ll meet you aboard in an hour. Do you -” he started, hesitated and Emma was fully expecting him to scratch his ear. “Do you mind if I wake Henry? I’d like to ask him to be my best man.” 

She smiled at him again. Kissed him again. “I think he’d love that,” she said and the small hint of relief on his face warmed her heart. “I’ll go wake my parents… Maybe ask Henry to wake Regina when you’re done - so she doesn’t curse us.” 

He sighed, eyes rolling skyward in exasperation. “Too soon, Love. Too soon.”

She giggled, running off to get ready. 

Her parents were surprisingly easy to win over, understanding that sometimes you just couldn’t wait for love - Snow hinted not so subtly that they could have a big party later, when everything had calmed down. 

David immediately demanded to know if Killian owned a suit - something Emma was pretty sure he didn’t - and then insisted on rushing home to grab one for him to borrow. ‘Nobody is marrying my daughter in a leather jacket’ he’d muttered as he rushed off. Emma and Snow both bit back their laughter. 

“We need to find you a dress!” Snow cried. “And something old, something new, something borrowed, and something blue,” she continued, counting them off on her fingers.

“Mom, really, it’s not that kind of thing. We’ll be fine.” 

“Emma,” she said, taking her daughter’s shoulders. “Please let me do this. As your mother. I… need to.” 

Emma nodded, agreeing but reminding her that she only had an hour. Snow was quick, finding a pair of blue heels buried in the back of Emma’s closet - one’s Snow had bought her and that Emma had never worn… that had been a slightly awkward few minutes as Snow remarked that they looked brand new. 

“Here,” her mom said, slipping her ring off her finger and handing it over. “This is borrowed and old.” Emma stared at the green gem in front of her.

“Mom, I can’t take your ring,” she insisted. 

“You’re not. You’re borrowing it,” she smiled. “This was your grandmother’s. True love follows this ring wherever it goes, Emma. She’d want you to have it, so would your father, and so do I.” Snow put the ring in her palm, closing her fingers over it and Emma knew there was no point in protesting. She slipped it onto her right hand. 

“Alright. Now we just need something new… and a dress!” She looked around the house a little frantically, casting a glance at her watch. 

“How about two birds with one stone,” Regina said, coming down the stairs, dressed, but looking extremely groggy. She headed straight for the coffee machine and poured herself a massive cup. Henry had already left for the Jolly with Killian, thrilled with his new role as best man. “It’s a pretty simple spell,” Regina said, taking a long sip. “I just need another dress that belongs to you and then the spell will make it new - however you want it.” 

“I know the perfect one!” Snow cried running up to Emma’s room. 

“Thanks,” Emma said. Sometimes this newfound friendship between her and Regina still surprised her, still felt unsteady. And, as far as she knew, Regina still hated her for getting Killian back when Robin was gone forever. This felt like a gesture - a peace offering and a step in the right direction. 

“Just make sure that pirate doesn’t teach my son how to steal boats,” she quipped and Emma smiled, wondering if she should tell her that Henry had already discovered a knack for stealing cars. 

Snow came down the stairs then, dress in hand, and Emma smiled, her heart warming when she recognized the pink piece she’d worn on her first date with Killian. “It’s perfect, Mom,” she said and Snow beamed. 

Regina set down her mug and walked over to the dress, took it and laid it out on the table. “Okay,” she said. “Just put your hand on it and picture what you want - it doesn’t have to be specific, just an idea of the general style.” Emma wanted to comment on the fact that magic could apparently serve as a personal stylist but she didn’t. 

She did as she was told, thinking of how she wanted to look when she married Killian. Regina waved her hand and the dress transformed from pink pattern to white lace and chiffon. Emma looked down at it. It was… perfect. 

“It’s beautiful, Emma,” Snow said wistfully. 

“It is,” Emma said. “Thank you,” she said to Regina. “Thank you both.” Snow wrapped Emma in her arms and Regina walked away, acting more annoyed by the display than she probably was. 

“I’m so happy for you,” he mom whispered and Emma had to fight back tears. She never dreamed she’d have her mother at her wedding. Or her father, or a son, or even a man she loved enough to spend the rest of her life with. How much her life had changed in the few years since she’d given a ten year old a ride home. How lucky she was that she’d let him climb into her front seat. She’d thought she was bringing him home - but he’d been the one bringing her home.

Ah, she thought, pulling away and wiping at her eyes. She needed to stop thinking like that or she was going to walk down the aisle with mascara streaked down her cheeks. 

“We ready to go?” Regina asked once Emma was dressed and had agreed to let her mom touch up her makeup and hair. ‘Okay but quickly!’ she’d said. Emma nodded but when Regina moved to whisk them away, she stopped her. 

“Let me,” Emma said with a smile. “I’ve gotten pretty good at it.” 

They appeared on the docks near the Jolly Roger. Belle, her father, and Ruby already waiting for her next to the gangplank. 

“Oh, Sweetheart, you look beautiful,” David said and Emma thought for a moment he might cry. “Do I get to walk you down the aisle?” he asked a little hesitantly. 

“Of course. You both do,” she said to her parents. 

“I’m gonna go find Henry,” Regina said, walking off in disgust.

“Belle and I have dubbed ourselves your bridesmaids,” Ruby told her. “We figure it’s only fair since we’ve both saved your life,” she smirked. “Tink would have too but she’s performing the ceremony.”

“Sounds fair,” Emma agreed. “Just make sure she actually makes it down the aisle,” Emma said, gesturing at Belle. 

“I’m not an invalid,” Belle huffed, sitting with her hand on her stomach. Had it grown? Could it do that in two days? It didn’t look like it had much room left to spare. Emma brought her hand to her own stomach for a moment but quickly snapped it back to her side when she remembered her parents were with her. She did not want to have another shotgun wedding conversation. 

“Here,” Belle said, handing her a little bouquet of flowers. “Tink picked them to brighten up the place. I figured you should have them.”

“Tinkerbelle picked them?” Emma asked, with a disbelieving eyebrow raise. 

Belle shrugged. “She’s a softie at heart once you get to know her.”

“You ready?” Ruby asked and Emma took a moment, breathed in, breathed out. She was getting married. This was happening. She was marrying Killian Jones on the deck of the Jolly Roger. She was marrying her true love in front of her family and her friends. All she could think about right now was him standing there, out of sight, waiting for her, waiting to promise her the rest of his life. 

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m ready.” 

She looped each of her arms through one of her parents and let Ruby help a waddling Belle around to the bow of the ship ahead of her. She took another deep breath and nodded to her parents who guided her after them, both whispering how proud they were, how happy they were. 

When they rounded the side of the helm Emma saw Killian, Henry and Tink waiting for her at the prow. When Henry saw her he dashed off to somewhere she couldn’t see and she frowned, wondering where he’d gone, before she heard music swelling around her. She recognized it from the first note. It was her song. The song. The one from the playlist. The one they'd danced to in the kitchen. 

She saw Killian’s face when he looked up, when he spotted her and if there weren’t already tears in her eyes there sure as hell were now. He looked perfect. In a black suit and shirt with a few buttons undone. He was smiling, a little nervous, a little excited but so absolutely, completely in love that she could feel it radiating off of him even from this far away. She felt the tug at her heart when he first saw her, when his mouth dropped open. 

She reached him and it was a moment before she could touch him as her father shook his hand, her mother kissed him on the cheek. He received both with flaming cheeks and a smile. When they went to sit after each pressing a kiss to her cheek, Killian reached for her hand. 

“You’re late,” he teased. “I thought you’d changed your mind.”

She smirked at him. “Wild horses, babe. Wild horses.” 

“I know when you’re quoting something,” he reminded her with amusement. 

“Are you nearly done?” Tink asked, rolling her eyes. “I thought you two wanted to get married tonight. Or is that not why I was woken by a pirate in the middle of the night?” 

“Nearly,” Killian said before raising Emma’s hand to his lips, catching her eye. “You are breathtaking, Emma,” he told her and the way he said it she couldn’t think of a single way to tease him. So she smiled, her cheeks flushing. 

Tink gave a small speech, one that was surprisingly moving despite her cynical exterior. Emma was reminded then of how long she’d known Killian as she spoke of how when she’d met him he hadn’t cared for anything but revenge. She said that she’d never seen anyone go after something so relentlessly, so recklessly… until he met Emma and he fought for her love and fought to keep it with more strength and more commitment and determination than she’d known him capable of. 

She said how when she first met Emma she’d never met someone so closed off, so afraid of love, but that she’d also never seen someone open herself up to it so willingly so fearlessly once she did. 

She said, a little begrudgingly, that it was rare for two people to find their other halves, to find someone they wanted to be with enough to want it every day, to fight for it and work for it every day. But she’d seen it in them. And they could trust her on that. She was a fairy. True love was her job. 

“Do you have rings?” Tink asked before proceeding and Killian’s face dropped. Emma reached out, put a hand over his heart, over their heart, over his tattoo.

“No,” she shrugged. “But we literally share a heart so I think we’re good on the symbolism.” 

Killian spoke his vows first. 

“Emma, I have lost you and found you more times than I can count. More times than anyone should ever have to. I know that you’ve faced abandonment in your life, and you’ve faced loss. But I promise that I will never, never stop fighting for you, for us. I’ll never stop finding my way back to you, no matter what the world throws at us. I have loved you since you held a knife to my throat and called me out as a liar, and having you choose to love me back, despite everything, is the greatest achievement of my long life, and the greatest honour. I promise to always try and live up to your love, and to love you, with my whole heart, forever.”

Fucking hell, Emma wanted to say as she dropped his hook to wipe at the tears in her eyes. But she knew that was not appropriate for a wedding. Could she just kiss him now? Was that allowed? Or did she have to wait for Tink to give them permission? She took a steadying breath, refusing to not make it through her own vows because of stupid tears. 

“Killian, I’m not much for words. You know that,” she said and he smiled knowingly, his eyebrow ticking up. “But if this life, this crazy life with magic and curses that I’ve been living since I met you has taught me anything, it’s that I will always, always love you. We’ve fallen in love three times now. Three times you’ve been able to make me believe in you, trust you, when you know how hard that is for me. No matter what version of you I’ve met, whatever version of me I was, I’ve loved you. And if that tells me anything, it’s that I’ll love you always - forever. No matter what darkness or light we face in the future, it doesn’t matter because I know that we’ll face it together. Love is strength and with you I’m stronger because I know I don’t have to always be strong. With you I’m better because I know I don’t always have to do everything alone. And with you I’m - I’ve never been happier.” 

Tink sighed, defeated. “Oh god, just kiss her. I know you want to.” 

Killian laughed, slid his hand to Emma’s cheek and pressed his lips to hers. It was shorter than he wanted, she could tell, but they still had a ceremony to complete. “Not bad, Swan,” he quipped. “I think I’m rubbing off on you.” 

Emma rolled her eyes. “Just shut up and finish marrying me,” she said. 

“As you wish,” he promised. 

[the--sad--hatter]

Phantom Pain (21)

FANDOM - MARVEL MCU

PAIRING - Bucky X Reader

WARNINGS - Bad Habits and Rough Sex, Angsty and Dark AF.

DESCRIPTION - Everybody in the world knew of you, but not who you really were. Some called you a vigilante, some called you a criminal and some called you a hero but all of them called you The Phantom.

Only two people knew your real identity and they swore to never tell anyone but when The Avengers need to infiltrate a high-security facility, Bruce Banner deduces that you’re the only one who can pull it off. That decision puts you and Bucky Barnes on a path you can’t turn back from, even if neither of like where it’s leading.

Series Masterlist

Chapter Twenty-One - Long Live The Queen

“Barnes, give the princess True Love’s kiss and wake her up, we haven’t got all day.”

“nrrreaargh.” You murmured and forced your eyes open.

“What’s up doc?” You croaked, crinkling your eyes at the bright lights.

“She’s alive!” Tony said dramatically, or as dramatically as he could considering how exhausted he looked.

“Nice to see you Miss King, though I’d appreciate it more if every time I saw you, you weren’t shot.” Dr Helen Cho said seriously.

“Dr Cho, but you didn’t leave your number. How else was I going to see you again?” You asked, grinning dopily at her.

“You’ll be glad to know I got the bullet out and got you into the cradle. You’ll be bruised and tender for a week or so while it heals but you’ll live.” She said professionally, ignoring your drugged attempts at flirting.

“Bruce… Bruce!” You whispered (you thought you were whispering).

He pulled away from where he was talking with Dr Cho and Tony at the end of your bed and came over to you.

“Did you keep the bullet? It was made of vilranium, Vibrabium.”

“Vibranium, we know.” Bruce said.

“That’s bad right? Oh, Bye Doctor Cho!” You yelled, making Bruce jump back in shock.

She nodded politely to you at the door and you tried to wave to her, frowning when your hand wouldn’t move. You turned to look at it and realised you had two hands on your left side. No, that was someone else’s hand. Someone was holding your hand. Your eyes travelled along the limp, over the shoulder and to the blue grey eyes that were gazing at you with worry.

“Bucky! Bruce look, Bucky’s here!” You shouted giddily and even Bucky cracked a smile at your reaction.

“Uh yeah, Prince Charming hasn’t left your side since you were shot.” Tony interjected.

“Nooooo. Why?” You asked him.

“I needed to make sure you were alright.” Bucky said.

“M’fine. Twas only a little bullet wound.” You said, squeezing his hand comfortingly.

“How are you feeling?” Bruce asked you.

“Good, happy. Tired.” You decided.

“That will be the pain meds, they should wear off in a couple of hours.” Tony said.

“Sleep it off Domniţă.” Bucky suggested and you happily prepared to comply.

You tried to tell him to go get some rest himself, that you were fine and you’d see him later. What you actually said was…

“Don’t be here when I wake up, I’ll be happier if you’re not.”

Bucky felt a sharp sting in his chest at your words and as your eyes fluttered closed he dropped your hand and left, stopping at the door to check you really were alright.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Tony was working in his lab when you wandered past a couple of hours later. You were checking your exposed stomach as you walked, wonderment on your face.

“Are you still high?” Tony called and you looked up at the sound of his voice and wandered over to him.

“No, just groggy.” You said.

“So, can we talk about the Vibranium bullet we dug out of your abdomen a few hours ago?” he asked, looking pissed.

“I hesitated, I couldn’t pull the trigger. He’s my father… The next thing I knew he’d pulled a gun of his own and shot me. I phased just in time, expecting the bullet to go right through me and when it didn’t, I realised it was Vibranium.” You said.

“You were lucky, an inch to the left and you’d be dead. “Tony said, worry bleeding through the faux indifference in his tone.

“I’m not so sure it’s luck, he wasn’t trying to kill me. It was a warning. “You said.  

Tony’s jaw ticked and you glared at you.

“He shot you and you’re defending him?” He demanded.  

“I’m just saying, he’s been manufacturing guns for two decades and he’s an excellent shot. If I’m alive, it’s because he wanted me to survive.” You told him.

“Let’s just say you’re right and he wasn’t trying to murder you in cold blood, he still shot you in the stomach. Your father pointed a gun at you and pulled the trigger.” Tony said exasperatedly.

“I know that, I was there!” You snapped.

“Which he wouldn’t have been able to do if you’d shot him first. Face it, you care about him still and he doesn’t give a damn about you.”

“Tony, that’s enough.” You warned.

“No, it’s not enough. I’m nowhere near done. He doesn’t love you princess, he never did. You think your mom dying changed him, but it just revealed who he really was. He probably killed her as well and deep down, you’ve already thought of that.”

“How dare you! He loved her, he loved us both.”

“Yeah, then why did the company stray from the path your mother put it on when she died?”

“Because he didn’t want to help people anymore, she helped people and she was still murdered under the tree on Christmas morning! He didn’t think the world deserved any help, any goodness.” You spat bitterly.

“Stop empathising with him! “Tony yelled.

“I can’t!”

“You’re afraid to love anyone in case your heart gets broken because you think you’ll end up like him but guess what? He already broke your heart; you’re already becoming him. Keep justifying his actions and one day it’ll be you The Avengers are hunting down.”

You reeled in shock at the harshness of the words and before you could even think about what you were doing, you were stumbling away, stifling your sobs.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You haphazardly shoved clothes into a suitcase, fighting back tears as you did. If Tony wanted you gone, you would go. You should never have come here in the first place; you should have known it wouldn’t work out.

You were a vigilante; sure, you could work with other if you needed to, but you weren’t used to being part of a team.

“What are you doing?”

You whirled around to see Bucky stood just inside your door looking at you with alarm.

“I’m packing. It’s time for me to leave.” You said, turning away from him and shoving the rest of your clothes inside the case.

“No. You’ve just been shot!” He growled.

“And thanks to Doctor Cho I’m fine, just a little tender.” You pointed out, zipping the case closed.

“Don’t, don’t do this.” He ordered or pleaded.

“Barnes, I don’t live here. I’m not an Avenger, I work alone. And I can take care of myself.” You insisted, pulling the suitcase behind you as you headed for the door.

Bucky didn’t move out of your way, but you hadn’t really expected him to.

“Whatever you think your reasons are for running away, they’re wrong. You’re better off here, safer here.” He said.

“Safer with you?”

“Why is it really so terrible to imagine it? Why would you rather run away from me than admit that you might be safe, happy even with me?” He demanded.

You dropped the handle of the suitcase and approached him.

“I can’t do that. Please, please stop pushing it.” You begged.

“Look me in the eyes and tell me truthfully that you don’t want it, that it’s more than fear holding you back.”

You sighed and met his eyes, letting him trap you in his gaze. You wanted to tell him that you didn’t care for him, that you didn’t yearn for him, that you didn’t want to throw yourself into his arms and never let go. But you couldn’t, it was too big a lie.

So you did what you did best and manipulated the truth.

“I can’t, because yeah, deep down I want more than this. More than just fucking. But it’s too much too fast James. I’ve always pushed that part of myself aside and now I can’t and it’s because of you. So I need space, I need to breathe. I’m overwhelmed by you.”

He tangled his fingers in your hair and pulled you forward to press a soft kiss to your temple.

“I know you don’t feel the way I do, but I though you might respect me too much to manipulate me like that.” He murmured.

He stepped back and to the side, clearing a space for you to leave the room.

You picked up the handle of your suitcase and ignoring the throbbing pain in your abdomen, pulled it to the door.

“Goodbye Domniţă.” He whispered behind you.

Tony’s words were haunting you. Your father had already broken your heart and you were already closed off.

But you weren’t anything like Alexander King. You hadn’t pulled the trigger.

You abruptly dropped the suitcase and let it clatter to the floor. Bucky panicked, thinking you were hurt and he grabbed a hold of you.

“I’ll stay, I’ll stay here where it’s safe. On one condition.” You said.

He sighed and prepared himself, knowing you were going to push him away.

“Don’t leave me alone tonight.” You begged softly.

He couldn’t have looked more shocked if you had slapped him.

“What are you saying?” He asked in trepidation.

“I want to renegotiate the terms of our agreement.” You said.

“You’re allowing sleeping in the same bed?” He asked softly, masking the pain in his eyes.

“No. I… I want it all. Bucky I need you, I don’t know why or how it happened but I need you and the thing that would really break my heart would be walking out of this room. I would understand if you said no though and I would deserve it.”

“Domniţă?”

“Yes?”

“Let’s go to bed.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

 My laptop broke, and I lost this whole chapter and everything else I'd written. The one I'm using now has a different word processor so i think the layout is a little different but I can't seem to change it.

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