#only @ing emma because i think it’s funny

[jerzwriter]

Would Ethan x Kaycee / Tobias x Casey do the Elf on the Shelf for their kids? Would they be basic, or go all out with crazy scenes for them every day. Do the parents agree, or does one like it and the other hate it?

I should point out I am traumatized by this f-ing elf. lol I HATED it. Stressed out, working Momma who had to remember to move that little f-er every night or I'd wake to shrieks of children thinking they were bad. WHY? lol

Luckily for me, at that stage, people were not AS insane with the scene setting because then we would have had to have a sit down where I explained Mommy was allergic to elves, so they could not be in our house, but I digress (as you can see, I was triggered). lol

Tobias & Casey

They start when Samantha and Brooke are both in school because all their little friends talk about it. They're hesitant to do it, but they (especially Tobias) are like, "we don't want them to be the only ones not doing it."

Tobias gets very creative and does big, elaborate, silly, funny scenes every day. Sometimes he bickers with Casey because when it's her turn, she's like, "The elf is sitting on a shelf like he was meant to do!" Sh reminds her husband HE was the one who wanted this. lol So Tobias does it, grumbling the whole time. Casey rewards him for being such a good Daddy when he gets to bed. But the next morning, when the girls are glowing with excitement, Tobias is over the moon happy and planning the next one. (Casey feels a tiny bit guilty, but just a tiny bit. She gets over it.)

Ethan & Kaycee

Sienna bought it for Emma and got death stares from Ethan and Kaycee. Poor Si just thought it was cute. She had no idea all that went along with it. Partially because she felt guilty and partially because she was just Sienna, she started coming up with these big, fancy ideas. Each day at work, she'd give Ethan or Kaycee a little shopping bag with all they needed (and instructions) to set up an adorable little Elf-scape the next morning.

They appreciated it, and it was nice of her, but they were still a little bitter when they were up at 1:00 AM doing these things. But, as with all things Emma, Ethan was just whipped. So in time, he took over the process, all too happy to make his little princess happy. :)

[snallavanta]

Hi! Now I’m so curious of your answers on those seventeen questions 🤔

ALL SEVENTY??? okay anon, here you go </3

btw i had to separate them because of the media limit 😔 this is part 1 (1-35) and here is part 2 (36-70)

1. who’s your current bias?

hansol vernon chwe

2. who was your first bias?

vernon hansol chwe

3. does your bias change often? and if so, how often does it change & what causes it to change?

um no 🙃 but sometimes members get placed higher up in my list when i see a funny video of them or they said something that struck a chord. my top 3 has stayed the same tho (vernon, woozi, s.coups) 👀

4. who was the first member you noticed?

woozi. he usually has the most lines in songs (at least from what i heard & noticed) and i loved the way he dressed. also he’s so pocket sized i adore him

5. what’s the first song you listened to?

super!!! my favourite song ever

6. what’s the first music video you watched?

super!!! a cinematic masterpiece

7. what got you into seventeen?

my sister kept playing their songs on the tv so i kept hearing them in the background. but when she played super, it was really catchy and i found myself getting interested.

a few months later, we went on a roadtrip and again my sister kept playing seventeen on the aux. and that's how i found out about their other songs besides super LOL. i remember the second song she tried to brainwash me into liking was darl+ing because it was an english song and she claims it's easier for me to connect with them/ the song when it's in english (she was right; it worked)

8. when did you get into seventeen?

listened to super first in april 2023, listened to a lot more of their music in december, became interested in them in february 2024 🥰

9. how did you find out about seventeen?

my sister. this is all her doing.

10. are there any svt albums you own?

nope

11. are there any svt merch/ memorabilia you own?

nope

12. have you been to a svt concert?

nope

13. what’s your favourite merch that was released?

NANA TOUR MERCH 💔 oh my god i want them so badly. especially the t-shirts with their name and drawing on the front. it's so adorable.

14. what’s your favourite song from love&letter?

i’m going to be honest: i haven't finished listening to all their albums in full so these next few questions are what i've been listening to recently/ currently 😵‍💫

15. what’s your favourite song from an ode?

16. what’s your favourite song from teen, age?

17. what’s your favourite song from attacca?

18. what’s your favourite song from face the sun?

this is the only album i have listened to from beginning to end 😭

19. what’s your favourite song from sector 17?

20. what’s your favourite song from always yours?

21. what’s your favourite song from seventeenth heaven?

22. what’s your favourite album/ ep?

fml & face the sun

23. which song do you think needs a music video?

sos or shadow. i can imagine the video concepts for these songs so vividly. someone needs to bring them to life

24. what song(s) sound better live?

hot sounds sooo hot live. also just the vibe when they sing that song live is 🤌🏻

25. what’s a song you think should’ve been a single?

i found out about this song from emma myers and it’s sooo good. definitely should’ve been a single

26. what’s the most underrated song?

i don’t know if this song is underrated amongst the fans but i never see people talking about ready to love. that song deserves more love & hype. s.coup’s “all i wanna do is run away cause you are my escape, babe” needs to join the same fan club as mingyu’s “stay with me” in shadow

27. which is your favourite single?

can i say super for every single one of these questions? ummm god of music 🤪

28. what’s your favourite era?

i haven’t really explored all their eras but i love the seventeenth heaven aesthetic. it’s so fun

29. which’s your favourite live performance?

2023 mama awards. that was CRAZY. the pauses between verses went so hard, it actually had me holding my breath waiting for the beat drop. and they put so much energy into it (more than usual i feel like) and it was just amazing. not to mention the set design and matching outfits, everything about it is so thought out and wonderfully executed.

the only thing that sucked is s.coups missing the performance :( i was surprised when i saw wonwoo coming out again during the second verse of super then i realised s.coups was not there :( he looked so good during the award ceremony though 💔

30. what’s your favourite music video?

super!!! truly changed lives. also when i found out that the backdrop was not a green screen, i stopped discrediting their ability. that really opened my eyes to seventeen (and also allowed me to be more willing to listen to their other stuff).

if you’re tired of me answering super to everything, i also recently watched clap and i love the concept of the video. i thought it was so cool how they altered svt to specialised video technology and how the general concept of the video was of the guys performing in a tv screen. genius. the editing was cohesive, the colour grading matched the overall vibe and the choreography was fantastic.

31. what’s your favourite outfit worn by your bias?

okay it’s kinda basic, boring but idk i love it. maybe it’s him running in the mv that does it for me but i adore this sweater on him

32. what’s your favourite outfit as a group?

i love their shiny, sparkly outfits and the dancing is so fun!

this one is so simple but i love the cohesion between everyone whilst still flaunting their own unique styles. also vernon’s jacket and dino’s mesh sweater is everything to me

33. what’s your favourite sub-group?

hiphop LOL all hiphop members are in my top 5 🤪

34. do you have a favourite photocard?

not really…

unpopular opinion but i think photocards are weird. i think keeping a photo of them with me (most of the time, at all times) is kind of odd and creepy. also, as good-looking as they are, i don’t really want to see their faces plastered on a card, y’know?

35. who’s your favourite duo/ trio?

dk + jeonghan 🩷 also one day, i kind of fell into a rabbit hole of who was best friends with who and it kind of surprised me because i never expected those pairings. it was really cute though & made me see the members in a different light

[garak]

seeing kishi bashi with @kishibashiing tonight i don’t know any songs wish me luck

[elizabeethan]

Steal Away: 2 / 5

When a bank robbery with his brother goes horribly wrong, Killian Jones learns to heal with the help of a fiery blonde who happened to get caught in the crosshairs.

A Modern AU

Based loosely on the movie Hell Or High Water (and so I tag @captainswanmoviemarathon)

Read on Ao3

Read The Rest

Read my Other Stuff

A/N: So this was supposed to be a one shot, but it’s, like, 24k words so I thought it would be best to split it up. I’m probably going to post one part a night for the next week or so, though.

This part is rated T as well, mostly for language and car sickness :) (I’ll let you know when we get to M hehehe)

thank you as usual to @the-darkdragonfly​, @donteattheappleshook​ and @xhookswenchx for letting me ramble about this for weeks, and to Kay for beta-ing <3

~~~~ 

It happens quickly. 

 Her sense of humor, her taste in music, the adorable way she snorts when he hits a pothole while she’s sleeping… it’s impossible for him to avoid the feelings that stir in him. It’s almost embarrassing, the speed at which he begins to recognize his feelings, but it’s not as if he plans on sharing them at any point. 

 The fact is… he likes her. She’s cute, and funny, and undeniably sexy, and he knows that if she wasn’t here, he probably wouldn’t be either. He would’ve been arrested right off the bat, or shot in the bank himself, or drowning in a bottle of rum beside his brother’s grave. If it wasn’t for Emma Swan and her insistence to stay in his life, he wouldn’t be on his way to Maine to pick up the only remaining person in his life who means something.  

 Although, perhaps that isn’t true, because after a day on the road, he’s discovered that she’s starting to mean something, too. 

 He doesn’t know enough about her to dignify a crush, but he also isn’t stupid. He knows that he’s infatuated with her. He knows that he’s finding it hard to keep his gaze off of her. He knows that her stunning green eyes play off of the gold of her skin and her hair in such a way that makes his heart race. He knows that, based solely on what she’s told him so far, he’s desperate to know more. 

 She doesn't have a family. She spent much of her childhood homeless and running away from abusive foster placements. She was abandoned as an infant, left in the woods at only a few hours old. She’s been through hell and back, and she still manages a blinding smile.

 Her ex boyfriend is the reason she’s here with him, he thinks. She says that he screwed her over and that she wants nothing more than to get away from him and from the place that reminds her of him, and Killian thinks this all happened at a rather convenient time for her. She told him yesterday, when he was panicking over his brother’s demise, that she could tell that he was there in that bank for a good reason, and he’s taken to assuming that she has a good reason to assume that. 

 They hardly know each other, and yet he feels as though he’s known her his whole life. He knows so little about her, and yet, he can read her like she’s an open book. The term kindred spirits feels naive, and yet, that’s exactly what they are. 

 “Are we gonna stop in Chicago?” she asks excitedly as she watches the Welcome to Illinois sign pass them by. 

 “Definitely not,” he laughs. “It’s far too north for where we’re headed.” 

 “What, and Maine isn’t?” she snorts, shaking her head and pointing out a bird that flies by. “What’s up there, anyway?” 

Immediately, his heart starts racing and his palms start sweating at the thought of telling her the true reason for their trip. It dawns on him that, when they arrive, he would have to tell her anyway, lest he abandon her in town before he arrives at the lawyer’s office. 

 Of course, Emma has experienced her fair share of abandonment at this point in her life, and while he hardly knows her and shouldn’t care, he wouldn’t dare contribute to the trauma that comes with the feeling of being left behind and forgotten. 

 Bloody hell. 

 “You don’t have to tell me,” she says after a long moment of silence. 

 He clears his throat, drawing his focus back to the highway before him. “It’s alright, love. I just… it’s a sore subject, I suppose.” 

 “We share a lot of those,” she jokes, smirking at him and making his heart race. More gently, she reasons, “which means you should know by now that I won’t judge you.” 

 “Aye,” he agrees immediately, because he does know that. “Aye, you’re right. It’s, um… my child.” 

 He catches her balking, her jaw dropping and then snapping shut in quick succession before he needs to focus back on the road. “You have a kid?” 

 With a nod, his grip on the steering wheel tightens. This vehicle is better than the last, the clutch not sticking like the one in the truck had, but it’s so small and cramped that he doubts they’ll be able to sleep comfortably in these seats tonight. He’d best pull over soon so that they can find a place to sleep. “I do,” he confirms. “A daughter. She’s eight.” 

 “How old are you?” she asks in shock. 

 He narrows his eyes, shifting his gaze to her briefly and suspiciously asking, “how old are you?”

 “I asked you first,” she says seriously, as if she truly doesn't want to disclose her age, and he begins to panic. She looks old enough, but the potential that he’s just kidnapped a minor on top of everything else begins to assault his thoughts. 

 “Please just tell me I didn’t kidnap you,” he begs, his heart racing. 

 “No,” she rolls her eyes. “I’m 23, and much more mature than you.” 

 With a sound that’s somewhere between a snort and a sigh of relief, he nods. “Aye, love. I’m sure you are.”

 She sits in silence, staring at him expectantly, and he knows that it drives her mad when he smirks and begins to laugh. “Don’t be stupid! Just tell me how old you are!” 

 “I’m… I’m 31.”

 “Oh,” she says, chuckling beside him. “So you’re not that much of a cradle robber. Just a regular old bank robber.” 

 “Oy!” he shouts in offense, staring at her in shock. “Sensitive subject. And what makes you think I’m trying to rob your... cradle?”

 She snorts and shakes her head. “Please. I saw the way you were staring at my ass at that last rest stop.” 

 She could’ve chosen a more opportune time to say that, perhaps when he wasn’t taking a sip of coffee. It’s rather uncomfortable coming up his nose. “Love,” he says through a cough. “I’m not— that is, I meant not to—”

 “It’s fine, Killian,” she tells him, giggling softly and playfully. “A girl likes to feel flattered, especially a girl who feels like a—”

 Her jaw snaps shut and her eyes grow wide, the emerald catching the rays of the sun and throwing glints of gold. “Like a what, darling?”

 “Like… um, like I could eat everything on the menu at McDonalds. Is it time to stop yet?”

 “No,” he laughs, although he finds that he struggles to say no to her and mean it, even after such little time, and he indicates his intent to change lanes and moves towards an exit. “We only stopped for breakfast a few hours ago.”

 “Well, I’m starving,” she tells him, shooting him a soft smile. “And if I don’t stretch my legs in a minute, they’re gonna fall off.” 

 “You need to stretch your legs? Your feet are currently on top of my dashboard. Is that not enough of a stretch?”

 “Your dashboard? I’m pretty sure I witnessed you stealing this car.”

 “From a scrapyard,” he mumbles, giving her a shy smile as he exits the highway. “What do you want for lunch? Or should I say brunch? It’s barely eleven.”

 “We crossed time zones, you ass.”

 “What do you want?” he laughs. 

 She hums playfully, pretending to ponder his question seriously and says, “a prime rib, cooked medium rare, with a side of garlic mashed potatoes. Caramelized onion and mushroom sauce on the steak. And some green beans, for balance.” 

 Shaking his head and laughing along with her, he says, “chicken nuggets and fries it is, darling.”

 ~~~~

 “You need to pull over,” she says suddenly, breaking almost an hour of silence between them during which he was certain she was asleep. After their early lunch, he decided to keep driving, anticipating that she would take over in a few hours. 

 “Emma,” he sighs, “we only just stopped two hours ago.”

 “I’m not asking,” she demands. “I’m telling you that if you don’t pull over,” she puts her hand over her mouth, her retching and gagging preventing her from saying anything more. 

 “Jesus,” he mumbles as he pulls into the breakdown lane, barely stopped and still in gear when she thrusts the door open and loses her lunch all over the ground. He can’t ask her if she’s alright because she hasn’t stopped vomiting, so he checks his side mirror and opens his door, walking around the front of the car to meet her. He stands behind the door and places his hand in her hair, massaging her scalp as she shudders violently. “I didn’t realize you were prone to car sickness.” 

 She groans, shaking her head and resting it against the window at her side. “I think your driving has gotten worse.”

 He hums, continuing his ministrations on her scalp as she catches her breath. “Was it the chicken, love? I knew that stuff was crap.”

 “No, it’s your crap driving.”

 “Do you want to take over, then?”

 “No, I want to sleep.”

 “Come on out and get some fresh air, would you?” She whimpers as he pulls the door open a bit more, and he takes her hand to help her out and around her sick. “It’s alright, love, come here.”

 She breathes deeply as she stands, and only remains in front of him for a moment before she falls forward against his chest and into his arms. “Sorry,” she whispers into his sweatshirts wrapping her arms around his waist and holding herself close to him. “For delaying the trip.”

 “You needn’t worry about that, love,” he soothes, and he focuses on moving his hands along her back and hair in the same way she had his. “A few moments while you find your bearings won’t hurt. Are you alright?”

 She nods against him, a sound coming from her throat that makes him squeeze her tighter. He can’t stop himself from pressing a kiss to the crown of her head, the need to comfort her interrupting any reasonable thoughts in his head. She whispers, “yeah,” so softly that he kisses her again. 

 “During lunch I found a small campground that takes cash. It’s only another few hours; can you make it that far? We can use the tent and the camping mat instead of sleeping in the car.”

 “Luxurious,” she jokes softly, maintaining her firm embrace around his middle. “That sounds perfect.”

 ~~~~

 She’s relentless in her jokes at his expense as he struggles with the tent. It’s dusk, and there’s a decent canopy of trees above him, and, as she points out often, he’s getting old. He struggles to see the small pieces and determine what goes where, and she’s hardly any help as she sits in the car laughing at him as she claims to be recovering from another spell of car sickness. 

 “You could try helping me, you know,” he finally mumbles as the structure collapses again and he’s met with her symphonic laughter. 

 “Need a newer pair of eyes, Captain?” she asks in good humor, standing and bounding towards him confidently. It’s almost miraculous how quickly she’s recovered, and yet her nausea seems to keep coming back. 

 “Very funny, love. Come and tell me where E connects to G.”

 It’s impossible to ignore the way the full moon shines against her hair, almost white in the dim light of the night sky. The gentle waves flow freely as she releases the tie from around her locks, rubbing her palms over her face as she settles into the warm cocoon of the sleeping bag. She gives him a soft, gentle smile as he zips the tent’s opening securely shut, taking his place upon the ground between her and the door. “Where’s yours?” she asks, gesturing down at her sleeping bag and camping mat.

 He shrugs and then nods towards her. “Someone stole it.” 

 Her eyes widen in surprised embarrassment and she asks, “this is yours? What about-- weren’t you and… I mean…” 

 Smiling as he lies down on his back, he turns his head to face her and says, “I was meant to travel alone, actually.”

 Just as he thinks she’s about to match his position and lie back herself, she stirs and begins tugging on the sleeping bag until she’s out of it. She shakes it out in front of herself to straighten it and then feels around in the dark for the zipper, pulling it around the puffy fabric until it’s fully open before her. Turning towards him, she gives him another soft smile and dramatically opens it like a parachute, draping it over the both of them. “There you go,” she says with finality. “We can share.” 

 “You don’t have to do that, love. It’s summer anyway.” 

 “We’re sleeping outside, and you're taking a second, unexpected person on your trip across the country, who also happens to frequently demand pit stops. The least I can do is share your sleeping bag with you.” 

 “Well… thank you, lass. That’s very kind of you.” 

 “I just can’t part with the mat, sorry. The ground is way too hard.”

 He laughs as he turns to his side, silently agreeing with her that the ground is mighty firm as he grimaces. “You can’t spare it for an old man with old bones?” 

 She shrugs, laughing softly as well as she rolls to her side to face him head on. “You're not that old.” 

 “So I'm only young when it suits you?” 

 “I didn’t say you were young.”

 He hasn’t laughed this much in years. Before he met her, he hadn’t been so close to a woman in almost a decade. He’s forgotten how soothing the gentle touch of another can be, and he’s been hard pressed to ignore how especially soothing she is, in particular. “You do have quite the sense of humor, love.” 

 “All in good fun,” she smiles. He catches her gaze shooting down at the hem of the old sleeping bag, her fingers fiddling with some thread that has pulled away from its place. “Will you tell me something?” she asks in a whisper. 

 “What is it?” 

 She clears her throat nervously, continuing to avert her eyes from his, and asks, “will you tell me about your daughter?” 

 With a hum and a sad smile, he bites his bottom lip and nods, the memories of his love flooding back into his mind, as if he’s ever been able to prevent them. “Alice,” he says. “She’s just turned eight a few months ago. I missed her birthday.” 

 “Why? What happened?” 

 He notes the way that her fingers continue to play at the loose threads, and he matches her actions just beside her. “I was with my mother; she was dying and had no one else while Liam was in jail. I wanted to bring Alice with me, but… her mother wouldn’t allow it.” 

 “I’m sorry,” she says immediately. He hears a rustle against the mat her head lies on and lifts his own gaze to meet hers. 

 “Thank you.” 

 “When did you see her last, then?” 

 He gulps over the lump in his throat. “It’s been well over a year.”

 She sighs, and he doesn’t think he imagines the minute amount of space that she closes between them. “You must miss her terribly.”

 “Aye, I do. Everyday.”

 “Is there… I mean, is there a reason it’s been so long? I’m not trying to judge you, I’m sorry, I just—“

 “It’s alright, love,” he interrupts, noting the sudden shift in her demeanor as she realizes the nature of her question. “Her mother was rather… controlling, I suppose. I believe she used drugs and alcohol for much of Alice’s early life. I don’t have any reason to believe she used during her pregnancy, but I cared for Alice from birth when Eloise fell off the wagon. I even named her, after my ailing mother. But a few years later, she got clean and started to take over. She took Alice to live with her; became upset when I came around. And eventually, the way she would scream at me when I tried to visit made Alice upset, so I stopped coming around as much.” 

 She’s quiet for a moment, and he wonders if he’s taken things a bit too far. If he’s opened up to her too much. He fears this for what feels like an eternity as she lies beside him, her warm breath washing over his nose as he thinks the worst. That he’s upset her, that he’s offended her, that he’s made her think of the trauma of being abandoned herself as he describes the way he abandoned his own daughter. And his fears are confirmed when she sniffles softly before him and moves her fingers from the frayed threads to her eyes, wiping tears away. 

 “Emma,” he whispers into the darkness, “I’m sor--”

 “That’s so terrible,” she interrupts sadly, and he bows his head in shame, knowing already that his actions are deplorable. Until she whispers, “I’m so sorry.” 

 “Sorry… for what?” he asks in shock, speaking almost at full volume, a contrast to their whispering tones. 

 “You just--” she sniffs once more, “--it’s obvious how badly you want to be in your daughter’s life, and you haven’t been able to. That’s got to be the worst feeling… I can’t even imagine not being allowed to…”

 Clearing his throat, he takes a risk by reaching before himself to wipe a tear from her soft cheek with his thumb, almost desperate to comfort her as she has him the entire time he’s known her. “It’s alright, love,” he whispers. “I’m going to get her back, with your help. I wouldn’t be here, on my way to her, if it weren’t for you.” 

 She sniffles and laughs at the same time, adorably embarrassed at the sound that escapes her, and asks, “what’s changed now? With you and her mom?” 

 “She died,” he answers simply. If she had begun to relax slightly into his hand, she stiffens at his words. “She relapsed, mixed drugs and alcohol… her body couldn’t handle it.” 

 “I’m sorry,” she whispers. “That must’ve been hard, too.” 

 “Not much,” he answers too quickly. She draws her brows together in question and he continues, “I’m sad for Alice; she’s lost her mother. But she never really had her much. Eloise was never a very devout mother. It always seemed like she was in it for the image, or only when it suited her. I don’t think she ever really wanted a child.” 

 Emma nods gently, the small gap between them getting smaller when a gust of wind shakes the tent and she slides closer to him. “Was she, I mean, was Alice a surprise?” 

 “Oh, aye, very much so,” he laughs softly. “El and I weren’t ever a couple, we just met at a bar and… well, we were only together once. It was sort of a low point for me.” 

 “I get that,” she nods again. “Sleeping with the wrong person, I mean. Not that… I mean, not that Alice was a mistake or anything, of course.” 

 “I know what you mean,” he consoles in a whisper as she again worries that she’s offended him. She should know that she couldn’t possibly say the wrong thing, because despite how short of a time he’s known her, he knows that she can do no wrong in his eyes. 

 “Will you tell me about her? Like… What was it like when she was a baby? Was it very hard?” 

 He hums and nods, agreeing, “it was hard, yes; I was mostly alone. But it was so worth it.” 

 “It was?” she asks softly, almost insecurely and making him narrow his eyes in thought. 

 She hasn’t told him anything, but he isn’t a fool. He means every word of what he says to her next, and says it in hopes that he can give her solace. “Aye. As hard as life has been, I wouldn't change anything because it’s how I got Alice.” 

 In a move that surprises him almost as much as it doesn’t, she moves as close to him as she can and tucks her head into his chest, just below his chin, and wraps her arm around his waist. “That’s a good point,” she murmurs into his sweatshirt.

 “Are you alright, love?” he asks, accepting her into his embrace and letting his hand run along the length of her spine over her own sweatshirt. He reminds himself that he doesn’t truly know her, so he can’t assume that this isn’t like her, but it feels profound. 

 She nods against his chest, pulling herself impossibly closer as she seems to seek more warmth and a firmer embrace. “It’s weird,” she starts, her voice muffled. “I barely know you, but it feels like you're my friend.” 

 “I am your friend,” he agrees with a smile. “And you’re mine. I told you I wouldn’t be here without you.” 

 “I wouldn’t either.” 

 “Of course not. I’ve been driving most of the way.” 

 She snorts, nuzzling her nose into the crook between his neck and his shoulder and squeezing around his waist. “Yeah, that’s why I’ve been puking nonstop.” 

 “Would you like to drive tomorrow, then?” he laughs. 

 “Sure.” 

 “Alright. We’ll need to leave quite early. Just another two days to go, I think.”

 “Okay,” she yawns, falling asleep in his arms feeling, he hopes, as safe as he does.

~~~~

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[just-like-playing-tag]

I just finished chapter 181.4 and AHHHHH it's so wholesome I'm gonna cry. anna and gilda trying on clothes is so adorable and all the kids look so happy I'm just....GAH I love them....

I KNOW RIGHT IT'S JUST SO GOOD it's???? Everything I've ever wanted?????????? I was so happy when I first read it, it's just amazing, so pure and wholesome. Hadn't it been for Emma not having her memories it would have probably made it to my #1 favorite chapter, but even with that I think it wins a solid third place!!!!! It's just that... You know how passionate I am about the other, sidelined children that are not the trio, so having a chapter that gave a bit of spotlight to every single of them + trio awesomeness was truly delightful. Might as well go through all of it again while I'm here!!! Following random assorted thoughts in dots eheh. Some are directly taken from the comments I shared with friends after reading it for the first time!!!

Confirmation that all the kids live together in a big house thank you very much that's exactly what I needed

The implication that Emma kept living with grandpa, so cute!!!!! I love that he's not alone anymore.

OLIVER AND VIOLET IN FLIGHT ATTENDANT UNIFORMS AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAFNDOALDHOEBDKABALAABDKBSKAB

Just. You cannot understand how happy I was the first time I saw this spread. The kids finally getting to do what they've always wanted to do... Yeah it made me tear up a little. A little lot.

I like to think the GP group did the same thing on another day!!

THIS. THIS. THIS. I loved this panel so so much like... Cliché scenes of guys peaking over girls at sauna are dead, only "girls and boys wholesomely waving at each other from one side to the other of the bath" scenes from now on. It was just so beautiful and refreshing, it really makes me smile just to think about it. Thoma and Lani goofing with each other and Ray 💢ing at them!!!!!!! Ray / Thoma / Lani interactions are the best and these little things really warm my heart besides what's up with the monkey

THIS WAS SO FUNNY AND MADE ME LAUGH SO MUCH. THE MEMES THAT FOLLOWED THIS WERE EPIC. So Norman tho ahah. Norman be like:

Norman: OK PEOPLES WE NEED ALL THE MONEY WE CAN GET TO FIND EMMA. I WANT FOR ALL THE MOST ADVANTAGED TECHNOLOGY TO BE USED. THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT MATTER OF OUR LIVES. I DON'T WANT A SINGLE RESOURCE TO GO SPARE.

Some innocent, naïve little kid: Maybe we could ask the Ratris for a tip?

Norman:

Norman: Did I fucking stutter.

It's just so neat because you have Norman, pure, soft, won't hurt a fly... But then you also have Norman @Ratris "I would sell you to Satan for a corn chip"

Most men: I don't care about money when it comes to my girlfriend

Norman: *literally starts an entire, successful business in a year to find Emma * get on my level

I love Sonya getting a position in the company, she's so rarely mentioned but still so cool nonetheless!!!!!!!!! Ray is vice-ceo, but has probably only been assigned the role by Norman who wanted to have him around and near him, and probably doesn't do much more than mock Norman and eat chips ahah.

Just. This is so wholesome!!! This is literally the only chapter ever. Just look at them!!! I really like how the other, not-escapees children are occasionally portrayed. I love that, even tho we don't get to know what they wished for (except for Phil and Sherry), at least we know they took part of the trip and got to see their dreams come true as well!! (you can see Hans here, but featured in the chapter are also Marnya, Chamberlain, Naila, Carol...)

GILDA AND ANNA ANDKSNAJSKSNKSMA I CRIED I SCREMAED I SCRIED I literally died. They're just so pure and wonderful and that's what they deserve and their happiness is what fits them best and aaaaahhh. I'm just so happy for them (╥﹏╥)

I ADORED them tagging Emma along, it was so sweet and wholesome!!! Really love the outfit they put together for Emma: it's way more sportish than theirs - with shorts and baseball hat and no frills - which is just *so* nice? It's like them wanting to make Emma part of something they enjoy, but paying attention to keeping her comfortable- it's just so wholesome.

What I mean is: you know Gilda and Anna are good™ when not only they dress up Emma, but they dress up Emma with things she likes + she's comfortable in (Also fun fact, in a panel from that scene Emma has her left ear!!)

Gilda with low ponytails!!!!!!

I just. Don't have words for all the children's wishes. Every single panel is so wholesome and makes me cry. It's exactly what these kids deserve and it couldn't make me happier to see them finally being this happy, doing the things they've always wanted to do. It's just. I'm crying again. Thank you Kaiu Shirai and Posuka Demizu for the best manga chapter ever created

DO I EVEN NEED MORE WORDS I'VE BEEN QUITE LITERALLY SPAMMING ALL OF MY FRIENDS WITH THIS PICTURE FOR MONTHS. I just think it was very thoughtful of Posuka Demizu of giving us the best Ray panel ever even AFTER the manga had ended just. Wow.

I love how Norman is always... Kindly explaining things to Emma... He's so soft!!!!

NORMAN NORMAN NORMAN honestly I love him so freaking much. Like I was so so worried- reading this for the first time, I remember being literally terrified they would have pulled a NorEmma and make Norman's wish Emma-centered ("I want to spend time with Emma" "I want for Emma to be happy"). I was so glad that wasn't the case!!!! Sis his wish is so pure, and fits Norman so much... He just loves *both* of his friends more than anything, and I'm so happy they didn't take that away from him. I remember when I first saw it I was like "oh right, now I remember why he's my favorite character" 😂😂

HIS SOFT EYES IN THE PANEL ABOVE I swear I would die for these kids. Norman really is so precious!!!!

Demizu really outdid herself this time... All the characters look so gorgeous... That one Ray panel™ that deserves to be put in a museum... The Sagrada Familia... The giraffes...

I mean... Ok, I'm not the biggest fan of angst- but I think at least this was very well executed. I still despise how Emma gave up on her memories... But I think they handled it well in this chapter, and no memories!Emma felt very in character!!! The losing herself in sad thoughts for a moment, and then screaming the first thing that comes to your mind just to get a grip on herself is so, so Emma. And seeing how deep down she's still the same Emma is so nice.

Lastly, throwback to my final thoughts about the chapter:

L m a o

[atc74]

Ready For Love

Warnings: Bad sexual pun (but it’s not, it’s f-ing hilarious), Impala!Sex - I think that says it all right there

Summary: Once Jensen’s parting gift form set arrives in Austin, he plans a night 

Pairing: Jensen x Reader

Word Count: 1305

Written for: @emoryhemsworth​ and this request I took from her: Picture this: Jensen knows the reader *loved* Dean and Anna’s love scene in the Impala, so he surprises her and they recreate it... for real this time. 😉   No, my requests are not open, please do not ask.

Beta’d by: @winchest09​ who thinks I’m funny ;) - dividers by @writeyourmindaway​ - thank you!

Like Jensen’s scent? Buy it here from @scentsfromthebunker!

As a reminder, this is a work of fiction and should be regarded as such. No harm is intended toward the actor(s) or their families.

“She’s here! She’s here!” Emmaleigh, their excited four year old, jumped up and down at the front window. 

“Calm down, baby girl,” Jensen laughed as he entered the front room, their two year old son, Tristan, settled on his hip. 

“What is all the commotion about?” Y/N asked slowly descending the staircase. 

“She’s here, Mama! Baby is here!” Emmaleigh squealed. 

“I know you’re excited, Emma, but we need to wait, okay?” Y/N explained to the child, before turning to her husband. “Let me take this one, and you can head out. We’ll be out as soon as she is settled.” 

“I’m so stoked!” Jensen pumped his fist as he passed their son over to her and rushed out the front door. 

Y/N laughed, shaking her head and talking to their children. “I don’t know who is more excited, Emma or Daddy.” 

“Daddy!” Tristan shrieked, squirming in her hold. 

It took several, long minutes before the delivery company had the pristine 1967 black Chevrolet Impala parked in their driveway, giving their neighbors plenty of time to congregate outside with their morning coffee and watch as the beauty was dropped off. As soon as the truck cleared their property, Emmaleigh was out the front door, jumping into Jensen’s arms as he walked around the seventeen foot length of the ebony beast. 

Y/N could hear Jensen talking to their daughter. “She has a 502 big block V-8 engine, powered by 550 horses…” 

“Daddy, where are the horses?” Emma looked up Jensen with matching green eyes filled with curiosity and confusion. 

“Oh baby girl, they aren’t real horses,” Jensen laughed. “It’s about power, little one. I’ll teach you all about it when you’re older.”

“Can we go for a car ride, Daddy?” Emma asked, quickly forgetting the things that no longer interest her.  

“Not yet, Emma. Baby doesn’t have the right seatbelts in the backseat for you and your brother, but soon, okay? I promise it will be soon,” Jensen set her back on the ground as Y/N joined him at the front of the car. 

“So, they really let you have her, huh?” Y/N whispered, in awe that “Baby” was sitting in their driveway.

“Yeah, it was part of my release contract. You know I didn’t ask for much, but I wasn’t leaving this show after fifteen years without bringing Baby home to my baby,” Jensen pulled her into him, caging her body between his legs. 

“No, Daddy!” Tristan pushed both his hands into Jensen’s face. 

“Yeah, okay, little man,” Jensen tugged the toddler from his wife’s arms, setting him down to play with his sister and the drawing chalk. Y/N turned to head back inside, when a strong grip on her wrist stopped her, pulling her back into her husband. “But you and me? We got a date tomorrow night, Mama.” 

“Oh, we do, do we?” Y/N grinned ear to ear, throwing her arms loosely around Jensen’s neck. “Maybe I have plans.” 

“Or maybe, I made better plans. And got a sitter,” Jensen whispered, pulling her a little closer, so as not to be overheard by little ears. “You up for a little game of hide the angel grace?”

Y/N felt her skin flush as her body heated from the inside out. Jensen Ackles was the hottest thing she had ever laid eyes upon and he knew her deepest fantasy. The one that didn’t involve her husband, but the fictional character he played for fifteen years, and a red-haired angel in the back on the very 1967 Chevy Impala they were leaning against now. 

“Don’t tease me, Ackles. Payback's a bitch, buddy,” Y/N pulled back, looking deep into her husband’s forest green orbs. 

“Oh, I ain’t teasing, Baby. I am one hundred and ten percent serious. Drop the kids off at the Pads, do a little hill country driving, just you and me? What’dya say?” Jensen dropped his voice, looking into her eyes. 

“Oh my God, you are serious,” Y/N gasped as she took in Jensen’s expression. “Oh hell yes!” 

Jensen packed the children and their bags in the overly safe family vehicle and drove them over to Jared and Gen’s to spend the night. He started planning this night for her, for them, since he got the delivery confirmation that the Impala had started her trek from Vancouver. He even went back and did some research, rummaging through his wardrobe in an attempt to get everything perfect for her. Down to the last detail. 

With dinner and refreshments packed, he waited nervously for Y/N to come down the stairs. He wasn’t nervous being with her. No, intimacy had also come easy for them, but planning this night, wanting it to live up to her expectations, that is what had him on pins and needles. He turned, hearing the soft click on her boots on the hardwoods, and couldn’t believe his eyes. The woman that approached him was his wife, but could have been a stand in for ‘Anna’ from the outfit, to her naturally red hair. 

“Wow, you look…” Jensen gasped as she reached him. 

“We’ve never done any role playing before, so I thought this would be fun. Too much?” Y/N asked, her eyes searching his, looking for any indication that she had gone too far. 

“Hmm, no, you look the part, but even more beautiful,” he assured her. “Ready?”

“Like you wouldn’t believe,” she agreed. 

“Oh, I think I’ve got a pretty damn good idea,” Jensen mumbled. 

“This isn’t as spacious as it looks on television,” Y/N admitted, trying to get comfortable in the backseat. “Is this...pleather?”

“No, it is not pleather; it’s the factory original vinyl,” Jensen laughed, sitting back on his heels, his head slightly bent. “Here, try laying back on the blankets.”

“Ever the gentleman,” Y/N giggled, as she scooched down, her head resting on the nest of blankets Jensen had packed. 

“Well, it’s what Dean did, and he had way more experience with this than I’ve had in my life, so I figured…” he revealed, blushing slightly. “Oh, shit! I almost forgot!” 

Jensen pulled his phone from the front pocket of his jeans, pressing a few buttons until the car was filled with the sounds of Bad Company’s ‘Ready for Love.’ He placed the phone in the back window. “There, that’s better.” 

“Come here, baby,” Y/N whispered, pulling him down to her, their lips meeting in the dark. 

Jensen slotted his body between her legs, their hips colliding, grinding together as they sought friction from the other. He pulled back, admiring the beautiful woman beneath him. Unbuttoning her blouse, her eyes met his in a silent plea. He removed his shirts, anticipating the feel of her skin on his.

He slid his hands up, popping the button on her jeans, and peeling them from her legs, all the while keeping his eyes locked on hers. A smile slid across her features as she sat up, switching spots with her husband. She slowly removed his jeans, feeling him hard and bare beneath her. It was a powerful feeling, having him at her mercy in this cramped space. She used that power within her, to roll her hips over his, his stiff length pressing against her deliciously. 

Lowering her head, she captured his lips once more as she tilted forward, allowing him to slip inside her. She held him there, stretching her open as she panted his name until it became a moan from her lips. “Jensen. Jensen. Jensen.”

“Baby, I love you so much,” Jensen groaned as he slipped further into her, joining them together wholly. The windows were misty from their efforts, shielding them from view, but they only existed in this space, with one another. They only existed because of the other. 

Did you like it? The nicest thing you can do for a writer is reblog their work and tell them, and others, how much you like it!

The Whole Enchilada: @iwantthedean @dolphincliffs @mrswhozeewhatsis @flamencodiva @blacktithe7  @amanda-teaches @hannahindie  @kickingitwithkirk  @wi-deangirl77 @hobby27 @gh0stgurl @alleiradayne @idreamofplaid @manawhaat @crashdevlin  @emoryhemsworth  @fangirlxwritesx67 @winchesterprincessbride @waywardbeanie @jensengirl83​ @anathewierdo  @winchest09

Jensen’s Jamboree: @jerkbitchidjitassbutt​ @dean-winchesters-bacon​ @adoptdontshoppets @supernatural-jackles​ @fandom-princess-forevermore​ @akshi8278​ @thing-you-do-with-that-thing​ @deanwanddamons​ @rockhoochie​

[fericita-s]

We Run a Very Tight Ship

Guest chapter! @sagiow challenged me to write a chapter for the Mercy Street Cruise Ship AU that involves “floor bacon” and “leftover snow cone” and this is the result, heavy on the Emmry. Thanks for inviting me to play in your sandbox! I hope I didn’t make things too dirty!

Thanks @the-spaztic-fantastic for beta-ing and for some research on this chapter that I won’t out you for.  Let’s call it medical.

Previous Chapters by @jomiddlemarch and @sagiow

Quarantine – Day 5

Maple Bourbon Snow Cones

The lewd bag was empty and every time Emma looked at it the same hysterical giggle worked its way up from the depths of her belly, just like the one that had made her gasp against the wall with the realization that she was quarantined in the honeymoon suite with the man she’d been crushing on for as long as she’d had this job.  And then it had been Henry making her gasp, and occasionally the depths of treasure they extracted from the lewd bag.  What hadn’t needed batteries – the lotions, some of the condoms, the novelty lipstick shaped like a penis – was used up or laughed over and then discarded, Emma was still too good at her job to stop taking evaluative notes on what should be added or permanently excluded from future honeymoon packages.  She had berated herself for not thinking to check that the outlets matched the plugs for the plug-in, but who wanted to spend any time thinking on Alice and Frank’s sexual satisfaction.  Anyway, Henry was just as good as a Hitachi.  Better even, what with the stubbled jawline and forearms to admire.

They were ensconced on the bed, the silk duvet and the plush matching bathrobes the only part of the experience that felt vaguely like a sick day.

Mostly, it felt like a vacation.

Three times a day, a steward knocked on the door to deliver food.  There were increasingly entertaining videos livestreamed by PS I Love You Squivers and Henry was just as fun and funny to talk to post-sex, or more accurately in-between-sex, and no one had died.

Emma knew that should have been what she was most grateful for, and Henry was leading with it in the sermon he was live-streaming later, but it was easy to forget the chaos going on in the medical bay when she was on her honeymoon.  Even a borrowed one.

A brisk knock sounded and Henry kissed her forehead as he left the bed to answer.  The voice on the other side immediately scolded him and Emma tilted her head, trying to place it.

“You shouldn’t be opening the door for anyone without proper protective gear on!”

Emma wondered why someone would insist Henry answer the door with a condom on until the door opened wider and she saw the scrubs and mask Dr. Foster was wearing.

“Hello, Jed.  Should I close it?” Henry seemed unbothered though he did take a few steps back, motioning for the doctor to come in.  Emma thought Jed looked like he’d been awake for the five days of quarantine, and perhaps he had.  It gave her a slight pang of guilt that he had been working so hard to take care of her sister and brother and soon-to-be brother-in-law/ex-boyfriend.

“Is Alice alright? And Jimmy?”  She didn’t ask about Frank. Not because it was awkward, but because she didn’t really care and she’d rather keep thoughts of him out of this room where she definitely had not been thinking about him, beyond regretting that she had poured the premium bourbon Frank insisted the room was stocked with down the drain. If she had known she’d be the one holed up in this room, she wouldn’t have discarded the Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve and refilled the bottle with Jim Bean, which at the time had felt like a delightful power move.  Would Frank brag about the superior taste of the good stuff instead of the cheap swill of the masses?  Or would he have a Princess and the Pea moment and demand the high-end alcohol? Either would have been fireworks that amused her; it was just too bad she and Henry had to make do with the cheap stuff.  It made the melted snow cones from lunch more bearable at least, and who could even taste the bourbon with the snow cone on her tongue and then Henry soon after.

“Alice and Jimmy are fine.  The others too. No worse, no better. We just administered the tests and I’ve been assured we’ll get results soon.  Alice sent me to collect the ‘sparkly, pretty, rainbow shoes’.  The payment required for her participation in the swab.”

Emma tightened the bath robe and got out of the bed, her hands lingering on the silk, wishing it could have been longer that this room had gone without the name “Alice” being spoken.  Hearing it twice was like breaking a spell.

“I don’t think her luggage is here.  She was staying with her bridesmaids in an ocean view suite on A Deck.”

Jed sighed and raised a hand like he was going to rub it over his eyes and face, but then stopped, letting it fall back down.  “I went there first.  To Kayleigh or McEnany or MacKayleighAnnie or whatever the hell her three bridesmaids’ names are.  They were next to useless and either lying or clueless, but they weren’t sick at least. Mind if I look here?”

Emma’s eyes met Henry’s and they both looked around the room at the detritus of one lewd bag and four and a half days’ worth of food and condom wrappers. Henry cleared his throat.

“How about we look and call you when we find it? And how about you take a rest in your own room before heading back to med bay? Before you need a cot there yourself?” Henry put a hand on Jed’s shoulder but Jed shook it off.

“Fine. I shouldn’t spend time in here with you anyway, stop the spread and all that. Let me know?”

He left and Henry bent to retrieve the breakfast tray that had been left and kicked at the door to shut it, but the pocket of his bathrobe got caught on the doorknob and the tray jerked out of his hands as he was pulled back with the door.  Emma watched in horror as a plate slid off of the tray and the bacon slid off of the plate and onto the floor.

“Five second rule!” Henry shouted, pulling his bathrobe free of the door and scooping it up.

“On a cruise ship?  During an epidemiological disaster? I don’t think the five second rule applies.”

“Fair,” Henry said, and threw it into the trash instead.  “I suppose floor bacon is not what B Gibson intended for our culinary satisfaction.”

“I’m starting to feel like this is the Battle of Manassas and we’re all on a picnic watching the horror go down with amusement. Should I be doing more to help? Jed seemed pretty exhausted.”

“Manassas, eh? Not Bull Run? Took me five days but I finally found your flaw.  You’re a secret Confederate.”

Emma swatted at him, but then reconsidered and swiped a pancake from the tray he was still holding instead.  “I’m from Virginia.  It’s what the battlefield sign says.”

Henry put the tray on the bed, resettling the plates and arranging the fruit and sausage that remained and took a pancake for himself.  He spoke in between bites and he was so comforting and certain, Emma thought that online ordination must have included some contact hours for counseling training.  He was so good at it. “I think quarantining is the most helpful thing we can do right now.  That and look for these shoes.  We know we’ve been exposed to Alice and if we go out, we just make the problem worse.”

Despite the sentence ending with “make the problem worse,” Emma felt a thrill of victory. For right now, for this perfectly weird moment, the best thing she could do for her job, for her family, for the good of the public health, was to remain in a honeymoon suite with Henry. It was a sacrifice she could handle.

They finished their breakfast and then began searching for the ridiculous shoes Alice apparently needed while prone in a hospital cot. Henry turned the livestream on and they watched with amusement as Percival Squivers apologized for the unhinged magic shows he had been giving over the past few days and then pledged to provide truly riveting content for the remainder of quarantine, however long it lasted.  Then he reached to turn off his camera but missed, and Henry and Emma abandoned their search as they watched, open-mouthed and eyes wide as Squivers pulled a half dollar from behind a woman’s ear as she leaned in to kiss him.  Squivers kept attempting to say, or guess, her name, like it was a magic trick that would have the best reveal yet: Lisette? Linnette? Laurent?   And then what followed wasn't exactly porn, it wasn't exactly not porn, but it definitely wasn't good porn and they turned from it to keep searching.

As she lifted pillows and emptied drawers and looked in the smallest closet to ever bear the name, Emma considered how much easier it was going to be to stop this wedding now that the bride and groom were both sick.  But she wanted it to not happen ever, and the means to prevent it was still not in her grasp.

Henry hadn't asked why and she wanted to think it was because he could tell how awful they were or that he'd do whatever she asked or that he was ready for hijinks of any kind, and not that he expected an explanation.  Because she wasn’t sure she could explain the mortification of her former boyfriend marrying her little sister.  It was cute when Amy March did it, but if Emma had to choose a scene to repeat from that book it would be letting her sister fall through the ice, and not necessarily the rescue that followed.

“Bingo!” Henry called, holding a shoe box aloft that had been stashed behind a pile of towels they hadn’t worked their way through yet.

Emma crossed the room to sit next to him as he opened the lid. The shoes were very sparkly, every color of the rainbow shimmering and shining in the sequins as they caught the light.  Emma lifted them out and frowned as she saw something left behind, half-hidden by the tissue paper surrounding the shoes.

“That’s Frank’s phone,” she said, reaching for it and flipping it over so the rebel flag phone case was at least not offensively visible.  She put in the code she knew he’d use: 1-2-3-4 and a series of pictures was already queued up.

She swiped through selfies of Frank, Jimmy posing obscenely, all the groomsmen posing obscenely, a close up of Alice’s ass, Frank boarding a plane, and then a series of photos with a random seatmate who looked to be the reigning Miss Italy. Photos in the cramped bathroom that left Emma with no doubt that plenty of germs and viruses and perhaps even an entire plague could have been caught from the amount of skin and orifices and fluids being exchanged in the bathroom, fully documented on his phone, in black and white, in video, in various filters that Emma appraised with a critical eye and announced, to Henry's amusement "Yep.  Just as bad as I remember.”

He flashed her a smile. The one that meant this round was over and it had been a good one. “You did it.  You found the evidence.  No wedding.”

Emma shook her head.  “If it was in her shoes, she knows. Nothing matters.  The truth is out there and no one cares.”

A new sound was coming from the livestream and Henry and Emma turned to look, able to see clearly as Silas the pig and Mrs. Brannon came into frame and demanded of Squivers “Did you find it for me? I’m tired of paying you and seeing nothing but lousy magic to show for it.”

“I think we figured out Squivers’s side hustle,” said Henry, but he turned the tablet off at Emma’s blank look.  “The truth does matter.  And I made a no-vow vow.  I don’t break my vows.”

“No wedding,” Emma said, equally solemn.

“The truth matters,” he repeated, and Emma wondered if he meant the revelers still having pop-up parties in hallways and acting like quarantine was a suggestive role play you could opt out of if it didn't suit your entertainment interests.  It would be a good sermon, if anyone could tear themselves away from the trainwreck of the Squivers show to watch.

***

Jed came to retrieve the shoes later, looking marginally better rested but wielding test kits and insisting he administer them so the mad rush of the second round could at least be staggered.  Emma giggled hysterically as Henry yelled “Peacock! Peacock!” and then again as the swab went so far up her nose she thought it was tickling her hairline from beneath her skull. 

“Let’s add some more bourbon to the leftover snow cones,” she said as Jed left, bags and shoes in hand.  The phone they had kept; the plan was still formulating on how to wield it.

“I want it that way,” Henry sang, sounding sexier than a Backstreet Boy though somewhat more nasally as he rubbed at the bridge of his nose and grinned at her.

[wolfpawn]

I Hate You, I Love You, Chapter 136

Chapter Summary -   As the Early Man premiere looms, Danielle gets more worried about it, but Sophie and Nacelle both try to settle her nerves. When the day comes, how will she deal with it all?

Previous Chapter

Rating - Mature (some chapters contain smut)

Triggers - references to Tom Hiddleston’s work with the #MeToo Movement. That chapter will be tagged accordingly.

authors Note - I have been working on this for the last 3 years, it is currently 180+ chapters long.  This will be updated daily, so long as I can get time to do so, obviously.

NOTES - Yes, I love slagging Michael's accent, I won't apologise, there's no malice behind it :)

Copyright for the photo is the owners, not mine. All image rights belong to their owners

tags: @sweetkingdomstarlight-blog @jessibelle-nerdy-mum @nonsensicalobsessions @damalseer @hiddlesbitch1 @winterisakiller @fairlightswiftly @salempoe @wolfsmom1

‘Elle, this is too much.’

‘Just be grateful that come next Christmas, I will have someone else to annoy with this too, so I may not go as mad.’ She laughed.

‘“May not”?’

‘No promises, if Emma has a girl, I will probably still go as mad for boy’s clothes for your two.’

‘’Or you will just buy three of everything if she has a boy.’

‘Yeah, that’s fairly likely as well.’ Danielle acknowledged.

‘Are you alright with the premier?’ Danielle stared at the cup in front of her, not answering. ‘You’re scared.’

‘F….ing terrified.’ Danielle corrected herself as she looked at Kit who seemed to realise that that was the most opportune time to pick up a word he shouldn’t.

Sophie moved Hal to her other knee. ‘It’s not as bad as you make it out in your head, you know?’

‘People from all over the world will be sitting behind their computer screens and judging me, A - because they think they know me and B - because they think that Tom is theirs and not an actual human being.’

‘That’s only taking in a small number of his fans.’

‘Those are the ones that bother me, people being curious or people actually realise that even though they adore him, he is his own person, them I can handle, they don’t even have to like me, I just don’t like the negative people.’

‘Do you read what they say?’

‘Sometimes.’

‘Don’t, you will only upset yourself. You have seen what they have written about Ben and myself, negative people need to be toxic about others, it feeds their need for negativity.’

‘I know.’ Danielle looked at her cup again.

‘Have you spoken to Tom about this?’ She shook her head. ‘And why not?’

‘Because I can see he is stressing about my reaction to this and he is absolutely terrified I will scarper because of it, so if I voice my terror, he will react accordingly, ie overreact as I am doing and we could very much end up in a bad place as a result and I am not risking us for some stupid fear I have.’

Sophie pursed her lips, knowing that she would not convince Danielle to say anything to Tom. ‘I think you should tell him, but that is only my opinion.’ She stated politically before looking at her son, who was chewing his fist. ‘Not another one already.’

‘Toothsies.’ Danielle declared with a funny face causing him to giggle.

‘How do you do that?’

‘I have no idea, he is probably just laughing at my accent.’

‘It hasn’t changed since you came over, has it?’

‘Not that I am aware of, my family said nothing of it changing when I went back for a few days. They’d be the first to point it out.’

‘Michael Fassbender has an odd accent.’

‘Well, he is from Kerry, that’s a normal statement for people from there. But it does seem to be a slight mix of both London and Kerry.’

‘Have you met him?’

Danielle shook her head. ‘Is he even around these parts anymore?’

‘He moved to Portugal with his wife, I think, apparently, Brexit did not make them feel welcome anymore.’

‘Understandable, I get a few comments about being a “Paddy” here taking British jobs.’

‘Actually, what will you do when Brexit happens?’

‘What do you mean?’

‘Will you stay?’

‘I am not leaving unless I have to, I came pre-vote, so hopefully, I am not going to be booted out. Worst case scenario, I can marry for a passport, that’s still a thing, right?’ She joked.

Sophie had to laugh but nodded her head slightly in agreement. ‘Is that what you planned? It’s as good a reason as any these days.’

‘And I am laying down my foundations in advance for immigration too.’ Sophie laughed again. ‘I don’t know, I suppose it is different for me than for Fassbender, my partner is British, his is….Swedish isn’t it?’

‘Think so.’

‘So they don’t have ties here such as family. We do, Tom could never move out of the country, leaving his mum and dad behind.’

‘How was Christmas with his mum?’

‘Amazing, I love it so much, we have all the joy of family, but we still have our own space.’

‘So you don’t think you will sell now?’

‘I spoke to him about it, he really did not like the idea and looking at the reasons, I can see it makes a lot more sense to keep it than to sell it. So no, no selling.’

‘And you are okay with that?’

‘Yes.’ The confidence in her voice made Sophie smile, it was clear Danielle was happy with her statement.

Sophie decided to give her more advice. ‘You will be fine, stay with Tom, let him know if you are scared and most importantly, be honest with him. Ben was the exact same, you can see him asking more than once if I am okay, Tom will do it too. And smile, they want to accuse you of being unhappy so much, don’t give it to them.’

‘Why are they so in need of putting others down?’

‘Because they are miserable and spiteful, two personality types prone to loving bringing others down. You will do fine, don’t fret.’

Danielle just nodded in response.

*

‘Elle?’ Tom knocked on the bathroom door. ‘Darling, Nacelle is here, I told her to go into the spare room, far more space in there for her to set herself up.’

‘Okay, just a sec, I am fighting with my hair.’ She walked out of the bathroom. ‘I am shaving it all off.’

‘Please don’t, it’s cold out, you’d regret it.’ Tom smiled, looking at her attempts to get it to do what she wanted. ‘You get your things together, and go over to her, alright?’

‘Thank you.’ She leant up and kissed him. ‘I don’t know why she insists on being here this early, am I that ugly?’

‘You are nothing of the sort.’ Tom chastised. ‘Didn’t Emma take four hours to do hair and make-up the day of her wedding.’

‘In all fairness, I never saw a more beautiful bride. The make-up only accentuated her features. She looked incredible.’

‘You looked so beautiful too.’ Tom smiled. ‘I fell utterly in love with you in every way that day. Before the wedding, while you were helping Emma, my feelings grew, but that day….I realised later what it was but I remember seeing you, walking down the aisle with Jack’s best friend and being utterly flabbergasted, you took my breath away.’ He placed his hand against her cheek. ‘Why did I waste two years? We could have had so much more time together.’

‘We both were not smart enough to take our heads out of our asses. And things happen for a reason. Who knows, if we had gotten together then, we may not have lasted.’ She pointed out. ‘Or we could be married now and be parents or perhaps we could be divorced, or just planning a wedding, we can never tell, all we can do is accept what is and change things moving forward if we are not happy with it.’

That startled Tom slightly. The idea of them married, must less as parents was a step that he thought they were a significant distance from at present. In all truth, he would see that as more of a reason to be angry at himself for not just saying something that day as they were eating or even ask her to dance, but he said nothing and missed out on two more years with her.

‘Hey, Earth to Tom…’ He turned to see Danielle looking at him. ‘Are you alright, love?’

‘Yeah, I was just thinking.’

‘Oh dear.’ He gave her a small playful warning look. ‘I better go get ready for this.’

‘So must I, I will be back soon.’

‘Are you going somewhere?’

‘I am going to the barbers.’

‘Are you getting everything cut off?’ She eyed him warily.

‘Not at all, just groomed.’ He consoled, smiling as she relaxed. ‘This is going to stay for a while yet.’

‘Good, I love it.’

‘And if I have to shave and tidy?’

‘I like you like that too.’ She smiled, kissing him. ‘Go. This is going to take me a serious amount of time.’

‘Not at all, you are so beautiful already, Nacelle just accentuates it.’ He assured her as he gave her a kiss and left the room and going down the other room to the curious looking makeup artist. ‘She is just out of the bathroom.’

‘I’ll have her ready for you.’

‘I will get you both something on the way back from my own appointment.’ He smiled as he left.

‘Ellie?’

‘Don’t call me that.’ Danielle growled as she came to the bedroom door. ‘Hey.’ She hugged her friend.

‘You look scared.’

‘I am scared.’

‘It’s nothing. And you have your own knight in shining armour, let’s get this started.’ They walked into the spare bedroom which had a large vanity table with a mirror. Danielle sat in the chair and watched as Nacelle looked at her before grabbing a few things. ‘We’ll get your hair in a few rollers, a nice tousled look will go well with your dress.’

‘I trust you.’ Danielle smiled, looking at the outfit she was wearing before Nacelle put a cloak over her to protect her clothes and started attacking her hair with rollers.

‘You really need to consider getting an ombre done, it would suit you so much.’ Nacelle insisted.

‘I need to worry more about the grey hairs.’

‘Shh, you have only a few.’

‘I spent the last thirty minutes pulling out some.’

‘Try doing it with my hair and then talk to me.’ Nacelle confessed, making Danielle feel a bit better, the pair talking about anything and everything as Nacelle worked on Danielle’s hair and then makeup.

[let-it-raines]

Catch Me If You Can (20/?)

298 days. That’s how long Killian Jones was away from a baseball field. It’s 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.

It’s something no one saw coming, and it’s certainly not something anyone who knows about his arm would predict. Now it’s 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: shout out to @resident-of-storybrooke​ for beta-ing this bad boy even if I did find a hell of a lot of typos doing my final read for this chapter. It’s okay. We all make mistakes 😉

(It’s me. I made the mistakes because I’m the one making those typos.)

Found on AO3: Beginning | Current

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Tag list: @eala-captian @galaxyzxstark @xellewoods @mariakov81 @ultraluckycatnd @royalswan @shey-starsfury​ @superchocovian​ @sals86 @iam2307 @ashley-knightingale @karenfrommisthaven @scientificapricot @captswanis4vr @ultimiflos @jamif @idristardis @nikkiemms @resident-of-storybrooke @tiganasummertree @bmbbcs4evr @onceuponaprincessworld @jennjenn615 @mayquita @captainsjedi @teamhook @notoriouscs @kmomof4 @ekr032-blog-blog@cs-forlife @andiirivera @jonirobinson64 @qualitycoffeethings​ @youraverageshipper​

-/-

The game plays on the television in the weight room as Killian works with free weights to work out his arm and his shoulder. He’s already been massaged by Archie today even though he’s not playing, but when he woke up there was a slight ache there that wasn’t pleasant to live with. It’s still there, but it’s manageable, just a small little niggling feeling that he feels if he lifts something that’s too heavy or twists in just the right, or wrong, way. But it’s fine, as it always is, because the pain doesn’t last for too long and is always manageable.

How many athletes walk around every day living with manageable pain when the world thinks that their bodies are in the most pristine conditions?

That’s always been kind of funny to him, and it hasn’t been until the past two years that he’s understood why. Fans of baseball, of any sport really, sit in the stands, on their couches, and on barstools at the restaurant yelling at athletes to do the impossible with their body, and then when they can’t or get hurt doing it, yell at them for not having some kind of superhuman strength. He’s had so many people bemoan to him about the public part of his accident, one that was traumatizing on a personal and professional level with effects still lingering to today, and they don’t seem to understand that the men and women on fields and courts or in swimming pools are human beings who have pushed their bodies to the limits for most of their lives.

And he doesn’t even play one of the most physically demanding sports, though it can be much more demanding than most people think, especially for his arm.

Hell, definitely for his arm.

But he loves it. That’s the thing. Killian loves this game, loves his team, loves getting to stand out on that field even on the days where only a quarter of the seats are filled up. It’s been his passion for so long, the thing that he is truly good at, and he can’t imagine doing anything else even if he’s had back-up plan after back-up plan and will have to do something with his life when this is all over.

Today isn’t that day.

“Hey,” Robin says as he enters the weight room, his hair slicked back from a shower so that Killian knows that he’s not actually in here to talk, “you wanted to talk to me?”

Oh, and the fact that Killian told him that he wanted to talk. That will definitely do it.

“Yeah, one minute,” he sighs, running through one more rep before putting the weights down on their rack and adjusting the hat on his head so that he can wipe away the sweat on his brow before turning to look at Robin who is sitting on a weight bench. “Roseman sucks today.”

“That’s what you wanted to talk to me about?”

“No, no,” Killian corrects, taking the seat across from Robin on another bench and leaning forward so that his clasped hands rest between the open space between his knees. Taking a quick glance toward the door, he sees that no one is around, and with the music blaring so loudly throughout the hallways, he knows no one will be able to hear anyways. “So, I feel like I’m making the rounds delivering news when I really should have gotten you all together at one time to get it over with, but Ariel has been impossible to get to sit still for more than a second and Will talks too loudly for me to tell him in person and – ”

“Are you dying or something?” Robin laughs, his brows raised in confusion.

“I’m not dying,” he reassures Robin even as his hand reaches up to scratch behind his ear. “I’m, well, I’m dating Emma Swan, and while we’re keeping it quiet from the media and most everyone else, we decided to tell the people who are close with us, hence you and A and Eric and Will. Plus, obviously, my family, who are the only ones I’ve managed to tell so far.”

Robin doesn’t say anything at first, his eyes widened as he takes the information in, and while Killian knew the reaction he was expecting when he told Liam and Elsa – Liam was surprised and far too overbearing and Elsa literally told him that she figured it out at Addy’s birthday party – he hasn’t quite been able to come up with a clear idea of how his friends would react.

Silence and confusion have been his best guesses.

“For how long?” Robin finally stutters out.

“A couple of months.”

“And you’re serious about her?”

“That I am.”

“And this is a secret?”

Why does he feel like this is an exact repeat of the conversation he had with Liam and pretty much the same as the conversation Emma relayed that she had with David?

“Yeah, for Emma. After everything with me and then all of the backlash that she gets with her job, we wanted to keep it quiet. At first, it was so that we could figure things out, but now that we’re more comfortable, we’re telling the people closest to us so that such big parts of our lives aren’t hidden away.”

Robin nods, the smallest smile forming on his lips, and Killian didn’t quite realize how much he wanted Robin’s approval until he got it. Not getting it wouldn’t change things, but Robin has been one of his best mates for a decade, has been through so many of his highs and lows, and he wants Robin to be happy for him. He wants to be able to talk through everything with Robin the way that Robin has with him.

“That makes sense. I mean, yeah,” Robin chuckles, leaving back and messing with his shirt. “I knew you always fancied her, especially lately, but it makes sense with how often I’ve seen the two of you chatting on the plane or at breakfast. I didn’t think anything of it, just figured that she was looking for a friend since the woman who used to be go on road trips with her isn’t around that often. Huh, you’re dating again.”

“Does that surprise you?”

“Only a little. You were so messed up after Milah and all of the women that came after her that I didn’t really think you’d ever seriously date someone again. I kind of thought that you and I would end up as eternal bachelors and live life vicariously through Roland.”

Killian barks out a laugh, one that he really shouldn’t at how depressing that thought honestly is, but leave it to Robin to make him laugh like that. It’s something that comes with knowing someone for so damn long, and Killian is thankful for it.

“Do you think Roland will take care of us in our old age? I’m not sure that he will.”

“He’ll take care of you,” Robin laughs, “because you never have to tell him no. He’s going to harbor the fact that I didn’t let him have dessert last night forever.”

“Yeah, you’re definitely not getting chocolate pudding when you’re old and it’s all you can eat.”

Robin rolls his eyes, but the smile is still there. The smile is still on Killian’s face too. “I’m happy for you, mate. I kind of think you’re both batshit crazy for getting involved with each other when there’s so much that could go wrong, but happiness looks good on you.”

“Thanks. I don’t – she’s great, Rob. Bloody fantastic. I mean, I know that you know her and get to see her kick ass at her job every day, but outside of work too…she’s amazing.”

“I know.”

-/-

After the game, Killian manages to pull Will, Eric, and Ariel aside into one of the offices outside the locker room to tell them, finally hitting three birds with one stone, which is a pretty morbid saying now that he thinks about. Their hitting coach looks through the glass of the window when Ariel lets out a scream at his words, and Killian can do nothing but shake his head. It’s like he’s announcing the most exciting thing to ever happen to him every time he tells someone, and as much as he knew that his friends were invested in his dating life – or lack thereof – he didn’t know it was like this.

They all very obviously need to get a life.

-/-

“Oh my gosh,” Emma groans, slamming the passenger side door to his car closed as she slides onto the leather seat and adjusts her bag in her lap before dropping it to the ground, “I’d never make it as a spy. There were approximately a million people who were walking this way that knew me or you or were a member of the press. I swear, babe, it was impossible to get over here. I could have gotten to your brother’s house faster had I taken the trains, even with how packed they are right now.” She takes a breath and leans over to press her lips to his cheeks. “Hi. Thank you for waiting on me.”

“Well, I wasn’t exactly going to leave without you, Swan. How was work?”

“You know,” she teases, rolling her eyes a bit at his question, “it was good. Did you know that the Yankees won today and that they’re leading their league? And things like that tend to make players very happy to talk to me. Do you know who else was very happy to talk to me?”

“Who, love?” he asks as he presses his foot down on the gas and hits the ignition button to start the car.

“Ariel Fisher. That’s another reason why I’m late. I was attacked by a tiny, very loud, red-headed woman giving me a hug that I swear squeezed the life out of me. I’m not entirely sure what she said to me since there was a certain lack of air circulation going on in my brain, but I’m pretty sure she said she was super happy for me and then tried to adopt me or something like that.”

Killian chuckles, unable to help himself, before he leans back into his seat and rests his cheek against the headrest so that he can look at Emma. She looks so happy today, her hair pulled back in a high ponytail to keep it off her neck since he knows that when she sweatssweatsshe hates the way it tangles at the back of her neck. He also knows that she spent an hour picking out a dress to wear today because she’s coming with him to his brother’s townhome for Sunday night dinner and is a little nervous. She claims that she is simply indecisive about what to wear all the time, but he knows that isn’t true. Ruby, who he still hasn’t officially met but who he’s going to meet when he’s subjected to his own family dinner (interrogation), finally helped her out by tossing an orange dress that falls beneath her knees and curves around Emma’s breasts at her and telling her they were leaving the apartment in an hour.

Ruby is a force of nature.

And he is very much distracted by the swell of Emma’s breasts right now and the way he can see the freckle that resides on the inside of her right one. Always so distracting.

“Yeah,” Killian sighs, reaching up to scratch behind his ear, “I have now officially told everyone I deemed worth of knowing that you are my girlfriend, and despite Ariel’s several squeals over the whole thing, everyone is going to keep it quiet. At least to the outside world. I fully expect them to be a little too invasive with us from time to time.”

“Really?” Emma drones sarcastically, shifting her legs underneath the dash to cross one over the other so that the material shows the skin just above her knee. “I didn’t expect that at all with Will asking me if I was going to be your plus one for his wedding. Belle apparently needs to know for the seating arrangements. Or Ariel asking if we’d be willing to go on a couple’s vacation for the New Year.”

“I can believe both of those things happened.”

“As you should because they are true statements, twenty-nine.” Emma sighs back into the seat, turning away from facing him and looking out at the gray block that is the parking garage. “How’d Robin take it?”

“I’ll tell you on the way to Liam’s, yeah? If there’s one thing you need to know about the Jones family, it’s that we like to be on time, and we, my darling, are running late.”

“Liam will just have to get used to it like you have.”

Killian laughs as he puts his car in drive and makes his way out of the parking garage, filling in all of the details about his conversation with Robin as well as his with Will, Eric, and Ariel. Honestly, it feels like this is all they’ve talked about in the past week since Emma finally took the leap and told her family. She was pretty quiet about it all, not surprisingly, and slowly but surely he managed to drag some information out of her besides the fact that Ruby had figured it out because Emma was wearing his sweatshirt – which he still hasn’t gotten back – and that David had kind of caused her to freak out about things. He doesn’t love the thought of Emma getting into a panic about their relationship, but there are definitely things for them to always think about and consider. That’s not going to change.

Liam had said the same thing to him when he told him. He’d been full of questions, that obnoxious protective older brother gene coming to life. It doesn’t matter that Killian is twenty-eight years old and very much has control of his own life. Liam is always going to be that way, no matter how much Killian asks him not to be. It stems from Liam being both his brother and his father for a lot of his life. Liam was the one who was there to help him apply to colleges, to help him get recruiters to watch his games. His father had been the one who was obsessed with baseball, but his brother was the one who helped him achieve his dreams. And Liam had been the one who was by his side when he got drafted, when he worked his way up from the minors, when he pitched his first ball in Yankee stadium.

On top of all of that, Liam had been the one who was there when Killian and Milah broke up. That had been a disaster among disasters, and it’s probably exactly the reason why Liam pretty much had some kind of heart attack when Killian told him that he’d been dating someone in secret again. It had never occurred to Killian, not until he was sitting down across the kitchen table from Liam, that there were similarities even if the situations and circumstances and reasonings are different. Milah had asked him to be private about their relationship because of her marriage, not that he knew that at first, and he, the cocky guy that he was, thought that it was because she didn’t want the attention that would have come from being with him. In reality, no one but die-hard baseball fans cared about him, and he was fooling himself into thinking the things that he thought.

He was an idiot.

Still is sometimes.

How did he not realize that Liam might be truly upset about it all, that keeping such a big part of his life away from his best friend in the entire world would cause some sting? How did he not think through the fact that Liam, even though he’s often teased Killian about Emma and genuinely likes her, would worry about something similar happening here even though it is entirely different?

And now, after the accident, after all of the guilt and fear and worry that came with that, Liam focuses so much on Killian and how his life is going so that this would impact things.

It had been a long, stilted conversation, one that made Killian’s head pound, and thank goodness for Elsa to break things up and to understand and to help Liam calm down and see things the way that he should have seen things. And while it was Elsa who insisted that Killian bring Emma to Sunday dinner, he knows that Liam is more or so accepting of it all and will not be an ass to Emma.

That was agreed upon beforehand. Killian felt that was necessary, and while Emma told him that it was fine, that this is how David is going to be despite her best efforts, it’s very much not fine for anyone to be an ass to Emma simply because she is dating him.

Or at all.

So, maybe he’s a little nervous for this dinner, but that’s nothing compares to the way that Emma’s leg is shaking underneath the touch of his palm resting there.

“This is a nice neighborhood,” Emma says as he turns onto Liam’s street. “I don’t think I’ve ever been over here.”

“I can’t imagine you’ve ever had reason to unless you were randomly walking down the streets in front of these families’ homes.”

“I am pretty weird. I might have been.”

He glances over at her and smiles, but Emma’s gaze is very much focused on the street in front of her. Squeezing her thigh to silently reassure her, Killian moves his hand off of Emma back to the wheel so that he can turn into Liam’s garage, rolling down the window to type in the code so that the door will open for the two of them.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go get dinner somewhere else?” Emma worries, her voice visibly shaky. “I’m sure we can go find, like, one of those really good Mexican places that looks like it should be shut down for health codes but actually has the best queso dip you’ve ever eaten. No one will recognize us. I’m sure of it.”

“Swan,” Killian chuckles, driving into the garage and putting his car in park before turning to look at Emma, reaching up to cup her cheeks with his palms and run his thumbs underneath her eyes, “it is fine. They, unlike me, do not bite.”

“You are ridiculous. Why would you even say that?”

“To make you laugh.” He leans forward and playfully nips at her lips before tucking a loose strand from her ponytail behind her ear. “You are going to be fine. They’re just people, most of who you have met before, and if all else fails, you’ll have Addy and Lucy to be a buffer.”

“If you freak out when you have to meet all of my people, I’m going to say the exact same things about you, so just think about that with every word you use to calm me down.”

“That’s a lot of pressure.”

“So is this.”

Killian hums before gently kissing Emma and taking his time to move his lips of her, breathing in the smell of her perfume and her hairspray and maybe the tiniest bit of sweat. He needs to calm down too, to take a breath, and tell himself the same things that he’s been telling Emma.

“I love you,” he says when he pulls back, still reveling in the fact that he can say those words to her after feeling them for so long.

“I love you too. Last chance on the Mexican thing.”

His eyes roll, but he laughs all the same, briefly kissing her once more before leaning over her to open her car door. “Funnily enough, that’s what we’re having for dinner tonight. It’s a family favorite.”

“I’m pretty sure you’re lying to me, and if you are, I am stealing your car and driving it to my apartment, where it will inevitably get towed.”

“Whatever you say, darling.”

Killian opens his own door and gets out of the car before walking to Emma’s side and waiting for her as she adjusts her dress and messes with her hair in the reflection window. She’s still hesitant, which he imagines will stop when she gets inside and actually gets into conversation, so he places his hand on the small of her back and guides her up the stairs until they’re entering the kitchen and coming face-to-face with Anna.

Probably not the easiest way to ease Emma into things.

“Oh my gosh,” Anna squeals before putting her glass down, “you’re Emma.”

Emma stills beside him, and he rubs his hand up and down her back before squeezing her ass simply because he knows that it’ll make her focus on something other than her nerves. Sure enough, she jumps, looking up at him with a wry smile on her face and a playful roll of her eyes before looking back to Anna.

“That’s me,” Emma laughs, stepping away from him to move forward to shake Anna’s hand only for Anna to wrap Emma in a hug that is so tight that Killian swears he can feel it in his own legs. “It’s nice to meet you, Anna.”

“Oh, it’s so nice to meet you. I’ve heard so much about you. Well, not really, but a good amount. Mostly from Elsa. I followed you on Instagram. You might not have noticed that. You are just so pretty and I’m sure sweet, and I have no idea what you’re doing with Killian.”

“Hey,” he scoffs, pressing his lips together. He was going to laugh at how Anna rambles until she got to that end part, “why is everyone always saying things like that? I happen to think I’m a catch.”

“Well, you are, but only if people don’t know you that well,” Anna teases, releasing Emma and walking toward him so that she can hug him and whisper in his ear, “I’m kidding. She’s so pretty, Killian.”

“I know,” he sighs into Anna’s cheek. “She can probably hear us.”

“Oh, I’m totally not listening or anything,” Emma teases.

Anna laughs and pulls back before stepping over to Emma and grabbing onto her arm. “Come on, everyone is in the living room, and they need to know that you’re here. And I want to hear all about you. Your job is awesome, obviously, but a girl has seriously got to know why Killian loves you so much. I don’t even know if you guys have said those words to each other yet, but I can tell. He’s got that sparkle in his eyes.”

“You know,” Emma chuckles, looking back at him with a smile on her face, “you and my sister-in-law would get along really well.”

“Then I have to meet her too.”

Killian follows Anna and Emma around the corner and into the living room where Liam, Elsa, and Kris are all sitting on the couches while Addy and Lucy are watching television. The moment they walk in the room, though, Addy turns her head and runs toward Emma, grabbing onto her waist and talking about just how excited she is to see Emma. Lucy is right behind her, and even though she’s more reserved, she hugs Emma too, letting Emma pick her up and rest her on her hip while everyone else greets Emma. She’s very quickly learning that his family are all huggers, and man does he hope that they’re not overwhelming her. He’d very much like for her to want to continue to date him after this.

Damn. Why is he thinking thoughts like that? That is not the kind of headspace that he needs to be in while Emma is talking to Liam, Lucy still sitting on her hip.

He kind of just threw her into the lion’s den, didn’t he?

But it’s good, he thinks. The conversation flows, there aren’t any awkward silences, and most importantly, there aren’t any interrogations.

“Do you need help with dinner?” Emma asks Elsa later when they’ve moved from the living room to the kitchen so that Elsa and Liam can start dinner, which, much to Emma’s delight, truly is good Mexican food.

“No,” Elsa sighs, waving Emma away as she chops up a bell pepper, “you’re a guest. You don’t cook. Killian, can you grate some cheese?”

He finishes taking a sip of his beer before putting it down. “What happened to guests not cooking?”

“You are family. That’s different.”

“That’s bullocks.”

“You love to cook,” Emma says as she knocks her knee into his. “I’m pretty sure you can handle grating some cheese.”

“He’s pretty incompetent. You’d be surprised at how little my little brother can actually do.”

“Younger. My gosh it’s younger,” Killian groans to Liam. He did that just to annoy Killian, the bastard. “Is that ever going to stop?”

“Maybe when you’re thirty.” Liam hands him a bowl, the cheese grater, and two blocks of cheese, before going back to getting ground beef out of the fridge. “So, Emma, how’d you get into baseball?”

Liam is definitely subtle in his ways of interrogation, but Killian picks up on it. Emma too.

“Watching it or working in it?”

“Working.”

“My brother is a lot older than me and has been working at ESPN pretty much since I’ve known him, and he helped get me an internship in college. It just kind of built from there, you know? I mostly was a stat checker and then got to write some articles, but then when they started covering the games on TV more and developed their streaming service, the job as an on-air reporter opened up. And yeah, here I am.”

“What do you mean your brother has been working there since you’ve known him?”

“Liam,” Killian warns, narrowing his eyes at his brother.

“It’s fine,” Emma promises him before placing her hand on his back and rubbing up and down. “I didn’t have parents, so I was in the foster system for my entire life. My last house, well, I grew close to them, and they’re pretty much my family. David is my foster mom’s biological son, and he’s pretty much fallen into that older brother role. You two are very alike.”

“Stubborn and far too invasive?” Elsa teases, looking behind her at Liam and winking.

“I am neither of those things.”

“You definitely are,” Killian and Elsa say at the same time, and Liam simply grumbles in response before placing the beef in the pan.

“Are Anna and Kris okay with the kids?” Emma wonders aloud, twisting her head around to look into the living room where Anna and Kris volunteered to watch a movie with them while dinner is being cooked. “I can watch them. I don’t want to interrupt your tradition of family dinners or whatever since I am kind of an intruder.”

“You are a breath of fresh air is what you are,” Elsa says, smiling at Emma before she takes the cheese out of his hands like he wasn’t just doing a bang-up job himself. “I thought you were the sweetest thing at Addy’s party, and when I realized that you two were dating, or at least had feelings for each other, I felt like all of those six-year-olds hyped up on sugar. I’m glad Killian has someone kind like you.” “You think she’s bloody kind, but she’s actually pretty mean to me.” Emma slaps the back of his head, and he starts laughing at the affronted look on her face. “See. She just slapped me.”

“Shut up.”

“Really mature, love.”

“You know that I’m not.”

“No, but you do some pretty mature things, if you know what I mean.”

“Killian,” she gasps, slapping him again, “that was a horrible innuendo.”

He arches a brow. “That’s what you’re insulted by? Not the fact that I alluded to our sex life but that I did it in a non-creative way?”

Emma shrugs. “Pretty much.”

“Els,” Liam groans, “I don’t think I can handle Killian dating again. It’s too nauseating.”

“Asshole,” Killian mumbles at Liam, flicking a piece of cheese at him.

“You’re really not very creative with your innuendos or insults today, Professor Jones. You should work on that.”

“And you,” Killian points out as his eyes roll at the nickname, “have got to stop talking to Scarlet if you’re going to call me things like that.”

Once dinner is ready, they all settle down in the dining room, the kitchen table not big enough to fit everyone, but just like the rest of the afternoon, everything goes smoothly. Liam is definitely peppering in questions and little comments, but it’s all in the good nature of getting to know Emma. Honestly, though, no one gets a word in for how much Emma, Anna, and Elsa are getting along. Emma is very obviously a big hit with the two of them as well as Addy and Lucy (and Kris and Liam even if they’re a little less vocal about it), and it makes his heart swell. Admittedly, he was kind of nervous about all of this, if only because his family and their approval is so important to him, but there’s no way they could ever not like Emma.

Maybe be a little dubious at first, but dislike? No.

He can only hope that it’s the same with her family since he knows that mixing lives doesn’t usually run so smoothly, even if this is only her second meeting with everyone.

Emma’s nerves seem to have faded away the longer they stay, and when he pulls her to the side after dinner and offers to take her back to his place, she shakes her head and says that she’s good to stay and watch a movie with his family. So they all settle down into the living room, and while everyone takes their normal spots, their routines obviously very engrained in their minds, Killian moves to the large lounge chair that’s in the corner, pulling Emma down on top of him and wrapping his arms around her waist so that Emma doesn’t have to sit across the room from him.

Maybe that’s a little bit for himself too.

Okay, it definitely is, and he dips his head down to kiss the back of Emma’s neck as she pulls a blanket up to cover their laps while Liam turns the lights off.

“I really like your family,” Emma whispers as she presses her cheek against his and squeezes his hands. “I’m glad you have them.”

“Yeah, love, me too. You seem to be a very big hit today.”

“It’s because I’m so charming.”

Killian chuckles into her cheek, pressing a kiss there. “Exactly.”

“Uncle Killian,” Addison groans, “Daddy says to stop kissing your girlfriend and pay attention to the movie.”

[shireness-says]

The Song Remains the Same

Summary: The more things change, the more they stay the same - including Emma’s teenage crush on Killian Jones. Will she finally work up the nerve to act on it at their ten year high school reunion? ~5.6K. Rated T for language. Also on AO3.

~~~~~

A/N: Here it is: my contribution to @csseptembersunshine! It’s been a lot of fun to write. Funny story: the inspiration for this comes from me watching the music episode of CNN’s 2000s documentary, and getting really annoyed that they didn’t touch on that pop-punk phase we all went through around 2008. Somehow it turned into this. I don’t know. The song title is actually taken from a Led Zeppelin song, though I didn’t know that when I originally chose it. Still trying to figure out where else I’ve heard that phrase.

Super thanks to @snidgetsafan for her last minute beta-ing, and to @awkwardnessandbaseball for her encouragement as I slogged through it.

Tagging the usual suspects and a few extras: @snowbellewells, @kmomof4, @teamhook, @profdanglaisstuff, @thisonesatellite, @captainsjedi, @let-it-raines, @optomisticgirl, @welllpthisishappening, @scientificapricot, @winterbaby89, @thejollyroger-writer

Enjoy, and let me know what you think!

~~~~~

Gymnasium 2 of Storybrooke High - the larger of their sports facilities, as any alumnus knows - hasn’t changed a bit in ten years.

Emma remembers the way it looked at the one homecoming dance she’d attended - blue and gold streamers everywhere, with a balloon arch behind the DJ and another against a sloppily-curtained wall for formal photos. The gym today is much the same - all that’s been added are the buffet and a collection of tables where people can eat. The same people who couldn’t be trusted with food in the gym ten years ago maybe shouldn’t be trusted to have gained that maturity now, but Emma’s not one to argue against hors d'oeuvres. It’s odd, in a way, that she’d expect it to change. This is Storybrooke, after all; they thrive on that vague air of nostalgia, and most of the town hasn’t been updated since the 80s. Hell, the local diner will abandon their 50s soda shoppe aesthetic when hell itself freezes over, and maybe not even then. But in the ten years since Emma’s left town, she’s changed in such foundational ways that it’s jarring to discover that it’s not the case everywhere.

There can be a comfort to the sameness, too. Emma has a kid, now, and there’s an appeal to raising him in a place where the whole town is your neighbor and neighbors look out for each other. Plus, the closest thing she has to family lives here. As much as Emma had wanted to get out and see the world when she was 18, there’s a point where you just want to come home. Home for Emma has been Ruth and David and Mary Margaret, and home for them has been Storybrooke. Maybe it’s about time Emma makes it her home too - if not for her own sake, then for Henry’s.

The nostalgia oozing from every inch of the gymnasium isn’t the reassuring kind of sameness, unfortunately, probably because Emma never felt comfortable here in the first place. Years in the system left Emma struggling to fit in and really find her place at school, emotionally and socially, even after the Nolans had taken her in for good. It had been hard enough to open herself up to Ruby and Mary Margaret and her adoptive family; anything more than that was a stretch too far, and Emma never really bonded with her classmates. All those streamer-festooned walls don’t hold any sentimental value for her, even if this was the school she graduated from. All things considered, it seems pretty stupid to be showing up to this ten-year reunion at all.

Mary Margaret had decorated the walls, though, had sent out invitations and implored Emma to attend. Mary Margaret, who had been Emma’s first real friend, and is still her best friend in the world. And even after all these years - especially after all these years - Emma can’t say no to that earnest pleading. 

So she’d left her three year old with Ruth for the night, wiggled into one of the more tasteful of her honeytrap dresses, and set out to her ten-year high school reunion. The last place she wants to be.

There’s already a good crowd here, mingling around as Lady Gaga blares in the background like no time has passed at all - which doesn’t help Emma’s nerves in the least. The people, not the music. The faces are still recognizable, even if ten years have passed and left their mark. Ashley and Sean are over by the buffet, apparently still together; if Emma remembers what she’s heard from Mary Margaret, they’ve got a couple of kids now. Kris and his wife are over talking to Victor, who hopefully hasn’t just come from the hospital. Aurora’s still got that unpleasant look on her face, though her boyfriend or husband or whatever else seems friendly enough. Hell, even Will Scarlet has somehow managed to clean up well in a dress shirt and tie, holding hands with a beautiful brunette with a ring as he points out something on the photo slideshow. Who’d have thought their resident troublemaker capable of such a domestic display. 

With the exception of Ruby, who Emma knows will be running late out of long-ingrained habit, it seems like the gang’s all here. As Emma scans the room, there’s only one obvious character missing from the bunch; somewhere around here should be blue eyes and dark hair and a smile that —

“Fancy meeting you here, Swan.”

— looks exactly as she remembers. It starts out as a smirk when Emma first whips around to face the man who’d whispered in her ear, but it softens into something more genuine as she laughs - almost like that’s the exact sound he’d been waiting for. Just like always.

As it turns out, that’s another thing that hasn’t changed in ten years: her hopeless crush on Killian Jones.

He’d been handsome, even in high school, with all that dark hair and his confident swagger. He’d earned that confidence too, as captain of the speech team and a champion swimmer. Somehow, even if it had made him cocky, he had still been kind, and it was that kindness that had attracted Emma in the first place - the way he’d always been happy to smile and help her in math class, even though he didn’t have to. Emma wasn’t used to that; it was its own kind of intoxicating.

He’s just as handsome now, and if that smile she’s so loved is any indication, just as kind. He’d joined the Navy after graduation, Emma knows, and it had obviously done him good, filling him out in all the right ways. The trim fitted suit is new too; probably a good thing too, as the cut of those pants would have driven Emma to distraction back in high school. Otherwise, he’s almost just the same as always; if it wasn’t for the prosthetic peeking out of his sleeve where a left hand should be, the Killian in front of her now could be mistaken for a blast from the past. 

“Well, look what the cat dragged in,” Emma grins back at him. 

“I might say the same thing,” he quips. “After all, I live here now. You’re the one who had to drive in.”

“You’re shitting me.”

“I absolutely am not,” Killian confirms with a laugh. “Just finished up my first year of teaching at good old Storybrooke High. American History. Go Knights.”

“Damn. Well, congrats, I bet you’re great.” Weirdly enough, Emma really can picture him as a history teacher. It was always his best subject, and she’d be willing to bet he’s one of the cool teachers all the kids love.

“I do my best,” he shrugs modestly. It’s a new look on the cocky, smooth-talking Killian Jones she used to know, and not a bad one. It makes him seem… adult. Like he’s got his ducks in a row now in a way neither of them were capable of when they were young. She almost misses his next question considering it. “I seem to remember David mentioning that you live in Boston these days?”

That snaps her back. “Yeah, Boston. I work in bail bonds there. Though lately…”

“You’re thinking about moving back?” he finishes. At Emma’s puzzled look, he continues. “Like I said, your brother mentioned it. He’s a bit of a gossip, I’ve rediscovered.”

Ah, of course. “Yeah, that sounds like him.”

“Well, if you end up deciding to come home… let me know. I’d be happy to see your face around these streets again.” He even smiles like he means it. It’s a nice surprise again; Killian Jones is just full of those today. She’d thought that there would only be a handful of people who’d be happy to see her - David and Ruth, Mary Margaret, Ruby and Granny - but maybe there’s some others, too. For whatever reason, Killian seems to be counting himself among them.

“Thanks,” she finally replies, somewhat awkwardly. What are you supposed to say to such an unexpected, purely kind thing, after all?  It’s just the kind of thing the boy she remembered would have said - though she has to wonder if that’s a true memory, or something she inflated from her own childish crush and even more childish tendency to latch onto even the smallest kindness in the way only those starved for affection do. “I’ll make sure to do that. I’ll let you go mingle or whatever, but I’ll, uh… I’ll see you around?”

“Absolutely, Swan,” he winks. Or tries to, in the same way he’s apparently never learned how. “Save a dance for me?”

Dancing has never been her strong suit, but weirdly enough - or perhaps, not weirdly at all, considering who made the offer - Emma finds herself wanting that too, finds herself agreeing. “Sure,” she shrugs, making her best display of nonchalance even if her pulse has picked up at the very prospect. “I’ll catch you later.”

What harm could it do? After all, it’s just one dance.

———

It’s weird how time can change people, or at least change her perceptions of them, Emma notes. With some notable exceptions - Aurora Stephenson, now… whatever the hell her last name is, who will probably never grow out of her tendency to look down her nose at everyone and everything - most of the people she graduated with have turned into more adult versions of themselves, whether that means happier or more responsible or just more tired. It’s refreshing to see in a room otherwise so mired in the past, from the decor to the never-ending 2010-era playlist constantly piped overhead. Emma’s a little worried she’ll hear Fall Out Boy’s entire discography before the night is over - weird, considering she’d never have pegged Mary Margaret for a fan. 

But Scarlet turns out to be funny now that he’s dropped the class clown screwup act, and Ashley is actually sweet now that she’s allowed to be more than just a mouse under her stepmother’s thumb. Her older child is about Henry’s age, a little girl named Alexandra, and it’s a comfort that Emma never knew she was denying herself just to have someone else to talk to about all the trials and tribulations of toddlerhood with. She’s never been one of those mothers, but she’s never had anyone she could be one with, either. Mary Margaret and David have only recently announced that they’re expecting a baby, and Emma’s been somewhat isolated in Boston for a long time. But if she ends up returning to Storybrooke… it’d be nice, already knowing Henry has a playmate. Maybe they can set something up for before they return to Boston.

Still, as much as Emma’s enjoying herself - against her will, really - there reaches a point where she needs to get away from it all. By some miracle she’s never sure she’ll deserve, Henry calls to say goodnight just when she’s becoming too overwhelmed. There’s been a pair of picnic tables just outside of the gym for as long as Emma’s been here to see them - much longer, she’d bet, if she knows anything about Storybrooke - and it’s another thing that hasn’t changed in all this time, the tables appearing to have been replaced sometime in the past decade and then positioned in the exact same place as before. It’s the perfect place to take the call and collect her thoughts again - close enough to still hear the music faintly (Panic! at the Disco now, because none of them have actually grown out of their teenage taste in music apparently) without it overwhelming her senses.

Nothing’s the matter, of course - just some three year old affection. It doesn’t stop Emma from seizing the opportunity to take a moment for herself. It’s been a long time since she’s spent this much time with this many adults in a situation where she’s expected to actually interact; after almost four years of cartoons and make-believe and bedtime stories, it’s a little taxing. In a good way, she thinks, or at least not a bad one.

“Ah, there you are,” a familiar voice calls. Killian again. He’s everywhere tonight - the man himself before her eyes as he settles onto the bench beside her, back braced against the wooden tabletop, and memories of their time in school embedded in every wall.

“Did Mary Margaret send you?” Emma asks. It would be perfectly in character - Emma’s sister-in-law trying to make sure that she’s socializing properly.

Killian shakes his head though. “No, I just needed a bit of air. Victor’s trying to break out some of his old dance moves, which is just as scarring as ever, so I figured that was my cue to step out for a moment. Noticed you were missing too, figured that maybe you had the same idea.”

“Not exactly,” Emma laughs. “I mean, I can’t blame you for avoiding that nightmare. But no, I, uh… I had to take a call.” 

“Ah. Yeah, no, you definitely couldn’t manage that inside.”

Oddly enough, Emma feels the urge to open up to Killian, to tell him about Henry. It’s not something she does, typically; after so long searching for a family of her own, she still finds it hard sometimes to share Henry with others, even if it’s just bragging. She’d never keep him from making friends, of course - she’s not that kind of overprotective mother, and besides, his time at daycare has shown that the kid is unstoppably friendly - but in her own life, she keeps him to herself. Minimal talk with her coworkers. No mention at all to strangers, not even the vaguest reference.

But then again, Killian isn’t really a stranger, is he? Even after all this time, Emma’s instincts still say she can trust him. He’s never been anything but kind and generous. 

“I’ve, uh… I ‘ve got a son,” she offers, with a weak smile. “Henry. He’ll be four in August. Pretty much the best thing that ever happened to me, you know? He’s just… the best. So, yeah, I came out here because he called to say goodnight.”

“He seems like a lovely boy,” Killian replies, something fond tinging his tone. The familiarity of it alarms Emma, and makes her eyes widen. To his credit, Killian seems to notice it right away, his brows furrowing into a frown. “Oh, now that sounded a bit creepy, didn’t it?” he asks. “It’s much less concerning than anything you’re thinking, Swan, I promise. Mrs. Nolan has an endearing habit of showing off any and all new photos of the lad she gets her hands on when she comes into Granny’s in the morning. A proud grandmother, that one, not that I can blame her if your boy is even half as bright and curious and sweet as she claims.”

That… makes sense.  Even if it means Emma maybe needs to invest in muzzles for her entire family at the rate they’re blabbing her business around town. “Sorry if I looked like I was about to clock you,” she admits sheepishly. “It’s just… he’s everything. I worry.”

“I think that’s your prerogative as his mother,” Killian laughs good-naturedly. At least he’s not holding that little freak out against her.

Things fall into silence. Somehow, the quiet is more intimate than any conversation, almost cloyingly so. It keeps both of them from looking at each other, both turning towards the stars instead as P!nk blares distantly in the background. God, the last time Emma actually took a moment to look at the stars was probably in high school.

Killian, of course, is the one to break the quiet. He always was bolder than her. “Is the little lad with his father tonight, then?” He asks, almost too casually. Like he might care more about the answer than he wants to admit. Emma can’t imagine why.

“No,” she replies on a snort. “He wasn’t exactly interested in sticking around, for better or worse.”

“I’m sorry, love,” Killian murmurs. “It’s his loss.”

“It really is. Henry’s a great kid. It was hard at the time, though. I felt like I had found someone who really loved me and wanted me, but that obviously wasn’t the case. Should have known it was too good to be true.”

“You can’t possibly think this is your fault,” Killian prods, concern cooling his voice. 

Emma shrugs. “I mean, I know that it was up to him. I didn’t force him out the door or anything. But at the same time… I know I’m difficult to love.” She tries to keep her voice nonchalant, but isn’t entirely convinced that it worked. That’s the problem with admitting one of your deepest fears.

“That’s not true,” Killian chides back gently

“Yeah, well, it sure seems like it a lot of the time. I don’t have much evidence to the contrary.”

The silence this time is almost anticipatory, somehow. Emma finds herself practically holding her breath as she waits for what’s next.

“You know, I had the biggest crush on you back in school,” Killian finally says, almost absentmindedly, still gazing up at the sky instead of at Emma.

“You did not.” It’s not one of her better responses, but it’s her gut response all the same. There’s no way - absolutely no way that Killian Jones, the Killian Jones of Storybrooke High, had a thing for her back when they were both still teenagers. 

“Aye, I did,” he chuckles. She’d almost call it fond, if she didn’t know better. Fond is too big a stretch for someone you haven’t seen in ten years.

“I can’t imagine why.”

Killian stares at her blankly for a moment, like the words don’t process. “Oh, don’t say that.”

“Look, I was a mess in high school —”

“You were lovely, even then,” he interrupts. “Maybe that sounds a little cliche, but you were. To me, if no one else. There was so much drama and bullshit going on in high school, but somehow, in the middle of all that, you seemed like you couldn’t give less of a fuck about the whole thing. You were strong, and fierce, and… I guess I had a thing for that kind of attitude back then. Still do, really.”

Honestly, Emma doesn’t even know how to take that - any of that. Especially not that last bit. She’s just not equipped to process it. But at the same time… she owes it to herself to try. Both of them, really, and her past self to boot. He wasn’t the only one with a crush, after all. As much as it terrifies Emma to think that just maybe, after all this time, he might still think she’s lovely and fierce, it’s exhilarating at the same time. With that in mind, Emma takes a deep breath and forces herself to respond.

“Maybe you should have done something about that,” she replies with butterflies swarming in her stomach like she’s still a nervous high schooler. 

For what it’s worth, Killian looks a little stunned. “I’m sorry?”

“I kind of had a thing for you too,” Emma confides. “You were kind of a dreamboat, you know.”

“Were?”

“Oh, don’t get cocky on me,” she laughs. “But yeah. If you had asked… I probably would have said yes. Almost definitely, actually.” It’s hard to say that she’d change things, if given the chance; after all, the path that took her here gave her Henry. But she still can’t help but wonder what might have been. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t, then.” His voice is almost wistful, longing for something he’ll never grasp. “Out of curiosity, why didn’t you?”

“Oh, you know, the usual. Not brave enough.” Emma waves a hand casually, like it wasn’t a big deal, despite remembering all the emotional turmoil of that same subject back in high school. “Plus, it seemed like you had a thing going with Tink half the time - which, trust me, I know sounds ridiculous now that she’s shown up to this with a girlfriend. Still.”

“Aye, that’d do it,” Killian laughs. “We’ve always been just close friends, though. For what it’s worth.”

“I know.”

The anticipatory silence is back, and this time, Emma knows what it’s waiting for. In any cheesy movie, this would be the moment they kissed, two former somethings reunited under the stars. She’s not ready for that, though - not with the pain of her last relationship’s abrupt dissolution still hanging over her head, just reinforcing all her concerns about abandonment. She’s already used up her bold quota for the day.

Quickly, she breezes past it to a new subject. “So what are you doing back here, anyways? I thought you were off to the Navy, gonna see the world.”

She regrets it as soon as she asks as Killian’s whole body suddenly seizes with tension. 

“I was,” he says carefully. “I did. I was going to. But for better or worse, the Navy doesn’t have much use for a man with one hand.”

“I’m sorry. That was a stupid thing to ask, wasn’t it?”

Killian sighs. “No, it’s fine. I know you didn’t mean any harm by it, it’s still just a subject I’m a bit touchy about.”

“I’m sure,” Emma murmurs. It’s hard to toe the line between wanting to seem sympathetic and coming off as prying.

“Before you ask, it was a car accident. Not at all related to my service,” Killian explains, seemingly seeing the hesitance in her eyes. “Someone ran a red light, and that was that. So I took advantage of servicemember scholarships to go to school instead, and six years later, here I am. It’s hard to claim that it’s all worked out for the best, considering I’m missing a pretty crucial limb, but I’m happy with where I’m at.”

“I was just thinking earlier, I bet you’re a great teacher,” Emma contributes. “One of the fun ones, but who still knows what they’re talking about and holds the kids accountable.”

It turns out, Killian still scratches at his ear when he’s embarrassed, just the way he did in high school. The red flush is the same too. “I do try. And what about you? Bail bonds, you said?”

“Yeah. I mean, it’s not a dream job by any stretch, but they were hiring when my ex and I first moved to Boston, close enough for me to walk to work, and I’ve kind of just stayed. It’s something I’m good at, as it turns out - a little bit of research and a little undercover work and a lot of being willing to chase down people doing their best to get away from you. It’s a living. The money can be good, if sporadic,” she shrugs. “One of the biggest appeals of the deputy position here, though, besides coming home, is the steady paycheck. I don’t know. Moving is hard, but it’s very tempting.”

“Well, I’m sure you’d be a brilliant deputy,” Killian smiles. As Emma stares back, the anticipatory silence falls again, but this time, she’s almost ready for it. With a few more seconds, maybe she could make a move, and it wouldn’t truly hurt to shift an inch closer…

“Emma, there you are!” Mary Margaret’s voice calls, shattering the intimacy of the moment. “David’s about to do his speech, and you wouldn’t want to —” she cuts off abruptly when she sees Emma’s not alone. “Oh, hello, Killian! I’m sorry, am I interrupting something?”

“No, not at all,” Killian smiles. Meanwhile, Emma wants to scream Yes! back at her friend. Timing has never been her strong suit. “Go ahead and get David all set up, we’ll be right behind you.”

As Mary Margaret scurries off again, Killian hoists himself to his feet before offering Emma a hand of assistance - one she’s only too happy to accept. God, his hand is just the perfect balance between soft and callused, the hands of a man who might not work with his hands (so to speak) every day, but might have a hobby where he gets to. She’ll have to ask. “Well, Swan? Shall we go see what our erstwhile class president has to say?”

“Lead on.” It’s probably best that they were interrupted, anyways. This is just one night, after all. 

———

Poor David - he’s never been much for public speaking. Emma will never understand why they needed a speech at this thing in the first place, let alone why Mary Margaret couldn’t have just made the remarks instead as the organizer of this whole thing. 

Still, somehow they make it through, even if David’s practically swimming in sweat by the time he exits the stage. That suit jacket is definitely going to need a trip to the cleaner. Emma manages to park herself close to the dessert table while the whole spectacle unfolds, sampling all the little bars and cookies and cupcakes while everyone else is distracted. She’ll have to thank David for that later.

She’s just reaching for a cookies and cream cupcake - she can’t quite remember who opened a bakery, but God bless them for it - when Killian appears by her side again.

“Might I steal you for a dance, Swan?” he asks. “I have it on good authority that they’re about to play a slow song.”

Emma laughs. “You bribed Mary Margaret, didn’t you?”

“Oh, shamelessly. So what do you say, Swan?” He offers his hand.

Maybe she should think about it more. Maybe it’s committing to something she’ll regret later. But for now, Emma takes his hand without hesitation. “Yeah. Let’s dance.”

There’s a little section of floor left open as if just for them, allowing Killian to lead her around to face him. Emma can’t help but chuckle as they come together, twining arms around necks and waists like any respectable high schooler faced with a slow song. And what a song it is: three beat time, Paramore. The soundtrack of her most fanciful imaginings way back when. Perfect.

“What are you giggling about?” he teases. If she didn’t know any better, she’d almost say there’s affection in his voice.

“Nothing. It’s kind of stupid.” Still, Killian watches until she continues, until she caves. “It’s just… I used to dream about this, you know? My own personal fantasy - and not like that, don’t even start with the eyebrows,” she warns. “But… even if I tried not to show it and even if I believed that love wasn’t in the cards for me, there was still a little bit of me that wanted. I’d imagine a moment, just like this. It’d be like a movie. We’d be dancing at prom or winter formal or something, and the whole world would melt away. I’m pretty sure I choreographed the camera movements in my head. And then, at the end… there’d be a moment. We’d kiss. And it would be my first kiss, and it’d be perfect.” Emma laughs just hearing herself. It’s almost disgustingly romantic, really. “Pretty silly, honestly.”

“I don’t know, Swan. I think it sounds nice.” He takes a moment to carefully twirl her underneath his arm, followed by a few moments of silence once they’ve floated back together again. “We still could, you know. Make that fantasy happen.”

Emma snorts a laugh, even as a huge part of her heart yearns, practically pulling towards his. “I’ve got a kid, Jones. Trust me, the first kiss boat has long since sailed.”

Killian smiles down at her with those calm, kind eyes she fell in love with a decade ago. There’s no denying that she’s still held in their thrall all these years later. “Maybe so. But we could still have our first kiss.”

The words hang in the air between them, full of hope. Still, Emma knows he won’t make a move unless she’s right there with him. “I’m not that girl anymore,” she tells him - warns him, against everything her heart is screaming. “I’ve changed a lot since high school.”

“I know.”

“And even with that… you’re sure?”

“I’ve never been more sure. We’ve both changed, but all I know is that you’ve become even more lovely and enchanting in that time, and I’d be honored to kiss you to the greatest hits of 2009 and 2010.”

“I think Mary Margaret included some stuff from before then too,” Emma replies, stalling for time.

“Ah, well, that’s almost a dealbreaker, but I suppose I’d be willing to kiss you to the greatest hits pre-2009 as well,” Killian teases. “If you want me to, that is.”

And that’s the question, isn’t it? It’s a thin, fragile line between wanting something so badly and being afraid to just reach out and take it, especially when you’re given the chance to do just that. 

“I’m afraid,” she finally admits. “I can’t tell you that I’m moving home. I don’t even know that. And what if I don’t? Is this just a fling from the old days? Some belated wish fulfillment? A one time thing?”

“I hope not,”  Killian replies calmly. “ I hope this is more than just two people giving into an old crush and never seeing each other again. I know that I wanted you then, and I wanted you for a long time after we went our separate ways, and I wanted you again when I spotted you from across the room tonight. Do I hope that you’ll decide to move back to Storybrooke? Yes. But only if it makes you happy. And if you decide that you’ll be happier in Boston, that you and your boy belong there… well, I suppose I’ll have to start looking for date night spots in the city, because I want more than just this one kiss, and I’m willing to fight for it. But that all depends on whether you want that too.” As her silence persists, Emma searching for her courage and her words, Killian’s face drops into a twist of uncertainty. It’s not a look Emma’s used to seeing on his face, and she doesn’t particularly like it. At all. “Would you like that?” he asks softly, the uncertainty even coloring his tone.

“Yes.” Emma only whispers it, but stares into his eyes intently all the while. Hopefully that can convince him of her sincerity, even if her words can’t. When she tries to speak up, it only comes out in a jumble anyways. “I… yeah. Yeah, I would.”

His answering smile seems to spread from the very center of him, blooming across his face slowly like the most delicate flower. Maybe a water lily; that seems fitting, somehow. “In that case…” His hand travels from where it had rested on her waist to cup her cheek instead. “May I?”

Emma barely takes the time to nod before she’s pressing up that last half inch in her heels to capture his lips within her own. 

The thing about imagining what a kiss might be like for so long is that you’ve run it so many times in your head at a certain point that the real thing is never going to live up to everything you imagined. What’s even better is that this kiss, this particular realization of all that longing? It doesn’t need to live up to anything, instead a perfect expression all its own. That little romantic voice still hiding deep inside Emma wants to call it a fairytale dream come true; the rest of her is more than happy to just savor the moment as it shifts from teasing, exploratory brushes of her lips against his to something deeper and more determined. Her arms wind fully around his neck and his more tightly around her waist, leaving them twined together as tongues begin to seek and probe and stroke. For a moment, it’s like they’re the only two people in the world - like some kind of teenaged dream, if she can ever be forgiven for such an awful, topical joke.

When they finally separate, it’s only by scant inches, bodies still pressed together and foreheads touching with only space left for their mouths to gasp for air.

“That was…” she starts, unsure frankly how to finish. There’s still not nearly enough oxygen reaching her brain to properly think, her body and all its functions far more interested in diving back in for more than any stupid thinking. Or talking. Or… anything, really.

Thankfully, Killian is there to pick up where her words fail. “Bloody earth-shattering.” Even if Emma can’t see his goofy grin with her eyes still closed, she can still hear it in his voice. 

“Yeah. Yeah, it definitely was.” Somewhere in the middle of their dance floor makeout, the song has changed to something more upbeat - a dance tune that Emma doesn’t recognize, but knows Mary Margaret would insist was absolutely definitely played at every school dance when they were in high school. She doesn’t really want this to end - doesn’t want it at all, in fact - but it’s probably about time they stopped standing in the middle of the floor. With great reluctance, she unwinds her arms from his neck and steps back, but makes sure to meet Killian’s gaze with a smirk. “So. You mentioned a date? Where are you taking me?”

Killian laughs before moving to dig in an inner jacket pocket, ultimately producing a flask. “Well, for the moment, what do you say to a drink? I think I see some glasses of punch over there just waiting to be spiked.”

“It’s a date.”

And if she has anything to say about it, the first of many.

[tiffany-loves-broadway]

Characters from Worm and Ward as @dril_gpt2 tweets

Wildbow: i wrote the post. sorry everyone.

Emma:  You fucking worm. Youre a foul, stinking rat. Fanart is pure garbage.

Skitter, pre-Leviathan:  my followers are wasting my time by asking me stupid shit like "where is my worm hole" and "where is my piss hole"

Tattletale:  13 Reasons Why Sasquatch Is Real

Bitch:  you know society is ASS-FUCKED when people spend tens of millions of dollars to maim and disfigure their dogs in an effort to appear more "INTP"

Panacea: im going to dress up like a nurse and perform emergency C-sections on the street to build self respect

Coil, on Dinah: Everything you say is true and good. no exceptions

Miss Militia: the idea that i would ever lose my shit on the computer board game "minesweeper" is one of the most despicable maladies ive ever suffered

Skitter, post-Leviathan: to the guy who paid me to distribute free toilet paper to the homeless in my hometown: thanks for 00000000000 \000 \000 .

Jack Slash: the human mind... is a funny little thing... called A Mind

Crawler: my ass has become highly immunized against fungal infections, by ingesting fantastic amounts of kfc

Cherish: sending my most powerful kiss to any image of blue jeans because i just want to die by suicide because my brain and body are FUCKED

Dragon: ...the US Navy's newest computer chip can now program itself to 'Play Pokemon' and evolve into a Pokemon with it ....

Simurgh: saddened to see that people woud gravitate towards gaming as a career path, rather than exclusively gravitate towards gaming during a time of crisis

Perdition: *does the dishes in reverse for shock value*

Watchdog:  INTRODUCTION TO THE GUILD OF THINKERS 1. who are these people whose opinions are worth less than mine to keep me away from the toilet 2. how do i add 3D effects to my hair 3. WHO CARES I DIDNT ADD 3D SHADES TO MY JUGGLY

Greg: well gotta go with the old adage "Dont forget to feed the trolls"

Valefor: causing your dick to hurt because you have too much respect for the Virgin Mary to engrave "666" onto the back of your dick

Weaver: I will do the right thing, and delete all my posts about eating maggots

Behemoth:  *glances towards the camera slowly becoming more and more skeletal*

Tecton: Geology is Theory. Geology is not Fact.

Heartbreaker:  me fucking ruining another wedding by asking the bride to marry me for $6. its just too hard

Glenn Chambers: the most important part of being a content producer is being able to mentally picture the Brands' Emblems on your fridge and never missing a Brand Point Update

Glenn Chambers, on Skitter: "i firmly believe that bugs should be banned," i continue, letting the video conclude. "But…" i pause to collect myself, "but…" i increase the volume

Riley: im sorry but how can i reconcile my increasingly loathsome behaviors with the cheerful, bubbly manner in which i am marketed

Clockblocker: according to wikipedia, the bed bugs and human fly larvae that burrow into my skin and organs are my soul mate

Andrew Richter: i am truly devastated to announce that the y2k bug is now officially classified as a feature

Scion:  1) Kill all the people 2)

The Elite:  to the distrusted: To the disappointed: Towards the hungry: I will not trade places with you. Good bye.

Eden:  As an evolved being I want to fuck Humankind

Khepri:  my followers are nothing but worms, trying to devour me alive , my only value is that i make people mad

Pandora:  i've been itching to get online for a while now, and i finally did it. this is the ultimate sacrifice

Bitch, with Biter:  i have the brain of a small dog and the asshole of a college educated adult

Valkyrie, on Clockblocker, Kid Win, and Grue: The "Boys" are back! They're back from the dead

Victoria Dallon, looking for work: After finding out that my followers believed that doctors should be allowed to force me to eat grass, i vowed never to read any posts from you all again

Seir: the "minor girls" jokes is one of the few parts of the Alabama Republican Platform That I actually respect, and wouldn't change a word

Mama Mathers:  god grant me th e ability to send very strong, very small particles of information through the air into the eyeballs of <- targeted <-

Tattletale, on clusters: blood transfusions vs gunshot wounds - the jury is still out on which one is "good"

Sidepiece: here comes that ass hole. here comes that spleen. here comes that gut. *spits out another mouthful of food turds* wow. im pretty good at kicking ass

Nursery: How To Make Hugs Out Of Anything - Essential book for new Mommers

Foil: You've heard of Small Arms Firepower, but did you Know Small Arms Penetration Power?

Love Lost: Fear not, a tiny speaker attached to my gas mask will allow me to better understand the emotions of my followers

Ratcatcher:  Rats Are Life Forms Too Sub-Genius

Custodian: i demand now that complete and utter silence be accorded to the hideous sonic boogie man who has inhabited my thoughts for 17 years.

Teacher: micropenis Wearing A Turtleneck Sweater

Valkyrie, on Furcate: i am fucking thrilled that my daughter is becoming ultra-sensitive to light after undergoing sex reassignment surgery. she is the most POWERFUL KISS GIRL yet

Ingenue: my nudes... have helped me tremendously in my career, and... i'm extremely Pleased...

Cradle: brain death huh. Not good. Not good at all.

Negotiator Shard:  strapped to an eyeball looking for the peak of Mt. Doom, not realizing that all the eyeballs are now gnawing

Red Queen:  I think that for every person who tells me that they like my posts i should be able to kill about 8 people

SpaceBattles:  im classified as a Mature writer, 1) I cannot handle discussion of sexual matters 2) I am unlikely to read a book of 100,000 words without destruc[ing myself physically)

Eric:  i help girls by inventing and selling "I helped a girl" tshirts. i have a very good following

Parian:  in mourning the passing of my grandmother, i will gladly accept donations to pay for her "Face lift".

Gimel Checkpoint Attendants:  #DollarsShit the US Dollar has devalued, and is the currency of scum, and shit

Antares, at the crystals:  a giant screen saver depicting my entire fucking body changing into a huge wad of spaghetti

[alphabees-writes]

Glee - S1 E6 (Vitamin D)

They call it vitamin D for the whole thing but wasn’t it just a component for some really hard drug??? We love the bullshit

The millionth step ball change... And we’re only 6 episodes in

Mr Schue just said “Maybe so” and now all I can think of is the gif meme thing

heheheheheheh.......Sorry. Funny youtube. 

Sign #27 That Mr Schuester Is An Asshole: He’s eating that sandwich in the GROSSEST WAY POSSIBLE. He’s chewing with his mouth open, breathing really loud, talking with his mouthful, and he’s clearly being messy about it because there’s mustard all over his chin!!! How is Emma crushing on this dweeb

Sign #28 That Mr Schuester Is An Asshole: When Emma says he’s got a “cute Kirk Douglas chin dimple” (barf) he doesn’t say, hey! Maybe don’t flirt with me, I’m married!

I’m genuinely starting to feel ill whenever I have to just look at Mr Schue...

Everybody trying to learn their choreo and they’re just.... Spinning. Kurt’s about to fall over, Matt and Mike are bumping into each other, and Brittany’s just Tasmanian Devil-ing her way across the room. Love em

Brittany completely ignoring Artie’s high-five and him being like “oh-- okay...” is underrated

Matt Morrison just delivered “simply stopped trying” really weirdly. I don’t know what’s throwing me off about it, but it is

You’re right, Sue. Bones won’t grow properly without fear. AND EMMA’S BLOUSE IS INSANE

“I don’t understand how lightning is in competition with an above-ground swimming pool” You’re RIGHT KURT and you SHOULD SAY IT! Bears and sharks aren’t in competition either! Call out post for Mr Schue: The man knows NOTHING of the most basic ecology!

The look Quinn gives Finn when he yawns... Let my mans nap!!!

Kurt did his best to get to the girl’s side. Can you fucking blame him? Puck’s still an asshole to him as far as we all know!

Santana and Brittany just casually linking arms... Be still my beating heart

Kurt just walking along with Finn to football practice... Look at those brothers go!!! I am ignoring Puck

Ohh Sue’s journal... A wonderful character

You’re right, Sue, Will Schuester IS to blame for the world’s problems. Please do destroy the man

“I’ve always thought the desire to procreate showed deep personal weakness” Got ‘em

And thus begins the saga of Sue pushing problem people down the stairs. I’m not saying she should do that to Mr Schue... I’m just saying, why doesn’t she?

If Will wasn’t flirting with Emma, he wouldn’t get all nervous and upset when his wife turns up. Them’s the facts.

Does Terri know about Emma’s germophobia...? Because if so, it’s probably not cool for Will to have told her that. Unless Sue did, but I wouldn’t put it past him

As if they could get away with hiring a random unqualified woman as a school nurse?

Is “route” really pronounced like that......? Huh

Finn getting Biofreeze in his eye will forever be hilarious.

LEVEL 2!!!

I hate hats. I don’t know why, but I do. And I want Kurt to live his best life, but man, I hate that hat

Cory Monteith really got paid to drool. Goals

“Puck, with respect, you’re more helpful when you don’t contribute” Tell him, Artie!!!

Everybody making fun of Quinn :C Britt, you’re better than this!!

People (I’m people) can hate on Rachel all they want but this scenario is one example of her actually working harder than anybody else in the group. Yes, the solos should be shared more equally, but it’s hard to be mad at her when the others are claiming her ideas as their own and sitting around when they should be rehearsing. Except Brittany! She’s stretching, at least, love her

Terri let him NAP. WITHOUT DRUGS.

Finn’s having some serious mental health concerns but he’s not getting what he needs and I hate it. Help him!!!

Why does Terri care if Finn’s not faithful? Like, yeah, he should be, but it’s not going to affect the baby!

Surely if she took those pills for ALL of high school, they would’ve lost their effect after a while?

God I love high Finn. He just CHUCKED Matt outta that chair. 

Puck knows what’s up. Kurt thinks it’s vitamin C, because Vogue said so, and Iove him. He also looks SO weirded out

Terri gave him a whole BOX huh?

Time for season 1′s best mash-up. I love this so much. They’re all going so HARD and Finn looks like his eyes are about to pop right out. The way he’s rubbing the mic... How could they not tell he was off his face???

MIKE’S SINGING. MIKE’S SINGING BACK UP AND NOBODY’S WINCING. Glee has no continuity confirmed

I feel like I shouldn’t find this performance cute because they’re all meant to be high as shit BUT THEY’RE JUST SO EXCITED???

Kevin McHale bumps every song features in up by at least 2 letter grades and that’s just a fact

LET MIKE CHANG DANCE!!!! LET HIM DANCE FOREVER HE DESERVES SO MUCH

I would say the same for Matt but then I’ll get sad about him being dumped into the void in like 16 episodes time

Oh Rachel worrying about Quinn... Be still my gay heart

Rachel just cuts right through her bullshit without hesitating for a second. She knows what it’s like to feel like the odd one out and she’s doing the absolute most to make sure Quinn doesn’t feel that way and I love her for it

The way Quinn slowly turns to face her... And Rachel says they don’t have to be enemies and Quinn can’t understand why Rachel would offer her a second chance... 

Quinn legit draws porn of Rachel it’s canon. I mean it’s fucked up but there are only so many reasons a person would do that

“I would’ve tortured you if the roles were reversed you know” “I know” And then the way she watches Rachel walk away... My HEART

Ken and Terri, the power duo of awful

“Laughing... Talking... All the stuff she never does with me” I hate it. They suck. Emma is a dumbass for agreeing to date a guy who she just genuinely doesn’t like and Ken’s just an ASSHOLE for bullying her into it

And now Ken’s about to propose because he’s being bullied into it. Why the fuck does this happen?

I don’t buy that Rachel took this long to berate all the girls for not prepping their mash-up harder after the boys killed theirs. She’d be right on that

Kurt I love the waistcoat and the bowtie but WHAT is happening on your ELBOWS.

You really wanted those guys in cornrows, Kurt? None of them have the length for it. ALSO I love that the exotic bird feathers thing comes back next season 10/10

F-ROD!!! GO OFF RACHEL!!! Even if Finn doesn’t know what half these words mean!

Rachel really wakes up with flawless hair, huh! And then she just... Does all that. She never stops being extra...

Did they just start walking in the opposite direction?

I feel like it’s dumb that Rachel doesn’t just tell Mr Schue that they all took pills, but it’s more in character for her to not waste an opportunity to perform anyway

Howard Bamboo,totally unqualified man who absolutely isn’t staff, is just allowed on campus to deliver DRUGS? HELLO???

Quinn only gets folic acid... And yet I’m pretty sure she manages to keep up with everybody else. HOW?

“What’s up with Ken?” [FRANTIC PAPER SHREDDING] 

I don’t care how married you are, no person should lick another person’s face

I can physically feel the awkwardness between Will and Terri. JUST DIVORCE ALREADY

Don’t like ya Will but you’re right, shit’s not healthy if there’s no space!

Imagine proposing in the staff room at work just because a random woman told you to

“Emma Pilsbury, this is not an engagement ring” “Oh thank god--” “No, I mean, it is” Just take the L, Ken

AND ALSO ANGELS!!!

Quinn’s so fucking concerned. I love this

I usually don’t like yellow clothes but these girls make it look so dang CUTE. More pastels plz

Again, I have no idea how pregnant Quinn is keeping up at all...

HALOOOOOOOOOOO!!!

Kurt’s wearing those blocky shades so the boys can’t see his betrayal

Where the hell did this mock-stage set up come from

“We came up with the idea together!” No... Will, that was Sue. Sue gave you the idea

Emma’s pretty much explicitly told Will she’s only marrying Ken because Will won’t be with her. EVERYBODY SUCKS

This argument between Terri and Emma is a nightmare. The most confrontational person VS the least... I’d fucking evaporate if Terri came at me like that

The way Emma’s voice shakes when she tells Terri that Will deserves better... Ouchie

Quinn is just adorable. Diana made this character, and she did such an amazing job... She’s more empathetic than she lets anybody realise

The fact that Terri won’t even help this TEENAGE GIRL pay for the baby that she’ll eventually adopt is a nightmare. Where do you expect her to get the cash from?

Wanting to get married without being married is kind of a mood... Secret marriage

BEING A PUSHOVER WHEN IT COMES TO YOU DOESN’T MAKE HIM A GOOD MAN

Finn and Rachel both realising they screwed up is perfect. 

Finn continuing to not know what any words mean is also perfect

This is a cute Rachel moment actually... Yes girl compete WITH your friends!!! You’re a team!!!!

Ahh, methamphetamines! That’s what it was. Yeah, fuck Terri

I’m still looking at Matt Morrison’s lips and trying to figure out if he’s had fillers. They just curl too far!!!

Mr Schue being called out for making things too competitive - fine, I guess. Bringing in SUE to rectify that...??? Hello? Figgins?

Those white jeans are a LOOK Kurt. He’s like a twink Steve Jobs rn

Britt and Santana’s little smiles at each other when Sue’s announced as co-captain... Hell yeah future wives

I’d like to think Will’s upset about Emma marrying Ken for the right reasons (i.e. Ken’s an asshole) but we been knew he’s not. He’s looking at her like he’s just been shot

AIN’T NOTHIN GONNA BREAK MY STRIDE! NOBODY GONNA SLOW ME DOWN! OH NO, I’VE GOT TO KEEP ON MOVIN!

I really just love how stupid this show is! It makes no god damn sense and I fall for it every time!

[pinkykitten]

Forgiving

The Dolan Twins

Grayson Dolan x plus size! female reader

Warning: bad writing???, curse words, bullying sorta?, depression 

Specifics: plus size reader, angst, comedy, one-shot, race neutral reader

People: grayson dolan, ethan dolan, emma chamberlain, james charles 

Words: 1,187

Requested: By anon Hi I was wondering if I could have a plus size reader imagine with Grayson Dolan where the reader and him have been dating and she over hears his friends Emma and James saying stuff about her to Grayson and Ethan and Grayson says something too but they work it out?

Authors Note: agggh srry this took so long and its crap! hopefully its what u wanted, i kinda had writers block srry. 

When you and Grayson met you thought nothing of it because you were self conscious and a little bit bigger than other girls. Especially the girls that Grayson has been with. You thought that you and Grayson were just friends and you accepted his friendship. The last thing you would think of is that he actually liked you, you thought it was absurd. 

When he confessed it made you feel special. You felt beautiful and Grayson explained that he didn’t see you as all those mean things you thought about yourself. No in fact he just saw you like how you wanted to be seen, an ordinary girl that liked him, and he really liked you back. 

You guys have kept your relationship on the down low, only close friends and family knowing about you two. You wanted the relationship to be a little private for a while, get to know Grayson for who he truly is. 

You’ve met his brother and friends already. Some from youtube and some not. When you met Ethan, Grayson was so terrified, wanting you two to get along and like each other. You and Ethan have actually a lot in common. This made Grayson so happy and excited for the future. You also met the famous squad. You were more on the shy and self conscious area that hanging out with others that were more out spoken and jumpy it was new territory for you. But you conquered it. You made friends will all of them. Sometimes even being a little more bold and wearing shorts or crop tops making Grayson smile at your comfort. 

The squad had just finished a video and you were waiting for them to end it. You patiently sat on the side and watched them goof around, make jokes, laugh at something James does thats cringy, or Emma cursing about one of the boys, then theres Ethan and Grayson that have their little arguments in the middle. It felt like home to you, you felt happy and did not mind what your weight was. 

“What did you think of that babe?” Grayson wrapped his arms around your waist and kissed your neck. You chuckled and combed your fingers through his hair, “I thought it was really funny. You know you always make me laugh.”

Ethan started to laugh when James and Emma pretended to be you two and pretended to have sex. You rolled your eyes and turned around, fake making out with Grayson. 

“Eww guys get a room!” Ethan shooed you two away while James agreed, “for real guys. You guys are literally have sex right in front of us!” James pointed with his acrylic nails to you two. 

“Well you guys then would get a good show!” You started to dance, with Grayson giggling into your neck. Emma stood on the chair and put her finger up, “wait, hold up, let me get my singles!” She announced, searching in her purse. You all had a good laugh. 

“So I ordered pizza I think the guys here,” Ethan said as you all chilled on the couch waiting. Grayson was about to get up but you put your hand out, “its okay I got this.”

You jumped from the couch and went to the door. You probably looked like a mess because you didn’t have no makeup on and you were in one of Grayson’s sweat shirts. 

Grabbing the pizzas and paying the dude you walked away and over heard them saying your name. Did they think you were still over by the door? You paused and hid behind a corner and eaves dropped. 

“So y/n is really something,” James smiles as he scoots closer to Grayson. Grayson smiles and nods, “yeah she is. She is the best.”

“You know I just kinda worry about her. You know what I mean? Like I just hope nothing happens to her cause she kind of eats, like not that good, which is fine but I just worry.” Emma wrapped her hair in a messy but as she whispered the last part. James nodded, “Yeah I see how much she eats and the things she eats and sometimes I’m like, whoa sister. I just, like, how do we tell her?”

Grayson was in thought and was silent. “I don’t think theres anything wrong with her.” Ethan mumbled. James and Emma shook their heads, “were not saying theres anything wrong its just, maybe she should cut down.”

Your heart felt so broken and you felt like breaking down and crying. You trusted them and thought they looked past your weight, turns out you were wrong. They thought like the rest of the world. As Grayson was about to stand up for you and his love for you, you entered the living room. Every one was quiet, “well I’m so sorry I don’t want to be vegan or whatever shi* free. Thanks for talking about me like I’m some fuc*ing cow or something that didn’t mean a dam* thing to you all.” You slammed the pizzas on the table and grabbed your purse. As you sprinted to the door Grayson tried to grab you. All you heard was your name being called and apologies. 

You avoided Grayson and his friends for a couple of weeks. Your phone blowing up with calls, texts, voicemails, everything possible, with the same stupid word, sorry. Really if they cared about you then why did they talk about you like that in the first place?

The doorbell to your apartment rang. You were feeling very depressed after that, not wanting to do anything. You were like a hermit crab. Groggily, you trudged to the door and opened it to find Grayson. 

Only one word came out and you slammed the door on him. “Y/n, please hear me out.”

“No!”

“Why not?”

“Because you are a two face, you’re a liar Gray. You know how I am about those type of things and you allowed them to talk about me like that. I don’t know if I can forgive you.” You cuddled yourself in your huge sweatshirt on your couch, feeling tears stinging your eyes for the trillionth time that day. 

“Please baby, I’m sorry. They should of never talked like that about you. You deserve way better. Trust me on this though, I was going to say something. The minute they started talking I was starting to get so pissed. I wanted to tell them that they were wrong. That to me you’re perfect. To me you don’t need to change the way you eat, the way you look, the way you are. I want you to be happy babe, if you’re not happy with me then I’m so sorry, I will let you be. But just know that I fuc*ing love you so much.”

You felt your tears slipping down your cheek and opened the door again. In one swift motion you brought Grayson to you and hugged him. “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you too, and I’m so sorry.”

You brought his lips to you and kissed him hard. “I forgive you.”

Tag list: @harrington-lover, @angelgl16, @perfectlybeautifulsuit, @hyehoney, @haven-prelude (wont let me tag), @leasly, @totally-alexa21, @creamy-pasta-boi, @multireese, @fanfictionrecommendations-com, @prentisskelley, @malereaderforkpop (wont let me tag), @guardian-of-cookies, @justafangirl-97, @teenageshitposts (wont let me tag), @andreaoreas, @dippergravity (wont let me tag), @some-booty, @fromfoolishpeopletodeadpeople, @collectiveyou

wanna be tagged in my crap? comment!

[redstringoffaterp]

Rachel Berry app

Welcome to the roleplay, MJ! Your application for Rachel Berry has been accepted! Please follow the Newbie List!

→Name/Alias: MJ 

→Age: 25+ (I’m 30, just for clarification.) 

→Timezone: EST

→Activity Level: 7/10

→Triggers: eating disorders

→Anything else?: CHIMICHANGA! (Also I love the premise for this RP and look forward to seeing it all play out!)

→Ships: Faberry, Rachel/Chemistry 

→Anti-Ships: Rachel/No Chemistry 

IC INFORMATION

→Desired Character: Rachel Berry 

→Age: 26

→Hometown: New York City, NY 

→Sexuality: Bisexual

BIO

→Headcanon: We require three headcanons about your muse. This can be about friendship, former crushes, family etc.

1. While she would consider their relationship to be relatively healthy, Rachel is a bit envious of Emma at times. Her twin always seems just a little more adept in social interactions. A little more likeable. Her own intense personality can have a polarizing effect on people, and sometimes she wishes she could be a little bit more like her sister.

2. Rachel didn’t start dating until she attended college. She’s more likely to say that she was focused hardcore on building up her credits and repertoire for her future career on Broadway, but if she’s honest with herself, she had suffered enough ostracization at the hands of her classmates over the years to be turned off to the idea of dating one of them (oh, the horror). Her first serious boyfriend was a fellow musical theatre major a year ahead of her at NYU. Since then she’s had a few crushes and short lived flirtations here and there, but after the last said boyfriend, she’s scared of losing herself in another relationship. And pursuing her dreams has always been priority #1.

3. Shortly after Funny Girl opened, Rachel received a letter and flowers from a woman claiming to be her birth mother. She hasn’t told Emma about this, half because she doesn’t want to upset her and half because she still doesn’t know whether she wants to attempt contacting this woman back or not. 

→Bio: We require at least two paragraphs for the bio.

Rachel knew from the time she was little that she was destined for great things… even if most others around her couldn’t see it. Her fathers were always encouraging when it came to their daughters expressing themselves, and while Emma seemed more reserved, Rachel was always searching for a spotlight to step into. A place and a way to confirm that she was every bit as special as her fathers insisted she was. She found her inspiration in idols like Barbara Streisand, Patti LuPone, and Bernadette Peters. Found solace from the bullying and teasing endured during her school years through performing, dancing, and singing. In this way, she’d always known what she was meant to be and would be - a star.

Becoming a star was not without its sacrifices though. More often than not, friendships and crushes fell to the wayside in favor of vying for lead roles in school plays, solos in glee club, and an innumerable amount of extracurricular commitments. Sure, it bolstered her college applications later on, but she missed out on a number of experiences that she never got around to until attending NYU post graduation. Dances, parties, genuine friendships… she likes to think college softened her rough edges and made her a little more approachable to people. She even managed to land herself a serious boyfriend, a fellow musical theatre major a year ahead of her. Granted it ended the moment he landed a role in a national tour of Chicago, but the agony of her first real break up gave her a new drive to succeed. By the time she finished up her theatre degree, she had landed supporting roles in a few off Broadway shows, and a few more years post grad she miraculously landed the role of Fanny Brice in a revival production of Funny Girl.

But a year and a half later,  Rachel was… well, tired. She knew it was time to move on to a new role but admittedly, she was scared. The iconic role she could’ve only ever dreamed of playing had been conquered and she was worried that she’d already peaked as an actress. How could anything get better than being Fanny? But she bowed out as gracefully as she could and decided to take some time off to breathe, to plan her next move. It’s been six months since then, and while script after script has passed through, she hasn’t yet settled on a role that she’s brave enough to go out for. Instead she’s filled her time with working odd jobs and temp-ing for smaller local theatres, all the while toying with the idea of taking her professional career in another direction. The hope for it exists there, at least. After all, if a girl like Rachel can land a role like Fanny, just about anything is possible, right?

[piracytheorist]

47, 33, 29, 2, I also want to read your salt!

2.Which storyline do you pretend never happened?

Ha. Lots. Certainly the Wish Emma bullshit. I do have a vague idea of a version of Wish Emma in my mind, but it’s certainly far from the crap the show tried to pull. It’s obvious that at that point the writers themselves didn’t give a crap about characterization, since they kept jumping from “it’s real” to “it’s not real and it’s not how Emma would’ve grown up if she had loving parents” after fans naturally complained about it, so why should I? And I admit the only reason I haven’t fully deleted it from my mind and instead built a more rational, far less problematic depiction of her is because I fell in love with Wish Hook and wanted to make the Wish Realm make a bit more sense in my mind.

But also the Split Queen arc. I couldn’t be bothered enough with it to watch it fully, let alone start fixing it in my mind. Also Liam being a mass murderer, the whole Rumpelstiltskin/Hook friendship thing, Emma becoming... that in season 6, Henry’s mission to destroy magic in the s5 finale, most possibly Robin I’s death... off the top of my mind. Heh. It’s funny that all of them are from s5 on.

29. Which character did the show eventually make you hate?

Rumpelstiltskin. He was an amazing, complex villain, with lots of interesting dynamics with pretty much everyone - Emma, Regina, Cora, Killian, Baelfire, Henry, heck, even David... and while I think he could have joined the “heroes” side as the kinda reluctant anti-hero... which is probably why I enjoyed the Lacey storyline so much. If his love interest wasn’t the true Belle but someone like Lacey... you could have had this not-exactly-evil but also not-exactly-super-heroic couple, who would help the “heroes” every now and then without ping-pong-ing between Big Bad and Hero of the Day. But they had to remove all the grey-ness of his character and so many things that made him him, and have Belle nearly threaten him into turning into the good guy he can’t be... and eventually had not one (Belle), not two (Baelfire), not three (Alice) but four (Wish Killian) characters turn into his morality pets, with very little concern about the final development and resolution of those characters’ storylines.

And because he killed Milah twice and the show not only completely forgot about her, but also made Killian be thankful to him. Like, how’s that fair?

33. Worst CGI?

LOL it’s easier to answer which is the best CGI, since it’s that rare in the show, haha (and yes I have an answer to that and it’s Alice’s Troll). The garden gnome in 7x07 is despicable and only listening to Killian singing saves the scene for me, the scene in 2x06 where Anton is holding Emma in his hand is also so cringe-worthy...

47. Bonus: Rant about something

August didn’t deserve any of his later fame, and I fucking hate that Henry was supposed to have “borrowed” his motorcycle. That asshole owed Emma 20 thousand bucks. He wasn’t a friend of Emma’s. He used her, abandoned her, convinced her first love to send her to jail... and at the end he went like “Please believe in magic or I’ll turn into wood!” ... yeah, suits you right, fucker. Giving him a personal time bomb that pushed him to have Emma believe, when he barely gave a fuck about her before that was probably the worst writing decision they could have done to his character... add to that the fact that he sent her to jail and stole her money, the fact that he was later called “Emma’s only friend”, or whatever the fuck was that that he was supposed to have done in the flashbacks of 6x11... fuck you. Fuck him. A bit pointless trying to ret-con the character who ruined your protagonist’s life instead of facing the problems of his character directly, but hey, it’s A&E we’re talking about.

Salty asks list.

[welllpthisishappening]

So I've been flying a lot recently and there's been some turbulence, but every time it makes me think of blue line and Will (I'm pretty sure will) and how he hates turbulence when flying. Basically whenever there's turbulence ona flight I now think of blue line and how much I love it!

You are absolutely right, anon! Will…hates turbulence. Like. Hates. It. I’m sorry there’s been anything except fabulously calm flights for you, so this happened because your message was very nice and everyone knows how much Will hates turbulence. 

“Scarlet, I need you to move your elbow, like, two hours ago.”

“We weren’t on this plane two hours ago.”

“Yes.”

Will glared at him, eyes narrowed and jaw almost obviously clenched, and Killian tried not to sigh too loudly, far too aware of the head on his shoulder and Ariel had slept the entire goddamn flight – even through the turbulence.

There was a lot of turbulence.

Enough that there’d been some kind of proclamation from whoever was in charge of air-traffic proclamations and they couldn’t fly home that night.

Killian was not pleased.

Will still looked kind of terrified.

“You’re going to do damage to your knuckles,” Robin pointed out, slumped in his chair on the other side of the aisle and Ruby’s limbs were everywhere. She’d unbuckled her seatbelt at some point, which might have been at least three quarters of the reason for Will’s white-knuckled grip on the arm rest, and they’d been sitting on the tarmac for what felt like several days.

Killian was going to dramatically sigh himself to death.

Maybe then Ariel would get her head of his shoulder. He was only slightly worried she was pinching a nerve. Or twenty.

His whole body hurt, bumps and bruises and one very solid check that earned that rookie in Minnesota two minutes, and they’d been on the road for over a week, a string of games that felt far too long, particularly when they weren’t winning any of them.

They hadn’t won any of them.

Arthur must have set a record for whiteboard damage.

He was probably pacing in the cockpit.

And Killian really just wanted to go home and see Emma and Matt and they hadn’t actually told anyone anything else yet, but thinking about that made his heart doing something absurd in his chest and he really hoped it was a girl.

He kept telling Emma that.

It made her laugh.

“Shut up, Locksley,” Will hissed, pulling Killian back into the moment and the general frustration of a team that was probably not going to make the playoffs. “This is—“

“—An overreaction,” Ruby mumbled. She didn’t lift her head off Robin’s knee, voice just a bit muffled by league-mandated dress pants, but Killian was fairly certain she still managed to glare at all of them at once. “And you are talking way too loud.”

Robin hummed in agreement. “Screaming more like. Sometimes I wonder who’s the actual child in this hockey family. Gives Matt a run for his money.“

“Yeah, that’s super funny, Locksley,” Will said. “Did you not feel what was going on before? They tried to fly us into a hurricane.”

“Eh,” Killian argued, and he’d apparently moved his body too much if Ariel’s not-so-quiet grumble was any indication. “Sorry, sorry, Red,” he added, shifting further into his seat, but that didn’t help the pinched nerve or the bruise on his left hip. He really wanted to make out with his wife. “Go back to sleep, Scarlet’s just whining.”

“Too late,” Ariel sighed. Killian groaned when she pressed the heel of her hand into his thigh, propping herself up, and she looked vaguely traumatized by that. “Oh shit,” she gasped. “Shit, shit, shit, Cap, did that hurt? Did you get hit?”

“We just played a hockey game against a team that had one of the worst starts to its season in, like, ten years.”

“Is that supposed to be an answer?”

“He’s saying Chicago was pissed about how their season went,” Robin explained, and Ruby had sat up, but her legs were perpendicular over his now and they were all far too comfortable with each other.

“And that meant they had to try and kill Cap?” Ruby asked.

Killian rolled his eyes. “No one was killing anyone and there were no hurricanes involved in anything that happened tonight. It is March.”

“There can be hurricanes in March,” Will said, but he was met with several different types of laughter and something that sounded like an actual guffaw out of Ariel.

“No, there cannot, Scarlet,” Robin said. “And Henry just took Earth Science, like, two years ago, so my meteorological knowledge is unquestioned.”

Will did not looked convinced. He still hadn’t let go of the armrest.

“We have been on this plane for hours,” he grumbled, huffing loudly and crossing his arms and it was a pretty spot-on impression of Killian’s two-year-old kid. “And the whole thing shook. That was…that was not fun.”

“Scarlet, were you freaking out?” Ariel asked, a distinct lack of humor in her voice. Will flushed. “Oh my God, you were, weren’t you?”

“No.”

“No?”

“No.”

“Liar, liar, liar,” Ruby muttered, and Killian glared hard enough the he felt like he was disciplining all of them. Ruby laughed at him. “Dad face.”

“That’s not a thing.”

“I promise it is. Emma does it too. But, you know, the mom version. It’s super cute. Also, the word you were all looking for before was nor’easter. So, clearly, I’m the one with the science degree.”

“You do not have a science degree,” Robin said, hooking his chin over Ruby’s shoulder and it couldn’t have been comfortable when she shrugged in response.

Will groaned again – a mess of limbs and emotion and the absolute, deep rooted fear of turbulence that even a decade in the NHL hadn’t been able to shake. “God, I hate all of you,” he sighed, snapping his jaw when Ariel tried to reach around Killian to tug on his very loose tie. “Leave that alone, A. I don’t need to choke before all the air pressure gets yanked out of this cabin.”

“That is not how air travel works,” Killian reasoned.

“Do not try and dad me, Cap. It’s not going to work.”

He opened his mouth to disagree, something about he wasn’t dad’ing anyone, whatever the hell that meant, but Killian absolutely knew what it meant and he was far to busy answering his phone to care about anyone on a plane that seemed as determined as Arthur to set several different, equally frustrating, records.

“Did you have that on the whole time?” Will shouted, jumping up and Ruby mumbled something about seat belts, Scarlet under her breath. He flipped her off.

“Whoa,” Emma muttered. “I was not entirely prepared for the parental advisory on this conversation.”

Will blushed again, lips pursed and breathing heavy, and Killian wasn’t sure if Ruby or Ariel was laughing louder. Arthur yelled from wherever he’d been pacing. And probably breaking whiteboards.

Killian widened his eyes. They were still at the restaurant – chairs on the tables behind her and he could just make out a clearly sleeping Dylan hitched over Eric’s shoulder while he tried to stack stools on top of the bar.

Henry and Roland were quite clearly playing hockey, the sound of what might have been an actual puck hitting against the wall and it was a wonder they hadn’t done permanent damage to the walls yet.

“Are they hitting my walls?” Ariel asked sharply, but Killian brushed her off and his heart was doing that stupid pounding thing again.

A girl. They were definitely going to have a girl.

“No parental advisory, Swan,” he said, smiling despite the pinched nerve and whatever Ariel was asking and how freaked out Will was by several normal meteorological activities. And maybe Killian had kind of hated the turbulence too. “Just Scarlet being irrational. Par for the course.”

“Yeah, that’s kind of what I figured.”

He couldn’t quite hold back his laughter – Robin shaking underneath Ruby when he nearly cackled a few feet away – and Will looked vaguely scandalized. “That’s rude, Em,” he mumbled. “A hurricane. They wanted to fly into a hurricane.”

“I don’t think that’s what it was called.”

“Told you,” Robin said. “Thank you, Emma!”

She grinned, eyes impossibly green and hair practically shining in the dim light of the restaurant and Killian was a giant, sentimental sap, who thought even more absurd, sentimental things when he hadn’t kissed his wife in a week.

His pregnant wife.

HIs pregnant with their second kid wife.

“What are you doing with your face, Cap?” Ruby asked knowingly and, yeah, definitely too comfortable together.

“Nothing,” Killian said quickly. Ruby arched an eyebrow. And some voice was making some kind of announcement, Arthur shouting to be quiet, but they were a plane full of children masquerading as professionals and every single one of them groaned as soon as they learned they’d be stuck an extra night in Chicago.

“Damn,” he sighed. Emma was still smiling. “Did you know already, love? Is that why you called?”

She shifted in her chair, a body colliding with her side in a flash of dark hair and something that looked a bit like a jersey. “Maybe I was just trying to talk to you. Also is your hip ok?”

“What happened to your hip?” Ariel screeched, at the same time Will and Ruby muttered gross. Robin was texting Regina. Killian could hear her phone through his phone.

God.

“Nothing, nothing, Red, I’m fine,” Killian promised, and possibly, lied, and Emma widened her eyes in disbelief. “Fine, Swan. Hey, Mattie,” he added, the blur of colors jerking up and he probably should have been asleep, but he’d also probably been trying to play Roland and Henry in whatever game was currently destroying the restaurant walls.

“Hi,” Matt shouted. He waved with both hands.

Killian was going to walk home.

He could probably get there before they let them off this goddamn plane.

“I had a hunch,” Emma said, answering a question Killian almost forgot he’d asked. “About the nor’easter. That’s what it’s called, Scarlet.”

“God, I told you,” Robin yelled. Killian shook his head when Emma’s eyebrows pinched. Matt was still waving.

“Whatever,” Will scowled.

“That’s the spirit,” Emma laughed. “But also part of the reason why we called and why we’re not sleeping like some other slightly better behaved children in this restaurant.”

“And because he wanted to cheat a hockey,” Roland added, voice not quite even when he groaned at whatever Henry did, but there was more laughter and Regina chastising both of them, and Dylan was some kind of professional sleeper. Apparently. He probably got it from Ariel.

Her eyelids were starting to flutter again.

“Anyway,” Emma said pointedly. “I’m ready to use our kid’s inherent cuteness to our benefit.”

Killian arched an eyebrow, but he could feel the smile on his face and his heart should probably be studied at this point. “That so?”

“Yes, we practiced.”

He needed to look up how long it would take to walk home.

Will let go of the armrest.

It was a miracle.

Emma nodded once, something that felt like amusement on her face as she tugged Matt onto her lap, and his entire expression changed as soon as he saw so many familiar faces. Ruby might have melted. Or sighed dramatically. She did, at least, move, stepping around Ariel and perching on an arm rest to get into the phone frame.

And that probably would have been enough for several professional hockey players to mock, if they also weren’t impossibly charmed by the kid on the screen in front of them too.

“Hey mini-Jones,” she said softly, and Matt tried to jump through Emma’s phone.

“Thanks a lot, Rubes.”

Ruby was definitely melting. “I make no apologies for how much your kid loves me. You score on, Rol, mini-Jones?

“Hey Dr. J,” Will said quickly, ignoring Ruby’s clicked tongue at the interruption, and Killian rolled his eyes. “You use that move we practiced before?”

“Oh my God, he’s not even three, Scarlet,” Killian groaned, but Will didn’t pay any attention and Roland was shouting again.

“It’s cheating, Uncle Will! You can’t go for the ankles like that!”

“What are you teaching them?” Ariel gaped.

Will made a face, but Killian had some fairly strong suspicions and there were probably bruises on Roland and Henry’s ankles too. “A child,” Robin said again. “The most child.”

“Childish,” Emma corrected. “That’s the word you’re looking for. And you guys are distracting me from my point and my plan, so can you just be charmed by my kid for, like, two seconds and then we can all try and sleep.”

“Maybe,” Killian said. Will gagged.

“What’d you practice, Dr. J?” he asked.

Matt’s eyes widened, a hint of nerves, and Killian’s eyes met Emma’s. She smiled. “It’s ok, kid,” she said, tugging lightly on the side of his jersey and the ‘C’ on his shoulder was almost too obvious.

He made a noise, not quite an agreement because he wasn’t quite three, but he tilted his head slightly and it was a bit like watching a replay of several decades before and Killian barely heard Ruby’s quiet laughter over the ringing in his ears.

“A record,” Matt yelled. “Chic…chich…Chickaaago had lots of snow and no planes. And there were snowmen!”

“We looked at pictures,” Emma explained, and Killian’s laugh was shaky and a bit emotional, but Ruby might have still been melting and there was a snow job win there somewhere.

“That was good, Dr. J,” Will grinned. “Thanks for the facts. And the interesting pronunciation attempt.”

“It’s a work in progress.”

“Ah, I’ve got no doubt.”

“A record, Swan, really?” Killian asked, and she was already nodding.

“Oh yeah, something historic this February and more snow this month and some other things about global warming that I figured were way too heavy to talk about with a toddler, but we looked up some stuff and Henry was almost interested in the information before Roland reminded him that he’d won the first round of hockey. And we’re horrible influences because they made some kind of bet about rules I don’t understand.”

“They wrote them down,” Robin said. “Gina made sure if they were going to keep doing this, there was some kind of plan. That way when they shout at each other about cheating, we know what they’re talking about.”

“Proactive.”

“I’ve got some dad-type experience.”

Emma hummed, eyes flitting back towards Killian and he was going to sprain several face muscles. “I’m fine, love,” he said, answering a question she hadn’t asked. She held onto Matt a little tired.

“Long week” she muttered, and they were finally starting to get off the plane, Phillip shouting for them from the back of the cabin and he refused to sit near any of them ever, something about sleep and voice levels and it was more than fair.

Killian nodded. “Yeah, it was. Tomorrow, love. Thanks for the facts.”

“Figured it might be a good distraction.”

“Good instincts.”

“Something like that.”

“I love you,” he said, and Will had the good sense not to make any noise.

Emma’s eyes definitely got greener. “I love you too. Tomorrow. No snow. Except maybe the snowmen.”

“Did you promise to build snowmen, Swan?”

“There had to be some give and take in this practice, Cap.”

“Ah, of course.”

She shrugged, but she was still smiling and Matt appeared to be on the cusp of sleep already, exhausted once his job was done. “Tomorrow,” Emma repeated, and Killian didn’t really sleep that night, but he didn’t have to walk home, and there wasn’t any turbulence on the next flight.

There were, however, several detailed drawings for snowmen and photos on their next off day and no one got bruised in the rather extravagant snowball fight they staged in Central Park.