Once Upon a Time For the Long Haul

**A/N: Hi all! This is just a little Captain Swan one shot I wrote during a power outage today. It is definitely rated M! (you have been warned)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything ABC, Once Upon a Time, or Captain Swan-related, unfortunately. Just a fan. **

**Enjoy!**

* * *

When a knock on the door echoes through the kitchen of Emma's apartment, she glances at the clock to see it is exactly 12:00, noon. Over the past couple of months since she and Killian returned from their journey to the past, she's learned that he has a tendency to be extremely punctual—not something she would have expected from a pirate.

"One sec!" she calls, struggling to pull a lightweight sweater over her head without smearing her freshly applied mascara. She shakes out her hair and opens the door, frowning at the sight of him. "Why do you have flowers?"

"Is it not customary in this realm to bring your love flowers?" he inquires, eyebrows knitting together in confusion, leaning against her door frame

"No. I mean, yes, it is. But you didn't have to bring me flowers, Killian," she sighs, placing her hand on the back of his neck, pulling his head down to hers and him sweetly.

"I know I didn't _have_ to, lass, but I _did_ want to." He leans close to her ear to murmur, "I'm wooing you, Swan."

Emma rolls her eyes, but accepts the flowers with a humble smile, letting him in the door as she places the peonies in a vase. "You're being awfully romantic for a date that consists of lunch at Granny's."

"The fine dining establishments in Storybrook are few and far between, but that doesn't mean I can't or won't at least try to court you properly," he rattles off, sounding dangerously close to lecturing. "Need I remind you that I am, in fact, a gentleman?"

Emma turns up her face to smile as him, tugging on a pair of brown riding boots. "You really do throw a wrench in just about every single pirate stereotype I've ever heard. You know that, right?"

He smirks, pleased, and offers her his hand. They walk out the door together, hand in hand, as he enthusiastically shares with her the details of his early morning fishing trip. Rarely does Emma see Killian as happy as he seems when he's on the water, or even when he's describing it. As much as she enjoys seeing him light up like this, the nostalgia in his eye makes her stomach drop; she can't help but feel guilty for being indirectly responsible for his loss of the Jolly Roger.

She quickly changes her course of thoughts, aware that Killian can (or at least claims to be able to) read her like an open book. She really doesn't want to get into all of that now. So, she follows his lead, listening to the sexy drawl of his accent as he carries on about his morning.

When they reach Granny's Diner, the both of them politely greet the various patrons of the restaurant and slide into a booth across from one another. "Hey guys!" Ruby greets them brightly. "What would you like to drink today?"

"I'll have an iced tea, please. And no rum for you," she adds right as Killian opens his mouth, throwing him a pointed look.

He huffs and mutters, "I'll take one of those soda things, then."

Ruby laughs. "The Great and Fearsome Captain Hook, are you letting your _girlfriend_ boss you around?"

A corner of his mouth turns up at that. "Aye, apparently." He looks up at Emma and sees a brief flash of alarm in her eyes. It is quick, but he registers and interprets it easily.

"And do you two know what you want to eat?" Ruby adds, scribbling a note onto her pad of paper and looking up at them expectantly.

"Grilled cheese, French fries, and a pickle," Emma recites.

"I'll take one of your burgers, please," he says quietly, looking down at the table.

Ruby finishes writing their order, then offers them a large smile. "Alright, I'll have that out for you lovebirds in a bit!"

"Well she seems awfully chipper today, now doesn't she?" Killian drones under his breath. Trying to swallow his annoyance at Emma's reluctance to acknowledge their relationship, he pastes on a pleasant face. "So what have you been up to since I saw you yesterday evening?" he says, tabling her commitment issues—for now.

She scrunches her nose. "'Been up to?' Who are you and what have you done with Jones?"

He smirks. "Henry's so-called pop culture lessons are doing well by me, it seems. Don't look so surprised—I learn quickly."

Emma smiles and shakes her head at him. "You're so annoying."

"Darling, if you mean to say that I am a witty, dashing rapscallion of whom you are quite fond, I know that already," he replies immediately. "However, let's not get off topic."

"Why do you care so much what I've been up to the past half a day?" she asks wrinkling her nose.

"Why is it so vital that it be kept a secret?" he counters, an eyebrow shooting up towards his hairline.

Emma rolls her eyes. "It's not. I hung out with the kid last night. We played cards. Then this morning, I dropped him off at Regina's and got called into work. The alarm system at the grocery was triggered, so they suspected a break in. But it was just a raccoon nibbling on the wires."

"Sounds like quite the adventure."

Ruby drops their plates and glasses in front of them. "Enjoy!" she calls.

Emma hums in appreciation as she takes a bite of her grilled cheese, causing a devilish grin to grow across Killian's face. When she sees his expression she frowns at him.

"Stop," she says.

"Stop what?" he aks incredulously, feigning innocence.

"Stop looking at me with your bedroom eyes. We're eating lunch. In public," she adds, dropping her voice.

"I love it when you scold me, darling."

Emma kicks his shin lightly under the table. "Seriously. I'm just trying to eat, here."

"Well I can't help it if you make such appealing sounds when you eat," he smirks, biting off half of a French fry.

* * *

After finishing their meal and paying, Killian and Emma walk back to Emma's apartment hand-in-hand. As a cloud moves overhead, uncovering the sun, Emma takes a deep breath appreciatively; she's glad Storybrook is finally starting to resemble what she's used to calling summer. She has never been one to really enjoy cold weather, so some sunshine and warm weather is exactly what she needs.

"You know, this really is the perfect day," she says warmly as they approach her building, a light breeze from the nearby sea gently blowing her hair. Killian replies with a small smile and nods once, moving her wind-blown curls out of her face with his hook and tilting his head to the side to study her face.

As they climb the stairs to her flat, Emma tells Killian all about the current feud between Regina and Rumplestiltskin and how it's affecting her job as sheriff. Killian's only half-paying attention, his eyes trained on the crashing waves visible out the window.

"So what do you wanna do the rest of the afternoon?" Emma asks him, disrupting whatever daydream he was having. "We could watch a movie, if you'd like? David asked if we'd like to come over for dinner, so we can go over to the loft later." Killian remains silent, so Emma frowns and adds, "Or not… is there anything in particular you'd like to do?"

"No, not really," he answers, voice carrying a trace of melancholy as he continues to watch to coastline.

Emma raises an eyebrow curiously at him. "Alright. What is it? What's bothering you?"

He finally looks back at her smiling sadly. "It's nothing, love."

"Well clearly something is bothering you. You've barely said four words since we left lunch," she says, frustrated at his evasiveness.

"Let's not get into this right now, shall we? I'm really rather weary and wouldn't mind taking a nap."

"Killian," she says pleadingly, positioning herself in front of him so he has no choice but to look at her, "talk to me."

He closes his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. "Emma, what is it exactly that you want from this?"

Her forehead creases in confusion, "From what?"

"From us. Our relationship—or whatever exactly it is. What does it mean to you?"

A flash of fear crosses Emma's face momentarily and does not go unnoticed by Killian. He's always been able to read her like a book, despite the massive walls she erects around herself. Today is no exception. "Don't you think it's a little early to be having this conversation?" she says nervously, trying to play off nonchalance. "We really haven't been… seeing each other that long."

He wets his lips absentmindedly, looking slightly disappointed and anything but surprised. "Emma, we've been courting for nearly two months now. My chambers at Granny's have been unoccupied for the vast majority of that time, which is quite a waste of money, really. I eat dinner with your parents and I watch your son when you get called for a case; I hardly think it's too soon for us to talk about what exactly it is we're doing here."

"What if I'm not ready yet?"

His forehead creases. "And how, exactly, are you not ready to have this conversation?"

Emma scratches her head. "I just am not sure that I'm ready to put a label on things, you know? I like what we've been doing; it's comfortable and fun. I'm really trying, here, not to overthink things, or panic, or do something stupid to mess this up," she says, looking greatly uncomfortable to verbalize her thoughts.

He reaches out to her, brushing his thumb across her cheek and smiling sadly at her. "There's nothing you could do to mess this up, darling. I'm here for you. And I'm not going anywhere."

"I just—" she starts, cutting off for a moment, "I just feel like it's too soon for me to get involved in anything serious."

Killian tilts his head to the side giving her an expectant look, silently asking her to elaborate. "Neal _just_ died," she explains, wincing, "I'm still trying to pick up the pieces from watching my first love die in front of me. And you do and say all the right things, but it can be too much at times. I'm not used to this, Jones," she confesses, looking up at him apologetically. "And you can't expect me to just be whole and be this healthy person who can just simply _be_ happy, not with the giant amount of baggage I've been carrying around my whole life," she adds, her tone verging on irritation.

"Swan, you know I don't expect you to forget everything about your past. But that doesn't mean you can't let me in," he counters.

"I _do_ let you in," she insists, clearly frustrated. "But if you can read me as well as you say you can, you should know that I just don't do all that well with verbal communication. It's too much."

"I've been holding my tongue for the past several months because I know you're not ready, Swan. And honestly, it hurts, because you won't let me cherish you in the way I want—in the way you _deserve_," Killian admits, his voice crawling up in volume slowly.

"Then why don't you just leave?" she demands, pain clear across her face.

"Because, although it physically hurts to restrain myself from feeling what I feel for you, I'm not going anywhere. If there's a choice to make, I will always choose you. Why is that so hard for you to believe?"

Emma winces at his admission. "Have you ever thought that maybe I'm not what you want? I'm not ready for that. I have been alone for nearly thirty years. Everyone I've ever cared about has either disappeared or died or both! I don't know how to not be alone, and you don't need that in your life."

"Darling, I'm not dying, nor am I going anywhere. I will be here as long as you'll have me," he reassures her simply.

"How do I know you won't change your mind?"

"You have my word, Emma Swan. I'm in this for the long haul," he swears.

"Killian…" she sighs sadly, "you can't know that. I've heard it all before. Just because you mean it now doesn't mean circumstances won't change."

"Bloody hell, Swan, what do I have to do or say for you to realize I'm not Baelfire? I am going to do everything in my power to keep you safe and happy. I have fought for you for this long and I will continue to fight for you for the rest of my days. As I told your father, I will go to the ends of the earth for you. Or time, as the case may call. If you're having trouble accepting my words, fine. You will just have to wait and see. I'm not going anywhere."

Emma looks at him, shock and hurt written across her face, not even opening her mouth to say a word. Killian instantly reads the change and her demeanor and cringes at his words. He scratches the back of his head with his hook and says in a calm, quiet voice, "I apologize for bringing Bae into this. That was a low blow, and I recognize that you are still grieving him. But I'm certainly not going to apologize for being in love with you."

"You love me?" Emma asks incredulously after a few moments.

He shakes his head with a sad smile at her ignorance. "Aye, of course I do."

Emma studies his face for a long moment and closes the distance between them, as a radiant smile lights up her face. She throws her arms around his shoulders and her lips crash against his. Killian stumbles back and braces himself against the back of Emma's couch, cradling the back of her head as their lips say what their words can't.

After a minute, they break apart, breathless. Emma's face is still only a couple inches away from Killian's as she raises her focus from his lips to his eyes, looking up at him from under her long lashes. He cocks an eyebrow at her mischievously, silently daring her to escalate things. She lets out a silent chuckle and shakes her head at him, lacing her fingers through his as she pulls him towards her bedroom.

She shuts the door behind them and her eyes darken as she studies Killian. Slowly, she tilts her lips up to his again. This time, their lips move slowly and sweetly together, taking their time. Emma runs her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck, smirking at the deep breath he takes in response. He always responds so quickly at her touch. Killian deepens the kiss, holding her face close to his, cradling her head with his hand. His tongue swipes at her bottom lip quickly, and Emma sighs into his mouth as her tongue meets his.

His mouth leaves hers to trail kisses along her jaw, then down her neck, sucking ever so lightly at her pulse point as his hand slides through her long hair and stops at her waist. As he kisses his way back up to her mouth, Emma wraps her hands around the chains dangling from his neck, pulling them off and setting them on her dresser as he pauses obediently, before joining his lips to hers once again, more forceful this time.

Keeping her lips pressed against his, Emma unbuckles his belt and begins unfastening his vest as his left arm anchors her close and his right hand tugs lightly on her hair. She pulls back and scrunches her nose at him playfully, sliding his vest down his arms till it lands audibly on the floor (she honestly doesn't understand how he can wear something that heavy when it's not the dead of winter). Killian grabs the hem of her thin, cream sweater, and begins inching it up her skin, his cool fingertips and hook brushing against her bare skin deliciously. Impatient, she reaches down to pull the top up over her head and tosses it on top of his vest, smiling as she grabs his face with both hands and kisses him hard. His hand traverses the expanse of her back gently as she undoes the few fastened buttons on his gauzy black shirt, slipping it off him and sliding her hands down his chest. Killian groans as she gently nips his lower lip and sucks it into her mouth. He picks her up, carrying her over to the bed.

Emma lets a peal of laughter escape her mouth as she lands on her back on the bed. Killian regards her longingly, taking a moment to appreciate the sight of her lying before him, hair sprawled out around her like a halo, smooth skin practically glowing in the warm afternoon light. He leans over, pressing a kiss to her lips, then right next to her ear. "You are the most beautiful thing I have ever laid eyes on, Swan," he whispers into her ear. His stubble scrapes against her ear, causing a shiver to run through her body and an adorable pink flush to appear on her cheeks.

After he unzips her jeans—much too slowly for Emma's liking—Emma helps him slip them off of her, revealing black lace panties matching the bralette he has already exposed. "As far as modern clothing goes, these are definitely my favorite," he says with a smirk, fingering the waistband and leaning over to trail kisses down her chest, encouraged by the content sigh Emma emits.

Killian slowly works his way from her neck to her chest, planting soft, reverent kisses across her creamy skin. He pushes aside the thin material of her lingerie to expose her breast, covering it with his mouth, smirking when he hears Emma's sharp intake of breath. Killian looks up at her and sees her eyes filled with longing. She laces her fingers through the long hair at the top of his head as he turns his attention to her other breast and starts inching down her panties using his hook.

"Don't you dare rip them," she warns him, raising an eyebrow at him pointedly. "I am gonna start charging you for my ruined lingerie if you keep that up."

Killian grins devilishly at her. "Well I apologize if your lace is no match for my hook. But there's really nothing I can do about that, now is there?"

Emma rolls her eyes at him and opens her mouth to respond, but is silenced by Killian's mouth pressed firmly against her own. His hands crawl down her body at a snail's pace, clearly trying to torture her into oblivion with his teasing. In retaliation, Emma takes matters into her own hands (quite literally) as she moves to unlace his pants.

"You are wearing pants still. And that's definitely not fair," she whispers against his lips as he tries to protest.

"But darling, I want to make sure you enjoy yourself as well," he says, pulling back. His eyes are filled with some emotion Emma isn't quite sure she wants to understand.

Emma says nothing, pursing her lips and maintaining eye contact with him as she begins to pull his pants off, silently daring him to stop her. Killian takes it as an opportunity to even the playing field, sliding her panties the rest of the way off and deftly reaching around to unclasp her bralette with his hook. He regards her fully exposed form with a small smile and presses a kiss to her shoulder. "Whatever gods crafted you, Swan, were not bloody fooling around."

Before Emma has a chance to respond, he lets his fingers slowly trace her sex, feeling how ready she is, causing her to twitch involuntarily. In retaliation, Emma strokes his cock a few times, smirking at the way he seems to melt beneath her hands. She grabs a small foil package from her bedside drawer and softly kisses the tip of him before carefully rolling the condom on.

She straddles his thighs and he pulls her to him forcefully, meeting her lips with his. His mouth travels to her neck, sucking hard on the place where it joins her neck and slips a finger inside her with no warning. She gasps and her hand grips his cock, no longer willing to delay feeling him. "Killian, please," she hisses, leaning her forehead against his.

She sighs audibly as he finally, slowly, pushes all the way inside her in one long stroke. She quickly begins moving, desperate to feel him, but he grips her hips with both his hook and his hand prevent her from setting too fast of a pace. "Slow down, love," he hums between kisses, "I want to make love to you."

Silently, Emma continues trying to fight him on the pace, no doubt leaving a bruise from the contact with the unyielding force of his hook. Killian pushes her down on the bed, next to where they currently are, and Emma yelps in surprise. "Darling, you're far too eager to accelerate things," he murmurs with a smirk before covering her body with his. He leans over pressing his mouth to the side of her head. "Relax," he whispers, pulling her earlobe into his mouth. Emma closes her eyes and a low moan escapes her mouth as Killian resumes thrusting into her.

His hand moves between them to glide over her body. It worships the curve of her waist, softly strokes her breasts, and smooths the hair from her shoulders. Finally, he begins to meet her thrusts, allowing Emma to pick up the pace. She shivers as his hook runs down her arm. Though she would never admit it to him, as his ego is plenty big already, there's something really hot about the hook—especially when he keeps it on in bed.

Feeling her body slowly climb, she flips him over, smiling at the surprise written on his face and grinds against him. His hand moves between them, hitting her in just the right spot each time their hips connect. She can feel his lower abdomen begin to tense, knowing he must be approaching his release as well.

"Come for me, Emma," he whispers deliciously, lips brushing against her ear. They continue to match one another in pace for one moment more, then the building tension inside her dissipates into a slow burn. She doesn't try to quiet herself as she moans through her orgasm, and seconds later, Killian's following suit.

"Emma, fuck," he hisses under his breath, riding out his own climax. Slowing his movements to a stop, he pulls her flush against him. They lay there, legs tangled together, breathing quickly and looking into each other's eyes for a couple minutes. He closes the inch of space between their faces and kisses her sweetly.

"That was really good," Emma remarks with a smile, her face radiant.

"Aye, it was." Killian's mouth turns up, catching Emma's infectious smile. "Perhaps we should bicker more often, love." He kisses her again, and then gets up to go to the bathroom to clean himself up.

Emma crosses her hands behind her head and sighs contentedly, closing her eyes. She can't remember being this happy in a long time. Her feelings for Killian set off all kinds of alarms in her head; she hasn't stuck around to get this attached to anyone since she learned her lesson with Neal the first time around. She's able to silence her urges to run with memories of his soft, kind, _honest_ words. His faith in her is unwavering, and she's really trying to be strengthened by it instead of afraid.

He offers her a warm smile and climbs back into bed beside her, wrapping an arm around her waist and tucking his head against her shoulder. Emma's heart swells as he nuzzles into her. Saying nothing, she runs her fingers through the thick hair near his hairline, playing with it absentmindedly and memorizes the scars on his back as his chest rises and falls with steady breaths.

After a few minutes of watching him, she whispers tentatively, "Killian?" Sleeping peacefully, he doesn't even flinch. "I love you, too."

* * *

**A/N: Hope you liked it! This is my first time writing smut aaand it's the first time I've written something in present tense (I thought I would try something different). Please, please, PLEASE review, I would love feedback :) I have a bunch of other OUAT stories (mainly Captain Swan) floating around in my idea book, so if this is well-received, I might write some more.**


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Once Upon a Time, Angst, Romance