#cs engaged

The curse from her man made Emma laugh despite the flutter of her own want at seeing him splayed out on the couch. He was always so hot – thus the whole locking him down and marrying him plan she had going – but as he stood up, shocked at her appearance and clearly starving for her touch, Emma felt a jolt of something. They said lightening never struck the same place twice, but it always felt that way when she was with Killian. Ten years together and that burst of energy never wavered. If anything it was getting worse. They’d been inseparable in college when they first met, but now they were so wrapped up in each other they’d grown in tandem on every level. She craved him all the time, and by the time he was on top of her, hands wrapped around her in a possessive hold she was edging towards desperate.

“You like?” she asked, but it was a rhetorical question. Of course he liked if his roaming hands and hungry eyes were anything to go off of.

“Like is not the word I would use,” Killian growled out.

“Which word would you use?” she asked, her voice breaking slightly as his fingertip ran along her pulse point.

“Love,” he replied, growling out the word. “You cut quite the figure in this dress, Swan, as you well know.”

She didn’t bother responding because she did know. Instead she turned in his hold, giving him a better view and the groan he let loose sent her body buzzing. Damn, why did tormenting him have to backfire like this? Her teasing plan only tempted her to call off the whole damn party.  She could do that, right? It was supposed to be for her after all, surely she should call the shots.

“Hate too, though.” She looked back over her shoulder with a raised brow, seeing his eyes focused on her ass before he looked back up. “I certainly don’t like the idea of anyone else seeing you this way.”

“Are you jealous?”

“Insanely so. But you know and I know exactly who you’ve worn this for,” Killian said, sounding far more level headed than she expected.

“You,” Emma agreed before adding “and me. I mean it’s kind of awesome. Or it would be if you’d give in and kiss me already.”

No sooner had the words left her mouth then he grabbed her, pushing her back against the side table behind them and kissing her senseless. The kiss was all passion and heat and frenzy. Emma couldn’t tell which way was up, lost as she was in Killian, and as his hand moved up her thigh, headed straight for where she wanted his touch most she sighed. Now this was exactly what she wanted. Passion, pleasure, love. It was all so heady. She arched closer, pulling him in by his shirt and –

A loud knock sounded at the door followed by. “You lunatics better be fully clothed. The party has arrived, and she brought her spare key.”

Now the string of curses that Killian let loose were so much worse than the initial ones at seeing her and again Emma laughed. God she was so caught up in this she forgot the essential part of her plan – all of this was about the long game. They were going to wait, even if it damn near killed them.

“I promise I am going to make this up to you tonight,” she said, pressing a final kiss against his lips as she slid off the table and tried to get her dress back into place. She ran her fingers through her hair which was already everywhere, and she thanked god for this ultra hold red lip stain she had on as she checked in the nearby mirror before looking back at Killian.

“There will be a lot happening tonight, love. You can trust in that.”

Emma shivered with delight at his words, and she loved the way he stepped back to her, holding her close. He may still be vibrating with need for her, but he was gentle and reserved, a gentleman again, with a beast playing just underneath the surface. As the door swung open he pressed one last soft kiss to her lips before they both turned to see not just Ruby, but Anna, Elsa, Belle and Tiana as well.

“Gang’s all here,” Killian joked as Emma’s college friends descended, but Anna replied with a shake of her head.

“Not quite. The guys are right behind us but let’s just say some space was necessary.” Emma’s friends all looked to Elsa pointedly and as if on queue her dear friend turned scarlet red.

“I know, I know. I’m sorry. It was an accident.”

“What happened?” Emma asked aloud and everyone just shook their heads again.

“Let’s just say that the warning we just gave was not given at her and Liam’s house.”

“Bloody hell,” Killian muttered as he laughed lightly. “My brother willl have plenty to say about that.”

“I’m sure he will,” Ruby said moving forward and grabbing Emma’s hand. “But, alas, it’s irrelevant because we are going out for a night on the town. It’s going to put your party to shame.”

“Seeing as my party starts the moment Emma gets home, I highly doubt that.”

The reactions to that were mixed between Ruby feigning a haughty disgust and Belle and Anna thinking that was adorable. Emma just rolled her eyes and pressed a kiss to his cheek before whispering that she loved him and she’d see him soon. From there things moved very quickly to a crazy party bus and a few bars. It was honestly non-stop and only at the third place they went to did Ruby even let them sit down instead of only dancing and drinking.

“Jesus, I am getting too old for this,” Belle said as she heaved herself into the booth, letting out a sigh of relief when her legs weren’t holding her up anymore. “How did we do this like 3 nights a week at school?”

“Ruby,” the others all responded at once as Ruby let out an almost maniacal laugh as she flipped her flawless black hair over her shoulder. Then she pulled out her compact to check out her make up and smiled.

“God, I know it’s a little egotistical to admit this, but I look damn good tonight. Penises and all.”

The words tumbled out of Ruby’s mouth with a fierceness of conviction and the level of sass that always came five drinks into any night out. Ruby was a firecracker in any state, but five drink Ruby was a totally different breed. There was no telling where this night would lead or who it would lead to. Because with Ruby it always led to someone.

“Nobody looks good with penises,” Belle said as she scrunched up her nose in distaste. Emma giggled in the face of the brunette’s displeasure, mostly because Belle had a real point. These necklaces were tacky and graphic and ridiculous, but hey, that’s what bachelorette parties seemed to be about.

“Is that a challenge?” Ruby asked, her finger waving in the air with added flair for effect. The others in their party all groaned.

“Oh now you’ve done. You challenged her. God, you just had to challenge her,” Tiana lamented.

“I didn’t mean it!” Belle said with a hiccup as she drank more of her gin and tonic. “We obviously look great. No need to do something crazy to prove it.”

“But this party could use a little crazy, don’t you think?” Ruby looked to Emma who knew better than to argue. She only shrugged and Ruby grinned, pivoting to look out at the sea of people. “New game – all the single ladies have to find someone to kiss in the next ten minutes. Losers are buying diner food, and bitch I am hungry so it’ll cost ya.”

“Oh God, Ruby, please no!” Belle, Anna and Tiana shouted. Emma and Elsa only exchanged a glance that silently said how grateful they were to not be grouped in this mayhem.

“Tiana gets a free pass because I don’t want Naveen to kill me when he finally gets his shit together,” Ruby announced, hinting at a man Emma had only met a few times, but who was definitely interested in Tiana. He and Tiana worked together at the hospital, and he was supposedly cocky and brash and unbearable, but Tiana was starting to falter on her previous assumptions as he turned out to be a damn good doctor and a seemingly good man underneath all the bluster and facade. “You gotta be careful with doctors. They know how to kill you and make it look like an accident.”

“Ruby,” Tiana said, her hands coming over her face from both the embarrassment of being called out for her and Naveen’s ‘will-they/won’t-they’ tension, and from Ruby somewhat besmirching their line of work. “You know we’re not like that.”

“Sure, sure, that’s what they all say,” Ruby said with a wink before dismissing this. “Also Elsa can sit out too. You know I usually say everyone’s single til there’s a ring, but Liam is scrappy and he could take me in a fight.”

“Liam is not going to fight you,” Elsa said before reconsidering. “But yeah, definitely better if you don’t mention that you tried to get me to make out with a stranger.”

“Who would need to make out with anyone after what we saw earlier,” Belle quipped drunkenly and Anna groaned aloud.

“Stop, please I was just getting over that. It never happened, you hear me? We are never talking about this again.”

“Fat chance of that. I’m totally telling Emma, but after the game,” Ruby proclaimed. “On your marks, get set, go!”

As if they were actually in a race, Ruby hurried away into the crowd but Anna and Belle were not nearly as eager to follow. Emma felt for them, and she offered the only mildly helpful advice she could think of. “You know the best way to not have to play this game is by distracting Ruby with someone really good for her to kiss.”

“Ooh, that could work,” Belle said eagerly before scanning out into the crowd and frowning. “She just doesn’t make it easy though. I mean she literally has no type.”

“Well she does, but it’s not about looks, it’s all ‘energy,’” Anna said fake emulating a zen pose and drawing a laugh from all of them. “Oh wait, she looks good! Like that girl she dated junior year, remember?”

“Maybe…” Belle said, though not convinced enough to stop scanning the crowd. “How about him?” she nodded to a male bartender, who was admittedly good looking, but perhaps a bit too put together for Ruby’s taste.

“No. God this is hard. Shit, I’m going to have to kiss a stranger,” Anna said, lowering her face into her hands in defeat.

“Maybe not,” Emma said as her gaze landed on their friend across the bar, who was in no way even playing the game, instead she was standing on the stage meant for live music, chatting with the band and pointing at the microphone. “What is she doing?”

“She wouldn’t,” Elsa murmured, suddenly in awe at what may be happening. The others looked just as dumb struck, but Emma didn’t get it.

“Wouldn’t what?”

“Good evening everybody!” Ruby said into the mic, looking as happy and carefree as could be. Emma had to admit, her old friend had a lot of charisma, but she also had a penchant for creating trouble, and right now could be one of those moments. “My name is Ruby, and as you might have guessed from the dicks I’m currently rocking, I’m here supporting my friend Emma as she decides to tie the knot.”

The response from the crowd was mostly the congratulatory cheering of people already rocking a strong buzz, though there were some more bitter responses thrown into the mix. Emma was too dazed to really process though, because she had truly no idea where Ruby was headed with this.

“I swear to God if she tries to call us up on stage I am out of here,” Belle said her face white as a sheet in the face of Ruby’s playacting.

“Full out sprint, flash of lightening, Olympic style running,” Anna agreed. At that moment Ruby looked back to them, and she no doubt saw their hesitation. In the face of it she grinned, and Emma had to admit it was a little wicked. She was totally toying with them all, but finally she revealed her plan.

“But we’re not just here for drinks, ladies. We’re here for a show.”

“What the hell is she talking about?” Elsa whispered and then they all saw them – Killian, Liam, and Graham (who everyone in their group already knew) as well as Killian’s two other friends from childhood who flew in for the bachelor party, Will and Robin. They all took over for the band and Emma’s jaw dropped.

“Ladies and gentleman I give you… wait did you come up with a name?” she stage whispered.

“Don’t bloody need one. Can barely play music, so fuck it,” Will said with a grin waving over at their table but Emma was caught in the site of Killian. He was here, and he was coming to the mic as Ruby passed it off. Immediately he looked at Emma, smiling at her and speaking only to her.

“This one’s for you, Swan.”

When the music played it took a moment for Emma to decipher what it was meant to be. Will was right, they were clearly rusty, and it was clear none of them had ever played together before, but then Killian started singing and Emma knew right away what this was. She covered her mouth to somewhat shield the giggle, but it couldn’t be helped. This was a classic song that she and Killian had listened to over and over again when they were younger, and seeing him up there singing, and truly holding his own despite having no real musical training, Emma was fascinated and amazed. This couldn’t be real, but it was, and seeing him up there, putting himself out there just to make her smile in front of all of these strangers stole another piece of her heart she didn’t even know she had to give.

“Do you like your surprise?” Ruby asked and Emma just nodded, not knowing how to put her feelings into words.

“Why are they doing this?” Elsa asked, blushing as Liam’s voice joined Killian at the chorus.

“Are you complaining?”

“No,” Elsa admitted.

“If you must know, Killian and Emma had their first dance at the spring semi to this song. He mentioned it a few weeks ago, and then he told me he wanted to crash the party. I told him fine, but the price was a performance.”

“You didn’t,” Emma said, flashing her eyes to Ruby for a moment before she was compelled to look back at her fiancé. Damn he looked hot, and his voice… well she’d forgotten how good of a singer he was. He sang at home of course, but right now, looking like sin and singing just for her… she clenched her legs together trying to conceal just how much this affected her.

“Of course I did. I didn’t think he could pull it off. Liam’s hot for Elsa, so I guess maybe that makes sense, but how much money do you think he’s paying the others? Ten grand a piece? I mean Graham of all people? He can’t stand us.”

“Graham wants to marry you and make a dozen little Ruby’s with you,” Emma said easily, having no filter between the alcohol she’d consumed and the amazing display she was witnessing on stage. “He just avoids you so he doesn’t have to watch you in huntress mode.”

“Wait… are you serious? You’re kidding, right?” Ruby asked, and for the first time ever Emma saw her friend look crestfallen. Was that interest in her eyes? Oh my god did Ruby feel the same way?!

“Holy shit you like him!” Anna screeched, pointing a finger at Ruby.

“No it’s worse – she loves him,” Tiana said with shock emanating from her every pore. “You really didn’t know about him?”

“No,” Ruby said shaking her head as if trying to make sense of it. “You’re sure that he wants me?”

“That man has wanted you forever, Ruby,” Elsa announced and they all agreed.

“Well okay then.”

Everyone went back to watching the performance, though Emma had been watching the whole time, not daring to look away. It was impossible not to stay focused on Killian through all of this, and in truth it was all so cheesy and ridiculous that she felt fit to burst. She couldn’t help but love this. This sappy, over the top thing was just right for her. She loved being in love with this man, and she lived for the feeling of his claiming her. This might be a somewhat silly way to do so, but tell that to her heart which was clenching in her chest as her whole body flooded with warmth. Her thoughts wandered from amusement and awe to naughtier places very quickly, and by the end of the song she was jonesing for a get away with her man. The place was filled with kind cheers and rowdy applause, but Killian just jumped down from the stage and headed towards her, pulling her in for a wordless kiss that lit her up inside and made her forget that they were out in a very public space.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Emma whispered as they came apart, looking into his eyes as she ran her fingertips across his jaw.

“I’d do anything for a moment with you, love. You know that.”

She did know that, and despite the break from tradition, Emma found that she loved this change in plans. It was so much fun to hang out with her friends tonight, but when Killian and his friends blended in, they didn’t miss a beat. Everyone was happy and enjoying themselves. There was some requisite teasing about their apparel (because despite Ruby’s insistence, penis paraphernalia was not the best accessory), and a few heated exchanges (most notable from Ruby and Graham who mysteriously disappeared for a while only to return hand in hand), but mostly there was just fun and good humor. Emma loved that, and found herself thinking how blessed she was to have this life and to share it with this man who she loved dearly.

“Nearly ready to head out, Swan?” he asked reading her mind a good while later when the lateness of the hour was starting to wear on her. But all it took was one look at her fiancé and the heated promise in his eyes for her to rally.

“Yeah, I’m ready.”

And so, with a few merry goodbyes to all their friends, and a renewed sense of urgency to get back to their apartment, the two of them headed out towards a glorious night and a beautiful life together that was happy and healthy and whole.

……………………

Today is gonna be the day That they're gonna throw it back to you By now you should've somehow Realized what you gotta do I don't believe that anybody Feels the way I do, about you now Backbeat, the word was on the street That the fire in your heart is out I'm sure you've heard it all before But you never really had a doubt I don't believe that anybody Feels the way I do about you now And all the roads we have to walk are winding And all the lights that lead us there are blinding There are many things that I Would like to say to you but I don't know how Because maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me And after all, you're my wonderwall Today was gonna be the day But they'll never throw it back to you By now you should've somehow Realized what you're not to do I don't believe that anybody Feels the way I do, about you now And all the roads that lead you there are winding And all the lights that light the way are blinding There are many things that I Would like to say to you but I don't know how I said maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me And after all, you're my wonderwall I said maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me And after all, you're my wonderwall I said maybe, you're gonna be the one that saves me you're gonna be the one that saves me you're gonna be the one that saves me

Post-Note: So there we have it – just a little teasing, flirty, fluffy fic for today. We have literally endless amounts of stories like this in this mixtape collection, but every time I find myself thoroughly excited to write a love story for these characters. Crazy to think how long it has been since the show ended, but somehow I know that my muse still has many more stories to share. Thanks again for reading, and I hope you’ll let me know what you think! I love to hear from you all, and if you have songs you want included (or if you feel I need a gentle reminder because I have taken an age and a day to write your prompt) let me know!