A Once Upon a Time Fanfic Killian knows he screwed up. The day started so well, waking up to Emma beside him. (He should have known she’d dispute the sleeping arrangements, insisting he move Henry to the small sofa because “everyone knows 12-year-olds are made of rubber” and slipping into bed beside him, curling up in his arms.) Then they went to her parents apartment where he clearly wasn’t welcome, and he meant to be honest, meant to tell the truth because he wants their blessing on his and Emma’s relationship.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic Killian doesn’t particularly like the metal death traps this entire world seems to prefer as a conveyance, particularly after having been nearly killed by one, but he has grown accustomed to them, and can even appreciate the speed and convenience. After eight hours trapped inside one, however, he’s reached his limit, especially with Lily right behind him, loudly expressing her anger issues and, as Emma described it, “backseat driving” the entire way.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic “I don’t understand why you need my help,” Lily complains over the phone. “I’m not from this world,” Killian reminds her. “I don’t know its traditions.” He can almost hear her eyes rolling. “You really think Emma cares about traditions for her birthday? If anything, she wants the exact opposite.” He arches an eyebrow, though he knows she can’t see him. “Which still requires me to know them, love.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic The last time Lily saw Emma Swan, she didn’t believe in magic, just broken hearts and broken promises and a world that picked favorites. Now, fifteen years later, and she does believe–in curses, in darkness, and an Author who plays favorites just as surely as the cruel world she grew up in. She doesn’t know why she came, except that everything in her life fell apart after Emma, so maybe she’s the key to piecing it all back together.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic “Lily, what are you doing here?” Lily pushes past her into the apartment, and Emma lets her because she’s in too much of a shock-induced haze to come up with any better options. “I’m here because you’re going to help me find my mom.” “I–what?” “I know who my mom is,” Lily says quickly–too quickly, like she’s afraid she won’t be able to get all the words out before Emma kicks her out.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic She doesn’t mean for it to become something. When she met Killian during what she considered the grand finale to a really crappy day, she accepted his invitation in hopes of salvaging some little bit of fun for the night. It was supposed to just be a one-time thing. He wasn’t supposed to listen so eagerly to her stories about Henry, or be so ridiculously charming.

A Once Upon a Time Fanfic It’s a coincidence, he tells himself. Anything stronger than that would feel too much like hope, and he’s not sure how much of a heart he has left to break. When he left her family in the Enchanted Forest to be the heroes and leaders they were, his only expectations were to fall into the same numbing habits that consumed him for decades after Milah’s death, only this time with nothing to work toward.