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A Helping Hand	By : Hookedonapirate Category: M through R > Once Upon A Time Views: 8245 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own Once Upon a Time or the characters from it, nor do I make money off of this fiction.

Chapter List
- 5
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“Would you like some white wine?”
Killian opened his mouth to decline the offer as Emma headed to the kitchen, but he had to admit the idea was very enticing. Trying to cut back on alcohol since his little incident wasn't easy but it was mainly the rum that was his weakness. It had helped dull the ache that clenched his heart, but he had a feeling he wouldn't need that tonight. Just being in Emma's presence was enough to ignite the spark in his heart that had died along with his former relationship. And he wasn't as worried about overdoing it on wine. Killian didn't really care much for the taste anyways, but he supposed he could suffer through it as long as he was with good company. “I've been cutting back on alcohol, but a glass of wine won't hurt I suppose.”
Emma's features held a mixture of surprise and amusement as she turned to look at him while retrieving the bottle of wine and two glasses. “Why’s that? Are you afraid you're going to drink too much and end up naked in my tub?” He heard the light playfulness in her tone over the sound of the liquid being poured into the glasses as he claimed a seat on her sofa, feeling his cheeks flaring with blush.
A coy smile curved his lips as he scratched a spot behind his ear, trying not to think about the terror he felt when he found out what he had done in front of this gorgeous woman. “It’s not like it would be the first time, love.” Killian held the menu in his hand, scanning the selection. “I have a feeling I'm never going to hear the end of that from you and Liam,” he acknowledged with a small chuckle. “Am I correct?”
Emma gave a small shrug as she came back bearing two glasses of wine and handing him one. As she took a seat next to him she was pursing her lips, regarding him with a contemplative eye as though trying to argue with his statement. “I don't know, we may decide to drop it in fifty years or so when we're all old and can't remember our own names let alone something that happened ages ago,” Emma snickered.
Killian lifted a brow, surprised that she considered the possibility of them being in each other's lives that long. “Ah, well I figured as much,” he supplied, quickly deciding not to comment on it any further. He didn't want to say anything that might deter her from making those assumptions. He very much hoped they would know one another for that long. That's the main reason he decided that ‘a one-time thing’ or ‘casual sex’ was not a brilliant idea. He didn't want to do anything that might tear them apart. He had to admit, he enjoyed being her neighbor and her friend, even if that were all they would ever be. “Thank you,” Killian said appreciatively as his gaze fell to the wine, his eyes growing with curiosity from seeing a couple of raspberries floating atop.
“I could tell you're not a wine drinker so I added some berries to dull down the bitterness,” she explained before taking a sip from her glass.
“You would be right, I'm not much a fan of wine.” As he said the words, he brought the glass to his lips and took a slow sip, inhaling the fragrance as he did. To his surprise, the wine actually tasted delightful, and she was right; it wasn't as bitter as he remembered, perhaps not at all. He swirled the liquid around in his mouth, indulging in the taste before swallowing. “This is actually quite delicious.”
“There's plenty more. And don't worry, I will cut you off if I think you've had too much. How does that sound?” she asked with a warm smile. “If you do end up drinking too much and feeling sick, at least you know I'll take care of you.”
Once again, Emma surprised him with her unrelenting kindness. He could see the genuine sparkle in her eyes as she looked at him through those long, thick lashes.
Killian knew he was blushing again, his smile expanding. “I had a feeling you would, but as much as I appreciate that, I don't want to be a burden on you.”
Emma scoffed casually, using her hand to wave off his words. “You wouldn't be. As you can see, I don't have much going on tonight anyways. I'm not even doing my laundry, which is a rare thing on a Friday night. Pretty sad, I know.”
Killian shrugged to counter her statement. “It’s not as sad or depressing as spending your evenings drowning in rum and trying to get over your ex.”
Her features immediately fell and she gave him a soft smile as she extended her arm, taking his hand in hers. And since his good hand was holding the glass of wine, she was holding his prosthetic one. “Hey…” she uttered quietly, “those nights are behind you. I'll help make sure of that… if you want me to. Like I've told you before, anytime you need to talk, I'll be here to listen.”
Killian’s heart melted as he offered a frail smile. “Thank you, love.” Killian was annoyed that he couldn't caress her hand with his own so he set his wine on the coffee table and curled his fingers around her wrist, his thumb gently grazing over her skin. It still astounded him that she was so sweet to him. And yet, she was full of fire when she wanted to be; when she was pissed or aroused she had a completely different side to her. She was kind and strong and fiery and he loved all of those things about her.
“Do you know what you would like to eat? I can order us some food and then you can talk about what happened with Milah… if you want to of course.” She graced him with an encouraging smile, her hand still encased in both of his.
“Sounds like a plan. I haven't really talked about this with Liam, even though we’ve been bonding again, so it might be nice to get it off my chest.”
“Exactly.” Emma pulled away and set her wine down to call the nearby Chinese takeout. They ordered some chow mein with shrimp, fried rice with chicken and some spring rolls before settling on the couch again and he exhaled deeply, preparing himself to expel details about the phone call he'd received that brought him over to his neighbor's apartment. But if he were being honest, it wasn't the only thing that inspired him to walk across the hall and knock on Emma's door.
He noticed that she could sense his uncertainty when it came to talking about Milah, so she patted her lap, gesturing him over. “Come on, I promise you'll feel better, and it's cheaper than seeing a therapist,” she encouraged playfully. Killian’s eyes glanced from her face to her lap, considering the appealing offer. Everything about her was inviting and she looked absolutely adorable, wearing her little pajama shorts that were a pale pink with purple polka dots and a tank top that was the same color and said “I love naps”. He decided he just couldn't resist.
Killian complied and laid down, resting the back of his head in her lap. He was instantly assaulted by her fruity scent and the warmth of her lap as she carded her fingers through his hair.
His breath became shaky as he exhaled again, trying to focus on keeping his voice steady. With her bright, intense green eyes looking down at him, somehow he managed to speak. “When Milah called me earlier today, I was tempted to not answer it. I knew nothing good could come from any type of conversation I could've had with her but being the bloody fool I am, I answered it anyway. I could tell she was torn up by listening to her speak. She apologized for our last argument and she said she wanted to get back together, that she missed me and she wanted me to come back home.”
“But you said no?” Emma asked curiously, continuing to stroke his hair with one hand, her other one resting on his chest.
“Well, I did eventually, but it wasn't that simple. I told her how much she hurt me and we talked for hours. I told her I couldn't go through that again and she wouldn't accept my answer. I was tempted to give in believe me, it wasn't easy.”
“So why didn't you?”
Killian tried to avoid her gaze as he looked up at the ceiling. He lifted his good hand, placing it over her own, stroking her fingers with his thumb as he tried to steady his breathing. He couldn't possibly tell her he didn't get back with Miah because he’d developed feelings for Emma and he was clinging to the possibility that he could be the man who she deserved. He couldn't possibly tell her that, could he? He also couldn't go back to being with a woman who was still in love with someone else. It would just hurt too much. “Because I knew she would just hurt me again. I've come along way since you and I first met, even over a few weeks, and I do not wish to back track.”
His eyes darted back to hers, catching her nodding. “I understand.” She then smiled warmly, her hand still in his and clutching onto his chest. “I'm proud of you, Killian.”
“You are?”
“Of course. I can tell you've come a long way. I can't say that I blame her for wanting to get back with you, but you stayed strong. And she's going to forever regret that she let you get away.”
“Thanks, love “
“No problem.” She flashed him a warm smile as he brought her hand to his lips, pressing a kiss there. He thought the same thing when Neal had come by, wanting to get her back, although he was appalled by Neal’s methods.
“Speaking of exes having regret, Neal hasn't been back to bother you, has he?”
“No. I think he actually got the hint.”
“Ah, that's good.” Killian breathed a sigh of relief as he lowered their hands back to his chest. He didn't want to beat the living shit out of the bastard for putting his hands on Emma again — okay, actually he did — but he would if he had to.
Just then, Killian's phone started vibrating in his pocket. “Sorry, love.” He reluctantly let go of Emma's hand and reached into his pocket, pulling out his phone. Seeing who it was, he grumbled at his screen as he sat up. “I wish Milah would learn to take a hint as well. Ever since I ended the call with her, she's been phoning and texting me, not taking no for an answer.”
Emma bit her bottom lip in contemplation for a second before her lips grew into an impish smirk. “I have an idea.” She held out her hand, gesturing for the phone. Killian eyed her curiously. “I know how to make her stop calling. Do you trust me?”
He didn't hesitate. “Of course.” The phone was still ringing as he handed it over to her.
Emma answered it quickly and put it on speaker phone so he could hear the conversation. “Killian's phone.”
There was a brief pause as Emma tried to stifle a laugh.
“Who is this?” Milah demanded in a rigid tone.
“This is Killian's girlfriend, who the hell is this?” Emma spat back. It was his turn to keep from laughing.
“Excuse me? Killian doesn't have a girlfriend. I just talked to him a few hours ago.”
“Yeah... he didn't want to mention me and make you feel bad.”
“Where is Killian? I need to speak to him,” Milah shot out impatiently.
“Sorry, he's in the shower at the moment but I can relay a message for him.”
“Why don't you ask him why hasn't he been answering my calls or texts for the last few hours?”
“Oh, well I can answer that for you...” Now this is about to get interesting, Killian could tell by the mischief in her tone.
Emma looked at him, asking permission with her eyes, for what she was about to say and he nodded in consent.
She started speaking into the phone again. “Lets see... for one, you're not his girlfriend and therefore he has no obligation to you. Secondly… he was a bit preoccupied with all the sex we just had.” Emma bit her lip, trying her best not to combust, and Killian’s jaw dropped as he awaited Milah’s response, but then Emma continued on. “I just had the best four orgasms of my life, thanks to your ex-boyfriend,” she added, somehow maintaining the composure in her tone.
“I don't believe you,” she said angrily, her voice laced with jealousy. “Put him on the phone!”
“I told you he's in the shower. I can send you proof if you'd like.”
Milah groaned in frustration. “I hate to break it you, but he's just using you. He still loves me.”
“Really? Because he was screaming my name when he fucked me on the kitchen table,” Emma said casually, as though it were a completely normal thing to say.
At that point, they had to clap their hands over their mouths to keep themselves from exploding with laughter as they heard Milah cursing and yelling through the phone.
When Emma hung up, they both ruptured into a gale of giggles, grasping onto each other for balance. Neither of them could speak for a whole minute as they tried to stop cackling.
“Has anyone told you that you're quite the bloody little siren?” he teased breathlessly as their laughter died down a bit.
“Once or twice, but not in those exact words,” Emma replied once she finally caught her breath, her dimpled cheeks still red and swollen, the smile on her lips never faltering. “I'm sorry, I just couldn't resist.”
“No need, that was absolutely brilliant,” he assured her. It wasn't until then that he realized how close they were.
He was practically on top of her.
His arms were around her waist and Emma's hands were clutching onto his biceps as she leaned back on the arm of the couch and her face was now buried in his shoulder, trying to muffle another batch of laughter. “Although I must say, four orgasms is quite ambitious of me,” he teased, a chuckle still tickling his throat.
Emma lifted her head, shrugging as she gazed at him, her eyes glossy from laughing so much. “You are very ambitious, I'd believe it. We've already established you can handle things quite well.”
He lifted a brow, intrigued by her assumption. “Is that a challenge, love? Because I will warn you I never back out of a challenge… and I'm positive I could handle you quite well,” he said with a wink, his hand tightening around her hip.
“Well, even if I said yes, I know we’re about to get interrupted, so...”
He was still struggling to catch his breath and find some semblance, his hand still gripping her waist, their eyes never breaking their stare. “You might be right. We seem to have bad luck in that department.”
“Well, that and it's been twenty minutes since I ordered the food, so our delivery should be here any second.”
Their laughter finally subsided completely but they were still wrapped in each other's embrace as Killian swiped some stray strands of hair behind her shoulder, their features becoming serious.
As if on command, there was a knock on the door. “Impeccable timing, as usual,” he chuckled. They had to untangle themselves before getting up from the couch and Emma reached for her purse but Killian stopped her. “Allow me, love.”
“You're not paying. I'm the one who invited you in and offered to feed you.”
“And I'm the one who ruined your quiet evening.”
“Please… the evening is far from ruined. You made it so much better,” she assured him in a pleading voice.
Both of them eyed the door, unable to allow the other to pay for the food so they both raced for it, but Killian beat her, opening the door and retrieving the cash from his pocket. “Thanks, mate.” Killian handed the delivery boy the money and took the bag as Emma crossed her arms with a pout. He flashed her a cocky grin.
“You already gave me four orgasms, you think you could let me pay…geesh. Now I feel bad,” she teased with a smirk as they made their way to the kitchen, taking out the containers of food and silverware.
“What can I say, I'm a very giving boyfriend,” he boasted, his cheeks warm with blush.
They were both anchored in the sofa again as Emma leaned back against the arm of the couch, her legs resting in Killian's lap with her ankles crossed as they ate.
“So, can I ask how you and Milah ended it?”
Killian stiffened a bit at the topic; he wasn't sure he wanted to divulge everything that happened between him and Milah. He was afraid of what Emma might think of him and the more he thought about it, the more his hands started shaking.
“Hey…” Emma's voice was soft as she stretched her arm and took his free hand in hers. “It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. Believe me, I understand. You were there when my ex tried to get back together with me.” She was correct about that, but Neal wasn't married to someone else.
“Aye, but if you knew the whole story, it might change how you feel about me,” he confessed, swallowing the large lump in his throat as he looked down at their entwined hands.
“Killian, you've been through a lot and you're trying to change your life around. I used to be a thief and I've done things I'm not proud of, so I get it. But if you're not ready to talk about it then we don't have to.”
“Thank you, love… for understanding. And maybe one day you'll feel comfortable enough to tell me more about your past.”
Emma gave a nod, her eyes growing with sadness. “It's a deal.” She pursed her lips in thought, contemplating something. “How about for now, we start with baby steps? You divulge a little and I'll do the same,” she suggested, and he decided that didn't sound like a bad idea.
“I think I can handle that,” He admitted with a faint smile. “No pun intended.”
Emma choked on her food, letting out a cute little snort. “Sorry, I'll never get sick of hearing that.”
“It’s okay,” he assured with a chuckle. “I have to say that I'm glad my prosthetic hand doesn't freak you out.”
Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. “Why would it?”
Killian paused and drew in a long breath as his eyes connected with her emerald gems. “I suppose this will be my small confession… one of the reasons that Milah broke up with me was because she was ashamed of me and my injury. She would be embarrassed anytime we were out in public, even though we barely even saw each other before I lost my hand, due to my deployment and… other circumstances.”
Emmas eyes darkened, completely appalled by this admission. “You can't be serious?”
“I am, unfortunately. And she hated that I left the Navy, but I was already in shambles. Liam had moved to the states because he'd also suffered a devastating loss, only his was worse. I lost my hand, but he lost something more valuable.”
Emma eyed him in confusion. “What do you mean?”
Killian was shocked. “He never told you why he resigned as Captain and left the Navy?”
“He just said he needed a change.”
Killian quirked a brow at that. “Do you really think someone as responsible as Liam would give up his rank because of boredom?”
“Well, I don't know, I mean he said that he had a falling out with you and needed to escape, so I believed him.”
“That might be part of it but there's more to the story. He was dating this woman before he was promoted to Captain and he often spoke of asking her to marry him.”
“Oh… I didn't know about that. What happened to her?”
“Well, she used to be a drug user far before she met Liam and then she turned her life around. She was loyal and supportive whenever he was out at sea, but then sometime after he became Captain, everything changed... she wasn't coping so well with him being gone all of the time and begged him to leave the Navy but he refused. Eventually she fell back into drugs and died of a heroin overdose.”
“Oh my god, I didn't know that.”
“He took it pretty hard and blamed himself for not being there for her when she needed him, and he ended up resigning because of it. There were other reasons too, of course. He didn't like the fact that promotions were mostly based on how closely you follow a highly-scripted career path, not necessarily how you performed at your jobs. Liam was always responsible, never got fired or drank while driving and always passed his fitness tests, but he never had much confidence in himself. Even when he was promoted to Captain, he didn't think he performed as well as he could have. He always envied me for my performance but I only made it as far as a lieutenant before I was discharged. He was even tempted to leave at the demands of his girlfriend but then thought better of it. Her death and the guilt he felt was just the final push he needed to leave.”
“Do you think that's why he was so hard on you for your choices? Because you had so much potential? He didn't want Milah or anything else to get in the way of your future. He didn't want the same thing to happen to you as it did to him.”
“Maybe, but don't you think it's bit hypocritical of him?”
“Yes, but I also think he was just looking out for you. He cares about you and wanted what was best for you.”
Killian was stunned at her words. Emma really had no clue just how right she was. She didn't even know the whole story about his and Milah’s relationship. If the Navy had found out about his inappropriate relationship with a married woman, he would have certainly lost his rank as lieutenant, or worse. Another reason why Liam wasn't keen on him dating her in the first place.
“Okay, I guess it's my turn,” Emma offered, trying to reroute the conversation that she could obviously tell was a sore subject for him.”What would you like to know?”
“Uhh… let's see… I do have one question…. and you can chose not to answer if you don't want to.”
“Ask away.”
“You looked distressed when you answered the door. Can I ask why?”
“That's not really about my past, but okay,” she laughed.
“It happened earlier today so technically it was in the past.”
Emma rolled her eyes. “Alright, fine.” She told him about her day at the shelter and the cases that she encountered. His heart broke hearing about some of the stories. Emma had spoken of her job before but he was still amazed that she did what she did, once again proving to him that she was an extraordinary woman.
Their conversation steered into something more light as they finished their Chinese food, emptying their glasses and refilling them.
After they ate, they searched Netflix, deciding on a movie to watch. Killian learned that she was big on the classics like he was; movies like Friday the Thirteenth, Nightmare on Elm Street, the Shining and Hellraiser.
“Oh my god, talk about guilty pleasures,” Emma laughed. “I mean you can't really consider Friday the thirteenth a horror movie, it's more of an action comedy.”
“Agreed, love,” he said with a chuckle. “What would you say to an actual horror movie then… the Texas Chainsaw Massacre?”
He looked over at Emma and she had guilty look on her face.
“You've never seen it before, have you?”
She shook her head. “No, I haven't. It looks too gruesome and gory. Like I said my favorite horror movies could be considered action comedies. I'm not into cannibalism. And Leatherface looks super creepy.”
“Creepier than Freddy Krueger and Hellraiser?” he asked in bemusement. “Come on, the creepiness factor and the blood and gore is the whole point. Besides, you cannot claim to be a fan of classic horror without ever watching Texas Chainsaw, love,” he pleaded, throwing his bottom lip into a pout.
She laughed and sighed in defeat. “Okay fine. We can watch it. But I'm shielding my eyes from the gross parts.”
“Then you'd miss pretty much the entire flick,” he chuckled as he searched for the movie. The 1974 version wasn't available so they settled for the Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning.
They got up and threw away their Chinese containers and Emma turned off the lights as Killian went back to the sofa, starting the movie when she joined him. His conversation with Milah had been forgotten and the only thing on his mind was the green-eyed blonde and the things he felt for her. Killian may have had alcohol in his system but he was very much aware that he meant more to her than she would blatantly admit. The feeling was definitely mutual, and he had an inkling that tonight would he proof of that.
- 5
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A Helping Hand