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Killian Jones was used to waiting. After all, he'd waited 300 years to exact revenge upon the Crocodile (only for the man to have proven he wasn't a complete coward). So waiting a year for Emma, his Swan, well...that felt nearly as long.
But when he stood in front of her door and watched her swing it open, he grinned and let out the breath he felt he'd been holding for a year.
A whole bloody year.
Here she stood, hair mussed from sleep, plaid sleeping clothes, her eyes curious and blank of recognition. After their little...encounter that left his lower parts bruised and his feelings a little bent he stood on the balcony of a building across from her window, watching through his binoculars as they readied themselves for the day.
Emma was in her usual tight leggings and sweater, Henry wearing a red sweater and those blue pants that everyone seemed so fond of in this world. They both seemed happier in this world, more in sync with each other as though they had over a deacde to learn the steps instead of one year.
He watched as she grinned at her son, ruffling his hair as he grabbed his books and helped her lock up the apartment.
For a moment he felt sadness creep over him. He wished that they could have had more time together, to have felt happy longer.
But her family needed her, once again he would watch her be dragged through danger and possible death to fufill her role as the Savior.
A thought entered his mind.
It was the same thought that had popped into his head twice before. Once when he brought the Jolly Roger back to Storybrooke to save the town (and instead go off to Neverland to save Henry), and when he watched her yellow vessel cross the line and drive away without either of them looking back.
He wanted to stay by her side, to help her weather each passing storm, to see it all through until the end. He wanted simply to be with her.
Killian knew that the curse the Queen had placed on both of them wouldn't be broken unless with True Love's kiss.
So he prepared himself for the coming fight.
He was simply going to have to make Emma fall in love with him, as he had with her.
As if the first time wasn't hard enough.