So, Tumblr thought it would be cool to eat my birthday post to my lovely friend and dark counterpart @optomisticgirl….which is actually super NOT cool. Anyway, I’m posting this a little late, but here it is! Happy day of birth, my Aries partner-in-crime! You are a lady, a scholar, and a wonderful human being.

A little classic literature and verbose Killian smut :) M-rated for certain.

“Well, that’s a long face if I’ve ever seen one,” Granny announced, leaning over the counter to snatch the empty hot chocolate mug. “What’s got you down, Sheriff?”

Lifting her frustrated eyes from the leatherbound book she’d borrowed from the library at Belle’s insistence, Emma attempted a casual smile before addressing the inquiry of the woman who owned the place. It was a rather half assed try, but what was the point in pretending all was well when it certainly was not? They’d been chasing their tails for days over how to put a stop to the Evil Queen’s most recent reign of terror, galavanting through a handful of untold stories until they landed on an author who was dreadfully familiar and the answer to all their problems - according to an odd inkling Henry had while thumbing through a newly discovered version of the storybook. If she’d known sending him with Killian to the author’s abandoned mansion in search of an alternate text would amount to her reading not one but four Shakespeare books - well, she definitely would have thought twice about needing more information.

The whole idea was starting to feel like ‘much ado about nothing’ - pun very much intended.

“I’m fine,” Emma sighed, tracing the cover of As You Like It with a distracted finger. “Just not thrilled with everyone’s book recommendations for the Savior lately.”

“Ah, I see,” the old woman nodded as she caught sight of the small stack of novels. “Those aren’t exactly easy reading from what I’ve heard. I’m guessing it’s research?”

“It’s supposed to be,” Emma answered as she flipped through a few pages. “But with the way this guy writes, it’s hard enough to understand what’s going on in the story let alone figure out if it might give us a clue about how to figure out what Regina’s other half is up to.”

“Her ‘worse’ half, I can assure you,” Granny commented as she peeked at the words. “It does look quite complex. Not Henry’s forte either, I take it?”

“He’s been helping Regina sort through things in her vault since yesterday so I’m on book patrol,” she explained, gesturing toward the pile. “Well, failing at book patrol.”

“I wish I could help, but I must say that this Shakespeare guy is even out of my league,” Granny replied, her expression sweet and sympathetic. “But I’m happy to grab you a fresh cup of cocoa and a bearclaw while you keep at it.”

Emma let another exasperated exhale escape her lips but she offered a nod of agreement. Dropping her eyes back down to the text on the pages in Romeo and Juliet, she came across a set of words that she’d read a few times already.

“Ugh - but what does it mean when your ‘bounty is boundless as the sea’?”

She was just about to slam the cover of the sappy, tragic tale closed when the bell above the diner door gave a soft ding. Her attention was quickly pulled that way and it didn’t take long for her to be glad that she’d looked up.

Speak of the sea, she thought with a secretive smile.

“Afternoon, love.”

His voice was smooth and calming in a way that would forever soothe her, a fact she knew her eyes gave away the second she witnessed his handsome smirk. He was always so perceptive to her reactions and it was useless trying to hide just how much she admired watching him walk into a room. She’d given up on her charade of being unaffected by him long ago - and he’d made sure to prove to her a million times over just what a worthwhile decision that had been.

“Captain,” she replied with a bit of a relieved grin, watching his eyes respond to her playful nickname. “Coming to wallow in my misery with me?”

“Misery you say,” he countered, placing a gentle kiss against her hair before grabbing one of the books for analysis. “How could being required to read all day make you miserable? That’s a lifestyle that might even rival a pirate’s.”

He hopped up onto the stool next to her, his fingers flipping through a couple of pages as he joined in her fruitless work. There was something to be said about how willing he was to jump right into just about anything with her. Yes, definitely something - but words were sure as hell not her thing today.

“It’s not the task I’m annoyed with,” she told him as she watched him narrow his eyes at the story. “Just the material.”

“Hmmm,” he pondered, stealing a sip of her drink. “What’s not to like about it, love?”

“It’s just that Shakespeare can be a little….wordy.”

He grinned at that, running his tongue absently over his bottom lip as he pressed a hand down to prop the book open. The navy blue of his studious stare was almost as deep as the text he was currently immersed in - a particular play about a wild bird of a woman who people thought needed taming. She’d scoffed at the title initially, but it was almost too humorous to watch him bite back his grin when he noticed the book’s name.

“It does seem rather seeped in a wealth of various language techniques,” he remarked as he kept his sight on the fancy writing she was so irritated with, the edge of his mouth curving upward after a moment. “This William appears to be quite the clever man.”

It hit her then - the strange connection she knew she should have drawn from the beginning. She was so busy being perplexed by the author at hand that she hadn’t realized she’d just turned his work over to another man who prided himself on an impressive vocabulary. Shakespeare probably had the literary world cornered on lavish language, but as far as this realm went, the pirate at her side was quite the contender.

“I guess,” she somewhat agreed, tilting her neck at him. “Any chance you understand this better than I do?”

He took a moment to process her question before his eyes moved back to hers and he picked up on the intent behind her curiosity. Matching the angle of her head, he radiated pure amusement and the curve of his mouth that told her he didn’t plan on brushing that aside.

Oh hell, what had she just gotten herself into?

“Though I believe you’re discrediting your ability to decode, I suppose I could offer my insight,” he said, raising an eyebrow. “I’m all ears, love - how can I help?”

The next hour was almost more torturous than the past few had been. Sure, she’d recruited the help of a man who could not only decode ancient Latin inscriptions but also seemed to have a talent for picking apart the work of history’s greatest playright, but that was the problem. He was the always captivating and completely distracting….problem.

“Still with me, Swan?”

“Oh - ummm, yeah,” she said suddenly, blinking several times as she tried to pretend she hadn’t been staring. “I’m just not sure why he’s constantly comparing her to a wasp. He could have picked something a little….nicer.”

“I don’t think it’s meant to be degrading, love,” Killian told her, tapping his fingertips on the counter. “I believe the goal here was to illustrate her as a bold woman - one who stands her ground and speaks her mind.”

Emma didn’t miss the way he looked at her with raised eyebrows, the parallel floating in the air between them hanging heavily as she watched him. They hadn’t made it through the entire text just yet, but she’d read enough to know that she had a few things in common with the leading lady.

“She’s a spitfire,” he smiled, winking once before taking a sip from the mug Granny had passed him. “I dare say she’s what makes the story worth reading. Quite passionate, wouldn’t you say, Swan?”

Emma felt a familiar heat run down her spine at the sound of his innuendo ridden words. He’d said something like that to her once before and the way the accented inquiry seemed to slip off his tongue made her skin tingle. Passionate was a word that definitely came into play whenever he was around and despite the way her morning had started, she’d ended up right back beneath that same adjective once again.

Damn him, she thought as she bit her lip.

Their study session drifted on and with the minutes ticking by, Emma felt her patience start to thin. Watching his skilled finger point out what he believed might be crucial details was a tempting sight rivaled only by the continuous taunts of his academic tongue. Honestly, how he could sound so intelligent and so sinful at the same time was completely beyond her - but she certainly wasn’t upset that he could accomplish such a thing.

Emma listened to a list of clever explanations pass by his lips, each more hypnotic than the previous one. She knew the use of words like ‘volubility’ and ‘peremptory’ should have made her ask questions, but watching the way his mouth moved as he read each one pointed her curiosity in a very different direction.

“So why does he have to say things like ‘utterth’? It doesn’t seem necessary when he could just write ‘said’.”

“A fair question I suppose,” he agreed as he closed the book, his eyebrow arching as he tilted his head. “But it’s about the romantic element of writing, love.”

“Hmmm,” Emma pondered, matching his expression. “Romance, huh?”

“Mmm-hmm. I mean, the word ‘said’ doesn’t seem so appealing when a man can ask….or request….or even plead-” he answered, leaning on the counter a little more as flirtation filled his eyes. “-or even utterth.”

Emma felt a wave of chills take over her body at the sound of his thick accent and at the sight of his subtle bedroom eyes. It was an evolving scene she’d witnessed many times before and as he challenged her with that coaxing smirk, she knew this would only end one way.

“Quite interesting that a writer can gather such a reaction from you, Swan,” he breathed. “Suggestive words like ‘nay but to live in the sweat of an enseamed bed, sowed in corruption-’”

“Wrong story, Killian,” she cut in, her own stare shifting into a state of daring. “I read that one two days ago.”

“I know,” he nodded, his eyes playful and simmering. “But it never hurts to review the text - you know, just to….really get into it.”

The heat built between them quickly, surely enough to start a fire with the nearby stack of novels as kindling - and yes, she had considered that since the moment she saw the flicker of blue flames in his attentive gaze. Yet there was something else that appealed to her the longer he read and the more he allowed the vague stories by Shakespeare to wrap around his lilting tongue. She couldn’t fully explain just what was happening, but when he finally closed the cover of the text he’d been analyzing, Emma decided they’d studied enough - at least for now.

“Well, if you’re going to put it like that-” Emma breathed wantonly, flicking her wrist so that a thin swirl of smoke surrounded them. “-then I’d prefer to listen to you continue in private.”

The feel of her magic drew a heat through her body as he took her hands in his, the quick movement pulling them together as the space of the diner vanished. The absence of company suddenly filled Emma with pure need and the intoxicated look on his handsome face once the cloud dispersed told her he felt the same.

“Come here then, darling,” he beckoned once he steadied from their quick transport to one of the inn’s upstairs rooms. “I’ll tell you whatever you’d like to hear.”

“Just….you,” she replied as she chased his lips, her body quivering as he tugged quickly at her shirt. “I want to hear you.”

His smile spread as his breath lingered over hers, a soft brush of his lips taking her under and into that sea of passion he seemed to always pull her to. With his touch tracing her cheek, Emma felt her legs weaken familiarly and he instantly adjusted to keep her upright. With his palm hot against her lower back, she reached up to curl her fingers around the collar of his dark leather jacket. It was a move she couldn’t resist and one he’d still never tired of if his low moan against her mouth was any indication.

“You’ll be the death of me, love,” he mumbled as his hips leaned into hers. “Though I’m hard pressed to find myself upset at the thought.”

“Hard is-” she grinned, her mouth falling open as his teeth traced her collarbone. “-one way to say it.”

“Suppose I should see if there’s a few other ways I can add to that list,” he said with a gasp as she ripped open his shirt. “You’ll need to be a little more indecent for those though, Swan.”

“Seems reasonable,” she smirked as his fingers deftly curled around the fabric of her sweater. “But only if you are first.”

He chuckled at that, a dark and needy sound that went right to her core. She’d never been so easily affected by words or by the lilting tone his seemed to wrap themselves in, but he’d always had a way with that - turning her into a desperate mess with a mere mumble or whisper. Emma felt her knees tremble as his hands brushed her bare skin, their clothes pooling at her feet as he lifted her onto the bed. The mattress creaked as expected - a little fact they’d picked up on one night when they’d had a bit too much to drink and decided to rent a room just up the hall instead of heading home. The noise wasn’t off putting in the least and the low moan the escaped his throat as her touch found his shoulderblades was proof of just how much he didn’t care about the bedsprings.

“Love, lift up,” he requested, rutting against her once as he prompted her to move. “Legs around me.”

Emma followed his heated directions, wondering just where her stubborn spirit had gone. It didn’t seem to exist in the same realm as this passionately wordy man, especially when he was using his tone to tease and tantalize her. The firm feel of him between her thighs began to pull a shaky breath from her lips, but he swept her into a deep kiss that dissolved it instantly.

He’d always been good at that too.

“They’re only words, Swan,” he told her as he paused a moment, his mouth gentle against hers as he pushed inside with a smooth thrust. “But you know there’s plenty I love telling you.”

“Oh,” Emma reacted as her arms draped around his neck. “Like what?”

“A multitude of things, darling,” he answered with a grin against her neck. “Perhaps more colorful than anything you’ll read in any one of those books downstairs.”

“Hmmm,” she pondered as he anchored himself above her. “You might have to prove that to me.”

“I intend to, darling,” he laughed, sliding forward a little deeper. “We, fortunately, have all night for just that.”

“Good thing you have such an-” Emma said with a soft moan, her fingers pressed into his back. “-extensive vocabulary.”

“Oh, love,” he replied, his hand tight on her thigh as he hitched her leg up a little higher. “You haven’t heard anything yet.”

The course of the night proved just how much Emma truly hadn’t ever had the opportunity to listening to. Little praises of his familiar ‘there, Swan’ and ‘yes, just like that’ were mixed in with his heavy accent and punctuated groans while she attempted to remain coherent enough to hear more. He said her name endlessly, like it was a mantra he couldn’t keep from clinging to as he moved relentlessly against her. She wasn’t sure how long they’d been at it by the time she finally fell apart, but he held her tight in his lap as he followed her into the verbal abyss of finishing together. Emma knew her mind was clouded with pleasure, but she was almost positive he’d been mumbling something quite filthy in a language she didn’t know he spoke when she collapsed against his chest. His hair was damp and her fingers carded through it lazily while she regained her own ability to talk.

Not that much needed to be said after something like that - well, maybe one thing.

“Killian?”

“Hmmm?”

“I love you-” she told him as she nuzzled his side. “-and thank you for helping me with the books. I know you had other stuff to do today.”

“Perhaps, but you know this is always my first choice,” he countered, twisting her hair around his finger. “Naked while I tell you all the obscene things you coax me into to saying.”

“Alright, you’ve made your point,” she breathed happily as she leaned up to kiss him. “Now we might have time for a little nap before the studying must resume if you’re interested.”

“I may be,” he said thoughtfully. “But I can think of something else-”

“Hey,” she cut in, weakly trying to stop his obvious and honestly very wanted advance. “Shut up….”

“Oh, Swan,” he laughed, flipping them over and starting down at her with an intention she’d grown to love. “We both know that’s not what you want.”

His lips melted against hers as his hands took hold of hers, his fingers wrapping skillfully around her wrists as he proved just how fast he could talk her into anything. Whatever argument she was pretending she might have planned disappeared as the sheets tangled around their legs and he used his mouth in so many more ways than one - a feat only he could manage so perfectly.

“Perhaps not,” she admitted as his blue eyes darkened. “So why don’t you tell me what you think I want?”

“Sounds like a dangerous game you’re interested in playing, love,” he said with a devilish grin. “But whatever you say.”

“Hey,” she teased. “That’s my line.”

“Well,” he quipped, the hint of a challenge in his gaze. “Let’s see if we can make your lines a little more interesting.”

Tagging some folks: @xpumpkindumplingx, @themmaswan, @spartanguard, @laschatzi, @kat2609, @captainswanismyendgame, @timeless-love-story, @cat-sophia, @eala-captian, @kmomof4, @cherrywolf713, @ilovemesomekillianjones, @phiralovesloki, @deathbycaptainswan