A/N: this is it, the final chapter of this story - thank you for everyone who stuck with it!

A few weeks later

Liam adjusted the knot on his tie for the fourth time but it still didn't look as good as he'd have liked. "Bloody hell!" he cursed fervently, throwing his hands at his sides in frustration.

"Here brother, let me help," Killian offered and before Liam could utter another word, his hand and hook had reached out and swiftly ripped the fabric, tearing it apart.

"Killian! What in the blazes!?" Liam started but his brother cut him off, his hand and hook waving in the air with a flair of dramatism.

"No tie. You don't need it," he stated. "Undo one more button and you'll be dashing." Killian cocked an eyebrow at his brother.

"Some of us don't need to parade around barechested to capture the attention of our paramours." Liam scoffed.

"But it never hurts," Killian held his brother's stare until Liam caved in. "Trust me, it looks better like this. Nervous?"

"What gives you the idea?" Liam asked, sarcasm dripping in his voice.

Killian shrugged before he fixed his brother with an honest stare. "You know she's going to say yes don't you?"

Liam sighed, running his hand through his hair, "Rationally, yes. I don't think Tink doesn't want me or that she's not committed to our relationship. Nevertheless, I'm still acting like a sodding lad that is besotted for the first time," he admitted.

"Probably because it's the first time you've been besotted with someone," Killian pointed out. "I don't recall there were many lasses when we were growing up-" he finish in a soft voice.

Liam shook his head. "No, they weren't - I mean there was a wench here and there, but nothing special or meaningful. Certainly nothing like her. She- she's everything, Killian."

Killian smiled, reaching to give his brother a hug. "Don't keep her waiting, then. Good luck, brother."

/-/

It had been a pleasant evening, the last days of spring warming up the air and making it possible to sail at night. Liam had taken Tink sailing on his boat, benefiting from the modern equipment to provide a hot meal for them when they had anchored away from the shore. She looked breathtaking in her forest green dress with gold accents, her hair cascading down her shoulders. Liam had sensed her shivering and she was now enveloped in his suit jacket, his arms hugging her back against his chest as they both contemplated the moonlight.

"This is beautiful," she sighed. "But you haven't told me what the occasion for all this was."

"Do we need one?" Liam asked nonchalantly. Tink turned around, her arms circling around his neck, and cocked an eyebrow at him.

He chuckled, marveled in her ability to read him like an open book. "Yes, there is an occasion. I've realized -between time being frozen in Neverland and the curse in here- we can't even figure out how long we've been together. We don't really- we have no anniversary or special date to celebrate," he trailed off, a sigh escaping him.

"Does that bother you?" she asked softly.

His lips curved into a smile. "I think perhaps it's time we have a special date. Or I should say, we set one." His arms pulled her closer to him, his eyes boring into hers, trying to convey everything he was feeling. "From the moment I first saw you in that cave, I knew I would never belong to anyone but you, no matter what came our way. I love you, Tink. And it took me decades and curses and traveling realms to find you again and I simply don't want to ever let you go." He reached for his pocket and pulled the emerald ring. "Marry me, darling?"

Tink's eyes filled with tears as she nodded frantically and threw herself into his arms. "Yes!" Her lips found his in a searing kiss, rainbow color beams exploding around them.

Liam broke the kiss, chuckling. "That's a new one," he said as he slid the ring on her finger.

"Well, I am a fairy after all," Tink replied, her eyes dancing with light as little fireflies flew around them.

"My beloved fairy," Liam said before he reached to kiss her again.

/-/

On the other side of town, Killian and Emma were comfortably snuggling on the couch. He was tracing patterns on her arm, but Emma could tell he was pensive.

"Hey," she murmured her fingers reaching to caress his scruffy cheek. "Are you worried that she might not say yes?" she asked in disbelief.

"Bloody hell, no, Swan," Killian said horrified. Emma's brow furrowed in confusion and he sighed, removing his hand from her side to pinch the bridge of his nose. "It's just, I've been thinking- this changes things. The walls in this place are very thin and it was one thing to impose on my brother after we've been apart for centuries. But now…" he trailed off, leaving the rest of the sentence unsaid.

"You don't want to get in the way of the newlyweds," she finished for him with a hint of mischief.

"Aye, I guess I'll be moving back to the Jolly Roger soon," Killian said.

"But - what about the winter?" Emma asked. "It would be too cold for you to be there."

Killian shrugged, "It would be at least a few months until it's too cold and I've weather worse than this. I'm going to miss the size of the bed, though," he bit his lower lip, waggling his eyebrows at her.

Emma hit him playfully on the shoulder before she tilted her head to look at him. Killian's smile faltered a little. "What? Do you have any other ideas, love?"

She hesitated for second, her eyes boring into his as she tried to find the right words. He waited patiently, his eyes silently encouraging.

"I- I've been meaning to find my own place," she started. "I mean, almost thirty and living with your parents it's kind of pathetic." She tripped over her words and averted her gaze. Killian smiled fondly at her, reaching to tuck a strand of her behind her ear. Her eyes found his again. "Look, I am not saying right now but perhaps we can start looking for a place for when the weather is too cold for you to stay in the Jolly? Together?"

He seemed taken aback for a moment, before his smile lit his entire face making the creases around his eyes deep. "Aye, I'd very much like that."

He kissed her softly, nuzzling her nose with his before he pressed his forehead against hers.

"I love you," she whispered.

"And I, you."