So…this is it. I had such fun with this fic and hope you have all enjoyed it. I might revisit this story one day down the track but, for now, here's the final chapter to this part :)

...

Epilogue

…

6 months later…

"Elsa Frost," Emma says, pondering the name, "suits you. Especially considering you chase the winter around the world."

Elsa smiles, "Yeah, well, I guess some things are just meant to be." Her eyes slide over to where Killian is standing talking to Elsa's new husband, Jack.

Emma follows her gaze, "Yeah, I suppose they are."

Elsa's sister grabs her by the arm, spinning her around and babbling about how they need her to cut the cake and she can't wait to taste the chocolate. Emma smiles at their bond, thinking of her own sisterly relationship with Mary Margaret.

Killian comes up behind her, slipping his hand into hers and making their way, with the crowd, towards the cake. He leans over and whispers to her, "You know, only a true friend would give up her birthday for a wedding."

She smiles, "So you keep saying."

He kisses her cheek, "I just don't want you to think I've forgotten your special day amongst Elsa and Jack's."

She turns her head up to look at him, "I know you haven't."

If the incredible amount of attention he's paid her is anything to go by, she doesn't think she'll be forgetting her birthday any time soon. He'd doted on her with breakfast in bed, bought her the most stunning dress she'd ever worn, kissed her until she had to reapply her makeup and redo her hair and, every so often, he'd just remind her again how special she was.

It was almost too much to handle how perfectly gentlemanly he was being.

He's leaning into her again and she feels her eyes fluttering closed at his proximity. After six months of being in every moment of each other's life, she thought the magic would be wearing off a little. But she supposes that it never goes away when you find someone to truly love.

She can feel the warmth of his breath flickering across her lips, but then the speeches start and they have to behave. So he grips her hand, reminds her again how amazing she is for giving up her birthday for the wedding and they turn their attention to the bride and groom cutting their cake.

…

Killian sets Emma down as they step through the door to her apartment, having piggybacked her up the stairs, her shoes clutched in her hand. She kisses him and drops her shoes, stepping up to the fridge to slide a new set of photos in next to the ones from Mary Margaret and David's wedding.

Killian comes up behind her, sliding his arms around her waist and resting his chin on her shoulder, turning his head slightly and kissing her cheek. "What were we even doing in that one?" he asks, laughter shaking through his body and into hers.

She leans in closer to inspect the stupid faces they're pulling and, in the end, just shrugs, "I have no idea."

She sighs into his embrace, swaying with her back to his chest to some unknown tune he's humming into her ear. There's a delicious haze of champagne and chocolate fogging the edges of her vision making her feel relaxed enough to close her eyes.

"You look beautiful tonight," he says softly.

She chuckles lightly, "You're only saying that because you're my date."

He kisses her cheek, "You look beautiful every night."

And she doesn't know what to say to that because she can hear the absolute honesty in his voice and doesn't want to downplay it. So she just stays silent, humming along with him and swaying in the kitchen of the apartment that has become more theirs than hers.

Eventually they break apart and Emma heads towards the shower, pulling Killian in under the spray with her when he comes in to see if she wants a cup of tea before bed. She laughs as she strips off his shirt, kissing her way down his chest and unbuttoning his trousers. He pulls her back up and presses her against the cool tiles. "Uh uh, darling," he murmurs, kissing a path down her torso, "It's your birthday." He smiles from between her thighs, ducking his head and letting his tongue slide out to touch her sensitive folds.

The soft flow of water over her hips brings with it the scent of coconuts and lime from her soap and he groans into the bundle of nerves at the apex of her thighs, loving every second of tasting her. Her fingers slide through his hair until they catch and hold on, insistent that he remains right where he is until she lifts on her toes, her eyes slamming shut and whimpering cries echoing in the tiled room.

His tongue follows a path back up her body, capturing her lips with his and kissing her until they're both breathless. "That was…" she starts.

"Amazing," he finishes, the intensity in his gaze leaving no doubt as to who he is referring to.

He's hard as a rock under her touch, leaning into her when she takes him in her hand, "Darling, we don't have to."

But she's already hitching a leg on his waist and guiding him towards her entrance. He likes to go slow, but the water has her so slick and her last release has her so ready for him. The delicate slide of her body as it takes a hold of his is intoxicating and suddenly the steam around them feels suffocating, like he's drowning in her and he doesn't want to escape. But then her soft fingertips are on his face and his chin is being drawn up so he can met her gaze and he can breathe again, moving against her until they both cry out as the world shatters and rebuilds around them.

…

He leaves the bathroom first, towel wrapped low on his hips and hair still dripping. When she exits a few minutes later, wrapped in a silk dressing gown, she understands why.

"What is…"

Killian turns around from his position next to the bed, smiling as he holds out his hand. "I wanted to do this a little differently, but uh," he scratches the back of his neck that way he does when he's nervous, "time kind of got away from me."

She looks down at the watch on her wrist and sees that it's well past midnight, yet every clock around her room – and there seem to be a lot more clocks than there were before she showered – reads ten past eight.

"What's going on?" she asks timidly, taking his hand and following his lead.

"You were born at 8:15 in the evening, correct?"

She nods in affirmation.

He smiles, "I wanted to do this before then, but the wedding kind of impeded."

She bites her lip, the pieces of the puzzle starting to make sense, "What did you want to do?"

He laces their fingers of one hand and pulls a small box out from under a pillow with the other. "I wanted to ask you to marry me before we were both thirty." Using his thumb, he flicks open the velvet box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring, "I didn't want you to think this was just because of a pact, that my feelings were any less because of the choices we made when we were young." He presses a kiss against the knuckles of the hand he has clasped in his, "Emma Swan, at the age of 29 years and 11 months," his eyes flick around the room to ensure the clocks are still before 8:15, "and with two minutes to go, will you marry me?"

The smile that spreads across her face is intoxicating and Killian finds himself following her lead and grinning. She looks from the ring up to his face, eyes shining in the dim light of the room, "Well, who else is going to?"

He laughs, swinging her into his arms and burying his face in her neck before setting her back down and slipping the ring over her finger. She's never been one for flash jewels so he has picked well, a delicate band and a shining diamond flanked on either side by sapphires that remind her of the blue of his eyes. She admires it with a smile, holding her hand against Killian's shoulder before letting her eyes slide up to meet his.

The look on his face is one of utter adoration and she can't resist pulling him in for another kiss.

…

Their wedding is at the waning end of the following summer, the leaves on the trees taking on a yellow tinge and matching the smattering of late season buttercups in Emma's bouquet that is held quietly in Ruby's hands as Emma takes her first steps towards her husband on the dance floor.

"You know you won't be able to pry that from her hands to toss it later, right?"

Emma smiles, knowing full well that Ruby has been hinting rather loudly at Victor that everyone else seems to be getting married. "I think we have bigger things to worry about," she says, stepping into his waiting arms, still unsure how this whole dancing thing is supposed to work. The sun is setting behind her, casting warmth across her back, but still, his hand guiding her is all she can focus on as he leads her expertly around the wooden floor they'd had constructed for the outdoor event.

"When will you learn, darling, that I have always got you."

He twirls her out and spins her back into his chest, kissing her soundly as the rest of their guests move onto the dance floor. She breathes a sigh of relief, knowing that all eyes are off her, and leans into Killian's embrace.

"You look beautiful tonight," he mumbles into her ear.

And she can't help but grin, thinking of the first night he'd told her that and how the little pact they made had changed their lives. It's hard to imagine a time when this wasn't all she wanted. "You're only saying that because you're my husband."

…

(The photos that she puts up on the fridge after their wedding are by far her favourite.)

…

End.

…

And that's it… It's all done.

Thank you for reading and reviewing and taking that time out of your day. You're all beautiful creatures who I adore lots!

This is my 10th year on ffnet, so keep an eye out for something a little special during the hiatus to celebrate! Have a happy weekend, wherever in the world you are :)

And last, but not least:

Thoughts? ;)