I have died everyday waiting for you
Darling, don't be afraid I have loved you
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more

Ships had been spotted off the North Sea - ships that sailed beneath her family's colors. It had been not quite a year since they had been sent off on their expedition and she'd sworn to him that she'd be there when they returned.

"I would wait a thousand years, if need be. So you best return or I'll track you down Leftenant."

There was no doubt in her mind that if he hadn't returned - if something had happened that waylaid their voyage, she would have boarded the next ship out of the Kingdom and found him. On her own.

Emma left the castle, waving off the guards who offered to follow her down to the port. She didn't want any hindrances. Especially considering the welcome home that she had planned for him. Something they had been denied the night he had left port.

She reached the port just in time to watch the sailors leaving the vessel, weary from their journey, and - as he'd once told her - ready for a pint and a pair of arms to soothe them.

The sailors offered her small smiles as they passed her - no doubt remembering her frequent visits when they had last been docked there. She had been quite intent to see her Leftenant and had no qualms in being open about her attraction for him. If they had an issue with it, well they could just take it up with her parents couldn't they? The very parents whom she had wrapped around her fingers. She had been a blessing to them, a salvation, and she damn-well deserved to have a little happiness of her own.

"Leftenant!" Emma shouted out as she spotted his hat, still aboard the vessel. There was a laugh and a cheer from the men remaining aboard the ship as he made his way down the gangplank. His face lit up and it was infectious, her own grin making her cheeks ache and her heart beat fast.

"I've missed you princess." Killian said warmly, his arms looping around her waist and hugging her - despite any propriety that some would claim of the action. It had been eleven months since he had so much had seen her and he felt that he deserved to hold her in his arms again.

Emma buried her face in the crook of his neck, breathing in the sea salt and spicy scent that was all his own. She had missed that smell, the warmth of his body pressed close to hers. "I've missed you." She whispered, pressing a kiss to his neck before she pulled away. She straightened her skirts, clearly flustered and anxious. "Have you finished your duties here?"

"Aye," Killian answered, cocking his head to the side curiously as he looked down at the mischievous princess. "Has the siren come to lure me away from the safety of the Jewel."

"But of course. I've missed so many months of leading you astray." She toyed with his cravat, straightening it with an impish smirk on her lips. Emma kept her voice low as she added, "It's been many months since we were interrupted, I do hope you're still willing to finish what we began that night."

Killian grinned down at her, "If m'lady insists." He glanced around them, noting the sailors who were smirking at him, watching their Lieutenant with the woman he hadn't ceased talking about for all of those months. "Lads, get out of here and go have yourselves a drink." He frowned upon liquor, but he also knew that his personal preferences didn't extend to his crew, despite his efforts.

"We have unfinished business to attend to." Emma whispered as she stepped away from him, her eyes alight with something she hadn't known she had in her before he entered her life. She walked backwards a few steps before turning on her heels, heading off down the dock, back towards the village.

She glanced over her shoulder, smirking as he tried to catch up to her – laughing at his expression. "Haven't got your land-legs have you Killian?" She called back to him, coming to a stop so he wouldn't have to rush so much to be at her side again.

"I very much have my land-legs thank you," He said with a teasing smile on his lips. "Had a certain princess not rushed off without me, I wouldn't look so much like a colt taking his first steps." Killian held his arm out for her, covering her hand with his as she placed it on his arm. "Taking off like that, you know, I would have assumed you were trying to lose me."

"Never." Emma said quickly, tilting her head to look at him as they walked. "Though I do intend to lose something today."

"You are aware of the repercussions, I assume?" He questioned gently, squeezing her hand as they slipped down an alley way, heading towards one of the lesser used stables they'd discovered last time he'd been at port.

"I am well aware of everything. I've read up since you've been away and asked the maids about their own experiences." Emma jutted her chin out, batting her lashes. "But if you don't want to…"

They were alone now, not that it honestly would have stopped him. Killian turned her around to face him, leaning down to kiss her. It had been eleven months and the kiss said everything that they hadn't vocalized. Eleven months of waiting, dreaming, yearning, missing.

He barely got them through the stable door before she was tugging at his cravat, pulling it from his neck and tossing it aside. Her fingers were fumbling for the buttons of his vest beneath his overcoat, working them undone before she shoved the material from his broad shoulders.

She deserved a bed for this – but they couldn't be afforded one. Not if they wanted to have what they'd been denied, without hindrances this time.

Killian's hands rested at her waist, pulling her closer as he deepened the kiss. His tongue slid over hers, exploring her mouth, tasting that exquisite flavor that was simply her. She was trembling beneath his hands – anxious. It was her first time. They had come close to this, on more than one occasion. This stable had been the scene of the first time he saw her bare, the first time he – or anyone for that matter – had made her come undone. But time had always been a constraint, keeping them from this.

"You're sure." He whispered as he broke for a breath, his chest rising and falling rapidly, heart pounding in his chest "This is what you want?"

"Yes." Emma looked up at him with lust hazed eyes. Boldly, the princess slid her hand low, cupping him through his trousers. It wasn't the first time she'd touched him like this, but it would be the first time she'd seen him.

"Gods." He breathed out raggedly, eyes fluttering closed as he took in the sensation of her hand so close to his straining length. Killian tugged at the laces of her dressing, working it loose to reveal the stays beneath, which he quickly divested her of.

Killian's lips trailed along her collarbone, groaning as one hand continued working his aching flesh and her other hand found its way into his hair, tugging at the thick dark strands. He sucked at her pulse point, reveling in the way she moaned and pressed closer to him.

Eleven months and in that time he had imagined this again and again, till he didn't want to sleep anymore because he'd only dream of her. Dreaming of Emma writhing beneath him in the throes of ecstasy was going to pale in comparison to right now.

He walked them back until the backs of her legs hit a hay bale. Emma moaned as his lips trailed lower, catching a nipple between his lips and flicking his tongue against the tip. Heat flooded her lower stomach, desire making her ache in all the most delicious ways.

Killian worked at the laces of her simple skirt, pushing the material free from her hips. She was bare and completely his. "Sit." He said roughly, his hands on her hips, his eyes darkened with lust as they met her gaze.

Emma sank back onto the hay bale, thankful that he had thrown her skirt onto it, saving her from the rough material against her bottom. She focused on his face, watching the way his brows creased together, his tongue slid along his lips. He lowered himself in front of her, hands sliding along her inner thighs as he met her gaze.

"Emma." He growled out lowly, bringing her to the edge of the bale, his lips descending to her center.

She cried out, fingers twisting in his dark hair. Her eyes clenched shut, overwhelmed by the sensations that only he could give to her. His scruff tickled her inner thighs, but that was cancelled out by the pleasure that his tongue brought to her as it slid along her slick folds. Her maids did not know the extent of what had happened betwixt them, but she knew – from what they had told her – that men were not always as giving as her Leftenant. In fact, from their experience men were more inclined to be the ones who received pleasure like this, but he had never even hinted as so much to that. It had always been about her.

"Killian!" The princess cried out, her back arching as he slid a single finger into her, curving it just right. Desire fanned in her stomach, flutters of her impending release beginning. A second finger slid into her and he pumped them in and out at just the right pace.

She cried out again, something completely unintelligible as her release hit. He didn't still his fingers or make any sort of remark about the moment, not like he had in the past. Instead he continued thrusting them in and out of her, curling them upwards and dragging them over that overly sensitive spot with in her.

Emma clamped her lips shut, eyes clenching closed as a second wave of pleasure crashed over her, her inner walls tightening around his fingers. White hot heat spread through her, her body trembling, and her breathing rapid as the release washed over her. She mumbled his name again and again, until he pulled his fingers away from her.

"I have missed you love." He drawled out roughly, looking up at her with heat, desire, and something entirely else in his gaze. Killian stroked her thighs before he stood up, "Wait just a moment."

She leaned back against the wall of the stall behind her, her chest heaving as she tried to calm down. Little aftershocks still spread through her, deliciously sated and yet still craving more. She wanted him – she didn't even know what it would be like or how it would feel, but it felt right to crave him in her. Satisfying that need that she still felt deep inside of her.

Killian returned moments later, holding what appeared to be a blanket for a stead. "This will do." He offered as he met her gaze, a small – hesitant – smile on his lips as he laid it down on the floor before them. "You still want this right?"

"Yes." Emma said, rising to her feet, taking a moment to steady herself on her wobbly legs. "More than I've ever wanted anything Killian."

She moved to sit on the blanket, looking up at him with wide eyes. His white naval pants did little to hide his need. She swallowed thickly, remembering what the maid's had told her of a man's member. It would hurt this first time, but to her that didn't matter – so long as it was him that had that honor.

Killian's hand went to his trousers but Emma sat up on her knees and brushed his fingers away. "Let me." She said softly, her green eyes flickering up to meet his impossibly blue gaze. She slowly worked the laces loose, gulping as she took in the sight of his straining flesh for the first time. "Oh." She breathed out, blushing darkly when he chuckled.

"I promise I'll be gentle, Emma."

"I wasn't worried about that." She offered, shaking her head as she sat back, watching as he kicked off his boots and shed his pants, tossing them aside. "I'm not worried, I'm just…excited."

"I dreamed about this… every damned night that I was gone." He told her as he moved onto the blanket beside her. "Hoping and praying to the gods that you would still want me when I returned."

"Of course I would want you Killian," Emma said, a soft laugh passing her lips. She couldn't believe that this was truly happening. That tonight she would go from the virgin princess to, well, his.

Killian moved closer to her, gently cupping her cheek as he leaned into kiss her. The kiss started slow and simple, before he deepened the kiss, his tongue twisting against hers, exploring her mouth. He trailed his fingers along her shoulder, down her back before he shifted them, laying her back against the blanket and moving to cover her.

Emma groaned against his lips, her heart rate spiking as she felt him pressing against her center. Her fingers gripped his shoulders tightly, a shiver running up her spine as his fingers curled around her hips, keeping her steady.

It hurt – at first – he was (obviously) much larger than his fingers had been. But he was gentle and slow, giving her time to adjust to his girth. She shifted, gasping against his lips as the motion brought more of him into her, overwhelming her senses. "Killian." She breathed out as she broke from the kiss, needing air.

"Shh." Killian whispered, gently brushing his fingers over her cheek. He moved, slowly, letting her adjust to the sensations. His thrusts were cautious, watching her face for any signs of discomfort.

"Gods." Emma groaned, rocking her hips in tandem with his own, her fingernails biting into his shoulders to keep herself steady as she moved with him. Her legs tightened around his hips, gasping as the slight shift in position brought him slamming right into that sweet spot within her, that his fingers so often found.

Killian pressed his lips along her jaw, teeth lightly scraping against her pale skin, leaving pale red marks in their wake. He wanted to mark her, to completely claim her as his own – but he knew she had an image to uphold, even if she did little to keep it untarnished. She was, in all his years of sailing, the most improper princess he'd ever encountered and he loved it more than anything else.

Emma inhaled shakily, his name passing her lips in a breathy moan, her head falling back against the blanket, back arching off through ground. She raked her fingers down his sides, nails biting into his ribs, before moving to hold his biceps, seeking something to cling to as he sent her closer and closer to the edge again.

The pain had faded away, replaced completely by overwhelming pleasure. It was a whole new sensation, one that she was certain she would crave from this day forward. But only him – she didn't want another after him. If she could never be his, then she would be no ones.

Her eyes widened when his hand slipped between them, his thumb pressing insistently against that little bundle of nerves just above where they were joined. She cried out soundlessly, her body shuttering, inner muscles clenching around him. Her release washed over her suddenly, taking her by surprise, the pleasure coursing through her – taking over her every sense.

Everything was Killian. Killian and delicious white hot pleasure.

Killian stiffened above her, thrusting once, twice more before his own release hit. He groaned her name loudly, sinking against her, pressing her into the blanket. He pressed his face into the crook of her neck, his hot breath dancing over her skin. "Emma."

"I love you." She whispered, basking in the glory of what they had just done. Those were three words that she had meant to say before he left on this voyage, but she never found the chance to admit what she felt for him.

"And I love you." He said as he pulled back to look down at her. A lopsided, exhausted sort of smile plastered across his face and he laughed – with pure joy in his eyes. "That's not just because of this is it?"

"No." Emma combed her fingers through his hair, her legs sliding away from his hips with a little wince as he slipped out of her. She was going to be feeling that tomorrow. "I've loved since long before any of this happened. I don't even know when it first happened, I just did."

"It was probably somewhere around the same time I fell in love with you." He tapped the tip of her nose as he looked down at her, arching a brow. "I do believe I fell in love with you that night, when you snuck onto the ship to yell at me for not attending the ball you had requested I attend."

Emma rolled her eyes, "How was I supposed to know that it was a ball for those of royal blood only? You should have just invoked my name if you had been overly concerned with appeasing my request."

Killian curled an arm beneath her, turning them over so she was no lying on his chest, their legs intertwining. She laughed – a sound that he would never bore of. "Princess, did you intend to have me hauled off to prison?"

"Would have kept you more local," She retorted, giving him an imperious look. "Of course, I wouldn't have had them place in the dungeon. It's far too doom and gloom there." Emma grinned down at him, stroking her fingers over his scruffy jaws. "I would have them place you somewhere for more accessible for a needy princess."

Killian's brows knit together and he gave her a skeptical look, "I'm highly concerned for you, princess… Wanting a sailor like me all for yourself. Aren't you supposed to want rich kings and handsome princes?"

Emma cocked a brow, sighing affectedly, "Killian, we've been through this once before. I am not the sort of princess that you've encountered elsewhere in the lands you've journeyed to. I am the daughter of a bandit and a shepherd, come now." She rolled her eyes again, earning herself a poke in the side that made her try to squirm away.

"So is that the angle you'll pitch to your parents?"

"What?"

"I am well aware that you haven't told them yet, but… You do intend to tell them about us, right?" He said quietly, keeping his gaze on her lips, not on her eyes.

"Do you want me to tell them? I am certain if I told my mother about us, about what I feel, all of this, she would accept. But, if you and I were to…" She swallowed thickly, her eyes widening as she realized what she assumed he was hinting at. "If you wish to wed me, Killian – you would have to leave the Navy."

Killian trailed his fingers down her back, blinking before he lifted his gaze to hers again. "I've already informed my brother that I desire to step down."

"Killian!" Emma pressed her palms against the blanket on either side of his head, looking down at him, searching his eyes. "But you told me that sailing had always been your dream."

"Emma, you have been my dream ever since we left shore. Every night I dreamt of you, of having you by my side forever – the sea holds nothing that I want. Not anymore."

"Then we shall go to them and we shall tell them."

"Together?" Killian questioned, his breath hitching in the back of his throat.

"Yes, of course together Killian." Emma shook her head, a smile spreading across her lips. "Well, together after I inform my mother…or perhaps my father first. But we shall take audience with them and tell them."

Killian leaned up and kissed her gently, humming against her lips. "You're certain you're not just agreeing to all of this because we've just been together, are you?"

Emma narrowed her eyes, "My feelings for you are not that fleeting, thank you very much Killian." She scoffed, cupping both of his cheeks and leaning in to kiss him again. "I love you. I always will." She pulled back, looking down at him with a cheeky grin, "You know, this means that one day you'll be the King."

"Ah, finally power over my brother." Killian teased, running his hands along her back. "That's if your parents approve."

"Bandit and shepherd, Killian. A sailor – a noble, loyal, and true one at that – is more than fit to be my husband."

"What if the forbid it?"

Emma's brows pulled together and she bit down on her bottom lip. "Then I will marry no one and be with you whether they like it or not. I'd wait a thousand years to be with you Killian. No one gets to choose my fate, except for me. I choose you."

Killian chuckled at her words, shaking his head with amusement. "A thousand years is an awfully long time to wait."

"But it's not nearly long enough to be with you."