Baelfire/Neal Cassidy

"That's how you know you've really got a home. 'Cause when you leave it... there's this feeling that you can't shake. You just miss it." Independent and Selective Baelfire/Neal Cassidy rp blog

[sonofthedarkone]

The question gave him momentary pause. So much of his life Neal fought against the odds. While not everything went as he hoped, he always managed to survive. Survival became second nature. Maybe it didn’t last too long while stranded on Neverland, but being trapped in a place that was frozen in time kind of put a damper on any resolve a fourteen-year-old boy could manage to muster. Rumple abandoned him, Killian betrayed him, he lost Emma due to his own decision and Tamara used him for her own gain.

Every hit could’ve easily defeated him, yet Neal had a reason to keep going. Not only did Emma literally collided back into his life but they had a son. Even if he only knew Henry for a short while, he meant the world to him. And to have him kidnapped by Peter Pan of all people, it gave him more than enough reason to worry. This place alone held a plethora of horrible memories.

With Emma standing in front of him, seeing her offer a small smile in response to his words, his heart almost wavered by whatever implied meaning it took. Until she spoke, anyway. Her words held a deeper meaning than the expression pinned to her face managed to produce.

“I’m not that easy to get rid of,” Neal replied as she wrapped her arms around him. An explosion of warmth entered his chest. It was an old familiar feeling of love. True love, not the kind he thought he knew with Tamara until he laid eyes on her in New York. “You’re not the only one who’s scared. I’m terrified. Anything can happen but I won’t let us get separated again.” He pulled back a little from their embrace, bringing his hand to her face, needing to look her in the eyes, yet unable to break physical contact. “If I’ve learned anything, it’s not to let go of the people you love. You and Henry mean everything to me. Maybe you don’t believe in fate like I do, but I have to believe we’re back together now for a reason.”

[ofrcgency]

"If breaking the curse and seeing how my parents are with each other taught me anything, it's that hope is a powerful thing. Still trying to get used to the whole fate thing... but same idea." Emma had a hard time seeing life through the lens of her mother. She didn't want to think every situation had a hopeful outcome. How could her mother see the hope when things looked far from hopeful? That would have to be a conversation for another time.

She found comfort in his eyes as they held each other. She vowed to never love another, and here she was opening her heart to him, even despite her fears. As tears of that very emotion-- of fear filled her eyes, she still found herself smiling at him. Falling silent just outside Dark Hallow, Emma found her eyes glancing down at his lips, and the next thing she knew, Emma was kissing him. Maybe they were moving too fast. Maybe she was moving too fast when just moments ago she confessed a secret she feared to admit. Still, Emma was learning from her past, and she didn't want to risk time getting in the way of them again if something or someone succeeded in pulling him away from her again.

[sonofthedarkone]

“Fate kind of became an easy concept for me growing up as I did. I maybe even liked it a lot more knowing everything I went through led me to you, then back again after all this time.” Neal truly thought after Tamara shot him; he might’ve never taken another breath. He saw the woman he thought he knew from a new perspective. She cared little for their relationship of over a year, concerned more with Greg. Her obsession with magic, Emma tried to tell him but he stupidly fastened her suspicion to jealously.

The kiss came as a surprise – a welcomed surprise no matter how unexpected. Neal returned the sentiment, longing for the familiar pressure of her lips on his for far too long. The feelings surging throughout his body almost overwhelmed him, weakening any reservations he had about waiting for the right moment. “We should’ve done that a long time ago,” Neal breathed out, separating his mouth from hers for just a moment. But truly, he never should’ve left her standing in the dark, taking the blame for thievery just because Pinocchio told him to. He shook his head before kissing her once more. This time intending not to let her go ever again.

[sonofthedarkone]

Throughout all of Neal’s life he carried around regrets – maybe too many, maybe ones that kept building on top of one another that all they could do was crash around him. But loving Emma never felt like one. He made plenty of mistakes too, including Tamara as it turned out. Leaving Emma during their teen years (the memories a messy abundance of happiness and sadness) hurt more than he could express. For someone who knew abandonment so well, who expected him to do the very same to her. Good reasons in his head or not.

His eyes met her, ears catching the emotion she tired to hide. “You don’t have to apologize. Not to me, not for anything.” While he wanted to reach out and touch her face or even let the tips of his fingers brush her blonde hair, he forced it down. He knew their main priority was saving Henry. His time in Neverland was far from kind, nothing he ever wanted his son to be a part of. Still, he needed to get the next set of words out. “When I told you how I felt, I meant every word. I am in love with you, Emma. You don’t have to change how you fell for my sake, I'm not asking you to, but I’m never going to stop fighting for you.”

[ofrcgency]

Emma didn't know what to say in response. Just because she lost him at the hands of a vengeful woman didn't mean the love she held for him was gone. She meant those three words she spoke to him while fighting desperately to pull him up: I love you. Still, seeing him fall through that portal made her regret the anger and resentment she had held onto all those years, and she missed out on creating a life with him just because she was afraid of how she felt back in New York.

Giving him a soft smile was all she could do. Perhaps it was a habit she always went back to as a defence mechanism for her heart. She carried a weight on her shoulders from her parents giving her up, and since then, denying how she felt and pretending she was fine made more sense... until now. She had turned and followed the rest of their group back to camp when she stopped suddenly.

She couldn't live in denial. One of the things she grieved about when Neal fell was not telling him how she felt long before then. What if Neal truly fell victim to death, and she still held back and kept how she felt from him? She was finally starting to learn from her mistakes...

"Neal, wait." She turned back to face him and sighed. "You survived that fall, but who says you will be spared a second time? I-- I do love you. I never stopped loving you. You falling through that portal didn't stop how I felt. Pretending this was all a trick was easier for me to process. I know we need to figure out how to get Henry back, but I don't want this moment to slip by either. I'm finally starting to learn from my mistakes... but I'm scared, too. Of our past... everything. But I can't lose you. Again." Tears filled her eyes as she spoke, and she embraced him tightly.

[sonofthedarkone]

The question gave him momentary pause. So much of his life Neal fought against the odds. While not everything went as he hoped, he always managed to survive. Survival became second nature. Maybe it didn’t last too long while stranded on Neverland, but being trapped in a place that was frozen in time kind of put a damper on any resolve a fourteen-year-old boy could manage to muster. Rumple abandoned him, Killian betrayed him, he lost Emma due to his own decision and Tamara used him for her own gain.

Every hit could’ve easily defeated him, yet Neal had a reason to keep going. Not only did Emma literally collided back into his life but they had a son. Even if he only knew Henry for a short while, he meant the world to him. And to have him kidnapped by Peter Pan of all people, it gave him more than enough reason to worry. This place alone held a plethora of horrible memories.

With Emma standing in front of him, seeing her offer a small smile in response to his words, his heart almost wavered by whatever implied meaning it took. Until she spoke, anyway. Her words held a deeper meaning than the expression pinned to her face managed to produce.

“I’m not that easy to get rid of,” Neal replied as she wrapped her arms around him. An explosion of warmth entered his chest. It was an old familiar feeling of love. True love, not the kind he thought he knew with Tamara until he laid eyes on her in New York. “You’re not the only one who’s scared. I’m terrified. Anything can happen but I won’t let us get separated again.” He pulled back a little from their embrace, bringing his hand to her face, needing to look her in the eyes, yet unable to break physical contact. “If I’ve learned anything, it’s not to let go of the people you love. You and Henry mean everything to me. Maybe you don’t believe in fate like I do, but I have to believe we’re back together now for a reason.”

[ofrcgency]

“I love you. I probably always will… but my secret? That this was all a trick — hoping you were dead to not face the same heartbreak all over again.” 

Emma felt instant regret and pain upon saying those words to him. When the two fought Tamara before the arrival of a magic bean that took Neal away from her, all of the feelings she had about Neal came rushing back. Neal had betrayed her trust when they were teenagers, and yet she never stopped loving him. When the two finally confessed their feelings, only for Neal to be taken from her, Emma didn’t want to grow close to another soul. She was never good at saying goodbye.

When the cage around Neal disappeared, Emma walked out with her parents and Hook, but she lingered behind with Neal for just a moment. Tears continued to fill her eyes before she quietly wiped them away. “Neal, back what I said in there… I’m glad you’re okay. I really am. But after what was said in Storybrooke to each other, only to lose you, well, I was scared. Hoping this was a trick seemed easier to process the loss. I wish I could change how I feel… but I can’t. I’m sorry.” Even if she could change how she felt, Henry and his well-being were the only pressing things on her mind now. They needed to save Henry and go home.

@sonofthedarkone

[sonofthedarkone]

Throughout all of Neal’s life he carried around regrets – maybe too many, maybe ones that kept building on top of one another that all they could do was crash around him. But loving Emma never felt like one. He made plenty of mistakes too, including Tamara as it turned out. Leaving Emma during their teen years (the memories a messy abundance of happiness and sadness) hurt more than he could express. For someone who knew abandonment so well, who expected him to do the very same to her. Good reasons in his head or not.

His eyes met her, ears catching the emotion she tired to hide. “You don’t have to apologize. Not to me, not for anything.” While he wanted to reach out and touch her face or even let the tips of his fingers brush her blonde hair, he forced it down. He knew their main priority was saving Henry. His time in Neverland was far from kind, nothing he ever wanted his son to be a part of. Still, he needed to get the next set of words out. “When I told you how I felt, I meant every word. I am in love with you, Emma. You don’t have to change how you fell for my sake, I'm not asking you to, but I’m never going to stop fighting for you.”

[clairesbeauchamp]

SWANFIRE APPRECIATION WEEK 2025 ♡ day 4: favorite interaction

it's ok. you can tell me anything.

[sonofthedarkone]

Seeing Emma again after all this time – just as it had been when they reconnected in the past, caused his breathing to stall. It was almost impossible not to take in everything about her. The sound of her laugh, every facial feature, it almost hurt to see her again because its been so long.

“That would probably take the fun away from things anyway,” Neal replied. So many things were already racing through his head. Of course, he sought Emma out first thing and obviously found her. But there was his father and Henry. The need to see the two of them was great, yet he needed to take things a step at a time.

Neal provided a minor shake of his head in reply to her question. “You’re not dead, I can tell you that much.” He stood from the road and offered his hand to help Emma to her feet. “Anywhere you have in mind? I’d go with somewhere with some privacy. I don’t think it’s a good idea to make a big spectacle about being back. At least not until we get the chance to talk.”

[rawbutprecious]

This felt like a dream. It had to be a dream. People did not normally come back from the dead. She had only witnessed it one other time. However, that had taken a bit of Underworldly fight to get that to happen. That did not seem to be the case. Emma had had to go rescue Killian and Neal just appeared. "Have you become my guardian angel?" she blurted. "You got me back to my parents. You saved me back with Tamara. You gave me advice me when I went to the Underworld. You saved me just now..."

Her mind raced. Neal was here. She was alive. He seemed to be alive. Never in her wildest dreams could she imagine this happening, although it was what she had wanted. Having Neal back in this world seemed like winning the lottery. "Yeah. It would have made fighting some of my foes a lot easier though," she whispered, blinking. Tears had formed. This was too much. "Getting the Underworld would have benefited that. But, we got out. Killian is safe and alive and back on the seas with Tinkerbell at his side. They're happy and I'm happy for them."

"Okay. Are you still dead?" she asked, looking at his hand. The Savior took it. The touch felt electric. That familiar jolt of passion pulsed, followed by his usual softness and warmth. She pulled herself up and then wrapped him tight against her. She needed that warmth. She needed that embrace. After a moment, the blond pulled away. "My parents loft? Henry's at school. My parents are working. It'll be empty...

[sonofthedarkone]

For the longest time Neal felt like all he ended up doing was messing up Emma’s life. Even if his intentions while letting her go to jail were to rid Storybrooke of its curse and reunite Emma with her parents, she only saw it from one angle. Obviously, Neal expected no less. She didn’t know the truth of the situation back then. “It seems like I’m doing that an awful lot lately,” Neal replied. “Tamara was kind of my fault to begin with. But this whole saving you thing, I don’t plan to let anything happen to you.”

“I’m a little surprised Killian and Tink are out sailing the seas. I would’ve liked to see them again, but I’m glad they happy.” Tinkerbell was a good friend back in his Neverland days and Hook, well that relationship was complicated. He took a father figure role in his life despite betraying him in the end. Neal wanted a longer conversation with him, yet circumstances prevented it. “The Underworld isn’t an easy place to escape. Not many people go in and live to tell the tale.”

“Technically, no. I’m not dead anymore.” The hug came almost unexpectedly. Neal wrapped his arms around her in return, taking in every familiar detail. The warmth of her touch, the sound of her breathing, the very feeling of having her so close. His entire being could’ve simply melted into her embrace. “Sounds like the best place,” he replied once Emma pulled away. “How is Henry?”

[avadcniels]

ONCE UPON A TIME ⇢ 3x01 | THE HEART OF THE TRUEST BELIEVER 

[sonofthedarkone]

@rawbutprecious

Emma stood there, exhausted from all the running and fighting. Her body felt like it would give up at any moment. She hadn’t eaten or dank in who knows how long. That was her bad, kinda, there just had not been time. The town was under threat by Zelena and flying monkeys and all that jazz. She also had been using her magic a lot in the last few days. There’d been no time to recharge and get her bearings. Magic took a lot out of her, but she did not care. Emma would do anything to protect her family. But she failed in that moment. Her face blanched as she saw the gun. How had Zelena gotten a gun and why was she using it? That didn’t matter really. “Oh, crap,” she whispered hearing the cock of the gun handle. Emma could not move. She was frozen in place while fully preparing to be hit by a bullet. But she wasn’t. An unearthly scream ripped through the air. It was Gold. He couldn’t move from his spot but he saw it. She stared in horror and anger as Neal laid upon the ground. Hand jutting out she blasted Zelena with all her magic. She staggered forward as Zelena staggered back and landed in a heap on a mound of hay. After a moment, Emma rushed forward. “No. No. I lost you three times. I’m not losing you again,” she whispered, kneeling beside Neal and pulling off her overshirt. She pressed the cloth against the wound. “I am not going to go anywhere.”

Despite the bullet lodged in his flesh, Neal’s worry remained on Emma. Quick flashes of Henry and his father appeared within his mind. He tried desperately to remember the last words he said to them. But they seemed to slip through his memory. All he ever wanted was to get to know his son, save his father and be with the woman he loved. When push came to shove, there was nothing in the world he wouldn’t do to keep any of them save. Even if it meant dying himself.

Maybe he should be used to it by now. Always making the sacrifice for others. The pain from the wound heightened when he attempted to move and he felt nothing but that and the hard ground beneath him. Falling though? The exact moment he shoved Emma aside and hitting the earth was a blank.

His eyes eventually found Emma’s. He looked into them so many times. Got lost in their green color so often. Neal lifted his hand, his fingers closing around her arm. “Unless you have some magical way to remove a bullet and stop me from bleeding out, I’m not so sure we have much of a choice.” The pressure applied increased the pain, but no complaints left his lips. “I don’t think we’re super close to the hospital either. If I don’t make it I need you to do something for me.”  

[sonofthedarkone]

9 PEOPLE I’D LIKE TO KNOW BETTER

last song: Kill This Love by Blackpink

favorite color: Pink

currently watching: Boy Meets World

spicy/savory/sweet: Sweet

relationship status: Single

current obsession: Harry Potter

Tagged by: @rawbutprecious

tagging: Whoever wants to do it :)

[sonofthedarkone]

@rawbutprecious

"Neal? What? How? You?" Emma whispered, unable to say any full sentences (she was speechless). Her breath caught as she carefully raised her head up. She'd been walking down main street to get to Granny's when a car had took a corner and almost hit her. Right before it collided with her she'd been pushed out of the way. The blond gawked at him. A million thoughts were swirling through her head. "How are you here?"

The mere sound of Emma's voice, even if held in a low tone, was the very sound he missed the most. Being in the Underworld so long, Neal almost forgot how beautifully each word left her lips. He had been about to call out to her, finally able to track her down, right before he noticed the car racing down the road. Luckily, he got to her in time. "I think even for adults the whole look both way thing still applies," he lightly joked. He took a moment to look at her again, prior to answering. "That's kind of a long story."

[rawbutprecious]

She stared at Neal. Her name ringing out in his voice echoed through her mind. It had been a long time, too long, since she'd been privy to that sound. His call was one she'd desired to hear. It filtered through her dreams every now and then. The Savior never thought she'd hear it again.

At Neal's joke, she chuckled. She couldn't help herself. It was really nice not to be dead. It wasn't every day that a car almost turns her into a grease slick. It was also really nice to hear his voice. "Yeah. Yeah. It's a shame that adults don't just grow armor where we don't have to worry about that sort of thing," she joked back. "Oh... Neal."

The adrenaline rush of the moment started to wane, made her shake. Heart pounding it felt like she'd run a marathon. Emma found she was just as tired too. "Long story? Does that mean I'm dead and this is the Underworld?" she asked. "Or what? I need to know... but probably not here." Having this conversation lying in the middle of the road did not seem like a good idea.

[sonofthedarkone]

Seeing Emma again after all this time – just as it had been when they reconnected in the past, caused his breathing to stall. It was almost impossible not to take in everything about her. The sound of her laugh, every facial feature, it almost hurt to see her again because its been so long.

“That would probably take the fun away from things anyway,” Neal replied. So many things were already racing through his head. Of course, he sought Emma out first thing and obviously found her. But there was his father and Henry. The need to see the two of them was great, yet he needed to take things a step at a time.

Neal provided a minor shake of his head in reply to her question. “You’re not dead, I can tell you that much.” He stood from the road and offered his hand to help Emma to her feet. “Anywhere you have in mind? I’d go with somewhere with some privacy. I don’t think it’s a good idea to make a big spectacle about being back. At least not until we get the chance to talk.”

[sonofthedarkone]

where does your soul feel at home? - Neal Cassidy

where you are accepted

has it always felt like this? you've found yourself stumbling through days where all you do is voicelessly plead for someone to say you're okay just as you are. for someone to assure you you're welcome here (welcome where? this house? this city? this body? this very galaxy? life itself?). for your own heart to to open up so large it swallows your whole being. have you been cast out? did they make you turn away from yourself and lie into the mirror? sometimes you wake up and feel so utterly alone you think you'll fall apart that very second. but you don't, do you? you don't. you're growing up, you're growing stronger. you've grown one of the most important things a human can grow, a conviction. the conviction that even if it feels like all doors are slammed in your face and both heaven and hell refuse to have you, you know that you'll have you. you, my friend, are growing to accept yourself. and i promise you, i promise with all my heart that you can continue nurturing this flame. and i promise you will find yourself surrounded by it - reflected in the faces of those you love, those who love you. do whatever you can to avoid giving yourself away. these people will come and it will feel like light, it won't be effortless, it won't be easy, but it most definitely won't be heavy. pay attention and when it does feel heavy? remind yourself of what you've known all along. you're a masterpiece, a breathing miracle, you have every damn right to be here. exactly as you are.

Tagged by: @rawbutprecious

Tagging: anyone who wants to do it!

[sonofthedarkone]

@rawbutprecious

"Neal? What? How? You?" Emma whispered, unable to say any full sentences (she was speechless). Her breath caught as she carefully raised her head up. She'd been walking down main street to get to Granny's when a car had took a corner and almost hit her. Right before it collided with her she'd been pushed out of the way. The blond gawked at him. A million thoughts were swirling through her head. "How are you here?"

The mere sound of Emma's voice, even if held in a low tone, was the very sound he missed the most. Being in the Underworld so long, Neal almost forgot how beautifully each word left her lips. He had been about to call out to her, finally able to track her down, right before he noticed the car racing down the road. Luckily, he got to her in time. "I think even for adults the whole look both way thing still applies," he lightly joked. He took a moment to look at her again, prior to answering. "That's kind of a long story."

[ofrcgency]

Emma couldn't help but smile at him as he spoke. He was genuine in what he said, and she saw now proof of deceit in his eyes. If it weren't for her pride getting in the way of being truly happy, Emma had no doubt they would have been together long before now. "Neal, I-- love you." She seized his lips again, holding him close from every movement she felt, and her walls gave way around him as she finished, but not before a loud thunder accompanied it. "I-- that was... Neal, are you alright?"

[sonofthedarkone]

The three words Emma spoke filled him with an unexpected warmth. It took root in his chest, surging throughout his body in an instant. Before Neal had a chance to reply, she kissed him, taking his ability to breathe. He pulled away for a moment and took in every feature of her face – every beautiful aspect that captivated him so long before they found themselves here. “I love you too,” he uttered. A smile took hold before his lips found hers again. At her next sentence, he provided a light nod. “Yeah, but I think the storm is only going to get worse.”

[ofrcgency]

As she continued to groan loudly against his ear, the rain and lightning surrounding them only intensified. She didn't even seem to be bothered by the cracks in the roof above them as some raindrops fell upon her forehead. With another strike of lightning around them, Emma's hands buried deep in his shoulders and her legs parted even further. "Oh, Neal..." She had no idea what had come over her. Love? Lust? She had no idea. "Hold me. Please."

cont. from here with @sonofthedarkone

[sonofthedarkone]

By this point, Neal knew no one would come bursting in to get away from the rain – most people were likely huddled away in their homes. The downpour hardly distracted him from Emma. Every nerve of his body felt electrified, it was almost too much to handle. But this, no matter how wrong the world viewed sex before marriage, they couldn’t prevent it no matter how hard they tried. Something kept pulling them together, until finally they accepted their feelings. “I’ll never let go,” he told her, unable to fathom being apart ever again.  

[emmaswanned]

swanfire + wendy by maisie peters

she almost loses her way 'cause she followed him after one look

[fearitscelf]

sonofthedarkone​:

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[sonofthedarkone]

Maybe they’d look back onto this moment and think they rushed into things too quickly, but Neal felt as if that was the furthest from the truth. Happiness seemed to surge throughout his body just from view of her face alone – every touch sending sparks of electricity across his skin. He moved in closer once given the space, loving the way her voice sounded when uttering his name.

[fearitscelf]

sonofthedarkone​:

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[sonofthedarkone]

Wonderful wasn’t usually the word people used to describe him. Most thought Neal to be too reserved or maybe even rude given his pride. And while it took a while for Emma to see past the surface of his character (something he rarely ever let anyone witness). Yet, she managed to catch his heart without realizing it. “If anyone is wonderful, it’s absolutely you,” he lightly corrected, feeling a smile form across his lips. They started kissing again, something he couldn’t get enough of, and did as she said. He came in closer, letting himself slip in even deeper. Surely she overcame the pain at this point, which left him no reason to hold any restraint.

[mysteryandnonstopfun]

Endless gifs of Neal Cassidy ( 30 / ∞ )