Killian guided the queen into the station, flicking the lights on as they reached the bullpen in all its glory.
“Where are we now?” she asked as she took in the strange room.
“This would be the actual station.” he grinned somewhat sarcastically, gesturing to the barred cells at the back.
David and Emma were collecting the first of many boxes full of research from the mayor's office, and they’d agreed to wait here for them to return so they could get stuck in with their search for the mysterious snow queen.
“Take a seat, love. I’ve a feeling we’re in for a rather long wait.”
Killian slid a roller chair in her direction as he plopped down with a sigh in David’s favorite seat. He crossed his legs on the man’s desk, knowing the prince would be pissed upon his arrival.
He watched Elsa ignore the suggestion to sit and instead began to inspect the unusual contraptions around her.
“That’s the com…the con- that’s the magic box.”
“What’s it for?”
“I dunno, they hit the rectangle beside it and it flashes with lights and tells them things.” he informed her quite flippantly.
Elsa seemed satisfied with his answer as she finally took a seat. Killian pulled out his phone and looked at the screen to see if he’d missed any calls, clearly becoming agitated at having to wait for the others.
“You’ve adapted rather well to this land.” Elsa stated.
“I get by.”
“It’s far too strange for me.” she admitted, “Once I find Anna I can’t wait for us to go home.”
“Aye, i’ve no doubt.”
Killian entertained her conversation though he’d rather not have to make pleasantries.
“You don’t miss your home?”
Elsa's question surprised him as he looked at her softly and grinned.
“I’m a pirate, love. We tend not to have homes.”
“Yet you seem to stay here.”
“I suppose we all need to settle down at some point.”
“Is it for Emma? And her family?”
That was something he wasn’t willing to indulge in with someone he’d only just met. The topic of his feelings with strangers non the less made him uncomfortable.
Thankfully, right at that moment the station doors blew open and Emma and David appeared, both struggling to carry multiple boxes at once.
Killian was on his feet in an instant, removing the boxes from Emma’s arms and setting them down as she thanked him, both falling into their habit of making eyes at one another.
Elsa mimicked his actions as she assisted David, unable to stop herself watching the couple beside her and shaking her head.
She may not have got an answer from Hook but his actions said more than his mouth needed to.
HAPPIEST OF BIRTHDAYS TO THE SWEETEST RED VELVET CUPCAKE EVAR, @xpumpkindumplingx!!!!!!!!!!! Being your friend and getting to know you has become one of the best parts of being in this fandom <3 Sending you all the love today, and hope you enjoy this bit of mersmut in honor of the occasion ;)
Summary: Set in the A Tall Tail universe—Emma’s attempt at relaxing in the tub doesn’t go as planned; what does, really, when your true love is a merman with power over water? But maybe it’s more fun to let off stress with him than it alone, anyways. 2.2k | AO3 | rated very M
Few things gave Emma more pleasure than a hot bath at the end of the day. It was part of why she insisted on replacing the shower in their house with an old-fashioned tub, claw feet and all; it was just so much more comfortable than a built-in tub (and, of course, they still had the rain bath-style shower head for efficiency—and some other things).
After lighting a few scented candles on the counter, the hot water embraced her as she slipped in and settled back against the cool porcelain. God, I could probably fall asleep in here; good thing her cuff was nearby in case she did feel so inclined. But after a long day of dealing with dwarven bullshit, she earned it. Killian was...somewhere in the house, she knew, probably getting dinner ready, or at least a stiff drink.
So she closed her eyes, leaned her head back, cast a quick spell to keep the water warm, and let bliss find her.
Until she felt a tickle. Right on a fairly sensitive part on her chest. That’s weird. But it was probably just a random reflex as she relaxed, right?
She ignored it...until it happened again, across the other nipple. It was by no means an unfamiliar sensation, but it was usually instigated by outside forces, not an involuntary spasm.
And then the same invisible touch grazed her clit, a hidden stream within the water headed straight for her most delicate area. What the hell? It felt amazing, drawing a moan of pleasure from her, but that didn’t solve the mystery.
However, the small whirlpool in the tub that caught her eye certainly did.
“Killian!”
She was panting with arousal when he finally arrived. “What is it, love?” The complete lack of urgency in his demeanor, and the casual way he leaned against the doorjamb while smirking, were all the answer she needed.
Her hands were gripping the curved edges of the tub as she bit out, “Seriously?”
“Whatever are you talking about, my darling?”
She tried to glare at him, but it was hard to when he was looking so self-satisfied—and when the water’s pace picked up again, making her gasp. Damn, that feels good; tension within was quickly mounting.
“I just thought you’d like to really relax and enjoy your bath, love,” Killian admitted. His voice got louder as he drew nearer, and when she managed to open her eyes, he was leering over her.
“I don’t think getting me keyed up is really all that relaxing,” she replied, breathily. “Besides—I’d rather have you.”
“Oh, you would?”
She didn’t reply—not verbally, at least. Two can play this game. With a subtle flick of her wrist, the button-up and jeans Killian had been wearing disappeared, leaving him stark naked; even the brace of his hook was gone.
A devilish grin took over Killian’s face, sending more heat to where she was already achingly aroused. “Well, then,” he murmured, and covered the last couple of steps to the bath, giving her a perfect view of his manhood.
He didn’t stop at the edge of the tub, no—he climbed right in. She tried to protest as water quickly ran over the side and onto the tile below, but he simply used his magic to siphon it all into the sink via a graceful, twirling arc of water across the room.
Smoothly, he sank onto his knees and settled his weight carefully across her thighs, bracing his arms on the rim of the tub and hovering over her. “So how exactly would you rather have me, Swan?” he breathed, inches from her face.
Her hands settled on his trim waist under the water, then traced up his abs and chest, wetting the hair there, until they wrapped around his neck and gently brought his face close enough to kiss.
It started slow and sweet, and she could taste the rum and a bit of salt water from his earlier swim on his lips. His hand and wrist drifted down as he leaned forward a bit more, his tongue slipped between her lips, and he pulled her up closer to him, bringing them chest-to-chest. She gasped into the kiss as her sensitive nipples brushed against his soft chest hair.
His blunted wrist held her tight around her waist while his hand found its way to one of her breasts, gently caressing her skin and then grazing a taut nipple in the small space between them.
He paused there only a moment before drawing a trail of heat down her side to where she truly needed him; god, it feels like I’m burning alive. For a moment, she swore she could feel the water boiling—until she realized that was just Killian, adding steady streams of bubbles to the water.
His nimble fingers slid in between her slightly parted thighs and drew a careful stripe against her folds, making her shiver. So he did it again, and a few more times before finally dipping a finger inside.
She broke the kiss with a moan, and Killian rested his forehead against hers. “I’ve got you, love,” he murmured as stroked inside her. Even as she arched her pelvis up at the movement of his hand, she felt secure in his hold.
He kept it up, gently but firmly working her closer and closer to a peak, eventually adding another finger and starting to suck at the sensitive spot behind her ear. Emma’s hand that wasn’t holding onto him for dear life found her breast, massaging and tweaking in search of some sort of relief.
Ugh, I’m so close. But the tension continued to coil for a few moments longer, until Killian’s broad thumb finally found its way to her clit, adding the extra pressure she needed to finish unwinding; she came with a loud gasp.
He continued to guide her through the aftershocks, and the bubbles he’d made felt like heaven across her stimulated skin. When she was finally able to open her eyes again, it wasn’t to the seductive smirk that had greeted her earlier, but to the soft look of adoration and care that only came out in their softer moments.
“Is that better, then?” he asked quietly.
“Much,” she answered simply, then placed another kiss on his lips. “But what are we going to do about this now?” She reached in between him and carefully grabbed his erection, which had been pressed against her stomach as she came down from her high.
His breath hitched in her grasp. “I—I suppose we should take this to another location, shouldn’t we?” he proposed, and she could see how much darker his eyes were.
“I don’t think we have to,” she answered, summoning her cuff to her hand.
A slow smile took over his features when he saw what she held. The wry grin was back. “If you insist.”
Two quick movements and another large splash of water later, Killian’s cuff was off and Emma’s was on. The gold of his tail took on a more burnished look in the dim light of the bathroom but was no less breathtaking.
“So...bloody...beautiful,” he expressed, punctuating the statement with kisses to her neck. Her tail looked a bit more emerald in the candle light, but she still didn’t see how she could compare to him.
Almost reverently, she brushed his fringe from his face and found his lips again, slowly stoking the heat that was constantly simmering between them. There was no need to rush this time, so they let the excitement build on its own.
Killian moved a bit to change the angle, sliding more on top of her, but ended up pressing her fully under water. They both froze for a moment at the sudden change, and Emma’s human brain couldn’t compute for a long second. Until—you’re a mermaid, idiot! Keep kissing your merman! She just grinned at him from their spot below the surface and then pulled him back to her. Obviously, she was used to being under water, but being in such a confined space and not the wide-open ocean was a different kind of intimate.
His hand wandered a bit, but settled at her waist, where skin met scale and his thumb was brushing between the two. That is, it was when he wasn’t shivering at the way she lightly scratched at his back and chest. The fact that she could draw that reaction from when the water felt near-scalding in these cold-blooded forms said a lot.
Okay, enough play time—I need more. She was craving friction, but he was floating just enough away from her that there was none to be had. It probably made a mess, but that was the last thing on her mind as she flipped her fin up and around his tail and pressed the bulge of his arousal against the sensitive spot low on her abdomen. He stopped mid-kiss to moan and drop his head to her shoulder; perfect.
“That’s usually my trick,” he muttered.
“Then maybe you should have done it sooner,” she breathed back, squeezing him tighter to create the movement she so needed. The pressure on her clit felt incredible and she closed her eyes in that small moment of bliss.
“If you needed it so badly, why didn’t you say so?” He was whispering into her ear and then took the lead a bit, thrusting forward until her rear end was laying on the bottom of the shallow tub.
“I—I—” she stammered as he started to move more, gentle pulses against her core.
“Say it, love,” he purred, pressing a bit harder before starting to suck at her pulse point.
“I—I need you, Killian,” she finally managed to blurt out.
He pulled back from her neck in a move that would have had a pop above water, but was silent below. And then he hovered over her, pupils wide with lust, before pushing her tail down with his to create a bit of space between them. He was only inches away, but it may as well have been miles with how much she was aching to have him inside her.
Wordlessly and needlessly slowly, he pulled his cock out from where it was barely hidden and gave it a few strokes; she could see his breath hitch a bit at his own touch—and, honestly, that just makes me need him even more.
Then, in a well-rehearsed motion, he found her hard-to-find entrance and slid in, stilling once he was fully sheathed. Oh, yes. It was certainly a different feeling, having that on the front of her body versus more toward the center, but any connection with him was amazing.
After a long moment of just enjoying being together, she got antsy again and pressed up, making water slosh over the edge. But if Killian cared now, he didn’t show it, and instead just pressed down, dragging himself a bit against her inner walls. Yes—that’s what I need; but it still wasn’t enough.
It took a bit to find their rhythm in the confined space, but they eventually settled into one, pressing and pushing up and down, tails coiled tight against the other’s and Emma’s grip on his back straining her muscles. All around them, the water gradually filled with bubbles as Killian approached his climax; Emma wasn’t sure if it was just the stars in her own eyes, but it also looked like rain was coming down on them.
But then nothing really registered but the feel of Killian in and on top of her as she drew closer and closer to her peak again. It was like the water was a second skin around them, embracing and encouraging them as they chased release together and she was close, so close—come on, just—right—THERE.
With a gasp, she fell over the edge into pure euphoria, aware of nothing but the emotional high of her orgasm and Killian’s coolness in opposition to the frothy, fiery water around them. A moment later, he stilled as he too finished, a distant shout ringing in her ears, and then everything faded into a blissful nothing.
When she came to, she felt unbelievably loose and relaxed, nothing more than a bit of seafoam floating away. (But without all the tragedy of Hans Christian Andersen’s original mermaid story.) Killian was still wrapped around her, head tucked in the crook of her neck as his breath returned to normal.
“So, my love,” he started. “Feeling better now?”
“Much,” she sighed, and wrapped her arms around him a bit tighter. “Although I’m not looking forward to cleaning up the mess we just made in the bathroom.” It was nearly dark in the room, so they must have put the candles out, too.
He shrugged. “It’ll dry.”
She just giggled back; he won’t be saying that when he comes out of his post-coital high. But she wasn’t about to complain.
And she definitely didn’t tell him that the shower had come on at some point.
Instead, she just watched as it rained down above them and held her amazing merman close, then settled into the kind of rest you could only get when you were completely at peace.
Killian speaking dirty poetry into Emma’s ear as she does the dishes and he pins her to the sink with his hips........*goes to her bunk*
Ha!! I love how much you love this fic, even when I’m not as much in love with the whole of it as I used to be. But that’s okay, because this chapter is still a thing of pride for me. Way to include Neruda and Cohen in with oral sex and dry humping, Sarah.
One day, I think I’m going to rewrite this fic the way I imagine it would be better. But for now, here’s that epilogue: Chapter 9 of “Routines”
Eric - While all sailors have a fear of drowning, his goes deeper due to almost drowning in a lake when he was twelve. Not long after they are married, Erin gifts him with a ring (enchanted by herself) that will ensure as long as he wears it, he’ll never drown.
Erin - Can speak seven languages and knows, at minimum, one curse word from each of them. Her favorite to use is Elvish because the bad words don’t SOUND bad due to it’s flowing and ethereal nature, so she can say them and it sound like she’s giving someone a compliment instead of cussing them out.
Liam - He actually has a piece of wood from the Jolly Roger stuck in his left palm from a fall he took on the deck when he was four. No one could ever get it out - even Emma’s magic failed - and he’s always felt a sense of comfort that no matter where he goes, a part of his father’s ship is with him.
Aaaah my sweet little mermaid, do you really love me so much?? Thank you!!
8. Favorite trope to write.Hmmm I write more canon (divergence) than AUs, but tropes... I’m not sticking severely to tropes, but there’s always gotta be a little from enemies to lovers in it, because let’s face it - that’s how all great love stories start, with one hitting the other one over the head with a rock, literally or figuratively.
10. Pick a writer to co-write a book with and tell us what you’d write about.Oh, that’s super tricky. Honestly? I’m best when I write alone, I want to be in charge, because my characters speak to me, and what do I do if my co-writers can’t hear what I hear? I know, that sounds crazy. I’d probably have to pick a writer whose writing is closest to mine in style, who sees and interprets things as I do, has a similar understanding of the characters to mine. I think I’d pick @startswithhope, and I’d write with her a not too long, not too angsty, light and touching, occasionally soulfully smutty AU.
12. How do you deal with self-doubts? I don’t have many, because I know I can do a decent job. If they come, I just wait until they go away, I suppose. I know my strengths, and I know my weaknesses. I reread my own favorite stories of mine to remind me what I’m capable of.
23. Single or multi POV, and why?Usually multi POV. I don’t want to tell only one side of the story, and I want my readers to feel with all of my characters, to understand them and sympathize with them. So I need to bare their souls, and that’s only possible if I show their POV.
54. Any writing advice you want to share?Only one. (Once, I made a post about this, How to be a happy fanfic writer, but at the end of the day, it all boils down to this one piece of advice.)
7 Minutes was the first story of yours I ever read, it has a special place in my heart. ☺️
Oh man, 7 minutes... I feel like that fic was really the start of a lot of things for me. It holds a special place in my heart as well, so thank you so much for saying that. <3
