Random drabble because I saw that tweet by Bernard Curry about his birthday and it got me thinking that I still haven't picked a gift for my sister's birthday this weekend, and well, THIS happened.

He is the world's worst brother. How could he have waited this long to find a gift for Liam's birthday? It was tomorrow. His older brother, the only family he had, and he couldn't be bothered to get him a gift before the night before. At midnight, even?

What was wrong with him?

Killian frowned, turning up the aisle at the Mega Mart (apparently, the only place open at 12:23 in the morning), looking for something-anything really- to get for Liam. But nothing stood out and screamed "Liam" to him. Nothing at all. And he was going slowly mad. Surely, there had to be something he could find? A gag gift maybe? New boxers? A fancy coffee maker?

His hand ran absently through his hair, sticking it out in all directions, the bags under his eyes from his last 70 hour work week making him appear like he was wearing smudged eyeliner around his eyes. He knew he must look affright, but it mattered not. Even if the dregs of the Mega Mart underworld ran from him in terror. He just had to find a gift for Liam.

"You look lost," he heard a voice say from behind him.

He nodded absently and slowly turned, expecting a blue-vested store worker to be standing there with a plastered on 'I want to be anywhere but here' smile. Instead, he was more than mildly surprised to see a woman in a red leather jacket with long blonde waves spilling out from beneath a grey beanie. She smiled tentatively and his for some reason, all the hours of exhaustion that had been weighing him down, all the frantic need to prove his love to his brother, vanished in the lifting of the corner of her mouth.

"Aye, a bit, I'm afraid." He flushed, scratching at the back of his neck and now suddenly worried about his unkempt appearance. He darted his eyes down his body, checking to make sure his black button-down was still reasonably buttoned and tucked into his belt. Thankfully, it was. That, along with the fact that he had managed to at least be wearing his best pair of dark jeans made him feel slightly more at ease.

She shrugged, hugging her arms around the basket she carried. "Yeah, you just kind of had that look. I guess, when a person stares a set of mugs for a half-an-hour, they probably could use some sort of intervention," she laughed, then cut off abruptly, squishing her eyes up in a horribly endearing way, and adding, "I didn't mean that. It's just that-" She fumbled, cursing quietly.

"Just that I looked lost," he teased, unable to keep from smirking back at her, and wanting to see how much pinker her cheeks could get, "back in housewares. Halfway across the store." He added, nodding his head in that direction.

As she began to fidget, his smile grew and he couldn't help but ask, "Are you stalking me, love?"

"No!" She stated, far too fast and far too emphatically for it to be anything but the truth, "I just…noticed that you seemed kind of…adrift, and I remembered feeling like that when I was looking for a gift for my friend's wedding, and- you know what? I'm just going to go now. Forget I even said anything." And before he could stop her she was spinning around and practically flying back down the aisle.

You've cocked it up now, you git. She was trying to help you and you teased her, and what are you still standing there for? Go after her.

The voice in his head sounded remarkably like his older brother, which wasn't that much of a surprise considering that it usually did when he made a right arse of himself.

Killian was off like a shot, running after the wondrous blonde creature before she could disappear from his sight. For a moment, he was sure he had lost her to the maze of shelves and displays, but just as he was about to give up hope, he caught a flash of red and a hint of gold and he knew she was there.

"Love, wait!" He shouted, drawing the attention of two lazily meandering shoppers who shrunk back from him as he rushed past.

She flashed a look back over her shoulder, glared, and continued walking. Faster.

"Wait," he tried again, closing the distance between them, "Please." He was an arm's length away, but dared not get any closer, if the look she had just given him meant anything. He had a feeling this woman could (and would) defend herself quite physically if he did anything she didn't approve of.

But at least it seemed his plea got her attention. She turned heel, crossed her arms while her basket dangled wildly, and stared daggers at him.

It was a sight to behold. She was a sight to behold. Fire sparked deep in her eyes, momentarily steeling away his words. When he found them again, he couldn't quite get them all out in the right way. "I'm an bloody wanker," he began, wincing at his own awkwardness. "I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable. It was very nice of you to offer your assistance and I acted like a complete arse about it. I'm sorry, love."

"Yeah, well," she said on a sigh, the anger quickly fading as she sensed the sincerity of his words. "I don't normally do this sort of thing," she mumbled.

"Look, perhaps a fresh start is in order?" He offered, sticking out his hand. "Killian Jones. Idiot. Incorrigible flirt. Shite younger brother."

Eyeing him cautiously, she reached out and slowly shook his hand. "Emma Swan." Then she added, "Terrible conversationalist. Overly judgmental. Long-term insomniac."

He smiled brightly. "You seem to have forgotten one, love," he added as her mouth turned down in a cute little frown that he couldn't stop staring at.

"What's that?"

"Savior."

Her brow raised and he was utterly captivated by its movement. "Savior, huh? Why's that?"

Looking her in the eye, he said, "Because, Swan, you saw a soul in need of saving and you took it upon yourself to offer them assistance."

The blush was back, but this time it was accompanied by a small, but genuine, smile. It nearly stole his breath away.

"Savior. I like it," she replied softly.

His grin spread along with a warmth in his chest. Taking a chance, he took a step closer to brush a stray curl back away from her face. "Aye, it suits you." When she didn't retreat, he took it as a good sign and swayed just a tiny bit nearer.

She took a stuttered breath and looked up to meet his eye. "You forgot one, too," she said in a halting half whisper.

With a cocked eyebrow, he smirked down at her. "I did?"

"Yeah," she breathed, smirking right back. "Gentleman."

His heart raced uncontrollably and he felt at that moment like he could fly if she asked him too. He longed to know more about this beautiful blonde goddess. He longed to know everything.

Still, what he told her before was true. He was an incorrigible flirt and seeing as his heart was racing far faster than his mind could keep up, he couldn't help but resort to default setting. "I'll have you know, Swan, I already was aware of that. You see, I'm always a gentleman."

Offering his a playful little pout that had his stomach doing somersaults, she rolled her eyes and said, "Then I take it back. I should have called you pretentious instead."

He shook his head, the smirk permanently attached to his lips. "You can't take it back, love. It's far too late for that."

She gave him a threatening look, but he could see the happiness making her eyes sparkle like emeralds. When she finally relented and chuckled, it felt like she had set his entire body aglow. "Fine, whatever."

Suddenly, her smiled faded and she cut off. Already, he could read her well enough to know that it must have dawned on her that she was flirting with a complete stranger in the middle of the night and they should probably get to know one another slightly better before they had crazy sex on the floor of the bathroom or something.

"I suppose I should probably let you get back to whatever it was you were looking for," she said.

It was worse than he had feared. He could feel her trying to pull away, to erect a barrier between them before they had even had a real chance. "Ah, yes, my brother's birthday gift will not, unfortunately, locate itself." He answered without really thinking about what he was saying until it was too late.

She hummed, shuffling, and looking down at her boots. "It was nice meeting you, then, Killian," she mumbled. There was the smallest hint of sadness in her voice and knew, no matter what else she might claim, that she really didn't want to end this encounter, either.

Hearing his name from her lips was like a shock of cold water. He couldn't let it end like this, he had to do something. The thought of her walking away now was causing his stomach to tie up in knots.

"Wait a moment, Swan," he stammered, holding her in place with the barest brush of his fingers on her arm. Yet it was enough to send an electric spark through his entire body. Reeling, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. "As a Savior, you haven't quite finished your duties yet."

Her eyes flashed up at him with a dangerous mix of excitement and wariness. "Oh really?"

"Aye." With his fingers still on her arm, he turning her body towards himself so that he could meet her eyes and convey just how truly he meant his words. She offered no resistance. "You see, with you by my side, I have no doubt that I'll find my way."

….

Liam's eyes grew wide as he opened Killian's gift. There was an odd assortment of items ranging from socks with little anchors on them to Elton John's 'Captain Fantastic' CD. Everything in there was somehow perfectly him. It must have taken his brother ages to assemble a gift like this.

"Thank you, brother," Liam said, still a little speechless over his gift. "This is truly astounding. How did you come up with all of this?"

Killian just shrugged and turned his head to look at the pretty blonde sitting next to him. She gave him an odd look that seemed rather menacing. "I had a little help," he admitted while scratching nervously at his ear. The woman rolled her eyes at Killian, but Liam couldn't miss the way his brother's face lit up at her disapproving glare.

Under the guise of cleaning up the wrapping paper scraps, Liam watched his brother and this pretty blonde girl he had invited along to the party out of the corner of his eye. It was clear that his brother was already a goner for her, and despite how she was trying to hide it, Liam thought that maybe she was just as gone, too. With a muffled chuckle, he shook his head.

About time, little brother.

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