Hi, so this is my first story in a long time, please bear with me. It's Neal x Emma, based very loosely off the movie 'All I Want For Christmas' and is AU. It's set in Storybrook but there's no magic etc.

Please let me know what you think, good or bad. Reviews are always appreciated.

Enjoy!

"Hey, Snow. Looking stunning, as always."

Emma sighed at the sound of her ex husband's voice downstairs. He was almost an hour late, unsurprisingly, but she could already hear her mother's laughter and her daughter's excited voice, filling her father in on how her day was.

She looked at her reflection, fixing her earring absently as she debated going down while he was there or waiting until the kids came up to say goodbye to her. She didn't want to speak to him, but the spiteful part of her wanted him to see that she was moving on; the first of them to go on a date since the separation.

The decision was taken out of her hands by the knock on the bedroom door.

"Hey, Emma..."

His voice trailed off as his eyes slid down and then back up her body. His gaze felt like a physical touch; and suddenly she hated herself slightly for wearing the dress. Their dress. The black, silky dress he had bought her for their anniversary one year and that she had worn every anniversary since, because she loved his reaction to it, every time.

"I got you a present."

Emma looked up from her make up, grinning as Neal wrapped an arm around her stomach, tugging her back to lean against his body.

"Is it flowers?"

"Nope."

"Chocolate?"

"How unoriginal do you think I am? Of course not."

"Perfume?"

"You know I prefer the smell of just you." He nuzzled into her neck, placing a few open mouthed kisses down the side.

"So what is it?" She asked, turning in his arms and wrapping hers around his neck. He picked up a bag from behind him, from one of the exclusive boutiques in town.

"So I saw this in the window as I passed and thought of you."

"You thought of me in a dress?"

"Well, I gotta be honest with you, I thought of taking the dress off you."

"Wow." He muttered, finally meeting his gaze. There was hurt in his eyes, swirling alongside the emotions she didn't want to read too deeply into, and she almost apologised, before hardening herself and turning away.

"Did you need something, Neal?" She asked dismissively, hoping he would fall for her casual tone and not call her out on the blush sneaking across her collarbone.

"What? I... Jesus, baby, you look beautiful." He whispered, taking a step towards her.

"Don't call me that." she snapped, turning to face him. "What do you want?"

He glared slightly, rubbing the stubble on his jaw, before sighing again.

"I was just coming to ask if you wanted to swing by the dinner tomorrow when your picking the kids up? See how it's turned out?"

She stared at him, before shaking her head and grabbing her shoes from the bed and slipping her feet into them. She could feel that heavy gaze on her legs as she buckled them and fought not to shiver.

"Have I ever mentioned, I love your legs?"

Emma shivered as Neal ran calloused hands across her bare skin.

"I love them around my waist, over my shoulders..."

He dropped a kiss behind her knee and she let out a soft whimper, feeling his lip curl up in a smile at the noise.

"I don't think that's a good idea." She replied finally. "I'll pick them up at the usual spot."

"Oh, sure." He said, and she could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"Neal, what are you doing?" She asked finally, standing in front of him. In her heels, she was the same height as him and she met his eyes unflinchingly. "Why are you pushing this?"

"I just... We were friends, Emma, before we were together. Even though I've lost my place in your life, I don't want to be out of it completely."

"I'm sorry, Neal. But you should have thought about that before you decided that stupid diner was more important than family. We're their parents," She waved her hand in the general direction of the stairs. "That's it. Our conversations, our interactions... they should only revolve around them. Nothing personal. No more calling me baby, or beautiful. No more asking me to come to the diner. Just, please. Don't make this harder than it is."

She left him there, open mouthed but silent, and made her way down the stairs. Henry and Abigail were standing in the hall, their bags at their feet as the played with the wooden swords their grandfather had gotten them. Henry's was older and showing the signs of age but it was holding up perfectly well against his baby sister's shiny new one, although she could tell he wasn't putting much strength into it.

"Okay, kids, you got everything you need? Abi, you got enough books?"

"Yes mom - no wait! I have to bring another. Just in case. Tell daddy not to leave without me."

Emma watched fondly as her six year old took the stairs two at a time, barely missing her father at the top.

"Another book, princess?" Neal chuckled, following her down the hall and out of sight.

"What about you, kid? You got everything you need?"

Henry nodded, using his sword to point at the bag at his feet. Emma sighed.

"Look, Kid, I know this is hard. But it will get easier, I promise."

"How do you know?" he asked, the first words he'd spoken to her since coming home from school. "You're parents have never separated."

Emma took a deep breath and opened her mouth to scold him, but the doorbell interrupted and she sighed.

This night was not turning out like it should, she thought as she made her way to the door. She flung it open, smiling tightly at the sight of her date.

"Hey, Emma. You look great."

"Thanks, Graham. Give me a few minutes?" She asked, showing him towards the living room. He nodded and greeted her mother and father, and Emma met Mary Margaret's eye, silently asking her to keep him occupied.

"I think that's us." Neal spoke from behind her. He was too close and she jumped slightly, pulling away and ignoring his frown at the sight of Graham in the living room.

"You're going on a date with your boss?" He asked. She could hear the bitterness in his tone and threw a glare at him, making her way towards the kids.

"Alright, have fun at dad's. Behave yourselves, okay."

Abigail gave her a hug and a kiss on the cheek before skipping out the door. Henry stood still to let her drop a kiss on his cheek but didn't speak before following his sister.

Emma sighed again, debating if her date was a good idea, now that her mood had soured.

Stupid Neal, and his stupid compliments, and his stupid wanting to be friends.

"Hey, it'll get easier. It has to. He can't hate us forever. I'll see you tomorrow."

Stupid Neal and his stupid always knowing what she was thinking.

She watched him leave, his broad shoulders tensing as he passed the living room area, where he called out a goodbye to her parents and received warm words in response.

Emma shook her head, taking a few deep breaths after the front door closed before walking towards the living room.

"Hey, Graham. You ready to go?"

He stood immediately, looking relieved that she had rescued him and she rolled her eyes in her father's direction. David shrugged innocently, standing to replace his sword in it's ceremonial case.

"Your dad might be insane." Graham told her as he opened the car door for her. Emma chuckled, feeling her shoulders lighten at his easy tone.

"Might be? You know, you're lucky you only got shown the sword. When I was fifteen, I had a date with Jefferson and dad challenged him to a duel. Mom had to step in and calm everyone down when his parents found out."

"Wow. And how did that date go?"

"I spent the entire night watching him glance over his shoulder for any sign of my dad and his sword. It was our first, and only, date. Alice moved to town a few weeks later and we all know how that one turned out."

Graham laughed along with her as he pulled into the only fancy restaurant in Storybrook.

"Look, I made us reservations here, and in a little place in the next town. It's up to you. You know how this town works, if we're seen together..."

Emma considered it. The vast majority of the town, as far as she could tell, were under the impression that she and Neal were simply having a rough patch, and would be back together within the year. They never hesitated to remind her of everything the two of them had been through together. Of all they had overcome, of the two beautiful children they had together.

None of them mentioned the fights, the nights she slept alone because he was too busy with his precious diner. None of them mentioned the other child, the loss she blamed on Neal, despite knowing better.

She was sick of the gently tuts, the 'oh, you'll make up' remarks that had been following her around town since she announced the separation six months ago. She was ready to move on, and she shouldn't have to hide to do it.

"No, we'll stay here." She answered finally, smiling up at him as she took his offered arm.

"I'm glad you agreed to come with me," Graham told her when they were seated. The waitress had looked at them weirdly, and Emma could practically feel the judgement rolling off the hostess, an old friend of Neal's father. Maybe staying here hadn't been a great idea, she could already feel her shoulders tensing as she gazed around the room. "Emma?"

She sighed and looked at Graham, with his messy hair and youthful face.

"I'm sorry, I zoned out for a second there. I'm glad I came too, I'm sorry I've been such a drag recently."

"Don't be silly, you're going through stuff, you can drag as much as you want." He assured her, pouring a glass of wine for them both. "You know you can talk to me right? If you need to."

"Thanks." she smiled tightly, trying not to catch the eye of Archie. Henry's old therapist was with Dr Whale, Thomas and Ella at a table in the corner and he was staring at her, willing her to meet his eye. He had wanted her and Neal to come in for joint counselling before they announced the separation, and she had ignored his, and Neal's, requests. Since then, she'd been trying to ignore him as much as possible, not wanting to hear his disappointed, knowing voice when he asked her how she was doing.

"So, Neal didn't sound too happy to see me earlier. I take it you didn't tell him you were going on a date with me."

Emma glanced up at him, sighing as she downed her glass and held it out for a refill.

"I didn't tell him I had a date at all. Not really any of his business, is it?"

"I guess not. Sorry, we don't have to talk about him. So, how was your day?"

Emma laughed at his nervous voice. "Graham, we spent the day together, remember? Fight between Leroy and Whale at the market? Then the domestic over on Witch Lane? Then we had lunch, and then we chased the kids out of the forest. We only separated two hours ago."

He was blushing, the red blooming across his pale cheeks and creating a pleasing affect as she watched.

"Relax, Graham, this isn't your first date, right?" She teased. He grinned at her, meeting her eyes.

"Of course not, but it's my first with you."

"And you never forget your first, do you mate? Hello, Swan, looking as delectable as ever."

Emma rolled her eyes at the lilting voice, turning to glare at the interruption.

"Hook, can we help you with something?" She asked coolly.

"I'm here on a date, my lovely, and I happened to see you in that dress and, silly me, assumed that you were with Neal. Your husband." Killian drawled, grinning at the flash of anger in her face.

"My ex husband, you mean?" She bit back.

"Semantics. So, first date, how's it going? Have you had the ex talk yet?"

"Listen, maybe you should concern yourself with your own date, and keep your nose out of mine." Emma snapped. "Did he put you up to this?"

"Emma, maybe we should go..."

"No, Graham. We came here for food, and I'm hungry. Hook was just leaving."

"I can take a hint, but really Swan, if you were planning on moving on already, you could have at least had the decency to do so with me..."

He sauntered away, leaving Emma even tenser than before, and she downed her second glass of wine even quicker than the first.

"More wine, please." She muttered. "I think we might need another bottle."

She ignored the concern on his face and kept drinking.