A/N: This is written for hollyeleigh for cssercet2k18 on Tumblr. You mentioned you like bedsharing and stranded tropes with angst and mutual pining, so here's a story with all of those things and a bit of fake!dating thrown in the mix. It turned out much longer than I had imagined, so I divided it into 3 parts. The next 2 will be posted on Christmas and the day after. I hope you enjoy the story! Merry Christmas, Hollye!

A couple of shouts go to onceuponaprincessworld for helping me with this and residentofstorybrooke for giving it a quick look over!

Emma's phone buzzes incessantly with the familiar chime against the oak surface of her desk, the screen lighting up to indicate another message has been received. As she nurses a cup of hot cocoa with cinnamon, she doesn't even need to move her eyes from the paper she's currently grading, to read the actual content of the message or the multiple previous ones.

She already knows what the messages are about and who they're from.

Christmas at Ruth's has been a topic of conversation between her family and close friends for several weeks now. Emma has a string of group messages on her Facebook messenger to prove it. The gathering is an annual tradition, and everyone looks forward to it all year long.

Everyone except for Emma. At least, not this year.

It's not that she doesn't want to see everyone or catch up with them, but since it's the first Christmas without Neal, she will constantly be reminded of how completely and hopelessly single she is. Plus, ever since Mary Margaret married into the family, she's always taken over the reins. She has her mother-in-law completely wrapped around her little finger. And don't get Emma wrong, she loves the petite brunette who'd stolen her brother's heart in high school, she really does. But every year before she'd met Neal, she was always harped on for not bringing anyone with her for Christmas. Now that she's not with him anymore, everyone will just feel sorry for her and treat her like she's a porcelain doll while trying to not gossip about what had transpired between her and Neal. However, Mary Margaret has never been known to keep something to herself, so Emma doesn't really see Christmas as being completely void of Neal gossip.

Emma's eyes eventually move to the phone laying on her desk, and she purses her lips, staring in serious contemplation. The moments hang heavy before she sets her mug down and finally picks up her phone.

There are several messages that follow Mary Margaret's inquiry about what day and time everyone will be arriving so she can start planning meals, and the last two are for Emma since she hasn't responded in the last couple of days.

When will you be here, sis?—David

Are you bringing anyone, Emma?—MM

She sighs deeply at her desk, debating how she should reply. Maybe she should just tell them she can't go. On the other hand, if she doesn't go, she'll never hear the end of it. Either way, she'll be pestered by them, but if she does go, she'll have to face them in person. If she doesn't go, she can just ignore a million messages and phone calls she'll receive.

Decisions, decisions.

A knock on the door tows Emma from her thoughts, and she's thinking it's probably one of her students who didn't show up for finals, wanting to make up for the exam they had missed, even though Emma had made it perfectly clear in the syllabus there were no exceptions for exams. Everyone was to turn in their completed exam to Emma before the end of class that day.

Before she can respond to the knock on the door, it's already being opened, and the person on the other side is stepping into her office.

"Sorry there is no makeup exam," Emma says as she lifts her eyes to the intruder who has already reached the other side of her desk.

Emma's mouth falls agape when she realizes it's not one of her students. She pulls off her reading glasses, folding them in and placing them on her desk as she stands up. "Sorry, I thought you were…" Emma smiles bashfully, stumbling for words and steering her gaze away to avoid looking him directly in the eye.

"One of your students?" he finishes when she's unable to.

"Yeah." Emma's eyes move back to him, and her breath catches as his brilliant ones meet hers. He's wearing a grin that highlights the dimples in his cheeks and is framed by a ginger stubble she's often thought about, wondering how it would feel pressed against her lips... or other parts of her body. "Sorry."

He is so gorgeous, it's almost painful.

"Don't be, love, it's typical this time of year. Everyone wants to leave Storybrooke and get to their families for the holidays."

"Yes, but grades have to be turned in by New Year's Eve. We don't get an extension, so why should they?" she asks, her tone more serious.

"Aye, but it's Christmas, Swan," he reminds her, running his hand through his dark, already unruly hair, like he's been running his hand through it several times that day. "It's the holiday of giving," he reminds her with a soft grin as he rounds the corner of her desk and takes a seat on the edge, facing her.

"I'm well aware." Emma picks up the phone from her desk and points the screen at him. "It's hard to forget when you get a facebook messenger alert every five seconds from your family reminding you just how close we are to Christmas."

Killian chuckles and reaches into his pocket, pulling out his own phone. "I get the same messages, remember?" he teases, holding up the device.

Emma lets out a sigh, rests her elbows on the desk and sets down her phone, dragging her palms over her face. "Sorry, I know I'm kind of a scrooge when it comes to Christmas," she mumbles into her hands.

"With good reason," he adds softly as she lowers her hands and catches his smile fading a bit.

"You mean because my fiance dumped me on Christmas Eve last year via text?" she blurts out, her tone a bit sharper than she had intended.

Killian offers an apologetic smile, and Emma is flooded with regret at how grumpy she is towards him when all he has done is show her kindness.

Emma moves the stack of exams to the side and takes a seat on the edge of the desk next to him. "Sorry, it's just hard to show up at Christmas alone after I was dumped the last time I went."

Killian graces her with a smile and takes her hand in both of his. Goosebumps crawl over her skin at the contact. "Hey, I never said I blamed you for the way you feel." His eyes darken, features twisting as his mind wanders and he's deep in thought. "The holidays aren't easy for me either, love."

"I know," Emma says in merely a whisper, her heart aching for him. She feels awful for sulking over a fiance who had broken up with her when Killian had lost his wife to cancer a few years ago during the weeks leading up to Christmas. "I can't even imagine what you went through."

"I wouldn't wish it on anyone," Killian says with a broken smile.

"How do you do it?"

Killian lifts his eyebrows, a questioning look etched in his features. "How do I do what?"

"How do you return to Ruth's every Christmas with a cheerful smile on your face after what happened?"

Killian shrugs and releases her hands gripping the edge of the desk on either side of him as he peers down at the floor. "I may seem happy and cheerful on the outside, but on the inside… there's a raging storm brewing inside me just threatening to break through," he replies softly.

"I know," Emma comments softly. "I know when people are lying, remember? When you say you're okay, I know you're really not."

Killian lifts his eyes, offering a frail smile. "You know, Emma, you're about the only one who gets me. Everyone else thinks I've just flipped a switch and that I'm ready to get back out there and move on with someone else, but they don't know how hard it is."

"They don't know loss as you do, but they can only hope you are doing better and wish you the best."

"And I wish I was, believe me."

There's an instance of silence as Emma stares wistfully at the broken man beside her. She remembers the first time she had met him. He was so full of life, he was happy and in love. Emma had begun teaching at Storybrooke University when she'd met him. They both work in the History department at the university, and Emma had a huge schoolgirl crush on him… until she'd found out he was married. As if finding that out, weren't cruel enough, she'd also found out their older brothers were college buddies before they had moved away from Storybrooke after graduation. And every year the Jones brothers and their wives were invited to Christmas at Ruth's, and every year, Emma wishes she were the one going as Killian's date.

So when she'd met Neal, things seemed to take a positive turn… until Killian had lost Milah, and two years later, Neal had decided to break off the engagement with Emma on Christmas Eve. He'd made some excuse as to why he couldn't go with her, saying he was snowed in at the JFK airport when attempting to come home from his business trip. It turned out, his business trip was a beautiful scientist he'd been seeing for months before he'd decided to call it quits with Emma. So, she and Killian are both single, unlike any other year, but they've been too busy picking up the broken pieces of their pasts. Fate not only had a cruel way of throwing a wrench in one's plans, it also had a cruel way of making plans come together.

"Shouldn't you be leaving for Oklahoma?" Emma asks him, changing the subject into something less painful.

"Aye, I was going to leave tonight. I just finished some things in my office so I thought I'd stop by and see if you're okay since you haven't responded to anyone's messages in the group chat."

Emma sighs as she's reminded of her family and their impatience when she doesn't get back with them immediately. "Let me guess, my brother put you up to this?"

"No, love, I promise you I came here on my own free will," he assures her.

Emma nods, accepting his answer. "I plan on going, I just wanted to finish grading exams first. I'll probably leave the day after tomorrow, which will mean I'll arrive late Christmas Eve, so it's perfect."

Killian scratches behind his ear, which is a habit Emma has learned he fails to resist when he's nervous. Another dead giveaway of the panic he's experiencing is the way his cheeks are turning an adorable shade of pink. "Well, love, seeing as we're both going, perhaps we could ride together? I wouldn't want you to have to drive all the way there alone, and this way we can save on gas taking one car as opposed to two."

"Oh uh…" Emma stammers and her mouth hangs open, his question taking her off guard. "That's okay, I've made the trip alone before, and besides, I don't want you to have to delay leaving because of me."

"Well, how would you feel about a compromise? We could leave tomorrow morning," Killian suggests.

She likes the idea of driving there with him, but on the other hand, being trapped in a car with her ridiculously attractive colleague could pose a problem, one that Emma's not sure she's brave enough to face. "I don't know, I'm not in a terrible rush to be reminded of how single I am," Emma laughs wryly. "And having to tell them I won't be bringing a boyfriend to Christmas is even more of a reason to dread going."

"Tell me about it," Killian says, rolling his eyes. "Last year neither Mary Margaret or Liam could accept that I came alone, hoping I was able to move on already."

"Yeah you would think they would back off a little, but nope, I don't think they're incapable of such a thing. Even if we arrived together, we'd still both be single," Emma grumbles resentfully. She almost wishes she could tell them Killian's her boyfriend just so she doesn't have to be nagged about being single.

"Aye, love, it makes me wish that we're going together as a couple so they'll shut their mouths."

Emma's about to say she was just thinking the exact same thing when suddenly Killian's statement, as playful as it was, gives her an idea. "Wait…" she begins, her eyes widening as she considers the thought and stands up, turning to face him.

"What is it?" he asks, peaked with curiosity.

"What if we did go as a couple? Would you be opposed to the idea?"

Blush paints Killian's cheeks as he scratches behind his ear again. "Emma, that's a nice idea, but I don't remember either of us asking the other out."

"Well, I don't mean as a real couple. We could just tell everyone we're a couple to get them off our backs."

"Really? Are you sure, love?"

Emma shrugs nonchalantly, somehow able to hide the anxiety she feels about the whole idea. "I mean, why not? We already know each other and we work at the same university, so it wouldn't be that much of a stretch to say we're together romantically. Then when we come back here we can just tell them we broke up." As Emma is presenting this crazy idea to him, she's still conflicted about spending an entire day of driving with him, not to mention the fact that if they're a couple, Ruth will probably have them share a room at her house.

Killian stands up, and as he begins pacing her office, she can see him caving in because, dammit, it really is the perfect solution to their problems.

He mulls it over a moment though, and maybe for dramatic effect, or maybe he really is debating whether he should agree to it or not, because why would a man like Killian Jones be interested in being with her, or at least pretend to be? He's handsome and witty and smart, and she's… well, she's Emma. She's always been the ugly duckling who nobody had wanted until Ruth adopted her when she was fourteen and was tired of bouncing around to different group homes. Then again, Killian also became an orphan when he was a teenager and was raised by Liam when their parents died. So in that regard, she and Killian had at least one thing in common, other than their occupations as History professors. Not to mention, they are both far too accustomed to dealing with loss.

Killian pauses in his tracks and turns around, a thoughtful expression still written all over the lines of his face. Who is she kidding though? He doesn't even like getting too close to her in family photos at Christmas, Ruth always has to tell him to move closer, so why would he want to accept her proposition?

"You really don't have to, it was a stupid—"

"It's an excellent idea, Emma, and it would be my pleasure to tell everyone we're together."

"Really?"

A smile stretches over his lips, and Emma can see the authenticity of his words buzzing in those alluring blue eyes. "Does it look like I'm lying?"

She shakes her head, a laugh escaping her mouth. "No, not at all."

A torrent of feelings rush through her system; she's relieved, she's excited—noecstatic— Killian has agreed to this, but at the same time she's a complete trainwreck. She's going to be spending twenty-seven hours alone with Killian Jones.

Then again, what could possibly go wrong?

Killian arrives at Emma's house early the next morning with nervous butterflies flapping around in his stomach. He grabs the two Starbucks coffees he'd procured on the drive there, and when he reaches her building, he takes a deep, wobbly breath and presses the buzzer of the apartment number she'd given him. Hearing the door buzz, he opens it, stepping into the building, and sashays up the stairs to her apartment.

With a tentative knock, he waits with bated breath. He's not sure how to feel about the set of circumstances which have brought him to her doorstep. He likes the idea of spending time with Emma; he just doesn't like the part about having to fake a relationship with her.

"Hey, Killian, come in," Emma greets him, frazzled and almost out of breath as she opens the door. "I'm almost ready, I just have to get a couple things and then we can go."

"Take your time, love," he assures and notices Emma's eyes gravitating towards the items in his hands. "I brought you some coffee," he announces with a cheeky grin, holding up one of the beverages.

He loves the way her green eyes light up as she takes in the sight of the red and white holiday cup with the Starbucks trademark and the brown sleeve wrapped around it. "Thank you so much, I've been dying for some coffee," she says, taking it appreciatively.

"You're very welcome. It's a chocolate macchiato with cinnamon and whip cream. Just the way you like it."

Emma takes a sip and lets her eyes fall shut, appreciating the way the hot liquid hits her tongue. He watches her intently, his eyes following the tip of her tongue as she licks her lips to clean off the remnants of cream that lingers around her mouth. "You are such a good boyfriend," she comments with a small smile, and he has to tear his eyes away from her lips, lest she catch him staring.

"I try to be." Killian dazzles her with a smirk, his cheeks reddening as he tilts his head.

"No seriously, you are such a lifesaver, I could kiss you," she says before taking another sip, and heads inside the apartment.

Killian almost drops his coffee, his mouth falling open at the thought of Emma's lips on his. He's only imagined what it would be like to kiss her once... or twice... or perhaps a thousand times before. "It's not a problem, Swan," he reassures her, taking a step into her flat. He slips his free hand into his jeans pocket as she walks to her closet. "We're already going to the same place, so it only makes sense to drive together."

Emma retrieves a red wool jacket, and Killian takes her coffee, setting the beverages on the bar counter, which separates the main room from the kitchen. "Well yes, but I was talking about you pretending to be my boyfriend. I mean it's kind of an odd thing to ask a colleague."

He grabs her jacket, holding it up so she can slide her arms in the sleeves. "Ah, well like I said, Emma, we both have the same dilemma, and we're saving gas by traveling together, so why not kill three birds with one stone?"

"Well, when you put it like that, I don't feel so bad," Emma agrees with a laugh, pulling out a pair of knitted gloves and her grey beanie from the jacket pockets.

"Is there any luggage you would like me to carry?"

"Just a suitcase," Emma replies, leaving him briefly to retrieve it.

He takes the opportunity to look around her tidy apartment and the framed photos hanging on her walls and scattered around the room. He's even in one of them, along with everyone else in the group photo from last year's Christmas. Ruth has an old camera, which was her late husband's, and she always sets the timer so they can all be in the photo. Somehow Killian always ends up standing next to Emma when they pose for the group picture, and Ruth always has to tell him to move in closer. He's always hesitant because as much as he wants to get closer to her, he doesn't want to invade her space or make her feel uncomfortable. And perhaps there are other reasons as well.

Emma returns and sets her luggage on the floor, interrupting his thoughts.

"Allow me?" he asks, pointing at the suitcase.

"Oh, you don't have to, I'm capable of carrying my own stuff," she assures him.

"I'm aware, Swan, I'm only offering as a gentleman, and may I add, your boyfriend for the time being," he says with a cheeky grin as he picks up her luggage. "Grab the coffees and I'll get the suitcase?"

Emma rolls her eyes, a smile taking over her lips as she opens the door for him and grabs the coffees. "Fine." They head out the door, and she tucks one of the cups in the crook of her arm so she can lock up before they make their way towards the staircase. "And as my temporary boyfriend, I expect you to show up at my door with coffee in the mornings and nightly foot rubs for the duration of the trip."

Killian chuckles as they head down the steps. "You're a very needy girlfriend."

"What can I say, I have lots of needs," Emma teases, but in reality, Killian has never known her to be a needy person. "Actually, I've never had a boyfriend who did any of those things for me. Neal never brought me coffee or opened doors for me, and he sure as hell never rubbed my feet unless he was hoping for something in return."

Killian's eyes darken as Emma tells him these things, though he's not at all surprised. He's witnessed the kind of man Neal is, and to say the bloke doesn't deserve a woman like Emma—a woman with fire in her eyes, a warm soul (despite the mean front she puts on display occasionally) and the passion in her heart—would be an understatement.

"You're the best boyfriend I've ever had, and you're not even my real boyfriend," Emma adds as they walk outside where the winter winds bluster against their faces, giving them a small dose of whiplash.

Killian wants to say something regarding Neal to support her statement, but instead, he keeps it to himself. The last thing he wants to do is upset her.

"Hey, where are you going?" Emma asks when Killian starts heading towards his sharp blue BMW, her words laced with confusion.

"We're taking my car," he replies, continuing his trek.

"Why not mine?"

"Love, no offense, but my car will get us to Oklahoma, yours will not," he points out, opening his trunk and tucking away her suitcase before letting the trunk lid fall shut.

"Hey, what's wrong with my Volkswagen?" she asks defensively. "It's a classic car."

"That's not always a good thing, Swan," he remarks with a laugh. "For example, does your Volkswagen have heated seats?"

She lifts a brow to her forehead."Yours has heated seats?"

"Sure does," he boasts cockily.

"Fine, you win..." she relents with a playful eyeroll and walks to Killian's car as he makes his way to the passenger side and opens the door for her. "Thanks, mister fancy pants," she says sarcastically as she she gets in. Killian shuts the door and goes around to the driver's side, chuckling to himself.

"Hey, just think of it this way, you won't have to pay for gas," he says once they're settled in, seatbelts secured.

"You know I don't mind chipping in gas money."

"Emma, I don't expect you to. We're taking my car so I'm more than happy to take care of the gas expense."

She accepts his reassurance, offering him a smile. "You really are a good boyfriend, aren't you?"

Killian starts up the car and cocks his head to the side, throwing her a lopsided smirk. "I don't like to brag, but I am known to be a pretty great boyfriend, actually."

Emma laughs, once again rolling her eyes. "I would never take you for the bragging type," she jests playfully.

"Oi, I am very modest," he assures and pulls out of the parking spot, driving out of the lot.

"Whatever you say, honey," she teases, lifting her hand to squeeze his shoulder.

Killian's stomach does somersaults at her touches and how she teases him like they're actually dating. He knows she's just practicing for when they arrive at Ruth's house, but is it so wrong for him to want this be real?

She removes her hand from his shoulder, and he immediately misses her touch. "So, we should probably talk about how we started dating," Emma suggests, initiating the inevitable discussion of details, each of them tossing ideas back and forth. Sometime during the discussion, they realize since they're now supposedly a couple, they should get each other gifts, but then decide against it, seeing as they're telling everyone the relationship is new.

They arrive in Massachusetts an hour later when Emma finally texts Mary Margaret privately to let her know she and Killian are on their way. (If she'd mentioned a boyfriend in a group chat, her sister-in-law would've known she's bluffing.)

I'm riding with Killian—E

Gnawing on her bottom lip, she sends the message and quickly adds on:

Btw we're dating now—E

As soon as she fires off the message, butterflies start fluttering around in her stomach.

A second passes (literally only a second) and Emma's phone is ringing in her hand as she receives a video chat from her sister-in-law. Emma laughs and accepts the call. "Wow, that was fast, I'm impressed."

"You're dating Killian?!" Mary Margaret shouts jubilantly and is loud enough, Emma's sure everyone in the entire two-story house can hear her.

Killian chuckles at the woman's excitement, and Emma points the screen at him.

"Tell her, baby."

Killian keeps his eyes on the road, only briefly glancing at the screen. "That's right, lass."

"We were going to surprise you, but we didn't want to keep it to ourselves any longer," Emma explains, returning the screen to her face.

"David, did you hear that?! Emma and Killian are dating!" Mary Margaret calls out, looking off to the side.

Emma has to suppress her laughter, relieved that her sister-in-law is buying this.

"Where's Killian?" David asks, his face now visible, a confused frown settled in his features.

"He's right here driving."

"Let me talk to him."

"Here he is." Once again, Emma brings the phone up by Killian's face, aiming the screen at him.

"Why didn't you tell me you were dating my sister?" David demands in his protective, older brother tone.

"Sorry, mate, it's very new."

"How new?"

"Two weeks," he answers, as he and Emma had discussed before she had texted Mary Margaret.

"Well, it's about time."

Emma's eyes widen in surprise and she sees the blush tingeing Killian's cheeks

"After both of you became single, Liam and I had a bet going to see how long it would take for you two to get together."

Killian scowls at the screen and returns his eyes to the road. "You what?"

"Killian, we were only playing around. You and Emma are perfect for each other, we've both always thought so, we're just surprised you two didn't get together sooner."

"Can I speak with my brother, please?" Killian asks curtly.

"Sure." David leaves the phone with Mary Margaret and comes back with Liam a moment later.

"Is it true, little brother? Are you really dating Emma?"

"Bloody hell, it's younger brother, and yes I am. The better question is why are you placing bets on our romantic lives?"

"Oh relax, Killian, it was eight months ago, and we just bet twenty bucks and a lifetime supply of beer."

"And should I dare ask who won?"

"It was me, actually," Liam gloats with a smug grin. "David said you two would be together in a month, and I said six, so close enough."

"Can I have the phone back, please?" Mary Margaret begs, and men disperse, the brunette once again appearing on the screen. "Okay, I want to know everything."

"For the record, not all of us want to knoweverything," David adds, poking his head in front of the screen.

"You don't have to." Mary Margaret rolls her eyes at her husband and playfully shoves him aside.

Emma shouldn't be surprised her sister-in-law can't wait until they arrive to get all the info, but Emma surmises it's a good thing to get it all out of the way now, rather than be bombarded and suffocated by everyone with all of their questions at Ruth's. She regales Mary Margaret with a made-up tale about how she and Killian had been dancing around their feelings for each other until he finally had the courage to ask her out for coffee. Emma tells her they've gone out to lunch or dinner every day since then before they'd decided to make things official between them by going to Ruth's together, and Mary Margaret eagerly gobbles up every word.

"I'm so happy for you two!" she cries out ecstatically, her cheeks swollen with how much she's smiling.

Suddenly Emma is reminded of why she'd thought of this idea in the first place—to make her family happy.

"Drive safe!" Mary Margaret tells them before they end the call.

"Typical," Killian remarks, rolling his eyes. "I lost my wife and you had your heart broken, and still our brothers have to make a wager on our romantic lives."

Emma raises her eyebrows and tilts her head, replying with "Are you really surprised? You're talking about our meddlesome families," Emma reminds him with a laugh.

"Aye, but still, I have to apologize for my brother."

"Please, my brother's not any better."

"They're both stubborn asses," Killian and Emma chant at the same time and chuckle at themselves.

"Oh boy, what did we sign up for?" Emma asks, the laughter slowly dying in her throat.

"I'm not exactly sure, but whatever happens, we can get through it together, right love?"

Emma nods, ready to handle anything thrown their way. "Exactly."

They drive for seven hours, playing a game of history trivia since both of them are huge history nerds. They stop occasionally for bathroom breaks, food and gas, and switch seats so Killian can rest his eyes for a beat. The drive is mostly pleasant, the casual chit-chat and the radio keeping them occupied. The weather is thankfully not too bad; it's windy and there are the occasional icy spots on the road, but it's mostly clear, with the exception of delicate snowflakes sprinkling the road. Once they reach Columbus, Ohio, the halfway point, it's nearly ten o'clock and Emma scours out the hotel Killian had reserved the night before. With a yawn, she pulls into the parking lot and finds a spot, shutting off the engine.

They're both exhausted as Killian grabs both of the suitcases (she doesn't have the energy to argue with him about it) and they trudge inside the hotel, approaching the front desk.

The clerk greets them and pulls up their reservations, but apparently, there seems to be some confusion. "I apologize Mr. Jones, but I only have one room under your name."

"Well, then do you have another room available? We need two."

The receptionist shakes her head. "I'm sorry, we're completely booked for the night. We won't have another one until tomorrow afternoon."

"That won't do, we're only staying for one night. Does the room at least have two beds?"

"I'm sorry, there is only one king-sized bed, but there is also a sofa."

Killian looks at Emma, eyes full of apology as he pulls her off to the side, asking the clerk to give them a moment. "Sorry, love, I really did reserve two rooms. If you want to find another hotel—"

"No, it's okay, we won't have any better luck at this hour. We'll just make due."

"Alright, well you can have the bed, and I'll take the sofa."

"Whichever you prefer, I don't mind sleeping on the sofa."

"Emma, I insist you take the bed."

"Why don't we just decide when we get to our room?" Emma sighs, growing annoyed, but not with Killian, only with the situation and the need to sleep in a bed regardless of who's there in the room with her. Thirteen hours on the road and half of it driving has made her a little surly.

They return to the desk, and Killian pulls out his credit card. "We'll take the room."

"Killian, you don't have to—"

"Emma, I don't mind, really."

"But I would like to pay since your paying for the gas, especially if you'll be the one sleeping on the couch." Emma pulls out her card, handing it to the receptionist.

He sighs and slips his card back into his wallet. "You are a stubborn lass, you know that?"

Emma flashes him a tired smile. "So people have told me."

Once they receive their key cards, they take the elevator to the fourth floor with their luggage in tow and find their room. Normally Emma would be nervous about spending a night in the same room with Killian alone, but she's far too tired to think about the circumstances at the moment. She's also far too hungry, and when they enter the room and deposit their suitcases on the floor, a rumble comes from her belly.

"Would you like to get something to eat, Swan? I can go pick up something for us. I saw a Chinese place close by that's still open, I can just walk over. I need to get out and stretch my legs anyway."

Emma nods in acceptance. "Chinese food sounds amazing actually, and I'm going to take a shower while you're gone. I feel gross from being in the car for thirteen hours," she laughs weakly, unzipping her suitcase.

"Sounds like a plan, Swan," he agrees with a warm smile. Her heart flutters with the way he looks at her, and she feels bad for snapping at him in the lobby. "What would you like?" Killian finds a pad of paper on the desk to jot down what she wants and calls the restaurant to order their food.

As he's on the phone, Emma returns to her suitcase to find a pair of pajamas when she realizes her mistake. "Shit!" she curses, feeling like a dumbass.

Concern washes over Killian's features as he finishes the phone call and tucks the device into the inside pocket of his jacket. "What's wrong, love?"

"I…" Emma digs through her clothes to be certain, but sure enough, there are no clothes she can wear to bed, only jeans and the outfit she'd planned on wearing on Christmas Eve. "I didn't bring any pajamas. I didn't know I'd be sharing a room with someone," she states, a light blush creeping into her cheeks.

"Oh, that's okay, you can borrow one of my t-shirts." Killian goes to his suitcase and searches through his clothes, "which apparently I only brought one of," he chuckles in amusement. "I didn't think to bring pajamas either, for the same reason. I always sleep in my birthday suit," he confesses as an adorable shade of red flushes his cheeks and the tips of his ears.

"I always sleep in my underwear, and I always leave a few pairs of pajamas at Ruth's when I visit."

"I do the same, and every year we get at least two more sets of pajamas for Christmas, so I wasn't worried about bringing any with me."

They share a laugh at the situation, and Killian ends up tossing her the t-shirt, which Emma catches with hesitant hands. "I'll sleep in my boxers, but I'll wait until the lights are out to take my pants off," he assures her.

"Thank you," she giggles, appearing to be nonchalant on the outside, but her stomach is doing flips on the inside at the thought of wearing his shirt. It's certainly going to be a long night.

"Not a problem. Thank you for covering the room, Swan."

Emma offers a small smile. "No problem. And sorry if I seemed agitated in the lobby. I'm just tired is all."

"No need to apologize, love, we're taking the same trip, so I know exactly how you feel," he chuckles. "The food will take a half an hour, so I'll probably be gone when you get out of the shower, but I'll be back soon."

"Okay." Emma heads to the bathroom with a bag of her toiletries and his t-shirt and shuts the door behind her. After setting her things on the countertop, she turns on the shower, undresses and tosses her clothes on the floor.

Killian takes a deep breath, one he didn't even know he was holding when he steps out of the hotel room and tilts his head back, resting it on the door behind him. He'd said thirty minutes, but leaving sooner had seemed like a good idea, considering she's naked in the bathroom; he was afraid his body would start reacting to the images flooding his mind. He tries not to think about her that way, but Gods he can't help it. She's so beautiful, with golden blonde hair, luminous green eyes and long, sexy legs. Not to mention her soft curves he wants to stroke and feel under his fingertips.

And it's going to be so much worse when he returns to the room because she'll be smelling like scented shampoo and body wash, and she'll be wearing his t-shirt. The same shirt he wears all the time will be sheathing her beautiful, soft skin and coated with her lovely scent.

Bloody hell, he really needs to get a grip.

She's a family friend and a colleague. He needs to stop thinking about her any other way. But as he takes the elevator and walks to the restaurant in the bitterly frigid cold, he can't get the images of her wearing only his shirt, out of his head.

When he goes inside the restaurant to wait for the food, he tries to distract himself by playing on his phone and reading the group messages on his facebook messenger.

The food arrives ten minutes earlier than expected, he pays at the register and he leaves with a takeout bag. Heading back to the hotel, he forces himself not to think about the blonde temptress he's sharing a room with for the night.

Cracking the bathroom door open and poking her head out to see Killian is still gone, even though it's only been twenty minutes, she steps out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her body. She reaches her suitcase to retrieve the comb she'd forgotten to grab before stepping into the shower. As she finds the travel bag she had slipped it in, she takes it out as her towel slips from her body and falls to the floor, pooling around her feet. Emma's not in a huge rush to pick it up, it's rather warm in the hotel room and she can almost feel the steam coming from the bathroom.

She starts combing her wet locks and heads to the bathroom, entering the fogged up room. She shuts the door behind her before realizing she'd left her wet towel on the floor. Not wanting Killian to think she's a slob who doesn't pick up after herself should be second priority, she'll be the first to admit, but it doesn't stop her from leaving the bathroom bare naked as she continues to comb through her wet, tangled hair.

As she makes her way to the foot of the bed where her towel is lying crumpled up on the floor, the door is being opened and Killian is entering the room.

He's expecting her to still be in the bathroom, but when he enters the room, his feet halt immediately when he catches the scene before him.

He doesn't mean to, but his eyes are drawn to Emma's stunning, naked figure when she emerges from the bathroom. His gaze sweeps over her soft curves and a set of the most gorgeous breasts he's ever seen, her pale pink nipple stiffened by the droplets of water rolling down from her hair and leaving a thin, wet trail across her creamy skin.

"Oh my god!" Emma screams when she realizes he's there, and stops in her tracks, paralyzed with embarrassment, her eyes widened in horror. She attempts to cover up what she can, one arm draped over her breasts and the other hand covering her nub as she folds her right knee over her left one, using her leg as a shield.

Killian finds it within him to turn away and close his eyes. She immediately bends over to pick up her towel and flees to the bathroom, slamming the door shut behind her.

He has to pick up his jaw from the floor, unbidden images of Emma's beautiful, naked form permanently etched in his mind.

Bloody hell.