A/N : So, let's say this is some kind of Friends AU, even though the characters are from OUAT and their personalities have nothing to do with the Central Perk gang. I have NO IDEA how many chapters will follow this one, maybe 1, maybe 5, maybe 10. I'll write some bits when I am inspired and above all, when I have the time. For now, enjoy (?) this chunk! :)
Of course, I own nothing. Not even the title *sighs*
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a houseshare will always turn your life upside down, whether in a good or a bad way. You can wind up hating a friend you used to love before having the stupid idea to live with them, fed up with the way they don't clean their mess or eat the slice of cheesecake you left in the fridge, or form an undying friendship and find yourself another sibling. The tricky thing is, you won't know before giving it a shot. No way to foresee how it's going to turn out.
And yet, the day Emma Swan met Killian Jones, she knew in her guts that he would be her undoing.
The young woman lived with her oldest friend, Mary-Margaret, a sweet young lady with raven black hair and a skin as white as china. Emma liked to call her "Snow White", each time earning a deadly look from her sweet chocolate eyes. But she couldn't help it: Mary-Margaret was beautiful, pale, unbelievably kind and she was deeply in love with David whose glorious face - and back - were surely very royal like. So no, Emma wouldn't stop calling her that, and she certainly got a wicked pleasure taunting David and calling him "Charming". He winced every single time, complaining about the bleached version of the said prince in Shrek, causing Emma to go all Blue Fairy on him. Often, they would ask her who she would be in an enchanted world, and in those moments she pouted and said her world was not enchanted and that she had given up on fantasy many years ago.
Emma had been happy though. She had been happy when she had reached her majority, allowing her to leave foster care and look for a job. She had been happy when she had met Neal six years ago. But being happy for something doesn't mean that this something is right. She had learned it at her expense when Neal had left her at the altar a year before, claiming that he was doing this for her own good, that it was his fault, not hers... She had never heard about him again, and she was happy he had chosen to stay out of her life. Happiness was a tricky thing Emma didn't rely on, too busy sheltering her from feelings. She had this depressing pattern in mind: feelings led to happiness which led to misery. No happiness without misery. No misery without happiness. No happiness without feelings. She congratulated herself for this brilliant logic and contented herself with one night stands, handsome guys who hit her with their best shot and left in the morning without a note or a kiss on the cheek. And when they did so, she hissed and kicked them out. No attachments except for the leather ones, that was her motto. Her heart would never be broken again.
She was watching some junk on TV, too lazy to raise a finger and bother getting dressed. A packet of cookies in her lap and a mug of hot cocoa in her hand, that was all Emma Swan needed. Food brought her happiness, but at least it didn't smash her heart. It only nestled on her hips, but she couldn't care less.
A loud knock on the door caused her to startle and she sighed heavily. "Who's the jerk who dares trouble my doing nothing," she mumbled. She stood up reluctantly, annoyed by the growing volume of the knocks. "Coming!" she yelled. And it's with her pajamas on and a mug of hot chocolate in her hand that she opened the door. Well played Emma, she thought when her eyes fell on the intruder. Hair as black as coal and stupidly fluffy, eyes as blue as the fucking sea and a cocky grin framed by a light scruff. A flow of insults invaded her mind as she tried to pull herself together. He was not the first hot stuff she had ever seen after all.
"Sorry, am I interrupting nothing?" the stranger asked with a smirk.
"You might be," Emma answered, narrowing her eyes.
"Well, my apologies lass, "nothing" is the best kind of occupation, but I'm in a bit of an emergency. Would you happen to have some cinnamon?" His grin widened as his nose scrunched. "And by the scent of your hot chocolate, I'd say the answer is yes, so you have no way to get rid of me."
The bastard. Emma tilted her head to the side, trying to read into Mr Hotly-Annoying. "I could always kick you out."
"Aye, but that'd be quite rude. I'm your neighbor, I could always prove myself... handy."
Wait, was that a freaking innuendo or...? "You're my neighbor now? And where do you live?"
"The apartment right above yours."
Oh god. The noisy apartment, that's how Mary-Margaret and Emma called this particular apartment because of all the... well, noise. He didn't live alone.
"Fine," she sighed as she turned around towards the kitchen, "I'm gonna fetch you some cinnamon."
"Thanks love, my girlfriend will appreciate it."
The sentence stopped her in her tracks and she turned her head back to him. "Is it part of some kinky-spicy thingy?" she asked wiggling her free hand.
The stranger laughed heartily, his blue eyes twinkling. How can they even be so blue. "She's baking a crumble and we ran out of cinnamon. I can't acknowledge the existence of such a cake without cinnamon, so I figured I could knock at your door."
"Why mine?"
"Milah told me she had seen you buying some a couple of days ago."
Oh. Well, that was more than plausible. Emma nodded, embarrassment gradually coloring her cheeks. Why had she assumed that...? Granted, he lived in the noisy apartment and he was the one who made it noisy so... She shook these thoughts off her mind, grabbed the pot of cinnamon and returned to the threshold. He was now leaning against the frame of the door, his arms folded across his chest and his eyes roaming her apartment.
"Here", she said handing him the pot, "cinnamon. May I know the name of the guy who borrows it?"
"Killian Jones, love, at your service."
She chuckled. He had the nerve... "Looks like I'm the one saving your ass right now."
He winked. He was winking. "Can't wait to return the favor lass."
That was an innuendo, or Emma Swan was Mitt Romney. She rolled her eyes and started to close the door when he blocked it with his feet. "And what's the name of the lovely woman who saved my ass?"
"Emma Swan. But you must already know it."
"I do, I just wanted to hear it from you." His lips curled into another cheeky smile. "Have a nice day Swan."
"Bye Jones."
She closed the door and slapped herself, literally. This guy was not allowed to have those perfect blue eyes and this infuriating smile and to be so skilled with his... What? If he made his girlfriend moan that loud he had to be quite skilled. Just an observation. It's not like Emma wanted to know how he...
Cold shower.
NOW.
Another knock on the door, this time lower and less annoying broke her from her fantasy. She put her mug down on the table, sighing when she realized it was now cold, and opened the door. Pursed red lips and perfect wings of black eyeliner appeared.
"Hey Ems, were you doing nothing again?"
Emma snorted. "Again? AGAIN? Ruby I work as a freaking bounty hunter do you think my weeks are that relaxing?"
The said Ruby placed her hands in front of her, palms offered to Emma, and made her way into the apartment. "Wow no need to show me your teeth hon', I was just checking on you."
She hadn't forgotten. Emma closed the door and her eyes for a second and collapsed on the couch. "I'm fine."
"No you're not," Ruby answered while sitting next to her. "This kind of anniversary is never easy."
"And wow would you know? You're flirting with Victor and you're probably gonna date him soon."
"But I was at your wedding remember? I saw what happened. I've seen you falling apart and shut everyone out. And I know that despite this thick armor of yours, the pain's still there."
Of course it was still there. How could she ever forget the way he had run away and left her in her white dress , alone in front of everyone? The stifling and nagging pain she had felt when everything had fallen into place, when she had realized that he was simply gone, that once again somebody had abandoned her?
"You loved him," Ruby whispered while she placed a hand on her shoulder. "It's gonna take more than a year to heal."
Emma scoffed. "Yes, I loved him, that's why I'm never gonna make the same mistake."
Her friend sighed. "We already talked about this Emma, those walls you've built, they're not the solution."
"Not gonna talk about this today. Today is 'nothing day'." Emma heaved a heavy sigh and rubbed her forehead. "Look, I appreciate your help, I really do, but either you sit here and do nothing with me, either you get out."
Ruby opened her mouth as if to speak, her eyes narrowed in worry, but at last, a tiny half smile curled her fleshy lips. "Give me the packet of cookies."
Emma smiled back and did so before turning the TV on. They remained there in silence for an hour, too focused on the pictures or just unwilling to talk, but a loud giggle came mingling with the laugh track coming out of the TV.
"I'm gonna puke rainbows," Ruby whined while eating a large chunk of cookie.
"Don't complain, you're not the one living with her," Emma deadpanned.
"Isn't it hard to see them happy?"
Emma glared at her friend and the latter apologized before quickly getting up and head to the door. Of course it is hard to see people in love when you're all alone. Of course there was this little jealousy nestled in the pit of Emma's stomach. People's happiness remind you of your own misery. But she was happy for them and they were her friends, that was all that mattered.
"I'm sorry, did I interrupt nothing day with my stupid giggle?"
See? Nothing Day was totally a thing. Emma smiled and headed to the door where Mary-Margaret were embraced by David, Ruby laughing with all her might. "Too many interruptions for a nothing day, I'd better postpone it."
"Great! It means you can have dinner with us then!"
"Wait, you guys were having dinner?"
The "without me" hangs in the air as David grinned. "We would've forced you if you hadn't said yes, but it's better if you come willingly."
Mary-Margaret frowned and left David's arms to gently stroke Emma's forearm. "Emma, you know we would never leave you behind, right?"
The young woman gulped and looked at those three people staring at her with so much love and concern. "Yeah," she sighed with a little smile. "I do."
A couple of hours later, Emma smiled at her mirror, an expression of utter satisfaction on her face. She was wearing a tight black dress, perfectly following her curves. She was burying Neal's memory tonight. She had decided that this was not an anniversary she wanted to keep celebrating each year. She was stronger than that. She was not going to sit in the dark and eat ice cream while watching the Notebook. She was going to have fun with her friends and have a great dinner at David and Victor's, the apartment right in front of hers.
She took in a deep breath and made her way to her friends' place. There was a cool music playing softly in the background, laughters blending with the melody, and a strong scent of... cinnamon?
"Fancy seeing you here Swan."
No. Fucking. Way.
She turned around and he was here, with his eyes still as blue as the fucking sea. "What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Victor invited Milah and me. Hence the baking thing. Oh, while you're here," he fished something in his pocket and handed her the small pot of cinnamon.
"Thanks," she let out while grabbing it.
"Emma?"
A beautiful woman had appeared beside Killian, her eyes as blue as his, long black hair cascading on her shoulders. "So you're the moaner," Emma mumbled, her eyes set on her foot.
"Excuse me?" the woman asked with confusion.
"Nothing," Emma hastily replied. "Milah right? Nice to meet you."
"Likewise. Thank you so much for the cinnamon, you saved my crumble."
"You're welcome. As long as I have a bigger slice than the others it's fine."
Milah laughed heartily and leaned against Killian's side. The latter smiled too and looked down at her, but there was something else flooding his irises and Emma couldn't quite shake the feeling that this smile was not really meant to Milah. She shook her head lightly. After all, the lovebirds were not her problem.
"Dinner's ready!"
Saved by the bell. Emma discretely rushed to the table (only Emma Swan could 'discretely' rush and only Emma Swan thought nobody noticed it). She sat at the edge of the table, in front of David and next to Mary-Margaret. Her heart rate increased when she saw Ruby sitting next to Victor on the other side, leaving the chair next to her empty. And as if the said chair was calling out his name, Killian Jones came sit on it, a devilish grin on his face. "You're a fucking leech," Emma hissed.
"I'm just enjoying your company Swan, there's nothing wrong with that."
"Yeah, ask your girlfriend and we'll see."
He shook his head. "It's not like that lass. I like you. But I love her."
"Glad to hear it."
Obviously she was glad to hear that. It was not like she was attracted to him or anything. But he had those gorgeous eyes and... No. Her mind wouldn't wander there again.
The remainder of the dinner went pretty well. The chicken and mashed potatoes were great and the crumble excellent. A tiny moan escaped Emma's mouth as the apples melted on her tongue and she closed her eyes for a second. When she opened them, she felt Killian's look her and she heard him chuckle. "What?" she scolded.
"Nothing. It's just..." he leaned towards her ear. "Seeing you having a foodgasm, I can't even imagine how you look like when you have an actual-"
"Good," she cut him off, her eyes sending daggers and her tone harsh, "because you'll never see me having one."
"Never say never love. I'm your neighbor after all."
And he was not flirting with her? This guy had some serious issues. And his girlfriend was sitting right next to him for fuck's sake.
"Sorry guys, I'm exhausted, I think I'm gonna get some rest," she said as she got up.
Mary-Margaret and Ruby looked at each other before getting up in unison. "We're coming with you," Mary-Margaret said.
"Look I'm fine-"
"We're tired too," Ruby added, giving her the shut-the-fuck-up-and-let-your-friends-help-you look.
"Alright," Emma sighed, "let's cross the hall then!"
They said goodbye to their friends and got out of the apartment, but Emma felt a burning look scorching her back as she closed the door behind her...
"I'm gonna go home as well," Milah said once the ladies were gone. "I'm working tomorrow. Killian?"
The latter looked at David and Victor and flashed her an adorable smile. "I think I'll stay with the guys for a while."
"As you wish. Try not to wake me up when you come back." She kissed him tenderly and left.
"Jones," David thundered once she was out, "what the hell is going on?"
The latter frowned in confusion."What do you mean?"
"Oh come on," Victor scoffed, "we know there's something going on between you and Emma."
Killian chuckled. "What? Me and Swan? You've got to be kidding me. I just met her and I love Milah. Have you guys forgotten I'm about to propose her?"
Victor crossed his arms over his chest and sighed. "Look, you wouldn't look at her this way if you weren't attracted to her. We know you're a cocky bastard who can't resist a pair of boobs, but ever since you're with Milah you've been faithful and loving. Don't mess that up. Neither of them deserve it."
Killian took a gulp of his beer and put the can down. "I'm not gonna screw up. Not gonna lie, Swan is quite a pleasant sight, but I'm in love with Milah. I would never cheat on her."
"Good," David snapped, "because Emma has suffered enough. So keep it in your pants."
"Or in Milah."
An awkward silence lingered for a few seconds. "How classy of you Victor," David remarked, shaking his head in denial.
The two of them burst out laughing despite their best efforts to remain serious, and Killian joined them. But something was holding him back. He meant it, he would never cheat on Milah. He'd been with her for six years and he loved her deeply, he'd be a fool to screw that up. But there was something about this Swan, something broken and raw. She was full of life and yet so guarded, and he couldn't help but be attracted to her, like a pirate to a buried treasure. And her eyes, her curls, her curves, the way she wrinkled her nose when she smelled food, the way she pouted when you had the nerve to disagree with her...
Wait, why did he even know all that stuff?
"Wait, he lives in the noisy apartment?" Mary-Margaret asked in shock.
"Yeah, he's the one who makes her moan that loud."
"Jeez, she's so lucky..."
Emma and Mary-Margaret stared at Ruby in awe. "What?" the brunette asked. "He's hot! Have you seen him lick his lips earlier? Man, I would've paid to help him lick the mash potatoes off his lips..."
Emma took a pillow and threw it at her friend. "Seriously?" Ruby laughed.
"He's a total jerk and he's taken, don't get into that mess," Emma told her.
"You're one to talk," Mary-Margaret noted with a knowing smile.
Emma coughed and widened her eyes. "Excuse me?"
"Are you that blind?" Ruby asked. Emma was pretty sure she was going to jump on her and tear her limbs apart. "He's spent the whole dinner devouring you!"
"True. He ate you more than he ate the dishes."
Even Mary-Margaret now. "Oh come on," the blonde whined.
"He's totally into you darling."
"And too bad for him, but I'm not into him. Plus he is TAKEN."
"That's a detail."
She gave her that look. "Ruby..." Emma sighed.
But the brunette took her friend's hand and peered into her eyes. "You've been through a lot Ems," she said softly, "it should give you the right to fetch happiness without caring about anyone."
"But I care. That poor girl didn't do anything!"
A bright grin broke across Mary-Margaret's face. "So you admit you're attracted to him?"
"What? No!" Emma scoffed. "Don't make me say things I don't even think."
"No need to make you say those things, you'll realize soon enough that you think about it without our help."
Emma wanted to give them a biting reply. She wanted to tell them she didn't give a crap about this guy, that she didn't feel anything for him, that she wasn't attracted to him at all. But the words died on her lips, giving birth to a pregnant pause. Emma Swan said she had a particular gift: she could tell whether people were lying are not. That was why she never lied and always said what was on her mind. But right now, in front of her friends, she couldn't say the words. Because deep down -well, not even that deep- she knew they were right. Not on everything though, she would never break a couple and cause Milah's misery. And she didn't want to get involved with this Killian Jones. But the electricity was there, the magnetism... Or maybe was it all about his blue eyes.
Whatever it was, Emma took a pillow and covered her face with it before yelling into the fabric, frustrated and defeated. Her friends high-fived and giggled, certainly already planning the next step of the attack -because yes, there would be an attack. Love is battlefield, and if Emma chose to fight on her own against her feelings, Mary-Margaret and Ruby wanted her to fight with the guy, and the sweaty way.
The blonde didn't have the heart nor the energy to tell her friends there would be no sweaty way, no attack, no hunt. She dug her head further into the pillow, desperately trying to muffle her thoughts.
But all she managed to do was blocking her breathing and she ended coughing like an idiot.
"Emma?" Mary-Margaret inquired with worry.
"No," the blonde mumbled, her head still covered by the pillow.
"Is it a good time to tell you I've drooled on this pillow while watching Pretty Little Liars?" Ruby asked cautiously.
They heard a muffled grumble. "No," the blonde muttered once again. "Ezra Fitz?"
"Yup."
Emma whimped and threw the pillow away, a pout curling her lips.
"Emma," Mary-Margaret softly said, "you do whatever you want to. We just want you to be happy. Just listen to your heart okay?"
She smiled. Her dear friends. They wanted her happiness. In her entire life, they had been the only persons worried about this matter.
Friends. They are the only ones who stick with you, even when the rain starts to pour.
Especially when the rain starts to pour.