Ruby threw an Xbox controller at Emma, then turned on the console. She spun around to meet Emma's grin with a grin of her own. "Are you ready to kick some tail?"

Emma scoffed. "Of course I am!"

It had become a tradition for Emma and Ruby to have a sort of girl's night every Sunday. they'd drink a little wine and play a little Xbox live. Ruby had gotten better since they began the tradition, but she was no Emma. Her gamertag had quite a bit of a reputation attached.

Emma craved these getaway nights, when everything was fantasy and a little tipsy and she didn't have to think about real life. She certainly didn't mind the voice of the British gamer coming over her headset. Not at all.

-

The girls weren't the only people that made plans to play every Sunday night. David and Killian, two flat mates, chose Sunday to be their night in. they usually played Xbox, and David had quite the armada of friends on the thing. Killian was honestly surprised by the number because of how awful David actually was. He acted like some prince, all noble and charging into battle, but it was normally a suicide mission. Maybe that's why people like him on their team, Killian thought. He's an easy distraction, and he was a scapegoat.

"I've an idea," Killian suggested that Sunday evening. "How about we play some Reach? I know I can kick your bloody tail."

David scoffed. "Yeah right!"

A challenging grin crossed Killian's face. "Try me."

David stormed over to grab a controller and threw one at Killian. "Let's hope you put your money where your mouth is, mate."

-

Emma scrolled through the choices of games they could join, and finally settled on one that had a couple of higher ranking players, one with the tag of kill-joy. She smirked, knowing how this would end. Typically guys on here thought they could beat her, or they severely underestimated her. She decided to give this one a go.

Entering into the game, Emma realized her and Ruby had been placed on this "kill-joy"'s team. She furrowed her eyebrows, a bit upset at the sudden realization. Oh well, she rationalized, there are still plenty of others to destroy.

They easily took out the other team in round one. Emma wasn't much of a talker during these kind of games, but Ruby swore like a sailor. Emma only said things if they were asked of her, or were necessary to win the round. This game was a tad different, however. She seemed to have been placed on a strategic team, which was unlike how she had played before. Usually Ruby and her worked out a strategy between the two of them and did smaller jobs to accomplish the mission, to defeat the other team. Emma was pleasantly surprised by the turn of events.

For once, someone made use of the mic rather than just shouting obscenities at a player who messed up. A familiar voice with a british lilt started giving commands. She bristled at first, because usually Emma was the one who gave the commands on her team. As she listened further, however, Emma discovered that his commands weren't all bad, and helped their team quite a bit. His strategy was brilliant, as much as she hated to admit it. It didn't change the fact that he was arrogant and cocky, but when she saw his gamertag, she begrudgingly realized he had the right to be. Kill-joy.

David squinted at the screen, as if that would it improve his game. It certainly didn't. But he played a lot better when Killian was leading their team. He looked over at Killian and noticed the smirk on his flatmate's face. "Why are you smiling?" David asked curiously.

"Oh, no reason," Killian replied lightheartedly. "This is just the best team I've had in months, mate."

"Is it punchbug? Because I've definitely heard of her before. She's great," David quipped.

Killian turned to face his flatmate, momentarily forgetting the match. "Punchbug is a girl?" He rolled his eyes at David's nod. "She's good," he reluctantly admitted. He turned back to the screen.

"But I'm better."

Emma groaned as another command filtered through her crappy headset. She was ignoring them, but this one caught her attention when the british voice asked, "Punchbug? You there?" She looked at Ruby, who was grinning at her. Answer him, she mouthed. He sounds hot.

"Uh, yeah?" she replied awkwardly. "Good. Okay, so here's the plan. Since you and I are the best in this game, I say we lead different groups to advance." Emma was taken aback. She didn't expect praise from the cocky british guy. "Okay," she coolly replied.

"Oh, and love?" the voice added, in a bit lower, sultry tone. "I'm Killian."

"THIS IS BULL." Emma shouted at the screen, while Ruby laughed at her. "How can that british…killjoy just friggin' WALTZ IN and reach it before us? He was TOYING. Toying, Ruby," she sat down, exasperated. She could honestly say something like this had never happened before. Ever. She looked over at Ruby only to find her best friend laughing at her.

"Emma, you do realize he's flirting, right?" Ruby snickered.

Emma set her jaw. "What? No. That's not a thing. Stop." Ruby started to add to her previous statement, but she just cut her off. "Not now, Ruby. We've got a mission to accomplish."

Three rounds later, Killian was pretty bloody pleased with himself. He managed to rile up a girl, and beat her at her own game. Or so David said. He leaned over to his friend and nudged him. "Hey mate, you should add the bug girl as a friend."

David looked at him curiously. "Why don't you?"

Killian felt taken aback. He didn't think about that. "Aye, that I will." He clicked the add button and waited with more anticipation than he would've thought possible.

He was a tad surprised later that night when he realized she had added him. But it was more than that, he was happy.

"I only clicked accept so I can beat him later," she explained to Ruby as her friend looked at her with a knowing grin.

Ruby put her hands up in defeat. "Okay, Em, whatever you say."

This turned out to be the first of many Sundays that Ruby and Emma played with David and Killian. Unbeknownst to them, Sunday has become a tradition for the boys as well. Moreso because Killian made David play, but he didn't mind. He just liked talking to people, while Killian liked talking to Emma. Emma. He found her name on her profile, and called her that just to annoy her. But he secretly knew she liked it, he could tell by the slight stutter in her voice in between their sparring jabs back and forth.

Don't let the verbal sparring didn't mislead anyone. Both always played on the same team. She was determined to outrank him, though, so it was a constant battle between the two for top rank. But their team never lost. They had recruited, persay, others to join their team. Killian felt like a leader, and Emma felt like she mattered. Even if it was only Reach.

During the midst of a shootout in a higher matched game of theirs, Ruby went down, as did David. It was only two others, Victor and Robin, as well as Killian and Emma left. It was a sudden death match. Emma suddenly got very nervous. What if she got out? She couldn't win then, and she hated to have to think about the fact that she needed to rely on her teammates. Ruby was gone, and the only one she knew sort of well- was Killian.

Sure, he sent her messages, and she may have responded to a few of them—okay, maybe more than a few… but that didn't mean she could trust him.

It's almost as if he could read her thoughts, because a hushed voice—Killian said, "Try something new, darling. It's called trust."

"I trust you!" she said a lot more firmly than she thought it would have come out. She heard a chuckle. "Good that."

Victor and Robin were down now. It was just Killian and Emma left. Trudging through the post-apocalyptic world, Killian and Emma's verbal jabs had ceased, and there was silence. Not the uncomfortable kind of silence, but the silence where it's perfectly okay not to say anything because you don't have to. It was tense because of what was at stake, but she enjoyed every second of it because Killian was with her. It was perfect, Emma realized, then quickly shook off the thought. Get your head in the game, Swan.

There was a large explosion, and Emma got in hand to hand combat with one of the rival team members. Her shields were down and she was almost done for, but Killian put a knife in his back. He turned around to face Killian, and Emma moved over a bit so she could grab the precious object. The tally screen popped up, and her team was listed first. "Yes!" she shouted, much to Ruby's complaint. "Whoop whoop!" Killian laughed along with her, and she could hear the mirth in his voice.

"I don't mean to upset you, Emma, but I think we make quite the team."