The new episode stills made me do it…

You Were the Only One in the Room

"Just follow my lead," he says as they are announced to the dance floor.

She doesn't even hesitate to nod, looking around at all the beautiful gowns of the people who belong here, the people who know what the hell they're doing. They need this to be believable and she can't remember the last time she danced with a partner.

He squeezes her hand, watching her carefully as they walk in a tight circle and then come to a stop in position. "One hand on my shoulder," he urges, "And just hold my fake hand with the other."

The bitterness in his voice doesn't escape her – she knows that he's ashamed of his prosthetic, that the lost limb represents a part of him he'd rather forget. So when she reaches out to position herself correctly, she's uses a soft and deliberate touch to wrap her hand around his.

He's so close, his warm breath fluttering across her cheek, and she looks up to him with a smile on her face. She may be nervous, but she's never been more glad to have him by her side. He returns the smile with a shaky breath and then the music starts.

His other hand burns on her lower back and she relaxes into his touch, letting him lead her around the dance floor.

"I'm going to spin you out now, lass. Two steps forward and then back to me, okay?"

She nods, following his movements and trying to mimic the other woman dancing around them. When he catches her back in his arms again she lets out the breath she didn't realise she'd been holding.

"Very good."

Something about his approval makes her heart soar. It's almost like when she had been performing magic for him in the diner – she wants to impress him, to show him that she's capable of whatever life throws at them. And she's only just starting to realise why that is now.

"What's next?" she asks, the hand on his shoulder slipping a little higher, almost caressing his neck.

He brings his hand a little lower on her back, only hindered by the layers of her gown, and draws her in closer, "I'm going to spin out from you and drop to my knee, just don't let go of my hand."

She nods again, listening for the cue in the music and watching as Killian exacts his move, a smile on his face as he looks up at her.

When he stands again and pulls her back in, they're standing a lot closer than they had been and she concludes that the formal part of the dance is complete. The crowd thins out and only a few other couples stay on the dance floor, giving Emma and Killian a clear vantage point of Prince James and his bride who is most certainly not Snow White.

Emma turns her head to ask a question and finds herself with her lips very nearly pressed against Killian's cheek. He's so close she can smell that faint trace of leather that will follow him whether he's wearing the stuff or not. Feeling her movement, he turns as well, their faces less than an inch apart.

Her breath hitches and she feels his fingers spread and then contract on her back, a sure sign he's restraining himself.

Now is not the time.

"What do we do now?" she asks, breaking their spell.

He pulls back a couple of inches, blinking as though clearing his head. With clear blue eyes locked on hers, he answers, "We fight for love, of course."

And she thinks it's about time they did as well.

Thoughts?