Chapter 1: Rolling in the Deep
The sunlight peered through the window, gently caressing Killian's face. He opened his eyes slowly, gradually becoming more aware of the weight pulling the mattress alongside him slightly down. He tilts his head and sees a tangled mess of blonde hair and a bare back facing him. He smiles to himself as he looks at the way her hair reflected the sun in a copper light.
He froze. This didn't feel right. His satisfaction and happiness dwindle as he stares at this sleeping form alongside him. Cursing himself, he slips out of the bed he doesn't recognize, grabs his shoes and discarded clothing, and slips out the door. How did he even think for one second that that woman would fill the gradually increasing void in his heart. She wasn't enough.
Emma opens her eyes as the sunlight becomes more persistent and basically impossible to ignore. She rolls over, reaching out, only to find the side of the bed where he was supposed to be empty and also cold. She opens her eyes and looks around the room. That's strange, she thinks to herself, I wonder where he ran off to. She rises, putting her clothing back on, and walks through the bedroom door, hoping and praying that he didn't abandon her.
"Good morning babe. Hot Cocoa?" She hears from behind and a small smile plays on her lips. She turns around to face him and smiles at his dirty blonde hair all sorts of messed up and the smile lines in his eyes.
"With whipped cream and cinnamon."
"Like I'd forget that." He hands her the already prepared drink kisses her cheek.
"Thanks, Neal." They sit in her living room in silence for a little while, just smiling at one another but Emma can't help but feel restless as the awkwardness seems to continue on and on.
"Look Ems, I'm sorry about last night." A shock travels through her but she does well to cover it under her mask and sweetly smiles at him.
"We already discussed it. I forgave you. Drunken mistakes happen." She sees a flash of something in his eyes and cringes. "What I'm saying is that it is forgotten."
"That's my girl." After she finishes her cup of cocoa, she rises from her spot on the couch, kisses him goodbye and heads out the door. Classes weren't going to wait up for her.
"Morning Sunshine!" Robin shouts as Killian tries to sneak in their dorm.
"Bloody hell mate. Aren't you supposed to be in bed?"
"Well I couldn't sleep another wink knowing that my best mate was going to be late for class so I figured I'd get up and offer some assistance." Robin winked.
"Or you just got back from spending time your lass and were hoping I could tell you of my conquest to get some manhood back by proxy." Killian shot back.
"Oi! I'll have you know my manhood is just fine."
"In Regina's purse." Killian chuckled. Robin blushed, knowing that his battle was pretty much lost at the moment. The glimmer remaining in his eye however told Killian that he wouldn't get off the hook so easily.
"So how was last night?" Damn. The hope of not acknowledging it just went out the window and he knew it. Slipping on his most charming smile as a defense mechanism, Killian began his tale of luring the fair maiden that Robin had seen with him. But beyond that nothing- 'as a gentleman never shares his private affairs with a beautiful woman.' At Robin's eye roll, Killian excuses himself to get ready for class.
"See ya around, mate." Killian rushes through the room and toward the door.
"She was a close one this time." Robin shouts and Killian stops in his tracks. "What was it that threw you off this time? Her eyes were blue if I remember, right?" Killian couldn't bring himself to move. He took a long breath to steady himself and slipped right back into that charming façade.
"Not sure what you mean, mate, she was an angel. Your leaning toward brown eyes won't affect my choices in women." After flashing his brightest of smiles, he left the room with as much speed as he could muster.
What threw you off this time? He hears in his head. Damn him for being so perceptive. It wasn't the eyes though. Her hair was close in kind, but it just didn't have that gold glow to it. That pure aurelian halo that just seemed to radiate warmth and stopping his heart at the recognition of what siren was underneath it every time. Almost as if his thought had summoned her, he sees a flash of that very golden light in his peripheral vision.
"How are you today, Jones?" He doesn't hesitate, his charm slipping off his tongue as if it were being formulated immediately of its own accord.
"Come closer and feel for yourself, love." She scrunches up her nose and punches him.
"Oh my, how uncharacteristically chivalrous." She sighs, her voice practically dripping with sarcasm.
"Oh, I'm nothing but a gentleman, Swan." He smiles. This was always the best part of his morning. "Unless you request otherwise."
She stops, looking him up and down slowly, making his breath hitch. In an attempt to keep that small detail from giving way, he raises an eyebrow and stops.
"Well, since your offering," she gives him a smirk, "I think I'd rather listen to Dr. Hopper's lecture on the classification of various mental instabilities for the next week."
"There's that fire, Swan. You know I love a challenge." He drawls. "Maybe I'll take the liberty of telling Hopper that you wanted to discuss his lecture further and put that remark to the test?" The look of horror she gives him had him doubled over within moments.
Her stomach always did a flip at his laugh. He always seemed to make her day better. The way he knew how she felt and thought better than anyone, the way that they both would have their walls up and see it in each other's eyes like it was their secret. They never pushed too hard. Never broke the trust that they shared. In exchange for this understanding, they had those moments where they would let each other in, sharing little stories and managing to come out feeling less burdened. She needed that. Needed someone she could lean on like that. A family.
"Pick yourself up, Jones." She rolled her eyes. "If you make me late for classes again I'm seriously going to ditch out on our morning trips." His eyes went wide, still a smile on his face, and placed a hand over his heart.
"How you wound me, Swan!"
"I'll show you a wound if you don't start moving those feet of yours." She laughed. They made their way to their morning class about five minutes late and Emma sent him a half-hearted glare, not that it affected him in the slightest. He just cocked head, threw one of his kilowatt smiles and winked at her. After notes upon notes and few stolen moments of whispering when Hopper's back was turned, class was over. On the walk back, Killian put his arm around her.
"So love, what's on the agenda for the day? Fancy a drink and binge session on the tele?"
"You know I can tell when your laying you accent on thicker, Jones, that 'charm' doesn't get my knees week like your usual prey." He steps in front of her, nose nearly brushing against hers and she almost accidentally walks right into his lips.
"Maybe I'm just trying to show you a good time, love..." His voice is almost husky, its lowness making her stop breathing altogether. They stay there for a moment and she can feel herself being pinned by those eyes of his. They were just so devastatingly blue that sometimes she swore they could glow. The moment passes, feeling a lot longer to the two of them than it actually was. But Emma is a professional at breaking his spells. She throws an eye roll at him and he blinks, "and maybe my real intentions are to get the lady swan to stop neglecting her duties as my friend." With that, she sends him an apologetic smile.
"Okay, fair point, Jones. I'm sorry I've been flaking, but I'm actually being kidnapped by Ruby in an hour to find an outfit, like I don't already have clothes." She sighs.
"So does that mean you'll be at the party your brother will be throwing?"
"Yeah, after I get what's most likely to be the longest makeover ever, Neal and I are going to meet up with everyone." She smiles, but stops short at seeing something in his eyes. Assuming its neglect, she hugs him. "Don't look so down, mate," her failed attempt at his accent making him laugh, "tomorrow we'll hang out, okay? Promise I'll make it up to you."
"And how do you intend on doing that, love?" He winks
"How's takeout and a binge on American Horror Story sound?"
"Ah, with that, Swan, you have my attention." He smiles. "Now run off. I'm sure Rub won't appreciate being kept waiting. In her world, you're already late." Shit. She forgot that Ruby was all about getting her into the all day 'treat yo self' thing going every time they hung out.
"You're right. I'd better go. See you at David's!" With that she was running across campus.
Killian watched his Swan go, finally able to digest the displeasing information he was given. She and Neal. Always her and fucking Neal. Every step she took away from him and was like a dagger in his heart because in the back of his mind, it was a step closer to him.