I would like to thank my wonderful beta reader hookedonapirate for all the help and support, without her this story would never have seen the light of day.

Also a big thank you to liloproductions my amazing artist for creating the banner for the story, I love it! Go check the banner she made!

She doesn't know how it happened, but she is in love with Killian Jones!

It all started in September, the first day of school.

She was the new kid, and she tried to keep to herself and stay out of everyone's way. Well, she tried, but she didn't really succeed. Because she literally fell in someone's arms.

"Oh, steady there," he said in a british accent.

"Sorry." Emma tried to go around him and leave.

"Don't worry about it," he smiled. "Are you new? I haven't seen you before."

"Yeah, first day actually," she answered rather awkwardly.

"Then let me introduce myself - Killian Jones, sophomore."

"Emma, Emma Swan. Also a sophomore."

"Pleased to meet you," he beamed at her. "Do you need any help getting around?"

"No, I am good," she replied and left him alone at the hallway.

She thought that was the last she would see of him. But boy, was she wrong. It turned out, they had all the same classes. Like all of them. From Math, and English to History and Chemistry.

So, yeah, it wasn't really her fault that they started hanging out. How could she not when they spent all of their time in school together?

On the plus side he fit in well with her small group of friends. Ruby, who she met in gym class and had become something like her best girlfriend. The raven haired teen thought he was funny and good to look at, and it didn't hurt that she had her eyes for his friend, Victor. Even Graham, who helped her find her English class and who she started to consider as a friend, though he was okay, and he was never easy to accept new people.

Eventually, they started to see each other outside of school as well. He took her to all of his favorite places around Storybrooke - Granny's for milkshakes and onion rings, the movies because "Come on Swan, they're playing a Harry Potter marathon," and the docks to watch the boats. "They are ships, Swan."

They were becoming fast friends, but that's it, nothing more. Friends who spent all of their free time together or with their shared group of friends. And they liked hanging out with each other, and sharing their hopes and dreams and their pasts. Which was a first for Emma.

As the weather became colder, they spent all their time at Killian's place. Emma's foster parents were nice; Mary Margaret and David were doing their best to make her feel at home. But still, she liked to hang out at Killian's house better. He lived with his big brother, Liam, who worked a lot, so it was usually the two of them. They watched movies, snuggling on the couch, doing their homework and having dinner together.

When Liam and his girlfriend Elsa, were home, they all hung out together. They played board games or cooked. Her favorite pastime was watching Liam teasing Killian, like when he called him "little brother" and Killian corrected him, but he did so while smiling. She knew they cared a lot about each other because it was just the two of them.

To top it off, she didn't feel like an intruder in their home; they always made sure she was comfortable and included. Emma felt at home there; she felt safe. She didn't know why yet, but she was about to figure it out.

During their Christmas break, she went to his house to hang out like usual. They were supposed to study as well since they had some math problems, and Emma could use his help for that. Math wasn't her favorite subject.

Liam opened the door and welcomed her in.

"Hi Emma," he greeted with a smile. "Killian is upstairs in his room. I will get him for you."

"Thanks, Liam." She moved to get her shoes off, hearing Liam calling from upstairs, "Killian, your girlfriend is here".

She froze. Girlfriend? When did Killian got a girlfriend? Why hadn't he said anything to her? Who was she? A sudden feeling of jealousy started taking over her. Did Ruby know? Was it Ruby? No, it couldn't be. She was dating Victor.

Suddenly, she remembered an incident that happened at school before the break. Killian was on his way to his locker, and she went to surprise him when he stopped to talk to Tink, the cute blonde from history class who always wore mini skirts. Was she his girlfriend?

Just then Killian was coming down the stairs with a grin on his face.

"Hi love, I thought we could watch a movie or we could go out for a hot chocolate at Granny's."

Emma was still standing by the door, so he approached her and touched her arm. "Swan, are you okay?"

She tried to smile and nod when the realisation hit her.

Liam was referring to her as his girlfriend.

She felt relief for a moment and then shock. Was she his girlfriend? Well sure, they spent all their time together, he always watched after her, she cared about him a lot, and yeah she loved him, but girlfriend? Realization hit her like a brick.

She loved him! She did love him. She was completely and totally in love with him.

Now that she's able to admit it to herself, where does she go from here? She doesn't know what to do.

She smiles at him and replies, "Yeah sure, let's just watch a movie." She spends the whole time thinking about it.

Killian senses she is distracted, but he knows sometimes she needs space before she can talk to him, and he accepts it.

By next week, she is still distracted and she keeps avoiding him.

He knows she went out with Ruby two days ago, because Victor came over to play video games and he told him. He even joked, asking him if they were having trouble in paradise. It's not like they are a couple and they have to always be together or inform the other when one of them is having other plans, but they always talk about their plans.

He knows it's just him she is avoiding. On the one hand, he is relieved she has her friend to talk to, but it still hurts that she doesn't talk to him.

So he decides to confront her. He goes to her place, but she isn't there. Her foster mom told him she went for a walk, so he knows there is only one place she could be.

It turns out, she is there, sitting on a bench by the lake, where he took her the first time they hung out, just the two of them, and he wanted to take her to all of his favorite places around town.

He stays for a moment admiring her from a distance, she is wearing a red coat and jeans, her hair is loose and she looks stunning. He takes a deep breath and starts walking towards her.

"Hey Swan, I thought I might find you here. Is everything alright?" he asks when he is at a hearing distance.

She jumps a bit at his voice. She was so lost in her thoughts, she didn't heard him coming. She quickly recovers and answers."Yeah, of course. Why wouldn't it be?" She then gives him a fake smile.

"It's just that we haven't seen each other a lot this week and I have a feeling you are avoiding me" he admits, and there is a hint of pain in his voice.

She hurt him, but she doesn't want to hurt him. She loves him, and she doesn't know if he feels the same.

"Everything is fine, Jones. It's just a bit busy with the holidays and stuff."

"All right then," he murmurs, and she knows he doesn't believe her. He always was able to read her like an open book. "Are we still on for New Years?"

They had made plans some time ago. He and Liam would go to her place and spend New Year's Eve with her family. And on New Years they would all share dinner together.

Her foster parents had invited them over after Thanksgiving when they found out that it would be just the two of them. Mary Margaret said with the time they spent together, it would be rude to separate them on such a holiday, and Liam had accepted their invitation since he wasn't much of a cook.

"Yes, my foster parents are all over the preparations. You should see how many recipes Mary Margaret has searched through in order to find the perfect one for a New Year's pie."

"Okay. What do you want to do now?" he asks, afraid she prefers to stay there alone.

"Am I your girlfriend?" she blurts out, and manages to leave him speechless.

"Uh… hem..." he coughs. "Excuse me, Swan?", he says while scratching behind his ear.

"It's just that… nothing. Forget about it," she says and turns around to get up and leave. But Killian is quicker and puts his hand on her arm before she does so.

"Emma, please don't hide from me. Do you want to be my girlfriend?" he asks with a shy smile and his heart is beating so fast he thinks it might explode.

"Liam called me your girlfriend the other day. So am I?"

"Do you want to be?"

She doesn't meet his eyes, and instead she looks at her hands in her lap

"Because I would want nothing more than to be able to call you my girlfriend. To be able to kiss you as I've thought about so many times before. To hold your hand and hold you in my arms. You are so beautiful, Emma, inside and out, and…"

He doesn't get to finish his thoughts before Emma leaps forward and kisses him. It takes him a moment to react, and he kisses her back, as he's dreamt of doing so many times before.

When they break the kiss and touch their foreheads together, he asks breathlessly. "So, what do you say Swan, am I your boyfriend?"

Her "Yes" is answered between kisses.

8 Years later:

They exchange vows at the very same lake where they shared their first kiss. Mary Margaret and David, her now adoptive parents are sitting near Liam and his wife, Elsa. Their friends are all there to witness this important moment of their lives.

After the minister pronounced them husband and wife, just before Killian bends his head to kiss her, he whispers, "Am I your husband, Swan?"

Her answer is once again swallowed by his kiss.

And she couldn't be happier that she is madly in love with Killian Jones.

The End.