"Another pirate movie?" Emma gives an exaggerated groan as she listens to the details of her next job. "Aren't there already enough of those in existence?"
Regina heaves a long-suffering sigh and leans forward in her desk chair. "Apparently not, Miss Swan." She scribbles down a note on a piece of paper and slides it across the desk to Emma.
"This is the address. They want you on set by 7:30 tomorrow morning."
Emma takes the slip of paper and stands from her chair. "Alright. Thanks." She lets herself out of Regina's office without another word.
Killian awakes to the sound of his cell phone ringing on his nightstand. He reaches for it blindly, feeling around before he gets a hold of it. He checks the caller ID and sees the incoming call is from his assistant, William Smee.
He sits up and clears his throat before he answers it. "Hello, Smee."
"Uh, good morning, Mr. Jones. Did you know that—"
"Smee," Killian sighs, pinching the bridge of his nose, "I've told you before, it's Killian. Now, try again."
"I'm sorry, sir. Good morning, Killian. Did y—"
"Atta boy, Smee."
"Thank you, sir. Did you know that you are supposed to be on set by 7:30 this morning?"
Killian pulls the phone away from his ear so that he can check the time, which reads 7:21. Shit.
"Thanks for the call, Smee." Killian hurriedly rushes off of the phone, hoping he didn't sound sarcastic.
He leaps out of bed and changes his clothes before heading off to the studio.
7:45. It is 7:45 and the jackass hasn't shown up yet.
Emma barely manages to smile as her friend and coworker, Ruby, hands her a takeaway cup of coffee.
"Relax, Emma," Ruby sighs, "I don't know why you always get so uptight about punctuality."
"Because, Ruby," Emma tries to keep her voice calm, "he is wasting my time."
"Whatever. It's Killian freaking Jones. How are you not excited just to be in the same room with him?"
Emma scoffs as she takes a sip from her coffee cup. "So he's been in a few movies. So what? I'm not impressed."
"Ha," Ruby laughs dryly, "you wouldn't be, Miss I-Don't-Date-Actors. Maybe you oughtta step outside of your comfort zone."
Emma shakes her head, trying to shut out the memory of those soft brown eyes and that gut-wrenching disappointment that always comes along with them.
(You date one actor and you've dated them all.)
"Whatever you say, Ruby. This Killian guy better have a damn good excuse for—"
"For what, exactly?"
Emma turns her head to see a tall, handsome, dark-haired man walking up to her and Ruby. She can see that he's already been to wardrobe, as he's dressed from head to toe in black leather. The shirt he's wearing under his almost-floor-length coat is barely buttoned— are there even buttons on it?— and it provides her with an enticing view of his chest, which she can see is furred and muscular.
(Not bad.)
She knows that this is Killian; she recognizes him from what little she's seen of his work. She folds her arms across her chest and raises an eyebrow at him.
"For wasting my time. You realize you were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago, right?"
He laughs— he actually laughs at her— as he sits down in her chair. "I must say, you are making quite the first impression, lass."
"Yeah," She huffs, turning to get his makeup ready, "so are you, pal."
Ruby's cell phone rings and she looks at it before turning to Emma. "Yikes! I gotta take this one, Em. Be back later."
Emma watches as Ruby scurries away, cell phone held tightly to her ear.
She moves to stand beside Killian as he sits in her chair, eyes closed, waiting for her to begin. She dabs concealer under his eyes and uses a sponge to blend it into his skin.
"You should get more sleep," she offers in an attempt at breaking the silence. "These dark circles aren't helping either of us."
He chuckles softly, and she barely manages to keep her hand steady as he shakes with laughter. "I will try to remember that one. And before I forget: what's your name, darling?"
"Emma Swan," she answers with a sigh as she turns her back to him and puts the concealer back into her kit.
She moves on to apply his eyeliner— what is it with pirates and eyeliner?— and she has to physically hold his chin to keep him still.
"Seriously? Why are you so squirmy?" She grunts in frustration after nearly poking him in the eye for the fortieth time.
"I can't bloody help it. I can hardly say that I'm used to wearing this sort of thing." He mumbles out his indignant reply as he continues to struggle against her hands.
"You're such a big baby. You're lucky you're a pretty one or the ladies would never put up with you."
He opens one eye at that, and raises an eyebrow. "Oh, hardy har har. All I heard is that you think I'm pretty."
"You aren't funny," She deadpans, turning his head from side to side to ensure that the eyeliner is even.
(Okay, so maybe that one was a little bit funny. But she makes sure that he's closed his eyes again before she smiles.)
"Don't you worry, Emma. I'll win you over yet."
"Yup. We'll see."
He smiles and quirks an eyebrow. "Aye. That we will."
"Alright, open your eyes for me." She commands him as she takes a step back so that she can get the full effect.
Her eyes rove over his face, taking silent inventory of the bases and colors she's mixed so that she'll be able to do it again tomorrow.
As she's watching him, he's doing the same to her; letting his eyes wander from her face down to her neck, taking note of the lovely swan necklace she's wearing.
"That's quite a nice chain you've got there, Swan."
At the mention of her necklace, she reaches for it before letting her hand fall back to her side. "Thanks, I guess."
"Where did you get it?" He asks nonchalantly, as if he doesn't know that the very subject is threatening to swallow her whole.
Well, he doesn't.
"What the hell is this, 20 questions?" She deflects his inquiry with a pointed glare, hoping he'll just let it go.
"Ah, I see." He looks at her with a knowing glint in his eye. "It was a gift from a former love."
Emma shakes her head because this is not happening right now.
"So what if it was?" She asks with a sigh and a roll of her eyes.
He shrugs his shoulders in surrender. "There's nothing wrong with that, it's only a necklace," his left hand unconsciously moves to run its fingers over his right forearm, "at least you can take it off."
Emma wonders what he means, but only for a second before Ruby runs up to them.
"Mr. Jones? They need you in wardrobe again."
Killian smiles and rises from Emma's chair, giving her a slight bow before turning away. "Until tomorrow, Swan."
He leaves before she can say anything back, and for a few moments she just stands there and thinks.
But not about him, of course. Because she doesn't date actors.