A/N: This story is a combination of many thoughts that have been going on in my mind. Maybe even a mesh of a few tropes. If you think it's one thing, it may veer as the story goes along. This is definitely a shorter story. One not filled with angst, because I know I can get angst. So just enjoy something fluffier from me, without the fear of tears and heartache.


Prologue

"Wait a second, okay?" Emma Swan pressed a hand and all of her weight into her best friend's back, using him to lean against. The other hand immediately fell down as her high-heeled foot came up to meet it. "These shoes are killing me."

"You're the one who wanted to get all fancy for a dance you barely wanted to even attend."

Killian Jones' murmur held a tinge of playfulness to it. His gaze slid down over hers, watching the way she slipped her foot from out of its prison.

"Hey, I doll myself up for you and that's the response that I get?" Emma couldn't hide the smile on her face at even her own sarcasm. She leaned even farther against him as she rotated her now bare ankle just off the ground.

"For me? I think it was more about overall pleasing parents, Emma."

He was right, of course. Because, for their own singular reasons, school dances hadn't mattered to either one of them. It hadn't been a surprise then that they had both been ready to ditch the party not even an hour into it. Now, it was all about finding a way to get off the premises undetected and without a thousand questions being fired their way.

"Okay, I'm ready." Emma rolled her eyes, keeping the sigh in, as she slipped the heel back onto her foot.

Killian was quick to take hold of her now free hand, pulling her closer to him. His steps were once again speedy as before she'd stopped them.

"What's the rush though?" Emma frowned as she kept up at his speed. "Liam said it was going to take at least ten minutes to get here."

"I'm trying not to get caught is all." Killian stopped abruptly, almost causing her to slam right into him, and turned back to face her. "How are your feet?"

"I'm fine."

His smile was small. Genuine.

"I… feel like… I should apologize. I'm not… good with people." Killian's eyes danced across her face. "All those people in there? It was beginning to make me feel a little claustrophobic."

Her best friend. That's what he was always going to be. So she understood the… issues that he dealt with. She knew his insecurities and how his shyness sometimes got the best of him.

"Well, I was tired of all the fakeness," she assured him, lifting her chin (and maybe her nose) into the air. "You may think you're not good with people, but I can't deal with people who have to play some role. And our school is full of those people."

Killian offered her another smile. He was silent for just a moment more. Then, giving her hand another gentle tug, he began moving again.

"So we're going to just sit out here in the parking lot until Liam gets here?" she asked with a frown.

"He'll be here soon enough."

Emma let her eyes travel across the half-empty parking lot. There was a sigh on her lips as they continued on to some quiet and hidden spot on the lot, waiting for a familiar car to pull up.

"This was an all-around bad idea anyway. I know that. You know that."

She came in contact with his back.

"How is that? Don't dances and after-school activities solve all teenager's issues? Anyway, you're supposed to be the one to crack this shell, you know?" Killian turned his smirk on her. "They seem to be hoping, at least." It was more than just the smirk this time. There was even a little sadness in his eyes.

"Well, I'm doing my best." Her aching feet didn't stop her from pulling ahead so that she could take her place beside him. "Are they looking for miracles?"

"Hey! Am I that much of a project?"

His offense to the question made the corners of her mouth turn up. "I was thinking more of… my…"

"Your parents, Emma?" That question was soft, and maybe a little too insightful.

When was she going to ever be used to those words to describe them? Wasn't taking their name and agreeing to turn foster care into an adoption enough?

"That's parents for you."

"I'm not the best one to have an opinion on that, I guess."

She'd spent nearly her entire life in the system. Even the two plus years with the Swans didn't automatically prepare her to be all-knowing of what family dynamics were supposed to consist of.

"It is though: parents for you."

Killian made her smile again.

His hand slipped from hers just as he feet paused. Her eyes swept across the lot as a sigh left here lips. Looking back at him, she didn't ask the question of why they stopped there, amidst all the parked vehicles.. She figured that he and Liam had made it their designated spot for pickup.

"Sometimes… I wonder though…"

Emma watched as Killian leaned into the car parked in front of them, not hesitating or worrying about a possible issue that might cause.

"What?" It was the way he leaned there, her best friend…

He didn't look at her. It was either his feet or the ground that held his attention.

"Why… this isn't good enough." His fingers laced together, the hold looking tight. "You know?"

"Like… why they push us to influence each other?" Emma raised an eyebrow that he didn't see. "Like… why do they think you need it?"

Killian looked up at her then. There were stains of coloring in his cheeks as his clear blue eyes gazed upon her.

Emma took a step towards him, bringing her right back next to him.

"I like the shy side of you, Killian." It was a whispered confession as she shook her head. "It means that when you share something it is important to you. That it's not for everyone."

He leaned even farther against the side-panel of the car.

"And I like that you are a little spitfire, Emma." A shoulder lifted in a shrug. "I like that you are tough and that it takes something to get you to open up. Trust even."

"That's only because I did it with you," she whispered, knowing it was the truth.

Killian's lips tremored into a smile. "Aye, maybe so."

Emma smiled back. It was for many reasons. Most of them had to do with Killian Jones. It had to do with her best friend of over a year. Two very different kids, but two kids that had found something within the other that was… possibly needed. Possibly… even missing. Until…

He probably thought that her life wasn't as hard as she made it out to be. He probably believed that she added drama to her life that didn't need to be there. But… it wasn't like she didn't see the dream life that he had. Successful parents who loved him. An older brother in which to idolize. But… then again… moving to a new country at the tender age of fourteen couldn't have been the easiest thing. (It was still probably a lot easier than living in the foster care system for the first thirteen years of life before finding… stability.) The fact that they'd both saw something in the other one, the fact that they'd both- rather quickly- let the other one in the way they did…

"You're my constant, Killian." Emma folded her arms over her chest as she fell against the car beside him. "Since day one." She was slow to look up at him. Maybe it was because she didn't know what she would find on his face. But as her constant, she should have known…

Another twist of his lips. Blue eyes watching her sincerely.

"Since the moment you came to my aid."

"Day one…" She didn't let her mind drift too far back on that day. Not just then…

"You're my constant as well, Emma."

It was sort of… nice? More than nice. When the days were bad… When the days weren't what she wanted them to be, Killian was still…. Killian.

Emma felt herself swallow. "You'll always be there for me, Killian? No matter what happens?"

She wanted to blame it on the orphan thing. She would blame it on the orphan thing…

"No matter what." His own folded arm bumped against her, his smile small.

She is an orphan (it would always be present, never only past), and that could mean that she would have to leave. A lot. Or that others leave her.

"We'll always have one another," she murmured softly, not knowing why she'd turned reflective in that moment. She didn't know what drove her to need the confirmation of them.

"You'll never be alone again, Emma." His eyes blinked at her.

"And you'll never have to be worried that you're not good enough." It was a two-way street. "I will always like you for you, Killian. And never need you to change."

"And I… you."

Trust. She trusted his words. She knew that, even at their age, she could believe him to be true. Her best friend. Her shy and reserved friend. But, even with his gentility, she did see more. Because he let her see more. Chalk it up to the orphan thing again, Emma didn't mind. She didn't want to know a life without him being a part of it.

Killian turned his gaze back down to the ground in front of him. His fingers tangled with each other, a sign of nervous tension.

She…

Emma blinked her eyes down to the ground, her thoughts running.

"Have you ever heard of those people who make those stupid pacts?" She shrugged as her face pinched at just the thought.

"Pacts? Like what?"

"Like when they promise to one another that… if things don't work out in their lives… then they'd just… you know, be together. They'd marry each other?" She looked up just in time to see the corners up his mouth lift in a smile.

"Like…" His own shoulders hunched over in a sort of shrug. "If we're both single at the age of thirty-"

"Oh, God! Thirty!"

"Thirty isn't… ancient, Ems," Killian murmured, barely keeping from rolling his eyes.

"It doesn't sound like it to you?"

He was slow to shake his head, his smile growing.

"If the world keeps treating us the way it has since we were kids…." Emma turned her eyes directly on his. "Then we'll say, 'Screw the world.'"

"And turn back to the one person who has always been there for us?" It was soft as his eyes trekked a path over her face.

Emma lifted one shoulder in a shrug. "'Remember when we were in high school and we swore that if we were still single at thirty we'd marry each other? Well, guess whose birthday it is!'"

"Something like that, huh?"

"What do you think?" She was more than a little serious. Life before Killian Jones was…. Life without Killian Jones in it? What was that?

"I think… that it's possible that you'd still be the only one who gets me at thirty."

His words made her turn towards him, into him.

Why didn't most people see beyond the quietness and the shyness? Why was he left to believe that his awkwardness made him a less valuable member of the Jones' family? Because he was valuable. To them. And to her.

Then again, she was sure he would have similar questions for her: Why, after two years, did she still feel like the orphan girl? Why did she mistrust those in her life as well as those on the outside of her life?

Which was why…

"I think it's possible that no one would understand me either. Not really."

"Then…"

An engine and headlights turned her attention away from him and their conversation.

"Is that…"

"It's Liam. And he's early." Killian was already looking in the same direction of the incoming car.

Emma slumped against the car, her hand already moving to her shoe again. This time, it came off and stayed off. So did its match.

"Did you want to come over to my house? Maybe my parents would expect the early return more than yours." His hand came out, waiting for her to pass him the shoes.

Emma's smile was only an outer indicator of how she felt completely about him.

"Definitely."

A sweep of his free hand crossed over his ear, his smirk brightening his entire face.

Her best friend. The relatively new transplant from parts of England who was trying really hard to relate to American culture. Best friends with the orphan girl who had her own problems to deal with. But… yeah…

The car pulled up to them just then, a little less than quietly.

There was a bond there that she knew she never wanted to lose. Not at any cost.