Emma Swan was sick of this coffee shop. Day after day, the same people came in, with the same lame jokes and weird requests. It was December for Christ's Sake… who orders Mocha Shakes?! (Apparently… everyone.)

She smiled and gritted her teeth as four teenagers giggled over the menu, before deciding. "Four mocha shakes, coming right up," Emma sighed in response to their order, yanking four cups from the stack in front of her and filling them out. Her coworker, Mary Margaret, was manning the drive through window, and singing to everyone that came through. After several years of this, it became a lot less charming, and a lot more irritating. "MM, can you cool it with the tunes today? I know you're loving the new Adele, it's great, I get it… but come on," Emma asked her in hushed tones.

Her friend just smiled back at her. "I can't stop Emma… she has a hold on me with her voice! Hello…it's me…" she sang back, and returned to the window to hand out change to the next customer. "Kill me," Emma muttered, scooping out the ice cream and flipping the switch on the blender. A few moments later the teens were settled in the corner, sending Snapchats to each other and giggling at them. Emma sighed at their high-pitched squeals… this day was getting long.

"Lass?" a voice came from across the counter, and Emma looked up at him with weary eyes. She pulled out a coffee cup and held up a sharpie in anticipation. "What can I get you?" she asked. The gentleman pursed his lips.

"What's good here?" he asked, and Emma groaned internally. Come on buddy. "Everything," she stated, with a bland smile. The man looked at her with skepticism. "Come now… one of these coffees has got to be your favorite," he declared, and Emma all but rolled her eyes.

"Actually, I don't drink coffee," she started and the man let out a laugh. "Oh that's rich… you work at a coffee shop but you don't drink coffee?"

Emma DID roll her eyes this time, "Yeah I've never heard that before," she mumbled, shifting her weight to her other foot and giving the guy a blank expression, until he caught the hint. "Um… plain coffee then?" he spurted out bashfully, after coming to the sudden conclusion that she was far from amused.

"Room for cream or sugar?" she asked, pen to the cup waiting for a response. "Um, yeah," he said, scratching a nervous itch behind his ear. "Name?" Emma followed up with, still not taking her eyes off the cup.

"Killian, Killian Jones," he started to hold his hand out as to introduce himself but Emma interrupted him with a "It'll be up in a few minutes," before turning away from the counter, and plopping the cup on the bar next to Mary Margaret, who was busy taking video of herself singing Adele for her internet friends. "Coffee order, I'm going on break," Emma snapped, and pulled her apron off on the way out the back door.

Killian Jones became a regular in the coffee shop, but as Mary Margaret pointed out, only on days that Emma worked. Emma had told her to shut up.

Killian had also decided to work his way through the entire menu in order to find out what suited him the best, he told Emma one day, with his thumbs tucked into his belt loops. Emma raised her eyebrows dryly. "Good for you. So, what will it be today?" It had been a long day, filled with a thousand frozen drinks, despite the fact it was snowing outside. Emma had fifteen minutes left of her shift, and she did not have the patience for this man today.

Killian rocked back on his heels and eyed the menu. The line behind him was starting to form, and Emma found she couldn't hide her blatant irritation at this man. "So many choices. Cappuccino today? Or… white chocolate mocha…I'm just not sure," he mused, tongue in cheek.

"Christ Jones, pick one," she loudly mumbled, and with a thoughtful nibble on his bottom lip, he nodded his head in finality at his decision. "How about… a Mocha Shake?" Emma looked up from the cup at him dryly, before flipping the cup over her shoulder and walking away from the counter. Her shift replacement was walking in the door, and Emma pulled her apron off over her head, and dropped it on a chair in her boss's office on her way out.

Her boss stared at her walking away. "Emma you didn't clock out," he said to her loudly as she strode to the back door. "I QUIT!" Emma yelled back, pressing her hip to the door, pushing it open, and heading out into the snow.

"Well shit… I did not think that was going to happen. Haha holy shit," a bright red headed girl laughed loudly and clapped Emma on the back. "Yeah well…" Emma mumbled into her cider, and as the red head cackled and slapped the table. "Fuck, we need shots!" the girl commanded, after processing the story that Emma just recounted about her grand exit from the world of employment.

"Ariel, I'm not in the mood…" she started, but the girl had hopped off her stool at their table and rushed to the bar, conveniently nudging in next to a few handsome men.

"Buy you a drink?" a voice questioned from behind her a few minutes later, and Emma held up her hand in refusal.

"No, I'm good," Emma said loudly, hoping the man would just leave. She wasn't in the mood to get hit on tonight. Quitting her job had been a little rash, even though it had felt good.

"Are you sure? I know they don't make Mocha Shakes here but…" the man started, and Emma whipped around on her stool. Killian stood behind her with a quirked eyebrow and two shots in hand.

Emma's eyes drifted to the shot glasses, and he smiled brightly at her, sliding into her friend's seat. "I didn't say you could sit down," Emma told him frankly, and he smiled at her in response. "Aye lass, you didn't. But that one did," Killian informed her as he pointed up to the bar where her friend Ariel leaned up against it grinning at her like the cat that got the canary.

"Traitor," Emma mumbled into her cider, and Killian slid a shot over to her. "Come on, at least take this peace offering?" he practically pouted at her. Emma sighed, and took the shot glass from him. As he was about to offer up a toast, she downed the shot, throwing her head back and letting the liquid burn down her throat.

"Ah…um… cheers then?" Killian spoke awkwardly as an afterthought, before taking his shot. Emma's eyes went up with surprise after she swallowed. "Rum? Nice…actually my poison of choice," she almost smiled at him. Almost.

Killian gestured to the bartender for another round, and another rum shot, as well as a cider, was placed in front of Emma.

"What's this?" Emma asked as the bartender left. Killian smirked at her. "The usual verbiage is 'Thank you' Swan," he stated, looking her in the eye.

Emma blushed and ducked her head, "Thank you, then, Jones." She did smile at Killian this time, and he leaned back in his chair.

"So Emma, what am I going to do now without my favorite barista?" he asked her, and she shook her head.

"I think the better question is, what am I going to do without a job?" she laughed, taking a sip of her cider.

Killian's face showed traces of sympathy, "I didn't mean to make you angry today. I mean, to be the icing on the cake as it were," he started but Emma held up her hand. "It's ok. If it hadn't been you, it would have been someone else. I just, I didn't want to be at that coffee shop anymore, and I didn't want to make one more freaking Mocha Shake," she sighed.

"Well Lass, what do you want to do?" Killian asked, leaning forward in interest. Emma sighed again, "Really and truly?" she asked, and Killian nodded.

"I want to take photos… be a photographer," she stated, before laughing a little, "I've never told anyone that before."
Killian's eyes lit up, and he sat back in his chair smugly, "Now THAT I can help with!"

Emma looked at him with reservations, "How?"

He chuckled warmly, "Because I am, in fact, a photographer. And the only reason that I have been hanging out in that coffee shop of yours is because I have been combing through resumes and portfolios to find a second shooter."

"You're kidding, right?" Emma asked, and Killian shook his head no. Emma stuttered as she tried to find her footing, "I mean, this is incredible. I mean, of course you would need to see my portfolio, it's not much, and I do have a resume of course, and…"

"Love, we will take a look at all of that, I promise. How's tomorrow look for you? I have a wedding in a week, and I would love to have a partner comfortable with my work flow by then," he looked at her with anticipation.

Emma laughed incredulously. She couldn't believe her luck. "Yeah, tomorrow would be fine. It's not like I have to cancel work," she said with a shrug and a smile, and then caught her friend giving her a drunkin' thumbs up from the side of the bar.

"Jones, Killian, I… I don't want you to think I am being ungrateful, I just need to go get my friend. I can see her about to get into tequila tonight, and no one wants that." Killian chuckled, scratched down his number, and held it out to her, "I look forward to tomorrow Emma. Text me in the morning, and we will schedule a time to meet, ok?"

Emma nodded, and went to turn towards her friend, when Killian caught her hand gently. "Emma, just so you know, going through portfolios wasn't my only reason for being at the coffee shop."

Emma's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Killian smiled at her, before scratching nervously behind his ear, "Well love, to see you, of course," he smiled shyly at her, his cocky exterior briefly thrown aside. Emma smiled at him, gave his hand a squeeze. She let go, and headed to her friend, calling over her shoulder, "See you tomorrow Jones."

"Indeed Swan, indeed," he said to himself, smiling into his beer.

They met at the coffee shop the next day.

Emma had a hot chocolate.

Killian had a Mocha Shake.