So I was given a prompt for "Hey, remember that pact we made as kids that if we both reached 30 and were unmarried, we'd get hitched? Well guess whose birthday it is," and somehow turned it into a little multichapter tale. Title taken from 'Mirage' by Ricki-Lee.

I have most of this written, so there shouldn't be any delays in posting this at least once a week, twice if I'm feeling generous ;) There will most likely be an M rated chapter down the track too. Enjoy, m'dears.

…

Enough Hope to Keep Dreaming

…

Emma Swan had never been one for a lot of friends throughout her school years, but standing here, watching two of her closest friends dance together for the first time as husband and wife makes her think that she chose wisely. Killian appears at her side and she loops an arm through his, resting her head on his shoulder as the music reaches its crescendo and the MC invites the rest of the bridal party out onto the dancefloor.

"Ready to dance, milady?" he offers, taking a step towards Mary Margaret and David. Behind them, she sees her fellow bridesmaids and the groomsmen follow their lead as the best man and maid of honour take the floor next to their best friends.

She can't help the smile that reaches her face when she looks over at the happy couple before turning back to Killian and sighing deeply, "Remember I have no idea what I'm doing," she prompts, clutching his hand a little tighter.

He chuckles and slides his hand around her back, pulling her closer to him, "It's okay darling, you picked a partner who knows what he's doing."

She could argue that it was Mary Margaret and David who paired them up together and it would be just like normal, just the way it had been since they were 14 years old and meeting in high school. But, for once, she just accepts his logic and is happy to remain peaceful and at ease with the way things have managed to turn out.

Growing up in foster care had been hard but it was when she moved to a new high school that she really thought things were going to be tough. Her first day had been spent in misery, hiding from the crowds of people who all had their friends with them. Even the other new kids seemed to have formed a tentative friendship and were all sitting together at one table in the cafeteria.

It was the life she was used to living – solitary and always on the move – so it was almost difficult to believe someone was asking her to stop. The petite girl with the pixie cut had introduced herself as Mary Margaret and she'd been craving some female support in her little group of three because David and Killian were being typical males and talking about sports when she wanted to discuss what to wear to their freshman dance.

Emma had smiled and said that she didn't really own any dresses and Mary Margaret had told her she could borrow something of hers.

It was always easy with them.

The rest of the wedding guests make their way onto the dancefloor and Emma sees her chance to leave it open up, but Killian keeps a close hold on her, whispering in her ear, "Trust me, darling."

And she does. She trusts him implicitly, but this is dancing and they've almost made it through a complete song without her embarrassing herself so she's reluctant to push her chances. But his hand on the small of her back pulls her in and she feels immediately safer, answering him with a soft, "Okay."

There's a knot in her belly that reminds her how difficult it is becoming to ignore her feelings for this man, but he's still getting over Milah breaking his heart and she's scared to be the one to help him forget her. She's been the rebound before and it always ends in misery. She was even slightly reluctant to come to this wedding without some kind of a back-up plan. Mary Margaret had told them both that they could bring dates, hinting at that damn phone app she had downloaded on Emma's phone and signed her up to. But, in the end, they figured that she and Killian would be spending most of the night together anyway, so they'd decided to be each other's dates as well as important parts of the bridal party.

She keeps her lips sealed and just lets him hold her close and sway her the way she's dreamed about as the song ends and the crowd around them turns to applaud the happy married couple.

She remembers the first time she had noticed something not quite right about her friends. They had been giggly and secretive in their final year of school, often appearing at lunch well after Killian and Emma had eaten their food. She first questioned Mary Margaret about it while they were out shopping for their prom dresses – they'd come a long way from the borrowed clothes of freshman year, both working part time jobs to earn a little money and save for something beautiful to wear.

"So I'm guessing you and David will be going to prom together?"

Mary Margaret had averted her gaze to look at a particularly gaudy gown that Emma knew she was just using as a distraction technique, "Yeah. I guess. I mean, you and Killian are too, aren't you?"

"Of course," she had said, not a trace of awkwardness in her voice, "but we're just going as friends."

The brunette had flushed red and Emma couldn't do it to her anymore, "Why didn't you just tell me? I'm happy for you guys!"

"I don't know," she'd answered, "I suppose we didn't want to ruin anything."

Emma looks across to her friends, who are still lovingly clinging to each other on the dance floor and then loops her arm through Killian's once more, "Photo booth?"

He grins, "Photo booth."

…

Weddings are weird things, Emma muses as she pulls out their string of photos from the booth. She'd never imagine holding hands with Killian on a normal day – it was just that little bit too dangerous – but here, tonight, any chance to have a hand on each other seems normal.

He leans in close, breath blowing against her cheek as he looks at the pictures in her hand, "What are we even doing in this one?"

She laughs. They seem to be caught between poses, mouths hanging open and hands flailing in blurs through the air. "Wait, this one's worse!"

He nods, laughing at the photo taken immediately after they'd tried to shift in the little booth and bumped heads instead. She looks up at him to see if the spot on his temple is still red but, instead, she notices a brushing of pink across his cheek from where her lips must have just barely grazed in their collision. Reaching up, she presses her thumb against his stubble and brushes the lipstick away and it all at once becomes too dangerous for her.

She snatches her hand away, but he grasps it at the wrist and brings her knuckles to his lips. "Emma," he says, low and deep.

Her breath left her moments ago and all she can manage is a small whimper in response, "Mmm."

"Remember…remember when we were kids? After those two," he gestures over his shoulder at Mary Margaret and David, "got together. We made a pact…" She remembers that pact very well. If they both made it to 30 and were unmarried, they would wed.

Her heart is hammering in her chest at the prospect and she's just about to nod or say yes or do something when there's a clinging of a spoon on a glass and everything shifts. She can see the moment he becomes scared and chickens out, instead turning towards where the crowd is gathering near the stage, "We should go and watch them cut the cake."

She exhales, not sure if she's relieved or disappointed, nodding as she pulls her hand from his and tucks the photos in her clutch on the way past their table.

He doesn't reach for her hand again and she has never felt so distant from him as right now.

…

There is a small group of the bridal party who breaks off from the crowd to jump in a car and drive back up to the hotel that they're all staying at. Mary Margaret's college roommate, Ruby, takes the back seat with her fiancé, Victor, leaving Emma and Killian to pick a seat in the front or the back as Leroy kindly drops them off.

Emma slides in next to Ruby and lets Killian take the passenger seat, the feelings of distance growing between her and her best friend.

Victor's hand not so subtly makes its way up Ruby's leg, not so high that it's indecent, but enough that Emma finds herself tugging on the skirt of her own dress to bring the hemline down a little and she can't wait until she's out of this car, in her hotel bed and allowed to break down a little at the fact that Mary Margaret and David are married now and everyone else she knows seem to have gotten their lives together enough that they've found happiness. Whilst she and Killian seem to be living in a perpetual world of denial.

"Thanks Leroy," she says along with the rest of them as they finally clamour out of the car and towards the lights of the hotel.

Ruby and Victor wave as they depart for their room, leaving Emma and Killian standing in the lobby waiting for the elevators to hurry up and collect them.

The reception had been lit up with fairy lights and candles and sometimes, in the low light, it's easy to forget just how blue Killian's eyes are but, as he turns and faces her now, she feels her breath catch in her chest as she remembers just what those eyes do to her.

And maybe it's the champagne talking, or maybe it's because weddings make her feel lonely, but she has never in her life wanted to kiss a man more than she wanted to kiss Killian Jones right now.

The dull hum of activity in the lobby dies down in her ears, leaving only their staggered breathing to be heard and she swears he's leaning in too.

"You look beautiful tonight," he whispers, his breath touching her lips.

It's almost instinctual to answer with, "You're only saying that because you're my date."

A sad smile crosses his face as his hand traces up her arm, over her shoulder, cupping her cheek. "No," he says simply and she knows it's because he means what he's said. He always means it…

Ding!

The moment drops out from under them as the elevator doors open in front of them. She sighs as his hand drops from her face, smiling and shaking her head to get the idea of them out of her head. They could never work. His heart is still mending from Milah's indiscretion and she's still not sure if she can trust another person with hers.

But, as she presses the button for level 5 and he presses the one for level 6, she can't help but wish that they were going in the same direction.

…

Thoughts?