"Swan!"

Emma sighed and clutched the strap on her computer bag a little tighter. This was becoming a daily thing, and she wasn't sure if she loved it or loathed it.

"Jones."

"Guess what today is?" he asked giddily.

"Please don't make-"

"Today is 11 cat gifs that will make you feel warm and fuzzy."

Emma sighed. "I don't do warm and fuzzy."

Killian looked up at her and scowled. "What about a kitty rolling around with a puppy?"

"No."

"A box full of kittens?"

"No."

"Have you been to the doctor recently?"

She gave him a surprised look. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Just wanted to see if you've ever had a professional confirm that you have a heart."

She stared at him and booted up her computer. She wasn't going to tell him that she did, in fact, have a heart. She also wasn't going to tell him that when she got home after work, she was going to look at his list of cat gifs. Seriously, what breathing human could resist cute cat gifs? She just wasn't going to tell him that.

xxx xxx xxx

"Television show cancelled too soon. Go!"

"Go?"

Killian looked up and gave her a sheepish grin. "In other words, stay and help me out. Show cancelled too soon?"

"Pushing Daisies."

He started nodding vigorously as he typed his list. "Yes, totally. Excellent choice. Lee Pace was so good in that."

Emma couldn't help but smile at his encouraging response. "Thanks," she said, realizing she was being a little too nice with her tone of voice. "What else did you put on there?'

"Wonderfalls."

"Wonder what?" she replied.

"Wonderfalls. Cancelled by Fox. Starred Lee Pace."

Her eyes narrowed as she stared in his direction. "You also picked a Lee Pace show?"

Killian chuckled quietly and smiled. "I guess great minds think alike, Swan."

xxx xxx xxx

"Swan, guess what?"

Killian looked like an eager puppy as she sat down at the desk next to him.

"I get to move to my new desk tomorrow so I won't have to see you anymore."

"No. Why would you even joke about something like that?" he said sternly. "Anyway, Buckingham Palace released photos of Princess Charlotte, and you'll never guess who took them!"

"Kate?"

He slouched back in his desk chair with a look of defeat. "Her name is Catherine, she's the Duchess of Cambridge, and you're no fun."

xxx xxx xxx

"Swan! Worst gift a man gave you for Christmas."

"Never had a man give me anything for Christmas."

"Well, that's not right. You deserve to have a man lavish you with gifts for Christmas."

Emma intentionally scratched her face to hide her smile from Killian. He actually sounded sincere when he said it, and it was probably the best compliment she had received in a long time.

xxx xxx xxx

"Swan, which house do you think the Hogwarts Sorting Hat would put you in?"

She turned and gave him a perplexed look. "Well, that's a random question."

"My list today is Harry Potter themed, and I'm trying to start a pleasant on-topic conversation," he explained. "So, your Hogwarts house?"

"Ravenclaw."

Killian's eyes looked at her in surprise before that stupid devilish grin of his showed up.

"What's wrong with Ravenclaw?"

He shrugged. "I just didn't expect you to entertain my question and then have an answer that quick."

"I like Harry Potter, and Ravenclaws pride themselves on intelligence and individuality."

"You definitely have both of those, lass" he said.

"Shut it, Jones," she replied teasingly. "Besides, which house would you choose?"

"Oh, Hufflepuff, obviously. I suspect they have the best parties, so of course I would want to be there."

"You picked your Hogwarts house based on parties?"

"I bloody well did, lass."

xxx xxx xxx

"Seven swans a swimming!"

Emma scowled at Killian's welcome as she took her seat at her desk. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"I thought I would do a list of our seven favorite swimmers in honor of the swan next to me," he said with a flirtatious wink in her direction. "But all I have so far is Michael Phelps so help me out."

"Scrap it."

He gave her a frustrated look. "Swan, you have made no secret that you're not a fan of my work, but I can't just scrap my job."

"Scrap your list. There's a better option," she said with a mischievous grin. "Seven synchronized swimmers' suits that will blow your mind."

Killian stared at her, and she worried that she may have short circuited his brain. To be fair, she almost shocked herself. What was she doing encouraging him with a list idea? What was wrong with her? She hadn't fallen under the charms of Killian Jones, had she?

Then he gave her that smile of his. "Swan, you're my savior!"

And with that, he turned to his computer and furiously typed away, leaving Emma to wonder what the hell just happened to her.

xxx xxx xxx

"Jones!"

She was pretty proud of herself for making him jump in his seat. "Swan, you scared the bloody hell out of me."

Emma dropped her bag on her chair and came over to lean on Killian's desk. "I have a list for you!" she said triumphantly. "Well, maybe. It's only four things. Is that a list?"

Killian looked like Christmas had come early as he took in the blonde in front of him. "For you, I can make it work."

"So Regina Mills had three different men she was having affairs with."

"Yes!" he exclaimed before grabbing the pen and pad on his desk. "Who are they?"

"The stable boy named Daniel, some guy named Robin, who's a petty thief -"

"Has he ever been convicted?" he asked.

"Yes. And get this, the cop who arrested him most recently is named Graham something. It's in my notes. Anyway, Regina ended up having an affair with him too."

Killian audibly gasped. "Amazing, Swan. Do you know how many hits this could get?"

Well, she did, which kind of made her stomach churn. She hated playing this click bait game. It wasn't real journalism, at least not to her, but there was no denying that it brought in money.

"Oh," she added quickly. "The fourth name. Are you ready?"

"Of course," he said happily.

"Cora, mother of Regina."

He stared up at her with a confused look. "Regina had an affair with her mother?"

"No, but Leopold had an affair with her mother."

Killian laughed loudly and started scribbling furiously on his notepad. "Swan, I could kiss you right now."

Emma's brain suddenly could only think of Killian's lips on hers, probably soft and moist, his scruff tickling her cheek as he pushed closer, kissed harder, his tongue teasing for entrance into…

"Swan?"

Emma snapped out of her daydream to see Killian staring at her with a perplexed look. "What?"

"You seemed a bit lost in your thoughts, lass."

She cleared her throat and quickly stood up from her spot at Killian's desk. "Oh, I uh…. just need to get started on my story for today."

He nodded quietly. "I'll get working on this. Can you send me the name of the cop when you have a chance?"

"Yea, yea, sure." She sat down in her chair and tried to busy herself with getting her laptop booted up.

"I'm going to create a box for you to add to the story online too so you can link to the list. This is going to be amazing, Swan!"

Amazing. Sure. She hoped it wouldn't be too amazing or she would have more inappropriate thoughts about Killian, and that could never happen again.

xxx xxx xxx

"Swan!"

At least five reporters looked up from their desks to see who Killian was yelling at from across the newsroom. Emma ducked her head and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear to avoid their glares as she approached her desk.

"Emma Swan, now is not the time to be modest."

Killian walked over to her desk, arriving just in time to pull her chair out for her. She gave him a tight smile and sat down, trying to remember the last time a man pulled a chair out for her. He leaned in from behind her, his mouth so close to her that she could feel his warm breath on her neck. "You're bloody brilliant, Emma," he whispered in her ear as he pushed her chair in.

She took a deep breath, trying to clear her head and focus on what the hell was going on. "What exactly are you talking about?"

Killian's hand squeezed her shoulder before turning to lean against her desk. Damn, his long legs seemed much longer than usual from that angle.

"Your idea for the Mills family affair list was genius!" he said, his face lighting up with a smile. "It got the most hits of any list this year - and it's not even 24 hours old! Seriously, Swan, that was a damn good idea."

Emma couldn't help but smile. "Well, I'm glad I could be of some assistance."

"I owe you a drink sometime."

A drink at a bar with Killian Jones? "Yea," she said, quickly turning her head towards her desk. "Sometime."

Killian continued to silently lean on her desk as she tried to distract herself with her laptop, her notebook, some random pen on her desk, all so she wouldn't have to look at him.

"I'm going to hold you to that drink, Emma," he said in a low husky voice that made her feel like someone had turned the heat up in the newsroom.

But before she could come back with some witty reply, he had already pushed himself away from her to take a seat back at his desk, busying himself with whatever he was working on next. Emma took the hint and did the same, thankful that she had the next two days off after this. She was definitely going to need a break from Killian Jones and the thoughts that he kept making her have.