Date Night
Summary: A date gone wrong. Terribly wrong. "A double date. As in you, me, this guy you randomly met in the most clichéd place ever and this guy's friend?"
Author's Note: asdfghjkl. I spoiled myself with the season premiere.
(but it's totally worth it, I fangirled so hard.)
"Are you asking me out on a date?"
Emma watches how Mary Margaret squirms in her seat and looks away, hands fumbling on her lap. "Well, a double date to be exact." She spoke too fast; Emma almost didn't catch the words thrown at her. She stared at her roommate with disbelief.
"A double date. As in you, me, this guy you randomly met in the most clichéd place ever and this guy's friend?" Mary Margaret bit her lip and nod slowly. Emma answered with a cringe and continued rummaging through her things from the boxes (boxes that should have been delivered weeks ago, all of them) scattered in the living room of Ruby and Mary Margaret's apartment.
It has been a month since she moved to New York from Boston, it was her 3rd move for the year (she accepted the fact that it's needed; with the nature of her work), and it was pure luck when she found out that Ruby and Mary Margaret was looking for another roommate in order to pay the bills. It was also a relief that she liked the both of them (her last roommate, Abigail, whines a lot).
With Ruby's wittiness and mischievousness; Mary Margaret's perkiness and naiveness, Emma noticed the contrast of the two, yet they get along very well. Ruby is the perfect example of a modern woman…a sexually active one; she hunts down her prey of the night, while Mary Margaret, a natural charmer and born with mother instincts that she is, and a romantic, dreams of her happily ever after. Living with them was like a reality TV show she enjoys to watch (there will never be a dull moment).
"How did meeting this guy ends up with an invitation of a double date anyway?" Emma asked (she almost whine actually) as she sat down beside her boxes on the floor, she looked up at Mary Margaret on the couch.
"I-I don't know, I mean, one second I bumped into him and I was staring at his angelic face and green, dreamy eyes then the next thing I know, I'm checking my schedule for a dinner with him and his friend." Mary Margaret moved from the couch, kneeled in front of her and used her puppy dog eyes. Emma looked away (for a month they knew each other, she found out she's a sucker for that look on Mary Margaret and that clever girl knows it). "I think he's the one, Emma. He was so sweet, so handsome, so…charming." There was a huge grin on her face, sparkling eyes and her hands are both on her flaming cheeks.
Emma heard Ruby scoffed behind the magazine she was reading. Their eyes met and both simultaneously rolled their eyes. For the whole month she have been with Mary Margaret, Emma realized she was a sappy, hopeless romantic and that she has one mission in life—a journey, to the path of finding her one true love. It was proven when almost every day, Mary Margaret gush both Emma and Ruby about every guy she meets (even the guys she only saw for a moment) how each one of them is the one and how magical she felt once their eyes meet. Emma learned from Ruby that Mary Margaret has been that way ever since grade school after they have watched Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet in the school theater (Really? They let a bunch of 10 year old watch a love story between a 13 year old girl and 15 year old boy, involving murder, sex and suicide that happened in a matter of 3 days?).
"…it was magical, the way our eyes met amidst the people, it was like…like—"
Destiny!
"—destiny! Emma, believe me, he is the one! I can feel it, this date will prove it, this date will be the one I'm telling my grand kids of how I knew I'll be spending the rest of my life with their grandfather." She sighed then squealed like she was still 10 years old (Emma swore she still is).
"Grand kids?" Ruby asked raising her perfect eyebrow.
"Yes, 'cause you know, telling your kids is so cliché." She answers, shrugging.
Ruby snorted. "And meeting in a coffee shop isn't?"
Emma smirk at Ruby for her quip and face Mary Margaret with shaking head and a half-smile. "M, from what I've learned, the people you meet at a coffee shop, no matter how wonderful he is—is either the perfect guy that only lives on your imagination and fantasy, those men that exists only in the movies and romantic novels," Emma breathe before continuing, "or, a psychotic murderer who hides behind your favorite drink and books that makes them look poetic and deep, it's best to avoid them. Trust me, I watched enough episodes of Criminal Minds to recognize them."
"No, no, no—no!" Mary Margaret shook her head and looks at Emma like she was one of her elementary students. "You're wrong. You haven't felt it , Emma, that—that instant 'zing' you feel in your veins, into your heart when you know, that man in front of you is your true love. I want that, Emma. I always have this hope that every guy I meet is the one who could make me feel that."
"Just hope? You don't want any assurance that he is the one?" Emma asked, skeptically.
"Happy endings always start with hope." Mary Margaret said with a soft smile.
Emma sighed in frustration. She was never a believer of "one true love" or "happily ever after", neither hopes to have one. She believes that no one can fall in love with one person for the rest of their lives, that no one really stays…she had learned that the hard way, back when she was young and stupid to actually trust someone to give her all of that crap. Okay, maybe she believed…once.
"Okay, fine. But why me? why not Ruby?" she motioned to the girl now flipping through another magazine who stops and grins at them.
"Sorry, I'm a one-man woman now." She matched her smile with a glint in her eyes.
Emma arched a brow. "When did that happen?"
"Last week," she dramatically throws the magazine over her head and excitedly jumps between Mary Margaret and Emma and joins them on the floor. "I met this guy at the bar and we instantly clicked!" Ruby grinned at stared off the ceiling as if relieving the moment they met. Emma immediately read the face she was making. Oh. Translation: Best sex ever.
"Best sex ever!" Ruby's smile was so dazzling it illuminated her face, it reddens her cheeks and her eyes…obviously she's smitten. "I thought we would never see each other again after that magical, wonderful night," she sighs. Oh, boy. "But we did. Just this morning, after Granny's appointment with the doctor, I bumped into him on our way back—he's a doctor! Can you imagine?—and the attraction, oh, it's still there. We exchanged numbers, he asked me out tonight!" and ended it with another stunning smile and grips on their hands.
"Wow." Was all Emma could say.
"Like that." Mary Margaret's smile partnered with Ruby's. "I want that. Ruby just met the one for her, what are the chances that this guy's for me?" she looked at Emma, her eyes, full of hope.
And it did not help that Ruby added, "And what if this guy's friend is yours, Emma." She stared at both of them with uninterested eyes. "C'mon, Emma, you might meet your true love tonight~"
"Wait—Tonight?!" Emma snapped back to Mary Margaret.
"Didn't I mention it was tonight?" She answered with a small voice, biting her lip and shying her eyes away from her.
"Mary Margaret…"
"Sorry, I couldn't say no. But, Emma, this is my chance. If he's my true love, wouldn't it all be worth it?"
Emma runs her hands through her hair. "But why can't it just be the two of you?"
"Because I've been like this for years; meet the guy, have dinner, the end. It's always like that. But this time, Emma, I feel it, I know this will be different. We've only been friends for a while now, but this is important to me and I want you to be a part of it."
Okay, the mushiness is creeping up on her. It's only for one night, what could possibly go wrong?
Emma sighed. "Alright, fine." Mary Margaret clapped her hands enthusiastically, Ruby smirked, and Emma almost smile when she remembered one tiny detail. She looked around the boxes. "I don't have a dress."
Ruby gave one of her I-have-a-plan-and-I-know-you-really-won't-like-it-but-I-certainly-do smiles. "Leave that to me."
Emma almost wanted to make a run for it, hail a cab and go home (she really does want to kill Ruby first because of the tight dress and the desire to rip off her heels, throw it as far as she can)but the look in Mary Margaret's face stopped her, that look was the same look she had back when she was young and in love with the idea of love and marriage. It was hopeful, soft…so innocent that she didn't want to taint it with her bitterness.
"We're here!"
Emma looked over the establishment in front of them and raised her perfectly shaped eyebrows and pursed her red-stained lips (Ruby insisted). This is where they are going to have the dinner? "The Jolly Roger, curious name. Does it have staggering drunk pirates and wenches serving you?"
Mary Margaret made a face. "No, though that is a cool idea. It's a bar and seafood restaurant, let's go?"
"Ooh, a bar, great." Emma mutters under her breath as she follows her friend inside.
The waitress lead them to a table nearest the bar (really great), she expresses her thanks and meant it. Because once their 'dates' arrived and she took a long, scrutinizing look at them, she knew (and it's a part of her job to read people) that his green dreamy eyes accompanied with freckles on his nose, auburn hair and sideburns (it's the 21st century who still has that?) were all a hoax, a front for his God awful personality within him, oh, and Emma doesn't want to start with her date and his narcissistic personality disorder. This will be a long night and thank God for the bar beside them, because she would be needing a drink or two. Or a whole bottle.
"So, Emma…what do you think?" Mary Margaret asked her once they were isolated in the bathroom.
Dreading for that question, Emma hide her grimace and responded with, "Uh, about what specifically?" and watch Mary Margaret fix her hair, re-apply her mascara and color her lips which has a fixed grin the entire time.
"The dinner? The date?" she stops and Emma could see her shining eyes staring back at her in the mirror. "About Hans?"
"Uhh, well…it's great." Aside from the fact that my date, Gaston (seriously.), is so full of himself, I really have this urge to punch him in the face, not to mention that your date, keeps looking at me with his disgusting what-his-face, gets every chance to flirt with me, it's right in front of you, and you don't even notice it! And also, I want to punch him in the face. "Gaston is great…Hans is great…the date is—"
"Great." Mary Margaret faced her and crossed her arms in front of her. "Emma? What's wrong?"
And of course I don't have the heart to break yours. "It's—it's nothing. I'm not just used to this kind of dates, I guess. "
The smile is back. "I know and I'm so grateful that you've indulge me to this silly request." She nervously laughs and fixes her hair again.
"But what about you?" Mary Margaret answered with an "Hmm?" and Emma continued, "What do you think of Hans?"
If her smile wasn't enough indication, her twinkling eyes are. "I really, really like him." And it made Emma want to punch Hans where it really hurts. Right here is a woman who deserves every love in the world, deserves her own true love and happily ever after not stupid jerks that will break her heart.
And Emma also knows that this woman will never ever give up her hope in everything even if it does break her. She wants to be like Mary Margaret. Once in a while she thought of it, if she can be that young girl again who believes in fairytales and happy endings. Hoping that this one is the one.
With that in thought, she considered giving Hans another chance. If he fucks up this once in a blue moon trust she's going to offer, she'll have the satisfaction of punching him in the face.
When they got back from the bathroom, Gaston was noticeably absent (checking out himself) from the table. It was only Hans left grinning at them. Mary Margaret's already in her chair grinning back at him but Emma remained standing and staring at the chair where her date is supposed to be.
"Oh, Emma, dear, Gaston received an urgent call, he needed to go immediately. He didn't even got the chance to say good bye." He shrugs and openly stares at her. "Too bad, huh?"
Maybe not that bad, all throughout the dinner he won't stop talking about himself and the gyms he goes to tone his huge biceps and triceps (but Emma guessed it was steroids that does the trick). And maybe, just maybe…this is her way out.
"Oh," she tried looking impassive. "Since my date's gone, I should go too—"
"No! Stay!" she fights the urge to cut his hand off of her arm. "It wouldn't be fun without you." He smiled at her, tongue sliding off across his lips in attempt of being seductive. Hah! More like attempt of being a creep. "Right, Mary Margaret?"
"Yeah, Emma, stay." Her voice was so flat, she has a fake smile plastered on her face and the sparkle in her eyes was gone. She looks at her that made Emma rethink that Mary Margaret did notice Hans's fondness of her and that she has been hiding it all because she was still hoping…
Emma gave Hans a glare and sat back. One, because she'll never leave Mary Margaret alone with this jackass; Two, to punch him hard in the face when the right moment arises and three, because she still wants to keep looking at the stranger at the bar.
She first noticed him when they arrived at their table, their seats are situated to face the bar so she got a glimpse of him, and he was sitting at the stool, his back turn to them (though she sometimes see a quarter of his face when he turns to his—Emma assumes—fair-haired friend on his right, and damn it that face is attractive). A few minutes into the dinner, she found her eyes drifting to him and she watched and studied him from her seat far too long (it's a surprise that no one noticed her ogling at him). She keeps staring at his leaned back and broad shoulders and his ruffled hair (she did not almost daydream how it feels when she let her hands through them) and Emma never knew she'll feel this immense attraction on the way a man dresses, him with his dark blue shirt covered with vest and those tight pants.
And when he finally (and fully) faces her direction, it was no wonder why almost every woman's attention were on him and no wonder that on the duration of their disastrous double date, Emma couldn't take her eyes off of him, entranced by his whole being.
"So, Emma, I heard you're new in the city?" Hans's voice brought her back to reality. She glanced at him then at her side. She was so lost in thoughts she didn't notice Mary Margaret went back to the restroom.
"Yeah." She answered noncommittally and took a bite off her dessert.
"Well, how about that? Someone should tour you around then?" she rolled her eyes; she thought she could see the inside of her head but then she felt it. She sat there frozen at first but when she saw Hans's alluring smirk, her blood boiled. "I know my way around here, I'm available." She tried shrugging it off.
"No. Thanks." She said through gritted teeth.
"Oh, c'mon, Emma, how about tonight?" and now it's creeping up to—
"I found my lipstick!" Mary Margaret just came back from the restroom, Emma let out a sigh and was about to ask her to go home when Hans's cut her off from what she was about to say.
"Mary Margaret wouldn't mind going home by herself tonight right?"
There was a slight pause where Hans's fixed his gaze on Emma, her looking for the kill at him and Mary Margaret looking back and forth at them.
"Yeah…yeah, I'm fine." Emma could see the moment Mary Margaret breaks, how her face paled, happiness (even the fake one) in her eyes drained and how tired she looked…like she was about to give up.
"No, I don't want to, Hans. Mary Margaret, I just want to go ho—"
"It's fine, Em." She sat back down, looked away from her as she fumble on her purse.
Emma looked down and gritted her teeth so hard it almost hurt, her hand clenching, the other gripping the bread knife—
"—there's a lot of places to go here in New York, especially at night, Emma. More…intimate places—" Emma saw red.
She pulled his ridiculous tie and stabbed through it with the knife on the table and gave him a murderous glare. Hans let out a yelp, Mary Margaret jumped on her seat beside her. "Listen here, buddy, I don't want to go out with you, in fact, I don't want to see that thing you called a face, ever. Can you understand simple English language? NO. And if you haven't noticed it yet, Mary Margaret, my best friend, is your date tonight. So. Stop. Hitting. On. Me." her grip tightened. "And stop playing freaking footsies with me or I swear to God, your tie will not be the only thing getting stab tonight." She almost laugh at how his eyes widen in fear, mouth gaping at her. It took him only a second to react, snatch away his tie, tearing it up in the process, yelling "psychotic bitch!" on his way out.
Emma exhaled and sat back down to her seat, peeked at her friend who was staring back at her with awe. Emma offered an awkward smile. "Sorry to ruin the dessert?"
Instead of an outburst Emma was anticipating for, she saw a smile gracing on her lips. "Best friend?"
"Yeah." The awkward smile turned into a shy one. "He's a total jerk, isn't he?"
"The worst." Mary Margaret giggled and let out a breath. "Wow, why did I thought he'll be the one?" she glanced at the bar. "Now, I need a hard drink."
"I need a bottle."
Emma sighed for the nth time and rights herself on the stool of the bar, waiting for Mary Margaret buying their drinks on the other side of the bar. She got her phone out when she felt it vibrate, indicating a new text message. It was from Ruby telling her how wonderful her night was and how terribly sorry she was for theirs, there were also a lot of obscenities there about Hans, and Emma smirked. Which was wiped off when she felt someone sat down right next to her. Can't she have a break for one minute?
She didn't realize she said that out loud, only when she heard him chuckle. "Ooh, you're a tough lass now aren't you, love?" the lilting irish voice made her turn. His eyes was the first thing that draw her in, it was deep blue like the depths of the ocean; then his eyebrows, raised, perfect; then his lips, quirking up at the side; the scruff (she doesn't know why but scruffs turns her on) framing his face; his chiseled jaw line and God, he looked better up close. "Feisty one too. I love the knife bit back there." The hand holding out a glass pointed out their table before. "T'was very…entertaining." He took a sip on his drink, she noticed (Hell, she was staring) how his tongue slid across his lips, it wasn't like how Hans did it, his was—fuck, it was hot. "Killian Jones, at your service." He offered a hand.
Emma shifted on her seat and didn't take it, instead faced him with a hard look and tight smile. "Then you might be aware that I had enough of men tonight."
"Uh, yeah, I thought of that." She didn't find it adorable when he bit his lip and scratch behind his ear. "But it would be my greatest regret if I don't grab the chance of buying you a drink tonight, love."
Emma heard her breath hitched and cursed herself for how that simple sentence affected her. "Why would it be?"
His burning gaze almost melted her. "Because you've had enchanted me the first time I saw you." His smile reached his hypnotizing eyes. "Garb with a sinful dress like this, a bit lighter but it still did wondrous to my imagination that night." His hoarse voice should be illegal. Emma could feel the fast beating of her heart as his eyes roam her body and how it stopped at her lips. She breathed out a "what?" his eyes were back on hers."A month before, a restaurant in fifth, you were on a date."
She was confused at first but remembered, it was her first day living in New York and she was tracking down a bail jumper, Ryan Marlow, she remembered how he flipped the table and the contents spilled on her. She do remember (a bit fuzzy and blurry) a striking stranger on the neighboring table.
Emma studied the situation; there's the obvious attraction between them and she knows it will be all worth it the morning after—it will be only a casual hook up and they will never see each other again. She wouldn't want to see him again because of the feelings he rouses on her, because she's afraid. Still afraid of getting hurt and the pain. Of history repeating itself.
She was about to leave and forget Killian Jones for the rest of her life but before she could she can hear Ruby at the back of her mind, her and the doctor's story, her wide grin and twinkling eyes after she met him. And her eyes caught Mary Margaret across the bar and saw how glowing and buzzing with happiness she was conversing with the fair-haired guy who gives Emma the charming vibe and of comfort for how they looked at each other, like they belong together. Emma watch Mary Margaret's hopeful eyes on him and remembered wanting to believe again.
"My mate, David really adores your friend." She gave him a 'who' look. "Dave, over there with your friend. Charming, isn't he?"
"Yeah…" she smiles as Mary Margaret laugh at whatever this guy, David said. And there it is…the thing she thought she had forgotten. The thing she thought she'll never have again. Hope. "About the drink…" she glanced at Killian staring at her like she's the world to him. She looked up through her lashes and smiled at him. "How about you buy me two?"
All happy endings always start with hope.
WARNING: FANGIRLING AND SPOILERS TOO
So I suggest skip this part :)
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FUUUUUUUUDGETHEREWILLBECAPTAINSWANKISSAGAININTHEFIRSTEPISODEPEOPLEOHMYSHIPPINGHEARTOHMYGODEVERYTHINGWILLBERAINBOWASANDBUTTERFLIES-WELLAFTERTHEYDEFEATTHEVILLIANTHENEVERYTHINGWILLBECAPTAINSWANTACOSANDHAPPILYEVERAFTERS
*And breathes*
