We did it my friends ! It's today !
Our Captain is back, the Magic is back and the CaptainSwan is sailing !
I can't wait ! Few hours !

Well, technically, in France, it will be 2a.m when the episode will be available so I'll have to wait tomorrow to see it ! :(
But still : I can't wait !

Anyway, here is the new chapter my dear !
Thank you for favoriting, following and reviewing ! Always pleased to see that you like my story !
Enjoy the reading !

Disclaimer : The characters and dialogues aren't mine. Only the idea of the AU story.

CHAPTER 4

The four of them were now sitting around the table at a fair distance. The living room was lighted by a comfortable and warm lamp which was illuminating the room from above them. Emma had observed the rooms as she entered the lodging. It wasn't very huge, but still cozy and welcoming.

Emma had seen Max when she arrived and she had affectionately ruffled the fur of his head. He had shaken his tiny tail in reply and then, he had moved toward a dark room. Emma had guessed it was Ariel and Eric's bedroom because she had been able to discern the shape of a bed. After that, the four of them had heard Max snore, and had happily laughed at his sound.

But now, Emma had her hands placed on her lap and was looking down. She felt uneasy. She was biting her bottom lip with embarrassment. She felt like she was interrupting a sort of family reunion. She didn't like the feeling.

Killian and Eric, sitting face to face were sharing some stories of Killian's friends who he had just spent a lot of time with in America. Wide smiles on their lips, their laughter echoed from the conversation as they remembered some funny memories of their youth. Ariel was listening to them, a pleased grin on her lips too.

It was awkward to be here. They had invited her, and she had accepted but now she was drowning because she felt so out of place. She felt like they didn't even notice her. But she couldn't do anything, because if she did, it would be very impolite. Just listen to them Emma, maybe you'll laugh even if you don't know who or what they're talking about.

But suddenly, Ariel stood up, walked to the kitchen and invited Emma to join her. When the two women reached the kitchen, Emma found out that Ariel was embarrassed as well. "Look Emma, I know we've only known each other for a few hours, and I know it must be very awkward for you to be sitting there in the middle of a family reunion, but," Oh my... Could she read my thought? "I don't want you to feel constrained. You're here to enjoy the dinner."

"I am, don't worry Ariel." Emma half-smiled at her new 'friend' – if she could call her that. "I perfectly understand. Killian just got back, it's totally normal that you want to share stories with him." She continued, not wanting Ariel to feel as embarrassed as she was by the whole thing.

"Good." Ariel sighed and added in a whisper. "But, still, I'll try to start a new conversation, just so you could be part of it." She insisted, her genuine smile spreading on her thin and red lips, as always. "Don't want you to feel rejected. I mean, you just got here." A brief laugh spilled out of her mouth. "Here, can you help me bring that into the dining room? Thanks." She gave Emma a still hot platter filled with some crackling cooked meat and fried potatoes.

Emma slightly licked her lips as the smell invaded her nose and the heat of the plate started to warm her hands. "Watch out, it's still hot. - Here, take this." Ariel handed her a kitchen towel so she could place it between her hands and the platter to avoid getting burn. Ariel moved in the kitchen, grabbing some spices, salt and pepper and took the lettuce out of the fridge. She then informed Emma that she could walk out of the kitchen toward the dining room.

The girls disappeared in the kitchen, while both Eric and Killian turned their heads toward them until they were out of sight. Then Eric peered back at Killian, his blue pearls locking with his brother's. "I knew it." He urgently said, a cocky and teasing smile spreading across his features, and his eyebrows going up and down in quick motions.

"Knew what?" Killian gritted. He knew what his brother wanted to say, but he pretended otherwise. He didn't want to talk about it. Not now. His brother was about to tease him, and he didn't want him to. He didn't even realize what he was talking about.

"The reason why you were so happy when you came back from the park." Eric answered, still confident of the knowledge he had on his brother. He knew him for about 30 years now. Killian couldn't hide anything from him, no matter how much he wanted to. "You said you were just glad to be back in Ireland, but I could swear there was something else; wasn't hard to figure it out. But I couldn't think of a reason, even in my wildest dreams." He paused, now his voice was genuine and he furrowed his brows as he went on. "I never thought you could open up again."

Killian looked at him, blinking. A deep laughter was now escaping his lips as he couldn't believe what his brother had just said. "Jesus Eric! Seriously? - Are you drunk bro? Because you're fucking hilarious right now, and that usually happens when you're intoxicated." How can his brother even think that? He had met a random blonde girl the night before, he had flirted with her as he had with all the other women but even if he was extremely curious about her, he was not 'opening up again'. How could he? It had been only few months.

Only months.

Not even years.

And he was pretty sure he wouldn't 'open up' his heart again before decades – if he ever does open up again. He wasn't even certain. He was so screwed now. He had always been a mess, but the loss of Milah did not help at all. People say 'the heart is a mess'. Well, those people obviously haven't met Killian, because his was far worse than a mess now. Had he deserved all this shit? His heart was completely broken, and once it's broken, it can never be fixed.

Pieces of darkness still haunted the space that once held his heart. He remembered kneeling, with Milah dead in his arms. It seems that void and darkness were the only things remaining. So, why would he open up since he has nothing inside to offer? For now – and for the upcoming years – he had to heal as much cracks as he could and try to find a way to lighten his core. Really, he wasn't opening up, he was just curious about her. That was what their deal was about.

He didn't want a romance.

He didn't need a romance.

"You foolish little bro..." As Eric saw Killian frown and grit his teeth, he dropped the topic. "Okay! Okay. You're not opening up, I... misread." He finally said with a defeated sigh and eyes rolling following the words as they came out of his mouth. Killian was acting childish, they both knew it, and he didn't want to make his brother angry.

Eric was still eyeing his little brother from the corner of his eyes, when Killian looked at Emma and Ariel, coming back from the kitchen, platters in their arms. The big brother saw how Killian's gaze softened as soon as the blonde appeared, so he slightly smiled. You fool... You don't even realize it yet .He closed his eyes as the thought of his little brother having a possibility to be happy once again crossed his mind.

"Now that smells delicious!" Killian claimed, licking his lips, eager to start eating the meat and potatoes. "You haven't lost you touch, my dear Ariel!" He added with a wide smile as he presented his plate to Ariel, who was starting to serve.

Emma looked at Killian as she sat down. Her lips were pursed and her eyebrows rose in one quick motion. Can't he let her sit down before eating? No, of course not. She rolled her eyes when she saw Ariel pouring the potatoes in his plate. He was lucky Ariel was a nice person who didn't mind serving people before she could even sit down. How impolite...

Killian set his now filled plate before him and grabbed the salt and pepper, spraying some of the white and dark particles in his food. He seized his fork and knife, but waited for the others before cutting his meat. Emma had been quite surprised, because he had been so impatient to have his plate filled that she expected him to start eating before she, Ariel and Eric were even served. This guy is a whole paradox by himself.

"Bon appétit!" Ariel smiled as she took her fork and knife in her hands. They obeyed her words and leaned down toward their plate, skewering the food with their cutlery. When the crispy potato reached Emma mouth, her eyes widened and then closed as a pleased moan slipped from her lips. She opened her eyes and caught sight of Killian's stare directed toward her, with a cocked eyebrow and a smirk. What the h-... Oh God, how did her moan sound like?

Pervert.

Her eyes stared down, breaking the connection with the cocky bastard. Yeah, she couldn't help it. She had to keep trying to call him 'Killian' but he was acting such like a bastard... Anyway, she couldn't look at him when he had this expression crossing his features. She only locked her eyes on his face for few seconds and now, she could feel her cheeks blushing a bit. Stop it Emma! She rolled her eyes and kept eating for a while.

They were silent most of the time, and that was as awkward as when she was listening to them talking about their memories. She wasn't used to seeing Killian quiet. Wait. You're not used to seeing Killian at all. There's no 'seeing Killian quiet'. Sometimes, Ariel and Eric started talking about the pub and other random stuff but their conversations were short. Emma felt so embarrassed at some point that Eric noticed from the corner of his eyes. "Are you okay, Emma?"

"I'm fine." She stated; a shy smile on her mouth. She turned to Ariel. "That was wonderful, Ariel, thank you." Ariel thanked her with a beautiful smile showing her white teeth. She then got up and started to clean the table, piling the plates and cutlery, before carrying them toward the kitchen. Emma jumped on her feet to help her.

"Oh no, don't Emma, I'm fine. I'll be back in a second." Ariel informed her, the tone in her voice as bright and benevolent, as usual. This girl was too much. On one hand, you had these childish brothers, who were completely useless, and on the other hand, there was Ariel, constantly moving and serving them. Emma couldn't bear to be in Ariel's position. She would shout at them to help her or to at least do something.

But here they were, sitting and talking. Emma was upset by their behavior but she was their guest, and she knew them for 24 hours or less, so she couldn't pretend to command them, even if she craved to.

She remained quiet, listening to them as husky laughter exited their throats once more. They were so happy. Emma couldn't help but feel sick at the sound. If she wasn't as strong as she was, she would already be in tears. Because she didn't know how it felt like to have a family. A real family who you can talk to or laugh with.

Emma had always felt so alone.

But the loneliness had hardened her heart, enough not to start weeping. She had always fought alone, with no one by her side, supporting her. And Killian had guessed that, few hours ago, in the pub. Is it that easy to read her? She had always thought her face was perfectly unreadable. Apparently, it wasn't.

Not for him.

She didn't like it. But still, she had asked him to help her. Help her. She had never done that. Not even with... No. Not even with the bastard that had ruined her life ten years ago. And since she had fought even harder to reach the top of the pit she had fallen into. She was almost there, she could see the light. It wasn't far.

Lost in her train of thoughts, she hadn't noticed that Killian was facing her with his acute stare and Eric wasn't there anymore. He had ambled toward the kitchen to finally help his wife – or girlfriend, Emma didn't even know, and anyway, that wasn't her business. When she felt the warmth of his gaze turned toward her, she avoided to lock her eyes with his.

She knew he was currently trying to read her despite her attempt to appear blank. But apparently, it didn't stop him from talking. "Well, you don't speak too much, Swan. Why don't you tell us more about you?" The insatiable smirk was lightening his features. "You know, most men would take your silence as off putting but... I love a challenge."

She blinked. Did he really just ask her to talk about herself that explicitly? Was he serious? She had thought he would try to figure it out by just reading her. Maybe he was so eager to know that he didn't want to wait and use his skills to work on her. "Sorry, buddy. Not talking about my past with you. There's just no way."

"Oh... I don't need you to share, actually. You're something of an open book. I just tried to be a gentleman and to save you from hearing how well I can read you." He informed her, his annoying smirk still on his face.

"Oh, is that so Jones? And what can you tell me about my past?"

"Well, let's start with your eyes." He paused, leaning forward over the clean table so that their heads were only a few inches away from each other, looking straight into her eyes, locking hers with his. "You were abandoned."

"Was I?" Emma tried to remain expressionless but she was starting to rattle. How would he know that? She noted the confident look in his eyes and allowed herself to ask him a question, because she knew that he was aware to be right on this point. "How do you know that?"

"Like I said: open book." His eyes never flickered as he whispered in a breath. She felt frozen before him, so he explained. "I can see it in your eyes. You have that look. The one people have when they were left alone." He broke their eye connection while speaking. He was also hiding something from her. She would have to find out.

She lowered her eyes when he cut the silence that had fallen between them after his last statement. "Love has been all too rare in your life, hasn't it?" How dare you, you fucking bastard? She clenched her teeth sharply and crossed her arms against her chest. Will you ever shut up? Her stare drifted toward the kitchen. Why Eric and Ariel aren't back yet? She didn't want him to ask the question.

But he did.

"Have you ever been in love?"

She bit her bottom lip, drawing blood and closed her eyelids firmly. What should she say? If she told him to fuck off, he would only be more eager to know. But if she told him the truth... No. She would not tell him the truth. Seriously Emma, don't. So, she chose the easy way. "No, I have never been in love." Simple, clear and precise.

Unfortunately, Killian Jones didn't seem content with her reply. But he didn't push it, knowing that she wouldn't bear his incessant questioning. It was enough. And Emma felt relief filling her heart when she heard Ariel and Eric come back from the kitchen, with a cake and cups on a tray. They made a cute couple; really. And Emma's not used to say that to lots of people. The only other perfect pair she knew was the one Mary-Margaret and David formed.

She smiled sadly at the thought. She had known Mary-Margaret for a while now. She had been her roommate for almost 3 years when she had met David 5 years ago. When the brunette and the blonde had concluded their deal to live under the same roof, Emma was still a mass of broken pieces and Mary-Margaret had helped her gather them. She was pure kindness. And David was her nice and valiant boyfriend. They loved her so much, and as they were older than Emma, they were the closest thing she had to parents.

Ariel put the tray in the middle of the room and started to cut it in fair pieces. It appeared to be a brownie with cookie dough melted inside. God, that smelt like heaven. Ariel was such a talented cook. It's no wonder they own a pub. "That looks great Ariel. Do you serve it down at the pub too?" Emma questioned as Ariel was setting cake in Emma's new plate.

"Oh no." Ariel giggled. "I don't cook for the pub. It's just a hobby. I know Killian loves this cake and I promised him I would bake it when he came back." She gently tapped Killian on the shoulder, as he smiled back at the red-haired woman and thanked her by kissing her hand softly. "I'm a doctor."

"Oh really? I would have wagered you were a cook. You're so talented!" Emma claimed genuinely. "But being doctor is a great job. I would have liked to be one." She tried to hide the bitterness in her voice when she remembered her dream jobs as a youngster. It seemed that Emma really regretted everything in her life. Since she had arrived in Ireland, she was just getting sadder and sadder. For God's sake, she came here to forget the bad things in her life! Not to remember them.

"Yeah, but it's quite exhausting. That's why I convinced my boss to give me a free-week. It's like holiday, but I work at the pub instead - Which is great, I'm not complaining. I'm with my man and I can see acquaintances I no longer have the time to spend with." Ariel continued. She appeared to be the exact opposite of Emma. Always enjoying life and moving toward the future whereas Emma was stuck in her past, even miles away from Boston and America. She wished she could be like Ariel.

They ate their piece of cake and when Emma finished it, she felt like she was about to explode. She might have been hungry few hours ago, in the pub, but she no longer was. And the meal had been really delicious. She hadn't tasted something that good for so long. When she was in Boston, she always ordered a pizza or takeout, because she didn't have the time and will to cook something. "That was absolutely delicious, Ariel." She affirmed, still licking her lips.

"As usual." Killian added softly, eyeing Emma and then Ariel, sincerely smiling. "Emma is right: it was yummy Ariel. It seems that I have missed your cooking skills too." He licked his lips and teeth teasingly, with eyebrows raised.

After Emma insisted on helping Ariel clean the table and even getting help from the two men, they sat down once more around the table, as Killian disappeared in another room. He came back with a laptop, a sheet of paper and a ball pen in his hands. Show was about to start. "So, let's plan the week. Shall we?"

He sat down between Emma and Ariel and turned on the laptop. "Let's find something inspiring for our dear writer." He added; a true smile ghosting his lips. "Maybe you could start in Dublin because you could visit the city as well."

"Why not. I don't know. You are the tour guide." Emma stated. She tried to appear funny and mocking, but she was sure her anxiety was apparent in her tone.

"Aye, for sure." He winked at her, so she looked at the screen of the laptop, because she knew she'd be blushing if she met his stare and winks for too long. That's not normal, Emma, her mind kept reminding her. Stop acting like that. Control yourself. "So. I thought that maybe, tomorrow morning, we could start by going to the sports center." When Emma looked at him with a curious look, because she didn't understand the relevance of his proposal, he went on. "For two months, I haven't gone to the gym. Don't worry, Swan. It's only for a few hours, and besides, you can learn a lot of things about people when they're doing sport. It's really inspiring."

"Uh... okay... If you say so." She wasn't convinced. She was about to ask something about their visit in the afternoon but he cut her when she started to part her lips.

"You could go and swim with Ariel, while Eric and I go lift some weights." Killian stared at his brother and then Ariel, who both nodded. They had already told their customers that the pub would be closed tomorrow morning due to Killian's return. Then his eyes came back to Emma, and she nodded to, in agreement. "Tomorrow at 12p.m, we will meet in the pub. What would you like to visit, Emma?"

"Something that I could use for Fairy Tales. I don't know... Jails, landscapes, monuments..."

"Jails?" Killian popped up a brow, as if he was getting curious, a wide smile spreading on his lips. "Then I know exactly where we're going tomorrow: Kilmainham Gaol. North Dublin. You'll find it really interesting." He started to draw a table where he wrote the names of the days and drafted the activities of the morning and the afternoon below.

"Sounds interesting. What is it?" Emma asked.

Killian put a finger up, few inches away from her mouth and started to shake as if to say 'no'. "Sorry, lass, you'll have to wait till tomorrow to find that out. - Great History though. Ireland History." He looked down at the writings on the paper. "What about Tuesday? - Oh I know. In the morning, let's walk in some brilliant Dublin's street and in the afternoon, we could go to County Wiclow. It's not far from here and there's a lot of breathtaking landscapes that you must see at least once in your life."

Emma hid a laugh. He was so in love with his country, it was almost sweet. And so confident about its marvels. Always so confident. But this time, it wasn't annoying, it was cute. "Like what?" She urged to ask, nosy.

"So impatient, Swan. I like it." He smirked at her, Ariel and Eric exchanged amused looks. "Then again: you'll have to wait." He winked - again – at her and this time she didn't break the eye connection but she didn't blush either. Good Emma. Control. Oh no.

"When I was still in Boston, I did some research. I found things like 'The Cliff of Moher' or 'Glendalough'. Do you think we could visit them as well? It sounded interesting." Emma inquired. She didn't even know if these places could help her find inspiration, but they were apparently the most popular places in Ireland, so it had to be marvelous.

"Brilliant idea, Emma!" Eric shouted, smiling. "Those places are worth seeing, no one would deny it."

"Aye. Well, Swan, Glendalough isn't far from Dublin given it's in County Wiclow. We could visit it on Tuesday as well." He wrote on the paper. "As for the 'Cliff of Moher', it's on the West Coast, so maybe it would be better to visit it on Thursday, so you could see all the interesting places we have around Dublin before going all around Ireland, what do you think?"

"Sounds great." Emma nodded and managed to truly smile at Killian. Is it the first time? Well, it was because he currently wasn't acting like an asshole. "What about Wednesday?"

"Calm down, lass – So, Wednesday." His fingers gripped his chin and started to rub his stubble there as he was thinking about their activities of Wednesday. "It's possible that we won't have the time to visit everything interesting in County Wiclow Tuesday, so maybe, instead of being in a hurry and visit everything in a row, we could visit Glendalough one day, come back to Dublin at night and go once again in County Wiclow on Wednesday, so we could visit Powerscourt. You'll see, it's magnificient."

Ariel hadn't spoken since the beginning of this conversation, so she started. "You know, Emma, you won't have the time to visit everything that is worth to be seen in Ireland in one week. Even in one month. We haven't even visited everything yet and we're born in this country. Killian is only going to show you what we know and what we think might inspire you, for your fairy tale." She genuinely grinned at her blonde guest, who smiled back at her.

"Yeah, I know Ariel. Thanks again for everything, the three of you." Emma replied. Their answer was a smile spreading in unison. "So, Wednesday, we're going to visit County Wiclow again and thursday, you'll be my tour guide on the West Coast. And what about Friday?" Yes, she was impatient. The more he told her their tourism activities of the week, the more she felt excited by her stay here, in Ireland.

Killian didn't tell her to calm down as he had always done. No this time, a deep and warm laughter spilled out of his mouth when he understood how excited she was. His laughing ocean-colored eyes locked with her green for a second and a strange wave of emotion – that she couldn't properly discern – roared in her body, chills running through her spine. What was that? She had no idea, but it didn't feel odd. It felt soothing.

She saw something flash briefly in his eyes. He hesitated. "I think Friday we could go to Drogheda." He finally said, as he looked at Eric and Ariel with a quite worried look. It was weird; she never thought Killian could ever have this expression printed on his hardened features. "Beautiful place." He added, probably wanting to appear relaxed. "And full of History." She knew he wasn't telling her something and neither were Eric and Ariel.

The four of them remained there, sitting around the table surrounded by an unusual silence, until Ariel broke it to soften the atmosphere. "Emma, would you like some tea? Or maybe a coffee?"

"A coffee would be great." She smiled at her host.

"Killian, coffee with milk I presume? And a dark one for you, Eric?"

"Yes, please." The two brothers replied in unison, their tone still uncertain. What's the matter with them? What was the name of the town again? Drogheda, was it? The two brothers' eyes wavered from each other's face to the floor, their brows a bit furrowed and they were biting their bottom lip still in unison.

Emma felt uneasy, once more. But when Ariel came back with the tray and the drinks, her smile lightening the room, Emma was relieved. The tension running through the brothers' bodies was palpable and Ariel slightly shook Eric's shoulder. He then shook his head and seemed to regain his mind, a sad smile crossing his lips and he leaned up to catch Ariel's lips softly.

Ariel put the tray on the table and offered a cup to Emma and the brothers, before gripping hers and starting to drink. Emma sipped the tasty coffee slowly, wanting to feel every warm drop along her throat and taking the time to smell the hot liquid. Eric quickly drank his cup, before licking his wet lips and then wiping them with the back of his hand. Ariel drank as slowly as Emma.

Killian was still lost in his thoughts. He didn't even notice the cup waiting for him to drink. His glassy eyes were looking down toward the table, his lips thinly parted while his fingers were dancing in slow motions, drawing circles. The confusion was crossing and hardening his features. He looked almost scary.

Emma didn't know where to look. If she looked at Ariel and Eric, she felt uneasy because they were hugging and pecking each other's lips, as if they wanted to ensure each other that everything was okay. And if Emma looked at Killian, she was afraid to feel as lost as he appeared.

Finally, she stood up and whispered, her voice filled with embarrassment. "I'd better go."

"No. Stay." At last, Killian seemed to have regained consciousness. She felt relief spreading in her body. Wait. Why? He jumped quickly on his feet and grabbed tightly – but he wasn't hurting her - her forearm. "We haven't finished yet." He tried to smile but he was so shaken by his proposal to go to Drogheda that he wasn't able to.

Emma wondered why he wanted to take her to Drogheda if that town had such a negative effect on his mood. Why would he want to hurt himself? Was he some kind of masochist?; or maybe a psycho? She didn't know but when she felt his hot skin pressed against her forearm, she couldn't help but do what he asked her to. So she sat down, and he released her arm.

He sat down as well and, biting his bottom lip again, he started. "When are you going home, Swan? Saturday or Sunday night?"

"Saturday night."

"Well, then, do you think we could have the time to visit something on Saturday morning or midday?" His head appeared to have recovered from his confusion, because his voice was normal now. No quivering or unsure words. He titled his head to the side, waiting for her answer.

She quietly considered the question, letting it travel all around her mind, imagining the possibilities. "Hmm... I don't know, because I'll have some packing to do. Maybe in the morning, but I don't think it'll be possible from midday." Her fingers were tapping against the table as she spoke, her eyes meeting Killian's, never breaking the gaze.

"Okay. Well... then I don't know what we could do on Saturday." Killian rubbed the back of his head. "Or, we could," he gulped noisily, as if he wasn't certain of the rest of his sentence, "stay in Drogheda Friday night. We could take two rooms and drive Saturday morning, so we will have the time for all the stuff there."

His voice had somehow cracked when he had said 'stuff'. Emma noticed it and furrowed her eyebrows. She knew that he knew that she knew. Wait. It's getting complicated. Anyway, she knew and judging by his face, he was aware of it. He palmed his face with his hands and started to rub his closed eyes. "What do you think, Swan?"

"I think that... I think it's fine. We could sleep in a motel in Drogheda and come back on Saturday morning." She half-smiled, trying to get the usual smile – or smirk – written on his face but she didn't. He was still serious. And she was becoming really curious about Drogheda.

After all, maybe she had amazing instincts. Maybe it had drawn her toward Killian Jones, the Irish bastard, King of Innuendos because he was a tortured soul that could help her find inspiration. She could now see his dark side. But if he was deeply hurt, she was going to act like herself like some bastard, earning money upon his unhappiness. And she didn't like it.

But still, maybe he was her muse.

She checked the time on her watch. Oh my God. 12a.m. Poor Maggie. She would have to explain herself. "Well... thank you for everything. It was great." She smiled at the couple and Ariel came to hug her. Emma wasn't expecting it but she was glad Ariel did, so she hugged her back, her grin still lighting her features. "See you in the morning. Will we meet in the pub before going to the pool?"

Ariel nodded. "Yeah, I think so." She released Emma from her grip.

"It was great to have you home tonight Emma." Eric stated, with a true smile curling his mouth. "And it was nice to meet you."

Emma blushed a bit; she wasn't used to so much kindness. "Nice to meet you too, Ariel and Eric." She then turned her head back to Killian. "Thank you for everything – again – Killian. See you tomor-"

"Actually, I'm not going to let you go back home alone. As you may know, I'm always a gentleman. So I'm going to walk you to your host's house." He leaned toward her and opened the door, inviting her to follow him. When he was about to close the door, he asked his brother. "By the way, is it okay if I sleep on your couch tonight?" His eyes were laughing and his tone was bright. "There are no buses any more at this time. Thanks bro!" He hadn't even waited for Eric or Ariel's answer and closed the door behind him.

They walked down the stairs and arrived in a small street at the back of the pub. There were still some pubs open when they made their way in the city. He told her to stay near him because they might run in to some seriously drunk people and they would certainly bother a woman as beautiful as Emma was.

That was his words.

Beautiful.

Emma was glad the moon was high in the sky at this time, because this way, he wasn't able to notice how red her cheeks had gotten, even though she had tried to restrain it. She wasn't very good at hiding her embarrassment when he was around. And God knows that she didn't like feeling unprotected, especially from him.

They continued to walk down the streets and circled Trinity College; neither of them talking. Killian had placed his hands in his pockets and Emma was looking down. It was getting cold and a few times, Emma felt chills running along her spine. "Here, Swan. Take this." Killian removed his leather coat, still warm thanks to the temperature of his body and put it around her shoulders.

Emma didn't react. She was too cold to struggle. "Thank you." She smiled at him and held his coat even tighter, its heat covering her. And moreover, she felt safe in it. That was quite strange. Why would she feel protected in his clothes?

"Oh, Swan. You know how to wear men clothes, that's for sure." Killian teased, a smirk widening on his lips and raising his eyebrows. Oh great. The Killian she knew was back. Mister Innuendos. She rolled her eyes and smacked him on the shoulder.

"Pervert." She hissed, wanting to appear miffed or upset and yet she couldn't help but smile at his dirty comment. She rolled her eyes one more time when she spied him licking his bottom lip and wiggling his brows up and down. He was annoying, and he was confident. She knew she didn't like these kinds of guys. Horndogs. Blinded with lust.

How many women has he bedded?

She didn't want to think about it. Why was she even thinking about it? It's none of you business Emma. You're just here for a week. You don't care how many one-night-stands he's had. It means that he's not into commited relationships. That's great, because neither do you. End of discussion. "So, where do you live Swan?"

"Pearse street." She said, pointing it with her finger. They kept walking through the city silently, until she couldn't restrain the question she craved to ask him since they had left Eric and Ariel's apartment. "So... what's the deal with Drogheda?"

Touché.

Killian froze. Panic filling his eyes, he sadly looked at Emma and started to walk again, increasing his pace, hands deep in his pockets. Great job Killian. Now she is even more certain that something is wrong with you about that town. He relaxed his gait and waited for her to join him. Closing his eyes when he knew she was looking at him, he said between gritted teeth. "I don't really want to talk about that. Maybe next time."

She didn't insist. She understood he had his darker side and didn't want to talk about it. She wouldn't either if he was the one questioning her. Because she didn't trust him. Maybe he did trust her but it was too painful to talk about that town. Or maybe he didn't trust her either. But still, he was taking her there because there was something in Drogheda that she might be interested in.

They reached Maggie's house a few minutes later. There was still a light turned on and Emma felt incredibly guilty for it; poor Maggie. She peered at Killian who was waiting for her to enter the house before returning to Eric and Ariel's. Gentleman. She removed his coat from her shoulders and approached him, half-smiling. "Thanks. Again." She let a brief chuckle escape. She was thanking him, again.

Killian took his leather coat and looked intently at her, maybe a bit too intently for her to hold his gaze, as her green orbs were diving into his blue pearls. He tilted his head on the side, before leaning toward her and whispering in her ear. "And it's only the beginning of the week, love."

She rolled her eyes, before walking to the door and entering the house. "See you tomorrow, pervert." She had teased him with the last word and he knew it. A wide smirk crossed his features and he came closer to the door.

"And you like it." He quipped, his smirk widening." Good night - Emma."

So, was it bad ?
Do you like how their relationship goes ?

Let me a review please, I'd like to know your thoughts !
Thanks again for everything you guys bring to the story !

See you next week !