A bit of a time jump with this one, but I doubt you'll mind ;)

Chapter 6

May 2013

"Hey, guys, Mary- Margaret and I will be right back. She wants to run out and grab more dip." David announced.

Emma raised her eyebrow, pretty sure they had more than enough dip to get them through tomorrow night, but if there was anything she had learned, was not to disrupt Mary-Margaret while she was in party-planning mode. "Okay." Was her simple response. "Hurry back."

Emma turned to Killian when Mary-Margaret and David had left and laughed. "She does know the party is not even until tomorrow, right?"

"She likes to be prepared. Besides, she enjoys all of this planning stuff. Sometimes I think she should have done that instead of becoming a teacher."

"I think she's got the best of both worlds." Emma said. "Her classroom is completely decked out."

They both laughed and continued to work off of the small list Mary-Margaret had for the party. It was small, nothing to elaborate, at Killian's request. She had wanted to give him a graduation party since his ceremony was tomorrow morning and who was he to deny her. So, they compromised. They could do a small get together at Mary-Margaret and Emma's apartment and have some fun celebrating.

"So," Emma asked. "Are you excited for tomorrow?"

Killian moved his arm to wipe down a kitchen counter, as the apartment "needs to be spotless if people are coming over" as Mary-Margaret said. "I suppose. I think I'm just relieved that I actually made it. That last year at the master's level nearly killed me."

"The joys of a five year program." She teased.

"Just you wait, Swan. You won't be laughing when it's you."

She laughed and moved into the small living room to start putting things away and to straighten up. "Liam and Elsa are coming in, though, right?" She asked on a more serious note.

"Aye." He, a little louder, now that she was in the living room and he was moving about the kitchen. "I've missed that bloke. And those kids."

"I'm sure they will be happy to see you too."

"It will be the first time you get to meet them."

Emma looked up, a small smile on her face. He was right, she was the only one yet to meet his family. It seemed to be a strange thing to acknowledge, though, given that they were just friends. The past few months had been filled with a "will they, won't they" dynamic. Everyone knew they were close and had a special relationship, but that was all it was. Well, that and many hidden glances and subtle brushes and sitting very close to each other at Sunday brunches but that was it.

"Well, I can't wait to meet him. He seems great." Emma said finally.

"He is. Bloody bloke had been going on for months that his younger brother is finally graduating."

"Well, he's proud of you." She moved past him to throw away a soda can that was left from earlier that night. "And he should be. You did good."

"Well, now he move on to pressuring me to knowing what my plans are for after graduation." Killian only half joked.

And there it was. The elephant in the room for months. What was he going to do after graduation. He had done the skype interview for the job in New York and of course they had loved him, so he went down for a few days for a face to face interview. After that, Killian didn't mention it to much. He had gotten the job, but not accepted it, that any of them had known of. He said he wanted to keep his options open and had gone for a few other jobs and interviews. As of now, though, no one really knew what his plans were for after tomorrow.

"What are those plans?" Emma asked slowly, taking a break from cleaning for a moment and leaning against the newly cleaned kitchen counter.

"Hopefully to be gainfully employed and have a roof over my head."

"Killian, I'm serious."

He sighed and turned to face her. "Emma,-"

"If you're leaving, just tell me." She stated simply. There was no beating around the bush with this, not with them. "I can handle it, Killian. I've said a lot of goodbyes. Just tell me."

Killian just stared at her, lips pursed, and answered the question she had not directly asked. "I'm not going to New York, Emma."

"But that's your dream job."

He shook his head. "Was. When I was twenty-three and just starting out with journalism. A lot has changed since then."

"Like what?"

"This place." He answered. She made a confused face at him and he continued. "The people here, I suppose. I didn't want to leave them."

"So, you're staying in Storybrooke?" He already worked for the Storybrooke Gizette part time as an intern and to say he hated it was putting it lightly. The idea that he would continue was unfathomable.

"I interviewed for a job in Portland. It's a half hour commute to work, but nice pay and good hours." He took a step closer to her. "And I get to stay here in Storybrooke."

"So, you're staying?" She said in a low voice, straightening her body, now only her back touching the counter.

"Aye. I couldn't see myself leaving. There is just too much here. I mean, I've got my apartment here. I know my way around. I've got amazing friends who are not leaving anytime soon." Another step closer. "And there is a girl here who I fancy quite a bit."

She realized now how close they were, in the confines of this tiny apartment, her standing against the kitchen counter and him standing right in front of her, their feet not even inches away from each other. They had been close before, sure, but this...this was different.

"A girl, huh? Gotta be pretty special if you'd stay for her."

"Aye. Quite special indeed."

"Have you told her?" Emma teased in a soft whisper, despite knowing the answer.

"Just did."

Emma stared up at him, not being able to process his words and all that was going on. A small voice in her head told her to stop anything before it started, for fear of getting hurt. The logical part of her brain told her that Mary-Margaret and David would be back any minute and this was not the scene they wanted to see.

But, with her thoughts scrambled and her heart racing, she couldn't think of much more than just kissing him.

So, she did. She raised herself up on her toes, snaking her hand around his neck and pulled close to her, kissing him. He was quick to respond, pulling her flush against his chest, wrapping his good arm around her waist.

Emma didn't know how long they stayed like that. Seconds, maybe minutes? She lost the ability to understand time or really anything until Killian pulled back, a smile on his face.

"That was-"

"A long time coming."

He laughed, removing his good arm from her waist and using it to brush hair out from in front of her face. "Aye."

She let herself stare up at him, just for a moment, before letting reality take over. "What are we doing?"

She could tell her was working up a saucy remark up in his mind, but when he looked at her again he must have change his tune because he gently took her hand and led her to the living room, sitting them both on the couch.

It seemed like forever before Killian finally said, "I like you, Emma."

She felt like a middle school girl with her first crush the way she lit up. She tried to compose herself. "I like you, too."

"I want this. Us." He said. "I know I've dragged my feet on this for months, but I want this."

"I want this too…"

"I sense a but." He tried to hide the disappointment in his voice.

He took his hand. "I want this. I do. But...I'm not good at relationships. I never have been. After all my time in the foster system, trusting people just doesn't come naturally."

He gave her a soft smile. "Then we take it slow."

"What do we tell people?

"Whatever you want."

"Can we not tell anyone...just not yet? I know we're taking it slow, but if things don't work I just don't…" She didn't finish her sentence but she was sure he knew was she was trying to say. If things ended badly, as they often did with her, she did not want to lose all of her friends too.

"Aye, love. We'll do this at our own pace. Our own way, okay?"

"Okay." She whispered softly. She was going to kiss him again when she heard the doorknob turn. She moved away from Killian on the couch, putting a respectable amount of distance between them.

Mary-Margaret and David walked in, him holding two grocery bags. "Slackers." He muttered under his breath.

Killian winked at Emma before standing to help David with the grocery bags, leaving to slow her heart rate and quiet the thoughts in her head. She went to help Mary-Margaret, only processing every other thing her friend said, her mind to focused on the dark haired man standing in the kitchen.

He flashed her another small smile and she knew she was ruined.

Not that she minded.

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