He goes home and actually ends up falling asleep, and for some reason, he feels as if his bed feels a lot more larger than usual. He disregards the feeling, shaking it off, and falls under the calling for fatigue. It's a dreamless night, but it doesn't stop the busy grinding gears in there.

When morning shines through his curtains, the blinded glow warming his skin, he groans as his eyes flicker between the window and the clock which tells him it's time to get up. He no longer needs an alarm, his body acts on his own, always waking up at the right times due to it become a procedure he follows each and every single day. Throwing himself into the washroom, the bags under his eyes have somewhat dissipated away, which means his body has already started to recover - a good thing. The feel of shaving is like grace, like a little bit of weight has been removed off his face.

As the usual, he drops by Granny's to grab the coffee, greeting a couple of people he meets early. The station doors are already unlocked, meaning either David or Emma is already here, but he decides it's Emma because her yellow bug is parked outside in her so called parking spot. He can still remember the way he made her frustrated because of accidentally parking in that spot being completely clueless it was her usual location. He's correct, it's Emma sitting there - but she seems a little bit reflective, which is odd. Unless you consider the fact of yesterday's conversation where she spilled herself all over him, or how they met at the docks in the middle of the night - or morning, however you see it.

"Swan." He holds out her coffee as he takes a drink out of his, refreshing as hell.

"Thanks, Jones," she says, taking the cup from his hand. Their fingers skim each other, but she seems not too affected by it, it's not like some little contact will do anything. They've been fake dating for at least three days now, they just need to last a little bit longer.

"There's my little brother!"

He is going to punch a wall at some point. "Bloody fuck," he grunts, turning around and seeing Liam smiling. "Just how many times is someone going to unexpectedly show up at my door?" he mutters under his breath. "Liam, it's great to see you… but mind explaining all this to me? Is Elsa with you?"

"She's in the car," Liam responds, "but it's been awhile, brother. How've you been doing? Oh, pardon me, I didn't see the lady behind you." He nudges Killian out of the way, smiling. "Liam Jones," his brother introduces himself, extending his hand out.

Killian glances over at Emma, and she seems slightly overwhelmed at the entire situation. She nods and smiles - it seems tight and stiff though, unusual of her - and takes his hand for a firm looking handshake. "Emma Swan," she introduces in return. "Killian has told me a lot about you, Liam. It's great to finally meet the brother in flesh."

"Killian, is she…"

"Uhm, erm, yeah," he stutters, reaching to scratch behind his ear. "We're sort of a thing, yeah," he clarifies, smiling slightly nervously.

He clasps him on the shoulder, nodding in approval. "Good, because you two are looking at each other like complete and utter fools to think I wouldn't realize." Liam sighs, his eyes flickering between the two of them. "How long? Because I just assumed, and you kept it a secret from me. It's my job to take care of you."

"A couple of days, brother," Killian answers, shrugging his shoulders as he takes a sip out of his coffee. "Sorry, I forgot to tell you because there have been a couple of issues to take care of recently taking up my schedule. But in other news, how's Elsa and the child?"

"Sorry for interrupting, but shouldn't you bring your wife in here instead of making her wait in the car? Seems rather odd," Emma interjects. "We can talk better like that anyways."

"Ah, she's a smart one. You've gotten yourself lucky, Killian. I'll be right back."

Killian nods and rolls his eyes as he watches Liam slip away out the station to go grab Elsa. "I'm so sorry, love. I didn't know they were going to pay a surprise visit, I'm just as surprised as you are." He sighs, leaning back against the wall.

"Killian, it's fine. I signed up for it," she assures him.

"Thank you, Swan."

Liam returns back with Elsa, introducing her to Emma. Killian hugs her, knowing it's the appropriate gesture considering they are family. She's always been a bright lass, smart too. Fits to be with his stubborn arse of a brother anyways. So, they talk and talk. Congratulations are sent toward their way since she's now carrying a child. He finally sees Emma let loose a little bit, and she's subtly taking a liking toward Elsa. They seem somewhat similar in a way, so perhaps it's nice for her to befriend her. Emma needs some more socializing anyways since it's always between like three other people in her life.

They also talk about the business, Liam telling him and filling him in on how it's doing well. David soon enters as well, and is surprised by the amount of people. Killian just introduces the two of them, and Liam is very impressed by the life he now holds, not that it really matters. It's just that since Liam was the one who raised him for the majority of his life, he tends to be protective and proud of his brother when he accomplishes other stuff. Including his… girlfriend, or whatever you want to label it as. When he thinks about it, he hasn't even discussed everything with David yet, and he hasn't asked since, so perhaps later is a time he's going to talk to him about it.

But, they're putting up a good ruse. His arm around her shoulders, smiling and laughing, and then there's a little bit of groaning and complaining when it comes to some dumb stuff Liam brings up. Before they know it, the day goes by.

Except, there's an issue at the end of the day, and it's arrangements for Liam and Elsa.

"Brother, I've got a favor to ask of you. When we arrived, Granny Lucas had told us there are no more available rooms around," Liam states, shaking his head a little, "and Elsa and I require a place to take residence for the remainder of a visit."

"I only have one bedroom, unfortunately. Perhaps I can work something out with Emma." His eyes dart past his brother's shoulders to see her smiling and talking with Elsa. "Hold on." He pats Liam on the shoulder, rounding him and going toward the two women. "Sorry to interrupt, ladies, but may I borrow my girlfriend for a moment?" he asks.

"Yeah, go ahead, Killian," Elsa answers.

"Thank you, love." He drags Emma's arm so they round the corner of the corridor to discuss their little issue.

"What's up?"

"The odds are against us, Swan. There are no more available lodgings at Granny's and they need a place to stay. I'd give them the use of my apartment, however, then I'd be out of a place to stay, and I need your input on what to do. I'm sure we can arrange something, but I'm at a brick wall at the moment," he explains quickly.

"Well, shit," she curses, shrugging. "I don't have a spare room either, but… oh. I don't want to be the one suggesting it, but unless you want to sleep on the couch in my place… Just - okay, we're adults," she quickly corrects herself, "we're supposed to be dating, we can share a bed… right? And no you're not sleeping on the damn floor, don't pull any gentleman crap on me. You can give them your apartment for the rest of their stay, and we can just head back to my place. Well, you need to like… pack some stuff, I'm not giving you my clothes or anything."

"Are you sure about this, love? I don't want to ask you of too much," he asks for confirmation, tilting his head slightly, his tongue gliding over his bottom lip.

"It'll make us seem more dedicated, won't it?"

"That it does…" He sighs. "Alright, I'll tell them of what we have arranged then." The both of them head back, and now David's talking with the both of them. Everyone apparently has their liking with each other, which is a good thing he supposes.

He explains to Liam and Elsa the plan, and even Liam asks if it's too much to request for. But, since they've already made up their mind, they agree to it anyways. It's just that he'll need to pack up some stuff for the next week to stay at Emma's until they figure out something else - if there's even a reason to figure out something else.

And of course, the drive to his apartment is full of questions from his brother and Elsa. Specifics to say at the least. And thank god he knows her well enough to answer questions accurately enough, or just enough to suffice as an answer actually. His life is only going to get harder from now, he did not sign up for this, nor is he prepared, but he's playing along with it anyways. Emma hardly seems too distraught on the idea anyways, she appears rather insistent about everything, which is perfectly fine with him. He'll need to thank her somehow, he'll just need to figure out how.

He helps them carry a few bags with them into his apartment, showing them around quickly and everything. Not to be mean or anything, but he wants to get out of there as fast as possible now. As much as he cares for his brother and Elsa, he hasn't had any time to himself, and he usually prides himself in little company. It's never past two people, so now that there's Robin, Will, Elsa, and Liam, his life just got a lot more cramped in terms of company.

"... and finally a key for you," he says, throwing the keys at Liam. "Take care, brother. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Once again, I owe you my thanks. For once we've reversed our roles," Liam says, grinning.

"I'm a deputy around here, I do what I need to do." He sighs, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Enjoy your stay in Storybrooke, Liam." He pulls the door open and leaves, walking down the hallway and into the elevator.

By the time he's standing in front of Emma's door, he's nervous - more nervous than anything in the world. Sharing a bed? That's one thing. Sharing a washroom? Another. Sharing the same apartment? Bloody hell, he's just in some catastrophic life crisis with his relationship status and the surprises from other people. He hears shuffling from the other side of the door, and of course, the door swing open with her in sweats and a t-shirt.

They greet casually, she just tells him where he can place his belongings and where everything is in case he ever actually needs to find anything urgently. But, fuck, this it the first time he's ever been in her bedroom, and it's clean and quite empty. Swan's not one for decorations then, he figures, glancing around as he sets his bag down in the corner of the room. The walls are a light shade of grey, no paintings or photos hanging upon them. A sliding door for a small closet in one corner, in the other is a simple desk and a laptop.

The bed is a queen size, similar to his of course. It's neatly tidied. She takes care well, he thinks, rummaging through his belongings to find his pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt for the night. Sometimes, he'd settle shirtless, but considering this is Emma's house, which is Emma's rules, it's best he doesn't do something that makes her uncomfortable. The last thing he needs is to be kicked out of her apartment without a return card. He brushes past her when he ducks into the washroom to change and brush his teeth.

His mind never settles when it comes to Emma Swan, and within the past few days, everything has been rocketing out of his control. First Robin and Will drop by and stay, then he's playing a fake game with all of them by asking Emma for the favour of being his fake lover, then the next thing is Liam and Elsa visiting as well. God, it would be nice to just go back to Emma, David and him, but that's not something that's coming any time soon if he knows his brother well enough. If he's taken a break from work and the company, that means they'll be here for longer, and longer is bad, because the more he plays fake, the more he starts to realize there's something else he feels deep down.

He sighs and flicks the light off, sauntering a couple of steps before he's in her bedroom again, chucking his clothes into his available spot. She's already in bed on her preferred side, so he lifts the covers and gets in under her. They barely speak to each other, and it's relatively awkward to be sleeping with his friend, his coworker, his boss. Holy shit, everything is so wrong with this, but being in bed with her brings up the kiss again, both the first and second time.

Both of their backs face each other, and from the looks of it, he can't sleep, and according to her breathing pattern, neither can she. But, they stay silent and just as he hopes sleep will come for him, he wonders if she feels the exact same, he wonders if she wants to sleep to - or the reasons behind the inability to get the rest they need for the next day (which should be full of tours and frustration). For a moment, he thinks he hears her call his name, so he shrugs it off and slides his eyes closed just in an attempt to block out everything, but that doesn't work when it happens again.

"Are you awake too?"

He sighs, adjusting his hand under the pillow. "Yeah," he mumbles quietly, hearing the nocturnal winds outside blowing through Storybrooke.

"We're putting up a good act, aren't we?" she asks softly. She flips over to face him because he can feel the rise and dip of the mattress.

He does the same, rolling onto his other side to face her. "They're not too difficult to please." At least, he thinks that's the reason they're convincing all of them so easily. "Liam likes you."

"I've noticed." She pokes his ribs which causes him to flinch slightly. "Tell me a story."

"And why should I do that, love?"

"Because… maybe I'll fall asleep?"

"And what of me?"

"You'll fall asleep too."

"You're awfully sure about this." He yawns, adjusting himself so he's on his back, his eyes hitting the ceiling. "As you wish." He inhales a deep breath, letting himself conjure up some cliché story. "Once upon a time there was a dashing rapscallion of a pirate who would pillage and plunder every ship he came across - but, make no mistake, although he may appear ruthless, he was no less intelligent."

"Really, a pirate tale?"

"Do you want a story or not?"

"I'd have thought you would have a better story in mind than that, Jones," she complains, doubting his storytelling skills. "But do go on."

"Where was I? Ah, that's right. Now, this pirate is no regular pirate you see... He was an ex-lieutenant, wanting to get revenge on the corrupted monarchy that had ended his brother's dear life, the previous captain before him. This pirate captain, he became the most feared pirate on the seven seas, he built up quite a reputation where most men feared crossing paths with him. What's even worse is that he had shortly then lost another loved one because she was trying to run away from a coward of a husband. She desired for adventure, freedom away from this man, so, he asked this pirate, and he would give it to her at no cost because he really did love her and wanted to give her everything. However, the coward husband returned as he became a dark man of magic..." he starts to trail off as he glances over, her eyes closed and her breaths evened out.

Even for the slightest moment, just watching her calmly sleep soothes him, assures him that he can even make her fall asleep by telling a simple story, a fairy tale. He didn't even get to the princess part yet. Perhaps another time he'll continue the tale for her, but not tonight. The way her golden hair falls over her shoulders like a waterfall, or how worry-free her face expression is, it puts him into a state of trance. At some point, he falls asleep just by watching her.

Morning rises far too early for him, waking just at the crack of dawn. There's a weight on his chest, something he doesn't recall from earlier, but when he opens his eyes and glances down, it's Emma's head resting comfortably. He doesn't have the heart to wake her up, but she probably figures out that he's awake and she yawns, rubbing her eyes. The moment Emma apparently notices the position she's in, she scrambles up and apologizes profusely.

He laughs, running a hand through his hair. "Swan, relax," he assures, sitting up and stretching his arms out. "I'm not going to charge you for getting comfortable in your own bed, let alone on the man in it, because trust me, I'm not the one complaining, darling." He winks at her and swings his legs out of bed, scratching his head.

Although he's not intentionally paying any attention to her when he grabs his spare change of clothes, it's worth noting her cheeks are flushed red in a tone he's never really noticed before. He sighs and smirks, shaking his head.

"I'm… gonna go to the washroom first," she mumbles, tripping on her words as she disappears out of the bedroom.

It takes a minute for him to realize how much she's embarrassing herself in front of him, but he finds himself quite flustered by the ways he reacts. Just as he chucks his shirt off, she walks in the room, and on reflex he turns around to look at her. Her mouth is agape, and her eyes are wide. "See something you like, Swan?"

"Oh no, definitely not," she mutters, going into her closet and grabbing her jacket. "Hurry up and change, David needs a discussion between us today because you failed to tell him the details of our little game here and it's difficult for him to keep up and understand. We also need to expect your brother and wife if they need a tour around town. Can I be the one not responsible for that this time?"

"Failure on my part - my apologies, Swan." He slips his long sleeve on, reaching for the jacket that's draped over her chair. "How about," he turns to face her with his trademark smirk, "we do it as a team?"

She groans. "Fine."

"That's the spirit, love."


Explaining to David about the entire 'fake dating' plan is a lot more frustrating than he's anticipated, because just as he thought, he's protective over Emma. At first, he's quite enthralled, being completely immersed in their good explanation, but the more they explain, the closer they get to the kisses and that's not on the list for either of them to discuss. In some way, he's feel hopeful that maybe it meant something to her, something more than being just a kiss - but Swan, she doesn't date, hasn't since she was nineteen, and there's no way he stands a chance against that.

What he feels is that maybe they can work it out, maybe they really can give each other the slightest bit of a chance to work together - more than bloody coworkers and partners. Damn it, when did he start thinking like that? When did he get over Milah?

Just as they're about to go get their daily morning coffee and maybe a grilled cheese (Emma's request per usual), David pulls him by the arm back while she saunters off outside.

"Don't hurt her by doing this, Killian, you know I've told you she hasn't dated since nineteen."

"I know that, mate. She spoiled me her story the other day while we were here in the station, all of it, and the last thing I want to do is hurt her. I knew the risks going into this, and I gave her a way out, but she had insisted to help me because I've been there for her as have you. Trust me, Dave, I know I'm walking on water. I'm serious."

David sighs and claps Killian on the shoulder. "Alright, I trust you. Just, please don't do anything bad because I don't think I can handle seeing heartbreak take her again."

"I'll be careful, I promise you that."

Besides, Killian Jones likes to keep his promises, and with her own emotions on the line, he can't break this one, especially because it will break him too.