Emma.

In the few little minutes it took her to walk back inside the house, she was frantically thinking of some way to make Killian understand, she opened the door and saw him a few steps inside standing next to David and she knew what to do, or at least what she was dying to do. If kissing him in front of everyone wasn't enough to get his attention, to make him understand with no words at all that he was so wrong on his assumptions, then nothing will. She grabbed his arm and turned him around in one motion, her hands found easily each side of his head to help her direct her lips to his. The whole thing happened quite fast, the first second he seemed surprised, but shortly his arms were pushing her closer. Soon they heard everyone around them whistling or encouraging them and they stop kissing, but Killian kept her close, his forehead found hers, she couldn't stop staring at him, he took a deep breath then smiled at her before he faced the crowd.

"Ok. The show is over and I need to talk to this fine lass, so excuse us" he said winking and Emma blushed when she noticed all eyes on them. She didn't think this through. Killian grabbed one of her hands and pulled her outside the room. As soon as they were in the safe and lonely foyer he turned around and pushed her against a wall, his lips finding hers with ease. All this time she had said to herself over and over again that she's been idealizing the first kiss they shared, no kiss is that good, at least she never had a kiss that good. But now she's here kissing him for the third time, and she knows that as amazing she thought their first kiss was, it was nothing compared to this one. That she has not been idealizing their first kiss, in fact now she knows how faded her memory of that kiss was, because she is facing reality and it's more amazing than whatever she thinks she remembers "My apologies, I've been wanting to do that since I walked in" he whispered when they stopped kissing

"Why did you walked away from me then?" she asked and at that moment she noticed how one of her hands was on his neck, the other one on his chest. With the question he tensed, probably remembering the earlier events. He took one step back, her arms falling to each side of her.

"You are not with him, right?" he asked giving a look in the direction of the living room when he looked back at her she denied with her head "I thought…" he said awkwardly.

"It's my fault, I disappear for three weeks then I reappear standing next to some guy" she said interrupting him "I didn't plan on bring him here. But he showed up at my place yesterday and…I was really nervous of coming here to finally see you. So I asked him to join me, it never crossed my mind you would think…"

"To be fair, Swan. I didn't even ask or give you time to say anything, I just assumed…bloody hell" he said, his right hand cupping her face, his thumb caressing her cheek "Sorry?" he asked with an apologetic smile. She nodded smiling, he took one step into her personal space again "so…what does this mean? Because I really would love to kiss you again…whenever I want and I need to be clear with that"

"I would love that too" she answered shyly

"That can be arranged" he said winking at her, He was about to kiss her again when they heard someone clearing his throat, they looked up and found David.

"So, it's time for dinner" he said and they nodded, Killian grabbed her hand and walked after David holding her hand.

Killian.

They didn't even need to say they wanted to sit together on the table, everyone arranged themselves so they end up sitting next to each other and for some reason he doesn't understand Emma's friend was sitting with Tink openly flirting with her. How could he have been so stupid? Now without the ghost of irrational jealousy he was seeing clearly, not that he is ok with this man at all, he might be seeing clearly but the feelings he had the entire night before Emma kissed him are not that easily erased. And he has many questions still about this mystery man.

Dinner went on with any more distraught. Even when he stayed next to Emma what was left of the night, they didn't have a chance to talk and they have many things to talk about, so when it was time to leave Killian felt anxious about going their separate ways, every time he has been separated from her it was weeks before he saw her again, and the uneasy grew stronger when the August person approached them.

"Are you ready?" August asked Emma and she smiled beautifully to him and nodded, the guy turned to look at Killian, smiled and nodded his goodbye before he took his leave.

"Ok. So…I'm going home. Will I see you soon?" she asked him smiling to him in the most adorable way his seen until now.

"Come with me" he whispered getting even closer to her.

"Ahhmm"

"Is not that late, and we do need to talk…And to be honest I don't think I'm done being jealous of that man just yet" he said and look at her expectantly. She was thinking about it, he could see it on her face.

"Okay" she said finally and he grinned "Just let me go talk to August and give him my keys. He nodded and watched her walk out the house. If this guy was staying at Emma's place, he was definitely not letting her go home tonight.

"Is everything ok?" David's question brought him out of his trance watching the front door.

"More than ok, mate" he answered still looking at the door with what he knows is a stupid happy smile, then he turn his attention at David, and his friend was smiling widely at him.

"Be patient, Killian. I'm sure she's worthy"

"I'm sure of that too…thanks for everything, mate. Happy Birthday" He walked out when he said goodbye to his friend and saw Emma talking to her friend by the guy's car. He felt the tiny little presence of his best mate next to him.

"So?..." he heard Tink ask. And he could hear the smile.

"I'm a stubborn ass, who should have listened to you all the times you said they were just friends" he said sounding annoyed, but he was smiling, he was happy.

"Very well, I hope you learned your lesson and start listening to me more often" Then August waved at Tink "Ok. So that's my cue. Goodnight!" She only took a step when Killian grabbed her by the arm.

"Hey…Where are you going?" he asked confused, he didn't trust that man he was not gonna send Tink with him.

"I took a cab hoping you will drive me back home, but now you have company and he offered the ride"

"I can still drive you, you are very tiny, you still fit in my car"

"Don't be silly, how bad could it be, he is Emma's friend and he is handsome" she winked at him and he rolled his eyes.

"Fine, go be murdered by the stranger" he said letting her arm go.

"He won't murder her" he heard Emma's amused voice then he looked at her "What am I getting into? Is he this overprotective all the time?" she asked addressing Tink, and he could easily see the both of them ganging up against him, they hating each other sounds way better now.

"Oh you don't even know" Tink said laughing and Emma laugh back. And all he could do was give Tink 'I'm going to kill you' look.

"Thank you" Emma said to Tink when they stop laughing

"Oh, don't even mention it" the girl said back looking surprise.

"No, really thank you" Emma said again looking serious and grateful "Now go, August is waiting" Tink nodded and walk towards August's car.

"Do I want to know?" he asked Emma about her thanking Tink, the girl just smiled.

"Let's go" she said with her pretty smile.

He drove them back to his apartment. He opened a bottle of wine and they sat next to each other on the couch "I have many questions, love. But, I'm sorry I really need to know who's August" she rolled her eyes. Killian is not the kind of man to let topics as important as he sees this one on assumptions, he's an honest kind of man and she'll have to get use to it.

"He is a friend, we met when we were kids in a foster home. We were inseparable then…you could say he is more like family. There's nothing going on, I promise" she explained.

"humh…Why did I never hear you talk about him before?"

"Well I barely talked about my past before, and we could say August and I were distant, he didn't like Neal for me…I guess time prove him right"

"I like him already" He joked sarcastically "Love, I want to take this opportunity to be as clear as I can about my intentions with you" he said changing the topic and his sitting position so he could face her. Emma said nothing so he continued "I'm not playing here, I know how I feel about you and I am pretty certain I want a relationship with you. A real one, based in trust and respect, and I am sure we can make it" Emma was frozen and he decided to continue while she was silent obviously paying attention to every single one of his words "And I want you to know we'll go at your own pace, I don't want us to rush into anything you are not ready for…but please, please don't disappear again" at his last words Emma's frozen expression changed into an apologetic one.

"I'm so sorry Killian. I was trying to apologize at the party when you walked away from me…I'm really sorry I didn't answer any of your calls or texted you or something. It wasn't fair…I needed time but I could have answered at least once. And when I was ready to do it the party was coming and I decided it be better to just meet there. I promise I won't do it again…and about your intentions..." she said blushing slightly "I'm glad to hear you feel that way, because I would like to try too" and he heard enough, he kissed her passionately.

They fell asleep on the couch, Emma lying on top of him. They talked for hours, and when he fell asleep a smile was on his face.

Author's Note: I'm really sorry it took me so long to post this chapter, life's been busy lately. This was a short easy-breazy chapter. There are a few obstacles for this couple to face, and one of my main ideas when I thought about this fic is about to happen to them, I've been thinking about avoiding it but in the end I decided if it was one of the first things I wanted to write, then I should trust my muse. But it is going to shake this relationship real hard.

Let me know what you think, reviews are like fuel to a writter.