Soooooooo after like a 4 month hiatus I'm back! I genuinely apologize for not updating forever, I hit some difficult patches in my personal life (nasty break up) and had absolutely no writing inspiration up until about a week ago. I would just like to take a swift moment to thank my angels: my beta resident_of_storybrooke, shady-swan-jones for the incredible artwork, onceuponaprincessworld who checked in always even when I stopped updating, and to anyone else who checked in on me I sincerely appreciate it :) Emma sucked in a breath, pulled all of her courage and the adrenaline running through her from that kiss, "Killian... Neal and I aren't really married. We never were." For a while, Killian didn't say anything. He simply stood there. His blue eyes not leaving hers. Emma didn't know if she should continue or wait for his reaction. It was her first time saying those words out loud, and in a way it felt like the relief after you just throw up. Expelling pent up words that should remain buried. "You... what?" he finally said. His face furrowed in confusion but at the same time he hadn't stepped away from her. "Neal and I aren't really married. We..." Emma was the one to step away. Her breath quickening, to tell Killian everything meant just that. He would know everything. Emma's stomach twisted into knots, flipping over on itself as she walked away from him. She found the circular tufted seat in the middle of the room, bracing herself to cross the line she had tried so carefully to not go anywhere near. The lavender fabric ran beneath her legs to give her some stability. "Technically we're engaged. If you could call it that. We only pretend to be married to placate his father." "So you're in a league with him?" Killian looked skeptical. It was a tough pill to swallow, especially immediately after kissing someone. There were a lot of emotions, feelings battling right now. His lips were still the slightest bit puffy from a few moments ago when she had finally gotten to kiss him. "No! No, no, no." Emma stood up again. Somehow him thinking she was on Neal's side was worse. "He and I aren't on the same team. I'm trying to get away from him. So that he can't take me down with him when... whatever he and his father are up to comes crashing down." Now Killian was the one to sit down. His hand rubbed along his jaw as he stared at the plush carpet. "There was a time when we were a regular couple, Neal and I. When I thought maybe we could someday get married," Emma leaned against a row of clothes, worrying this was too big of a secret for Killian to handle. Like at any moment he would just jump up and run out of her house never to see her again. And while she hadn't known him that long, the thought of losing him was a bit scarier than she cared to admit. "Before we moved here, before I knew Neal wasn't who I thought he was... he proposed." Finally Killian looked over at her. The look of confusion had faded into something unreadable. "At the time I said yes, I grew up with no one. I started to like the idea of having someone... forever." Emma stared around at the closet. The rows of clothes and shoes. The excess of it all. Suburban bliss. It was all she had wanted. Growing up she used to stare at houses like this, on streets like hers and picture what it would be like to live inside. To have a home, a family. To be loved. As stubborn as she was she knew it was true. "I can understand that," was all he said. But it was tender. Killian had grown up with a family but it hadn't been a good one. That much Emma did know, she actually knew quite a bit about him when she thought about it. "Of course it wasn't that easy." A tear slipped from her eye. "Of course the whole dream was built on lies." "Emma..." Killian whispered softly walking over toward her. Emma's back was against the rows of clothes, there was absolutely nowhere for her to hide. Not that she wanted to. Especially when Killian reached up to wipe the single tear that lingered beneath her eye. The soft pad of his thumb grazing the skin of her cheek so carefully it was like she was made of glass. She launched into the whole sordid tale. The car being lined with kilos of cocaine. The police pulling her over and dragging her into questioning. She even talked about August, how he had backed her into a corner and she was doomed to help him until the Gold's were done. The watch she wore on her wrist that was filled with wires and a microphone to record anything even remotely useful. It all came out at once, as if in one breath. The secrets she had kept for months, the ones that ate away at her she told him. Emma couldn't put a finger on why, perhaps it was that the man standing in front of her shared the same disgust for the Golds. Perhaps it was the way he looked at her right now, like even in this crazy warped situation he didn't think any less of her. Or maybe it was that Killian didn't ask for her trust, didn't beg for it or demand it. Emma trusted him simply because she did. "So his plan is to drag you down with him," was all Killian said. It almost sounded like he was biting the inside of his mouth. "Yes. Or at least he was protecting himself in the event that I got caught." His face grew as red as a tomato. Instinctively Emma grabbed at his forearms. To bring him back, she had never really seen him angry but she knew his temper was boiling over. "So that's why I stay." Emma looked up at him, his breathing had slowed and he wasn't as tight anymore. "It's not forever, just until I can come up with enough to get them caught. Then I go." "Then I suppose we had better start looking," Killian said gently. His hand coming to cup her cheek. The spot where his skin met hers felt the jolt, the spark they had the first day they met. When they simply shook hands, not having any idea where their relationship would go in the short span of a month. "Why do you want to help me?" she asked after a few moments of silence. "How could I not, love?" She knew what he meant. It was the same way she wanted to help him find out if his girlfriend had been murdered by the Gold's. They both saw one another with this lingering, heavy pain that could only be resolved by forging ahead and finding answers. Even if those answers were less than ideal. The last thing Emma wanted was to spend her life behind bars as an accessory to Neal's escapades. She had seen enough true crime TV to know that the wife always goes down with the crime lord. "So where do we start?" she asked removing her hands from his arms and stepping back. It was distracting enough to be alone in a room with him, the last thing she needed to do was touch him. Especially when neither one of them was really acknowledging their kiss. At least not out loud. "Well I would assume if there was anything incriminating it wouldn't be in this house," Killian said walking over to the seat in the middle of the room. Emma followed but didn't sit next to him. Instead she fiddled with the flowers she kept on the glass end table. "Do you think his office would have something?" "Probably," Emma thought back to her visit with Neal this morning. How that Amanda girl lurked in the shadows no matter where he was. "I think I know when we can get there. So no one will see us." Friday night. Date night. But Emma sat waiting in the living room. It was dark outside, the massive windows only showing the rainy night. She stared at her phone hoping to see it light up any minute. Ever since their little talk, when Neal had promised to start over with her, he had been more diligent about coming home late. He would still do it, he just warned her now. With little apologetic texts and voicemails that meant nothing to her. However, it was just what she needed tonight in order to get into his office unnoticed. It felt a lot like when she was younger and waited on boys to call her first. She didn't so much do that anymore, and it certainly wasn't the same thing. But the feel of the adrenaline was very similar. Emma lounged on the white couch, swirling around the remaining droplets of Merlot in her glass. She toyed with a loose string on one of the Pottery Barn throw pillows, noticing there was a chip in her pale pink nail polish. All week her mind would wander to the kiss with Killian. How she had wondered for so long what that would feel like. And now to know, it certainly was not a disappointment. It was the first time in years that she had felt so alive. She wanted to do it again, she wanted nothing more than to feel Killian's mouth on her and all over her. But after talking on Monday, it hadn't happened again. The man was on his best behavior when Emma knew he was capable of so much more. She saw it in him, felt it. At 8:30 her phone finally pinged. I won't be home until later, sorry. The text from Neal was decidedly less lovey-dovey than he had pretended to be the past few times. Emma supposed whatever spell he was under had to wear off eventually. Emma sighed and responded with something passive aggressive. Hitting send she thought of how he was behaving exactly how she predicted he would. Her plan would only work if he was as much of an ass as Emma thought he was. So far, at least in that respect, he hadn't let her down. She felt nothing but hatred for him anymore. Neal was as good as dead to her and she couldn't wait until she never had to see him or his father again. But that would take work. She unstrapped her wrist watch, leaving it on the coffee table for the night. August didn't need to know about Killian. Especially as Emma's feelings for her gardener were a bit more complicated. With the green light Emma needed she got into her car and drove. The white Range Rover whipping around the bends and twists of a windy road far from where she lived. The trees almost closing in as breezes kicked into gusts of wind and blew rain and leaves all over the place. Of course it was storming. She slammed on the brakes in a panic when she saw two deer crossing the road. Her car at a complete stop Emma took a second to close her eyes. She needed to breathe, to calm down. She listened to everything around her, the soft hum of the hot air coming out of the vents. The back and forth of the windshield wipers as they smacked away the rain. The hiss of the wind. Emma had been so used to being on her own. Growing up without any family or stability, the feeling of uncertainty was normal to her. But that had changed for a moment when she met Neal. She had allowed herself to envision the security of that. And somewhere along the line that dream had turned into a nightmare. When she pulled into the driveway, or lack thereof, at Killian Jones' house a level of serenity settled over her. Emma wasn't in this alone anymore. Looking at the house, she could hardly see details in the dark. Though she could tell the house was a great deal different than her own. It was small, simple in its design. Very little landscaping for someone who did it for a living. But she remembered what he had told her on their first day at her house. That it reminded him of a fishing cottage he used to go to. And it warmed Emma's heart a little to think he had a home he enjoyed. One that brought back positive memories. Compare that to where she was, and it was like night and day. The only sign of life the single light that was on in the kitchen. She could see him through the window. Killian was at the sink rinsing off dishes. His mouth moving melodically as he scrubbed. Was he singing? Emma got out of the car, her Hunter boots hitting the muddy gravel. The rain landing hard on her black trench coat. Even over the rain she could hear the faint lull of music coming from the house. She didn't know why it eased her nerves but it did. And she allowed herself a few more seconds of watching him before she went to his front door. "Emma, come in," Killian smiled when he opened the door. She breezed by him, getting a slight whiff of toast when she walked in the door. "I apologize for the humble accommodations, love." "No, Killian, it's great." As Emma stepped further inside she looked around. The wood floors, the simple furnishings. The cozy feel. He had a fire burning in a gas stove in the corner of the living room. "It's so warm in here." Even from the few steps it took her to get to the door she was soaked from the rain. "Here… sit by the fire. Warm up." She took a seat by the fire, the remnants of the fire crackling. The place was sparse but impeccably well maintained and cleaned. As much as Emma knew they didn't have a lot of time to waste, she couldn't force herself to rush out of his house. "Can I offer you something to drink? A glass of water or coffee?" "No, I'm fine. Thank you." Why was she being such a robot? It was then that Emma noticed how straight her posture was, sitting ramrod straight on his couch as if she would get in trouble if she shifted. When was the last time he had a woman here? And why was that any of her business? "What were you cooking?" Emma asked as he finished putting the last of the dishes away. "Grilled cheese," he said lightly. "One of the few things I know how to cook." "It smells delicious." Emma couldn't remember the last time she had a good grilled cheese. Being so into all of the exercise and yoga and general stress of her life, small indulgences were rare. "Such a simple combination but so satisfying," he smirked, walking over to where she sat. He looked so comfortable here. In his jeans and dark green flannel shirt. His hair in disarray. Emma tensed a bit as he caught her staring at him again. He was strikingly good looking. "So what's the plan?" "Maybe we should get going and I can tell you on the way…" Emma stood, her body sufficiently warm from the fire. She was resisting the urge to be comfortable here. To stay in the seat on the couch by the flames and watch them dance, as she danced near fire of her own. Killian Jones drove with his good hand, quietly in the dark as the last few droplets of rain hit the windshield. Emma was in the passenger seat of his truck, giving off nothing but nerves as his truck took the bends of the road toward civilization. He thought perhaps once they left his house she would ease up. Judging by the way she sat rigid as a post in his living room, she was wildly uncomfortable in his home. And he didn't want her to feel any more stress than she already did. All she had told him of her situation made him want to get to the bottom of the Gold family more than ever. Something he hadn't thought possible until she had confided her secrets in him. "Emma, I know this is hard for you." Killian was treading lightly as he pulled into the parking lot of the strip mall Emma had directed him to. "I need to know a bit more about what we're doing here." "I suppose that's fair." She finally shifted from staring out the window to looking at him now that they were in a parking spot. "Neal is… distracted for the night. So we should be in the clear to sneak around the office." "Distracted?" "He's with someone else." The way she said it was so matter of fact, as Killian stared at the beautiful angles of her face in the dim light, he wished nothing more than for her to actually be with a decent person. "Ah, I see." "If we cut through the woods back there it takes us to the main building of the Gold showroom. Once we're close we can see how easy it is to get in." The way she spoke was so calm, but her eyes told a different story. The deep, green pools bore into him. And all he could think was how terrified she probably was. For a second he caught her glance at his lips, and her cheeks turned the faintest color pink. It wasn't the first time he was reminded of the feeling when her lips met his. In fact, that had been a recurring thought in his head for most of the week since their kiss. "What?" She smiled just a bit, and her cheeks darkened to a darker pink. One that matched her lips and Killian felt his whole body warm. She was so strikingly beautiful. Her light blonde hair falling in curls around her face, her smooth skin, her wide eyes. "Nothing." He smiled back, ever so quickly so as not to make light of the situation. But god he would do anything for her to blush like that again. "We should, um we should go." She turned her head quickly, but not quickly enough that he didn't notice her deepened smile. "Right, lead the way." Killian was starting to learn he would follow Emma just about anywhere she led him. The trek through the woods was dicey. The rain had slowed but had left the woods muddy and slippery. Luckily they had both worn boots which made the short walk bearable. Emma led the way with confidence, and Killian wondered if she had ever done this before. "It's just up ahead, see the lights?" She said between steps. The closer they got the more careful she was in her movements, avoiding twigs and branches that could snap. "Aye." It was the first sign of civilization they had seen since they left his truck 20 minutes ago. "Is there quite a bit of security at this place?" "I'm not sure." She stopped suddenly, they were within a few feet of the parking lot which was well lit and occupied by two cars. Emma spun to face him, her once damp hair had dried into an array of wild curls. "I guess we'll find out." She waited on the fringe of the forest, a layer of fog beginning to form as the air grew warm and humid. Killian stood behind some trees to conceal himself. He wasn't sure what they were waiting for until two people left the building. He knew for certain one of them was Neal Gold, the arrogance and wormy face clear from a mile away. Next to him, very closely, walked a woman with near white blonde hair cut at her shoulder. She stumbled a bit in some spikey heels and leaned on Neal. Their comfort in body language said it all. This was the woman Neal was having an affair with. As they watched the two pile into the car, Killian wanted to reach out and hold Emma. She was only a few inches from him. The sweet smell of her perfume lingered in the air. If she was at all upset she didn't show it, instead waiting for the car to drive off before she proceeded to a darkened side of the building. "We can get in through the basement," she whispered once they were out of eyesight to anyone driving past on the road. The door that led to the basement of the building was an old storm cellar that didn't fit with the aesthetic of the rest of the structure. Its dark green doors looked to be almost rusted shut. Killian had only ever been here once before, it was quite a ways away from all of the development that had gone up around Storybrooke, ironically. All of the strip malls and chain restaurants and neighborhood developments the Gold family was responsible for building were far away from the headquarters. The loading docks behind the building were even empty. All of the trucks gone home for the day, forklifts parked in a row, stacks of wood left unattended in the covered garages. It was an eerie place to be at night, the massive and overwhelming complex so daunting in the dark. It only made it worse knowing that whatever nastiness the Golds were up to, most likely operated directly out of this building. Emma bent to grab the handle of the door, and Killian half expected it to rust and crumble before their eyes. Instead though, it opened right up. "I dropped by earlier and stuck a notecard between the lock," Emma said, sounding a little proud of herself. Low and behold she held up a crumbled piece of paper that had sat unassuming to prevent the door from locking. So she had mapped this out quite a bit. Killian didn't want to beam with pride, certainly not when it came to breaking and entering. But he couldn't help it. The Emma who was so broken and trapped with a man who was lying to her, cheating on her, and who knows what else... yes that Emma was nowhere in sight as she proceeded to break into the Gold compound. It was then, just as Emma was about to walk down the dim stairwell into the basement, that they were both startled by the sound of a car door slamming. Emma dropped the storm door and ducked behind the brick wall next to them. It was the only thing keeping them from being in full view of the parking lot. On the other side of them were massive dumpsters nearly overflowing with garbage from the week. And slowly, Emma pulled Killian by the hand behind the dumpsters and into the shadows as the footsteps grew closer. Killian stole a glance over at her, Emma's back flat against the wall, her hand lingering in his. He squeezed just a bit tighter to reassure her he was just as invested in this as she was. The only sounds were their muffled, labored breathing. And the click of a pair of heels along the pavement. There were two voices. A man and a woman, familiar to Killian but it wasn't Neal. He racked his brain trying to figure it out. It wasn't until the voices were on the other side of the wall that he realized who they belonged to. "It should just be right inside," the man said briskly. "It better be," the woman replied. Whoever they were, the circumstances they were under to be here were not ideal. "The last time it wasn't." There was a long pause. "You know that had everything to do with my son and not me." Neal was not the male voice, it was clearly his father. And the female voice, the same one he recognized from years of working for her. The woman he had seen walking out of the prison the last time he had gone to visit his mother. Cora Mills. "Gold," Emma mouthed as they listened to the two let themselves into the building. "Cora," Killian mouthed back. Emma's eyes widened and then her brows furrowed in confusion. He was just as confused as her. What could those two possibly be doing here together, late on a Friday night? They waited a few more beats, until they were certain Cora and Gold were inside. And then a few seconds more just to be safe. "What could they possibly be doing here?" Emma whispered first. "I haven't a clue," Killian looked up as a few lights clicked on in the building. Whatever it was they were doing, they would be here a while. "We should go, right?" Emma said. Her face had shifted, like all of a sudden after getting them this far, she had lost all confidence in herself. "This is... this is nuts." "Emma..." Killian took her other hand and stepped closer to her. He didn't know much, and who knows how much time they had. But he certainly wasn't going to keep anything from her. "Remember when I told you I went to visit my mum?" "Yes." She looked skeptical but she also wasn't running. "Well, the last time I was there, I saw Cora Mills. She was leaving the prison, I haven't a clue what she was doing there but I can't help but think..." "That all of this is somehow connected?" "Yes. And I know that's crazy. But..." "You're just as invested in all of this as I am." "Aye." He looked down at her, their eyes locked as if they weren't standing in the dark, fog next to a dumpster. "We came here tonight to get closer to answers that you and I both want, love." "I know." In seconds the fire was behind her eyes again. Her shoulders were straight and her hands in his tightened ever so slightly before letting go. "We need to find out what they're up to." Emma began to maneuver around the brick wall. She turned back for a moment for him to follow her. His heart raced, he had assumed the plan was to do this so no one would be around. But if he wanted to find out what Gold was up to he would need to find out from the source. And the source had arrived with a much unexpected guest. "I want a view of them when they come out," Emma whispered as she led them back to tree line. The woods had a clear view of the front door, where he assumed Gold and Cora would eventually come out of. They moved very quickly, taking advantage of the shadows cast by the lights over the parking lot. Eventually Killian breathed a slight sigh of relief when they were behind a cluster of bushes and at a decent vantage point. Killian wasn't sure how long they crouched there. Among the branches and leaves and forest. Cloaked behind the layer of fog in the air growing thicker by the minute. If Cora and Gold didn't come out soon, it was quite possible that the fog would mask whatever it was they had gone inside to fetch. A car pulled into the parking lot again, what he could only assume was Neal as it matched Emma's almost identically except for the color. Hers was a stark white, and his a black luxury vehicle. "He bought us the same dress," Emma said quietly as she watched Neal kiss the woman before she climbed into her car. "Different colors, but the same one." Killian didn't say anything, simply glanced over at Emma whose eyes were a bit foggy. Not unlike the air. "That was when I knew it was her." "That man is an absolute imbecile," Killian spouted out before he could think to hold it in. It was a tame statement for all he wanted to say about Neal. Someone who had been so lucky to have had Emma, but completely ungrateful for it all the same. "I know." A wry smile spread on her face, as if she truly knew how much of a moron he was. "What's unbelievable is that I'm aware of his duplicitous ways. I'm tuned in to what's going on. He's still obtuse enough to think I love him." "Do you feel anything at all for him?" "Yes." She said matter of factly. "I've never hated someone so much." Killian believed her. In a way that didn't shout from the rooftops, in a way that didn't require endless declarations of truth. He believed her partly because he wanted to but also because how could he not? Here they were, lurking in the bushes, in the woods trying to grasp at anything. Any little thing that could free her, of course she hated Neal. Of course she was angry. But the big question, the one that lurked in the back of his mind as she brought Killian along was how could she trust him? It was then that the front door of the building opened, to reveal Gold and Cora. As Gold nodded to a security guard at the front desk, Killian noted a leather briefcase in Cora's hand. Held tightly against her jacket, it was a few moments before Neal noticed his father there and Killian struggled to hear whatever was going on. Apparently so did Emma because as she inched forward to hear their faint voices, she damn near had her whole body in the leaves. But then Killian heard something so clearly, the loud sound of a cell phone ringtone. He looked over at Emma to see her scrambling in her pocket to turn it off. "Shit," she whispered. And Killian looked back toward the building where sure enough he found Gold, Cora and Neal staring into the woods. Almost directly at Killian and Emma. "We have to go," Killian urged taking her hand. It was only a matter of time before one of the three walked over to see who's cell phone was ringing in the middle of the woods on a rainy night. Or worse, notified the police. Killian's heartbeat quickened as he ran. It was dark, and the wind was picking up again for more rain. The fog had gotten worse so he could hardly see two feet in front of him let alone find the other side where his truck was. But he forced his legs to carry him. Emma trailed behind him, keeping pace as they weaved through the endless forest, the fog swallowing them and acting as their only shield against being caught. A layer of sweat was beginning to form on his skin, periodically he glanced behind him to see if they were being followed. They weren't, at least for now. But they needed to cover as much ground as they could. They ran for a while, in a full sprint, no general direction. It could have been ten minutes but felt more like an hour. It wasn't until he couldn't hear Emma's breath next to him anymore that he realized he had lost her. Killian froze dead in his tracks forcing his eyes to see beyond the gooey fog in the dark. Searching for any sign of her, any hint of blonde hair or the sound of her feet. Nothing. His breath was heavy as he spun in circles looking for her. He took a few steps forward in hopes she would reveal herself. Still nothing. Until suddenly someone grabbed his arm and pulled him. He was in such shock he didn't realize the log at his feet and fell to the ground, dragging whoever had grabbed him down with him. They rolled down what felt like a hill, crushing twigs branches and leaves. Inevitably landing on the flat ground of what Killian assumed to be the bottom with the weight of the other person on top of him. Killian opened his eyes and stared up into a pair of green ones that would have been stunning in any amount of fog. He could see enough, and feel enough, to know that Emma was the one on top of him. Their breath was still heavy from the fall, the sounds of the forest echoing all around. Killian's whole back aches and he was certain Emma had a bleeding cut on her chin as their faces were only inches apart. Her whole body was pressed against his, his arms wrapped around her. But neither one of them were in any hurry to move. "You're quite stronger than you look," he said quietly, brushing a lock of curls behind her ear. She smiled, her head falling to his chest before quickly picking it back up again. The tension in the air was as thick as the fog. Beat for beat he could feel her heart pumping against his chest. The blood in his veins raced through his body, as if until this very moment he wasn't fully alive. Like the feeling and warmth that came from her being on top of him, had awakened a part of him he didn't know existed. Killian worried the spell would wear off. The adrenaline would dissipate and her interest would feign. But it didn't. Emma's hand brushed the coarse hair on his face, her gaze never leaving his. Her eyes twinkling in the night. Beneath the surface of his skin he felt electric. Where hers met his. Her fingers moved to the point of his chin, her thumb grazing his bottom lip ever so slightly. The cold metal of her ring teasing his facial hair. It took all of the restraint Killian had to not kiss her. To let her explore him, to memorize him. To decide what she wanted from him. "Killian…" she whispered as her gaze shifted to his lips, then immediately back up. He wasn't sure who moved first. Whose mouth initiated it. All he knew was that within seconds they were kissing. Their lips tangled together send shock waves through him. The soft feel of her tongue toying with his, her mouth opening to grant him entrance. A sigh escaped her when she came up from a breath, one that to Killian sounded like music. He wanted to hear her. "Emma…" he moaned, carefully tightening his grip around her waist. His lips finding hers again. "I'm not a doll," she breathed as Killian kissed slowly down her neck. "I won't break." He paused, knowing what she was asking. As if reading his mind and knowing he was capable of more. Killian sat up. Leaving behind all of the dirt and leave they had been lying in. Emma's face appeared surprised ad her legs landed on either side of his waist. He could feel the blood rushing down to his slowly hardening member. "I'm fully aware," he growled back, rising from the ground in one swift movement. Her legs instinctively tightening around his waist. A slight giggle emerged from the back of her throat as he did. Killian moved through the fog toward a nearby tree and pressed Emma's back up against the trunk. She threw her head back, Killian taking advantage of the access to her soft neck. The pulse of the vein as he kissed. His tongue trailing a wet line down her throat to her chest. He used his hands to undo her trench coat, the removal giving him more access to her creamy skin. Killian bit the place where her neck met her shoulder, eliciting a shiver that ran down the entirety of Emma's body. "I haven't stopped thinking about you since that kiss," he breathed into her neck. "You've driven me mad." Her fingers raked through the hair at the base of his head as she moaned into his touch. Her legs tightening around his waist as her hips began to grind along with his. The more the two of them moved together the hungrier he was. Animal instinct kicking in his hands ripped off her jacket so she was only in her t-shirt. Emma's fingers began to undo the buttons on his shirt, grazing his chest as they moved down. Their lips met in a wet tangle, his tongue exploring her mouth. He groaned as she bit down on his bottom lip, every molecule in his body on end. What had this woman done to him? His lips left hers and trailed a line down to her chest, pulling away her shirt he found her hardened nipples. Taking one in his mouth, the other in his fingers as he used his hips to keep her pressed against the tree. God it felt amazing to be up against her. "Fuck... so good... Killian," she cried out when his teeth teased the sensitive flesh of her breasts. He could listen to her cry out for him all night. He alternated between licking, kissing, biting all met with her blatant enthusiasm. Killian could have kept going for hours if it meant she would moan out his name and bit on his ear. But it was just as he was about to come up for air when he heart it. The distinct sound of footsteps in the woods. Both Killian and Emma had frozen. It was Killian who moved first. Taking Emma in his arms and ducking behind a tree. Everything had been so in the heat of the moment, they had completely ignored why they were in the woods in the first place. Running from Gold and Cora. Killian braced his arms around Emma who held tightly onto him. Emerging from behind whatever was left of the fog, stepping into the light of the moon was their trespasser. A deer. Both of them burst into laughter at the sight of what they had clearly thought was going to be far more scary. A harmless forest creature. "I suppose we should take that as a sign from the universe," Emma finally said once they had stopped laughing. Her eyes were hooded, and her gaze lingered on his. It was so easy to do, especially when they were this close. It was like whatever they were made up of, it was magnetic. "We should get out of here." "Aye." He cupped her cheek and pulled her back for one quick kiss. Tame compared to what they had been up to a few minutes ago. "But just so you know, I don't want to." As she looked at him, there was the softest twinkle in her eye as it caught the light of the moon. Her creamy skin was soft and luminescent. Her hair was wild with curls, and Killian twirled one lock of it between his fingers. She was like a siren, and he a sailor, bewitched and completely under her spell. "Neither do I."