A/N: This chapter was requested as part of a writing meme on Tumblr. It is centered around this word and its meaning: Mamihlapinatapei: The look between two people in which each loves the other but is too afraid to make the first move. Takes place after chapter 7 but before the epilogue. Hope you enjoy this little dip back into the SSF universe! Thanks as always for reading!

"Say, Swan," Killian called out as he began his climb up the stairs from below deck. "Would you mind taking care of—"

He looked up from watching his footing to see Emma stowing away Gale's Chuck-it in the storage area beneath the bench seating on his boat, and she'd already set the floating dock out to dry on the deck before they returned to port, giving him no reason to continue his request. Gale was sitting next to her, drenched and still in her life vest, panting lightly and tail swishing over the deck flinging water droplets in every direction. While Emma was still squatting down, she pivoted toward Gale and began unbuckling her vest so she could dry the dog off better. Emma's fingers were damp and slipping off the plastic toggles, much to her frustration, so she didn't see Killian standing in the doorway observing her.

She was still soaked herself from her swim with Gale in the fading daylight, her long hair sticking to her back in wet waves, her bathing suit clinging to her skin in dark patches, and the setting sun catching the water droplets on her eyelashes, making them glitter when she blinked. Emma bit her bottom lip and scrunched her nose as she reached blindly for the last buckle by Gale's rear leg and tried to pop it open and not pinch Gale at the same time. The vest came loose and Emma smiled at Gale who licked her chin in return.

"Done. Could you please grab—"

Emma glanced up to see the answer to her question in Killian's outstretched arm with Gale's towel hanging from his fingers. She ducked her head and took the towel from him with a smirk that he returned with the addition of a raised eyebrow. Their apparent synchronicity was something new but not surprising to Killian given how quickly Emma took to sailing. They'd been out on the ocean a dozen or so times since that first voyage earlier in the summer, and had gotten into a routine with managing the boat and all its parts and requirements. Killian hadn't realized until this moment just how routine they had become. Truth be told, he loved the ease of it…of being with her and the way they fit together.

Emma massaged the towel over Gale's fur a few times, getting the bulk of the water off her top coat, before standing up to face Killian. A light breeze blew off the water, making Emma shiver and wrap her arms over her chest reflexively. Without saying a word, Killian pulled from over his shoulder the second towel he'd brought up with him and wrapped it around her shoulders, tugging her closer to his warmth. He reached around and gathered her tangle of wet hair out from the trap of the towel, and rubbed her back trying to stop her shivering.

She looked up at him through her lashes, catching his glance and holding it in her own. Her wide grin faded to the barest of smiles as she considered him thoughtfully. Killian's hands, still moving along the curve of her shoulders and back stilled at what he saw in her eyes, and his breath caught for just a moment. His heart pounded swiftly in the interim between breaths, each beat pushing him to tell her what was on his mind, the tip of his tongue, the touch of his hands. Emma's eyelashes fluttered as she drew in a breath of her own as if to say something, too. He only hoped he'd be able to hear her over the sound of the blood rushing through his head and heart.

What Killian did hear, however, was the jingle of Gale's tags and Emma's squeal when a heavy spray of cold ocean water hit them both as Gale shook off the remaining water trapped in her undercoat. Killian immediately pulled Emma to his chest and turned her away from Gale as she went for a second shake, taking the brunt of the wet assault this time. He grunted and peered over his shoulder at his now less-wet dog who was standing there, tongue hanging out and tail wagging happily.

"Bad form, Galene. Really bad form," he sighed and shook his head.

Emma laughed and opened her towel, wrapping it around Killian's torso. Resting her head on his shoulder, she gave him a squeeze and said, "I dunno, this isn't so bad."

"I suppose not, love," he answered, smiling into her damp hair and holding her close.