"Stop eating all the chocolate! You're gonna be sick!"

Emma groans, shoving another mini-sized candy bar into her mouth as Elsa ties the laces of her black leather corset so tightly, she's sure her cousin's trying to kill her.

"Get ready and suck!" Elsa pulls tight again and turns them toward the bed. Emma reaches out her hands, holding herself up as she bends over the bed, allowing Elsa to trap her in this torture device.

"I am so excited!" Anna says giddily with a grin as she plops down on the bed. "This is my first adult party since the kids!"

"Are you sad Kristoff isn't coming?" Emma asks curiously.

Anna shrugs. "Yeah, but it's only one night. He's taking the kids trick-or-treating."

"Okay, ready? Suck." When Emma does what she's told, Elsa pulls a little too hard on the laces.

"Oh, Jesus!" Emma shoots up, holding her stomach. "When did Halloween go from dressing up like a princess," she pants and pushes up her breasts higher in the corset, "to dressing up like a whore?" She especially feels slutty considering her cousins' very modest costumes. Elsa is Queen Victoria and Anna is dressed as her half-sister, Princess Feodora.

"I don't know, sixth grade?" Elsa guesses.

"What's a whore?" Daisy asks from where she's sitting on her aunt and uncle's bed with her cousin, Arya.

Anna's mouth falls open, her eyes wide as she tries to explain. "Uh, somebody who gets paid to play with boys."

Arya perks up. "I wanna be a whore!"

Daisy nods excitedly. "Me too!"

"Okay. Just remember, the house gets fifty percent," Elsa jokes to her daughter.

Anna claps a hand over her mouth, trying not to burst into laughter as the kids frown at her in confusion.

When Elsa finishes with the corset, Emma sighs in relief and goes over to check out her reflection in the full-length mirror. She's wearing a bar wench costume, which includes a white, off-the-shoulder top with long, flare sleeves, a choker around her neck and a high-cut bustle skirt, showing off the black fishnet stockings on her legs and knee-high leather boots.

"This is what I get for putting Killian in charge of costumes," Emma grumbles as she tries to adjust her corset. Her top is very low cut and shows off a little too much cleavage for her liking, so the best she can do is hoist them up to make them look more appealing.

Why did she let Killian talk her into this?

? ﾟﾎﾃ?

Fog floats through the room and All the Rage by Allie X blasts from the speakers as Emma and her cousins make their way through the crowd of gyrating bodies all dressed in costumes.

Emma rolls her eyes at her aunt Ruby, who brought Graham as her holidate. She's dressed as a nurse, and he's dressed as a doctor. Like seriously, what kind of douchebag dresses as their actual profession for Halloween?

Suspecting where Killian might be, Emma heads toward the bar, and sure enough, he's already downing a glass of rum with Liam.

Holy hell.

When Killian said he was dressing as Captain Hook, she was expecting breeches, red jacket, a permed wig and curly mustache. But he has neither of those. His jacket and pants are made of black leather, there's a hoop in his ear, which looks so fucking hot on him, and he's wearing a red vest and white dress shirt, exposing a provocative amount of chest hair. He also has a tricorn hat on his head, but it doesn't have a feather sticking out of it.

He's the sexiest version of Captain Hook she's ever seen.

"Ahoy, Captain," Emma greets, approaching the two brothers, her cousins following behind.

She no longer cringes when she sees Liam since he'd sincerely apologized to her last month, saying he was just looking out for his brother. He admitted he wrongly pointed a finger at her for the Fourth of July fiasco, and she had forgiven him.

Killian turns toward her, his jaw dropping as his eyes scroll up and down her form.

"That's Captains," Liam corrects, emphasizing the 's'.

Emma arches a brow, taking in his navy-blue uniform and ridiculous bicorn hat. "What are you supposed to be, Cap'n Crunch?"

Liam rolls his eyes and Killian chuckles. "Ha ha, funny lass. I'm a British naval captain."

"Glad to see your costume fits…" Killian notices thoughtfully, making a show of admiring Emma's wench costume with a big smirk as he gestures toward her with the fake hook on his hand before finishing his compliment, "perfectly."

"Yeah, well, try telling that to my spleen," she groans, adjusting her corset for the millionth time.

"Your discomfort is a cross I'm willing to bear," he says with a wink and a crooked smirk.

Her cheeks heat, and a smile tugs at her lips before she realizes they're staring at each other. She shakes herself out of the daze she's in and introduces her cousins to Killian's brother. "Liam, this is my cousin, Elsa, and her sister, Anna. This is Killian's brother, Liam."

Liam already has his eyes on Elsa as he removes his hat and bows like she's an actual queen. "Greetings, Your Majesty." He takes her hand and presses a kiss to the back of it.

Elsa blushes and smiles, pressing her free hand to her chest. "You can just call me Elsa."

"Any queen in particular?" he asks, eyeing the crown on her head.

"Queen Victoria." She turns toward Anna. "And this is her half-sister, Princess Feodora."

He tries to kiss Anna's hand like he did Elsa's, but she shakes her head and steps back as though he's trying to kiss her on the lips. "No, thank you. I'm married." She gently pushes Elsa forward. "But my sister here is very much single," she makes sure to inform Liam with a big grin.

Elsa turns her head to scold at her sister in disapproval before Anna excuses herself and heads through the crowd.

Liam chuckles awkwardly, his cheeks red as his eyes return to Elsa. "It's nice to meet you, lass."

"Likewise. You seem nothing like the self-righteous asshole Emma described you as," Elsa points out deliberately.

Apology clouds his face as he looks at Emma. "Well, she wasn't wrong. I was very much a dick."

"But he apologized," Emma reminds her.

He looks at Elsa again and scratches behind his ear, the same nervous tick Killian has. "So, um, would you care to dance with this self-righteous arse?" he asks nervously, sticking out his hand.

Elsa laughs, slipping her palm in his. "Sure why not?"

After Liam and Elsa walk away, Killian returns his gaze to Emma. "Drink?"

"Immediately."

? ﾟﾎﾃ?

"Great party, Audrey," Emma compliments when they finally cross paths with the host.

She gives her an Are you seriously kidding me? look . "It's a complete disaster! Who fills a place with this much dry ice?"

"But it's fun," Killian comments, trying to look on the bright side, "And scary and…" he gestures at her shiny gold dress when he's at a loss for more adjectives to adequately describe the party decorations. "I love your costume."

"I'm so embarrassed!" Audrey grumbles, looking down at her outfit. "We're supposed to be Beauty and the Beast."

Leo comes up behind her, shouting, "Happy Halloween, party people!"

Emma furrows her brows as she scans her brother's costume. He doesn't look like any beast she's ever seen before. He's dressed in black and is wrapped in what appears to be a burrito shell. "What are you supposed to be?"

"Uh, a taco. Duh!" He points between him and Audrey. "Taco Bell, get it?"

Audrey shakes her head in frustration. "No, I'm Belle , not a bell."

Killian chuckles. "Just look at it this way—you could just pass it off as a funny pun."

Emma scans the room as she takes a sip of her third Haunted Orchard Cocktail. Unlike her mocktails on the Fourth, there's nothing virgin about her drink, as it has tequila and hard cider. And either she's had a little too much to drink or her ex and his girlfriend are heading toward her. She gasps and whips around to glare at her brother. "You invited Neal?!"

"I wasn't in charge of the guest list," he grumbles at Audrey.

His fiancé shrugs. "I didn't invite him. I invited Tamara. We went to high school together. How was I supposed to know she's dating your ex?"

Emma furrows her brows at Audrey. "Wait, you two went to high school together?"

"Yeah, she was in the same class as me."

Emma's face pales. Oh, God. If Audrey's twenty, that means…Tamara's even younger than she thought.

Emma wants to crawl into a hole and hide, but before she gets the chance to run away, Neal and Tamara are already in front of her.

"Happy Halloween!" Neal greets, wrapping his arm around Tamara.

"I love the slutty costume!" the woman says with a big grin. She and Neal are dressed as Peter Pan and Tinkerbell, and Emma can't help but notice the very round, very prominent, close-to-bursting belly underneath her green dress.

"Thank you…I like yours too." Emma gestures toward what she hopes to be a fake pregnant belly as part of her costume. "I mean, that fake belly's incredible. You look really, really pregnant," she laughs, trying to shove down the hatred and disgust she feels for her ex.

"Not fake," Tamara corrects, looking over at Neal.

Emma's eyes widen in horror, and suddenly, she can't breathe, the corset seeming to press even tighter around her ribcage.

That bastard got her pregnant?!

"Due in two days."

"I just couldn't keep her at home," Neal says with a chuckle.

Tamara shakes her head and swats his chest. "I already told you, baby, this kid's not gonna change our lives."

Anna bursts out laughing from behind Emma, which surprises her because she didn't know her cousin was standing there. "That's adorable."

Tamara smiles skittishly, obviously not understanding what's so funny. "Thank you."

"Wow…" Emma's still trying to process this, her mind spinning. "Pregnant…" She turns to look at her cousin, laughing, even though she's dying inside. "She's pregnant!"

Anna nods. "I know. She's adorable. Wanna get another drink?" she asks, ushering Emma away.

"Congrats," Emma calls out to the expecting parents as she walks past them, still in complete disbelief. "Congrat-u-lations. I am so happy for you! Wow!"

Anna drags her to the bar so she doesn't make any more of a fool of herself than she already has.

Emma spins around, throwing her hands up in the air. "She's fucking pregnant?! How is this even possible?! She's my brother's age?!"

Anna orders them some cocktails and hands her one. "Here, drink this."

Emma accepts, guzzling it down like it's water and then slamming the empty glass on the bar top.

"You need another drink," Anna suggests.

Emma shakes her head. "Oh god, I don't feel so good," she groans, clutching her stomach. She's on the verge of hyperventilating, the room is spinning and she feels queasy. "I really don't feel well. I've had about fifty mini-size candy bars, four Haunted Orchards and my ex-boyfriend has impregnated someone fifteen years younger than him!"

"I'm sorry, sweetie," Anna says, rubbing her back as Emma grips the bar counter.

Killian comes up behind her and places a hand on her shoulder. "Are you alright, love?"

"No! I am not okay!" she snaps, spinning toward him. "This is what I get for letting you trap me in this torture device!" She tugs on her corset again, trying to make it feel less tight as Anna and Killian both eye her in concern.

"Do you want me to take you home?" her cousin asks.

Emma nods, but before Anna can respond, Killian offers, sensing she didn't actually want to leave yet. "I can take her."

"I-I can," she assures as Killian wraps his arm around Emma and leads her away. "I can. It's just...I mean, if you're volunteering."

"It's fine."

"You really don't have to do this," Emma mumbles, feeling bad for taking him away from the party.

"Holidate rule number three—leave no holidate behind, remember?" Killian calls an Uber, and when they arrive at her place, he climbs out of the car and turns around to help her out. "Come on, love."

Emma grabs her clutch and literally crawls out, feeling too tipsy and nauseous to stand on her own two feet. "Just leave me here," she pleads, not wanting Killian to have to take care of her.

"Nope." Killian shakes his head and kneels down to help Emma up. "We're gonna go."

"Please leave me!"

"No need. I've carried beer kegs much heavier than you." Before Emma can even wonder what he means by that, he picks her up and throws her over his shoulder like a bag of potatoes, carrying Emma inside her apartment building. "Come on, we're almost there."

Emma groans, feeling too drunk and miserable to protest any further as Killian carries her to the elevator before finally setting her down on her feet and pressing the button.

Emma braces her back against the wall so she doesn't fall over. She can't believe she let that asshole, Neal, affect her this much. She was doing fine until she met his girlfriend in February at the candy store. Tamara was certainly not pregnant back then, and now she's about to pop out a baby?!

Wait.

February?

"Oh my god!" she cries out when realization washes over her. "It's Halloween!"

Killian furrows his brows, his voice full of confusion when he raises his hook. "Hence the costumes."

She counts on her fingers, reciting the months between February and October. Yep, just as she suspected. "They did it on Valentine's Day!" she screams, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"Everyone did it on Valentine's Day."

"I didn't do it on Valentine's Day!"

"Neither did I," Killian recalls as the elevator dings and the doors slide open.

"They barely even knew each other when they started procreating!"

"I know, love, he's a wanker," Killian says as he helps Emma into the elevator.

She buries her face in her hands. "Oh my God, this is so embarrassing!"

"Trust me, I've seen much worse." he tries to assure her, rubbing her back as Emma presses the button to her floor.

"How could this get worse?!" She can feel the bile rising in her throat as the elevator ascends. At first, she thinks she's just imagining it because she's thinking about Neal with Tamara and the age gap between them and how sick it makes her. She's also had so much chocolate and alcohol, it's affecting her brain, along with her stomach.

Her eyes widen when she realizes she's about to vomit. She feels a stab of pain in her stomach, and she claps a hand over her mouth when she starts to gag, trying to force it all down. Suddenly feeling very warm, she tries to pull her top away from her skin to cool down, but then she's rudely reminded she's still in this goddamn corset. And she doubts it will give way when she has to puke her guts out.

"Untie me," she says quietly, her face paling.

Killian stares at her in confusion as she shuffles over, turning her back toward him and trying to reach for the laces of her corset. "What?"

"No questions! Just untie me!"

"Okay…" Killian grabs her waist, pulling her toward him before he reaches for the laces, trying to do as he's told. Quickly realizing, the hook just gets in the way, he hangs it on his belt and tries with two free hands. "What is all this?"

"Hurry!"

"I'm trying, okay? I'm trying."

Another pain shoots through her stomach, and Emma knows she doesn't have much time. "You know what, just rip it." She hops around, trying to tug at the fabric, but it won't budge. Killian keeps close behind her, trying desperately to untie the laces, but not having any luck. "Just rip it." She braces against the rail as Killian starts pulling on the corset, trying to tear it off her as she moves her hips toward him. "Rip it. Just fucking rip it off! " she shrieks as the elevator doors slide open, revealing an elderly couple staring at them in horror. But she can certainly understand why. Killian's standing behind her, trying to pull off her clothes as she's bent over the elevator rail.

Thankfully, the doors close before the couple can step in.

As soon as the elevator reaches her floor, Emma scrambles out, Killian hot on her heels, working on the laces again.

"You're locked up like Houdini in this thing!"

"This is all your fault!" Emma cries out as she frantically makes her way down the hall, digging through her purse for her keys.

"Almost got it!" Killian assures after he's finally able to loosen the laces.

They stumble into the apartment, Emma falling over, Killian still latching on to her from behind, trying to get the pesky corset off. While Emma's in a very compromising position and he's trying to take her clothes off—something she's thought about a hundred times since she met him—this isn't exactly how she envisioned this moment.

She finally reaches the bathroom and pushes the door open, vomit rising from her throat.

"I got it!" Killian cheers, holding up the corset in success as she slams the door shut, not wanting him to see her like this.

She bolts for the toilet, but before she can reach it, her stomach is convulsing, vomit is spewing out of her mouth and she's slipping onto the floor with a scream. "Oh, no!"

"Did you make it?" Killian asks through the door, his voice full of concern.

"Go...away! Go away!"

? ﾟﾎﾃ?

Emma has never felt so humiliated or mortified in her entire life as she sits in the back corner of her bathtub, tightly hugging her knees, her hair pulled into a messy bun. To think, she started off the night as a sexy bar wench and now she's naked, cold and covered in puke, the runny mascara making her look like a raccoon. And to top things off, she had to tell Killian, the most gorgeous man she's ever met, that she slipped in a puddle of her own vomit. Now he's holding the showerhead over her back, gently rinsing the vomit off of her.

This night couldn't possibly get any worse.

"Don't look at me," she groans, but not because she doesn't want him to see her naked. She just doesn't want him to see her at her very worst. She feels pathetic.

"I'm not looking."

She glances over her shoulder to see if he's telling the truth. Sure enough, he's looking in the other direction with the slightest hint of a smile on his face as he shakes his head, making her smile too, despite the situation.

Once she's clean and in much more comfortable clothes than that god-awful corset, Emma slips into bed and removes the hair tie, letting her long wavy hair fall loose around her shoulders.

Hearing a knock on her door, she looks up to see Killian slowly walking into the room in the pajama pants she got for Christmas, holding out a mug. "Peppermint tea."

She sits up against her pillows and accepts the drink as Killian sits down on the edge of the bed.

"Helps with nausea."

"I have peppermint tea?" She arches a brow as she stares into the hot liquid and takes a sip.

"Sort of. It's just crushed Altoids in boiling water."

"Hmm." It's not bad, actually. She sets the drink on her nightstand and turns toward him again. "So, um...I'm guessing I'll be an anecdote you tell at parties now? The woman who…" She sighs, her voice quivering and eyes watering with tears. "The woman who…" She tries once again but can't get the words out.

"The woman who slipped on her own vomit on Halloween?" Killian finishes with a small smile.

"Oh God," Emma whimpers, pulling the comforter over her head and turning to her side to hide her tears as they fall down her cheeks.

She feels the bed dip a little when Killian climbs in next to her.

"Don't worry. I'm not gonna tell anyone, okay?"

She pokes her head out. "Promise?"

"I promise," he says sincerely.

She turns around to her other side to face him and wipes her tears. "Thank you," she whispers, looking up at him.

He flashes a smile as a comfortable silence settles over them. Emma gazes up at him as he stares at the ceiling, sighing. He looks so handsome, his dress shirt still revealing an ample amount of chest hair she wants to run her fingers through. But instead, she closes her eyes and sniffles, wanting to forget this day ever happened, except for the part when she falls asleep next to Killian with his comforting scent wafting around her.

When she wakes the next morning to the sound of birds chirping and dogs barking, the first thing she sees is Killian's face, which is only an inch away from hers. She blinks the sleepiness from her eyes and turns her head, noticing his hand on her shoulder. When her eyes return to his handsome face, he's opening his eyes and quickly removing his arm with a quiet apology.

They share a laugh, their eyes locked on one another as the side of her head sinks into the pillow again. Suddenly, all the air is sucked from her lungs, and she can't breathe as she stares into Killian's deep blue eyes that seem to set her entire body on fire. She can't imagine she looks even close to decent; it's nothing like those movies where the woman wakes up, looking like she just stepped out of a page of Vogue magazine, with her makeup all perfect and not a hint of sleep on her face. But Killian doesn't seem to mind her appearance; in fact, he seems to be just as captivated by her as she is by him.

He leans forward to kiss her, but Emma pulls back, covering her mouth with the comforter.

"I have morning breath," she points out.

He chuckles. "I don't care, love."

She laughs when she remembers him saying the same thing after she went down on him and he wanted to kiss her.

He reaches out and removes the blanket from over her mouth, his words melting away her nerves as he closes the distance between them.

As she moves in to meet him halfway, she's glad she brushed her teeth before she went to bed last night.

Killian cups her cheek in his hand as she closes her eyes and moves her lips against his, allowing herself to give in to him.

His lips are even softer than she remembers, and she cards her hand through his disheveled hair, wanting so much more of him. This kiss is different from any other kiss they've had. Lust and a need to be close to someone fueled their previous kisses. But this one... this is so much more than that. There are feelings involved—real, actual feelings. Her heart is pounding in her chest, and she hopes he can't hear it, but she wouldn't be surprised if he could. Emma parts her lips, her searching tongue sweeping inside his mouth to find his, pulling a groan from his throat at the connection that sends a shiver down her spine.

When she wraps a leg around his hip, he pulls her flush against him, letting her feel how incredibly hard he is. She moans as he rolls Emma onto her back and settles between her legs. She grinds against him, eliciting a low growl from his throat as he releases her lips to leave a scorching hot trail of kisses and nips down her neck.

Killian pulls away just long enough to tug his shirt over his head and toss it to the floor. Emma bites her bottom lip as she admires a shirtless Killian with a raging hunger in his deep pools of blue. She sifts her fingers through his chest hair as he leans in to capture her lips again, his fur even softer than she imagined. Her hands glide up his firm chest and broad shoulders, her arms wrapping around him, pulling him closer. He rocks his hips against her, his erection grinding her center through their pants. He feels so good like this, and she can't wait to have him inside of her. He pulls back once more, helping Emma remove her pants, and he takes her panties with them, throwing the obtrusive clothing to the floor.

Killian takes her foot in his hand and presses a soft kiss to her ankle, his gaze sweeping up her legs and finding her aching core, which is already soaking wet.

"Fucking hell." His voice is husky and low, his eyes never leaving her pussy. He makes a trail of soft kisses up her leg, and she wants to grab him and have him inside her, but he has different plans.

He presses a soft, wet kiss to her nub, his hot breath warming her skin. Emma whines as Killian parts her thighs and settles between her legs, her heart slamming as he licks up her slit.

"Holy fuck." She runs one hand through his hair and grabs the sheet with her other one as he eats into her, his tongue soft and warm and talented on her sensitive bundle of nerves.

When she moves her hips, riding his face, she's rewarded with a rough growl and a speed that has her already panting. "Killian…"

Her fingers tighten around his hair and the bedsheet as he slips his finger inside her and tongues her harder, nibbling softly and sucking on her clit. Everything he's doing to her is making her head spin as she rests her legs over his shoulders. She peers down at him, and her eyes connect with his. The intensity of his stare as he feasts on her like she's his last meal takes her breath away.

She didn't have many partners who could make her cum with their tongue, but Killian has her on the edge after a matter of minutes. She moans loudly as he adds another finger, and her walls clamp around his digits.

"Killian, fuck!" She explodes in his mouth, her body shuddering as a powerful orgasm rips through her. He tries to hold on to her a little longer, but she pushes him away, unable to take anymore.

So he removes his fingers and slips them into his mouth, groaning and telling her how good she tastes.

She's still trying to recover when his wet lips make their way up her body—her nub, her waist, her stomach. He pushes up her shirt and kisses the valley of her breasts before kissing her lips. She moans when she tastes the tang on his tongue. It makes her want him even more.

Reaching between them, she tugs at the waistband of his pants, and Killian pushes them off until his dick springs free. The mere sight of his thick, aching cock prompts her legs to fall open for him, her breathing still ragged from her orgasm as she waits in anticipation, her heart thudding in her chest.

She crooks her finger, silently calling him over, and he eagerly complies, crushing her lips with his. As soon as she feels his warm cock sliding through her folds, she moans in his mouth and knows if she doesn't have him soon, she might combust. She snakes her legs around his back and winds her arms around his neck as Killian effortlessly flips them over so she's on top. She's straddling his lap as they both rise together, him in a sitting position as he presses soft kisses over her chest. She whimpers in his mouth when she feels his hard dick at her folds and she moves her hips, seeking more friction.

Killian grabs her frame, breaking the kiss to whisper against her lips, his voice completely shattered, "Condoms?"

Emma nods and reaches for her nightstand drawer, pulling out one of the condoms she's had for far too long. Once she rolls the rubber down his length, she raises her hips, bringing the tip of his cock to her entrance and sinking down, moaning at the delicious feeling of being filled.

He groans and buries his face in her neck, holding her tight as she rolls her hips, her hands roaming his back. Killian tugs at her shirt, and she lifts her arms so he can pull it off of her. Once it's gone, he captures a soft nipple and slowly sucks each one until they're both stiff peaks in his warm, inviting mouth.

"Oh God…" She arches her back, running her fingers through his thick, gorgeous locks of hair as he laps at her breasts with his tongue and nibbles and sucks to his heart's content.

"Fuck, you're so bloody gorgeous," he groans, burying his face in her breasts, breathing in her scent, his lips worshipping her like she's a goddess.

She's never felt so cherished before…so loved, like nothing else in his world exists.

Only her.

He wraps his arms around her frame, aiding her movements as she rides his cock, their bodies writhing impossibly close in each other's arms.

Having sex with this man, the same man who spilled his green juice all over her at the mall, is so surreal. She's known him for ten months and he's been there for every holiday as her fake boyfriend, her date and also as a friend. And now they're making love in the middle of her bed, their sounds of pleasure echoing off the walls.

Killian rolls them over so Emma's head is lying against the pillows as he rams into her, lifting her leg and holding it in place.

She kisses his neck and shoulder, his thrusts becoming deeper, harder and faster.

"You feel so good, love," he groans in a raspy voice as she rolls her hips up to meet his.

"You do too," she whispers in his ear, digging her nails into his arms and back as if he'll take her to Heaven. He just might.

Her eyes roll back when he rubs her clit in addition to his thrusts. He kisses her hungrily as she feels another climax building.

"Killian, I'm about to—" Her walls clench around his cock as another wave of euphoric bliss crashes over her, causing Killian to jerk his hips fast and hard, chasing his own orgasm with a drawn-out groan.

"Emma…" He explodes inside the condom, burying his face in her neck, breathing hoarsely into her hair as his movements slow.

When he pulls out, he falls onto the bed next to her, the two of them lying side by side, staring up at the ceiling, covered in a sheen of sweat.

"Wow..." he manages after a moment, his voice raspy. "That was…"

"Yeah..." Her heart is slamming against her ribcage as she tries to wrap her head around what just happened. She didn't know sex could even be this good. Her legs are shaking, the room is spinning and both of them are panting, trying to catch their breaths.

After Killian forces himself out of bed to dispose of the condom and clean both of them up, he rejoins her in the bed, pulling the blankets over them and holding her close as she rests her head on his chest.

He kisses the top of her head, and a comfortable silence fills the room as she tries to decipher what this means. Do they go back to being friends or holidates or whatever they were before, or do they become something more? She has no idea. She knows she can trust him to not break her heart.

She imagines what it would be like to fill his bathroom with all her girly crap, have him find her bobby pins in odd places when she's not there and share a panini maker with him, along with a bedroom, and call his place home. She imagines what it would be like for him to be so completely in love with her, he can't help but be cheesy and drop a knee at midnight on New Year and she imagines actually having babies with him and finally making her mother a grandma. She imagines turning this holidate thing into something more permanent because she thinks she's falling for him and can't imagine what it would be like to spend a holiday without him.

Fuck.

Is she actually falling for him?

"Do you want some coffee?" she asks, shoving down her feelings for him.

"Sure, love." He caresses her cheek, a small smile playing along his lips.

She wishes she knew what he's thinking. Does he feel the same way about her that she does about him? "Unless you'd rather go. I mean…I—if you want…I…don't feel obligated to stay."

He sits up, looking down at her in confusion. "You want me to leave?"

"No," she replies quickly, sitting up and securing the blanket around herself. "No, I just…" She bites her bottom lip. "I just mean, Halloween's over, right? So I'd understand if you wanted to leave."

Killian cups her cheek in his hand, his thumb brushing over her skin. "Well, I don't wanna leave."

Emma gulps, unable to breathe under the intensity of his gaze. "Okay." She laughs nervously, trying to ease the tension in the room. "I'll just get that coffee now. Be right back." She climbs out of bed, grabbing her robe from the floor and tugging it around herself as she leaves the room.

Once the coffee is done brewing, Emma pours his into a mug and adds cream to hers before bringing the mugs to the bedroom. He sits up again, leaning against the headboard as he accepts with an appreciative smile. They sip their beverages in a rather awkward silence. Suddenly, such an easy friendship has shifted into something else, and neither of them knows how to act or what to say to each other.

An incessant pounding on her front door pulls Emma from her thoughts, and she shares a look with Killian, not knowing who could be here. She sets her coffee on the nightstand and gets out of bed, leaving the room.

The knocking doesn't subside until she finally opens the door, revealing a very frantic Elsa.

"I kissed the navy captain!" She storms into the apartment, pulling off her jacket and purse, setting them on the couch.

"What?"

"The navy captain!" Elsa repeats, looking like she's on the verge of hyperventilating. "I kissed him! We were standing in line at the party last night after we danced, waiting for the restrooms and then suddenly it happened!" She takes a deep breath. "We kissed!"

Emma lifts a brow, not knowing what the issue is. "And that's a bad thing?"

Elsa paces the room, toying with her fingers. "Well no, he's handsome and single and rather charming when he's not being a self-righteous asshole, but..."

"So, what's the problem?"

Elsa stops in her tracks and shrugs. "The problem is I haven't kissed anyone since…" She pauses but doesn't really have to finish her sentence for Emma to know where she's going with this.

Emma takes her cousin's hands in hers, looking her dead in the eyes. "Do you like Liam?"

"No…yes…I mean, I don't know. I barely know him." She pulls away, throws herself onto the couch and buries her face in a pillow. "It's been years since I've dated and yet I almost had sex with the naval captain in the restroom!"

"Wait, you almost had sex with him?" Emma runs a hand through her disheveled hair and hears boots clunking across the floor. When she looks toward the noise, she sees Killian entering the room, now fully clothed in his leather pants and the rest of his costume from last night, carrying his hat in his hand, a small smirk tugging at his lips. He obviously heard their conversation. "Good morning, Elsa."

She freezes and sits up, forcing a smile on her face as she turns to face Killian. "Hi. I was just…telling Emma about this dream I had last night."

"Right," Killian says with a wink before gesturing to the door with his pirate hat. "I was just leaving."

Just before he reaches for the knob, Elsa throws herself off the couch, glancing between them. "Am I interrupting something?"

"No," Emma insists with a shake of her head.

At the same time, Killian answers with a "Yes."

"We were just having coffee," Emma assures her cousin, crossing her arms.

"Well, maybe I should come back after you've had...coffee."

Killian waves off her suggestion, but Emma can tell by the look on his face, he doesn't actually want to leave. "You should stay, and I'll go. You seem really upset about your…dream." He meets Emma's eyes. "Okay?"

Emma stays silent, only holding his gaze for a few seconds before looking away. She feels torn because she doesn't want Killian to leave, but she also wants to be here for Elsa. Kissing someone and almost having sex with him since her husband passed away is a huge step for Elsa.

Killian waves before pulling the door open. "Bye, ladies."

Emma waves with a cheerful smile, trying to hide the disappointment in her gut as he heads out. "See you at Thanksgiving!"

The look on Killian's face—the devastation mixed with disappointment and hurt written all over his expression—makes Emma's heart clench. And she desperately wants to take back her words. But it's too late, because Killian is already shutting the door behind him.

"Thanksgiving?" Elsa furrows her brows.

Emma squeezes her eyes shut, realizing her mistake. Elsa doesn't know he was just her holidate. She thinks they were actually dating. Emma heads to the kitchen, knowing they have a lot to discuss. "Want some coffee?"