When Killian started at Storybrooke University, he was aware of a few things. First was the cutthroat competition of the football team, especially the women's team (It's soccer, Jones). Second, was the reputation of both the academics and the sports programs. Third, was the stunning professor of literature. He probably would have traded his signing bonus to get an introduction that first day.
Dr. Emma Swan was spirited and lively in her classroom. She frequently used books versus movies to get the attention of her class. The students in his Abnormal Psychology class usually tried to take her class right after his as a way of giving their psyche a break. She also coached the women's soccer team.
Each year as the season opened, they began a silent campaign for their home teams. His Irish roots against her adopted home of Iceland. It didn't take long for the students to get involved. It started with little things, pens and pencils in her team colors began littering his room. Sticky notes with his mascot on the desks in her room. By World Cup, it was war. It didn't help that her students and his were on the school teams and just as competitive as they were.
His second year teaching, he learned from the librarian director, Belle French, that there was a wager between their classes and departments - when would Professor Swan and Professor Jones would finally go out. He didn't think he could dignify that with any sort of response. He barely had a chance to speak with Swan let alone anything else. Not that he hadn't considered it.
He finally made tenure the year after Swan did. She made sure her students rubbed it in all year. Passive-aggressive note passing and gossip. It shouldn't entertain him half as much as it did. But by that point, he and Swan met at the pub to root for their teams (argue, mostly) and shamelessly flirt with each other for all the staff and students to witness. They did discuss real things after the game - the loss of his wife from the car accident that also took his left hand; her suffering a career-ending climbing accident that forced her retirement from professional soccer, his career in criminal psychology and her book deal.
The pandemic hit and his job was sent remote. That worked out well for him. He was writing his first book and had interviews that were easier to schedule through Zoom. Classes weren't as easy, but he did find ways of working with the students through the new remote environment.
He had his camera on as he waited for the next class to start. He liked to give his students time for questions as he could. A voice behind him caught him by surprise.
"Dadadadadada!" Alice squealed and ran to him. He grinned and lifted her onto his lap. "Duck?"
"I don't know where Ducky is, little love. Does Mum have it?" He waved at Henry Mills and Violet King as they logged in.
"Mamamamamama" Alice liked the way the words Mama and Dada felt. She tried to gum on his phone and he pulled it away with a laugh.
"Love? Do you have Ducky?" He asked.
Emma came in and waved the lost stuffed duck for their daughter who squealed with laughter. "Mamamamama." Alice threw her arms around her mother who caught her despite their youngest napping in his carrier.
"Have a good class, babe." She winked and waved at the students.
He smiled at the class and began the lecture as he always did. The chat lit up and he ignored it until he saw questions about the material. Henry and Violet seemed to have a serious discussion about what this meant for the annual wager.
"Lad, I hate for you and Miss King to lose any such wagers, but it has always been about us going on a date. No one asked if either of us were married." He grinned.
