Storybrooke, like most small towns, rolled up the streets when the sun went down. Shops and restaurants locked their doors. People scurried along to their homes. Cars passing by were few and far between. There was no reason to hang about – no nightlife to partake in and far too many nosey neighbours to whisper about your whereabouts come morning.

That night was no different.

Nights were never different. Nothing ever changed in Storybrooke. It was starting to seem like nothing ever would...

Will was wiping up the last few tables inside the cafe distractedly; it seemed like he did everything distractedly these days, his mind always occupied by the one thing that never failed to make him feel like all his brain cells had abandoned him at once: Jennifer Jareau.

He watched as JJ locked up the diner across the street then, instead of returning home, dropped listlessly into one of the seats on the patio. Head resting in her hands, she stared off into the distance, eyes unfocused and bleary. He couldn't help but think she looked preoccupied and maybe even sad.

He wanted to cheer her up or at least lighten the load on her mind, but wasn't entirely certain she'd care to confide in him... It wasn't that they weren't friends – or, at the very least, friendly – it just seemed like there was always something holding JJ back from a deeper connection. (Or, that's what he told himself anyway...)

He decided to take the chance anyway and, with a bottle of amber liquid (that he wasn't exactly licensed to sell) and two glass tumblers, he joined her. "Here, Cher," he said by way of greeting, pouring her a generous helping of the liquor.

For a moment, she looked surprised by the offer and his sudden presence, but decided not to comment beyond a gentle smile. She clinked her glass against his before tossing back a swig, wincing as it burned its way down her throat.

Will did the same, trying not to seem like he was watching her from the corner of his eye, trying to work out the source of the sadness weighing down her normally cheerful demeanour.

They sat together in silence for a long time, neither willing to break it, at the risk of saying something too bold and giving away something they couldn't take back. Will's momentary boldness had all but faded and he now cursed himself for coming over here without a plan in mind.

JJ was the one to break the ice first, asking quietly, "So, how did you know that I needed this?" she asked, holding up her glass, swirling the liquid about sloppily. "Do I really look that bad?" she added teasingly.

"No!" he rushed to supply, almost too emphatically. "No, not at all. You look beautiful," he insisted, making her blush prettily. He paused, cleared his throat. "Consider it a peace offering."

She quirked a brow in question. "Why? We didn't fight..." Then, rethought. "I mean, I don't think we did? Did we?"

Will laughed. "No fight," he agreed, "But I thought maybe I should have something to offer if I wanted to keep you company and maybe convince you to share what's on your mind..."

She nodded, chewing her lip in thought then. She had to admit, she needed to hear someone else tell her she wasn't crazy or overreacting or imagining things. With a sigh, she confided, "It's Emily... It's been days since I've heard from her and no one else seems to think it's cause for concern, but I know she wouldn't just disappear like this. Am I crazy?"

"You're not crazy," he assured her. He may not have known much, at least about Emily, but he knew for certain that if JJ was worried, there was cause to be.

They were still seated there, talking, as the last of the sun's glow disappeared beyond the horizon, the only light coming from the streetlamps and the little fairylights strung along the patio. In the distance, doves cooed to each other, harmonizing with the crickets chirping in the underbrush.

Feeling emboldened by JJ's closeness and the almost romantic atmosphere, Will was considering throwing caution to the wind and finally asking her out, but JJ spoke up first, sending his resolve skittering about like sparks from a fire, vanishing as the air cooled them.

With a nod of her head, she directed his attention towards Clara and Henry out for an evening walk, arms linked together, Clara's head leaning against his shoulder. "They're so cute," she remarked. "I can't imagine being married so young, but they just seem like soulmates, don't they?"

Will nodded his agreement. "They really seem certain in their devotion to each other," he said.

JJ sighed wistfully, watching as the young couple stopped, Henry leaning in for a kiss, whispering something in Clara's ear that made her giggle.

Will watched JJ's expression as she observed them, realization dawning on him. "You're jealous..."

"What?" she exclaimed, cheeks a shade of red this time. "No! I just..."

"You are!" he insisted. "You're jealous of their relationship..."

She huffed, glaring half-heartedly at him, before sighing, relenting. "Fine," she confessed. "I'm jealous... They're so young and they're all cute and in love and it's like the universe is rubbing it in my face that I'll be alone forever!"

"That seems a little melodramatic," Will insisted. "You're still young, you've got time..."

"Not that young," she muttered. "It's not like I'm going to find anyone in Storybrooke anyway."

Then – and he couldn't have said why exactly he did it – he leaned in and kissed her, stemming the tide of her words. For a moment, she seemed startled and perhaps a little confused, but only briefly before she was kissing him back, one hand wrapping around the back of his neck, the other fisting in the fabric of his shirt.

Will couldn't help but smile into the kiss because, for the first time in as long as he could remember, things actually felt right.