A/N: Alright all, good news on two fronts. Number one we have both POVs this week. I know, crazy! But more than that this is the chapter where circumstances align and Emma and Killian finally introduce themselves so take that, slow-burn! Just kidding the slow-burn is still real, nevertheless, expect cute awkwardness and my usual overwhelming fluff. Thank you all for reading and let me know what you think!

While Emma would never wish for less success in her work, she had to admit after a few days of off-hours that she was beginning to feel the strain of launching a new business. The past few days had been so busy that she'd not only had to stay late every evening, but go in early as well. It was exhausting for obvious reasons, but Emma knew she might have been able to bear the work load better if she didn't have a sense of missing out.

Three days away from her normal routine meant three days of not seeing the man on the train, and as sad as it was to admit, that lack of his presence actually affected her mood. Emma would never confess that out loud (because it was embarrassing to say the least), but her largest grievance wasn't the constant things needing her attention or the inability to walk away from the store at a decent hour, it was that she was being denied her chance to see him.

Today, however, Emma successfully managed to fend off early meetings and she was riding her usual train. All morning she'd been bubbling with excitement despite how foolish that was, but it couldn't be helped. It felt like this big wonderful thing and Emma decided to let herself have this. If hot guy was going to relieve some of the tension she'd found at work, so be it. Everyone had their vices, right?

There was only one problem: the train this morning was absolutely packed with very little standing room. Worst of all, Emma was surrounded by abnormally tall people. This made it impossible to see much of anything and made the already existent stuffiness of the car that much worse. Emma barely breathed the entire length of her trip (thanks to the stale odor of must, cologne, and cigarette smoke that hung about), but her real moment of 'are you freaking kidding me right now?' came when her stop for work finally arrived and the callous businessman beside her knocked her portfolio to the ground, sending her sketches flying everywhere.

Emma cursed as she hustled to grab everything, barely evading the other entering and exiting passengers, but she grabbed all her sketches just in time to get out before the doors closed. As she did she caught sight of someone out of the corner of her eye. Her heart picked up in that moment, but she wasn't entirely certain it was him, and before she could see one way or the other the doors closed and the train moved on leaving a flustered and now disappointed Emma staring after it.

But unfortunately New York waited for no one, and Emma was forced thanks to the less than stellar ambiance that clung to the subway platform and the other people who were now staring at her to ascend the steps and head to work. She wove through the bustling crowds of people a little slower than usual, feeling that lingering bit of regret for having missed him, but eventually Emma resolved to get over it. She had too much going for her and too much on the line to be in this kind of funk. Besides, there was always tonight, at least if she could use this emotion for good and be productive enough to leave on time.

"There you are, and at such a more reasonable hour. How did it feel not to wake up before the sun today?" Ruby's words were pitched Emma's way before the door had even closed behind her but Emma couldn't fend off her smile.

"Let's just say I can enjoy my coffee the old fashioned way instead of injecting it like I have all week."

Ruby grinned and waved Emma with her towards Elsa's bakery citing the need for a team meeting, but Emma knew 'team meeting' was likely code for gossip and breakfast. Not that Emma minded. Both sounded like pretty good remedies to the lackluster start of her morning, and as soon as she caught sight of Elsa's famous chocolate chip muffins Emma knew at the very least she'd get a necessary chocolate fix.

"Okay, so as you all know we have had a fantastic first week -," Ruby's words were quickly interrupted by Mary Margaret.

"But we're not jinxing anything!" Ruby smirked and clarified.

"Right. For the superstitious ones among us we are happy for this turn of events but still working hard. There's a lot to do, but I think I've found a way to keep the momentum going for a bit."

"Oh let me guess! Skywriting?" Emma asked as Elsa giggled from behind the bakery counter and posed a ridiculous idea of her own.

"A blimp?" Ruby shook her head and countered with her own lunacy.

"No, I actually found a dozen people to get the store logo tattooed on their chests and then do an interpretive dance through Times Square." A beat past before all four friends laughed at the excessive silliness. This was typical for them; trying to out-weird the other with crazy situations that would never come to pass.

"But on the off chance those dancers fall through…" Mary Margaret prompted and Ruby regained her composure.

"In that marginal slice of possibility, my friend Belle who works at Citizen NY reached out. She's thinking of doing a feature piece on us."

"Citizen NY?" Emma asked, more excited than she probably should be and all her friends looked her way.

"Yeah. Is that a problem?" Ruby asked.

Emma schooled her features even though she was actually really excited. Who knew? Maybe her stranger on the train would see the article and recognize her. The idea was intriguing and too exciting given the situation. She should not be subjecting herself to interviews for the sake of a man she'd never even spoken to. No, any decisions like this needed to be about the business. Hot guy couldn't factor in.

"No problem. I just read it."

"You – Emma Swan – read a non-fashion oriented magazine?" Ruby posed the question as if this were the single most unbelievable thing she had ever heard, but Emma merely rolled her eyes making Ruby laugh. "Anyway, yes, Belle works for them and I guess some stories didn't pan out last minute so they're hoping to get us in for the issue on stands the week after next."

"Wow, that quickly?" Mary Margaret asked and Ruby nodded as Elsa jumped in with her thoughts.

"Sounds great! Any idea what kind of cake she likes? We probably want to butter up the reporters right? I made the most to die for hazelnut cream at home last night when I couldn't sleep. I mean seriously no one could turn it down. Unless she's allergic. Is she allergic?" Ruby and Elsa had some animated back and forth about menu planning as Emma let her more cynical tendencies rise to the surface.

"So what is she going to write about? I mean what's the angle, other than the boutique?"

Emma knew there had to be an angle. There was no way Citizen NY was going to just come here and do a fluff piece. Everything that they wrote and published told a story, and as much as Emma loved the shop and was proud of what they were doing, outlining the basics of their vision wasn't as captivating as the other pieces she'd read in that magazine. There needed to be something more enticing and more applicable to more people.

"We are."

"Us?" Emma, Elsa, and Mary Margaret all parroted back.

"Yup. Picture this -," Ruby used her hands as if she was framing the shot of a movie and let her dramatic flair take over. "We pan in on Columbia University freshman orientation. Four girls from four corners of the country, all scared and feigning otherwise, meet on the first day of move-in and realize they have three soul-sisters they never even knew about."

Everyone laughed at that and Emma waved away the continued narrative. They all knew the story of how they'd found each other after all. It had been one of the best days of her life. She arrived at school on a scholarship she'd worked her ass off for completely ready for four more years of people not actually caring about her one way or another. Instead she found lifelong friends on the very first day and now ten years later they were all of them closer than ever. This was truly Emma's family and she knew all of her friends felt the same way.

"So how intimate are we talking here?" Elsa asked and Emma knew that she had reasons to be somewhat wary in spite of her earlier enthusiasm.

Elsa had a high profile family, all of whom were fantastically lovely and supportive (despite the fact that Elsa, who was essentially an heiress) decided to bake cakes for a living. Even with their support, however, Elsa never wanted to reflect badly and if this was the kind of piece that would get too personal Elsa would never feel comfortable and neither would Emma though for very different reasons. Emma didn't have a family home (okay, more like palace) in Newport to visit on holidays. She wanted nothing to do with any of the foster families she'd ever been a part of or even any of the group homes, but she also had no desire to dredge up past pains for the sake of a story.

"Belle's cool guys. She won't push. We have a lot of control here, control we wouldn't have in another situation."

Ruby looked to Emma and silently promised that this would be okay, and there was no one Emma trusted more to give her the truth than Ruby and no one who would fight harder to keep their good names protected than her friend. Emma nodded her agreement, knowing the others would follow as soon as she did. When they were all on the same page Ruby clapped excitedly and told them that interviews would happen early next week before getting called away on some store business. Mary Margaret followed close behind, but Emma lingered, wanting to savor the last of her coffee and her final five minutes of freedom before her day got hectic.

"So…?" Emma glanced up at an expectant Elsa and furrowed her brow.

"So what?"

"Did you see him this morning?" Emma willed herself not to blush and since Elsa's smile didn't get any wider she had to believe she was successful.

"No I didn't." It was impossible to miss the remorse in her voice and Elsa frowned, her hand finding her hip and a look that said she was trying to solve this problem appearing on her face.

"Well I'm sure he was just busy. There's always tonight right?"

Emma sighed. Was there always tonight, though? Or was she coasting through her life assuming this guy would always be there? He wasn't a sure thing, and the thought that he wasn't permanent left this subtle ache in Emma's chest even if it was totally mental. But for right now, Emma needed to vent her bit of regret without facing any judgment and Elsa always knew exactly how to handle those moments.

"I should have invited him to Graham's." Elsa looked surprised and Emma continued on. "Ruby suggested it on Monday night. She was joking, but all week I've been wishing that I did or that I at least said something."

"So why haven't you?" Emma waved her hand around in an anxious gesture.

"I don't know, I guess I'm just…" She trailed off, hating how weak it made her sound to admit that she was terrified of putting herself out there.

"Scared?" Emma nodded.

"What if I've built this all up in my head, Els? What if to him I'm just some crazy woman riding the same train as him who let her imagination run away with her?"

Elsa considered that for a moment and Emma appreciated the genuine thought Elsa put into this little conference. There was no instinctive reaction. If she asked Mary Margaret, her friend would cite the need for hope and belief in love. It was a reflex for their pixie-haired friend, just like how Ruby's reflex was to be assertive and go for it all the time. Emma didn't work that way though. Having walls around herself purposely installed to keep people away made the idea of putting herself out there so much worse. She'd been rejected her whole childhood. The last thing she wanted was to face that again. But she couldn't stop the little voice in her head saying she was wrong to keep away. This guy was important – this guy mattered.

"You know what I think? I think you're never going to know unless you try, and I think life only waits so long for us to make our move. If you let fear guide you, if you hide away because the risk is too great, you could miss out on everything."

"You're right. Besides, it's New York and if he ends up being terrible I never have to see him again." Elsa laughed and agreed. Sure, Emma would have to change her train habits, but that was so doable and the past few days were the proof.

"He won't be terrible, though." Emma tilted her head curiously.

"How do you know that?" Elsa shrugged.

"Because I trust your gut and your gut has been talking up a storm about this guy."

That comment helped more than Emma could say because she too had long believed in the power of her instincts. She thanked Elsa and managed to get out of there with only three muffins in hand (which when it came to Elsa and her constant need to feed people, was a rousing success). As she moved back to her showroom and into her office though, Emma realized that something was missing. Her sketch – the one of the fairytale dress. It was gone.

"Ah, crap!" Tiana looked up at Emma with concern. "Sorry I just think I lost one of my sketches on the train. You know the one I made our first day?"

"The one that would bring the coldest heart to tears?" Tiana asked and Emma gave a half smile and then nodded, prompting a sigh from Tiana. "Was it a douchebag banker or an angsty teen?"

Emma's attempt at a smile grew to an all out grin. She loved that despite the unfortunate nature of the situation, Tiana knew the struggles of train commutes well enough to guess what had happened. She also appreciated how her friend was always able to rein things back in when other people might consider the situation a crisis.

"Banker. Definitely banker." Tiana sighed and linked their arms.

"Well boss there's only one thing to do."

"Cry?" Emma offered sarcastically.

"Nope. Keep on hustling until you make another dress just as magical." Emma laughed, knowing it would never be that easy but that Tiana was right. There were so many more things on their plate left to do. She didn't have time to be sad, just keep moving and hoping that somehow that dress would come back to her in some form or other.

….

E. Swan.

Killian traced the same signature scrawled in the corner of her sketch for what was likely the hundredth time today. It was all of five letters written in script that spoke to the same artistry of the dress above it, but these ones in particular had yet to leave his mind in the span of his whole day. Hours past and it felt like every minute was filled with musings on what the E could stand for, or if a woman as graceful and beautiful as her could truly bear a last name as fitting and as perfect.

This was of course unfortunate from a strictly professional standpoint. There were a million things to do, deadlines to be met for next week's issue to go to print, but more and more the woman on the train moved back to the forefront of his mind. Killian should have been focused on the hiring process for his necessary new writers or the upcoming party to celebrate the fifth anniversary of the magazine in a month, but just as he would make headway in any area thoughts of her returned and he found himself opening his drawer to pull out the sketch once more.

This morning had been rough, the commute was less than optimal, and it wasn't until the very last second when his stranger was about to move off the car that he caught a glimpse of her. It was a bittersweet situation, for one second she'd been looking lovely if a little disappointed as she glanced around the train, and the next she was jostled by a careless passerby, sending her sketches into disarray. She gathered them all quickly, too soon for him to make his way across the car to help as he'd attempted to do, but as she slipped out he noticed one last drawing left behind.

Before any less-enthusiastically invested riders could trample or pick up the sketch for themselves, Killian retrieved it, finding himself amazed by the sheer volume of talent that jumped off the page. The lines were delicate but decided and Killian wasn't exceptionally well versed in fashion, but he knew the way these sketches looked was out of the ordinary. It wasn't dramatized like a bit of animation, but detailed. The figure and the dress itself were more true-to-life and it spoke not only to an amazing mind for dress creation, but for art as well.

So she's beautiful and brilliant, Killian had thought to himself on first inspection and the sentiment remained all through the day anytime he let himself indulge in looking at her work.

Clearly the lady was entirely out of his league, but this circumstance of fate made Killian feel like the stars were aligning. Finally he had his in, a way to interact with her without seeming like an insane person, and he'd been anxiously awaiting the moment when the work day ended and he could rush back to the train and see her. It wouldn't be long now but Killian was a mess to say the least. He was a bundle of nerves parading as a functioning human being, but Killian couldn't recall ever feeling more alive than he did with this newfound hope.

After their last encounter Killian had been ready to make his move and introduce himself. Thanks to the insistence of that couple on the train and the continued outcry from his heart, he was truly determined to push past his reservations and go for it. But then she'd been missing. Three days past and Killian didn't catch a glimpse of her. It felt like the cruelest trick of fate. Finally he was man enough to say something but the chance had slipped away. Never again. The Universe had made itself clear enough to him – there were only so many moments that could possibly be seized and he was claiming one and claiming it soon.

"Oi, Boss Man!" Killian glanced up to his doorway and found Will leaning against the door jam with his arms crossed, an amused look on his face.

"What do you want, Scarlet?" Will's grin widened as he sauntered into the room, coming in to take a seat.

"Well aren't you just a ray of bloody sunshine?" Killian mumbled something about his friend being a smug bastard as Will chuckled. "I've just come to see if you're all right."

"I'm fine," Killian replied too quickly. He almost groaned aloud at the mistake. His lack of cool was going to elongate this conversation, which was the last thing he needed.

"Really? Because you've been – and remember as your best mate I can say this to you – a bit of a downer all week. Then this morning you're up in the clouds. Is it a plane? A blimp? No, it's Killian Jones, walking into interns and forgetting basic rules of shipping things to print!"

"I didn't run into any…"

The words died on his lips as Killian recalled that he actually had. When he was walking in this morning elated from finding the picture from his mystery woman, he'd nearly trampled one of the young lads here through school. He apologized of course but as a man who prided himself on always being aware and alert, it was a dead giveaway that something was up. If that weren't bad enough he'd also gotten mixed up on the most basic of scheduling items for the printers and Will and Tink had born witness to it. Killian's jaw ticked as he tried to brainstorm a way to get himself out of this situation but nothing came to him.

"So are you going to tell me what's happening or am I going to be left to assume? You know I love a good story. Here let's think of one right now -,"

"All right, all right. Mercy." Killian looked up to the doorway confirming that the door was closed and then looked back to Will.

"I met someone." Well technically that wasn't true. He'd seen someone rather a lot and tonight he was going to meet her, or at least he hoped.

"One of Liam's girls?" Killian immediately glanced up at his friend who seemed truly curious.

"No! And how did you know about that?" Will shrugged. "Liam told you. Of course he did. He's bloody insane."

"He's uh… involved."

Killian looked at Will and the two of them both chuckled after a moment at the understatement. Since they were boys Liam had been asserting his role as elder brother firmly, and when they lost their mother too soon that inclination only grew. He moved from brother almost to father in many ways, and that meant meddling, an awful lot of meddling.

"Well no. Despite Liam's original wishes I've no need for matchmaking."

"Because you've met someone," Will countered easily.

"Aye." Will considered for a second in silence and then understanding seemed to dawn on him.

"Is this why you've been riding the bloody train all the time? For a woman?!" Killian kept his face as neutral as he could though his instinct was to wince.

"I told you it's about -,"

"Your carbon footprint. Yeah, yeah I heard you. I just didn't believe you, mate. But a woman… well that makes so much more sense, doesn't it?"

"You would know." Instead of trying to deny Will sighed.

"That I would, mate." Killian felt sorry for his friend in that moment. There was a level of defeat in his usually happy appearance that made Killian uneasy. He wished he had a way to fix this for Will.

"You realize we don't have a rule against fraternizing, right? Technically you could see Belle and there wouldn't be any repercussions." Will barked out a pained laugh.

"Right, until the moment I ask and she's mortified because I'm her boss and she's not interested."

"What makes you think she's not interested?" Killian couldn't claim that Belle was helplessly and irrevocably in love with Will, but there was certainly something there, a bond of some sort that he wouldn't be surprised if it turned out to be more than mere friendship.

"What makes you think she is?"

"Tink would know. Tink knows everything. All I have to do is -," Killian was raising his hand to press the intercom button as Will jumped from his chair.

"No!" Killian grinned. "I mean not now. There's a lot going on. Too much to be starting something."

Killian might have agreed with Will on that before. He'd often felt the same way, but recently it had been made clear to him that waiting wasn't the answer. Sometimes a man just had to bite the bullet and go for it, even if the prospect of rejection was a bloody nightmare.

"We only have so many tomorrows, Will. Remember that." Will stood up and nodded, clearly ready to take his leave.

"Thanks for that, mate. You're a regular fortune cookie. Oh and you better hurry or you'll miss the girl."

Killian looked up and realized Will was right. He was later than expected thanks to this little visit and he had to get a move on. He didn't delay anymore, wishing the people he saw on his way out a goodnight, but not tarrying any longer to discuss weekend plans or last minute details for the printers. Instead he made record time to the station and hopped on the train, his hands shaking from the adrenaline.

This is it. This is the moment. Killian thought to himself as her stop arrived but when she boarded the train he was struck a little speechless. He'd been denied the chance to truly see her in all her glory this morning, congested as the commute had been, but now he was left mesmerized, caught in the rapture of his own thoughts when he could be actually talking to her. When he realized that, Killian's feet took a step closer and then another until he was just beside her.

"Excuse me, miss?"

The woman jumped at his words and her hand immediately flew to her chest. He could see the strain in her neck that came from being surprised, her heart rate jumping as he'd made himself known. Killian hated to think he scared her, but when her eyes caught his and he was able to see the real intricacy in those jade-colored pools those thoughts flew from his mind. All that was left was this feeling like he'd seen light for the first time in forever.

"Oh sorry. You just – I mean – uh, hi."

The stammering from anyone else might have caused Killian to wonder what was wrong, but he could see the mirrored emotions playing across her face that he felt in his chest. Perhaps it was merely wishful thinking, but Killian swore he saw the faintest trance of a blush on her cheeks and a look like she was just as frazzled with sensation as he was. When he realized he'd been staring at her full lips and the way she got those words out for a beat too long, Killian cleared his throat and glanced back up at her eyes once more. Their impact hadn't lessened, and it felt like a miracle he was able to get any words out at all.

"I believe you dropped this earlier."

Killian handed her the drawing but it took her a second to tear her gaze away from him. In that moment he knew for a fact that this connection wasn't simply one sided and his chest filled with pride. This woman saw something in him, something attractive, something worthwhile. She was guarded, a bit cool on the surface when he'd seen her from afar, but he could feel the tension between them. It promised something too delicious to describe and he was remiss when her eyes looked away until he caught on to how happy his returning the sketch would make her. Never in his life had something felt as powerful as her smile. He was consumed by it and wanted nothing more than to see her always just as joyous.

"You found it! Oh my god you are my hero, you don't even know."

Her fingers grazed against his as she took the picture and it was lightening to the touch. But as the car swayed a little harsher than normal around a bend, she moved forward, her hand resting on his arm to steady herself and he was done for. She blushed again and after a moment of holding onto him she apologized. Why she would ever do that, though, he couldn't be sure. Unless of course he wasn't as transparent as he felt and she couldn't tell that this was the highlight of… well very possibly his entire life.

Killian knew without a doubt that the world lacked words to describe this feeling. He knew it was merely a turn of phrase, her calling him her hero, but the look of sheer relief and the happy smile on her face that lingered even after her slight embarrassment about falling into him sealed something inside of Killian. He'd long known that she was different, that there was something out of the ordinary about this beautiful stranger, but it went so far past everything he'd thought it could ever be. He was lost already, and they'd hardly said a word.

"Forgive me, love. A real hero wouldn't solicit a favor after a good deed but I was hoping you might repay me with your name."

The woman blinked up at him, clearly a little dazed until a humorous smirk played at her full lips. He'd never felt the urge to kiss somebody so profoundly in his life, but she was temptation in its most elevated form. Still he held back, needing her reply more than the chance to steal the press of her lips on his. No, when a kiss came, Killian decided, she would be the one to instigate it. Then, and only then, would he let his heart move as it pleased.

"Anyone ever tell you that you might be just a touch too charming?" Killian laughed at that and noticed the way her features softened when he did. She extended her hand as a means of greeting. "I'm Emma."

"Emma Swan?" Emma looked surprised and then Killian countered. "I may have glanced at the signature there once or twice."

"Oh, right." She smiled again and Killian stood there like a fool, falling into the way it illuminated her whole person. She was already arguably too gorgeous for him to handle, but like this, and with her attentions aimed at him, Emma was a force of nature.

"So are you going to tell me your name or…"

"Oh shit – right, yeah – it's Killian. Killian Jones."

"So not Chad?" Killian felt his brow rise at the peculiar question.

"Not to my knowledge, no. I'm relatively certain this has always been my name." Emma laughed and the sound filled the whole car and his whole world in the process.

"Sorry. That was a weird thing to ask. It's kind of a long story."

Killian couldn't help himself from raising his hand in that moment and tucking back a strand of blonde hair that had fallen from her hair tie. He watched as her eyes widened as he did it, but she never pulled away. Actually Emma inched a bit closer when his hand eventually moved away back to his side. It made retreating that much harder, but he had to be a gentleman. The last thing he wanted was to come on too strong and scare her away.

"I've a feeling any story of yours is worth the wait, Emma."

Her eyes filled with something in that moment, something Killian couldn't exactly read but there was a force behind it. Whatever Emma was feeling, it was intense, maybe even as strong as the pull that he felt to her right now. Killian wanted nothing more than to ask her what she was thinking or even to lay out all of his thoughts for her, to show her that whatever was on her mind was safe with him, but at that moment he caught the tail end of the automated voice announcing the next station.

"Maybe another time. This is kind of my stop, which means…"

"That I missed mine. Bloody hell!"

Emma laughed again as she stepped out of the train and Killian followed her. He wasn't actually frustrated though, and he couldn't regret that he'd messed up his usual commute, not when he'd had this chance to get to know Emma, to get to finally see her and talk to her, and to confirm what he already knew – that she was someone worth knowing and worth letting in.

"Well, thank you again for finding this," Emma offered as she slipped the sketch inside her portfolio and Killian assumed it was her way of putting distance between them. She was ready to say goodbye even if he never would be.

"My pleasure, Swan."

Her eyes sparkled at his use of her last name and she smiled before waving and turning away. He watched her go, wondering what a woman as intriguing as Emma might be doing for the weekend, when she turned around and offered him a final question.

"See you Monday?" Killian felt his heart skip at the prospect and the idea that Emma would be looking forward to seeing him again.

"Aye, love. I'll be here."

"Good."

With that Emma turned up the steps and headed out into the world, leaving Killian standing there with a grin on his face he didn't bother trying to conceal. The truth was he couldn't pinpoint a happier moment in the whole of his life (even if he hadn't asked her to dinner as he originally intended), and though it might feel like an eternity between now and Monday he was hopeful, knowing that in just a few days time he'd get the chance at seeing more of Emma and maybe getting to convince her that they might be more than strangers on a train.

That thought alone was enough to fill him with a boundless sort of energy, and Killian decided not to wait for another train but to walk the three blocks back to his apartment. And all the while his world was filled with Emma Swan and the belief that he'd finally found the person he'd been unknowingly searching for for years, a person who made his heart feel whole and the whole world seem new.

Post-Note: So there we have it. The scene has been set, the first words have been spoken, and I am surrounded by feels. It's becoming clear to me that I needed a new story because this early phase of sketching out where to go from here and reaching all the first milestones is fantastic. I really hope that you guys enjoyed and that you can all bear with me on this slow burn. Let me know what you think, and as always thanks so much for reading!