Pairings: Emma/August, Archie/Ruby

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I own nothing related to Once Upon a Time.

A/N: Part two, of sorts, at the bar. I'm pretty sure the next chapter will be the last. Thanks again for all the wonderful reviews! And thanks to my wife for putting up with my craziness and inability to commit to plot points :D

The music thudded in Emma's chest. It had been too long since she'd let herself go like this and it was completely liberating. She could still feel August's body heat on her back, and grinned knowing she hadn't completely ruined him. Yet.

Reaching back, she grabbed his hands and pulled them up above her head as she moved to the music. After releasing them, his fingers trailed lightly down her arms, then the sides of her body, eventually coming to rest on her hips. She brought one hand down to grip his thigh, and the other reached for his head to tug the side of his face against hers, his stubble brushing roughly against her cheek. Emma reveled in the transfer of power between them; he was slowly coming undone, one seductive move at a time.

She hardly noticed when his hands shifted up ever so slightly, just so the tips of his fingers barely made contact with her flesh under the hem of her tank top. Moving slowly, his lips cascaded across her cheek, then down her neck and shoulder, sending bolts of electricity rippling down her spine as she threaded her fingers back into his hair. Her eyes close involuntarily and a moan escaped her throat, not quite loud enough to be audible, but with August pressed so intimately at her back, she was certain he would feel the reverberations flow into his chest.

The music faded out and before the next song began to play, Emma loosened her grip and spun to face him. She grabbed his hands to draw them around her back, then slid her own slowly up his chest before locking her fingers around the back of his neck. A slow song began to play and they swayed steadily.

"How'd you know what kind of song would play next?"

"Because I helped Ashley pick them out." She found herself unable to tear her eyes away from his and heat quickly rushed to her face. She wracked her brain to find a way to break the tension. "So, if this were a real life scenario, what would your next move be?"

He looked away from her playfully. "Oh… probably something like this…"

Hands skimmed down her backside and he grinned cheekily, ready for the repercussions. In any other situation, Emma would have surely slapped him, but being in the dark, crowded bar, she allowed him to cup her ass and pull her snug against him. His lips were suddenly at her throat again, not quite in a kiss, but serving their purpose of causing her to nearly go slack in his arms.

The slow song ended and Emma snapped back into the moment, steeling herself internally, determined to regain control. The first chords of a new song ripped through the air, and Emma slipped from his grasp by dropping to the floor, then snaked slowly back up against his body, letting her hands wander and grope him along the way.

August growled and pulled her ear to his mouth as soon as she was level. "What do you say we get out of here?" He asked, his voice thick with lust.

Emma wondered for a moment if she'd let things go too far. But no, she had to remind herself it was just a game. A game that left her feeling completely thrilled, and if she didn't get out of there immediately, she would let things go too far.

Sucking in a breath, she placed a hand on his chest between them and pushed back gently, feeling his grip on her loosen as she pulled away.

"That was good. You really had me going there." She smiled, patted him on the chest, and separated herself fully. "I really should get back to my friends, though."

She turned and strolled back to the table, reaching for her drink before looking up at Mary Margaret and Ashley, who stared at her with their mouths agape.

"What?"

The women exchanged a look before Mary Margaret spoke up. "What was that?"

"What do you mean?" Emma furrowed her eyebrows and tilted her head to the side. "I was dancing with August."

"Yeah, but it looked like you two needed to get a room," Ashley laughed as she sipped her cocktail.

"What? No," she retorted with the shake of her head. "I made a bet with him that his moves wouldn't work on me. And clearly they didn't."

"For your information, Emma, friends typically don't let their friends grab their ass like that." Ashley stumbled slightly and caught herself on the edge of the table.

"Sorry, Emma, but Ashley's right. Even though she can barely stand right now." She took Ashley by the arm and guided her toward a stool. "Why don't you sit down, honey?"

"Look, it's not a big deal."

"Okay, you didn't see the way he watched you as you walked away, Emma. Trust me. I might not be able to gauge my own relationships, but I can assure you, a bet wasn't the only think he was trying to win."

Emma rolled her eyes and turned to look for him across the room. "You guys have clearly had too much to drink, August and I are just…" She spotted him at his table and was taken aback to find his eyes fixed on her. He tilted his head back and then down, biting his lip as his gaze bored through her.

"…Friends." She was suddenly unsure of who she'd been trying to convince, herself or Mary Margaret and Ashley, and fire burned in her gut as she stared bewilderedly.

The bar waitress appeared before her, breaking her trance, and placed a single shot glass full of something brown on the table. "Courtesy of—"

"I know who it's from, thanks," Emma cut in, dismissing her curtly with the wave of a hand.

Responding to her dazed expression, August nodded toward the bar. Her eyes searched the crowd until they fell on Archie leaning over Ruby, eyes creased from smiling. She appeared to be writing something on the bar and then slid him the paper. She looked back to August, who mouthed 'I told you so' and smiled smugly, raising an identical glass up in a mock toast. Emma raised hers in return and the two drank simultaneously.

"I'm going to the ladies room."

After stalking down the gloomy corridor into the cramped, dingy space, Emma leaned over the sink and took a deep breath, trying to clear all of the voices echoing in her brain. Between being the Sheriff, Regina breathing down her neck, and learning how to be a mother to Henry, things were complicated enough without bringing August into the equation. She couldn't deny her attraction to him, but decided that she valued their unconditional friendship more.

Turning on the faucet with a sigh, she washed her hands and dried them, then pulled the door open into the hall.

"Emma."

She looked up to find August leaning against the wall, his arms folded casually.

"Congratulations. You win. Now what do you want?"

August furrowed his eyebrows and pushed away to approach her. "Isn't it obvious?"

Emma sighed and rubbed her forehead. "I'm not playing anymore, August!"

"Neither am I."

Before she had a chance to object, he'd backed her up against the opposite wall with his hands on either side of her head. For a moment, Emma was convinced he would lean down to take that kiss she'd denied him on the dance floor, and she fought the longing for him to just do it already.

But then he was gone and quickly as he'd invaded her personal space and she watched him bewilderedly as he sauntered down the hall, disappearing into the crowd. She took a moment to catch her breath and then hurried back to the table.

"Can we leave now? Where's Ruby?"

As if on cue, she bounded happy towards them.

"So what happened?" Ashley slurred excitedly.

Ruby beamed at the group. "He's taking me out for a real date tomorrow. Away from work, away from all of this." She motioned with her hands to the room in general.

"Well, how about we get back to the apartment and then we can talk all about it." Mary Margaret gave a concerned glance to Emma and began ushering the girls toward the door, taking special care to keep Ashley upright.

Emma's eyes fell on August as they made their way through the crowd. He was pulling his jacket on, unaware that she was watching him. Nearing the door, she caught his eye. He grinned widely causing heat to flare in her cheeks, but she pressed on, making her way up the narrow steps and into the cool night air.