Looking After You Chapter 8: VIII: Depression and Dares, an once upon a time fanfic

(A/N: Okay, i'm not dead, calm down. xD I was just taking a vacation for the holidays, and it was very fun! Some of the stuff I saw/experienced inspired some of the things written here. I was so tired and this took like a week to write, so YOU BETTER LIKE DIS!1! Just kidding. :P It sort of had to do with a AyuShiki one-shot I wrote for a game, Corpse Party, which took a few hours out of my time. Believe me was it fun, but still... If you're interested, beware! It has some gore and blood (very unlike me, I know ;P), but that's only a very small portion of the story. I hope you don't disown me because of this.

So anyway, how did YOU spend your holidays? Whether it be outside tanning, to inside watching Netflix, to travelling halfway across the globe, have a very happy holiday O3u~!

Notes: I might not have any updates during late January, especially on Australia Day (January 26) because I might go on another holiday. Yes, before school starts, I know (Jan 29 for me ;(). Regards.)

Warnings: Minor swearing and/or errors (due to sheer laziness again). Btw, Milah's and Liam's death time frames change - she dies before he does, soz. Some FishHook (Ariel/Killian) friendship!

Disclaimer: Don't own anything you recognise. *yet*

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...

What. The Hell. Just. Happened.

Killian leaned against his front door, brushing his hand against his bruised lips in a mixture of shock, thought and - dare I say it - attraction. He knew that New Year's Eve could be, sufficiently, a very dangerous, bright, loud night to be awake. especially if he was to attend a wild friend's party. Spiked drinks, drunk dancing, people cheering, was the usual.

But his plan of just staying in the corner of the room, drinking small sips of rum and, perhaps, occasionally making small talk with strangers, was all down the drain.

Because someone made the stupid decision of pushing him against the wall and kissing him.

...

~ 2 HOURS AGO ~

Killian looked down at the small invitation in his hand. Come to Ariel's New Year's Bash! He'd already RSVP'd, and he was at (hopefully) the correct address she'd given him, along with another hundred people who were probably screaming their faces off inside the almost mansion-like home.

Ariel was a nice girl and all, but Killian never thought she'd invite someone she'd literally just met to a party. Like, what if he were a psychopathic maniac who liked to shank? Everyone would be dead because Ariel was so nice and trusting. Her nature was naturally loving and loyal, so it, and, as horrible it was to admit it, wouldn't surprise him if someone took advantage of her loyalty. It was bound to happen sometime.

Sighing tiredly, Killian made a loose fist to knock on the ivory door, but someone from the inside seemed to open it for him. Holding onto the doorframe for support, a man looked dazedly at him, smiling. Judging from that and the mere position the man was in, Killian thought it was wise to believe this muscly man was hella drunk.

"Hulllllllooo, i'm Eric~!"

...And just that sentence confirmed his suspicions.

Killian figured it was no use trying to make conversation while Eric was in this position, thus passing by him to see a startled Ariel looking at the man in embarrassment. "I can't believe i'm married to this guy."

"Me neither," He tutted mock-disapprovingly. "You could do better." Ariel seemed startled to his sudden appearance, but seemed to relax now that he was here. Did she not know anyone in the house? Killian voiced his thoughts.

The redhead sighed exasperatedly. "No, not really. This is really my husband's party, not mine, and all the people here are just drunken douchebags who just vomit and pass out. I invited some of my friends, but it seems they haven't shown yet." He really felt sorry for this girl.

"Why don't you ever stand up for yourself, Ariel?"

"Because I love him!"

Killian rolled his eyes. "That's not even a proper answer. I love my laptop, so what?"

"You don't get it!" She exclaimed angrily. "Because you don't love anyone like that. You're a loner, and you don't even try to make any friends since your brother died! Didn't you say you moved on?"

Killian growled at the mention of Liam. "Don't bring my brother into this."

"Ha, so you haven't? Thought so. Why did you even bother coming to this party anyway? Out of pity for me? My weaknesses?"

"Don't tell yourself that, Ariel, you know it's not true." Killian grabbed her arm, forcing her to look into his deep cerulean eyes to search for any piece of dishonesty. "You're one of the only friends I've ever had. But I don't believe in love because it doesn't exist," He seemed to look at her pleadingly, as if to help her try to understand. "A girl broke my heart without even knowing it! Because you know what? I haven't even met her yet and I know we can't be together because it's inevitable that I'm... I'm loveless."

He yelled sharply at Ariel with a look in his eyes, "Do you know the pain I go through everyday of being without someone I love when I wake to up to no-one? Come home to no-one? My brother was the last love in my life to die, after Milah, my love. Killed. Torn apart from me, and it seems I can never have a happy ending. But you don't know that, do you? You're happily married."

Ariel wrenched her hand out of his grasp furiously, tears streaming, cascading like waterfalls down her cheeks. "How DARE you? You think I don't? I sacrificed a good life with my father to be with the man I love. You believe that decision hadn't caused me to cry and regret what I had done? He died the day after I left for my new life. And for what?" Her legs gave way, and she fell to the floor, hands on the ground to keep her upright. She shook her head, sobbing. "To get me my engagement ring from the Southern Isles."

"I-I'm sorry, Ariel." Killian reached down to her apologetically.

"You're sorry." She spoke softly. Her hazel eyes looked spitefully up at him, standing up to regain her strength. "You're SORRY?!"

"YOU ARE A COWARD!" Ariel had roared.

The slap left a bright red mark on his left cheek, wet from the tears. Killian didn't make a sound as she did it. He earned it.

Ariel looked at him bitterly, anger and so much regret filling her heart with pain and sorrow. "How can I trust a man who doesn't believe in love?"

"I still do." He said brokenly. He'd been keeping it in for so long, denying it, but...

"Then swear to me on it," Ariel replied intensely. Without any emotion she spoke with an unwilling, distrustful voice that didn't belong to her.

"This woman, that broke your heart, do you still love her?"

Killian looked down to the floor, watching a stray tear fall like a drop of rain. "Yes."

Critically she stared at him. "Then swear to me on her name."

"I swear on Emma Swan."

Ariel nor Killian had to say a word.

Ariel made a small sob, while Killian opened his arms for embrace.

She hugged him with the force of a bull, both silent, dwelling in their shared sadness, and yet they couldn't remember any time they had a better friend, a better connection. Their friendship was eternity.

And it was all because they were both misunderstood.

...

The usual party games were played, Emma discovered. She hadn't really expected these people to still bring back their childhood party games into their adulthood, really.

Some were decent, like the usual Never Have I Ever, 7 Minutes in Heaven or the other drinking games, but there was one in particular that her friends made absolutely hardcore. They'd been playing in year after year, game after game, and yet there was still to be a champion. Well, at least that was what she'd heard from Elsa. She'd never really gotten involved, since her work really kept her busy, and, in general, those games didn't thoroughly interest her like other did.

She also didn't like going to parties all that often, but that was out of the question...

Mary Margeret was lucky enough to have even dragged her to the place. And now here she was, laughing, drunk, and possibly crazy in the house's basement (damn, these people were rich!), but sober enough that she could understand what people were saying. At least Emma got to have a few decent conversations with the hosts and guests before everything went to hell. Ariel seemed happily sober tonight, albeit her eyelids a bit puffy, eyes slightly red. Had she been crying?

The redhead told of her new friend and their shared interests, while Emma politely listened in. When she was finally done talking, she was pulled to get a drink and play a few rounds of Never Have I Ever.

Luckily, Emma knew how to hold her liquor (and pretty much not get drunk too fast), while most had frequent visits to the bathroom. She made a faint drunken smirk.

Oh, and the hardcore game I spoke of earlier? Well, the game was just starting now, you're just in time!

Ruby excitedly explained the rules, interestingly chipper. "To you one timers, this game can be hell or the literal best thing ever, if the odds will be ever in your favour."

"What's with the Hunger Games reference?" Mary Margeret whispered loudly, smirking obnoxiously, earning a few high fives though it wasn't even that entertaining saying things that didn't even make any sense. The drunk MM was of a different person - loud, inappropriate, clumsy, basically everything she wasn't sober! Emma took out her phone and videoed her drunken friend. She'd never believe her without seeing it.

But her red-streaked friend smiled indifferently. "Whatever, meanie." She stook out her tongue childishly at MM.

"Anyhow, the rules. No over-the-top dares, nor making the truths weak or boring. Drink six shots of Leroy's foot whisky if you're a pussy to not do a truth or dare, and the next round everyone elsegets to take a truth or dare from you, which is limitless, hence the hardcore measures apply." Taking a look over her shoulder to see Elsa whispering to a passed out Anna, Ruby slapped a stupid serious look on her face.

"And no stripping or messing-up-the house dares." She said it as if the duo had something to do with some sort of calamity with that, while some in the group whinged and booed. "Let the games begin!"

"And another reference! Typical by now." Mary Margeret rolled her eyes. David, beside her and a hell lot more sober than she was, lightly slapped her hand. "Ow!"

Ruby literally hissed at her, though it wasn't very intimidating since it sounded very whiny and childlike. She pouted. "Shaddup! I make the rules here. And I say that we make the Hunger Games ideality!"

"Riiiiiiight. Let's just start the game. Who's going first, 'cause I ain't!"

There were around twelve people in the group in total - herself, Graham, Elsa, Mary Margeret, David, Ariel, Ruby and a few strangers Emma'd seen around the place, but never make any attempt to make any conversation. She didn't count Anna - she was really out of it.

David made the brave, stupid mistake to go first. "I will."

And pretty much everything went downhill from there.

And yes, he did twerk on Whale.

...

After an assortment of people learning of her Hugh Jackman shrine, doing a swirly regrettably to poor Mary Margeret, punching a random dude in the nuts and a bunch of other crazy shit, it was finally eleven forty-five, fifteen minutes to the next year, Emma noticed.

They'd had already twenty-nine rounds of truth or dare, and honestly there were only eight people in the group, due to extreme dares and apparent needs to go somewhere else, but still remaining were her friends, and, luckily, Anna was now conscious! Intermittently vomiting, but conscious!

The last dare was taken by Graham, given by David, to lick the strange, yellow-green stain on the wall, while the last truth asked was given to Ruby, letting know everyone in the group that she liked Whale, facial expressions in a mortified look. She'd been that way ever since David twe- ...oh.

Both were still in recovery.

And now it was her turn. What could these idiots have in store for her to say or do?! She could already tell that this wasn't going to be good. They were ruthless after those many rounds, and god knows how many ideas they could have in mind. Even more so after she made them do something stupid.

"Truth!"

Elsa huffed in irritation. "You've said that ever since you walked in on those two g-"

"Shut up." Emma shuddered, glaring into her friend's icy blue eyes. "That scarred me for life, Elsa! Like you and Hans'-"

"Shut up and I swear I won't talk about that ever again. Deal?"

"Deal."

"But you still have to do a dare~!"

"God dammit."

Well, Ariel was the one to give her either a truth or dare. She was know for her gentle and supportive nature, so she couldn't possibly do something horrible to her-

"I dare you to make out with a guy~!" Ariel whispered in her ear mischievously.

She yelled indignantly. "W-What?!" Her blush was apparent through the faint light of the basement.

The redhead returned to her position away from her friend's ear smirking ear-to-ear. She turned her nose up in the air matter-of-factly. "You heard me. I don't need to repeat it, do I?"

Emma's breathing quickened, shaking her head with an uneasy smile on her face. Her hands waved haphazardly in front of her pleadingly. "Okay, no no no no no, mother of God no!" The blonde looked at her friends with a panicked expressionon her face. She even tried to convince her of other dare ideas. "Hey, I could give Blanchard another swirly! Want to hear more of my collection of Hugh Jackman merchandise?"

Mary Margeret huffed indignantly from her spot of the floor. Ariel knew she'd stuck a nerve. Smirking impishly, she shook her head. Then her eyes widened, a great idea coming to mind. "Oh, AND you HAVE to kiss him for the New Years Kiss thing!"

"Ooooooh~!" The rest of the group made a noise, caving Emma in.

"B-But-"

"Nope!" Ruby yelled from out of nowhere. She seemed to have recovered quickly. "Noooooope! You're doing this whether you like it or not! There's nothing to be afraid of, is there? It's eleven fifty-eight, you're lonely and we don't want you to die alone and we'll love you for doing it... DO IT!"

From those words, the rest of the group cheered. "DO IT! DO IT! DO IT! DO IT!" From behind her, Ariel, still smirking, handed her a half-empty bottle of vodka.

"You might need this." Nodding intently, she gulped the rest of the bottle down. Ariel pointed to a man in the corner of the room, drinking and laughing with another guy, leaning against the wall. His facial features were blocked out from the darkness around him. He was somewhat muscular and seemed to be a fraction taller than her. Her head and her cheeks suddenly felt really... hot. Suddenly, smiling for no reason was fun for some reason. Ariel appeared to be saying something, but she seemed so distracted... she felt a sense of... what was that? Deja vu?

Emma began to approach the man... fast. Running, even.

"Five!" Some screams from outside were heard. Was she going to make it?

"Four!" Emma really didn't want to get a massive hangover and more embarrassment if she didn't succeed... After all, she had a time frame...

"Three!" She closed her eyes, ready for the impact, uncaring as to who he was or what he looked like. But was she going to really kiss a guy she didn't know? Was it really that worth it?!

"Two!"...But then she decided...

"...Fuck it."

"Oneeeeeeee! HAPPY NEW YEAR!"

She did it. She actually did it.

Emma pushed the man against the wall, smushing her lips into his, pinning his hands against the wall firmly. The kiss lasted for only about three seconds, but, God, did it felt like a year. Her lips tingled as she pulled away, both parties breathing hard. Expecting the mystery man to talk, she apologized bashfully, eyes shut in embarrassment.

"I-I'm sorry, it was a stupid da-"

But before finishing her sentence, Emma was suddenly interrupted by lips being on hers once again, hands strong around her waist and lower back, pulling her back to him. She made a moaning noise from her mouth, the kiss so rough and sudden. It was so... addicting, so intoxicating... and she knew it wasn't all about the alcohol...

Emma's mind kept telling her no, to stop, this was wrong, but how? Her body fit his so perfectly, every desire seemingly filled. And hell, she just couldn't. Her body was taking control and she liked it. Willingly his teeth brushed her lip, Emma gasping for air and MORE. Her hands had somehow winded up on the man's strong, broad shoulders. Emma's nose made contact with his softly.

Smiling, she began to say something. But what would she say. Hi, thank you for accepting my surprise kiss? Hey, we smooched, let's do it again! I love our lip compatibility! Then she finally remembered stupidly... he was a stranger. He probably just kissed her back out of the heat of the moment, right? His body was unfamiliar, so he had to be someone she didn't know! And maybe he was going to sue her for sexual harassment, too!

The blonde was suddenly embarrassed again. Stupid, stupid, STUPID! How could she let this get to her?!

"One time thing," Emma muttered under her breath, let go of the man and broke free of his embrace, and ran.

(A/N: So how was that? ;D Good enough for you? If you'd like, you can review (to give me more courage and reason), fav (if you haven't already), or follow to see more updates! Happy New Year! 2015's a year of starts, I can just feel it!

Love from me to you via internet~! And look forward to the next chapter of...

~ Looking After You ~