A/N: im so sorry about chapter 2. i uploaded it a few days after i published the first chapter and then i didnt like how short it was so i deleted it. and then took way too long to finally publish it. well hopefully i dont take that long again but no promises. please leave some reviews (: i am completely improvising as i write so i love suggestions!

As the weeks went by, the two subjects to heartbreak had grown close. In the very beginning, they were both rightfully depressed at the loss of their lovers, but quickly realized how much happier they could be. Their friendship started with small visits to each other's homes, neither of them wanting to leave when they did. Emma always had to leave to make sure her son, Henry, got to bed every night. However, on numerous occasions, Killian found himself asleep on Emma's sofa because he didn't want to leave. Every Friday, Killian would pick up Henry from school so Emma could finish up her paperwork from that week's bails. Then she would come home with pizza and the trio would watch whatever movie the boy wanted. As time went on, it became an unspoken tradition. Killian did all the fatherly things with Henry that Neal hadn't done: helped with homework, took him to the park, took him fishing, he even taught him to ride a bicycle. Needless to say, henry adored Killian.

"Hey Killian?" Emma pulled two mugs out from the cabinet next to the stove in her small loft and filled them with the steaming water from the screaming kettle on her stove. Wednesday morning tea became yet another tradition. Every Wednesday after Henry went to school, they'd sit down, have tea, and just talk. They never ran out of things to talk about. The conversations never got deep. Both their walls were too high to be broken so easily. They'd talk about pointless little things. Henry's crush on Grace, the headline story of the day's newspaper, her brother's and best friend's upcoming wedding, etc…

"Hmm?" he replied without looking up from the newspaper in his hand.

"Well, I've been thinking.. Gods this is going to sound crazy but um.." she stammered nervously. This caught his attention and he looked up from his paper, eyes filled with concern. "Well it's just, you're here all the time. And you're always helping out with henry, and you've already got a bunch of your stuff here anyways and with Mary Margret moving out to live with David, well I was just-"

Killian chuckled, "Emma lass you're rambling and you're not making much of any sense."

Her cheeks grew deep red in embarrassment. "Well I was just wondering if you wanted to move in. Mary Margaret is moving out so you can have her spare room. And you're here all the time anyways. I mean, aren't you lonely in that house all by yourself? Doesn't it hurt after…?"

This definitely caught him by surprise. She had a point. He practically lived there already. And his house seemed far too big and empty since Milah left. "oh, um… yeah. That's not a bad idea at all actually. Yes I think I'd like that." A grin spread across Emma's face. Gods she is beautiful with that mesmerizing little smile she rarely gives. I cannot wait to be able to see that beauty every day

Woah what? Well… I can call my best friend beautiful. Right?

While lost in thought, he hadn't realized Emma had asked a question. "I'm sorry darling I wasn't paying attention. Could you repeat that?" he flashed a cheeky smile and put on his innocent face, knowing she would roll her eyes and sigh with exasperation. She did.

"You're impossible" but she couldn't stay serious for long. She never could with him. She reluctantly let out another one of her smiles and smacked his arm. "I was just saying that I'm spending all of Saturday helping Mary Margaret move out. So you can't move in until after Saturday. And if you'd like to help?" she gave him the little 'nudge-nudge-wink-wink' and gave him puppy-dog eyes.

"Oh I suppose I've got nothing better to do. But if I manage to scrounge up a hot date I'm ditching you." Not bloody likely.

"so I'm not pretty enough for Mr. Killian Jones?"

"are you offering? We've got plenty of time to kill" he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. The home phone started ringing as Emma was pulling the sugar and tea out of the cupboard.

"There's ol' Captain Innuendo. I wondered when he'd make an appearance. Could you get that for me?" she nodded her head towards the phone.

"As you wish" he walked to the phone, but not without bowing dramatically before her. he picked the phone off its receiver and held it up to his ear, "Hello... She's a bit preoccupied… yes this is he… oh my…. Yes we'll be right there Mary Margaret….goodbye." his face grew pale and he hung up the phone. "sounds like Henry got into some trouble at school. Come on lass I'll drive you over."

Emma released an exasperated sigh. "Again? Ugh come on kid."

"You're lucky this suspension is only a few days kid." She wrapped her arms around henry's shoulders as they walked out of Ms. Blanchard's office. "what has gotten into you lately?" when he didn't answer, Emma pulled him to stop and dropped down to his eye level. "Henry I'm really worried about you. This is the fourth time you've been in trouble in the past two months. What's wrong?"

"Daddy hit when he got angry." He squeaked out with his seven year old voice. Her anger completely dissipated. She wrapped him in a hug and buried her face in his ruffled hair to hide the tears threatening to surface. She tried so hard not to let Henry see Neal when he got violent. She would send him to bed early or have Mary Margaret take him somewhere. She tried so hard, but she can only hide so much.

"Baby, daddy did a lot of things that people shouldn't do. Daddy shouldn't hit people when he got mad. Don't do the things daddy did. If you want someone to look up to, look up to Killian. Do what Killian does. He's a good man. He doesn't hit and he doesn't yell. Listen to Killian okay Henry?" he looked up at her, tears brimming those green eyes he got from Emma. He nodded and buried himself back in Emma's arms. She scooped him up and stood up to walk out to the car.

"Would you like me to carry him, lass?" Killian's voice appeared behind her. She turned to face him and saw a small smile on his mouth and in his eyes.

"How long were you there? How much did you hear?" she slowly slid her son into his arms and her face was deep red with embarrassment for the second time that day.

"enough." They walked the rest of the way to the car in silence. "when would you like to tell the lad what we discussed earlier?" Killian broke the silence once they reached the car.

"you guys are getting married?" Henry piped up with obvious hope in his voice.

"what?! No no we are definitely NOT getting married" Emma answered at the same time as Killian guffawed and said "no sorry lad. Not yet." He winked at the kid and they all slid into the car.

"what do you mean yet? We aren't even dating! We're barely getting over Neal and Milah!" Emma was taken aback by Killian's answer.

"Relax Swan. I was only jesting. So now that we've answered his question, are you going to answer mine?"

"oh yeah. Um I guess we can tell him now." She turned in the passenger seat to face the boy behind the driver's seat while Killian began driving them to their apartment. "Since Mary Marg- Ms. Blanchard is moving out, I invited Killian to come live with us. He'll be living in her old room. She'll be moving out on Saturday so I guess he'll be moving in sometime after that."

"awesome! I love when Killian stays overnight! Now he'll be over every night!" Emma was ecstatic that henry was happy about the new arrangement.

"why do you love it so much when he stays? You're in bed for all of it anyway." Emma asked him.

"Because you only make pancakes when he stays"

"aww you make pancakes especially for me? I'm touched Emma" Killian teased. If he wasn't currently driving she would've socked him in the shoulder.

"shut it Jones. Speaking of pancakes, how does Granny's sound?" she knew neither of the boys would ever turn down granny's pancakes. As expected, everyone was in agreement and Killian changed course to head towards the diner.

"so does this mean I'm not in trouble?" Henry questioned.

"do you promise to do what Killian does, and not dad?" her son nodded. "then you're not in trouble."

They all began walking into the little diner but just before they reached the door, Killian grabbed Emma's arm and pulled her aside. "I really appreciate what you said to Henry. That meant a lot." Emma shrugged her shoulders like it was nothing. This kind of gratitude made her uncomfortable, as if she'd done something noble like save him from a dragon or something equally ridiculous. "no Emma I'm serious. I do care about the lad immensely. I am honored that you'd wish for me to be role model for him."

"I want him to have someone as level-headed as yourself to look up to; someone completely unlike his drunk father. There is not one else I'd rather have be that for my son." She gave him a half smile and walked into the nearly empty diner and sat down in the booth with Henry.