Title: Routine Workout

Rated: M! Smut ahead!

Summary: Emma's daily routines are a matter of habit. When she wakes up late one morning, her routines all change for the better. Killian doesn't care about routines, but he does care about Emma.

A/N: This chapter was a pain in the ass. I'll leave it as that. This is also the longest chapter, and I hope it's worth the wait.

CHAPTER 5: Routine Workout

Closing the door behind Killian, Emma has every intention of getting ready for bed and spending a hefty amount of time calming down her hormones. But then Ruby comes out of her room apologizing up a storm and following her as she gets ready to sleep, explaining that she was going to stay at Victor's but he got called in to the hospital. It's after the fifth apology that she makes a decision.

They day has called for a break in the routines she bases her life on, and she decides she's not ready to stop breaking them just yet.

By the time she leaves the apartment, Ruby has, indeed, apologized eight times. She's not lying when she sends that text to Killian. She also happens to be halfway to his place by the time she sends it. She knows how long it takes him to walk home. Even if he takes his time, he won't have gone to bed just yet.

The entire walk over, she's jittery. She could've chanced taking the Bug, but there's no guarantee that it will even start. She hasn't driven it in months. She's not sure if she's even left any gas in it, even if the distance between her place and Killian's is relatively short. The walk in the fresh air calms some of the nerves she has, though, so she's glad she didn't opt to drive.

As she's walking up the front path, she sees the light in the living room click off and she rushes up the stairs and knocks. The light clicks on again, but there's a pause between that and Killian opening the door just the tiniest bit, like he's afraid what may be on the other side. It makes her smile, even when he sounds so worried.

"Emma? Is everything all right, love?"

Whatever response she plans on saying dies in her throat when he opens the door further and he's standing there in just a loose pair of sweats. The smile starts hurting her cheeks as he ushers her inside and relocks the door. She places her presumptuous overnight bag and her work bag at her feet and ends up staring again.

"See something you like, Swan?" The cocky grin she's gotten used to over the time she's known him is back on his lips, his hands shoved into the pockets of the pants while he rocks back on his heels. The husky tone of his voice is new, though, and it sends heat between her thighs. This is brand new territory that she's ready to explore.

"Maybe," she offers back. She's proud that her voice comes out low and seductive, instead of squeaky and unsure. His chuckle is low as he pushes off the door.

"I'm glad you're appreciating the view," he says as she pulls him against her.

"Maybe isn't yes, Jones."

"It isn't a no, either," he reminds her. She bites her cheek to stop from smiling, remembering those words spoken in the harsh fluorescent lighting in her cubicle with much less sexual implication (but still some if she's being honest with herself). At least this time she's allowed to shut him up with her lips.

She feels the thrum of tension just below his skin, can feel it in the way he kisses her back with desperation. She lets instinct take over, instead of thought. She doesn't think about how tired she will be in the morning, or how this will inevitably throw off her whole day tomorrow. She thinks of him, and the way his hands are sliding under her shirt, drawing it up and over her head, his hands immediately finding her bare breasts.

She gasps at the contact, steps out of her shoes and starts edging him towards his bedroom. He shifts his attention from her lips to her neck, to the spot just behind her ear that he knows will rile her up. She pauses their route to the bedroom to push him against the wall in the hallway and while his hands on her lower back hold her close, he hesitates for a second.

"Emma, are you sure?"

She doesn't respond with words. She lets her actions answer for her. She steps back and hooks her thumbs into the light cotton pants she wore over, sliding them down her hips and letting them fall to the floor. She watches as his eyes sweep down her whole body, sees the muscles of his jaw clench as he swallows and drags his eyes back up to meet hers.

He doesn't move, and it takes everything in her power not to fidget in front of him with how intense his stare is. There's something below the surface between them, something she isn't willing to look at tonight in the quiet dark of his hallway, or even tomorrow in the light of day.

Finally, he brings his hands up. He rests them lightly on her shoulders for a moment before softly running them all the way down until the backs of his hands brush over her fingertips. He starts again at the top, this time brushing his fingers over her collarbone, sweeping down and just dusting across her breasts, each nipple, before he continues down. He places his hands gently on her hips and pulls her back to where he's still leaning against the wall.

"You're stunning, Swan," he whispers in the dark. She bites her bottom lip, running her hands all the way up his arms to rest on his shoulders. When he kisses her this time, it has more to do with tasting than rushing, so she sighs into it, into him, leaning against him. The feel of his bare chest against hers is sweet torture with the hair covering it brushing against her breasts.

She pushes at the hem of the sweatpants sitting low on his hips, stepping back to take in the full picture just as he did. Emma discovers that she could stare at naked Killian all day if she didn't have anywhere else to be. Before, jeans and his work slacks had flattered every inch of the skin they covered. Whether he was wearing a shirt and vest and tie or just a t-shirt on a day off, his chest had always been wonderful beneath her fingers. His shoulders had always been broad and firm to her touch. His biceps had always piqued her interest from under short sleeves.

But this… She's surprised her glasses aren't fogging up. All this skin and all these muscles in plain sight are something else entirely. She knows she will never look at him fully clothed and not picture him just like this, and she wonders somewhere in the back of her mind if this is where his mind had been a few minutes before when he felt the need to catalogue every inch of her skin in his memory.

They move in tandem this time, lips connecting, tasting, and nipping. He easily lifts her and she squeaks in surprise, her legs wrapping around his hips and he has to stop his route to the bed to moan at the contact. Her glasses are gone, but she's not quite sure when they got knocked off.

"Probably should've thought that one out a little," Emma says. Her voice is breathier than she'd like because he's so close to where she wants him, his cock nestled just below her center. She clenches her thighs to get him moving again, pleased at the strained response she earns.

"Fuck, Swan," he grumbles, moving swiftly again and crawling onto the bed. He settles over her as he leans her back and starts to move down her body, but she pulls him back up with a firm grasp of his hair.

"Not tonight," she says, needing to feel him inside her. "We will have plenty of time for foreplay another time, Jones."

He licks his lips while considering her words, then nods and twists to reach his nightstand drawer. Before she can get too much more impatient, he's tearing the packet open and rolling the condom on. He slides into her slowly, but she's restless. She tries to pull him closer with her legs still wrapped around him, but he resists and holds back.

"Killian," she whines, and wants to cringe at the needy tone in her voice but they've both been impressively patient this far in and it's wearing thin. He chuckles, leaning down to kiss her and sliding his tongue against hers when she opens her mouth to him. When he pulls away again, he's smiling at her, but the restraint is obvious in the lines around his eyes.

"Patience, Emma."

"I think we've shown more patience than either of us expected," she says with a level look, but then he slides home and she's gasping out his name and clutching at his shoulders. He rests his head between her breasts, hips already rocking just a bit, enough to amp them both up and she tugs him up to kiss him again. She begs him in that kiss to move, to finally move the way they both want him to, and he complies. He pulls out and pushes in a little faster, and she gasps again, breaking the kiss and relenting as his lips wander over her jaw and down her neck. He sets a pace that has her breathing harder, even more so when he nips over the top of one breast.

"Bloody hell, Emma, you feel amazing," he whispers hoarsely against the sensitive skin and it further ignites the heat that's been building since he opened the door. She lifts her hips to meet his thrusts, hands clutching at his biceps where they're braced on either side of her. She breathes out a request for more and he complies, moving one hand.

He trails a path from the center of her chest, down her abdomen, to right above where they're joined, his fingers finding and circling her clit as he speeds up. She fists the sheets with her free hand, feeling her climax rising and rising before finally breaking, her back arching off the bed, her head pushing back into his pillow and her eyes clenched shut.

She says his name on a sigh as she comes down and he bends back down to kiss her greedily, his movements getting jerkier as he reaches his own peak. She pushes her hips up as she drags her nails down his bicep and he groans, stutters to a stop as his orgasm takes over and he drops his head to her shoulder, rutting his hips into her until he comes back down.

His weight settles on top of her, pushing her further into his bed, and she feels comfortable under him. A hazy smile is plastered on her face and she runs her fingers along his scalp while she waits for his heart to stop racing. He rolls off her, pulling her to him after he's disposed of the condom and settling next to her.

They're side by side staring up at the ceiling, his arm under her head and she rolls her head to look at him. She's pretty sure the look on his face is a mirror of her own, the smile of satisfaction spreading warmth down to her toes.

"Worth the wait," she says.

"My sentiments exactly, love." He rolls to face her and nudges her so that he's spooned against her back. The sudden yawn that comes out cracks her jaw and he tsks behind her. "You need sleep," he murmurs, kissing her shoulder as she pushes back further against his chest. She thinks she responds, but sleep claims her fast and she's out soon after.

She's tired. Way too tired to be waking up yet, and it takes her a couple seconds to remember that she's not in her own bed in her apartment. She's in Killian's bed, and the reason she's tired is because of her own impatience and hormones. She wants to pull the covers over her face in embarrassment from walking over here like a horny teenager and jumping her boyfriend, but she's twenty-eight and feels it's now within her rights to do whatever she wants.

Instead, she buries her face in his pillow. The scent of his shampoo lingering there makes her want him all over again, but she rolls over to find the other side of his bed empty. She lets out an exasperated noise, sitting up and looking around the room. She squints at the clock, a fruitless endeavor when she's not wearing her glasses, but she can tell it's still early by the scant amount of light coming through the window.

She goes to throw the covers off her before she realizes she has no clothes. They're strewn through Killian's apartment and she is not fully prepared to walk out of his bedroom in her birthday suit.

Killian solves this problem for her, though. Just as she's about to wrap the sheet around her body to go find him, he quietly opens the door.

"Ah, you're awake! Good morning," he says as he walks over and sits on the edge of the bed next to her. He's holding her clothes, perfectly folded, with her glasses sitting on top. He kisses her cheek and rests one hand on her hip through the sheet. She tries to not let her lack of coffee get in the way of actually having a good morning, though, so she smiles at him and accepts her clothes.

"I made coffee," he says, as if reading her mind. "And I don't know if you eat breakfast, but I have plenty of stuff for whatever you wish." He smells like fresh shower, and when she slides her glasses on, she sees that his hair is still sticking up and damp. Even though he's back in his sweats and a t-shirt, she can feel her body responding to him being this close and she has to tamp down the urge to drag him into bed with her.

Emma starts to think he might be able to read her mind because he smiles and looks away from her, blush spreading all the way to the tips of his ears.

"I'll uh, leave you to get ready," he says and moves to stand. Before he can make it off the bed, she's hauling him forward by the front of his shirt, kissing him hungrily even though she hasn't brushed her teeth yet, and she just can't find any room to care because he's kissing her back with the same intensity, one hand tangled in her hair and the other resting on her bare back.

"You know," he says when they finally break apart, "I could get used to a greeting like that."

She laughs then, scooting closer to him to kiss his cheek. "Good morning," she says, voice a little huskier than she intends. He makes a noise in the back of his throat and does stand this time, moving a little away from the bed.

"I'm going to get out of here and let you dress, or else neither of our bosses will be happy with us today. Help yourself to the shower and anything else you need to get ready," he says, winking once before walking back out. She listens to the sounds of his movements in the kitchen echo through the apartment for just a moment more before she slips out of the bed and into her clothes.

When she walks into the bathroom, she sees her overnight bag propped on the back of the toilet and she can't help but smile. There's also a towel sitting on the counter top and she wonders just how long Killian was up before he came to wake her.

She eyes the shower longingly, but she didn't think ahead to bring everything she would need for her hair. Instead, she ties up her hair and only uses the shower long enough to scrub her body, basking in the scent of his shower gel. She belatedly realizes that she didn't pack perfume in that bag. She's thankful that she works with Belle instead of Ruby, because there's a chance that Belle won't notice the different scent clinging to her skin throughout the day.

She steps out and towels off, starts dressing in the items she thought to pack the night before. The handkerchief skirt she packed was the only one she knew wouldn't wrinkle. She slips on a camisole and a cream button up shirt over the red skirt, finishing as much of her routine as she can before repacking her essentials back in the bag. She hangs the towel on the empty hook on the back of the door and opens the door to go find Killian.

He's standing at the counter when she enters, fully dressed in his work clothes this time, hair somewhat tamed and she takes a moment to appreciate it without any kind of product holding it in place. He hands a mug over to her as soon as she's next to him before taking a moment to finger a piece of hair that's fallen free from the ponytail she hastily pulled up after her shower.

"While I'm fully aware this can't happen on work nights too often, Swan, I have to tell you how much I appreciated waking up with you in my arms," he says after she's taken a few sips of her coffee. It appears that he's already caught on to her need for caffeine before conversations.

"Yeah, exactly how long were you up before you came in to wake me?"

She watches a blush creep up on his cheeks and now she's really interested in the answer.

"When I said 'wake up' I was using that loosely. I didn't sleep much last night," he admits. She stares at him, how alert he looks.

"How… Have you just been chugging coffee all morning?"

"Small price to pay for happiness, love," he says with a wink. "We have about ten minutes before we have to start walking." He turns to rinse his mug out and place it in the sink.

It's still too early, and that's the only reason Emma can come up with for why she turns her wrist to look at her watch while she's still holding her half-full coffee mug. It isn't until the liquid is soaking through the shirt and the camisole that she makes a noise, and when he turns, his eyes go wide with concern but he's also clearly trying to not laugh.

"Can I just go back to bed?" she mumbles as he grabs a towel and hands it to her.

"No, because then I'll just go with you and our lovebird bosses will not be pleased," he responds. She looks at him with brows furrowed.

"Robin and Regina?" she asks, not really wanting to believe.

"Oh, just wait until the website launch party. She'll be there with him, I'm sure. You're coming along, correct? Emma, you need a different shirt," he says before she can even answer. She looks down and sees the dark stain on the light fabric and sighs.

"I only brought one," she grumbles out. "And of course I'm going to the premier with you," she adds, like it was even something to be debated. He grins at her and then holds up a finger.

"I may have a solution."

Two minutes later, he finishes buttoning up one of his own shirts on her. It's the black one he wore on their first date and she smiles, even as she ties the shirttails together in the front, tucking the knot under the improvised hem. The sleeves are rolled up to her elbows.

"Good call, Jones. But I can now count on at least two people recognizing this as not being my shirt." Even as she says it, she tugs him closer by his tie and kisses him. He hums briefly, taking in the sight of her in his shirt, and then kisses her once more before backing up.

"I'm quick on my feet," he replies with a cheeky grin. "We have to start walking, love." They're just barely through the door when she realizes she left her bag in the bathroom.

"Oh! My bag—"

"Leave it. I'll bring it by later," he says, nudging her out the door and locking it behind him.

As they walk the block to his corner, she walks with him, even though she passes the street to her office on their route. They cross the street hand in hand after the light changes, pausing for just one more moment to wish each other good days and send each other off with quick kisses.

It isn't until Emma has rounded the corner that she realizes how empty her hand feels without his in it. She thinks back to the towel she hung up next to his on the empty hook, their coffee cups sitting in the sink after her disaster. She wonders how it all feels so natural when it's the first time they've done any of these things. Shaking her head and speeding up a little, she makes it into an empty elevator, the doors swinging shut just as a group of men enter, clearly there for their morning workouts, and she smiles.

Belle holds her comments until their coffee break, after several hours working on getting the latest round of surveys typed up. This is the last round of input before the final changes are made to the site design, and Emma's already wondering how the dynamic of her life has changed since the project began and how it will change again when it's over. Even though she and Will still give each other hell, she's enjoying working with him on the design and she's now even happier that Belle found him. While Belle is trying to think of what to say about Emma's shirt, Emma beats her to the punch.

"It's Killian's. I stayed there last night. Dumped coffee on myself. Okay?"

"Okay," Belle says, amused smile twisting her lips up. "So that's all going fairly well, then?"

"Mmhmm," Emma hums in agreement. Belle doesn't push her for details. Ruby will, but Belle lets Emma tell her what she wants in her own time.

"He really is a sweetheart," Belle says. "Will seems to be happy that you've found each other."

"Really?" she asks, and while she's surprised, she's pleased to hear it.

"Of course," Belle responds. "I guess his last girlfriend really did a number on him."

"Yeah, speaking of, you know his ex married Gold?" The name stops Belle short, and Emma kicks herself for not at least warning Belle that this is where the conversation was heading.

"Will never told me. He knew I was seeing Gold for a while before I met him, but he's never asked. I think between me and Killian, he knows it's an off-limits topic."

"Sorry," Emma says, reaching out and squeezing Belle's hand while they queue in the coffee line. Belle smiles at her, tightening her grip before stepping up to order her coffee.

"It was a long time ago," she responds. Emma's happy to not hear the pain that used to come into her voice when she talked about the older man she dated when they were just out of college. "So, are you going to tell me anything about your sleepover?"

Emma almost drops her coffee when Belle speaks, and she's glad that at least the dark fabric will hide stains if this is how her day keeps going. She's smiling and can feel her cheeks heating, and Belle laughs at the expression on her face.

"Oh Emma, have you got it bad," her friend says laughing. She sobers, though, and Emma knows it's because of their previous conversation. "Have you told him about your past yet?" Emma just shakes her head. It's not something she discusses often if she can help it, but Belle is the one that got her out of her past situation, so she knows how hard it is for Emma to even really think about still. "Just don't wait too long. He does deserve to know."

They switch their conversation to the website launch premier, which is more an excuse to get people together and drink and pat themselves on the back than anything. Emma thinks about how, by the time of the premier, she and Killian will have been dating for a month and a half, and she knows Belle is right. She needs to tell Killian about what brought her here in the first place.

When she gets out of work that day, Killian is waiting outside for her, leaning against the building and an easy smile lighting up his eyes. They walk back to his place hand in hand, and she enjoys the look on his face while he removes the shirt he took so much care to put on her in the morning.

Emma manages, over the next two weeks, to tell Killian snippets of her past, but the whole thing won't come out no matter how hard she tries. He's patient with her about it, sensing that the story goes much deeper than she's letting on, and so he only holds her hand and listens whenever she brings it up. She brushes off the major relationships as 'bad experiences' and describes the rest as less than nothing.

The night of the premier arrives and she's still rushing to get ready when Killian knocks on the door. Ruby goes to greet him while Emma fusses with her hair and touches up her make up. She slips into the heels that she knows she'll regret, but it's a small price to pay for the look on Killian's face when she walks out of her bedroom.

"You look beautiful," Killian says as she stops in front of him. "Then again, you could wear a potato sack and I would still be the happiest and luckiest man alive."

"Flattery will get you everywhere, Jones," Emma says, kissing his cheek and taking a moment to appreciate his suit for the evening. She thinks of the overnight bag that essentially lives over at his place already, and remembers to wish Ruby a good night, telling her not to wait up with a wink. They pass Victor on the stairs, so she knows Ruby won't miss her tonight.

The site launch is held in the bookstore attached to the publishing house. They sell used books while promoting their new ones, and the place has an air of comfort on a normal day. This night, it feels like understated elegance. The center of the room has tables set up throughout, candles adorning each little table. There are longer tables off to the side that have finger foods and drinks, and a screen at the front on a stage for the unveiling of the new site.

The transformation from boring publisher's website to incorporate a literary magazine was tricky, but Emma can't wait until everyone sees the hard work that was put into it. She's been tight-lipped over the final design around Killian, so she's anticipating his reaction more than anything.

For a small publishing house, there's a surprising amount of people milling around the dressed up book store. Killian introduces Emma to those he knows, and they find Belle and Will saving them spots at their table shortly after.

They're barely settled when she feels Killian's elbow gently nudge her and he nods to a dark corner by the stage. Sure enough, Robin and Regina are tucked away, and she watches in amazement as Robin presses a kiss to Regina's cheek.

"Told you," he whispers in her ear, and she shivers at the proximity of his breath on her ear. She looks out of the corner of her eye to see the slow smile spreading across his face.

"Don't," she hisses, but can feel a smile quirking her lips up.

Thankfully, their attention is diverted to the stage when Robin hops up and grabs the microphone. He thanks everyone for being there, takes a moment to specifically thank the design team for all their hard work, and thanks Emma by name for her input on the project. She blushes as Robin tells her to stand and the audience applauds. She tips her head to Robin in appreciation before dropping hastily back in her seat.

And then the screen is coming to life and fills with the new design. Robin goes through the new parameters, using a laptop nearby to click through different portions until he clicks over to the literary section that's been built in. Here, Robin thanks Belle for her help creating the new space and she's much more graceful when he asks her to stand, bright smile on her face.

"I can't believe you managed to hide all this from me," Killian says in Emma's ear as Robin continues to click through the magazine portion. Emma turns to look at him and the plain amazement in his eyes spikes her pulse. She licks her lips quickly and grins at him, training her eyes back to the stage to quell the urge to drag him out of there before the evening is over.

Several authors that are featured on the page are brought up to read from the selections on the screen after Robin leaves it, and Emma watches Killian's face light up during the readings. It's so clear that he's pleased with the work she's meticulously hidden from him.

The jovial party breaks up by eleven and Emma's more than happy to begin the trek back to Killian's home by the end of it. As fun of an evening as it's been, she's ready for comfy clothes and getting to sleep in the next day, as much as she ever sleeps in. She pulls a pair of fold up flats out of her purse before they start walking, and Killian watches with amusement as she holds him for balance, handing him each heel as she slips the flats on for the walk back. He keeps a hold on the heels for her, holding out his free hand to take hers. He pulls her close to kiss her, a sound of happiness humming out of him as he pulls back.

"That was a lovely surprise, Swan," he comments quietly as they start walking.

"Thought you might like that. Belle spent so long helping pick through submissions. The design will change each time, so we'll get to play with you guys twice a year to put out a new magazine," she explains, and the bright smile he gives her is the icing on the cake for her. As they pass their corners, she smiles. Even for a Friday night, the streets are fairly empty and they cross easily and finish the journey to his place in silence.

When he locks the door behind them, he eases the zipper down on her dress and promises to recite dirty poetry to her, and Emma once again thanks whatever fates led to her being late just once to bring her to this point in her life.

A/N Edit: That moment, hours after you've posted a chapter, that you realize you left the part with your names in all caps in a reminder to put horizontal breaks into the doc. Ha ha ha, sorry guys. There's a week left of school and I'm obviously too far gone for anything useful.