A/N: Thank you all for such lovely reviews! I'm so pleased that you are enjoying the story!

Disclaimer: All aspects of Once Upon A Time belong to ABC and the show's creators. I hold no ownership over anything related to Harry Potter either.

CAN'T STOP BY TODAY, SORRY. GOT CALLED OUT EARLY TO THE LAB. That was the message Emma got from Killian Sunday morning. He was going to be spending the next week and a half at the university in Boston, compiling data with his supervisor. Emma had assumed that he was going back out to sea for two weeks but was relieved to find out she'd been wrong. She liked knowing he was safe on dry land.

And that was the last she'd heard of him for four days. Emma didn't think much of it. It wasn't as if they had left on bad terms. Killian was just busy. Emma didn't know what he did in that fish lab of his. Maybe he was up to his elbows in fish scales. If he was, no wonder he didn't want to touch his phone. Emma could have messaged him herself, she knew that, but she wasn't sure what to say. Memories of his hand and his kiss still bounced through her head uncomfortably, unsure how to be properly addressed.

Emma pulled into her driveway, shut off her car and got out, the darkness of the driveway lit dimly by her fading headlights. Emma started up the little stone pathway, eager to get in and changed out of her police uniform. Her comfy black leggings were calling her name after such a long shift.

Emma was a few feet from the door when she caught sight of a figure slumped down on her front step, head in his hands. The edge of the pool of car light just brushed him, allowing Emma to see who it was. Killian. His plaid work coat was pulled on over a white button up to keep out the early fall chill but he was still shaking. She glanced around, noticing a small four door car parked near the edge of her lawn. She had assumed that was a guest of one of her neighbours but now she knew it was Killian's.

Emma closed the gap between them in two strides and squatted down in front of him. She wished she could see his face, see his eyes. He was scaring her. Killian didn't even seem to notice Emma or if he did he didn't bother responding to her movements.

"Jones? What's up?" Emma asked quietly, scooting herself a little closer.

"I just needed somewhere to go." He didn't raise his head and his voice was thick. Emma's heart pounded in her chest.

"Why? I thought you were supposed to be in Boston."

"I was. So was she. She looked right through me." Killian's voice cracked, along with Emma's heart. She wanted to go arrest whoever had done this to her friend. She reached forwards and grabbed his arms, hauling him up.

"Come on, Jones, I've got some hot chocolate inside."

"I'd rather rum," he muttered, leaning against Emma.

"Not in your state," she replied, leading him inside and to her sofa. She put him down on the cushions and sat next to him. He was awfully pale. His eyes weren't red so he hadn't been crying. He seemed to be in a state of shock instead. "What happened, Jones?"

"Milah was there." His voice was hollow, his face expressionless. The shaking hadn't stopped despite the room being warm. It was as if he was freezing from the inside. Emma reached behind him and pulled down the fleece throw, securing it around his shoulders like a cape.

"Who's Milah, Jones?"

"My ex." He freed one of his arms from under the blanket and held it up. Tattooed across his skin was a heart with a dagger through it. "She saw me and pretended I wasn't there. As if we never had anything." Killian looked up at her then. "I loved her, Swan. I gave her everything and she wouldn't risk anything for me."

Emma's heart thumped at his words. He loved this Milah woman? Obviously he still had feelings for her or he wouldn't be on Emma's couch. Did this mean that Emma wasn't really worth anything romantically to him? That they really were just friends? Emma pushed the thoughts away and shifted to sit beside him. Now was not the time.

"I think you better explain this." Killian nodded and shifted so he was leaning against her. Emma moved her arm around him, holding his shoulder and keeping him tight against her. Killian needed the contact more than she needed to feel secure.

"I met Milah at university. She was a biology professor. It started of casual- a romp, you know?" Killian sighed, a long suffering sigh. "But I fell in love with her. It was the first time I was happy since Liam died, and you left." Killian turned to her, scanning her face from his position against her. Emma's heart broke a little bit more. How could she have been so selfish all those years ago?

"I'm sorry, Jones." Emma hadn't realized she'd meant so much to him. She hadn't believed his words.

"You didn't know." Killian tried to give her a smile but it was so sad and small that it was worse than tears. Emma leaned around him and adjusted the blanket so she wouldn't have to see it anymore, to stop the wetness from welling up in her own eyes. "Anyways, she cut us off because she got tenure. Said I was a risk to her future. That I was just a distraction while she finished her stint as an associate professor. It didn't matter that I was graduating in less than a year and we could be together openly then. She cut me out of her life without a second thought. I didn't see her again until today when she showed up to meet with my supervisor. He introduced me to her, not realizing we already knew each other. She didn't even address me, just asked to start the meeting and walked away. So I left."

"And came here."

"I'm sorry, Swan. I didn't know where else to go. I didn't want to be alone."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Jones. That's why I'm here. You're going to be okay, Jones." She gave his shoulders a squeeze before removing her arm. "I'm going to go get changed and make some hot chocolate for us. I'll be right back."

Emma hurried into her bedroom, mind whirling. She had been Killian's choice source of comfort when he was upset? She, Emma Swan, of all people? The one who was terrified of emotions and he had come freely to her, visibly shaken about a relationship of his past? Did he really trust her that much; believe that she would be able to offer him comfort when she didn't even know how to comfort herself in situations like these? Emma didn't understand what he saw in her?

Emma took off her uniform and pulled on black leggings and a chunky white cable knit sweater, long enough to cover her bum. She pulled her hair out of its ponytail and massaged her sore scalp as she moved back down the hall to the kitchen. All was quiet in the living room as she warmed the milk and powder mixture.

A familiar theme song rang through the house as she dug through the fridge for whip cream. Emma froze, listening to the tune. What was Killian doing? Emma abandoned her search, grabbed the whip cream-less mugs and hurried into the living room.

Killian was squatted in front of the DVD player, adjusting the volume, as the opening credits of the first Harry Potter movie started playing. Sitting beside him was a stack of the other movies in the series that he had dug off the shelf above the player. He turned to Emma when he heard her steps.

"Remember this?" he asked standing and moving closer. Emma nodded, slightly stunned. She had watched this movie with Killian and Liam ages ago. Liam had treated them both to movie tickets. It was the first time Emma had ever been to a movie theatre. Emma had liked Liam. She still hadn't really processed that he was gone. "I was thinking that we could watch them all, since we only got to see the first one before."

"Them all? Tonight?" Emma asked, incredulous. She couldn't deny that she had thought about Killian and watching the movies with him every time a new one came out. The idea of watching them all with him now seemed too good to resist, as preposterous as the proposition sounded.

Killian shrugged. "I've got time." He moved back to the sofa and beckoned Emma closer. Emma did as she was asked and settled next to him, several inches of space between their legs. Emma could feel the distance. Every millimeter of it. Instead of closing the gap she handed Killian his mug of hot chocolate.

Neither spoke while they drank their hot chocolates. They watched the first movie, then the second, the distance still between them. The tension over the space separating them dissipated somewhat as they relaxed, just pleased to be in each other's company, but neither ready to make a move to change their positions. When the third movie started to roll Emma felt her eyes growing heavier and she sunk further into the sofa. She wasn't going to make the fourth, no matter how much she wanted to. It was to the sounds of Stan Shunpike and the Night Bus that she fell asleep.

When Emma started to regain consciousness the next morning she realized she was still on the sofa, the fleece throw tucked around her legs like a cocoon and that the pillow she was using to support her head wasn't actually a pillow. It was Killian's lap.

Emma turned her head slowly towards Killian so as not to alert him to her being up while she tried not to panic. He was asleep, slumped down on the arm of the sofa, his hand resting on Emma's shoulder as if he'd been playing with her hair before succumbing to his own exhaustion. He snored lightly, a small smile playing on his lips. Emma found that a relief after the state she had found him in the night before. The relief caused her panicked feeling to ebb away.

Despite the situation Emma didn't really want to move, to end whatever was happening between them. Killian was warm, and soft and Emma felt safe. Which was perhaps the most surprising aspect of it all. She shut her eyes and drifted back to sleep.

Killian's fidgeting as he roused was what woke her up next. Emma sat up next to him, covertly trying to see how freaked out he was that they had slept together. Well, not together in the colloquial sense, but touching each other. They hadn't exactly woken up in a strictly friends way.

He gave her a little smile. "Hello, Swan." His lilting voice was rough from sleep.

"Hey," she replied a bit tentatively, waiting to see if their night had changed something between them.

"Sleep well?"

She nodded. Because she had. Emma felt as if she'd slept for four days rather than just a night. "Are you feeling better?" she asked, throwing off the warm blanket. Killian must have put it on her after she fell asleep.

"Much, thank you, lass. For everything." Emma was pretty sure everything meant more than just being a listening ear. Not that she would push for clarification. Emma stood, straightening her sweater.

"Do you want coffee?"

"Okay, sure. How about you put a pot on and I start the fourth movie?"

Emma paused on her walk to the kitchen. No. She wasn't going to let him hide here anymore. If she were to let him stay it would have been for her own selfish reasons. Killian didn't need to hide. She marched back towards him.

"Actually, no. You're not skipping work today. You're going to go back to Boston and make sure Milah knows that she doesn't matter either. Go be the best fish lab tech ever and make your boss remember why he hired you."

Killian raised a brow, slightly shocked. "Are you kicking me out, Swan?"

She shrugged. "This is for the best. If you hide then she won. But if you show up she didn't. She's just a dalliance from your past. Even if that isn't true she doesn't need to know that. Don't skip work because she might be around. Think of how long you went without seeing her before. Yesterday was a fluke. Your fish need you. So you're going to go and then come back next week and tell me all about how you rubbed Milah's face in how over her you are."

Killian gave her an amused smile. "I'm not actually working with live fish right now. It's mostly numbers."

Emma scrunched up her face. "Well then, your numbers need you."

He shook his head at Emma's insistent arguing. "And how can I deny them this handsome face?"

Emma rolled her eyes and moved towards the door to hide the blush she was sure was creeping its way up her cheeks. "Well change first, especially since you'll be late. You look like the walk of shame." Emma's eyes grew wide when she realized what she had said. Her face turned into an inferno.

Killian laughed loudly, mostly at her embarrassment. "Because no one will believe that I actually spent the night on my best friend's couch watching Harry Potter and drinking hot chocolate. Especially if they knew what you looked like."

Emma balked a bit at his words before opening the door and pointing outside. "Get out, Jones," she told him though her tone was exasperated and not angry. With another laugh Killian left, turning around and winking at her halfway to his car. Emma waved him off, feigning annoyance, and shut the door.

She went back to the living room and flopped down on the couch. It still smelled like him; lab strength antiseptic cleaner and seaweed mixed with whatever good smelling product he'd used the day before. Emma couldn't help but draw in a breath of the smell. She groaned in frustration at herself, smashing her face down onto the cushions. It was going to be a long week.