A/N: So here it is – the ask out and the eventual first date. It was a very interesting thing to consider what these moments might look like. Obviously the ask out should be light hearted and fun and hold true to Captain Swan style banter, but I'm developing this AU as both Emma and Killian being people who have things beneath the surface – problems, fears, baggage, whatever you want to call it, they are imperfect characters who are perfect for each other. That is the thematic tie of 'In Your Light,' and so finding a first date that could capture that for me was difficult. In the end, I opted for copious amounts of fluff. I hope you like it, and I appreciate all of you for reading and continuing to support!

The war between Emma's old habits and the new tensions that Killian's presence brought out in her continued on a few days later as she exited her front door and stepped into the beautiful Storybrooke morning. On a last minute commission, Emma had been brought to Boston for a wedding shoot. An old client from one of the foundations she'd helped before called in a favor and spent a pretty penny on her services. She rarely photographed weddings other than those of family or friends, but she couldn't turn down the opportunity.

In the end, the excursion brought her more potential contacts, and a lovely few nights spent at the Plaza in Boston, but where a gig like that might have been the end all be all for her a few weeks ago, now it felt slightly inconvenient. She'd had a plan to ask Killian out the morning after their kiss, but the call about the job came just as she'd been waking up, putting that initiative on hold. Now though, her time was her own once more. The pictures she planned to take in the Storybrooke State Forest today would be better in the early afternoon anyways. For now, she had a certain handsome gentleman to totally throw off balance.

"Someone looks mighty happy this morning." Granny's acknowledgement as Emma walked into the diner to grab her regular cocoa and Danish couldn't be denied. Emma was excited, for though she felt nervous, she looked forward to the prospect of asking Killian out. Something about the way he carried himself told Emma he favored control and for things to happen his way, but she also knew he wouldn't deny her this. "That have anything to do with the British Captain whose making himself at home here?" Emma blushed a bit, which was completely unlike her.

"Is this going to be a new custom? I have to answer questions about my love life for service?" Granny laughed heartily and patted Emma's hand as she handed her the change from the transaction.

"That's confirmation enough for me, but the rest of the town will be another story." Emma nearly groaned, but bit her lip instead. "We're all just happy for you, honey. You deserve love like your sisters, but for you, it'll be different. Not stronger, per se, but healing and filled with trust. That's all I've ever wanted for you, and I think Killian might be just the man to give that to you."

"How do you know so much about him?" Emma asked, completely not caring that she was confirming how much she liked Killian by doing so. Granny told her about meeting him on the bus, and how he'd been coming in every day since his arriving here. Emma wanted more than anything to ask about that, like what he ordered, and who in town he spoke with, but instead of pseudo-stalking him through Granny, Emma decided to get some of those answers on her own.

The route from Granny's to David (and now Killian's) boat shop took no more than ten minutes to walk, and almost directly in the middle of her path was the house Killian was buying. While away, Emma heard from Elsa that the sale was going through, and as she approached the picturesque old Victorian, Emma couldn't help but stop to look up at it, admiring it for all its beauty.

Built in the late 1800s, the house held all the charm and appeal of big New England homes. It had three floors, an attic and presumably a basement, translating into more than enough space for a big family. The style was elegant, and the owners through the years remained meticulous in its upkeep. Emma's hands came to hold the wrought iron gate just in front of the stone path that led to the big oak front door, and she acknowledged the integrity of the metal more than a century after its installation. So many people dreamed of white picket fences, but the intricate swirls and gleaming black material made for a more romantic style in Emma's opinion.

With a big wrap around porch, and crisp white paint that lacked any signs of wear and tear, the house looked ready for a spread in one of those Home and Style magazines, but still held authenticity that new homes didn't seem to have. Trellises lay on the side of some portions, and up their wooden lengths grew ivy vines. The green of their leaves, coupled with the rows of flowers and big trees all around the lawn of the house made for a gorgeous landscape that almost sealed off this place from the rest of the world. Emma could imagine what it would have been like to grow up here, and she knew that any child raised in a home like this would feel lucky. The land itself felt like it harbored magic, and regardless of season, Emma knew the house would feel warm and animated and inviting. These were all the things she looked for in a dream home because they were all the things she'd never known.

A sign stood in the middle of the lawn, bearing Ruby and Graham's real estate logo and the big bold white lettering that read 'SOLD.' To know that Killian owned this house made Emma happy. Even if her instincts were wrong, and the connection between them never amounted to more than friendship, she liked to think someone worthy would live here. Killian deserved to know what real peace felt like after everything he'd been through, and this house was the incarnation of peaceful Maine living.

"You know, I could pretend to be surprised at finding you here, but my acting skills just aren't up to snuff." Ruby's voice sounded from just beside Emma, causing her to jump. Her friend's unexpected presence startled her, but as the joke's meaning came through to Emma she rolled her eyes.

"I didn't do it on purpose." Okay, maybe she had.

"What, it just happened to fall in your path? Actually, maybe that's not the craziest thing you've said recently, since its owner has kind of done the same thing." Emma couldn't help the smile that came to her face at the mention of Killian and his sudden appearance in her life. "Speaking of Killian, have you tapped that yet?"

"Ruby!" Emma looked around relieved to find there was no one else on the street as her friend laughed.

"Oh come on, Emma. It's not like you've never thought about it or anything." No, it wasn't like that at all. Emma had thought plenty about getting Killian naked and having her way with him. She just didn't need everyone in town knowing that her mind was constantly in the gutter when it came to him.

"We haven't even gone out on a date yet." Ruby scoffed, as if that meant nothing to Emma's ability to sleep with him.

"So go ask him."

"I was trying to but then you came along." Ruby put a hand to her hip.

"Honey you were stalling, day dreaming about what life could be like instead of going out and living. Now, go get that man locked up so you can live in this gorgeous house and fill it with love and babies and all those good things." Emma laughed lightly at the striking differences between Ruby and her grandmother. They both believed Killian was the answer to Emma's problems in love, but they testified their beliefs in strikingly different fashion.

"Now who's dreaming?" Ruby flipped her hair over her shoulder.

"I never said I wasn't. We've all got our little wish lists to see you happy, but while everyone else is all about patience and waiting for the right moments, I'm about going for what you want. You know me, Emma, and I think underneath all those walls you're more like me in that way than Anna and Elsa." Ruby made a good point. Emma's feelings pushed her to want more with Killian even if it felt fast, but her sisters, though now happily with two men that loved them, moved far slower. Hell, Elsa was still only engaged instead of married, and Liam would have made her Mrs. Jones week one.

"Okay I'm going, I'm going." Emma took her leave of her blunt though well-meaning friend and just a few short minutes later, arrived at the warehouse. Her pulse kicked up at the impending moment between her and Killian as she walked inside.

"Emma, what a lovely surprise!" David moved from the office to greet her, and Emma smiled at him, about to ask if Killian was in, only to stop short in her tracks.

There, across the space was a grease covered Killian in a plain white shirt and jeans. He looked sweaty and manly and like something out of a very, very dirty fantasy. Emma licked her lips, taking everything in about him, but the intensity reached its peak when Killian looked up and saw her standing there. His whole face lit up with a smile and soon one of her own appeared too as he stood up, walking towards her, as he came to stand beside her, David made his excuses and ducked back into the office.

"Emma, love, I didn't realize you were back." He wiped his hands off with a spare towel and noticed her eyes wandering over him. He scratched behind his ear and blushed a bit whish only pulled her further under his spell. "Pardon my appearance love, I'm trying to replace a leaking engine from a client's Granger 6 and it's messy work."

"Actually, I kind of like it." His eyes got wider, and she watched the cerulean blue of his irises go dark as he moved slightly closer to her.

"Is that so, love?" Emma nodded, but knew she needed to get the control back. He was so good at turning the tables of desire on her, and she wanted to watch him flustered for once.

"Yeah, so much so that I think we should go out tonight." There it was, his mouth fell open and though it only lasted a moment, he was shocked. She'd been successful.

"Isn't it I who should be asking you out, Swan?"

"You had your chance the other night, but you didn't take it." Killian grinned, and Emma felt her heart pounding in her chest.

"A grave mistake on my part. To answer your question, yes, Emma, I'd love to go out with you. But I must insist you let me plan the evening." Emma really liked that idea, but put up just a smidge of resistance because she loved their banter back and forth.

"I know how to plan a date." Killian's hand came to her waist, and she didn't care if there was grease on it. She'd happily trade a stain for the warmth of his touch.

"I've no doubt that is true, and I dare say you can plan one in the future. But despite what you believe, I did intend to ask you out. You've just sped up my time table a little bit." Emma shivered in anticipation.

"So you're saying you already have a plan, Captain?"

"I do, and its only object is to see you happy." Emma couldn't resist him when he said things like this, and she definitely wanted to see what Killian had in mind for their first date.

"Pick me up at six?" She asked him and he nodded. From there, Emma decided to take one final risk, and reached into his front pocket, pulling out his phone. His grip on her waist tightened and she smirked at him, typing in her number so he'd have it. "I guess I'll see you then."

Turning back around and walking out of the warehouse, Emma could have sworn she heard Killian mumble something about her being a 'bloody siren' and it only added to the fire of excitement inside her chest. She knew for the rest of the day, she'd have this ridiculous smile on her face, but she didn't care. Even if it meant that everyone knew, it made no difference. Emma was happy, and Killian was the one who'd made her that way.

…

Bloody hell, Jones, pull yourself together, despite Killian's internal censure, he couldn't seem to calm his nerves. Ever since Emma walked into the warehouse this morning, his mind was consumed with thoughts of how to make this evening perfect. He wanted to romance her, to give her a story and a memory happy enough to secure her favor and to let her know that he valued this thing between them. Any doubt that he was falling for Emma, had long since passed, and just the memory of her walking in today and asking him out had his whole body buzzing with energy.

She'd stolen his breath away this morning, strolling in with the sunlight, her hair braided again as it had been their first night meeting. She'd been a little shy, but still certain of what she wanted, providing a combination so endearing he'd very nearly kissed her there in front of Dave and Gus. Killian worried his undeniable yearning for her might be a turn off, but the control he did have over his affections for her was wearing thin. His only hope was to make her see him in the same light and keep her by his side from here on out.

The clamminess of his hands, and the butterflies in his stomach as he walked towards her house were testament to how out of character this all was for Killian. He hadn't been on an actual date with a woman since before entering the navy, and his feelings for Emma broached far past the adorations of a young boy. They were bold and prominent and undeniable, but he was out of practice. His training and his now engrained military habits told Killian never to go into a situation unprepared, but that was impossible. Nothing could have readied him for meeting Emma, and now his life was in some ways one giant mystery. Would things work out? Would he blow his chance to be with this person who made the world brighter and more vibrant? Could he ever deserve her? Killian had no idea, but he would do everything in his power to learn the right things to do and say and be for Emma.

Before Killian even knocked on her front door, it swung open, revealing the object of his obsession to him. He froze, unable to process just how beautiful she appeared in the soft pink dress she'd chosen for the evening. With her hair pulled back and an excited smile at her lips, she was stunning. His heart stopped and he struggled to formulate comprehensive thoughts. All he could see was Emma, and all he could think was mine.

"Hi," she said, with a little bit of her earlier shyness again. The blush on her cheeks alerted him to the fact that his gaping might make her uncomfortable and he cleared his throat, trying to gain some sort of composure.

"Emma, love, you look – well you look bloody fantastic, and I think you've very nearly killed me." She laughed at that, and the sound made his embarrassing display of stammering worth it.

"You clean up pretty well yourself, Captain. Just one thing." Killian expected her to tell him something, but instead, she pulled him down to her and kissed him. The effect of her nearness and holding her in his embrace hadn't faded since their first kiss, and if anything the distance between them the past few days fueled his desires so much so that he lost himself. Killian was supposed to be the gentleman tonight, but with Emma he was almost roguish. When she finally pulled back, he felt a bit of shame at the display until she smiled. "I didn't want to wait until the end for that."

Who said anything about this ending? Killian kept the thought inside, instead offering her his arm and leading her down the street. He hadn't told her anything about his plans for tonight, but kept the distance they'd need to walk short so she'd be comfortable. He did not have a license yet to drive in the states, but he was working on it, so that when they did make it to a second date (and a third and a forth and so on), he'd have more options at his disposal.

"So, any clues as to where we're going?" Killian smiled at Emma, noticing the way the light at the end of this beautiful day only amplified her beauty. The almost orange rays that came at sundown made Emma almost glow, or perhaps that was a sign of her excitement to be here too. Killian hoped that might be the case.

"I want to take you to my favorite place in town so far." Emma's hand tightened around his arm but soon enough they were there, and she was looking at their destination with shock.

The Storybrooke Seaside Museum was nestled away on a patch of land just before the sands of the shore. It was located in a completely unique looking home that had been built around the town's oldest lighthouse, and Killian had stumbled upon the place a few mornings ago. When the town installed a newer building closer to the coast sixty years ago to notify passing sea vessels of the approaching coast, this original wooden model was sold to an eccentric private owner, who'd fancied living in a lighthouse. Finding it to be a rather cramped and confining existence, the wealthy owner built out around the original structure, creating an almost round inhabitance. Its style from the outside was striking, but Killian knew the inside was even more intriguing.

"I've never been here. I mean I've seen it a thousand times, and I always thought about coming, but I just never got around to it." Emma's excitement was clear from her tone and her smile, but Killian would not be easy until he'd seen her true reaction. That moment came when they were brought inside by the museum's caretaker, a lovely elderly woman named Ruth, and Emma saw the internal mastery of style that made this place so unique.

"It's gorgeous." Emma said as they moved through the first few rooms to the center towards the lighthouse.

"Aye, love," Killian replied, though his comments were reserved for her and not for the place where they currently found themselves. He knew what she was seeing, this strange but awe inspiring place that infused town and area history and the personal possessions of the man who'd once owned the property. When he'd died and left it to the town, he'd made one stipulation – his things must not be touched, but anything could be added to the space. That last bit especially made Killian's plans for the evening possible.

Ruth led them through the house and through the lower levels of the lighthouse within before finally bringing them to the outside patio, which Killian had been setting up the last few days. When he told Emma this morning that he'd already drawn up a plan, there'd been no exaggeration in his words. All of the pieces were already in motion, he'd just set them together a bit sooner than expected. The way her face lit up at the perfectly crafted view, twinkling lights, and table for two though made it all worth it.

"This is amazing!" Emma said as he pulled out her chair, urging her to sit. "No wonder it's your favorite place in town." Emma looked out across the lawns that eventually shifted into rocky cliffs over a portion of the ocean and he knew he'd made a good choice. Killian poured her a glass of champagne as he smiled, still fixated on whether she was enjoying herself.

"This is just the first part love. My actual favorite place is elsewhere in the house. I thought we might have dessert there."

"How does it get better than this?" Emma asked as he set a metal dish in front of her and raised the lid. "Grilled cheese?!" The excitement in her voice made Killian laugh.

"I heard they were your favorite." Emma nodded eagerly.

"You heard right. But this is no Granny's grilled cheese." She was certainly right about that. Everything they'd be eating tonight was from an upscale bistro the next town over. They had nothing like a grilled cheese on their menu, but the chef had designed a four-cheese creation on brioche for Killian special. It was just their first course, but it was a gesture for him to show that he'd been paying attention to what she might like. He noticed her smiling at the sandwich with a wistful look in her eyes and he needed to know what prompted it.

"What's on your mind, love?"

"You're showing me glimpses of the kind of man you are. You're thoughtful, clearly, because you've set all this up, but also prepared. You thought of everything, and you did your homework. Were you always like that or is that a tribute to your occupation the last eight years?" Killian considered for a moment, for this was something he'd not often asked himself.

"It's hard to say. I don't believe that it spontaneously appeared one day thanks to all my training. Certainly my superiors needed something to work with, but it's the big moments in our life that bring out our more latent attributes. Fighting in active duty, joining the fray of actual wartime, that pulled out my need for a plan to be sure but I was rarely thoughtful. My life was one of logic and strategy, now my planning lies in a more emotional direction than before." Emma's eyes grew wider at that last part in particular.

"You said now… you mean now that you're in Storybrooke?" Killian shook his head.

"I mean now that I've met you. This place is special, yes, but it was meeting you that gave me real faith that I might be able to move on from my past. To move forward to the life I've always wanted." Emma smiled at that, taking his hand in hers.

"Well I'm happy I could help." Killian debated telling her that she'd done more than simply help him, she'd renewed him, almost willed him to keep going and to give life another god's honest try. She had magic in her that he wanted to show her, but they'd yet to even really start their date, and they had time for him to make such proclamations and to urge her to see things the way that he did. For now, they'd keep things a little lighter, and just enjoy.

Dinner passed in the most lovely of ways, with good conversation that taught him so much more about who Emma was. That she loved her sisters and her friends, he'd never doubted, but to see her enthusiasm when talking about them, and about the town as a whole was wonderful. Eventually, Killian managed to steer the conversation towards her own personal interests, eager to understand who Emma was apart from the people who loved her. Though Killian knew he was drawn to her, and understood far more about her upbringing than most people, he still craved more. Luckily for Killian, an opportunity presented itself as they neared the end of dinner.

"I kind of wish I'd brought my camera," Emma said sighing happily as she watched the sun sinking lower in the sky.

"What is it about photography that speaks to you, love?" Emma considered for a moment before answering.

"It's all about timing, and finding perfect moments. They can exist in the throws of any situation or any series of emotions, but to get the right shot, and the best one you can, you need to be in the thick of something big, no matter what the subject." Killian took her hand in his as she had done with him earlier, running his thumb across her knuckles.

"It's a safe means to feel something, then?" Emma nodded, her voice softer and more thoughtful at his observation.

"Exactly. It's cathartic and exhausting and wonderful if you really give it everything. I'm not pretending that every gig I take can give me that, but most of them can, if I look far enough beneath the surface." Through the course of the meal, Killian and Emma had moved closer, and constantly been touching in some capacity. By this time she was nearly in his lap, their seats were so close together, thighs pressed just beside each other, but given his way, they'd be even closer.

"I gather you're very good at that love." Killian thought about how even here, with the two of them, Emma must be trying to see beyond the broken man before her. He didn't think many other people would be able to put his obvious baggage aside and see him for who he wanted to be, but Emma did. Her perceptiveness continued as her hand squeezed his.

"It's not often I find a subject with both an attractive surface and something more meaningful within." Emma's face cracked into a smile, the flirtation she attempted striking Killian to his core as he laughed. Stealing a kiss quickly from her lips.

"Sorry, love. I know you believed such displays would wait until the conclusion of our date, but you are impossible to resist." This time Emma kissed him, eventually nipping at his bottom lip a bit as she pulled back. His own hunger bordered on animalistic, but he delighted in the fact that there was rosiness tinting her cheeks signaling her want for him as well.

"So are you." Part of Killian wanted to continue this particular line of inquiry, but he knew that there was one more surprise and one more experience he could offer her tonight. Kissing her hand gently Killian stood and led Emma to their final destination. To get there, they wandered back into the house, and up to the third floor.

Here was the most stunning feature of the building, for the original cap of the lighthouse had been reimagined into a circular widow's walk, with space both inside the confines of the house, and outside on a beautiful white walkway. He'd filled the space with blankets in case it got cold, a bit more champagne, and of course dessert. Leading her to the outdoor portion, set up perfectly to watch the sunset, he brought her down to sit beside him making sure to keep her close.

"Killian," Emma's whisper set his pulse pounding as he wrapped his arms around her. He saw tears in her eyes, and worried for a moment that he'd done something wrong. "No one's ever done anything like this for me." A wave of relief washed over him.

"That's a shame, love. Any man lucky enough to have you should strive to make every day like this." Her hands came up over his chest, but her green eyes never wandered from his. Killian sat there transfixed by her gaze, and wondered what she saw in him, hoping whatever it was, she wanted it just as much as he wanted her.

"You've got me… if you'll have me." Even in this instant, Emma managed to find a way to hark back to a moment they'd already shared. She was basically repeating his words from the night of their first kiss, when he'd picked her up from the bar, and he couldn't keep the grin off his face.

"It's only fair to warn you that once you give yourself to me, love, I'll have no intention of letting you go." Emma smiled.

"I don't want you too."

What was a man to do with a confession like that, besides kiss the girl? The moment melted away, with the sunset fading and the stars eventually coming out to paint the sky with speckled spots of brightness over a full but pale moon. Life had never felt more right or complete than it did in this moment. Killian resisted ending the evening as long as he could, but reality did eventually call once more. Leaving the Museum was not the difficult part, but walking towards the moment when he'd have to leave Emma's side was. The quiet that hung between them on their walk back, though comfortable, eventually broke as Emma turned to him when they'd arrived at her house once more.

"Thank you Killian, for everything. Tonight was pretty close to perfect." Killian smiled, his hands coming to rest on her waist as he held her close.

"Any feedback for next time? Something that will make it entirely to your liking?"

"Is there going to be a next time?" Killian let out a low growl, completely without intention, and Emma giggled at the sound, setting him at ease once more.

"Aye, love. I want there to be many more nights like this between the two of us." Emma smiled at him, her hands coming to hold the open edges of his jacket.

"That was the only thing missing, knowing that this would go on past tonight. Now you've found perfection." Killian couldn't argue with her reasoning, but as they shared one last goodnight kiss, he began to understand that the entire composition of his date was now undermined. He'd built it around his favorite place in town, but anywhere with Emma would be better than the grandest locations on his own.

"Goodnight, Killian." She said, stepping back and returning into her house once more. Moving his hand into his pocket, where he compass resided, with a hand still on his lips, Killian murmured his reply.

"Goodnight, Emma."

Post-Note: Okay so there we have it. Date number one has happened and now our story will chart Emma and Killian trying to make this romance work. It will of course work, friends, for by this point most of you know how I operate. I hope you all enjoyed, and that you will continue on in this story with me. We have a few chapters before the story gets to earn its M rating, but a little bit of anticipation never killed anyone, right? At least not when there's fluff to be had in its stead. Anyway, hope you guys have a great rest of your day and thank you again for reading!