Notes: This was originally written for FallforCS but I missed the deadline. Huge thanks to counttotwenty for taking time to beta this and to Rouhn for generously allowing me to use the amazing aesthetic she created for FallforCS (on my tumblr Lizacstuff).

Xxx

Killian leaned back against the kitchen counter and sighed. He really thought he'd been making progress with her. Actually, until she bolted, he knew he'd been making progress with her, which if his instincts were correct, that progress was why she'd left the kitchen in such a hurry. Undeterred, he replenished their drinks and set out to find her.

He succeeded almost immediately. Emma was in the living room talking to Ruth and David. He had rarely met anyone so skittish, though he understood where she was coming from. He and Emma were more alike than she knew. He took a good look at her and while she was admittedly radiant, there was something about her bearing that reminded him of a cornered animal. That was the last thing he wanted, he was not a predator and she was not prey. So, he changed course and decided the best thing to do was to give her space and time to regroup. The evening was still young; he had to hope there would be time later to resolve their differences.

A glance out the window told him that even though it had grown dark, Roland was once again outside playing with David's pup, this time Robin had joined him. Killian set the drinks he was carrying on a side table and headed over to the entryway. The drinks, and his conversation with Emma, could keep. It took him only moments to shrug into his coat and let himself out into the cold evening air.

xxx

Ruth watched Emma as her gaze followed Killian across the room and out the door. David was oblivious to Emma's sightline, but not to the people outside. He pushed himself up from the chair where he'd been enjoying his guest's company. "If they're going outside, I think I'll go light up the new gas fire pit on the patio out back. It's a surprisingly balmy night for Maine in November, but they could use a place to warm up and I've been itching to try it out."

"Balmy? It's 40 degrees out there!" his mother cried as she gave an exaggerated shiver.

"You've already been in Florida too long," David teased as he leaned down to kiss her cheek. "You know that in Maine 40 is considered a balmy November evening." In a flash, he had his cold weather gear on and was out the door after Killian.

Ruth watched him go and then turned her warm expression on Emma. "How have you been, dear?"

Emma returned the smile; Ruth was a very welcome distraction from Killian. "I'm well, but I want to hear all about this spring break for seniors. I take it you like Florida?"

"Oh, yes," Ruth said as her eyes lit up. "It was hard to leave Storybrooke and I miss it, but I don't miss the cold and there is much to entertain in my new community. Bingo and poker nights, all sorts of classes from pottery to swing dance, plus we do swim aerobics even in November!" she exclaimed delightedly before expertly pivoting back to Emma. "But enough about me… how are you fairing now that Mary Margaret has moved out of the loft?"

"Fine, just fine," Emma fudged as she idly picked at the pumpkin embroidered on one of the throw pillows. Things had been decidedly not fine since Mary Margaret moved out, or at least since her new dangerously handsome roommate had moved in and seen her naked. "Of course, I miss her, but we still see each other all the time."

"Of course, you do," Ruth replied soothingly. "Plus you have such a charming new roommate. How lucky you were to find each other."

Emma felt both a prickle of irritation and the knot tighten in her stomach at someone speaking so well of Killian. Mostly because if so many people liked him, it probably meant she was being unreasonable, and she certainly wasn't ready to admit that. "Well…"

"Well what dear?"

Emma finally replied with a defiant lilt to her voice, "Charming is in the eye of the beholder."

At that proclamation, Ruth's peel of laughter rang loud. "I've been around long enough to know charming, my dear. My son is quite the charmer as well. Your Killian is not only charming, but so handsome, and polite."

"Those qualities are also in the eyes of the beholder," Emma responded before quickly adding, "and Killian is certainly not 'mine.'"

Just then Mary Margaret entered the room carrying a coffee service, Regina trailing behind. "Anyone want coffee?"

Emma declined but Ruth accepted and as Mary Margaret and Regina settled in the living room, Mary Margaret asked, "What are we talking about?"

Before Emma could answer and pivot the conversation, Ruth said, "Emma was just trying to convince me that she doesn't find her new handsome, charming roommate to be either handsome or charming."

"Hogwash," Mary Margaret waved her hand in dismissal. "She's just upset because he saw her naked."

"Mary Margaret!" Emma shrieked. Perhaps her hostess had had more wine at dinner than she thought. The woman was a lightweight and could easily get tipsy off one glass of wine, and Emma knew she'd had at least two.

"What?" Mary Margaret asked innocently.

"We were supposed to take that to our graves! That's what I specifically said when I told you this afternoon."

Mary Margaret shrugged in a gesture of half apology. "You know I can't keep secrets."

Emma just glared at her former roommate as Regina said with a chuckle, "Well, well Miss Swan, you certainly do work fast."

Emma huffed defensively and turned to the older woman. "It wasn't like that. It was… well... it was not like that," she repeated lamely.

"What was it like... exactly?" Regina asked settling back in her chair, obviously anticipating a juicy story.

Mary Margaret looked at Emma expectantly until Emma put one hand over her eyes, as if blocking out her vision would block out her supreme embarrassment, and mumbled for Mary Margaret to go ahead and tell the story.

Mercifully, Mary Margaret related the whole sorted tale without too many dramatic effects or embellishments. When she got to the reason Emma jumped out the tub so quickly, Ruth interjected kindly, "You know, dear, you don't have to thaw the pie crust, you can use it frozen and just increase your bake time for a few minutes."

Mary Margaret looked delightedly at her soon to be mother-in-law. "That's what I said!"

Emma didn't lift her hands from her face when she mumbled, "Thank you. We've established I'm useless in the kitchen, can you move the story along?"

Xxx

Killian chased Roland and Wilby around the old farmhouse several times before the rambunctious play ended in the adult tackled into a pile of leaves by a 5-year-old and an energetic English Shepherd. Robin strode over as the dog, and boy, scampered off, now on the hunt for David who was joyfully leading them towards the barn and the promise of seeing the old tractor he kept there. Grinning from ear to ear, Robin held out a hand to help Killian up from the leaves, "For a loner you are remarkably good with children... and dogs."

"I'm not a loner," Killian replied as his gloved hands brushed the leaves off his black jeans. "However, I'll concede that a sailor's life is transitory by definition and I've... grown accustomed to being alone." Robin was one of the only people around who knew of all the loss in Killian's past. His parents were gone at a young age, then both his lover and his left hand brutally taken from him as a young adult. It had been Robin, who was also no stranger to loss having lost his own wife when his son was an infant, who had convinced Killian to make a fresh start of it in the states, just as he had.

"Now you're here." Robin said resolutely as he pushed away the morose thoughts, slapped Killian on the back and motioned towards the fire pit. As they made their way towards the warm glow, they could hear shrieks and barks of delight coming from the barn and Robin knew his son was in good hands. "Storybrooke is the perfect place to set down some roots, and..." Robin wagged his eyebrows at him before continuing, "you won't be able to hermit away now that you have a roommate. An incredibly attractive roommate at that, you said she was pretty, but I still wasn't prepared."

Killian felt an emotion that he hadn't experienced in years suddenly flutter alive in his chest. He knew without a doubt it was jealousy, but its presence shocked him. Did he really feel a flare of the green-eyed monster because Robin thought Emma, Emma whom he had zero claim to and who hated him, was attractive? He paused a moment, then studied his old friend as they came to stand by the fire. Robin was eyeing him appraisingly and common sense returned. Robin wasn't expressing romantic interest in Emma, he was teasing Killian, besides his friend had spent all evening engaged in conversation with the severe, but not entirely unattractive, mayor. His interest most definitely lay elsewhere.

"She's stunning," Killian finally agreed. "In more ways than one, but I'm afraid..." he trailed off, not wanting to verbalize the situation, because acknowledging it made it real and he'd been trying to pretend it wasn't real all night. Bravado his way through it, it was a tactic that usually worked for him.

He was surprised at how melancholy he felt at the thought of his new living arrangement being doomed to failure before it began. When he'd first contacted the property management agency, recommended by Graham, he'd assumed he'd find a solitary living situation. However, Belle, the woman who worked there, had told him about the loft, said that it was too good to pass up and convinced him to give the situation with Emma a chance. He had, and now he found himself in a fraught arrangement, the exact type of fraught arrangement he had wanted to avoid at all costs. However, now it was an arrangement that he desperately wanted to work out in his favor. How had this happened? How had he managed to upset her so profoundly on the very first night of living together that she'd kicked him out on the second night? And how had it come to be so important to him that she let him stay?

As they sat down on the long bench on one side of the fire pit, Robin watched him keenly and saw a myriad of emotions pass across his usually stoic friend's face. He prompted, "You're afraid?"

Kilian took a deep breath before admitting, "I'm afraid that I deeply offended the fair Swan, and now she wants me to absent myself."

"Absent yourself? From Thanksgiving or does she mean move out before you've really even moved in with her?"

"Aye, absent myself permanently, I'm afraid."

"You arrived late last night. How did you manage that?"

Killian contemplated telling him the whole story, but then shook his head. This is what Emma feared, he would not speak of it without her permission. "It doesn't matter. What does matter is that she's terminated my lease, starting tonight."

"You must have really mucked it up."

All Killian could do was nod in agreement as he sat forward to warm his right hand closer to the fire.

Robin gave a sympathetic exhale; Killian really couldn't catch a break. "You're welcome on my couch if you need a place to stay, you know that."

Kilian turned and shot him a weak smile. "Thanks... I...uh... I hope she'll change her mind, but if she doesn't, I'd appreciate that, mate."

xxx

Emma needed a drink, but, tragically, there was no alcohol within her reach. There were two drinks across the room, she'd seen Killian set them there and she assumed one was for her. However, moving didn't feel like an option. She was sitting on the couch, one hand still covering her eyes as Mary Margaret finished the humiliating Killian-seeing-her-naked story. "...and then Emma ran back to her room, shut herself in, and didn't see him again until she arrived here for Thanksgiving dinner."

Mary Margaret looked satisfied with herself for correctly relaying the story, Regina looked like she was trying not to laugh and Ruth looked sympathetically at Emma and said, "Oh, Emma, I would be embarrassed if it happened to me, but when you think about it, it's not so bad. It sounds like an accident."

"A very convenient accident if you ask me." Regina interjected with a note of sardonic humor. "Let me get this straight. One apartment, two... young and some-might-say-attractive, single people-"

"Oh, is he single?" Ruth interrupted Regina, something that was uncharacteristic for her to do and showed her eagerness to learn the information.

"Robin mentioned that he was," Regina confided and then turned back to Emma, "So perhaps it happened so you two can cut out months of doey eyes and yearning looks and get straight to the sex."

The other three women gasped as if they had just watched Regina slap someone across the face.

"What? You were all thinking it." Regina sat back and smugly took a sip of her coffee.

"Wha...no... I don't... no..." Emma sputtered trying to find words to defend herself. She finally retorted, "There were no yearning looks and I don't have doey eyes."

"Maybe not you, but he does. All night long. Back me up, Ruth." Regina reached over from her chair to gently nudge the older woman with her elbow.

Ruth looked uncomfortable, but then bobbed her head to one side empathetically. "There may have been looks."

"Exactly, so maybe walking in on you wasn't an accident is all I'm saying." Regina smiled wickedly, clearly pleased with her pot-stirring.

Mary Margaret glared at Regina as Emma found herself in the strange position of defending Killian. "It was an accident. I didn't plan it, he didn't plan it. Neither of us knew the other would be there. It happened... ON ACCIDENT... and now he has to go."

"You admit it was an accident?" Mary Margaret asked innocently.

"Yes," Emma replied sulkily. "But that doesn't make it any less humiliating or excuse Killian's behavior tonight."

That caught the attention of Emma's audience. "What did he do tonight?" Ruth asked with a note of concern in her voice.

Emma sat up straighter; she hadn't expected to have to back up her assertion when she made it. Now that she did, she knew her charge sounded lame. "He… uh... he made a joke at my expense."

Mary Margaret frowned at that admission; she was nothing if not protective of Emma. "What did he say?"

"He said… well it doesn't matter, he made a joke earlier."

"In front of people?" Regina asked shrewdly, now switching to play devil's advocate on the other side.

"No," Emma admitted, "it was just the two of us when I first arrived."

"You mean when you arrived in a bad mood and I sent you over to try and break the ice?" Mary Margret voice was light as she asked the question.

"I didn't arrive in a bad mood; I became irritated when I realized you invited him to Thanksgiving without telling me!" Emma's voice was about an octave higher when she ended the sentence than when she started. She knew she sounded petty, but that didn't stop her.

"So, when he made this joke, was he possibly laughing with you, not at you? He's in an awkward position as well you know."

"He said he was trying to break the tension, but-" She stopped when all three women gave her knowing looks. "What?"

"Humor is a coping mechanism; perhaps he wasn't making fun of you, perhaps he was just trying to get passed the embarrassment," Ruth gently reiterated Mary Margaret's point.

"Maybe he was making fun of me, maybe he wasn't." Emma replied slowly, the knot in her stomach returning as she conceded that perhaps Killian hadn't deserved her knee-jerk reaction. "But that doesn't explain why he won't accept the fact that I've evicted him."

"Emma! You told him he was evicted?" Judgement rang through Mary Margaret's voice as she continued, "On Thanksgiving?" It wasn't clear whether Mary Margaret thought evicting him or doing it on Thanksgiving was the bigger sin.

Emma gulped guiltily. "How am I supposed to live with someone who's seen me naked?"

"One can do so quite happily," Ruth interjected knowingly. Mary Margaret tried to hide her shock at her future mother-in-law's cheek. Regina was rubbing off on her.

"He's personally not my cup of tea, but I can think of worse things than living with someone you find handsome and charming… and who's seen you naked," Regina added before taking another sip of her coffee.

"I don't… I didn't…" Emma put her head into her hands in frustration. Mary Margaret moved from her chair to the couch next to Emma. "Emma, I'm sorry. If I knew this would bring you so much distress, I wouldn't have arranged it; I really thought this would be a good situation for you."

At that Emma's head popped up. "What do you mean 'arranged it?'"

"Uh... nothing?" It came out as a question and the three pairs of eyes trained on Mary Margaret all registered that they knew she was lying. Not only couldn't Mary Margaret keep a secret she was also a terrible liar.

Mary Margaret turned pink, then red. She took a deep sheepish breath before saying, "Fine. Graham was in town last month. He told David and me about Killian and what a great guy he was and how he was moving here. With me moving out we thought it would be a perfect solution for both of you, so I told Graham to have Killian contact Belle at the property management company."

Emma glared at her. "You did what? Why wouldn't you just suggest I meet him?"

Ruth leaned back as if to try and stay away from the fray, Regina smirked before taking another sip of coffee, clearly enjoying the drama that didn't concern her, and Mary Margaret winced. "Because…"

"Because why?" Emma prompted with fire in her bearing when Mary Margaret didn't immediately answer.

"Because of this." Mary Margaret twirled her hand in front of Emma. "Because of what's happening right now."

"What?" Emma's brows knit together in confusion.

"Emma, I love you, but you can be a bit closed off to suggestion, and…"

"And?" Emma demanded when Mary Margaret didn't immediately finish the thought.

"And stubborn... and prickly when it comes to letting new people in. I thought if he were the perfect candidate with great references, vetted by the property management company, you might be more open to him than if he was someone closer, who might build connections with people you have connections with…"

"I'm prickly?" Emma replied sounding hurt.

Mary Margaret reached around her and hugged her from the side. "Not with people you let in, but you have walls. Look it's only natural that you would not react well to what happened last night. But you're not upset about the nudity, you're upset because you feel exposed and that's a hard place to begin with someone when you have had to spend your whole life building a protective shell around yourself."

That revelation hit Emma like a ton of bricks. The idea that the nudity was an excuse to shut out someone she felt vulnerable in front was not something that had consciously occurred to her. However, after a lifetime of having to protect herself, she wasn't ready to give up her shell without a fight.

"There's nothing wrong with being cautious." Emma replied self-consciously, as she scooted away from Mary Margaret, subconsciously protecting herself even now. Mary Margaret let go of her, but she didn't let the subject drop.

"True, Emma, but that wall of yours it may keep out pain, but it also may keep out love."

Emma rolled her eyes. "Who said anything about love?"

"No one." Mary Margaret replied in a business-like manner. "It's just a general observation. Walls can also keep out friends and allies and potentially perfect roommates."

Emma flopped back against the couch and stared at the ceiling. "Did you have Belle intentionally send only horrible candidates, so that he would be the only decent option?"

"Nope," Mary Margaret put up her hands in a sign of innocence. "Those were all legitimate and the only other options." She winced guiltily, "Except…"

Emma looked at her pointedly until she continued, "I may have suggested to Belle she attach the wrong photo, I was afraid you might sort Killian out before the interview if you knew he was a man... especially if he was a handsome man you'd probably be attracted to on sight..."

"I am NOT attracted to him," Emma lied. While she was a much better liar than Mary Margaret was, the entire company of women all knew she was lying. However, none objected or called her on it, it was clear she had been pushed out of her comfort zone enough for one night. Emma sat back up and shook her head at her friend, the best friend she'd ever had. "You shouldn't have done that."

"I'm sorry," her friend said solemnly. "You're right, but I just want what's best for you."

"Also you felt guilty about moving out and leaving Emma, when she's been left so many times already in her life," Regina interjected knowingly, too knowingly. "So you wanted to fix the situation."

Mary Margaret ignored her stepmother's armchair psychoanalysis and focused on Emma. "What are you going to do?"

"I don't know... He says I'm going to change my mind."

Mary Margaret reached for her hand and squeezed it. "I think you're going to change your mind too, but if you don't we'll figure it out. Killian has signed a lease, I can't evict him tonight, but you know I would never want you to feel uncomfortable in your own home, so if you want you can stay here this weekend and we'll figure out what to do about the lease. He seems like a good person, if you really can't live with him, I'm sure he'll be reasonable."

"It is rather presumptuous of him to assume you're going to change your mind," Regina added unhelpfully. "What makes him so sure?

Reflexively, Emma felt another prickle of irritation at Regina's comments about Killian. Strange how she suddenly felt protective when it was someone else voicing concerns about his overconfidence. "He said I'm an open book."

Mary Margaret clearly thought this was wonderful. She clapped her hands together and said, "Maybe that's a sign he's the perfect person to have around. Maybe he gets you."

That was exactly what scared Emma the most.

xxx

"So… it was a set up."

Startled, Killian looked up at the sound of the voice he hadn't expected to hear. He was still sitting on the bench facing the outdoor fire pit, watching the flames swirl against the night sky. Now he found that Emma was standing beside the bench holding out a travel mug. David had turned on the white fairy lights that hung around the outdoor patio. The way the lights danced behind Emma's blonde head made her look ethereal. She was even more stunning than before.

Tamping down the tug of longing he felt as he looked at her, he took the proffered mug and asked, "What was a set up?"

Before she could answer, Robin cleared his voice and rose from the seat next to Killian. "David took Roland to see the old tractor in the barn, I better make sure my son isn't talking his ear off, please excuse me."

As he left, Killian motioned to the recently vacated seat next to him, "Care to join me?"

Emma didn't sit, instead she looked at him shrewdly. "Did you know?"

"Did I know what?"

"That it was a set up. That Graham, David and Mary Margaret decided we'd be perfect roommates over a month ago?"

From the look on Killian's face, she surmised he did not. He quickly shook his head, searched for something to say, before settling on, "What?"

"Apparently, Graham visited them last month and mentioned you and that you'd be looking for some place to rent, and Mary Margaret said she knew the perfect place and…" she waved her hand in the air, "voila."

"Oh." Killian slumped against the back of the bench. "Graham did mention the Nolans and that he would introduce them, but as for living arrangements, he gave me the name of Gold Property Management and said they could help with a flat. That was it. Though..." he said thoughtfully, "I was originally looking for a place to myself and was talked into sharing space."

Emma finally relented and sat down next him. "We were had."

Killian didn't respond to that and instead gestured with the travel mug she had handed him. "What's this?"

"I was pretty annoyed with Mary Margaret when she told me what she'd done so she made me a batch of her famous hot chocolate from scratch and then spiked it."

"What's it spiked with," he asked, the humor returning to his voice.

"Rum," Emma replied taking a sip of her own drink.

"My favorite," Killian replied before taking a sip himself. "That's quite good."

"The secret is cinnamon and using chocolate chips," Emma said, her gaze straight ahead, mesmerized by the flames swaying in front of her.

"I'll remember that's how you like it." A grin spread across his face as he said it.

"Why?" Now Emma turned to face him. Her lips quirked upward when she saw that there was an errant leaf stuck in his hair. She reached up with one gloved hand and plucked it away.

His eyes tracked her movements and he felt a fissure of electricity as she came close. Someone who was going to evict him probably wouldn't engage in something so intimate. With renewed confidence he said, "We'll be cohabitating, and I'm not opposed to doing nice things for my flatmate… for instance making hot chocolate."

"You're still confident I'm going to change my mind."

"Aye."

"Ugh!" Emma moaned and shook her head, though she couldn't really hide the fact that her lips quirked upward. "I think I'm as annoyed by your confidence that I'll change my mind as I am that you saw me naked and laughed at me."

Killian sat up, set his drink on the ledge of the fire pit and turned towards her. "Emma, I may be guilty of overconfidence and of accidentally seeing you disrobed, but I assure you, I did not laugh at you."

"You made a joke about it just a few hours ago," she charged, but avoided making eye contact with him, instead her own gaze was on her mug of cocoa.

"A lamentable mistake on my part, but I wasn't laughing at you, merely hoping to find our way through an awkward situation with humor."

Emma didn't respond, so Killian picked up his drink and leaned back once again. They sat in silence for several long moments. "It's an ill-formed habit of mine. It's... I've been known to use humor to deflect. A defense mechanism from years of... well let's just say it's how I get through what life throws at me. As for why I think you'll change your mind… I have faith in you."

At that, Emma's stomach flip-flopped in her belly as the knot there loosened. "Very few people have ever had faith in me."

Killian's gaze was intense and his voice sincere when he said, "That should be rectified." Then his expression changed to one that held mischief and he gestured to his mug, "Plus you brought me your favorite warm beverage, mixed with my favorite spirit. It was a dead giveaway that you were feeling magnanimous towards me."

Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head. If he were going to stay, she would have to get used to his sense of humor. She slumped against the back of the bench; put her feet on the ledge of the fire pit and they relaxed in to companionable silence for several minutes.

Killian was content to sit next to her. It was peaceful outside and the rum-fueled hot chocolate, fairy lights and fire made for a very pleasant atmosphere. He could get used to nights in Storybrooke. Nights spent with Emma.

Emma's mind was less restful. She knew she was probably going to let him stay, he knew she was probably going to let him stay, but they still had to find their way forward. She felt unsettled and couldn't shake his comment from earlier. Usually she would let it go and run away; after her conversation with Mary Margaret she decided to chart a new course and confront it.

"Earlier you said I was an open book..."

"Aye." He glanced over at her, but didn't make any sudden movements as if he could sense the significance of her broaching the topic.

"Why do you think that?" Emma's voice was uncharacteristically small. She couldn't believe she was opening the door to any such conversation with someone she barely knew, but there was a first time for everything and there was just something about Killian.

"You said this was your first real Thanksgiving," Killian replied simply.

"How does that make me an open book?" Emma asked softly as she took another sip of her hot chocolate.

"I'm to understand that it's a ubiquitous holiday here in the US, celebrated by most."

"It is. So?"

"If you haven't celebrated it properly that probably means you've had an unconventional upbringing and probably a rough one at that... which I can relate to, moreover you have the look."

Emma was almost afraid to ask, but she did. "What look?"

Killian smiled humorlessly and replied in all seriousness. "The look of someone who has had to fend for themselves, someone who has been alone most of her life and who has been hurt by those she's let in… present company excluded." He motioned towards the house that contained Mary Margaret and David and the makeshift family they represented. "It takes a lot for you to trust someone, and here comes this British bloke, blundering into your life and seeing you sans armor on the first night of cohabitation. I admit, it's not great for building trust and I don't blame you for being wary, but while you're painfully guarded, you're also a bit of a gambler."

His words struck Emma dumb. How did he know her so well after so little acquaintance?

Killian hadn't stopped speaking. "I'm also a gambler, Swan, so I'm betting that you're going to realize that I will be an exemplary flatmate for you, you're going to accept my apology, forget the unfortunate incident and we'll put this behind us in favor of a desirable living situation beneficial to both of us."

Emma let all that sink in. She already knew he was right and that she was going to do all of that, but she still wasn't ready to admit it. Recovered, she leveled her best interrogative gaze at him. "You haven't apologized."

He cocked his head at her. "Indeed? Let me rectify that. Emma Swan, please accept my most humble apology that I saw you sans clothing on our first night of living together. If I could go back in time and prevent it, I would. In fact, you should know that I tried to phone you yesterday afternoon before I arrived. I left a message, obviously, it didn't reach you… also last night I knocked before I let myself into the loft, but you obviously couldn't hear over the music. It was an unfortunate series of events because the very last thing I wanted to do was startle you or invade your privacy." Her stare softened from interrogation to understanding and he felt the tide turn in his favor. He continued earnestly, "I assure you I feel terrible that it happened. Last night, I lay awake quite some time trying to figure out how to ease your embarrassment. I considered apology flowers or stripping down so we'd be even-"

At that Emma's eyebrows hit the midpoint of her forehead.

"I quickly discarded that idea." Killian added hastily.

"Why?" He was relieved to hear the threads of humor in her voice.

"I determined it would serve to make things even more uncomfortable. Though if you disagree…" he trailed off studying her with amusement.

"No." Emma finally agreed, once she had shaken off the image of him… naked. An image that was more appealing than she'd like to admit. "You're right, that would be even more awkward."

"Emma, I'm mortified that you've been made uncomfortable by the... unfortunate... nudity... incident, and I want to do anything within my power to make you comfortable again. Awkward or not. So, name it, and I'll do it."

Her expression was a cross between a smile and a frown. "Well the first thing you can do it not call it the unfortunate nudity incident." The last thing she wanted is for it to have an official name. Though, she knew she was thawing towards him. What was it about this man that lowered her defenses?

He reached up and scratched behind his ear. "Would you prefer if we called it the unfortunate pumpkin pie nudity incident?"

She couldn't help it, at that she threw her head back and laughed and he knew he had her.

xxx

She hadn't officially said he could stay, but that was mostly because he'd shrewdly changed the subject as soon he'd made her laugh out loud, by asking when she would start school.

They were amicably sitting by the fire, which was throwing enough heat to ward off the evening chill, Emma talking about the classes she would start come January, when Mary Margaret approached. She was carrying a stoneware pitcher and wearing a sheepish expression.

"I have a fresh batch of rum-infused hot chocolate," she motioned to the pitcher, "Can I offer a refill as an olive branch?"

Emma sat forward and picked up her empty mug before unscrewing the lid and holding it out for Mary Margaret to pour. Killian followed suit. When Mary Margaret was done she said, "Does this mean I'm forgiven."

Emma took a deep breath. "Of course, you're forgiven, but…"

Mary Margaret looked at her encouragingly. "But?"

"Please don't do that again. Let's have conversations like adults. If you want to recommend something to me or give me advice, go ahead and give it and I'll decide for myself whether to take it or not. No more schemes."

Mary Margaret nodded contritely. "Agreed." She looked at the other occupant on the bench. "Killian, I apologize for not being more upfront about the roommate situation and for having Belle replace your picture on the application… oh and for suggesting she shorten your first name to just an initial."

Killian cocked an eyebrow in surprise. "Ah... I suppose that explains that misunderstanding." He smiled graciously at his hostess. "There is no need to apologize to me, milady. I'm honored you thought me suitable to live with someone for whom you obviously care a great deal. Thank you and thank you again for inviting me tonight; it's a kindness I'll not soon forget."

Emma sat back and crossed her arms. "Now you're just trying to prove you're charming and make me look ungrateful in the process."

"On the contrary," Killian shook his head, "My relationship with Mary Margaret is different than yours, I'm a veritable stranger, the lady owes me naught."

Mary Margaret decided to step in before Emma could either agree or retort. "I should be thanking you for bringing Robin and Roland, my stepmother has never been this pleasant at a family holiday before."

"Pleasant?" Emma said incredulously, remembering her comments about Killian. "She was purposely trolling me earlier."

"Yes, Regina joking and ribbing is Regina at her best." Mary Margaret replied happily. Emma once again had no idea why Mary Margaret tried so hard for a relationship with the woman but kept that thought to herself. "She's in a great mood, for her, I think she's quite taken with Robin, with both of them actually. Oh, I also meant to tell you, David, Robin and Roland all came inside and we're going to do a second round of pie if you're interested. In about 15 minutes."

Mary Margaret didn't wait for an answer; instead, she swept off towards the backdoor of the house.

Emma watched her go and then turned back to Killian. "I suppose we should go in as well, I think the temperature is dropping, though it is cozy here by the fire."

"As you wish." Killian replied and was about to stand up, when he paused, perched on the bench, and turned towards her.

"I do have one question; you just said I was trying to prove that I was charming. Why would I be proving I was charming; who said anything about me being charming?"

Emma blushed; even though she wasn't really exposing herself. "The other ladies, Ruth in particular think you're very charming."

"Hmm." Killian hummed thoughtfully, before catching her eye. "Charming enough to live with?"

Maybe too charming to live with, Emma thought to herself. However, it was time to let him off the proverbial hook. Aloud she said, "Just charming enough. You can stay."

"Really?" Killian asked as visible relief seemed to course through him.

"Yes," Emma agreed and then sheepish added, "I suppose I should apologize for... maybe... sort of... possibly... over reacting."

"Apology accepted, Swan." Killian's eyes danced and it looked like he was about to make a quip or a joke of some sort so Emma quickly turned the subject back to him and his foibles.

"You know..." Emma began as she studied him astutely, "I thought you were confident I would change my mind. When I said you could stay... you sounded awfully relieved for someone so confident."

Killian chuckled before admitting, "I was only 80% confident you would change your mind, the other 20% was worried I'd be relegated to Robin's couch for the next week."

"That is a dim prospect, especially if he's going to start hanging out with Regina."

"Aye," Killian said, wisely deciding to take his new flatmate's side against the mayor. "Since that fate is no longer mine, shall we return to the house for some more pecan pie?" He put the emphasis on 'pecan.'

She studied him before taking a faux serious tone. "Actually, I think I'll have Pumpkin this time."

"Indeed?"

Emma shrugged and then smiled. "One bite wasn't enough."

A cheeky grin lit his face. Emboldened by her choice of desserts he slid his hand out of the glove he was wearing and held it out to her. "Friends?"

She looked at it for a long moment before taking a deep breath and shrugging out of her own glove. She put her bare hand into his. "Friends. As long as you never mention the Unfortunate Pumpkin Pie Nudity Incident ever again."

"I'm not sure I can promise that," he chuckled mischievously. "It's a pretty good yarn. There may be a time when you wish to recite it at cocktail parties or at the local watering hole and I don't want to be left out of the merriment."

She glared at him until he added, "Of course regaling anyone with the tale will be entirely up to you, I'll merely be along for the ride... as your first lieutenant."

"I can live with that," she agreed and then, perhaps for the first time, she gave him a genuine, dazzling smile.

His breath caught, and once again, he was struck by how magnificent she was. Living with this enchanting woman might be a very bad idea, especially if he was to do so platonically. The warmth in his chest that exploded when she smiled at him didn't necessary feel very platonic.

Killian swallowed the lump in his throat before asking breathlessly, "Just who are you, Swan?"

Emma smirked; maybe she wasn't entirely an open book. That was good; it was good to maintain a little mystery. Matter-of-factly she said, "Wouldn't you like to know?"

"Perhaps I would."

At that, Emma dropped his hand, turned and headed back to the house. However, she paused and looked back to make sure Killian was following her. They entered the house as flatmates, friends and with an unspoken feeling that their future together was bright.

The End (probably)