Just a couple quick author's notes before we get to the story:
(1) A/N: I do have to give credit to The Little Mermaid 2 for Melody (even though she's quite a few years older, lol). I couldn't quite think of anyone from the show, so I just decided to go with her, lol :)
(2) Timothy Webber is the actor who played the Apprentice on OUAT. I thought he'd make for a good landlord, but he doesn't have an actual name, so I went with the actor's name.
That evening, Emma, Mary Margaret, Belle, Elsa, and Regina were all sitting in a corner red booth at the Coffee Club. Mary Margaret was currently gushing about she and David's eleven-month-old son, Leo, who had just taken his first steps.
"Isn't he just precious?" Mary Margaret happily commented as she finished playing a video for her friends.
"He really is a cute little guy," Emma began with a smile. She then chuckled and continued, "You and David will be running after him soon enough."
Mary Margaret chuckled as well before she conceded, "Believe me, I know. It was hard enough trying to keep him out of everything when he was crawling."
Everyone chuckled at that before the pixie-haired brunette asked Belle, "Are you and Gold thinking about having kids?"
Before Belle could even attempt to answer, Regina interjected, "Geez, Mary Margaret, they've only been married for a couple months."
"There's no harm in asking," she defended with a nod of her head, crossing her arms.
Regina only rolled her eyes while Emma, Elsa, and Belle couldn't help but laugh. The latter then spoke, "To answer your question, Mary Margaret, we've talked about having children one day - but not anytime soon."
Mary Margaret nodded satisfactorily in response before taking a sip of her caramel latte.
Emma couldn't help but grin as she added, "Well, whenever you guys do have a kid, Killian will probably be just as protective over it as he is over you."
Belle smiled as she conceded, "Oh, I don't doubt it. And Liam will have to talk him down when he goes a bit overboard."
"So, Liam isn't as overprotective as Killian?" Elsa then asked, resting her hand on her chin.
"Oh, he is - he's just the more level-headed brother," Belle explained before taking a sip of her Frappuccino.
Elsa began fingering her braid as she observed, "Still, I get the feeling he wouldn't be quite as level-headed or understanding if you or Killian were seriously hurt."
"As someone who's been on the receiving end of that, I can tell you that he wouldn't be. But his heart was in the right place," Emma told her, a smile making its way on her face.
Elsa - and Belle - returned their friend's smile. Mary Margaret found herself smiling as well before Regina interjected, "How do you know Liam, Elsa?"
"Oh! Well, he came in with Emma and Killian for dinner about a week ago. He's been by every day since," she explained.
Regina simply hummed in response before taking a sip of her coffee. Mary Margaret then asked, "So, you two are getting close?" a sing-song quality to her voice.
Belle couldn't help but grin and shake her head while Emma and Regina rolled their eyes.
Confusion clouded Elsa's features as she began, "I'm not sure what you…" trailing off as the meaning hit her.
Her pale green eyes widened as she stated, "Liam and I are just friends. I mean, sure, we have loads in common, and he wasn't put off by my sometimes-icy exterior," trailing off to take a breath before she finished, "But we've just met. Literally. We're just friends."
"We get it, Elsa. Someone is just obsessed with playing matchmaker," Emma commented, casting an annoyed look at Mary Margaret.
The pixie-haired brunette only shrugged as sipped her latte. She then defended, "I can't help that I want everyone to be happy."
"Which we do appreciate - sometimes - but you tend to be…" Emma began but trailed off as her phone screen lit up. She saw a text message from Killian, which made her roll her eyes and giggle.
She then turned her attention back to her friends and continued, "So, as I was saying, uh…um…what were we talking about?"
"I think you were trying to save me from Mary Margaret's matchmaking," Elsa told her, as she tried her hardest to suppress a smile.
Emma furrowed her brows for a moment before it clicked.
"Oh, yeah," the blonde spoke before she focused on Mary Margaret: "You just tend to be overzealous at times. Not everyone is looking for a relationship. Even if they are, it's best to just let them figure it out for themselves," shrugging as she finished.
"I can't help but agree with you," Regina began before casting a pointed look toward Mary Margaret. She then sighed and continued, "But, in some cases, people can't figure it out, even when it's staring them in the face," annoyance in her voice.
Elsa and Belle shook their heads and grinned while Mary Margaret stifled a chuckle at the brunette's rather blunt observations.
Emma tilted her head as she observed her friends' reactions. She then crossed her arms and spoke, "Why do I get the feeling you guys all know something I don't?"
Any possible answer was interrupted when Graham Humbert, who worked at the NYPD as a sergeant, approached the table.
He addressed Emma and Regina: "I wanted to stop by and congratulate you two on working to solve that cold case."
"Thank you, Graham. It was a bit frustrating at times," Regina began, but she was interrupted by Emma.
"Frustrating is putting it lightly," the blonde stated with crossed arms.
Graham chuckled at her words while Regina rolled her eyes. The brunette then finished, "As I was saying, it was a bit frustrating at times, but we worked together, and justice was served."
Graham nodded in response. He then spoke, "I'll let you all get back to your coffee. I'll see you two at work tomorrow," inclining his head toward Emma and Regina. Both women nodded in response before he walked away from the table.
He crossed the coffee shop and got back in line beside a woman with black hair. They entwined their fingers together and smiled at one another before they began perusing the coffee menu.
Emma couldn't help but smile at the scene as she commented, "Graham and Melody seem happy. I'm glad he found someone."
"Especially since he spent so much time pining after you," Regina quipped before taking a sip of her drink.
Emma nearly spit out her hot chocolate before she managed to swallow. With widened green eyes, she then asked, "What do you mean he was pining after me?"
"You mean you didn't know?" Elsa questioned, a surprised look overtaking her features.
"No. He never said anything," Emma told her as she crossed her arms over her chest, a confused look then spreading over her face.
"Well…" Mary Margaret slowly began, taking a breath before she continued, "He didn't see the point of telling you."
Emma tilted her head as she asked, "But why?"
"Do you really even need to ask?" Regina retorted.
The blonde furrowed her brows as she thought for a few moments. She then observed, "Well, I guess it's because he knew I didn't return his feelings. I mean, he's such a great guy, but I'm not really looking to date. I'm pretty content as I am."
The other four women exchanged a knowing look in response. Emma picked up on it and asked, "Guys, what is it?"
"Maybe you're content because you already found a guy that you want to be with," Belle suggested before running her fingers through her hair.
"Who could you possibly be talking about?" Emma asked, clearly confused.
Regina let out an exasperated sigh before she complained, "I can't believe you're so oblivious." She then paused and continued, "Don't pretend everyone doesn't see those yearning looks and doe-y eyes between you and Killian."
Emma's eyes widened before she spoke, "Killian? Really? Why on earth would you think I have feelings for Killian?"
"Because it's pretty much obvious to anyone who sees you two together," Mary Margaret matter-of-factly stated.
"You guys are all ridiculous," Emma complained as she crossed her arms.
Elsa fingered her blonde braid before she spoke, "If you consider all the time that you guys spend together outside of work, it's easy to see why someone would think that. I mean, every time you and Killian come into Granny's, you guys look like you're on a date."
Emma shot her friend an annoyed look as she pointed out, "I thought that you at least would understand."
"That isn't even the same thing," Regina quipped under her breath before she crossed her arms.
Elsa only sighed before she defended, "We really didn't mean to ambush you, Emma…"
"Well, that's what it feels like. I feel like I'm being interrogated - which I know well because I do it for a living," she threw back, her annoyance turned to anger.
Elsa, Belle, Mary Margaret, and Regina all exchanged a look before the pixie-haired brunette took a deep breath and spoke, "Please don't think we were trying to force anything on you. It's just hard to miss the fact there is something between you and Killian, and we thought you deserved to know."
Emma sighed as she thought over her friend's words. All of her friends actually. She supposed they weren't completely off-base, but she and Killian were simply really close friends.
And so, she took a deep breath and told them, "Look, guys, I know that maybe Killian and I are perhaps a little too friendly at times, but it's only because we're so close. We're best friends - and there's nothing more to it than that."
"You sound pretty sure of that," Regina commented with a raised eyebrow.
"Because it's the truth," Emma stated in a way that garnered no argument.
She then took a sip of her hot chocolate. Her friends knew there was no point in trying to convince her of anything different.
And so, Belle changed the subject and began telling them about an interesting new research project involving hieroglyphics.
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A couple hours later, Emma arrived back at her apartment. She shrugged off her red leather jacket and black combat boots before sinking down on the couch.
She grabbed the remote off the coffee table before she flipped on the TV and began channel surfing. She happily settled on Friends.
She hummed along to the theme song as she ran her fingers through her blonde hair.
Just as the show had started, she heard her stomach growl. She sighed before she observed, "I guess those two cups of hot chocolate, along with the bear claw and donuts, weren't filling enough."
She then got up from the couch and shuffled over to the kitchen. She grabbed the ingredients for grilled cheese before she set about making one.
Just as she had turned on the stove and placed the sandwich in the skillet, she caught sight of a piece of paper on the counter.
She tilted her head before grabbing the paper. She immediately recognized Killian's handwriting as she read silently, "Swan, just in case you don't get the text, I thought I'd tell you that I found MY copy of The Gladiator, which I wasn't even aware you had. I fully intend to borrow some of your movies and "forget" to tell you - Killian."
This time, Emma only chuckled when she had finished reading. He really was completely ridiculous.
She balled up the note and tossed in the trash. She then finished making her sandwich.
Once she had the grilled cheese on a plate, she grabbed chips and a soda before returning to the couch.
She propped her feet on the table and sighed contentedly before she turned her attention to the show.
Emma soon found herself laughing out loud at Chandler's sarcasm when everything in her apartment suddenly went dark.
"What the hell?" she muttered to herself before she heard a knock at the door.
The blonde got up and stalked over to the door, trying to tamper down her annoyance. She took a breath before she opened the door, revealing her landlord, Mr. Timothy Webber.
The old man looked apologetic as he explained, "There's been a power outage in the building. I've called the electric company, and they are on their way. But it still may take a couple hours or more for the power to return."
Emma found her annoyance subsided as she took in Mr. Webber's words. It wasn't his fault, and he was doing everything he could.
She then replied, "It's okay. I understand that things happen," with a reassuring smile.
He offered a small smile in response. He then told her, "I do have to inform the other residents of the power situation. I hope you have a good evening, Miss Swan."
"You too," she told him before he began walking off. A thought crossed her mind, and she called out, "Wait."
He turned to face her, and she continued, "I think I'm gonna head over to my friend's place until the power's back on. Will you give me a call when that happens?"
"Of course. I'll do just that," Mr. Webber told her. "Thanks," Emma responded before he nodded and went on his way.
She then headed back inside, and she used the flashlight on her phone to gather her things. She then headed out the door and down to her bug.
About fifteen minutes later, Emma was standing in front of Killian's door. She knocked, and he soon answered it, a confused expression coming upon his features.
"Swan, what you doing here?"
"I probably should have called, but the power's out in my building. I didn't think you would mind if I hung out here," she explained.
Killian nodded before a mischievous grin took over his features. He then teased, "And what if you interrupted something important. Say, like a date?"
Emma rolled her eyes before she pointed out, "You haven't had a date in over two years. If you did, I'd be the first person you'd tell."
Killian looked thoughtful for a few moments before he conceded, "I suppose you have a point, love." He then grinned once more and joked, "I'll just have to pick a different excuse next time."
The blonde didn't bother to respond before she pushed her way past him and went inside. She made herself comfortable on his couch before she commented, "I guess that great minds think alike."
She then nodded to the TV, where Joey was currently auditioning for a play.
"Well, it is a rather hilarious show, Swan," Killian told her before he moved to sit down beside her.
He then proceeded to try to swipe some of Emma's chips, to which she slapped his hand away.
"Get your own chips. This is my dinner," she chided before moving her plate out of reach.
"You know that Doritos are my favorite, and I ran out," Killian told her before he adopted puppy dog eyes.
Emma only shrugged as she spoke, "That isn't my problem," before she began to giggle.
Killian rolled his eyes before he then leaned over her and quickly grabbed some of her chips anyway.
Though Emma wanted to roll her eyes, she instead found herself hyper aware of his proximity as her conversation with her friends came to mind.
She quickly shook her head from those thoughts as Killian settled back in against the couch.
He then turned his attention to the TV. He watched it for a few minutes before he questioned, "Are Ross and Rachel together at this point?"
Emma couldn't help but chuckle before she spoke, "I'm not even sure that they know."
Killian laughed at that before he popped the last of the chips in his mouth. Emma noticed and spoke, "You're not getting any more."
He only grinned and shook his head. He then told her, "I wouldn't dream of incurring your wrath, Swan."
She raised an eyebrow as she asked, "You sure about that, Jones?"
The annoyance she was trying to convey soon fell away as she started laughing.
Killian grinned once more before he told her, "I do have to admit that it's rather fun getting under your skin."
He then reached over and moved her hair behind her shoulder.
"It's hard not to notice, Killian. You've been doing it for three years," she responded, throwing him an annoyed look.
He only shrugged as he spoke, "Well, Swan, you know what they say about old habits."
Emma rolled her eyes and shook her head in response. She then elbowed him in the side for good measure.
"You know, love, one of these days, you might actually hurt me," Killian told her as he lightly rubbed his side.
"I think you can handle it, Detective," Emma began with a sly smile. Her voice clammed up slightly as she continued, "You were shot after all."
Killian tilted his head at the change of her tone. He then surmised, "You were really rather worried about me, weren't you?"
Emma sighed before she admitted, "I realized that you weren't an obnoxious playboy, and we had become friends. I didn't want you to be badly hurt."
She then turned slightly away from him and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Well, Swan, you certainly handled it better than I did earlier," Killian told her, causing her to look back at him.
She couldn't help but smile as she teased, "Well, I am the more level-headed one between the two of us."
Though Killian knew she was right, he still shook his head as she chuckled.
She then took a sip of his soda, and he teased, "Did you run out of hot chocolate?"
Emma rolled her eyes at him before she pointed out, "I do like other drinks, you know. I don't know why everyone wants to make a big deal whenever I break my routine."
"Because, Swan, everyone who knows you knows how much you detest change," Killian stated. He then scratched behind his ear and quietly added, "Even if the change would be a good one."
"So you think the same thing, then? That I can't see what's right in front of me?" Emma suddenly asked, startling Killian with the disappointment in her voice.
His blue eyes widened as he asked, "Uh, what do you mean, Swan?" suddenly feeling rather nervous.
Emma blinked several times before she asked, "Oh, uh, did I say that out loud?"
"Afraid so, love. And you sounded rather curiously sad," Killian began. He then dragged his fingers through his hair and continued, "I hope you know that I wasn't trying to upset you. I was simply saying that change can be a good thing."
"I know, Killian. And it's not you that I'm upset with - I'm not upset with anyone, really. It's just that earlier, everyone was sort of insistent on the fact that I should be dating," Emma explained before taking a deep breath, purposefully leaving out the part about him.
Killian managed to scale back his surprise before he asked, "Why would they think that?"
"I don't know," Emma honestly answered before taking a sip of her drink. She then took a breath and added, "I guess because Mary Margaret thinks she's Cupid and everyone to be on her side."
Killian laughed at that before Emma soon joined him. When they had sobered, a thought crossed Killian's mind. He was surely going to regret asking this question, but he had to know her answer.
He took a deep breath before he questioned, "So, Swan, how would you…" pausing to clear his throat, "Uh, feel about, um, dating…someone?"
Killian swore he saw a flash of panic in her eyes before she adopted a look of confusion. She then asked, "Why do you ask?"
He ran his fingers through his dark hair as he thought about how to answer her. He decided to go with the truth: "You are an amazing woman, Emma. Any man would be so very lucky to date you."
She looked down so he couldn't see the slight blush rising to her cheeks. Emma Swan did not blush.
"Are you blushing?" Killian asked in surprise before leaning down to get a better look at her face.
Emma looked back up before she defended, "Of course not. Why would I be blushing?" crossing her arms over her chest.
Killian tilted his head as he pointed out, "I know you practically better than anyone, Swan. You rarely blush, so I think I'd know when you were."
The blonde narrowed her eyes at him in response. She then sighed and admitted, "Fine - you and I both know I can't argue with that. I was blushing a little bit."
She then took a breath and continued, "It's just that you're…Killian. You're supposed to tease me and be a ridiculous flirt and be annoying."
He couldn't help but scratch behind his ear as he told her, "I know, Swan. But I also have to be honest with you - how can I not tell you that you're a bloody marvel?"
Emma only stared at him for a moment before she began looking all around the room, running her fingers through her hair and bouncing her leg up and down.
An uncomfortable silence ensued - a rarity for Emma and Killian - before he mumbled, "Bloody hell. You've done it now, Jones," dragging his hand over his face.
He then took a breath and looked back over at Emma. He then spoke, "Please say something, Swan," his voice more pleading than he intended.
She finally looked over at him and challenged, "What the hell do you want me to say, Killian? I don't really date - and you know why - and you're over here telling me that you think that any guy would be lucky to have me?"
Killian sighed as he carefully considered her words and what he should say as to not dig himself a deeper hole.
He then told her, "Listen, Swan, you know how much you mean to me - you're one the most important people in my life. We're best friends, love. I just thought you deserved to know that despite the pain you've experienced, you still deserve to be someone's everything, if only you'd let him."
The look in Killian's blue eyes was almost more than Emma could bear. She had seen that enamored look before - she just failed to notice it.
Despite the fact that she shouldbe terrified, she couldn't bring herself to look away. Both of them soon found themselves lost in each other's eyes.
Emma finally managed to tear herself away, however, when the panic began seeping in.
She quickly got up from the couch - with Killian following her movement - and told him, "I should be getting back to my place," looking everywhere but at him.
"You don't have to go, Emma. We can, uh, finish the show," Killian suggested, desperate to find a reason to make her stay.
"I can't, Killian," she emphatically told him, fear penetrating her tone. She then took a deep breath and covered, "I, um, have laundry to do."
She was out the door before Killian could even try to formulate a response. When she was gone, he sank back down on the couch.
He ran his hand over his face and through his hair before he muttered, "Bloody hell." He then scolded himself, "I knew this would happen, but I opened my bloody mouth anyway."
He then looked toward the door and sighed. He then spoke, "Maybe I haven't lost her completely."
Outside the apartment, Emma had dashed toward the stairwell and was now sank down on a couple of the stairs with her back against the railing.
"This cannot be happening," she groaned as she ran her fingers through her hair.
She and Killian had only ever been friends. Sure, they did spend almost all of their free time together, and he did tend to be a bit - or maybe a lot - flirty, but it never went beyond that.
Until tonight. The way Killian talked about her, the way he looked at her, the way she looked back - it made her wonder if something had been there all along.
She quickly shook her head from those thoughts. She wasn't risking their friendship - she couldn't risk her heart.
"Damn it!" she then cursed aloud, her voice echoing off the walls in the stairwell. This was all her fault. Why in the hell did she even mention anything about dating? She was perfectly content where she was at, and she didn't need a relationship to feel fulfilled.
Even as that very thought crossed her mind, a voice in her head reminded her that Killian had always respected her independence - he only ever wanted to stand by her side and support her if she wantedit.
Isn't that the kind of guy she always wanted to be with?
Emma shook her head once again as she attempted to make sense of her feelings. As much as she wanted to simply forget any of this happened, she wasn't sure she could. And looking into Killian's eyes everyday certainly wasn't going to help.
She sighed as she tried to think of a solution. When she was a kid, she got lucky a few times and was placed in great foster homes. The problem was that she was always waiting for the other shoe to drop - she was waiting for them to turn out like all the others.
She would always run away before they had a chance to prove her right. She never considered the option that they might have just proved her wrong given the chance.
She could take a chance now, but running away from it all - from Killian - seemed like the more attractive option.
However, the more she thought about running, the more her heart wanted her to stay.
Hey, y'all! I hope you all enjoyed the latest installment of "Love in the First Degree!" I just wanted to take a moment to wish all of you a Merry Christmas! Until next time :)