"I ain't working with her!"

"Oh, yes. Yes, you are."

"No, no, no. Sorry, sis, but even I have my limits."

"Really? Where did you find those? See, I know you must have found them because you don't have the money to actually buy… well, anything."

"You're exaggerating, lass." Killian rolled his eyes at his sister, no, his agent, she was 100% in agent mode right now.

Funny thing though - no matter which part she was playing, Ruby Jones was always a pain in his ass.

"I'm not broke, Ruby. I'm just not gonna be buying you a new Ferrari anytime soon."

Something dangerous, almost animalistic, flashed in the brunette's eyes. Something that Killian was usually delighted to see because it meant she was going to hunt down one hell of a role for him. Something that right now, as his little sister stalked towards him in her blood-red 6-inch heels, scared him more than a little bit.

"Yeah, you are!" she said once again, literally shoving the contract in his face.

"No way in hell, David!"

David Nolan took a seat on the black leather couch behind him and with a groan let his head drop in his hands. If there was one nightmare that all agents shared it was a stubborn actor and he had been living the nightmare for the last six years. Oh, he loved the girl but to say she was difficult was a bit of un understatement.

"Emma, please, if you let this chance pass you by, you're going to regret it. I'm begging you here."

"Which part of me wanting to be taken seriously did you not understand?"

"This is exactly why you have to take the part. This movie is not your typical action-packed blockbuster that will blow over in a week. It's going to open you the door to a whole new side of the industry."

"Ugh," Emma Swan buried her hands in her blonde locks and pulled in frustration. "I cannot believe they want to cast that idiot!"

"Of course, they want to cast her! She's Hollywood's golden princess," Killian spat out the word. "Bloody hell! This is it, this is how I'm going to go down."

"Oh, stop being such a drama queen!" Ruby crossed her arms over her chest, glaring down at the brunet who was spread out on the hammock hung in the middle of his living room, hands on the back of his head, swaying leisurely as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Easy for you to say, you won't be the one working with her every bloody day," muttered her brother like a petulant child. "I'm pretty sure she is the most stuck-up creature in the damn industry. And this is Hollywood, Ruby! Having a stick up your ass is basically a given, it's just the size of the stick that you have to worry about. And her stick is rumoured to be the biggest one out there."

"Yeah, well, your stick is rumoured to have been all over there so I don't think you should be throwing stones."

Ruby cut of his leer before it could even fully form.

"Killian, you need that role," she stated, voice growing more serious than exasperated, lips pressing into a thin line. "Unless you want to be doing romantic comedies for the rest of your miserable life."

All she got in response was a groan and her brother trying to turn his back on her. Which ultimately resulted in him tumbling from his hammock right onto the unforgiving floor.

"If you break that pretty face of yours, I won't even be able to get you in on a jell-o commercial."

"I'm not playing beside some stuck-up, half-witted, scruffy-looking 'bad boy'. And, no, I don't care how hot he is."

"You have to stop quoting that movie. You weren't even in it!" groaned David even as his eyes danced with amusement.

"Only because it was made two years before I was born," fired back the blonde, sticking up her nose. "See, that was a hit! A legend! I need something like this, David. And I'm not going to get it while working beside some second-rate drool-magnet. I have to work next to people with real talent, not people with… "

Emma scrunched up her nose. Dammit she was running out of insults. It was a bit hard considering that she hadn't technically even met the guy yet.

"with… pants… panties… panties-dropping talents!" she exclaimed, probably more pleased with herself than she ought to be, before focusing David with a serious look. "I need something life-changing."

"I know," sighed her agent, eyes softening with understanding. "And I need you to trust me when I tell you that this could be it, Emms."

"… Do you have the script already?"

Ruby's triumphant grin did not sit well with Killian Jones. It was his turn to stalk forward, wagging his finger in his sister's smug face.

"Don't look so pleased with yourself, Ruby. I'm not happy about this. I'm in it for the money, sister!"

"You'll get it."

"I better!"

"… Do you have the script already?"

David was seconds away from fist-pumping the air. Emma rolled her eyes, pointing her perfectly manicured finger at him, eyes flashing in warning.

"I'm going to have your head, if this is not the movie revolution you've promised me."

"It will be."

"It better!"

Belle French burst in her boss's office, hair bouncing all over, eyes shining with excitement, beaming with her good news.

"We got them!" she exclaimed, linking her arms behind her back and doing her best not to start bouncing around. "Swan and Jones have both signed a contact."

"Good."

The girl's smile fell slightly at the emotionless response but she just gave a nod and made her way back out of the door.

"Good. We now have a deal."

She was late. She was so fucking late.

Emma's heels hit the pavement as she jogged towards the studio's entrance, clutching her Starbucks as if it was a lifeline. She was sweaty, she was hungry, she was tired and she was so late.

Idiot, idiot, idiot!

Soon enough she was in the heart of the chaos, people hurrying all around her, some not even noticing her, others staring as they passed her by, and some glancing back with raised eyebrows once they realized she looked familiar.

Yeah, only minus any make-up and a proper shower.

Emma ran a hand through her already disheveled hair, struggling to catch her breath and willing her flushed cheeks to return to their normal colour.

Great job, Emma! You wanna be taken seriously? How about you start by coming to work on time?

Cursing under her breath, she almost collided with the person in front of her.

"Hey! Watch it, buddy!" she snapped at the unsuspecting and unlucky stranger.

Alright, so maybe that was actually her fault. She was having a bad day so sue her.

"Bloody hell!" the accented voice reached her ears as she felt the warm hand on her arm trying to steady her. "Easy there, lass."

The blonde finally looked up. Oh! She had heard that the bastard was attractive but this was ridiculous. Those eyes in particular.

However, before Emma could really get lost in the ocean that was Killian Jones' gaze, he had snatched the coffee out of her hand and taken a generous gulp. She couldn't stop the little indignant gasp or the way her jaw remained hanging in shock afterwards.

What the actual f-

"I prefer it with sugar," he drowned out, handling her back the cup and licking his insanely full lips. "Don't worry you'll learn."

Snapping her mouth shut, Emma scoffed and gave him the sweetest fakest smile she had.

"I've worked with some real dickheads but not knowing your own co-stars has to be a new low," she gritted out, pretty sure that he would start smoking from the heat of her glare any second now.

"Oh!" Killian's eyes widened and he let out an over-dramatic gasp.

Dear God, if those are his acting skills this movie is already doomed.

"My apologies, princess, they must have gone too far with the airbrushing on those photos I saw."

"Lovely. And here I thought you couldn't be worse than I imagined."

Suddenly Killian Jones was so far into her personal space that Emma had to take a step back, glaring up at his smug face.

"Well, darling," he murmured, leaning towards her ear. "You should… exercise your imagination more."

Emma growled in warning at the part of her that wanted to swoon at the way his tongue wrapped around the word 'exercise'.

Gagging, Emma! Gagging in disgust is the appropriate reaction. Geez! He's an asshole and you know it.

"And you should really mind your own business," she hissed at the brunet. "And while we're at it, let me tell you what else you should do. You should keep your cheap cologne and overused innuendos as far away from me as possible. Because, frankly, I have absolutely no desire to communicate with you. In any way. But since obviously I will have to, you can bet your over-confident ass that I'm going to make damn sure our interactions are brought down to the bare minimum. Basically? If you're not shooting a scene with me? You do not exist. And I'm ridiculously happy about it."

"Oh, you're tough lass."

Killian leaned back a bit, humming and obviously sizing her up, surprise and something suspiciously close to respect shining in his eyes. And then he was once again in her face, breath hot and smelling of peppermint.

"But worry not, I love a challenge," and with a grin and an infuriating wink he was sauntering away before the blonde could scoff at him once more for good measure.

"Ugh," Emma shook her head, trying to control the rage radiating from every pore of her being. "No movie is worth this!"