Emma burst through the door to her apartment and let her keys clatter noisily on the counter. She leaned against the cool granite of the kitchen island top and let out a long breath, testing her shoulder. It smarted as she rolled it and she knew there was going to be a bruise from where her mark threw her against the brick wall. Life as a bail bondsperson was not for the faint at heart. But she had got the perp in the end and made sure he was tucked safe and sound in the holding cell with the NYPD before heading home.

Emma pulled out the bottle of rum from the cabinet her best friend had given her for her birthday.

'For the little bit of pirate in you. Happy birthday, Swan. --Killian' The tag read.

She smirked at the inscription and popped the top off, then paused. She was not about to drink this alone. Emma pulled out her phone and hit a familiar number in her contacts.

"...Swan? What time is it?" Killian's sleepy British accent came on the line.

"Up and at em, Jones." Emma said cheerily. "I've had a shit day and I need a pirate to polish off my birthday rum with me."

"You've got to be bloody kidding me." He groaned.

"Not kidding. Pleeeeease." She whined.

"Alright, alright. I'll be there in a few minutes." He grumbled.

"I love it when I win." She grinned.

"I can never say no to you, Emma. See you soon." He ended the call and she went into her room to change out of her sweaty clothes. She settled on a pink tank top and pajama pants covered with rubber duckies. As she made her way out into the kitchen again, she pulled her long golden tresses into an elastic band and a knock sounded at her door.

She smiled again as she went to open it. Killian Jones leaned against her doorway, clad in navy checked flannel pajama pants, his powder blue t-shirt showing beneath his black leather jacket. His black shaggy hair was especially unkempt and she knew he had came straight over from her rude awakening.

"It's midnight." He informed her as he made his way inside.

"I know." She replied with a smile.

"You're lucky it's the weekend." He shrugged his jacket off and slung it over the back of a chair at the bartop.

"C'mon, Killian. I need a friend tonight." She made her way around the counter and retrieved two glasses from the cabinet above her sink. She plunked a few cubes of ice in one and filled them both halfway, sliding the ice-free glass in front of her sleepy friend.

"Watered down rum, what an abomination." He smirked and took a liberal sip from the glass in front of him.

"Well, I suppose I'll have to drink it quickly then before the ice melts." She giggled and grabbed her glass in one hand and the bottle of rum in the other, making her way into the living room. Killian followed and flopped down on the end of the pea green sofa. Emma settled in on the other side of the couch and pointed a remote at the stereo. Quiet music began to play in the background.

"So, tell me about this 'shit day' of yours." Killian shifted to face her as she took a long drink from her glass and shrugged.

"Caught up with a mark today, got tossed around a little bit, and threw his ass in jail." She swirled the rum around in her glass, ice cubes clinking against the sides.

"Tossed around? Are you okay?" He sat forward, concerned.

"Yeah, just a little bruised." She drained her glass and poured herself another drink, exposing the bruise on her shoulder.

Killian leaned towards her and inhaled through his teeth. "Looks painful."

"You should see the other guy." She gave him a glance out of the corner of her eye with a smirk. "My line of work isn't as glamorous as yours."

"Yeah, because I just laze about the office all day." He smirked back. "You bring them in, I make sure the bad ones stay there."

Emma reached over to Killian's empty glass and poured another drink for him. "Lawyers." She rolled her eyes.

"Bail bonds people." He retorted.

"Watch it, Jones." She pointed jokingly and took another large sip from her glass.

"My apologies, fair Swan." He swept his hand out and bowed his head, looking back up at her with a million dollar smile that would've made any other girl melt into a puddle. She'd seen it happen countless times before.

"Let's play a game." She sat up and crossed her legs, turning towards him.

"A game?" He cocked an eyebrow in her direction. "What kind of game?"

"I don't know...truth or dare." She said with a sparkle in her bright green eyes.

"Okay, you start." He acquiesced.

"Truth." She said decidedly.

"Chicken." He grinned back. "Okay, why did you break up with August?"

"I don't know. Because he was too...safe. There wasn't any excitement." She shrugged. "Your turn."

"Okay, truth."

"Who's the chicken now?" She teased.

"Just ask the question, Swan." He smiled and took another drink.

"Okay, what's your biggest regret?" She asked, staring into his clear blue eyes and refilled both of their empty glasses again.

"Not telling my brother what he meant to me before he died." He replied, a tinge of sadness in his voice.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He shifted one of his legs beneath him as he turned to face her straight on. "Your turn."

"Dare." She said with a small smile.

"I dare you to finish your drink without touching the glass with your hands." He smirked.

"Give me a challenge, why don't you." She dipped her head and latched onto the glass rim with her teeth and drained it expertly. She plunked it back down onto the coffee table and wiped her mouth with the back of her hand before pouring herself another round. "You go."

"Truth."

"Again?" She rolled her eyes. "Okay, why do you like being friends with me?"

"Because you're strong, funny, intelligent, the most giving person I've ever met, and a bloody good drinking mate." He tipped his glass to her and drained its contents. He reached across and poured his own drink this time.

"Okay, my turn, truth." She said, starting to feel the effects of the alcohol in her system.

"Why are you friends with me?" He asked, sipping his glass and gazing at her with a dark sexiness over the top of the rim.

"You're not supposed to ask the same question."

"Forgive the formality." He shrugged and smiled.

"I never met anybody who gets me like you do. I can just be myself when I'm around you." She smiled.

"Well that's good, I suppose." Killian replied. "I pick dare."

Emma was silent for a moment and set her glass back down, scooting forward on the couch towards Killian.

"Kiss me." She said and his heart skipped a beat.

"W-what?" He laughed nervously.

"I dare you to kiss me." She put her hand on his thigh and he could feel his heartbeat in his throat. He had always been attracted to Emma, but his feelings had been bottled up, knowing she would never feel the same. But here she was, leaning into his lap, practically begging him to kiss her.

"I think you've had a little too much to drink, Swan." He shifted uncomfortably.

"What's the matter, scared?" She teased, her eyes boring into his.

"No, I just-"

"Then kiss me. It's a dare. You have to do it." She moved closer still until their knees were touching.

"Sod it." He said, letting his fingers curl around the nape of her neck and pulled her lips against his. Her lips were like velvet, moving softly against his as he kissed her gently. He pulled away after a moment and her green eyes fluttered open lustily.

"Again..." She whispered.

"Swan..." He murmured cautiously. "I don't want to take this anywhere either of us might regret."

"I trust you, Killian. This is not something I'd regret. Again." She urged and pulled him closer by the t-shirt. His lips descended on hers with a hunger this time. His teeth collided with hers and he ran his tongue along them, asking entrance. Emma's mouth opened and his tongue dashed inside. She moaned against his mouth and he growled in response, pushing her back into the sofa. His hands skimmed down her sides to her hips and let his thumbs skim the bare flesh between her tank top hem and her pant line.

"Emma..." He drew ragged breaths as he said her name against her lips, asking permission to take things further.

"Yes, Killian. I want you." She answered, reaching down and pulling him closer by his waistband. He pulled his shirt over his head and kissed her again, trailing his lips down her jawline onto her throat as his hands moved higher up her flesh under her tank top. His hand closed around her bare breast and she arched her back into his palm, relishing the feeling. He ground his hips into hers as she parted her thighs, kissing his way from one side of her collarbone to the other. She reached down between them and pulled her tank top over her head. Killian inhaled sharply at the sight of her creamy skin and dipped his head to take a peak into his mouth.

Emma groaned and threaded her fingers through his scruffy black hair, pulling him closer as he flicked his tongue over a swollen nipple. He nipped his way from one breast to the other and his hand slipped below her pajama fabric and found her center.

"No underwear, Swan? I approve." He nuzzled her breast with the scruff of his bearded cheek and pushed his middle finger into her folds. She rocked against his hand as he stroked and continued his ministrations to her sensitive chest. She pulled him up by the hair.

"Enough, Killian. I want you. Now." Her eyes burned into his. He stood and removed his pajama bottoms and Emma scrambled out of hers as well. He shifted his weight back on top of her and slid inside her warmth with ease.

"Bloody hell, Emma." He growled through clenched teeth and began to move. She wrapped her legs around his waist and her fingernails bit into his sculpted back. The pendant he wore around his neck dangled between them, tracing rhythmic patterns over her breasts as they moved together.

"Oh, God, Killian..." She moaned out and gasped, finding her release.

"Yes..." He hissed, emptying himself into her. He eased out of her and collapsed with his head on her stomach, panting.

"Jesus Christ." He gasped.

"Hmm." Emma smiled contentedly and ran her fingers through his hair, drifting off to sleep.

"Killian. Killian, wake up, I have to pee."

Killian opened his eyes and the room felt too bright around him. He groaned as he lifted his head and was shocked to find he had fallen asleep on Emma's naked stomach. Somehow during the night, they had pulled the knitted throw on the back of the couch over their bodies.

"Uh, sorry about that, luv." He sat up and covered himself self-consciously with the blanket. Emma drug her clothes on and smiled at him.

"No problem." She sashayed away to the bathroom.

Killian blew out a long breath and pulled on his pajama pants, shaking his head.

"What the hell were you thinking, Jones." He muttered to himself. Thoughts from the night before, Emma writhing beneath him, kissing him back and looking at him with those come-hither eyes flooded his mind. He drug his t-shirt over his head and ran his hand through his hair.

Emma emerged from the bathroom, looking radiant. He watched her as she walked into the kitchen and put coffee on.

"Hungry?" She asked as Killian padded into the kitchen barefoot.

"Sure." He sat down on the chair at the bar counter. "I think we should talk about last night, Swan." He fiddled with the edge of the counter, avoiding her eyes as she pulled eggs and a few other ingredients from the refrigerator.

"What's there to talk about?" She shrugged and clicked on the stove top, pulling a pan onto it. "Just two friends, helping each other out." She smiled warmly at him and began to crack eggs into the pan. "What do you want in your omelet?"

"Anything is fine. Just friends? You don't...regret anything?" He asked. She shook her head.

"Killian, you're my best friend. I couldn't jeopardize what we have over something like that. I had fun, you had fun. It was nice. And we're still friends." She sprinkled some spinach, mushrooms, and cheese into the pan and flipped the eggs with a spatula.

Emma put the omelet on a plate and stuck a fork into it, placing it in front of Killian. He dug into it and hummed appreciatively as she began cooking herself breakfast.

"This is damn good, Swan." He said and got up to fix them both a cup of coffee. "Two spoons of sugar, one cream, right?"

"You remembered." She smiled sweetly and plated her omelet, taking a seat next to his and beginning to eat.

Killian placed a cup of coffee in front of her and sat down to finish his food sipping the black coffee in front of him. His phone chirped, indicating he had a message. Reaching around and pulling his phone free from his jacket pocket, he noticed it was just a news update.

"Ah, got to head into the office this morning. My boss needs a file from a case I'm working." He lied.

"Oh, okay." Emma said, almost sadly.

He drained his cup in one swallow and rinsed it and his plate in the sink. Kissing her on the cheek, he turned and picked up his jacket.

"Thanks for breakfast, luv. I'll call you later." He flashed her a smile and headed out the door. As it closed behind him, he felt a pang in his stomach.

'Just two friends, helping each other out.' Emma's words rang through his mind.

"Friends." He muttered and headed to the elevator. He should have known better.

Emma sat alone at the counter, finishing her food and coffee in silence. When she finished, she loaded her and Killian's dishes in the dishwasher. She walked into the living room and picked up the glasses from the table in one hand and the nearly empty bottle of rum in the other. She smiled softly at the memory of their drinking game and everything that followed as she put the rum back in the cabinet and the glasses in the dishwasher as well. She closed it and pushed a few buttons, the machine whirring in response, breaking the silence.

As she made her way back into her living room, she saw the blanket they'd covered themselves with the night before in a heap at the end of the couch. She gathered it in her arms and inhaled its scent. It smelled like Killian's cologne, spicy and sweet.

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." She grumbled and flung the blanket back over the couch.

She'd wanted him for as long as she'd known him, and now that she'd had him, she secretly knew she wouldn't be okay with them just being friends again. But he could never want her like that. And she couldn't lose her best friend.

She sighed and turned on the TV. She shook her head and angrily wiped away the tear that had formed at the corner of her eye.

"Stupid."