Originally posted as a Captain Swan Secret Valentine gift for the lovely cocohook38. The story is based off of one of her amazing pieces of artwork.

Emma liked working in the empty sheriff's station sometimes. It was calm and quiet - nothing like the times when the town was in crisis and she needed to save it from some monster or witch. Not only were those incidents tough and nerve-wracking, but they also led to a ton of paperwork later.

This time, it was Elsa and Anna. Both became good friends to Emma but working with them also meant she couldn't close the little cases in town. Petty theft and graffiti and the random complaint about a doorbell ditch (she suspected one of the dwarves) didn't stop for a Snow Queen. And unfortunately, all those cases needed paperwork. She once asked Regina if they could computerize the sheriff's department files or maybe conjure up some sort of magic to finish them quicker. Regina just gave her a smirk and walked away.

Emma also didn't mind doing it on this particular night since it was Valentine's Day. She figured her parents needed a little break so she told David not to worry about helping out. Granny's was having a romantic dinner special and Belle had volunteered to baby-sit so David and Mary Margaret could have a night out together.

And so Emma sat, signing papers and stamping them with the Storybrooke sheriff's seal. She was finally filing away the last folders when she heard the front door open and turned to find Killian walking into her office.

"Good evening, love."

She smiled and shoved the file drawer closed. "Hey! I wasn't expecting to see you tonight."

"I just thought I would stop by and see how the sheriff was doing."

Emma walked over and gave him a kiss before pulling back skeptically. "But what are you really doing here?"

"I don't understand," he replied innocently.

"Why do you have your bag with you?"

Killian gave her a tight smile and pulled away. "It's called a satchel, love, and there's no particular reason for it."

Emma just stared at him and crossed her arms in front of her, waiting to see how long it would take to break him. She knew he wasn't telling her the truth and she knew it wouldn't take much to get it out of him.

"Fine. There is something."

Emma bit her lip, trying to suppress her smile - and failing. "So what's your plan, pirate?"

He just looked at her and smiled. "I know you were thinking about going home, but have a seat, love."

He motioned for her to sit back down at her desk and promptly pulled up a chair next to her. Then he put the satchel and started pulling items out of it. A thermos. Two styrofoam cups. A can of whipped cream. Some cinnamon.

"There better be some hot chocolate in that thermos, pirate," she said, a smirk forming on her lips.

"Maybe," he said, opening it to release the warm smell of chocolate from inside.

Killian took the two cups and began to pour the hot chocolate as Emma busied herself with the whipped cream and cinnamon to top them off. The pirate held his cup up and lightly tapped hers with it. "To a happy Valentine's Day," he said, taking a sip.

"A what?" Emma asked with a confused look on her face.

Killian's grin was quickly replaced with a look of doubt. "Uh, your son said today was a day to celebrate people you care about by doing something nice for them."

"Is that what Henry told you?"

"Aye," he said. "Was he wrong?"

"No, he wasn't wrong." She took a sip of her hot chocolate, looking over the edge of the cup to see her pirate was still unsure of himself. She gently put her cup down on the table and took Killian's hand. "Thank you, Killian. This is perfect."

"Really? Because I know David took Mary Margaret to dinner, but every restaurant was booked by the time Henry told me of the tradition in this realm."

"When did Henry tell you?"

"This morning."

Emma pulled her hand away and reached for her hot chocolate. "Yea, there was no way. You needed to get a reservation weeks ago." She scoffed and took another sip, the chocolate warming her chest as it went down. "Besides, I don't really make a big deal out of Valentine's Day so this is perfect."

"Good," he said smiling before taking the cup back in his hand. "So why don't you make a big deal out of this day when everyone else seems to be doing so?"

She shrugged. "I've just never had anyone special to spend it with, and now I don't care so I don't feel like I'm missing anything."

"You don't care about having a day to tell someone you love them?" he asked apprehensively.

Emma put a reassuring hand on his leg and leaned over. "I don't need to have an excuse like a made-up holiday to tell someone I care about them, Killian." She leaned over and kissed his cheek, his scruff scratching her lips in a way that she found amazing. "I do appreciate the effort you put in though. This is really nice."

A quiet and comfortable silence descended around them as they drank a few more sips from their cups.

"You know, Swan. This may be nice, but your office isn't the most romantic place. Perhaps we should get back to your apartment and watch Netflix?"

She smirked and downed the rest of her hot cocoa. "You do know Henry is there, right?"

"He has some explaining to do so that should be fine."

"What explaining?" she asked, a small laugh bubbling from inside her as Killian packed up their things into his bag.

"He didn't tell me about your particular stance on this holiday," he responded. She could tell by his voice that he was more amused than bitter about her son trying to play Cupid for the two of them. He stood up and gave her his hand.

"Be easy on him, Killian. He just wants us to be happy."

"We'll see how happy he is when I make him clean the barnacles off my ship in the spring."

She laughed. "They're called boats here, and it's not yours if you rent it."

"Sorry, Swan. Old habits and all that."

She put her arms around his neck and leaned in. "That was a romantic gesture, by the way. Giving up…you know..." She couldn't finish, the emotion for what he had done for her getting caught in her throat.

"It was the right thing to do, Swan, and I never regret it." He kissed the top of her head before ducking out of her grasp to throw his satchel over his shoulder. "You ready?"

"Let me grab my coat."

Killian beat her to the coat tree in the corner of her office and held it up for her as she slipped her hands in and buttoned it up. Then she took her red scarf that he had hung on his hook and wrapped it around her neck. The two of them walked out of the sheriff's station with Emma locking up behind her as Killian grabbed her hand and laced his fingers through hers.

He pulled her around the corner and towards her new apartment near the docks. It was quiet enough that she could hear the water lapping against the sea wall and the boats gently rocking with the waves. Killian, however, was unusually silent and hadn't even cracked a joke or added some sarcastic remark as they wandered the streets.

"What's going on in that head of yours, Jones?"

"There's just something quiet and comforting about the stars." He shrugged and pulled her hand closer. "I guess it's just the sailor in me."

"We don't have to get home right now if you want to stop for a second."

He glanced down at her, a look of awe in his eyes. "I would like that."

"Come on."

She gave his hand a slight tug and pulled him over to the edge of the dock, leaning on the old wooden rail for support. He put his arm around her waist to pull her close and keep them warm. They both looked up at the little lights crisp and sharp in the night sky. Even in the cold, there was something warm and comforting for her in this spot with him, knowing how much the sky put him at ease. And then she saw it - a bright shooting star streaking its way across the black abyss above them.

"Make a wish, Killian," she whispered.

"No need, love. Everything I wish for is right here."