Disclaimer: I don't own OUAT

Title comes from Sara Bareilles' "A Soft Place to Land"

-K-

Killian Jones is exhausted. And starving. But he can't fall asleep without filling his belly first, and yet, he is afraid that if he sits down for a meal, he'll find himself falling face-first into his food. He's too busy juggling this conundrum to realize his best mate passing the restaurant that they frequent after shifts until Will Scarlet has driven the car halfway across town.

"What the bloody hell is this? You drove us past a perfectly good diner to, what, the exact replica halfway across town?" Killian grumbles once he spots the familiar signage above the door.

"What? I fancied me a slice of pie." Will retorts innocently, getting out of the car.

Annoyance keeps Killian awake, so he clings onto it, "You could've had pie at the Misthaven Diner across the street from the firehouse."

Will waves his hand dismissively, "Nah, that's not pie."

Killian stalks through the doorway, not bothering to hold the door open for Will, "I'm pretty sure it is-,"

"Hold on, Billy, don't close the grill quite yet."

He almost doesn't hear her musical voice over the chime of the bell over the door, but he definitely sees the girl in front of them.

She's young, mid-twenties mayo and slender, her golden curls are pulled up into a ponytail which sways back and forth gently as she wipes down the bar in front of her. There's an apron tied to her waist, embroidered with flowers and clearly well-loved, but other than that, her white blouse and red skirt are the same as the other waitress' at the diner by the firehouse.

"'Ello, love." Will steps in beside Killian, clearly unbothered by the fact he's just interrupted the diner's closing rituals. Before Killian can push Will out the door and pummel him for ruining everyone's nights, the waitress looks up and Killian is met with the most enchanting green eyes he's ever seen.

"Will Scarlet, I should have known it was you." Her tone of voice matches Killian's harried mood and he decides that he likes her immensely. But her eyes are warm as she grabs two menus off the back counter before leading them to a nearby booth, fondly smacking Will with the menus for good measure before placing them on the table.

"Easy there, we've come from a long ways away to see you." Will laments, rubbing his shoulder.

"Ah, yes, I see you've brought a friend. I'm Emma." Emma turns to Killian with a much nicer expression on her face and extends her hand to shake. Odd behavior from a waitress, but Killian gives her hand a firm shake, his full name spilling from his lips as automatically.

"I'll have the usual, if you please. He'll have the same." Will sweeps both menus off the table and hands them back to Emma before Killian can even think of reaching for one.

"Oi, mate-,"

Will gives him a trust me look with downturned lips and a closed eyed nod. Too tired to argue, Killian slumps back in his seat and runs a hand through his already disheveled hair.

"Decaf coffee?"

Will nods again and Emma disappears to the counter.

"Wait 'til you taste their pie, you'll never want to go back to the other diner again. I told you I'd get you situated in this town and we can't do that with you mopin' around like that all the bloody time." Will chastises him as if Killian is throwing a temper tantrum.

"Well, he probably would be more amiable if you'd just let him sleep." Emma is back again with their coffees and Killian is ready to declare her his savior if she continues to dish it out to Will the way she is.

"Food'll be right out," She promises as Killian mumbles his thanks. Maybe the taste of coffee will trick his body into thinking it's getting caffeine long enough to make it through this meal.

"You'll have to excuse him, he's usually much smoother than this." Killian's too busy inhaling coffee to react to Will's comment, but Emma defends him again.

"Yeah, long shifts and jet lag will do that to you."

Killian's gaze shoots up to her. Damn, she's beautiful, like an angel.

Emma shrugs a little shyly, "It's a small town. People talk."

Cool it, Jones. You're delirious.

"Order up!"

Emma leaves to fetch their food and Will rubs his hands together in anticipation, "Just you wait, mate. You're about to taste the best cherry pie, you'll never get cross with me again for draggin' you 'round town." He says confidently.

Killian just hopes he has enough energy to even chew his food.

"Here you boys go." Emma slides two steaming plates in front of them with a small smirk.

"Oi! Where's me pie?" Will protests, looking back and forth between his plate and their waitress.

Killian just stares down at his own plate, transfixed. "I didn't know you had this on the menu." He mumbles, picking up his fork as if in a trance. Which, he probably is right now. Mentally preparing himself to wake up in his cot at the firehouse any second now, he lifts the first bite to his lips and is relieved to taste the eggs, exactly how he remembers it from his childhood. Eggs, scrambled perfectly with cut-up bits of sausage and chopped green bell peppers, just the way Will's mother used to make for them when they were wee lads, bursting into the kitchen after running all the way home from school.

"I had the cook make it up special." Emma puts her hands on her hips, glaring down at Will, "You know the drill, Scarlet. Real food first. Then, pie."

Will picks up his fork dutifully and shovels a bite into his mouth, his eyes never breaking the challenging stare he holds with emma and Killian is transported back to his childhood again, to a much younger Will with the exact same defiant glare.

Yeah, he's definitely dreaming.

Before he knows it, the eggs are gone and his plate is whisked away in exchange for a new plate with cherry pie, topped with a melting scoop of ice cream.

"Aye, that's the ticket." Will digs in eagerly and Killian's first mouthful is like a taste of heaven a moan slipping past his lips as his tongue savors the warm pie filling and the cold ice cream, the sweet flavor of vanilla bean soothing the tartness of the cherries.

Emma shoots him a bemused glance but Killian is too far into his half-asleep state to be embarrassed.

"Told ya it was good stuff." Will says over his mouthful and Killian has to agree. Emma just shakes her head, a small smile on her face as she bustles away to continue wiping down tables. Killian watches her blearily, a strong sense of contentment washing over him with his fully belly and nostalgic memories. Will's probably going to have to carry him back to the car, but it's okay, it's not the worst way to end this very pleasant dream.

A/N: Hello and welcome to this fic! This idea has been floating around in my head for a while, ever since I started rewatching OUAT while simultaneously listening to Bareilles' "What's Inside" album. Please feel free to drop me a comment, review, or whatever and let me know what you think! (Halfway through writing this, I remembered that Emma once told Henry his father was a fireman and this is NOT going to be following that storyline if anyone was wondering)