AN: This is written for a prompt sent to me by swanstan on Tumblr for a fake relationship fic with a similar feel to Fun, Celebration, Freedom (I hope you enjoy, my dear!). I hope you all don't find this too similar, it's going to be slightly more angsty but still lots of fun. It was only supposed to be a one shot but once I started writing it I found that it was going to be a lot longer than I'd planned, so I decided to break it up. Expect maybe three parts, but I'll see how I go as I write it.

More Than You Bargained For - Part One

Taking another packet of serviettes, Emma tore off the plastic and continued filling up the dispenser, wishing that the diner was busy so the day would move more quickly at least. Grimacing at the way her stomach growled loudly, she looked over her shoulder to check the time, sighing when she saw that it was still an hour until her break. She'd been awake late last night and so had slept through her alarm, and had barely had time to shower and get dressed before she'd come to work. There hadn't been time to even think about breakfast, and now she was wishing that she'd eaten anyway and just suffered the consequences of being late.

She certainly didn't want to think about why she'd been awake so late, knowing that she wouldn't have a choice when Ruby and Killian joined her for lunch.

The sound of the door opening and the accompanying bell ringing made Emma look up eagerly; a customer would take her attention for a few minutes at least. Her smile faded and her heart dropped when she saw who had entered the diner and she quickly turned away, considering just walking away and asking Granny to cover for her for a few minutes, but her boss was in the kitchen out the back and she knew how childish it would look if she had to get Granny to serve him.

So instead she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, clenching her fists for a second before she turned back around. Bracing herself while trying to look like she wasn't, she took the notepad and pencil from the pocket of her apron and looked the customer straight in the eye. 'What can I get for you?' she asked in the most stoic voice she could manage.

Neal's smile faltered a little but picked right back up after only a second and he leaned forward, propping his elbows on the counter. 'Hi, Emma. I'm doing great, thanks for asking. How about you?'

Emma's jaw clenched and her fingers tightened around the pencil in her hand, but she forced herself to not react any more than that. Ignoring the warmth of his smile and the joke in his words, she repeated her question in the same tone.

When he leaned further forward, she had to resist the instinct to step back. He didn't get to get a reaction out of her, no way. 'How about a drink?' he said. 'My shout.'

'It's eleven o'clock, and I'm working,' she said pointedly.

'Later, then. Meet me at the Rabbit Hole after work for a while.'

She bit back a laugh, knowing he'd probably only take it as encouragement. Yes, she'd just love to see Neal show his face at the Rabbit Hole, where she knew Killian would be working tonight. Especially if she could hide in the corner and watch as Killian's fist met Neal's face. No, scrap that - she'd pay for front seat tickets. 'I'm not drinking with you, Neal,' she said bluntly. 'And if you can't see for yourself, I'm working.' As if to prove her point, she picked up a cloth and started wiping down the clean counter, hoping he'd get the hint and leave.

Neal scoffed, gesturing grandly to the empty diner. 'Yeah, yeah. Working real hard. Run off your feet, clearly.' He sat down on a stool opposite from her, then stood up and followed her along the counter when she moved away from him. 'Come on, Ems. I'll only be home for a week or so. I thought it would be nice to catch up now that I'm back.'

Typical - he wanted her for his fun, then he was going to up and leave again. What type of person did he think she was? 'I'm seeing someone,' she blurted out, desperate for him to just leave her alone. Straight away, though, she wished she could take the words back. She didn't want to hide behind a lie, but she knew that her workplace wasn't the place to tell him what she really wanted to. Once she started, she wasn't sure that she'd be able to stop. Hopefully if he thought she had a boyfriend then he'd back off - if he was only here for a few days then why was he even bothering with her?

Neal rolled his eyes, obviously seeing the lie, and looked at her with what looked like a combination of frustration and amusement. 'Whatever. I -' He paused when the door opened and a couple walked in, smiling and chatting to each other as they slowly approached one of the booths by the window. 'You'll talk to me before I go,' he said, lowering his voice and staring her down firmly. 'I'm going to Victor's party tomorrow night, I know you'll be there.' He smiled at her warmly then, and she felt a shiver at the contrast between his words and his expression. 'I look forward to seeing you, babe.'

Emma waited until the door had closed behind him before she leaned heavily against the counter, closing her eyes and scrubbing her hands across her face. She was glad that he either hadn't noticed how tired she looked, or just hadn't commented on it, since she hadn't wanted to try and avoid explaining to him that he was the reason why she hadn't gotten any sleep.

She shouldn't have been surprised that he'd shown up at her work. When she'd found out the night before that he was back in town she'd hoped that she'd somehow be able to avoid him, but clearly that was too much of an ask. What worried her the most was the look on his face before he left. She'd seen that before, when they'd first met and he'd made it clear that he wasn't going to take no for an answer. She had been younger in body and in mind, and his persistence had made her feel wanted, like she was worth something.

They'd been together for two years, until just over a year ago he'd decided that he wanted to travel, to see the world. And apparently, he could only do that if he was single, and there was only one reason why that would matter to him. But it was all right, he'd promised her. They could pick right back up when he came back.

Yeah. Right.

She wasn't sure whether he'd been serious about the last part or whether he was misguidedly trying to make her feel better, but either way she knew that she'd never wanted anything to do with him again. Apparently he'd meant it, which in her opinion was actually the worse of the two options.

The knowledge that he thought that low of her felt like a knife twisting in her stomach.

Taking a deep breath, she plastered on her happy face and went to take her new customers' orders.

Balling up her apron, Emma tossed it on the counter and grabbed the plates of burgers and fries, carrying them over to join Ruby and Killian. Putting their meals down in front of them, she slipped into the booth seat opposite them, folding her arms on the table and dropping her head into them.

There was silence for a few seconds, and she could practically feel the two of them glance at each other worriedly. 'You never know,' Ruby said after a few seconds. 'You might not even see him.'

Emma snorted, pressing her forehead into the table. 'Too late.'

'What?' She straightened reluctantly to grimace at Ruby, who was staring at her in surprise. 'He came here?'

Shrugging, she stole a chip from Killian's plate. She'd thought she'd lost her appetite, but seeing the food in front of them now reminded her that she still hadn't eaten anything that day. She frowned at him when he didn't react at all as she swirled the chip in his sauce. 'He did, and I brushed him off, and he left. It's fine.'

'It's not fine,' Killian said, his eyes filled with concern.

'Of course it's not fine,' Ruby said, glancing quickly at her brother. 'But hopefully he knows to keep his distance now that you've spoken to him.' Her tone made the words more of a question, and she could tell from Ruby's face that she wasn't really seeing much truth behind them.

'I only had to tell him no half a dozen times,' she said. 'And even then his parting words were that he'd catch up with me at the party tomorrow. So yeah, not much hope of avoiding him.'

'We'll talk to Victor,' Killian offered. 'Get him to tell Neal he can't come.'

'Pretty sure Victor invited him.'

'Well we'll tell Victor that we can't come.' Ruby nodded, as if that settled it.

Emma raised her eyebrows at her, unimpressed, and turned that look to Killian when he appeared to be agreeing with Ruby. 'Don't be daft,' she told them. 'It's Victor's birthday and you're his girlfriend. And you're his best friend,' she said to Killian, stealing another one of his chips and pointing it at him. 'Neither of you can just not go.'

'Well you can't be the only one that doesn't go,' Killian pointed out, finally swatting her away from his food.

She started on Ruby's instead. 'I won't be, because I'm going.' She grimaced, the food suddenly feeling dry in her mouth, and swallowed it down uncomfortably as she looked down at the table. 'I can't let him think that he still bothers me. He does, but not because I miss him or because I'm not over him. I need to let him know that he didn't break me.' Sighing heavily, she smiled guiltily and looked up at them reluctantly. 'All I have to do is find a date for tomorrow,' she said flippantly.

Faced with their confused looks, Emma quickly filled them in on the whole of her conversation with Neal, ending with the part where she might have told him that she had a boyfriend. Ruby thought it was hilarious but Killian looked at her askance. 'So you don't miss him and you're over him, but you felt the need to make him jealous.'

'I wasn't trying to make him jealous,' she said quickly. 'I just wanted to get him to back off and it was the first thing I thought of. Not that it worked.' Feeling better about Ruby's reaction, she focused on that instead. 'So Rubes. I didn't actually tell him that I had a boyfriend, I just told him I was seeing someone.' She leaned forward, grinning at Ruby and waggling her eyebrows at her suggestively. 'Will you be my girlfriend?'

Ruby burst out laughing. 'Of course, Emma, I thought you'd never ask!' she said dramatically, putting her hand over her heart.

Emma considered running with it just for the laugh, but then shook her head reluctantly. 'He'd never buy it,' she said. If he confronted her about it, she'd just have to say that he wasn't well, or he was away, or he lived elsewhere. Or, she could just suck it up and admit that she'd been lying, but she really didn't want to see his reaction to that. She knew that he'd assume the same thing as Killian, and she wished she hadn't said anything at all.

'I know!' Ruby said, clapping her hands together excitedly, and Emma almost didn't want to know what had put such a look on her face. She bit back a groan when she twisted in her seat to look at Killian. 'You can be her boyfriend!'

Killian's eyes widened and he sat up straighter, hands spreading flat across the table. 'Don't be ridiculous,' he said, looking at Ruby in such a way that Emma was sure he was trying to convey something to her. 'Emma doesn't have to pretend to have boyfriend.'

Ruby rolled her eyes at him. 'Of course she does. Can you imagine how much shit Neal's going to give her if she rocks up without one? Are you going to make yourself the cause of that?'

'I'm not the cause of it. She doesn't need a boyfriend to convince him that she's fine without him.' He turned back to face Emma. 'You don't need a boyfriend to convince him that you're fine,' he repeated to her, his voice dropping slightly.

'Come on, it'll be fun,' Ruby said, slapping Killian on the arm to get his attention again. Killian held Emma's eyes for a few seconds, his mood clearly a lot more serious than Ruby's, but after a moment he looked away. 'And just think, it'll give you a reason to punch him in the face if he acts like a total dick,' she pointed out.

Emma looked between the two of them, caught between both of their points of view. She knew she didn't need to convince anyone of anything, but she'd still feel all kinds of embarrassed if Neal found out she'd lied to him. Killian was watching her again, exasperation mingling with concern in his eyes, and she smiled up at him apologetically, ignoring what Ruby was saying. 'Please?' she said quietly. 'Just until he leaves. Just for tomorrow night, really. I'll owe you a big one.'

He didn't answer straight away and she watched him carefully, trying to guess his response. Eventually he dropped his head to the table like she'd done earlier, but banged it against the surface a few times. 'Fine,' he groaned, and Emma laughed at the way Ruby's face lit up so completely. 'I hate you both,' he grumbled.

'This is going to be so much fun!' Ruby sang, reaching across the table again to shake her arm this time.

Emma snuck her other arm out and grabbed a hold of Killian's plate, slowly sneaking it closer to her. 'That's not a very nice thing to say to your new girlfriend,' she told him pointedly, and he raised his head to poke his tongue out at her. His face hardened comically when he saw her with his food, and she shrugged at him. 'It's not like you're eating it.' Remembering that she was on break, she looked up at the clock behind the counter and grimaced. 'I have to get back to work. Pick me up tomorrow at eight. All right, boyfriend?' she said cheekily to Killian.

'Yeah, yeah.'

'Call me if he hassles you before then,' Ruby said as Emma stood up, completely serious now.

Killian nodded, catching her gaze and holding it, all of his exaggerated frustration gone. 'If he even speaks to you,' he added, his eyes imploring her to seek them out if she needed them.

They might be idiots, but they cared about her. She nodded silently, smiling faintly at them before heading back to work.

Emma stared at her reflection in the floor length mirror, her lips puckered in thought. She knew that she didn't want to overdo it so the dark skinny jeans and black, studded halter top had been an easy decision, but not everything was so simple.

Dropping her weight to her other foot, she turned to look at her other side. Heels, or flats? She had one on each foot, unable to decide. The heels would look better and dress up her outfit a little, but the flats would be so much more comfortable...

'Would you hurry the bloody hell up, Swan? We were supposed to be there twenty minutes ago!'

'I'm coming,' she yelled back down the hall to Killian, but still hesitated a moment longer before pulling the ballet flat from her right foot and slipping it into the other heeled shoe. The party was only at Victor's house, she reasoned. There'd be couches there. Stuffing the flats into a plastic shopping bag, she took them with her as she left her bedroom, flicking the light off as she walked out - she'd leave them in Killian's car, just in case.

Killian jumped up from the couch as soon as she entered the lounge room, arching an eyebrow at her in annoyance, but the look in his eyes was playful. 'About time,' he said dramatically, his lips twitching.

She punched him in the arm as she walked past him, picking up her clutch from the couch. At least he was behaving like himself again, unlike at the diner the day before when he'd been far too serious about everything. She'd worried that the night would be incredibly awkward between the two of them after how he'd reacted to Ruby's idea, but if he was laughing about it now then at least they had a chance of having some fun with it.

The plan was for Killian to drive them there and then either talk someone into giving them a lift back to her house later, or just getting a taxi. He'd spent plenty of time on her couch before, and even a night or two in her bed. He was a closest friend, along with Ruby, although she often taunted him about how lame it was to be hanging out with his little sister's friend.

The thing was, although Ruby was her best friend, she'd found a kinship with Killian not long after they'd met that she hadn't been able to find with anyone else before. She'd grown up in the foster system, bouncing from one family to another until she was old enough to fend for herself, and it hadn't taken her long to figure out that Killian had been adopted. His mother had died when he was a child and his father had taken off soon after. His brother had tried to raise him for a little while, but when he'd died in a car accident, Killian had been moved from Ireland to the only family he had left - Ruby's parents.

They were technically cousins, but they'd grown up together, closer than siblings. When Emma had met Ruby at the start of high school, the three of them had quickly become friends.

There were no two people who she trusted more in the world. They were her family.

Even when they were being insufferable.

After locking the front door and slipping her keys into her bag, Emma followed Killian to his car. He danced around to the passenger side, opening the door for her with a little bow. 'Your chariot awaits, my love.'

She threw him a scowl before she climbed into the seat, not saying anything as he pulled out of her driveway and started heading to Victor's place. They sat in silence for a few minutes, the only sound the quiet hum of Killian's iPod. She didn't want to think about the night, certainly not about seeing Neal, so of course that was the only thing she could think about. He hadn't tried to see her since he'd left the diner yesterday, but she'd been waiting for him every time she rounded a corner.

'Stop it,' Killian said, making her jump slightly as he broke her from her thoughts. She frowned at him, not sure if he'd somehow been able to read her mind, and he glanced away from the road quickly to nod down at her hands, which were sitting in her lap. She hadn't even realized that she'd been picking at her nails, a bad habit of hers that she picked up whenever she was worried about something.

'You stop it,' she said back childishly.

He made a quiet sound of exasperation, keeping his eyes straight ahead. After a moment he took one hand from the wheel and covered both of hers with it, effectively stopping her from her picking. 'No, actually stop it. It's annoying me.' He was trying to sound irritated but there was no venom in his voice.

His large hand felt comforting over hers, and she was grateful when he left it there. 'I'm sorry,' she said reluctantly, glancing out the window awkwardly. 'This is stupid. The whole thing is stupid.'

'Well, yeah,' he admitted. 'Honestly, I don't understand the point of it at all. I mean, I get why you don't want to see him, but this is a bit extreme for you.'

She grimaced, grateful that he wasn't looking at her. 'I just want him to leave me alone, and I know he won't unless I give him a better reason to. He won't accept that I just don't want him back.'

'Do you want him back?' Killian said slowly.

'No,' she said without hesitation, knowing with complete certainty that it was the truth. 'Maybe I just want to rub it in his face that I'm doing okay. I was a mess when he left -'

'I know.'

'And I need to show him that my happiness doesn't depend on him,' she continued, ignoring his interruption.

Killian was silent for a few seconds. 'Your happiness shouldn't depend on any man, Emma.'

He spoke so seriously, and she appreciated his words just as much as she wanted to lighten the mood. She hated how nervous she was, and that this night had turned into a drama about Neal rather than her enjoying herself at a friend's birthday - that she'd actually really been looking forward to. As if he somehow knew what she needed, Killian squeezed her hands a few times quickly. 'Hey, it's all right. I know why you're really doing this.'

Taken aback, she turned back to stare at him. 'What are you talking about?'

Glancing away from the road, he smirked at her. 'If you wanted to be my girlfriend, Emma, all you had to do was ask.'

Scoffing, she slapped his hand away from her. 'Get over yourself, Jones.'

He turned onto Victor's street and pulled up out the front of his house. Unbuckling his belt, he twisted his body to face her, throwing his arm around the back of her headrest. 'What do you say, Emma? Do you want to kiss for practice?' He bent his head toward her ridiculously slowly, closing his eyes and puckering his lips, even making kissing noises.

Laughing, she punched him in the arm and fled the car before he could get her back.

Letting themselves in the house, Emma and Killian yelled a general hello over low music and headed straight to the kitchen. She leaned against the bench as he started putting their drinks in the fridge, rearranging things so that he could fit in as much as possible. 'What happens afterwards?' she wondered aloud. He shrugged, and she watched absentmindedly as the material of his tight shirt stretched over his shoulders, only slightly less obvious for the vest he wore over it.

'I dunno. Have a fight and break up, I guess. It was your idea.'

'Actually, it was your sister's.' Frowning at his back, she worried her lower lip between her teeth. 'If we're together and we break up, we probably won't want to see each other. I don't want that.'

Killian paused, then pushed himself to his feet, closing the fridge door. Turning to her, he put his hands on her upper arms, and she had the urge to look away as soon as she knew she couldn't. He smiled at her reassuringly. 'It's okay, Emma,' he told her. 'We don't have to break up if you don't want to. Just know, however, that a man has certain... needs, and as my girlfriend -'

Groaning loudly, she pushed him away. 'You're such a pig.'

He wrapped his arm around her neck roughly. 'Stop worrying,' he laughed. 'It'll be fine, it's not going to change anything.'

'If it changed you to be less of an idiot, I wouldn't complain,' she said, accepting the beer that he handed her.

The look he gave her told her that she clearly should have known better. 'I'd expect it to get worse if I were you,' he said, resting his hand on her lower back and guiding her out of the kitchen. 'I'll have something to hold over you, and you owe me a favour.'

It started almost immediately. They found the others in Victor's lounge room, sitting in the couches or standing around them, a few people that Emma didn't know standing in front of the television, watching a sports game on mute. When the others saw them it was the general round of hellos and how are yous, Ruby giving them an exaggerated wink from the other side of the room.

Victor left her side and crossed the room to greet them. 'Happy birthday, mate,' Killian said, stepping away from her to clap him on the back. Emma took her turn, giving him a quick hug and wishing him a happy birthday as well. When they parted she felt Killian's arm return to her, slipping around her waist this time.

'Thanks, guys. I thought I heard you come in a few minutes ago.' Victor paused, narrowing his eyes at them slightly, glancing at Killian's hand on her hip and how close they stood together. Trying not to look awkward, she made herself relax into him. 'Hang on a second... Are you two...?'

Emma suppressed a groan, then put on a smile that she knew probably looked forced, but would pass for sarcastically cheerful. Killian didn't say anything, letting her take the lead. 'Yep,' she said. 'Guess so.'

Victor stood there for a few seconds, looking confused, before he turned around. 'Hey Ruby!' he called across the room. 'Why didn't you bloody tell me that Killian and Emma got together?'

The easy chatter in the room stilled suddenly, the only sound the hum of the background music, and Emma felt her cheeks warm instantly. She felt like she was on display, and realized that the whole night could potentially feel like this.

'Congrats, guys,' Mary Margaret said from the couch, breaking the silence.

'Um, thanks,' she said, smiling at Mary Margaret before turning to glare daggers at Ruby, who was grinning at her wickedly. The mood returned to what it had been, everyone's attention not so forcefully on them.

She felt Killian's arm tighten around her and looked up to see him bending down slightly toward her. 'Well that's the awkward part out of the way,' he said quietly.

'Huzzah,' she said, her voice dripping with mock enthusiasm, not entirely sure that he was right. Neal wasn't there yet, and she was hoping that things wouldn't go bad when he did. She had no doubt that he'd try to talk to her at least, no matter that she was there with someone else. 'I need to be drunker for this,' she muttered, lifting her beer to her lips and throwing her head back.

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