A/N: Surprise Meghan! I'm your CS Secret Survivor! It was really nice talking to you and fangirling with you about Captain Swan and Olicity. I hope you like your present!

Ugh.

Emma does not like weddings. They're just boring. She could have been at home or at the office doing something productive, but no. Instead, she's here. Standing in a crowded room full of people she doesn't know. Well, except for the bride, groom, and other bridesmaid. But other than that, Emma was alone.

Ugh.

Emma takes a sip of her wine and looks around the extravagantly decorated ballroom. She has to admit, Mary Margaret knows how to plan a wedding. And she would never bail out from her best friend's wedding. She and Mary Margaret have known each other since they were in third grade. When Mary Margaret found out that her new best friend had been living with seven other kids in a foster home, she somehow convinced her parents to take Emma under their wing. Ever since, the two girls have been like sisters. They were always together, even when Mary Margaret met the love of her life, David, in their freshman year of high school. It did get awkward when Emma sometimes ended up being the third wheel, but luckily David was the kind of a guy who wanted to include Emma in almost every conversation, date, and party. The couple was basically inseparable for nine years, so Emma wasn't completely surprised when Mary Margaret came running to her announcing that David had proposed.

She looks around the room, searching the newlyweds, only to find unfamiliar faces. She sighs into her wine glass, her eyes continuing to wander until she locks eyes with Ruby, who was flirting with one of the guests on the dance floor. Emma rolls her eyes when her second closest friend waves for her to come over. Emma met Ruby in freshman year, when she served as the former cheerleader's tutor for American Literature. Emma originally didn't think the two would get along, considering Emma was an introverted book nerd whereas Ruby was a social butterfly. But alas, within two weeks, Emma was helping Ruby pass her American Lit exams and Ruby was giving Emma fashion advice. Once Emma introduced Ruby to Mary Margaret, the three of them almost always spent their lunches and after school times together.

Emma watches as Ruby lets out an annoyed huff, excuses herself from her new boy toy, and stomps over to her from the dance floor. "So are you just going to stand here all night?"

"I don't see why not."

"Emma, why don't you try meeting someone? There are a ton of hot guys here, I'm sure you can find someone."

"Oh, like you and your new boy toy?"

"He is not my boy toy," snaps Ruby, giving her friend a glare, "his name is Victor and he's actually very sweet."

"Whatever you say."

"Now you need to go and find someone. Not every guy is like Walsh."

Emma rolls her eyes. "I'm fine where I am."

Ruby throws up her arms in frustration and heads back to the dance floor where Victor is waiting. Emma turns around and places her empty wine glass on the counter and waits for someone to walk by with the tray of beverages.

"Need a drink?"

Emma spins around to find a man smirking at her, offering a glass of champagne. She raises an eyebrow at him before turning her attention back to the crowd. "I don't take drinks from strangers."

"Alright," the man simply replies, "That's understandable. I'm Neal, by the way. What's your name?"

"Why should I tell you?"

"Why are you so suspicious? Can't a man try to woo a girl?"

"Well, you suck at wooing."

"That's because you haven't let me."

Emma turns back to Neal with an exasperated expression, wanting to punch the smile off his face. "Why are you even here? Mary Margaret and David have never mentioned you."

"That's because I just came with a friend. Tamara works with the bride."

"Oh."

"You still haven't told me your name," Neal says, leaning in a little too close for Emma's comfort.

"And I don't plan too."

"That's fine. But let's make a deal. I'll stop bothering you about your name and all that stuff if you leave here with me."

Emma takes a step back, giving Neal her best death glare. "No."

"Oh come on," he fills the gap between them and gives her a devious grin, "I promise you I won't let you down in bed."

"I'm not interested."

"Aw, don't be like that. Take a leap of faith," Neal brushes his thumb along her cheek, only getting a not so gentle shove from Emma in return. "Feisty, aren't ya? Well, I like that in a woman-"

"The lass said no," an unknown voice says from behind her. A tall man in a black tux steps out in front of her, standing face to face with Neal. "I suggest you leave." He stays there until Neal skulks off before turning around, making Emma's breath hitch in her throat, his stunning eyes meeting hers. She can't find a word to describe how blue they are because - god how can eyes be that blue? He has dark black hair and Emma has to refrain from the urge to run her fingers through it. "Sorry about him," he says, the corner of his lips quirking up slightly, and she is taken aback by his Irish accent, one that makes her want to melt into a puddle.

Emma shakes herself out of her daydream and presses her lips together to form a thin line. "I didn't need your help."

"You sure about that? It seemed like you needed to be saved from that drunk."

"The only one who saves me is me."

The man nods, looking out at all the guests before locking eyes with her again. "I see." The two stand there facing each other in silence, stealing quick glances at each other before looking back down at their feet. "Where are my manners. The name's Killian. Killian Jones." He sticks out his hand toward her with a small grin.

"Emma Swan." She takes his hand and her mouth drops slightly agape when he brings her hand to his lips and gently kisses her knuckles. When Killian releases her, she quickly averts her gaze to her shoes and she can still feel her cheeks burning.

"I don't mean to pry, but who was that man?"

"Neal? Oh, I don't know him. He came with a guest. Um, Tamara, I think that's her name."

"Oh. Her."

Emma raises an eyebrow at the handsome man with a smirk. "Do I sense animosity? Was she an ex-girlfriend or something?"

"Gods no. But that's a story for a different time, lass."

She nods, wanting to know more about this Tamara character from the stranger, but she decides to keep her mouth shut.

"Well, that Neal seemed to find you quite intriguing. Maybe a little too much."

"Yea, and I could've handled it myself.'
"A simple thank you would suffice."

Emma rolls her eyes. "Thank you."

"Anytime. To be honest, I can't blaming him for taking an interest in you," he quickly scans her body and smirks, "you cut quite the figure in that dress."

She feels her heart beat exponentially faster when his smirk breaks into a grin as he gently tucks a loose strand of hair behind her ear. She tries to keep herself from blushing, but she knows her cheeks are failing her.

"Well, Emma, I have to go. Talk to you later," Killian says with a wink and walks off into the crowd as Emma watches him leave, trying not to notice how good dress pants look on him.

"Who was that?"

Emma slightly jumps and spins around. "Jesus, Ruby, you scared me!"

"Who was he?" she asks again, wiggling her eyebrows at her friend.

"He was just a guy. He helped me get rid of some other annoying guy that was hitting on me."

"Well, he's hot."

"Ruby!"

"What? He is! Why don't you give him a try? He looks like a gentleman."

Before Emma can give a snarky reply, the sound of a finger tapping against a microphone cuts her off.

"Hello everyone. Thank you all again for coming in celebration of the unity between my friends, David Nolan and his lovely Mary Margaret Blanchard," Killian's accented voice fills the room, making both Emma and Ruby turn to the front, where he, the bride, and the groom are standing. He has a guitar slung across his chest and he absentmindedly fiddles with the stings as he speaks to the crowd.

"You didn't say he has an accent," Ruby whispers in her friend's ear, earning herself a nudge in the ribs.

"I didn't think it was all that important."

"It is my honor," Killian continues, "to sing for the bride and groom's first dance. So without further ado, here's Can't Help Falling In Love by Elvis Presley."

Wise men say only fools rush in

But I can't help falling in love with you

Shall I stay would it be a sin

Cause I can't help falling in love with you

Emma tries not to, but she can't help but smile as she watches Mary Margaret and David slowly dance to Killian's rich voice and the soothing sound of the guitar. She can sense the smirk that Ruby has on her face, but she decides to ignore that for the time being and let the man's voice fill her ears.

A slap on the shoulder snaps Emma back into reality, only to find her friend standing in front of her with her arms across her chest and a grin spread across her face. She narrows her eyes at the woman. "What?"

"You okay there, Ems?"

"Yea, I'm fine..." Emma's voice dies as she spots Killian making his way toward her.

"Is he still 'just a guy'?" asks Ruby in a hushed tone before she walks off to find Victor, leaving Emma alone.

"Hello again, Swan."

"You sing?" she blurts out, cursing herself for sounding like a teenage girl gushing over a boy-band heartthrob.

"Aye, I do," Killian replies with a smug grin, "surprised?"

She bites her lip and looks down at her feet. "A little."

He takes a small step closer to her, but she doesn't back up. "Well, a pleasant surprise, I hope?" Emma nods, not trusting what she might accidentally say. He smiles at her, cute dimples forming in his cheeks, and she can feel the tips of her mouth quirking up in response. "Can I take you to dinner?" he asks shyly, "perhaps when the excitement from this wedding dies down in a few days?"

Emma's mouth falls open, and she quickly closes it as she tries to figure out what to say. "You want to take me out? Like on a date?"

Killian chuckles. "That's what I was intending, lass."

"But we barely know each other."

"Isn't that how people get to know each other? I believe over food is a great way to do so. So what do you say?"

She stands there, shocked. She can't remember the last time a man asked her out, besides the usual one night stand sort of thing. Hell, she hasn't gone on a real date since Walsh. He pretty much ruined it for her. Ruby, Mary Margaret, and even David have tried to set up dates for her, but she still refused. Emma bites down on her bottom lip, playing back all the memories in her head.

She hears him let out a long sigh and pulls her attention back up to his face. "It's alright," he says softly, "if you don't want to. I understand where you're coming from if you're not ready for any-"

"No," Emma interrupts him, "I want to." Her brain is yelling at her, telling to stop and reminding her what happened the last time she was in a serious relationship, but she drowns it out thinking that, like what Ruby said, he might be different.

Killian's face brightens like a kid who just got a present and he whips out a business card. "When you're free, give me a call." He hands Emma the card, their fingers brushing in the process and sending sparks up her spine. "Until next time, love," he says, giving her a nod before he makes his way through the crowd to find people he knows.

Emma stands there, her hands slightly shaking as she carefully puts the card in her wallet. A smile pulls at her lips as she thinks into the future; she hasn't gone on a date in almost a year and a half, but this one will be different. It'll be with him.

"So you got his number."

"Jesus," Emma mutters as she spins around, "you really need to stop doing that."

"So are you guys going to hang out?"

"Maybe."

Ruby gasps and lets out a squeal before throwing her arms around her blonde friend. "Oh my god! I'm so happy for you! You must go out to dinner with him and when you do, you need to tell me everything. And I mean every. Single. Thing."

Emma resists the urge to roll her eyes at Ruby's excitement, but she can't help but feel the same way.

.

"So," Ruby plops down on the couch next to Mary Margaret. Ruby decided it was a brilliant idea to tell the newlywed about the new, handsome man Emma met at the wedding and the two of them unexpectedly showed up at her apartment. "What are you going to wear?"

"I don't know."

"Have you even called him yet?" asks Mary Margaret, absentmindedly twisting her wedding ring on her finger.

"Yea," Emma quietly says, a small smile playing at the corners of her lips. She quickly wipes it off as she narrows her eyes at her friends. "Shouldn't you two be worrying about more important things?"

"Don't try to change the subject," huffs Ruby, "we can deal with our stuff later."

"Besides, when you have a date, that's a big deal," Mary Margaret says with a grin as she takes Emma's hands into hers.

"Shouldn't you be focused on your honeymoon? That's a pretty big deal to me."

"We're leaving in four days, so I have time to pack before then. So dinner's tonight?"

Emma nods, staring at her phone on the coffee table. "In five hours. At some place called the French Laundry."

"Holy shit!" Ruby exclaims and starts giggling her head off, to Emma's confusion.

"What?"

"Emma, the French Laundry is a really, really nice restaurant. Like, you have to make reservations five years in advance to get a table."

"Well not that long," laughs Mary Margaret, rolling her eyes, "but people usually have to make reservations for the next year, not for the next week."

"You still haven't answered my question, Emma," retorts Ruby, "what are you going to wear?"

"I said I don't know. Probably just jeans and a nice top-"

"No no no." The brunette stands up and grabs her purse. "Killian is taking you to the French Laundry. You are not wearing jeans to the French Laundry. I won't let you. We are going shopping. Now."

"Ruby-"

"No excuses. We are leaving now." Ruby pulls her friend off the couch and heads out the door, with Mary Margaret following close behind.

.

"Ruby, this really isn't necessary."

"Nonsense. You need to look amazing for your date tonight."

"Yea, but I really don't think I need to get a new dress for it."

Ruby turns to her friend with an exasperated look. "Then consider it a gift from Mary Margaret and me." She goes back to searching for dresses, stopping in front of one rack and pulling out a dress. "Try this one."

"Black? Isn't that a little dark for a date?" asks Emma putting the dress up to her body.

Her friend looks at her with her head cocked to the side and nods. "Maybe a bit, but try it on anyway. Oh! This one is gorgeous!" Ruby runs over and throws a navy blue dress at the blonde. "That would go great some silver jewelry."

Emma peeks at the price tags and cringes. There is no way she can let her friends spend that much money on a dress for her. Before she can comment on the insane dress prices, another dress is thrown her way. She pulls it off her head and barks out a laugh. "Really? Gold sparkles?"

Ruby just shrugs at her friend as she searches through more lines of dresses. "It compliments your hair."

"It's so short!"

"Even better."

Before the blonde can respond, Mary Margaret walks over to the two of them with a dress in her hand. "How about this one, Emma?"

Ruby gasps. "That. Is. Perfect." Mary Margaret hands the dress over to Ruby and she puts it up against Emma's body. "Perfect. Wear this with your pair of black pumps and your good to go. Nice choice, Mary Margaret."

Emma takes the dress, checks the price tag, and gasps at the sight. "Ruby! This is way too expensive!"

Her friend scoffs, putting away the other dresses she had taken out. "Everything here is expensive." She takes back the dress and leaves the two to go pay, despite the protests from Emma.

"But that dress is even more than the others."

"Emma," the newlywed says gently, "it's okay. We just want you to look amazing tonight."

She sighs. "What if it doesn't work out?"

"Just give it a try." Mary Margaret gives her a reassuring smile.

Emma nods and takes the bag from Ruby. "Well, let's go then. You said that was the perfect dress, right?"

Ruby squeals and envelops both of her friends in a hug before linking their arms with hers. "You're going to look so hot tonight," she giggles as she and the two girls walk out of the dress shop.

.

Emma gets out of her yellow Volkswagen and begins to make her way toward the restaurant, attempting to keep her balance on the four-inch pumps that she only wears for special occasions. She digs through her purse and takes out her phones to call her date, until she realizes she doesn't have to look any further.

She finds Killian, who looks rather sharp in all black, standing near the entrance of the restaurant. He's wearing a pair of black slacks along with a black fitted dress shirt and she can't help it as her eyes trace over his shoulders and biceps. He has his black jacket slung over his shoulder and is leaning against the brick wall of the restaurant, and Emma has to take a deep breath before she could keep walking.

Emma feels her heart pound faster in her chest as she slowly walks up to him, giving him a small smile once he notices her.

"Hey beautiful," he greets her with a grin, which causes her cheeks to burn.

"Hi."

"You look amazing. Red is definitely your color."

Emma laughs lightly as she looks down at the outfit her friends chose for her: a skintight red dress and black pumps. Simple, but flattering. She quickly scans him again and smirks. "You look great as well."

Killian winks at her and holds out his arm. "Shall we, love?"

Emma smiles, wraps her arm around his, and the two of them walk into the restaurant.

I thinking of continuing this because I just love how it's going. And if anyone was wondering, the French Laundry is an actual restaurant in California. It's super nice and has amazing food, but it's insanely expensive lol.