Hey guys! This is my first ever fanfiction! Hope you enjoy it! I would really appreciate any feedback/reviews! :)

Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own any of the characters from OUAT!

Emma flipped through the pages, growing more impatient with each unsuccessful minute. She rubbed her temple with her free hand, feeling like it was only a matter of time before she went cross-eyed. She knew that the Snow Queen knew who she was, and she was tired of being one step behind her. More importantly, she was tired of being in the dark to whatever the Queen's plan was. She wanted to be proactive, but for now she was stuck thumbing through dusty town records, hoping an answer would jump out at her. The Sheriff's office was quiet, save for the occasional flipping of pages and the silence was deafening.

"This is pointless," Elsa said, her sudden declaration making Emma jump. "We should be out looking for Anna, not wasting our time in here."

"I know it seems like that now, but we need to get a handle on who this Snow Queen is and where she came from," Emma said with a small smile, trying to keep her own frustration at their lack of progress hidden. "We will find her Elsa. I promise. Besides, we've almost through all the files…"

"Afraid not love," Killian interrupted as he entered the Sheriff's office. He strutted over to the desk where Emma sat and dropped the two boxes he was carrying onto the desk, a cloud of dust billowing from the impact.

"Please tell me those are the last boxes at least?" Emma groaned. Her eyes drifting from the boxes to Killian, seemingly of their own accord. Killian was distracted brushing dust off of his hand and clothes, so Emma indulged herself and freely surveyed the pirate's new wardrobe. It was certainly a change, but his look was still very him. Not for the first time, Emma found herself wondering what he was still doing here. This pencil pushing was about as far from his typically adventure filled lifestyle as you could get, yet here he remained, fetching records with a smile on his face.

"Your father has a couple more in his vessel," Killian said. "But then, aye, that's the last of what was in the locker." He caught her looking at him and smiled widely at her, his eyes crinkling. "See something you like there, Swan?"

Emma felt a blush creeping up into her face, so she bit her lip and looked back down at the pages in front of her, grateful that her long hair shielded her face. Luckily for her, David pushed open the door with a clatter, obviously struggling with stack of boxes he was carrying. Seeing an escape from Hook's leading question, Emma jumped up and jogged the short distance to the door. She grabbed a box off of the top of the pile, catching the door with her foot. David smiled at her and nodded in thanks as he moved past her, eager to drop off the remaining tower of boxes.

Emma turned to follow him, and knocked into Hook, who had moved soundlessly behind her. His hand covered hers, a small smile beginning from the corner of his mouth and he motioned towards the box. "Let me love, it's bad form to sit idly while a princess does heavy lifting." He raised his eyebrow and slowly, almost imperceptibly, traced his thumb over the back of her hand.

Emma felt her heart beating in her throat and the temperature in the Sheriff's office was suddenly oppressively hot. How does he do this to me? Every time?! Only Killian could reduce her behaviour to that of a lovestruck teenager - well maybe love wasn't the right word; they had only been on that one date after all. She learned closer to him, the dusty box the only thing keeping their bodies separate. Killian licked his lips, clearly expecting a kiss in payment for his chivalry.

"True, but you forget, this isn't the Enchanted Forest and I'm not some dainty princess," She said with a smirk as she pulled her hands and the box out of his grasp. "I can manage, thanks."

Killian looked surprised by her words, and she saw a flicker of hurt in his expressive blue eyes. "Aye, I know you're more than capable," He whispered grabbing her arm gently, turning her to face him. "Just because you can manage alone, doesn't mean you have to."

"Killian, I didn't -" Emma started and then stopped, her words failing her. They seemed to be doing that more and more when she was face to face with this captain.

Elsa cleared her throat, interrupting their banter, "And when we are out of these files, what do we do then?" She asked impatiently. Emma gave her head a shake, and pulled away from Hook. She felt his eyes searching hers as his arm dropped back to his side, but she ignored him. She didn't have time to play these games with Hook. I am the Saviour for Christ's sake! She knew she had to get it together.

"Hopefully we've found what we need before then," David said eyeing the last box as Emma placed it on the desk. "And then we can go from there."

From the disgruntled look on Elsa's face, it appeared that she felt the same way about their plan as Emma did. Elsa opened her mouth to say something, then seemed to think the better of it. Instead she reached for another box and carried it back over to the desk where she was sitting and plopped back down onto the chair.

Emma sighed. If they still had all these boxes to get through, she was going to need more caffeine. Some fresh air and a break from Hook probably wouldn't hurt either. "I'm going to Granny's on a coffee run," she said pulling on her leather coat. "Anyone else want something?" Elsa and David quickly declined the offer, already enthralled in the task at hand. Emma turned and looked at Hook, questioningly.

"I fancy a sip of something, though I am not sure what," He said with a slight smirk. "I'll accompany you and decide on the way." Emma groaned inwardly. It wasn't that she didn't enjoy his company, more like she enjoyed it too much.

"You can text me your order when you decide," She offered quickly, already heading towards the door.

"Trying to get rid of me are you love?" he said already hot on her heels. She knew without looking that while his tone was playful, his brow was probably knit with fear that they had fallen back into their old pattern. His persistent advances and her shutting him out.

"No," She said, over her shoulder. "Just thought you might be tired after all the heavy lifting," she said imitating his voice and inflection to tease him. Just like her, she thought. Keep it light and playful, nothing too serious.

"I cannot even begin to imagine a state wherein I would be so fatigued that I would pass at even a moment in your company," He said, to Emma's surprise without either his signature smirk or raised brow. But she had guessed correctly, and saw the worry brewing beneath the surface of his calm exterior. He hurried a couple steps ahead and held the door open for her.

"Always the gentleman," Emma muttered under her breath, a slight smile on her lips before she could help it. "Be right back guys!" She called over her shoulder to David and Elsa.

She would have sworn that she felt David's exaggerated eye roll from across the room. "Don't take too long!" He called after them as the door banged shut behind them. While David made it clear he had no objections to whatever was going on between Hook and Emma, he also made it clear that it was not something he was comfortable discussing. Hey, thought Emma. No complaints here. Out of all the possible scenarios, her father's feigned indifference to her relationship with a scoundrel was by far one of the best outcomes.

"You know Swan," Hook said, falling into step beside her, his hand in his pocket. "If I didn't know better, I would say you're trying to avoid me."

"I'm not avoiding you," Emma began, her breath visible in the crisp afternoon. She hugged her arms closer to her torso for warmth. She wasn't sure if it was the work of the Snow Queen or Mother Nature, but Storybrooke was getting downright chilly.

"You see the thing is Swan, I am actually quite perceptive," He turned in front of Emma, stopping and blocking her path. He reached for her hand. "And you most definitely are avoiding me, and brushing me off, and making excuses to not even be in the same bloody room as me, and-"

"I know," Emma said softly, cutting him off. He looked momentarily stunned that she had agreed with him. She laced her fingers with his. Touching his skin, hell just his hand, was electrifying. "I am avoiding you, but I don't want to."

"Then bloody don't Emma," Hook huffed. "I'm not asking for anything you can't give love," He said more softly. His gaze piecing her. "Just that you talk to me. I thought…"

"I know," Emma said again, this time more insistently. She grabbed his collar with her free hand and pulled him close to her. The heat radiating off of Hook quickly making her forgot her earlier concern about Storybrooke's temperature. "I'm trying," She whispered against his lips. His eyes searched hers, trying to read her like a book as he so often did. The faint smell of leather, rum and the sea washed over Emma. It, he, was intoxicating. She pulled him even closer and kissed him, tentatively. Killian's free arm reached around her and pulled her body closer to his. Their hands, still locked together, crushed between them. Killian wasted no time in deepening the kiss. His tongue caressing her lips and then slipping into her eager mouth. Emma moaned into him and she felt his smile against her lips, glad to have gotten a reaction out of her. Emma felt herself getting lost in the moment, getting lost in him, so she forced herself to pull away, while she still could. This wasn't how she had wanted this conversation to go.

"Killian," she said, breathless. He looked back at her, his eyes dark like sea, and full of desire. His face flush from their kiss. "It's just that when I am around you, all I can think about is you. And your eyes, and your lips and…" she bit her lip playfully and batted her eyelashes. "It's too much."

"Now Swan, I fail to see how that is even close to a problem," Killian growled, pushing her against the side of the building. He kissed her below her ear and trailed kisses and playful nips down her throat towards her collarbone, unzipping her jacket as he went to allow better access. His scruff scratched against her soft skin and Emma felt her eyes roll back in her head. She let her hands roam over his back, feeling his toned body beneath his jacket. He parted her legs with his thigh and pushed against Emma so that they were connected at the waist. She ran her hands up and through his hair, pulling lightly. This elicited another low growl from Killian. "Gods, Emma, do you know what you do to me?" He asked between kisses, his voice raspy.

Emma bit her lip to hold back a low moan that was building within her in reaction to the overwhelming sensations. The rough brick of the Sheriff's station rubbed against her back and she felt a surge of embarrassment.We can't even keep our hands off each other long enough to make it down the road. She had every intention of telling Killian they needed to cool it, at least until after they tracked down the Snow Queen (no pun intended) and now they were grinding against each other. Talk about mixed signals. Her embarrassment grew and she groaned when she realized her father could likely see them if he looked out the window.

Killian mistook her embarrassed groan as a moan of contentment and redoubled his efforts, his hand unabashedly roaming her body. His other arm still holding her close.

"It is a problem though Hook," Emma said lightheadedly, trying to bring them back to her earlier train of thought. She cradled Killian's head in her hands and pulled him to look at her. Her thumbs gently caressing his face. "Because there is a Snow Queen on the loose and I am preoccupied out here like a teenager while everyone else is working to find a solution."

"Not everyone, love," Killian whispered, a twinkle in his eye. His hand reached up to cover her hand with his own. "I'm here. Just because you're the saviour doesn't mean you can't have a life." He pulled her hand to his lips and placed a soft kiss on her palm. "You need to enjoy the quiet moments-"

"And then what Hook?" She interrupted, raising her voice slightly. "After I have enjoyed all of these quiet moments I am not left with a ton of spare time to tackle the Snow Queen."

"Emma-" Killian began, a smile on his face. He reached out with his hook to brush a strand of hair behind her ear. The gesture was so intimate and his body felt so good still pressed against her. Yet, she could feel anger rising in her chest. She was angry him for not listening to her. At herself for not living up to her role of Saviour. For giving into the temptation that is Killian. She was the Saviour dammit. She should be doing… well something! Something that didn't involve Hook.

"Stop, Hook! For God's sake, will you stop and just listen to me?!" She pushed him away from her, with much more force than she intended. He staggered back a couple steps. The hurt she had seen in his eyes earlier flared up again and Killian grimaced at her harsh tone. She felt her stomach constrict and she knew this getting out of hand, but she was like a runaway train. Her face red with anger. She knew she was mad at the Snow Queen, at herself, but she couldn't stop. She yelled at Killian, "You don't understand the pressure I am under. I am the Saviour Hook, the Saviour! I am supposed to have the answers and I don't. I don't have them. You don't understand-"

"Then tell me!" He said finally raising his voice. "Bloody hell woman, that's all I want." He lowered his voice. "That's all I have ever wanted. For you to talk to me. To bloody trust me."

She felt tears welling up in her eyes and she willed them to stop. "This isn't about trust Killian," she burst exasperated. "I just, I need to focus. I need to not be distracted by, by whatever this is," She waved her arms, gesturing wildly. The first tear slipped out of her eye and rolled down her cheek.

"So, what are you saying Swan?" Hook asked, carefully. His features guarded. He wanted to reach out and to hold her. To wipe the tears from her eyes. but he stopped himself. He didn't know what she needed from him, but he knew it wasn't his embrace. Not now.

"Look Killian, you, you just need to stop. Not forever," she amended quickly. "Just long enough for me to get my head on straight."

"Stop what?" He asked, cocking his brow.

"The kisses, the double entendres, the smouldering glances…"

"I'll do my best love, but I can't always control myself around you. Especially after the glances you throw my way," He said with a devious grin.

"Hook!" She exclaimed, exasperated.

"Aye, love. As you wish," He said softly. The smile gone from his lips. "You know I would go to the world's end if you asked."

She smiled, knowing he would, without a second thought. "I'm sorry I yelled," she said softly. "It's just the pressure-"

"Aye, of being the saviour. I know love," He smiled and slowly laced his fingers through hers again. There were limits to his strength and he needed to touch her. He rubbed his thumb over the back of her hand, careful to keep distance between their bodies, trying to respect her wishes. "I want to help Emma, but you have to let me."

"I know," she squeezed his hand. "It's just, I'm not built that way Killian, to trust. But I am working on it. I'm trying."

"I know love," He said with a small smile, the hurt lessened in his eyes, but still there. "One day you'll see that you can trust me. I can be a very patient man."

"You don't seem very patient to me," Emma scoffed, her voice coming out much more raspy than she was comfortable with.

"I am when something, or someone," He said raising his eyebrows pointedly. "Is worth waiting for." He leaned in and gave her a very chaste kiss. He freed his hand and wiped away her tears, his hand lingering for only a moment before it dropped back to his side. "Last one, until you tell me otherwise, I promise."

She smiled and looked at her watch. "I think we squandered our coffee break. We better get back in there before David releases the hounds." She wiggled her eyebrows, trying to lighten the mood.

"Your father has hounds?" Killian asked in surprise. "Perhaps we can use them to smell out the Snow Queen."

"No, it's, it's an expression," Emma tried to keep from laughing. Killian fit in so well that she occasionally forgot colloquialisms and cliches were often over his head.

"Bloody hell, Swan," Killian said exacerbated. "I'm trying my best love."

"I know," Emma said. She kissed him on the cheek, his beard rough against her lips. And she knew that they were trying together. And for now, that was enough.