The campus was filled with the hues of red and black as the student body migrated from tailgating and quad parties to the ever filling stadium for the the first football game of the year. Carthay wasn't really known for any stellar athletic program, but last year in a stroke of serendipity, a new head coach, and a freshman quarterback with a killer arm that seemed to come out of nowhere and Carthay U found itself making it all the way to the second round of playoffs for the Division 2 championships.

There had always been a bout of controlled enthusiasm at the start of each season, but this was the most school pride Killian had ever seen displayed by his fellow classmates. Drinking his (according to David Nolan) obnoxious craft beer while sitting on the swing of the front porch of the PT house, Killian watched the one of a kind novelty of team spirit and the Carthay Royals' first ever football fever.

"Hey Jones." The voice of his Pi Theta brother Robin spoke from the opened front door. "You going to the game?"

"I might," Killian said while raising his pint glass towards Robin in a silent toast before taking a long swallow that about finished it off. "I might not," he said after he swallowed.

"Slow down mate," Robin said as he came fully out of the door. "It's not even 11 yet."

"Oh good," Killian said after finishing his beer. "It's almost 11. I can start drinking rum soon."

"So I take that as a no for the game." Robin said with a chuckle as he settled on the brick ledge that ran along the edge of the porch. "Didn't you and Nolan give a rousing speech at the last chapter meeting about campus presence and it's relevance to rush."

"Relevance to rush?" killian scowled at his empty glass. "I said that?"

"Nolan did."

He really wouldn't know what happened at the last meeting. Despite being president, he liked when Nolan took over with all the trivial matters. He couldn't remember the last time he fully lead a meeting, considering his vice president liked to interrupt to give impassioned speeches any opportunity he could find.

"If Nolan said it, then I'm definitely not going." A flash of sunshine caught his attention from the sidewalk.

"You're an idiot," Robin laughed as he caught a look of what distracted Killian from the conversation.

"Swan," Killian called out to the distraction while getting up from the swing and thrusting the empty pint glass in Robin's hands as he passed him.

In her usual determined fashion, Emma had been purposefully striding down the sidewalk and up the front walkway to the house.

"Hey." She replied when she got the bottom of the steps.

"What brings you here this morning?" Killian leaned against a column at the top of the stairs.

"Is David here?" Emma's bright green eyes were squinted against the late summer sun as she lingered on the bottom step.

Killian looked towards Robin for enlightenment, but his friend shrugged his shoulders.

"Not sure," Killian said turning back towards her. "I could lead you upstairs."

Emma had already been mounting the front stairs when he offered his guidance, but she just laughed at his suggestion. "No thanks." She patted his arm as she passed. "I can find my way." With that she ducked into the open door in search of her brother.

"Bit testier than usual." Robin commented.

"Trust me," Killian looked back at his friend. "That was mild compared to normal, and I might have interfered this week."

"Like I said," Robin said from next to him as he handed back the wayward pint glass. "You're an idiot."

"Like you're any better." Killian rolled the glass between both hands as he eyed his friend. "I saw you getting cozy with the Phi Omega president at last week's party."

Robin's cheeks and tips of his ears went red.

"What's her name?" Killian went on. "The queen bee?"

"Her name is Regina." Robin's voice was quiet. "You know that already."

He did know that already, considering the all greek council he was forced to sit through bi-weekly due to his presidential status. He would never admit it out loud, but Regina Mills scared the bloody shit out of him. The intensity with which she ran her sorority was both terrifying and impressive.

"Too right" Killian said while watching the door as if Emma would just reappear.

It would take him awhile to ever get use to the fact that Emma Swan was going through rush. He had found out Tuesday in the caf when he spotted her sitting with Nolan, her ever present scowl on her face. Wanting that half annoyed half amused smirk she often gifts him with, Killian approached the pair carefully with a few witty remarks up his sleeve. He only got pulled into the discussion of the importance of rush rules and how Emma needed to follow them if she wanted to join one.

"What's this?" He had asked her. "Emma Swan is going greek?"

If looks could kill, he'd been a dead man.

"At least I'm doing something productive." Robin's voice brought him back into the present. "You only ever succeed at irritating the lady."

"Productive?" Killian raised a brow at his frat brother.

"Yes," Robin said. "Unlike my wayward president, I'll be going to the game and I have date for it."

"You're a braver man than me, mate," Killian said.

"Here's a thought," Robin said as he stepped off the porch into the sunlight. "Stop trying to irritate her and getting under her skin, and be the great guy I know you are and win her the honest way."

"I don't think she's the type to be won."

"Maybe not," Robin agreed. "But she isn't heartless. The heart wants what the heart wants, and your heart has wanted hers for a long time now and I don't think she has been immune to it."

"How poetic and sentimental, you sap." Killian called out to his friend's already retreating form.

"Well," David rolled his eyes at his stubborn foster sister. "You're going to have to at least tell her this."

"David," Emma groaned. Her head was held in her hands as she sat crossed-legged in the middle of his bed.

"My dad, when he was alive," David said softly. "Had sat aside money for me when I went to school and joined a fraternity. Of course, I think he always wanted me to join his fraternity, but mom still wanted me to use the money for it."

"See?" Emma looked up at him. "The money is for you. I don't want to use it up."

"Emma." David rolled his desk chair closer to the edge of the bed. "It's my senior year and I have barely put a dent into the funds he left for me. Dad had high expectations of me going to one of the really large universities with a wild Greek system and join the one he went to that has a tendency to spit out presidents and CEO's. Our dues are nowhere near as outrageous if I went to one of those schools. There's plenty for you."

He had a point, but Emma always hated the feeling of being a charity case. Though in reality, her whole life was a walking charity case, but David and Ruth had always been different to her compared to any other foster or group homes. They had always treated her like family.

"This is just one of the instances where I'm going to pull the big brother card and go over your head and call mom."

Emma couldn't help the small smile that she graced him with. David had always seen himself as her big brother. Her protector.

"Fine," Emma grumbled. "But only for the necessities. Like dues and such."

"Yeah, sure." David waved his hand at her, and Emma had a feeling he was going to completely ignore that request when he called Ruth about the news.

"Going to the game?" Emma asked after she climbed off of his bed.

"Yeah." David lacked in real enthusiasm in his voice as he put his shoes on and grabbed what he needed for the game. "Jones and I made it clear that we all had to go because of Rush. So I'd better head that way so I'm not the last one to show. That wouldn't look good."

"Trust me, you won't be the last." Emma said with a laugh. "I bet Jones is still loitering on the front porch."

David rolled his eyes at her comment, but didn't deny what was likely to be the complete truth. "Sometimes, I don't know who is actually the president around here. Me or him?"

They were only partially wrong. Killian, while no longer on the front porch, was stretched out on one of the leather couches in the living room nursing what was probably rum in his flask.

"Get your sorry arse to the game," Killian yelled with a bitter laugh.

"You too." David reached over the back of the couch and grabbed Killian's flask away from him. "It's too early for this nonsense."

"Give that back you bloody do-gooder," Killian snarled, while pitching himself up to launch a counter attack and steal back what was rightfully his. He only paused when he saw Emma leaning on the door frame with a bemused expression on her face.

"C'mon Jones." David efficiently pocketed the flask. "We've a game to go to."

"Are you going to the game, Swan?" Killian asked completely ignoring his friend for his sister.

"Have you ever seen me at a game?"

Emma delighted in Killian's dumbfounded expression before he narrow his eyes at her. "Well, you've had a week of surprising people, what's one more new thing to add to the list."

"It might be good for you Emma to show your face at a game," David said. "School spirit is good for Rush."

"And spend the game with you two? No thanks," Emma pushed herself off the door frame, and while folding her arms she stared the two of them down. "And another thing… stop ordering your sophomores to sit with me me in the caf'."

That had been a strange moment the first time it happened. By the Rush rules, Emma could not have any contact with in girl in the sorority outside of Rush events. Her weekly dinners with Mary Margaret and Ruby had to be put on hold, and since Elsa often had night classes, Emma was rocking her dinners single style. The first evening David had sat with her and eventually Killian had come by to sit with her, but the next night 3 sophomore Pi Theta brothers joined her at her table. It was an odd moment, but considering she was David's sister, the first time they did this she blew it off.

The second time, however, she confronted them on what they were doing.

"The Captain told us to." The one with dark hair and the spattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose informed her.

"He told you what?" She asked while internally rolling her eyes at the nickname that lowerclassmen often called Killian.

"If we ever saw you eating alone, and he was not available, to come and join you."

"I'm not someone who needs to be babied," she said coming back to the present facing off the two of the biggest, most overprotective idiots she knew. "I'm perfectly capable of taking care of myself."

The lewd face Killian was observing her with made her want to scream.

"So that's a no on the game then?" Killian asked with obvious disappointment.

Emma didn't bother with any reply when she waltzed out of the house and back towards her on campus apartment.

"That one's pretty," Elsa looked Emma up and down.

They had been at it all afternoon on this shopping excursion. It was the last thing Emma wanted to do on her one free day of the week, but Elsa had convinced her into giving up her Sunday so that she could help Emma find clothes suitable for Rush.

"This is ridiculous," Emma said for the millionth time. The only thing that Emma had bother to really look at after the Rush meeting last monday was the list of overbearing rules.

1. No communication with current members in a sorority. Exceptions: If it is required in class to speak (for example: professor ordered partner work or group discussion).

2. No fraternity parties.

3. No current member can gift a potential member with anything and vice versa (this included sharing things like mints or gum).

4. No photos can be taken at Rush events

5. There can be no contact on social media between a current member and a potential member…..

6. …..

The list went on and on, to the point where Emma was about 30 seconds shy of getting up and storming out of the reading of the rules. This was crazy. What was she doing with her life?

With the urging of Elsa, Emma finally pulled out the Rush packet that contain more details about the schedule of next week and low and behold- a dress code for each night.

No, no.. Emma needed out of this crazy plan.

"I think you shouldn't wear black," Elsa decided after Emma had tried on her 5th dress from just that one store alone.

"I like black," Emma said, while running her hands down the sides of the dress.

"Yeah," Elsa said shaking her head at her friend's stubbornness. "So does every other girl going through rush. Haven't you ever heard of the little black dress? You won't stick out if you wear that."

"Fine," Emma groaned going back into the changing stall and grabbed the last dress on the rack. It was a silk, green, jewel toned dress that had a loose open collar but draped down her body in just the right way and hitting the top of her knee.

"Oooo," Elsa's eyes had lit up when Emma had come out of the stall. "That's a winner."

The angry flash of her green eyes had caught his attention when Emma stormed into Philosophy of Law on Monday eyeing a new addition perched on their table talking to him.

Not that Killian was all that innocent in how he manipulated the situation in his favor. He was pre-law after all.

During the previous week whenever he inquired about being partners, she shut him down. Still being that stubborn Swan girl she was known for being, Emma had even informed him that she had addressed the situation of there being an odd number in the class with Dr. Gold. She had been given the go-ahead to go solo with the project.

Killian had decided that would not do, and had spent a week brainstorming how to get past her defenses until Saturday at the game and idea began to form.

Jenna Paxton, a hot redhead from Beta Upsilon Tau and also a fellow pre-law, had a approached him at the game to inform him that her former partner had dropped philosophy of law and she was in need of a new one. Throughout the entire first half of the game she had sat as close as possible to him trying to talk about the class with him often laying her hand on his thigh. It was hard to ignore, he was a guy after all and she was hot, but it didn't sit right with him. Every time she tossed her shiny red hair over her shoulder he couldn't help but imagine if it were blonde and what it would be like if Emma had attended the game with him. He could only imagine the witty and sarcastic remarks she would have voiced about the whole ordeal of the game and the antics that filled the student section.

Despite her unwelcome presence-which was thankfully cut short when one of her sisters informed her that she had to sit with her chapter: "rush rules," Jenna Paxton had given him something to chew on. Thanks to Jenna's info, Killian now knew that there was a currently an even number in Philosophy of Law which would ruin Swan's plans of working alone.

It was now up to him to determine who was without out a partner.

On Monday afternoon, Killian arrived at the designated classroom before anyone else. Definitely a first in his book. From then as fellow students started trickling in, he began conducting his own investigation to figure out who was partners with who. A stroke of luck came when the 5th person who walked in the class was that scary pre-law lass named Tamara (who Killian might or might not have gotten in a heated debate about children's rights last year and called him a "soft-hearted moron"). Turns out Tamara, the child hater, was partner-less and the perfect person who to threaten Swan with (considering Swan had stormed out of the very same class which Tamara had debated with him when the nasty wench started going on about charging children as adults with no exceptions of age or crime committed).

Looked like Swan's partner options were limited to the evil Tamara, lusty Jenna, or his good self.

Surely he would come out on top…

Emma's fiery gaze landed on him when she walked into the classroom and spotted Jenna perched on the tabletop near him. As Swan had to edge past Jenna to get to her seat, Killian saw those lovely eyes do a grand roll of annoyance.

"Ah, hello Swan," he greeted her as she dropped her things on the table next to him.

"Hey," she said. Her voice was tinted with cautious curiosity trying to figure out why they had company at their table.

"Killian," Jenna purred. She reached her hand out and petted his forearm lying on the table. "Please. I don't want to partner up with Tamara." Her voice dropped to a whisper, but not quiet enough for Emma not to hear.

"Well." He glanced over at Emma trying to find a way to stall Jenna. He didn't want coerce Emma into being his partner, but he didn't want to spend a semester studying alone with Jenna, or worse Tamara. "You see.. Swan here…" He waved a hand between them. C'mon Swan. Show a man some mercy.

"Is happy on her own." Swan smirked at him obviously reading into what he was trying to do.

"Yes you were," he agreed. "Until you found out that the odd number in the class had become and even one."

He could literally see the gears turning in her head. The smirk she had been sporting morphed into a frown she glanced between Killian and Jenna, and then she scanned the room, her eyes pausing over Tamara before looking back at him positively fuming. Normally he'd laugh at her ire and reach out to smooth away the furrow that had settled in between her eyebrows, but Killian knew that this moment hung in a delicate balance and didn't want Swan to make a rash decision against him.

"Partners?" Jenna asked ignoring (or really, obtusely not recognizing the tension between Killian and Emma). Hand still stroking his arm, she started to sway into his space, eyelashes batting, and trying her damnedest to convince him.

"Sorry," Emma said not even glancing their way as she pulled her laptop out of her bag. "He's taken."

Jenna froze and stared at Emma, who was still not looking at either of them.

"Huh?" Jenna stood from her perch on the table and look between them carefully.

"We're together." Swan's voice was dry as if she was already bored with the topic. "Partners." She clarified as Jenna continued to stare at them dumbfounded.

"Sorry lass." Killian was desperately trying to keep his voice even while failing at stuffing down his elation at Swan's change of mind.

"So the rumors are true." Jenna had finally snapped out of her stupor and a knowing look came upon her face.

"What?" Killian asked.

"You know," Jenna said nodding her head at Emma, then at him before sighing and sulking away from their table

Silence hung heavy at their table as both Emma and Killian watched Jenna retreat over to where Tamara the evil child hating wench sat.

"What was she talking about?" Emma asked just as Gold made his way into the room and a hush fell over their classmates.

Killian looked over at her and saw the same confusion all over her face that he was feeling. The furrow in between her brows was still present, and this time, Killian didn't hesitate to reach over and smooth it out with a finger. "I don't bloody know."