AU in which Emma lives in a co-ed dorm at a college in Maine. She hates crowds and so tends to shower at 2 am. One night, she gets caught up in singing, drawing the attention of Killian Jones, and sparks fly. May evolve into a larger story but not sure yet.

"And then I found him with her." Emma Swan fumbled with the key in her door desperately trying to get out of earshot of Kathryn Parker and her band of cronies and on to her desperately needed shower. The Universe clearly wasn't on her side though as she dropped her shower caddy to the ground. The sound didn't even phase the Princess and her sycophants.

"Oh my god, not that Mary Margaret girl again." This caught Emma's interest. Mary Margaret was one of the few people on this campus who Emma had ever spoken with and the girl had seemed sweet, if a bit overly optimistic about the state of…well, everything. Hearing Kathryn speak ill of her made Emma's stomach drop.

"Yeah, and David said it was 'studying,' but he has a 3.5 already why does he need to study? Any more and it takes time away from baseball, and I'm not dating the captain of the baseball team for shits and giggles. I'm dating him for the title." God did this girl have an iota of self-respect, or hell, respect for anyone? Who treated people this way?

"You should teach her a lesson," one of the nameless bimbos responded. Emma rolled her eyes. Enough of this shit already. She approached the girls in the common room and put on a fake smile and added on the charm.

"I'm sorry, is one of you Kathryn?" Kathryn gave Emma the once over and seemed about to dismiss her entirely. "Chad Fuller was here earlier looking for you, he said he'd be at the commons until the campus bar closes." Jackpot. Emma watched as Kathryn found out that the captain of the football team had been looking for her. He carried more social capital and the girl was now a flurry to go see him.

"Right, thanks." Emma left them to celebrate the fake news and walked into an abandoned bathroom. Perfect, just the way she liked it.

After setting the water to just the right temperature, Emma allowed herself to relax under the showerhead. After a really, really long day, this is exactly what she needed. Well almost exactly, because if ritual was to keep she also needed at least one song to belt out while here. She knew that her voice could carry a tune, she'd even gotten some complements on it throughout the years, but she had insane amounts of stage fright. She loved the sensation of singing though, the feeling it gave her, like she really had a voice. If she always remained a shower singer, though, she'd be more than fine with it.

"What to sing, what to sing…" she mused aloud before finally deciding on 'Like You Do' by Angel Taylor. An older song that never made it to popular radio, Emma had always loved it and knew the range was good for her. So, without further ado, she started singing.

Boy you know it's bad when you do that, but you don't care

Holding out exactly what I want, but you won't share

And I've never had a taste before, but now you got me wanting more

You're playing it cool, I know what you do

I feel like a fool, but I would be feeling it anyway

'Cause nobody loves me

You're messing around, I figured you out

You're taking me down, but I would be feeling it anyway

'Cause nobody loves me like you do, like you do

And boy you know it's wrong when you do that, but you go there

You could lead me on or hang me out, but don't you dare

And I've never had a taste before, but now you got me wanting more

You're playing it cool, I know what you do

I feel like a fool, but I would be feeling it anyway

'Cause nobody loves me

You're messing around, I figured you out

You're taking me down, but I would be feeling it anyway

'Cause nobody loves me like you do, like you do

And boy you know it'd bad when you do that, but you don't care

You're playing it cool, I know what you do

I feel like a fool, but I would be feeling it anyway

'Cause nobody loves me

You're messing around, I figured you out

You're taking me down, but I would be feeling it anyway

'Cause nobody loves me like you do, like you do

Oh yeah.

When she finished the song she could have sworn she head some clapping but there was no way, right? Then the door opened and a definitely male voice called out.

"Beautifully done, darling. Truly spectacular." Emma couldn't believe it, she poked her head out of the shower and saw none other than Killian Jones, a guy who labeled himself as 'devilishly handsome' (which he was) and who she labeled a serious pain in the ass. As co captain of the baseball team and David Nolan's best friend, Killian ran in a very different crowd than Emma did and he likely didn't even know who she was.

"What the hell? Get out!" Seeming to understand just how inappropriate his presence was, Killian hopped out of the doorway and presumably back into the night. Emma strained to listen if she could here any footsteps walking away but she couldn't be certain. Deciding to risk it, Emma wrapped herself in her towel and prepared to slink back in her room, retuning the universe to its normal state in which she flew under the radar always.

"No use, Swan. I know the truth now. There's no crawling back to the rock you choose to hide under. You're a siren, a goddess, and the world will know of your eternal beauty." Even as she rolled her eyes, she had to admit that his words set a flurry of tension off in her stomach. She'd have to be dead not to appreciate the notice of such an attractive guy. And he did know her name after all! But she would be damned if she let him know that she wasn't completely indifferent to his charms.

"Does the gross overkill typically work for you, or was there something about me that hinted I may like more bullshit than you normally spew?" Her harsh censure earned her a real and true laugh from him and again she felt that same flutter of anticipation. Then he stepped toward her, so close she could feel his breath on her face. She should have moved back but she felt caught in some sort of invisible net by him. Eyes fluttering, she looked up to him and watched as he broke out into a lopsided grin.

"I mean every word, love. You do your best to hide from the world, but you can't hide from me. I see you, Emma. I see you." Her breath was shaky and she watched as he moved a lock of her wet hair from the front of her face behind her ear. Her skin felt like fire and ice at the same time where his skin grazed hers and she felt her heart skip almost painfully. Was he being serious? Scanning his eyes she saw he'd been telling the truth. She just had a way of knowing these things.

A slamming door from down the hallway drew Emma out of the moment and back to reality. She stepped backwards, stuck the key in the door and rushed inside, but before closing it again she looked back at him and whispered.

"Night, Killian." His returning smile made the bright blue of his eyes shine even more luminously.

"Goodnight, Emma."