It wasn't regret that she woke up feeling. How could she when she had Killian's arms wrapped around her and his lips pressing kisses at her neck? To be honest, she was quite unable to quantify her emotions as she kissed him goodbye and slipped off to work. Pointedly, neither had broached the subject of the meaning of the impromptu sex.

And that was why Emma had spent part of her lunch break scrolling through her phone, trying to think of someone she could talk to.

Mary Margaret was straight off the list. The woman couldn't keep a secret if her life depended on it.

David was a ditto. He never kept anything from his wife (see first point).

Ruby would lap up the gossip, give her some outrageous advice and then tell everyone anyway.

Tink, well, Tink was great but a little bit too 'new age' for Emma to turn to for advice. She'd probably recommend that she light a candle and realign her chakras or something.

Through a process of elimination she decided that Belle was really her only choice. Level headed, intelligent, and best of all, discrete.

"I was surprised when you called," she smiled as she joined Emma at a little Italian cafe half way between both their places of work. "But I really can't think of a better way to start the weekend than a real Italian coffee."

Emma nodded and smiled tentatively. "Well, we don't often get much time to just hang out."

Their waiter arrived and doled out the menus. Emma tried to focus on the words but instead she started squirming in her seat.

"True. I'm glad you called. So, how's things?"

Emma took one look at Belle's wide smile and frowned. "It's Killian. "

"What - what?"

"Or maybe it's me." Emma slumped down a little in her chair.

"What- I'm confused, are you two having problems?"

For a second, Emma questioned what the hell she was doing here with Belle (hell, with Killian). But with momentum behind her, she splayed out her hands on the table and whispered, "I slept with him."

With a tilt of her head and a squinting of her eyes, Belle said many things. Like , 'huh', 'okay' and 'haven't you done that a whole bunch of times already?'.

"Congratulations?"

"No - urgh - dammit!" Emma slapped her hands on the table, just loud enough to make the silverware clink together and the nearby diners to give her odd looks. She pressed one hand to her mouth and then took a quick gulp of water. "We only got married because of my visa running out."

"Ohhhhhhh," Belle breathed, her slow nod of understanding spurring Emma on.

"It was his idea, I was stuck, he's a good friend, you know. A good guy. And he wanted to help me stay because he knew that I was happy here, and… well…"

Her hands were a little jittery so she shoved them in her lap, leaving her words hanging in the air as Belle stared at her.

"Emma, who does that?"

"Does what?"

Belle smiled in exasperation. "Did it not strike you as odd? Him just offering to do that? Marry you I mean?"

"Wait - I thought we were talking about us sleeping together-"

"Well that's one issue, but a more pressing one is that a guy agreed to marry you to help you out."

"He's a friend-"

"Emma, you don't just marry your friends."

Emma sucked in a sharp breath. "What are you trying to say?"

Belle tossed up her hands in the air. "He must have had feelings for you! Getting married to keep someone in the country is a bit beyond friendship if you ask me!"

There was a sick little feeling in Emma's stomach that had been niggling at her all day. Now, it turned into full force anxious nausea. "And now we've slept together."

The waiter chose that opportune moment to collect their orders - giving Emma a moment or two to collect her thoughts.

Belle waited until he had retreated before she leaned across the table. "Do you have feelings for him? Because now you've crossed that line, you really need to tread carefully or this is going to blow up in your face."

Emma pondered the question. Did she have feelings for Killian Jones? She'd married him. He was a fantastic guy. He was a great friend.

He was more than just a friend.

And there was only one simple answer.

"Yes, I think I do."

/

Killian wasn't the usual type to pull a sick day, but he figured Liam being in town created a good enough reason to slack off work and head down the pub for a few pints and games of pool. His brother was in fantastic form, regaling him with tales of the last six months on tour.

And, he was pretty goddamn happy.

Emma had initiated things the night before. She'd flirted back, she'd invited him to kiss her, she'd placed his hands on her body. And it was glorious and unexpected and a complete eye opener to what could be between them.

He'd offered to help her because he cared. But it wasn't until they really started getting closer that he realised that it was more than just friendship for him. And now they'd crossed a physical barrier, it was time that they talked. He had no clue if last night was a 'one off' like she had said, or if she wanted more. He'd of course respect her wishes either way, but he couldn't stop feeling anxious about seeing her again.

Liam had arranged to meet up with an old school friend that night and had left Killian before Emma had returned. He'd laughed as his younger brother had fussed about, tidying the flat, putting away their dishes from the night before and straightening up the soft furnishings.

"You've always been houseproud, but this is unusual even for you."

"Emma's back soon," Killian had said by way of explanation.

"You really love her, don't you?"

Like a revelation, it hit him. It had taken his brother saying those words to make him understand what the feeling he had been having was.

"Yeah, yeah I do."

Talking things through with Belle over coffee had really helped Emma iron out the wrinkles in her thought process.

She didn't regret sleeping with him.

She didn't regret marrying him.

She did need to talk to him.

The place was quiet when she got back. She found Killian in the lounge, a glass of something that looked like rum in his hand.

"No Liam?" she asked, as she stepped inside.

"Not for a few hours. You're officially off duty."

She grinned and shook her head. "Fake wife hat officially removed," she teased as she sat beside him.

The air was thick with delicious tension for a few moments, both with words ready to trip from their tongues.

Emma got there first. No point wasting time with small talk.

"Killian, when you suggested I marry you, did you have feelings for me? And don't give me that 'you care and it's a good deed' line. Was there a part of you that hoped it could be real?" She was more steady and firm than she had thought she could be. Maybe it was because she wasn't looking at him.

He seemed to be weighing something up in his mind. Finally, he replied.

"Yes. But I only really understood that today."

He twisted to face her on the couch.

"We need to talk."

"I thought that's what we were doing," she teased, happy to pull a little smile from him. His face looked so worried. She scooted a little closer.

"You know what I mean." He reached out and took her hand. "I don't regret last night. It was pretty amazing."

"Same. I've never really thought of you in that way before, but it felt, right?"

He smiled again, tipping his head closer to hers.

"Good. The last thing I wanted was for things to get complicated. I mean, more complicated."

She nodded, enjoying the way he held her hand and looked in her eyes when he spoke. "But you have feelings for me."

"I do," he nodded. "I think I have for a while," he admitted.

"Asking me to marry you was a bit of an extreme way to explore those feelings."

"What can I say, I have a flare for the dramatic?"

He chased her laughter with a soft kiss, one that made her toes tingle. She sighed into him.

"What now? I mean we've kinda bypassed a few milestones here… And our friends? Do we tell them?"

"How about we actually go on a date? One thing at a time, love. We don't even know what this is yet..."

Emma had a good idea where it was heading, but she kept that information to herself.

"I like that plan." She ran her palms down his chest, happy little memories of the night before flooding back. "A real life date."

"That I will arrange, if you allow me."

She gave him a devious glance. "You're so old fashioned."

"A true gent."

She rolled her eyes.

"And as a true gent, how will you look after this lady? I mean, we do have this place to ourselves for a few hours, at least you said."

He glanced at her lips.

"I have a few ideas."

"You don't say?" she hummed, "I might have a few of those myself."

They eventually made their way into his bedroom, clothes leading a path to the door, not caring what Liam would think when he got back.

They fell into bed with the ease of friends and the excitement of two learning a new side of each other. It was better than the night before, less frenzied yet uncertain, more honest - they weren't sure what they were right then, but both were happy to explore and kiss and touch and, well, you know.

It wasn't until the early in the morning, when Killian was still fast asleep, that Emma crawled out of bed and retrieved her softly bleating phone.

A text.

from Mary Margaret.

MM: Emma Swan, what the hell is this about you and Killian? Belle is worried and David and I don't know what to think.

"Crap," Emma sighed, falling back onto the bed and staring at Killian's prone form. "Guess the time for secrets is up."

A/N: Thank you for reading and being so enthusiastic about this lil ficlet!