#this is a joke of course. law students don’t read anything but casebooks.

[stoat-party]

[distant-rose]

Cs & 4 or 40

40. “Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just crack a smile for me?”

I think I’m going to do this in the same universe as I did for prompt 21, which is Killian and Emma are law students in London. Some real life shit happening in this one. Law school is murder. Don’t do it.

They don’t tell you this but routine is a key element to law school. It’s not necessarily something that they tell you upfront but rather something you learn halfway through when you find you have to study a certain way in order to survive the hellhole that is studying for exams. His brother Liam warned him about it but after acing his first degree, he never understood just how nerve wrecking it was. 

Routine grounds you. It makes you feel more sane. Which is why it drives you to insanity to keep it.

Killian has his routine and he’s willing to kill a man to keep it. He gets up at 8, he eats, he leaves his flat in Leytonstone at 9, he gets to the law library at 10. He goes to the second floor and sits at the desk closest to the window in the fifth row from the door. He organizes his books to his preference. His contract law casebook goes on top, his criminal law casebook goes on the bottom. He sits and reads for the first hour with his right foot under his left leg before starting his notes. Emma Swan must be sitting across from him.

Emma Swan is the most essential part of his routine.

It’s not just that she’s gorgeous and he’s fancied her since orientation. Emma actually helps him study. She has the Oxford Concentrate study books and he has the Optimize study books and between the two of them, they actually can get a better understanding of the material. They got on walks together, discussing various elements of their subjects. Emma is a criminal and public law whiz, despite being American. She can spew out case names and statute faster than anyone. Killian prefers contract and tort, two intertwining subjects that most people hate. With their combined forces, Killian is certain that they’ll not only rock the exam but get Dean’s commendation for it.

However, despite how much he admires Emma and how they’ve become partners-in-crime when it comes to studying, Killian’s pretty sure she doesn’t like him. Though she’s always willing to explain the link between British and European Union law or go over the elements of diminished responsibility, she always turns him down whenever he asks her out for drinks or rolls her eyes at his jokes. She never smiles at him. She’s always detached and straight to the point. It’s disappointing but he understands.

Law comes first.

Which is why he nearly pitches a fit when he sees a first year LLB student sitting in his row and in Emma’s spot. He spots in his tracks, staring down the unsuspecting student but they don’t look up, completely unaware of the murderous rage coming off of him.

Emma comes in after him and stops as well. The look on her face makes it clear she’s as annoyed as he is by the development. She grips her book bag tightly, lets out a sigh and heads to the other side of the library. Killian watches her, conflicted whether he should sit in his usual spot or follow her. 

He goes to his normal seat, arranges his books in the order he prefers and gets absolutely nothing done. His routine is broken without Emma.

The next day, he decides add something new to his routine. It’s not a significant change. If anything, if it’s to preserve the natural order of things. He does almost everything the same. He gets up 8, he eats, he leaves his flat, he gets to the library at 10. Instead of sitting though, he takes his leather jacket and lays it across Emma’s chair before taking his seat and arranging his books.

Emma arrives moments later, looking at the chair in confusion. Killian rises, taking his jacket back. He watches as realization blooms across her face followed by the most dazzling smile he’s ever seen. It hits him like a punch in the chest.

“You saved my seat…”

“Of course.”

“Thank you,” she says, still smiling as she settles at her desk, humming in contentment.

Because he’s Killian Jones, he can’t help but needle her a bit. “Have I entered an alternate universe or did you really just smile at me?”

“Shut up,” she replies. The smile doesn’t go away, if anything it gets bigger and she leans forward so she can kick him underneath the desk. “Do you want to, I don’t know, get drinks at City Bar after this?”

“Nothing would make me happier.”

He’s keeping this new addition to his routine.

send me a pairing and a number and i’ll write you a drabble