Looking at Em beside him, her face split in a radiant grin and letting out whooping laughs as she swung higher and higher, Emer found himself willing time to slow down, to halt.

A freeze frame of this moment. Or hell, he would settle for a snapshot, so he could keep the photograph inside the pocket of his jeans.

But all that was in his pocket right now was his phone, and it chose that moment to vibrate violently, a reminder that he had to leave.

Grudgingly, he put a halt to his swinging, taking his phone out to look at it despite knowing full well what the message said:

Tick, tock.

Yadda, yadda, yadda. Yeah, yeah, so he'd be in deep shit if he wasn't punctual. Nothing he would be fazed by.

The chains of Em's swing creaked as the swinging slowed, until it was more swaying than swinging. She tipped her head at him curiously.

He pressed his lips together into an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, I have to go."

Her face fell, but she nodded with a small smile. "Oh. It's okay. Go."

But he didn't want to leave her just like that.

He stood to leave, already tucking his phone back in his pocket. Stood rooted to the spot while Em stared at him.

"I'm sorry I have to leave so soon, but do you want to perhaps do this another time?" He sounded like a nervous virgin schoolboy asking if he could touch his girlfriend's boobs.

Em's eyes lit up. "Sure."

The phone vibrated again at the lack of a response message, but he ignored it. "Are you free tomorrow?"

"Yeah."

Emer smiled broadly. "Great." Another insistent vibration. "Okay, I really have to go. I'll text you later." With a wave, which Em returned quite enthusiastically, Emer turned and jogged off, already whipping his phone out and tapping a reply: I'm on my way.

***

Emer finally dragged himself into bed, exhausted and ready to let himself succumb to sleep.

This mission had been different. He hadn't been able to take out his target - a boxer - from afar, with his burly bodyguard cover hiding him in their midst.

So what was a boy to do? Get up close and personal.

After following him home, Emer had bypassed the security with the help of the Boss's technicians, and in no time was standing over the sleeping man and plunging a knife into his neck.

Then he'd had to run.

Emer didn't know who the guy had angered to deserve this fate, and he didn't care. Or at least, he told himself he didn't care. It was instinctive by now to repress his emotions, stuff them deep into a crevasse in the very depths of his mind.

Now, he was ready to close his eyes and fall into sleep, to rest up for a day with Em tomorrow -

His eyes snapped open, and he was suddenly awake as if a bucketful of ice water had been dumped on his face.

Em! He'd told her he'd text her. Shit. What time was it?

Hastily turning on his phone, the numbers 11:23pm glowed at him. Okay, it wasn't too late - if she wasn't an early sleeper, that was.

Chancing it, Emer tapped out a message to Em.

Emer: Hi Em. Are you awake?

Emer didn't realize he'd been holding his breath for a tense minute until it released with a whoosh at Em's reply.

Em: Hey :)

A smiley face. That was a good sign, right?

Smiling himself, he sent another message.

Emer: About tomorrow? What time do you wanna meet?

Em: Idk, I don't really have much else to do besides homework.

Em: (As if I'm going to do it, though)

Emer: Damn, what a rebel you are

Em: I know ;)

A winky face. Emer's hands began to get clammy.

Em: You decide on a time? Not too early though.

I let out a loud laugh.

Emer: Mornings. Ugh.

Em: Exactly!1!1!

A shame, really. Emer wanted to see her for as long as he could, maximize the time they spent together.

Emer: 12, then? Or 1?

Em: Hmmm

Em: 12 sounds fine :)

Another smiley face!

Emer: Okay then :)

There was no reply for quite some time that Emer began to wonder if she'd fallen asleep or just wasn't interested in talking to him any longer, or maybe his smiley face scared her away, but hey, she'd sent them first.

Then -

Em: Ugh sorry. Mom's pestering me to go to sleep. Night! x

A kiss. A kiss. A kiss. A fucking kiss.

Emer's heart began to pound violently in his chest. Did he return it?

Emer: Good night xx

His tongue darted out to moisten his lips. Two kisses. Two.

Em: xo. Now I REALLY have to sleep. Byeee.

Emer: Bye

Emer let his phone fall to his bed, jumping to his feet and rushing to the bathroom to brush his teeth.

His reflection staring back at him had on such a wide smile that rainbows would have been jealous.

[A/N: Emer's chapters are always really short, but they're really fun to write! I hope I managed to actually show flirting, because God knows I can't flirt for shit. If I even do?? Well if you ship the Emersons as much as I do, I'd love a vote or comment :)

P.S. I included Cake by the Ocean in the media because the guitarist is KILLING IT in the acoustic version, and also because I've been listening to it on repeat for about 2 hours now. AND DID YOU SEE THE ED SHEERAN REFERENCE?

P.P.S. If you'll read Always Be 18, I'll love you so much.

P.P.P.S. Okay so I've been writing something else called "Light Me Up", and tbh that's now my favourite to write because the characters are like *screams unintelligibly* So maybe I'll post it in June? Because my exams are in May, and I have holidays in June! Yay!

What do you think of it? ^_^

]