They were sitting across each other in their usual booth at Granny's. Killian was enjoying his third grilled cheese sandwich ever and Emma couldn't keep the smile off her face despite her best efforts. She was the sheriff. She could declare the way he was licking his lips illegal in public places, right? Because Granny would most definitely not appreciate the things that tongue made the town's sheriff want to do on top of her well-polished counter. And if the way Killian tilted his head left and right to catch the melted cheese hanging off his sandwich didn't reduce her to a giggling mush then the way he kept glancing at her waffles was certainly going to do it.
"Do you want some?" asked Emma eventually, grinning at him while she licked the chocolate off her index finger.
Killian's eyes faithfully followed the movement but as he assimilated her question his face pulled back into a grimace.
"Not bloody likely," he snored, pointing an accusatory finger at her breakfast. "And I don't think you should be eating it either. This thing looks unnatural, Swan."
Emma rolled her eyes but her smile became indulgent as she cut a piece of her waffle and soaked it in chocolate sauce before lifting her fork and moving it towards his mouth.
"Don't be ridiculous. Here, try some!"
Killian pulled back as if she had pointed a gun at him.
"Killian! Stop being a baby," she admonished him but there was laughter in her voice. "You can't criticize something you haven't even tried."
"Watch me," he said, lifting his chin in a defiant way that reminded her of her son way too much.
And here she had thought it was only Killian having a bad influence on Henry that she had to worry about.
"Come on!" persisted Emma, becoming more determined the longer his full lips evaded her utensil. "You'll love it! I can't go a week without Granny's waffles."
"So I've noticed and I maintain that you should try to rid yourself of that addiction, lass."
"It's not an addiction," said Emma with another eye-roll.
"Whatever you say, Swan. But I'm going to keep my distance."
Emma was about to give up and lower her fork when suddenly a predatory gleam entered her eyes.
"You know what?" she said, eyes narrowing as her plan took shape. "I'll cut you a deal."
Killian's ears perked up despite himself.
"You try it," started Emma, making the pirate pull a face again. "Hear me out! You try it and if you don't like it, I will stay off waffles for a whole month."
The blonde watched as his blue eyes softened and a little smile pulled at the corners of his lips.
"What?" she said, getting a little defensive in the face of the adoration staring back at her.
"Nothing, lass," replied Killian, quickly switching back to a playful grin. "Nothing at all."
"Hmmf," muttered Emma, clearly unconvinced, but inched her fork towards him again. "So? What's it to be, pirate?"
"I could never say no to you, luv," he said, leaning forward and taking the offered piece in his mouth, lips sinfully dragging over her fork way slower than necessary.
And that's how Emma's real addiction started.
"Come here for a minute, babe!"
Casting the tv screen a parting glance, Killian sprang up from the couch and headed into the kitchen, followed by David's grumbling that he was going to miss out the best part of Die Hard.
Emma grinned as her pirate's hand settled on her hip and pulled her towards him. She wasn't big on pet names but calling Killian 'babe' had come so natural it had almost knocked her off her feet. And he absolutely adored it. It hadn't taken Emma long to figure out that if she used an endearment on him, Killian would drop anything and everything to do as she asked. She would have felt guilty but honestly? Her boyfriend had the most gorgeous blue eyes and the most adorable pout and he had absolutely no qualms about using them on her when he wanted to get away with something so she thought they were even.
"Try this for me?" she said, putting a spoon of her tomato sauce under his nose and following the movement of his tongue as he licked at her offering, testing, before he took the whole thing in his mouth.
Smacking his lips in obvious approval, Killian grinned at her.
"It's delicious, lass," he said, planting a kiss on her forehead. "Need help with anything?"
"Umm," Emma hummed distractedly for a few seconds, eyes still glued to his lips before she shook her head, focusing back on the whole of her boyfriend's grinning face. "Nope. I'm good. Go before David starts crying and complaining that I've 'stolen' you away again."
"I heard that!" came the prince's disgruntled reply.
"Well, I said it pretty loud, Dad," she shot back, making Killian laugh and give her another kiss before he sprinted back into the living room.
The blonde turned back to the sink to wash the spoon in her hand. Oh, yeah, she was hooked.
"Come on, open up!" Emma managed to gasp out between her giggles.
For his part Killian just glared at her from the other end of the couch, eyes scanning his popcorn-littered chest.
"Swan, you have bloody terrible aim. I think I'm no longer okay with you carrying a gun around."
"Hey!" she said with an offended gasp. "I do NOT have terrible aim. I'm not even really trying."
"See now you have two options, lass," grinned the captain. "Either admit that you can't hit a target that's less than five feet away from you or confess that you have been purposefully polluting my hair and my whole persona with this salty creation for the last half an hour. Which one would it be, sheriff?"
Emma's cheeks took on a lovely pink colour as she considered the merits of making a run for it before coming up with a better escape route.
"I know, I know," she sighed, with a coy smile, grabbing a handful of popcorn as she made her way across the couch to him. "I've been such a bad citizen."
"Indeed," murmured Killian distractedly, admiring the way her body swayed forward until she was almost straddling him.
"How can I ever redeem myself?" whispered Emma against his parted lips while she popped the popcorn in her hand inside his mouth one after another, her grin only growing each time the brunette swallowed, Adam apple bobbling up and down, and licked the salt on his lips.
She licked her own salty fingers before finally fastening her lips on his, teeth tugging on his lower lip.
Man, she had a problem.
"Swan, I don't wanna!" muttered Killian, scrunching up his red nose and shaking his head like a petulant child.
Emma sighed in annoyance but it was softened by the amount of concern in her eyes and the way she was chewing nervously on her bottom lip.
"And stop doing that," whined the pirate, pointing at said lip with a glare. "You make me want to kiss you and you know I can't."
"Which is exactly why you have to eat your soup," exclaimed the blonde in frustration. "You won't get better, if you are half-starved."
"I don't wanna eat."
Emma took a calming breath, knowing he was going to be a baby about it by the way he butchered his English, something he would never do when feeling well.
"I know," she said sympathetically. "I know nothing smells good-"
"Nothing smells at all, Swan," he grumbled, scrunching up his congested nose.
"-or tastes good right now," continued Emma without pause. "But you need nutrition, if you want this to blow over as fast as possible."
Killian huffed in displeasure, still looking unconvinced. Time to pull out the big guns.
"Plus, I made it myself," announced Emma, battling her eyelashes a few times at her sick boyfriend and inching the spoon towards his mouth again.
The pirate growled, or tried to, but opened his mouth anyway, swallowing the warm food. And try as he might he couldn't hide his little hum of appreciation as it warmed his troubled stomach.
"Now was that so hard?" said Emma with a triumphant grin, losing no time and shoving two more spoonfuls in his mouth.
After a couple of minutes Killian wondered if he should point out that, flu or no flu, he was still perfectly capable of feeding himself. That's until he focused on the indulgent look on his princess's face as she brought another spoon to his mouth.
"There's that face again," he murmured, gulping down the product of her cooking efforts.
"What face?" she asked, wiping a drop off his chin and tempting him to try to bite down on her thumb.
Sickness be damned! She should know he wouldn't be able to resist.
"Whenever you are offering me some form of sustenance, you get that face," he waved his hand towards her, eyebrows pinching together as he struggled to put her adorable expression into words.
"I don't know what you are talking about," replied the sheriff but Killian had no trouble spotting the lovely blush that had risen up from her neck and the way her gaze flickered downwards.
"Whatever you say, Swan," he gave her a grin before sneezing and ruining its effect.
"Shut up and eat your soup."
"Emma?"
"In the kitchen!" came the sheriff's cheerful reply, making Killian smile and head towards her.
"What are you doing?"
"You have to try this, babe," said Emma, literally moaning around her fork. "Dad dropped by and left some of Mary-Margaret's famous chocolate cake. I cannot believe I've never tasted this before!"
"You should ask for the recipe. I rather enjoy your adventures in the kitchen, lass."
"Sarcastic smartasses don't get cake," declared Emma, pointing a threatening finger at her boyfriend's grinning face.
"No sarcasm, luv," he said, wrapping his arms around her middle. "I'm rather fond of your quirky creations and the way you get all… flustered while peaking in the oven every two minutes."
He demonstrated his appreciation, trailing a series of kisses down her neck.
"Nice save," muttered Emma, trying to remain unaffected even as she relaxed into his lose embrace. "Here."
She broke off a generous piece of her mother's chocolate miracle and twisted her head around to aim the fork at Killian's mouth, quickly pulling it back when he reached out to take the utensil from her.
"What are you doing?" she said, frowning at him.
"Hoping to have some cake?" he replied innocently but there was a knowing gleam in his eye.
Emma narrowed her eyes reaching out with the fork again but, sure enough, Killian pulled away slightly and tried to take it from her once more. The blonde snatched the sweet back, dropping it on the plate and moving away from him.
"What's wrong, lass?" asked Killian, tone light and just on the side of teasing.
But as he reached for the now abandoned cake, Emma slapped his hand away.
"Hey!" he yelped indignantly. "What was that for?"
"You're such a jerk!" exclaimed the blonde with a glare.
"I beg your pardon?"
"You know I-I-" she waved her arms in the general direction of the plate, groaning in frustration. "Ugh! Forget it."
With that she stalked out of the kitchen and plopped down on the couch, arms crossed in front of her chest and fingers pressing aggressively at the remote's buttons.
Killian stared at his girl with a lost look on his face for a full minute before he shook off his daze, grabbed the chocolate cake off the counter and followed her. Sinking in the soft cushions next to her, he inspected her face for a few seconds before breaking off a piece of the desert with his fingers and pressing it to her lips.
"I'm sorry?" he murmured, eyes searching hers.
Emma remained motionless for a few seconds until the pirate started rubbing the chocolate glaze over her lips, making them twitch upwards involuntary. Eventually she opened her mouth and let him drop the sweet on her tongue before quickly snapping it shut and biting down on his digits in mock admonishment. Killian growled at her, abandoning the plate on the coffee table and moving closer to her so that their hips were pressed together and his hand was now travelling up her neck.
"Nuh-uh," Emma shook her head, pulling away with an evil grin. "Not so fast, pirate!"
She nodded towards the cake he had already forgotten about causing Killian to lift his eyebrow in an 'are-you-serious-now-swan' expression. 'Abso-bloody-lutely' replied her self-satisfied grin and stubborn gaze. Letting out an over-exaggerated sigh, the brunette reached for the plate, smiling in amusement at the prim way she once again picked the fork and aimed it towards his already waiting mouth.
The cake was indeed magnificent and he demonstrated his appreciation with the appropriate sounds, watching Emma's eyes widen just a fraction and her own tongue peak out to lick the corner of her mouth.
"Have I finally earned myself a kiss, princess?" he purred, leaning towards her.
"Keep letting me feed you stuff, sailor, and you can earn anything," she replied, finally crashing her lips into his before he could reply.
This was the closest Emma ever came to admitting her addiction, which only proceeded to get worse over the years. Killian really couldn't find it in himself to mind.
As long as she didn't try to feed him asparagus.