Note: I'm really craving domestic Captain Swan. To say I was disappointed by the total lack of CS in the last episode would be a huge understatement. But here's hoping for some in the next episode. I hope this can tide you over until then! Hope you enjoy it! ~Steph

...The Perks and Pitfalls of Cohabitation: Part 1/1…

Perk: Sharing a bed

Emma's POV

I turn over in bed, the sun warming my face, as my eyes flutter open. I can't help the smile that curls my lips at the sight before me. Waking up to Killian's face is one of the best things about living together. And falling asleep, tucked away in his strong arms, is another.

I always wake up before him, which surprises me. I figured he would be an early riser from his years out on the water. I'm grateful for the time I get to spend just looking at him, admiring his gorgeous face. His chiseled jaw, talented lips. Even his scar. That scar makes his face beautifully flawed, just like the man himself. I can never resist touching it. My hand reaches out and lingers on his cheek, my thumb stroking his scar and then his scruff. I move it to his lips, tracing their curves. The only thing I miss is his sparkling blue eyes meeting mine.

Sometimes, I feel tears fill my eyes as I look at him, realizing that our days together may be numbered. That these mornings might have an expiration date that is fast approaching. I want to have hope that I can be saved, but it's not always easy. When those thoughts enter my mind, I try to push them aside. I want to focus on the here and now, enjoy the time I have with my family and Killian.

I told Killian the truth shortly after he moved in, which was a few weeks ago. He was understandably hurt, but predictably forgiving and supportive. He vowed that we would find a way to save me together. And I try to hold onto that.

His eyes slowly open and meet mine. A grin spreads across his lips.

"Good morning, beautiful," he says.

Killian's POV

My favorite sight in all the realms is right before my eyes. Everyday, I have the privilege of waking to the stunning face of my true love. She believes she wakes before me because that's what I wish her to believe. I'm an early riser from my time on the sea. I've always risen with the sun.

I normally wake about an hour before she does. I stare at her peaceful face, in awe of her beauty and the fact that she's all mine. When the time nears when I know she will wake, I close my eyes and allow her to enjoy her own quiet moments. I feel her hand on my face and I ache to touch her too. I yearn to wrap my arm around her and pull her body up against mine, our lips meeting in a sweet kiss that quickly turns passionate. But I resist, allowing her a few more moments.

When she's touching me, sometimes my heart drops into my stomach. I wonder how many mornings we will get like this. How many nights we will get to make love in our bed. I've lived hundreds of years, but I've come to realize that I didn't truly start living until Emma. How could I go on without her? The question is too painful to consider, so I refuse to. Instead, I focus on hope and relishing every moment we have together.

"Morning," she says, a smile upon her lips, as she slowly brings them to mine.

…

Pitfall: Sharing a DVR

Emma's POV

"Killian!" I call from the living room, the remote control in my hands, as I stare dumbfounded at the TV.

"Aye, love?" he asks, appearing in the doorway a moment later.

I turn to him, my jaw clenching, as I gesture at the TV with the remote. "Care to explain why the DVR is full of 30 episodes of 'Gold Rush'?"

A grin spreads across his lips. "Ah, that's the show your boy recommended to me while he was educating me on how to use the recording box."

I roll my eyes. "It's called a DVR. Remind me to thank Henry." I pause. "You do know this show is not about pirates searching for treasure, right? It's just a bunch of guys mining for gold in Alaska."

He nods. "Aye, I'm well aware. I quite enjoy the quest for riches in any form."

I suppress a groan. "Well, you filled up the DVR so it deleted my episodes of 'Dog The Bounty Hunter.'

I watch as his brow furrows. "I'm afraid I don't understand. How can a dog hunt for fugitives? I know many have a keen sense of smell and-..."

I chuckle and shake my head. "It's not about a dog. That's just the guy's nickname."

He quirks an eyebrow. "What kind of bloody nickname is that? Why would one want to name themselves after a mutt?"

I laugh. "As opposed to a sharp, shiny object?"

Killian lifts his hook up. "My nickname is one of the most colorful monikers in all the realms. I thought you were quite fond of it."

"Oh, I am very fond of the name, as well as your namesake," I say, as I step close to him and run my hand down the metal.

He grins lustfully. "I'd say last night was proof of that."

I smile, as I loop my arms around his neck and kiss him.

Killian's POV

"Swan!" I yell, as I jab at the remote boxe's buttons with my hook and glare at the blank screen before me. "What is wrong with this bloody thing?"

She appears by my side a moment later, removes the box from my hand, presses one button, and the list of programs returns. She hands it back to me.

"There you go," she says.

She makes a move to leave, but I stop her as my eyes focus on the list of programs.

"Where are the 'Gold Rush' episodes I recorded?"

"What do you mean? There's two right there," she says, pointing at the screen.

"Where the devil are the other twenty-eight?"

"I deleted them, Killian. They were filling up the DVR and nothing else could be recorded, including my show, 'Dog the Bounty Hunter'."

"You erased my favorite program?" I say, offering her my best puppy dog look.

She seems unmoved. "It's the only program you watch. And, honestly, it's not even that good. It's the same stuff over and over again."

My mouth drops open. How dare she! "Swan, these men are modern pirates. With the exception of the sailing and the pillaging and the plundering."

She chuckles. "Yeah, you sure have a lot in common," she says, as she pats my shoulder and then leaves the room.

…

Perk: Sharing meals

Emma's POV

I'm not used to eating meals with others. Sure, there are lunches and dinners at Granny's with Killian and my family. I'll eat at my parents' loft sometimes and with Henry when he's here instead of with Regina, but I am used to eating alone on a daily basis. A bearclaw standing over the sink for breakfast. A frozen pizza while watching TV on the couch. It was that way before Storybrooke and was that way after.

But not anymore. I hear Killian toiling in the kitchen when I come down the stairs. I smell coffee brewing. He figured that out last week and only broke one coffee pot. I hear things crashing and something is burning. I hear him scream 'bloody hell!' several times. But nothing can wipe the smile off my face when I see him standing at the stove, a flowered apron covering his normal attire.

I quietly approach him from behind and wrap my arms around his waist, resting my head against his back.

"Good morning," I say.

"Hello, love," he replies, as he places the spatula down and takes my hand in his. He brings it up to his lips and places a soft kiss on my knuckles.

"I really like this look," I say, tugging on the apron strings.

"I thought you'd approve," he replies.

He then turns around and wraps his arms around my waist.

"Apologies. My attempts at surprising you with breakfast in bed have greatly failed."

I peek around him to look at the griddle. There are black lumps on it that I can only guess are supposed to be pancakes.

"Pancakes?" I ask, meeting his eyes.

"In theory," he replies. "I'm afraid I haven't yet figured out how these modern appliances work."

I bring my hand up and caress his cheek. "Thank you," I say softly.

He arches an eyebrow. "For what?"

"For trying to make me breakfast in bed. No one has ever done that for me before."

"Well, love, I didn't exactly succeed."

I place a kiss on his lips. "You did in my book."

He smiles and then I gently push him aside. I discard the lumps and add some milk to the batter to thin it out.

"Nutmeg," I say, as I throw a bit in. "That's the secret, according to my father."

I then proceed to show him how to make the pancakes thin and round. He watches carefully at first, but soon grows distracted. I feel his lips move to my neck, as his arms snake around my waist.

"You're not paying attention," I scold weakly, as I close my eyes.

He sucks on my pulse point, as his hand finds its way under my shirt and rests on my belly.

"I am paying a great deal of attention to the only thing that matters," he mumbles against my skin.

I laugh and open my eyes. I somehow manage to make 8 decent pancakes, while trying to ignore his lips on my skin and his attempts to remove my shirt. I turn off the griddle and swat him away playfully. He laughs and retrieves some plates. I put the pancakes on the plates and then move to the kitchen table. We sit opposite each other and I smile, as he digs right in. He lets out a moan I've only heard him make in bed.

"These are bloody fantastic!"

"Well, it was a team effort."

I watch him eat, completely forgetting my own pancakes as they grow cold. He feels my eyes on him and meets my gaze.

"Are you okay, love?"

I nod, as I blink back sudden tears. He moves his hand to mine and entwines our fingers.

"I just...I usually eat meals alone. Henry's rarely here and, even when he is, it seems like we do our own thing when it comes to meals. Always in a rush, I guess. And now Henry's got Violet, so he's always off with her. But now you're here with me. Everyday. Every morning, every night. I'm not alone anymore. I don't think I ever realized just how lonely I was or how wonderful it could be sharing meals with the person you love everyday."

He squeezes my hand. "And we have a lifetime of meals to share."

Neither of us decide to ruin the moment by acknowledging the fact that they may very well prove untrue.

Killian's POV

She's gorgeous I think as I stare at her face bathed in candlelight. We're eating our first meal in the dining room. Emma decided to make pork roast, potatoes, corn, and garlic bread for dinner. She slaved over the meal for hours, refusing my offer to assist.

She watches as I take a bite of the pork.

"How is it?" she asks nervously.

"Delicious, love. You've outdone yourself."

"It's my mom's recipe. I've never really cooked stuff like this before. I'm used to frozen dinners."

"Emma, there's no need to do all of this for me. I'm sure frozen dinners are scrumptious."

She laughs. "They're really not. And I wanted to do this. I like that we can have these normal meals together in our home. I like that I'm not eating on a paper plate while I watch TV on the couch."

I smile. I must admit this is much nicer than the meals I ate at Granny's and on my ship.

She pauses for a long moment and looks over at the other four empty chairs.

"Do you ever think about having children?" she asks suddenly.

My eyes widen and my mouth drops open. My fork with my potato freezes in midair.

"What?"

She swallows roughly. "I saw you with Alexandra. You were so great with her. A natural. I know you once wanted to be a father to Neal and you're amazing with Henry. I was wondering if it's something you want in the future."

I nod slowly. "Aye, that I do. With you, Emma. You've made me believe that I can be the father a child deserves. I didn't believe that for a long time. I would love to have a family with you, Swan."

A smile spreads across her face. "I want that with you, too. I don't even think I realized how much until I saw you with Alexandra. I want a second chance to raise a child from the beginning of its life and I want to do it with you, Killian."

I grin, as I lean forward and press a kiss to her lips. "As you wish."

When we part, a tear slips down her cheek. I catch it with my thumb.

"What if we never-..." she begins, but I cut her off with a sharp shake of my head.

"No, love, we mustn't think that way. We will have the future we fought for. We will have the family we deserve."

She nods slowly, as I pull her into my arms.

"I love you," she whispers.

"I love you, too," I say.

…

Pitfall: Sharing a bathroom

Emma's POV

"Killian!" I groan, as I stand outside the bathtub, his gorgeous nude form barely visible through the shower curtain. "What is taking you so long? I need to get in there. I'm going to be late for work!"

"Love, you're the sheriff. What exactly do you think will happen if you're a bit tardy? Will you fire yourself? Give yourself a stern reprimand?"

I fight my grin. "That's not the point. I'm the boss. I have to set a good example."

"For whom? You have one underling and he's your father. He also happens to arrive tardy on a fairly regular basis."

I let out a sigh. "Will you just hurry up please? I can't believe this house only has one shower. I have half a mind to use my magic to create another."

He pulls back the shower curtain and peeks around it. "I think I have a far better idea. One that will save us time and solve our problem, while being quite enjoyable."

"And what's that?" I ask, quirking an eyebrow.

His eyes scan my figure, which is clad in only a camisole and panties. He licks at his lips, before he throws back the curtain and his arm darts out. It wraps around my waist and he hauls me into the tub before I can stop him.

"Killian!" I scream, as the water soaks through my clothes. "I have clothes on, in case you didn't notice!"

"You're right, love. That will not do."

He uses his stub and hand to lift my camisole and then throws it over the shower rod. I bite at my lip as his gaze washes over my bare breasts appreciatively. He then drops to his knees and hooks his thumb into my panties. He pulls them down my legs and throws them over the rod too. He then stands and hauls me up against him. His mouth is on mine as I giggle into it, my fingernails scraping down his back.

"I really don't think this is going to save us any time or accomplish the desired goal of getting us clean," I mutter, as his mouth moves to my chest.

"Perhaps not. But you must admit it's a helluva lot more fun than your idea," he mumbles against my skin.

I laugh as I throw my head back and thread my fingers through his wet locks.

Killian's POV

Emma leans in front of me to reach the sink, as she places her toothpaste on her toothbrush. I lean over her, bringing my new electric clippers to my beard. I carefully trim the hair along my jaw, concentrating on my reflection in the mirror.

"Ugh! Killian!" Emma groans in disgust below me.

"What, love?" I ask, my hand pausing as I glance down at her.

She points to her toothbrush with her freehand. "That's what!"

My eyes follow her hand and land on her toothbrush. The white toothpaste on it is covered in little brown hairs.

I smile sheepishly. "Apologies, Swan."

She grimaces and makes a huge production of rinsing off her toothbrush. I return to my task and finish a few moments later. I lean forward to place the clippers back in the cabinet, just as Emma is reaching for her hairbrush. Our foreheads bang together and we both let out a yelp.

"Bloody hell!"

"Damn it!"

We take a step back, looking at each other in the mirror, as we rub at our foreheads with the heels of our hands.

Emma finally turns to me. "Don't take this the wrong way, because you know I love you with all of my heart, but I hate sharing a bathroom with you."

I smile. "I sensed that."

A grin pulls at her lips. "We are constantly on top of each other...and not in a good way."

I chuckle. "Certainly not my preferred way."

"And you take forever in here." She gestures to my hair products and eyeliner. "I'm pretty low maintenance. But you, Killian Jones, are high maintenance. With your perfectly styled hair and your gorgeous damn eyes."

I smirk, as I gesture to my face with my hook. "Devilishly handsome doesn't just happen, love."

Her lips finally give way to a smile. "Any suggestions on how we can solve this problem?"

I nod, as I bring my hand up and push a piece of hair behind her ear. "Well, we may not have another shower, but there is a half bath downstairs. Perhaps I could use it in the morning to get ready."

She tilts her head to the side. "You'd do that for me?"

"I'd do anything for you, Swan. You know that."

She smiles and snakes her arms around my neck, placing a kiss on my lips. She then pulls back and shakes her head. "I love you for offering, but no."

My brow furrows. "No? I suppose I could use the kitchen sink, but with the absence of a mirror, it could prove difficult. Perhaps I could use the toaster to-..."

She laughs and shakes her head. "You and I will use this bathroom together. Our bathroom. We will figure it out. Yes, it would be easier to separate, but I like seeing your devilishly handsome face in the mirror when I'm getting ready. I like feeling your high maintenance body next to mine." She pauses and chuckles. "I don't love your beard hair on my toothbrush or your head hitting mine, but that's a small price to pay to get to be with you."

I smile as I pull her close and kiss her.

…

Perk: Sharing a couch

Emma's POV

I don't get much downtime, but when I do, I like to spend it sprawled out on the couch, dead to the world. After a long, hard day battling villains, all I want to do is collapse.

My lips turn into a frown as I see Killian sitting on one end of the couch. I know I should be glad he is here and I am always happy to see him, but I just really want the couch to myself right now. Henry knew this and usually vacated as soon as he saw me. Killian doesn't budge.

"Hello, love," he says.

"Hi," I say, bending down to press a kiss to his lips. "I'm beat," I add, hoping he'll get the hint.

He does, just not in the way I was expecting. He pats the couch beside him.

"Lie down, Swan. I'll give you a foot rub," he says.

I raise an eyebrow. "A foot rub?"

"Aye. I read in one of those lady magazines that men should give them to their loves after a hard day at work."

"Where did you get a lady magazine?" I ask with a chuckle.

"Belle is quite fond of them. She left several around my captain's quarters. I was having some difficulty sleeping on that cot one night, so I did a bit of reading."

I laugh. "Okay."

I sit down and pull my boots off. I peel my socks off and discreetly try to determine if my feet stink. I decide they're okay. I lay back on the couch and place my feet in his lap. I briefly question how he will be able to give a satisfying foot rub with just one hand. My question is quickly answered. I should know better than to doubt this man.

He takes my left foot in his hand and digs his thumb into the arch. Oh, that feels so good. He moves up to rub the pad of my foot in slow circles.

"You're amazing at this," I breathe, as I close my eyes.

"You know firsthand how talented this hand is, Swan," he says.

"Don't I ever," I reply softly.

He repeats the process with my right foot and by the time he's done my feet feel completely renewed.

"Thank you," I say, smiling over at him.

He gestures to the coffee table. "The lady magazine also said to have a glass of wine ready for your love. But I know my Emma prefers hot cocoa with cinnamon."

I smile at him, as I pick up the mug. "God, I love you."

Turns out, having to share the couch has its advantages.

Killian's POV

I find Emma sitting on the couch in the living room. Henry recently informed me that she likes to have the couch to herself after a long day. I move to sit on the chair beside it, but she pats the cushion.

"Come here," she says.

I raise my brow, but comply, sitting down beside her.

"Lie down," she says, patting her lap.

I place my head on her lap and look up at her. She brings her hand to my hair, stroking it.

"I couldn't find a magazine about how to treat your pirate after a long, hard day, so I had to come up with my own ideas." She gestures to the glass of rum on the table. "For after."

"Thank you, love," I say, as she begins to massage my shoulders. She then leans down, her lips finding my neck.

Her hand slips to my vest and her fingers slide the zipper down. She then undoes a few buttons on my shirt and her hand slides to my chest, as her mouth finds mine. Soon, I feel her hand trail down to my jeans and she pops the button. Her hand slips below the waistband and I suck in a breath.

And soon we are finally christening this couch. Now I know what she meant by the rum being for after.

…

Pitfall: Sharing chores

Emma's POV

"This is called a washing machine," I say, as I gesture to the large appliance in our basement.

"Aye," he says with a nod, but eyes it warily.

I point to the overflowing hamper. "My rule of thumb is I wash clothes when I run out of underwear."

He grins. "Well, love, I don't wear any undergarments, so-..."

I chuckle. "We share a hamper now and I have no idea what you do with your leathers, so we will wash clothes when the hamper is full. Right now, it's way past full. Now, I am going to make this simple for you. People usually separate their colors, but years ago I discovered a way to simplify the process."

He watches as I point to the dials on the machine. "First, I wash them all in cold. The colors are less likely to run that way. Turn the dial to cold."

"Aye," he says with a nod.

I reach up and pull a color catcher sheet from the box. "These are like magic. Toss it in the machine and if any colors do run, it will catch them."

"Brilliant," he says.

I toss it in and then point to the other dials. "Sometimes clothes will say gentle cycle, so you're supposed to separate those out too. I just wash it all on gentle cycle so I don't have to do that. I already put my bras in separate bags."

I pick up the laundry detergent and pull the cap off. "The cap has numbers 1-4 that show how much soap to put in. 1 is for a small load, 4 for a large. You're going to want to go with 4 because we have a lot of clothes to wash."

He watches carefully as I pour the soap into the cup and then dump it into the machine. "Now turn the dial for the size of your load. You're going to want to choose super. Then push the dial in and the machine will fill with water."

He watches with wide eyes as the machine starts to fill. "That's quite amazing."

"Now you can start putting the clothes in," I say.

I turn to him, hands on my hips. "Can you handle it from here?"

"Aye, love. It seems quite simple to me."

"Great, I've got some cleaning to do upstairs. Call me when it's done and we'll tackle the dryer."

I give him a kiss on the cheek and then head upstairs.

I'm dusting when I hear it about ten minutes later. A rumble and a shaking. It gets progressively louder and I can tell it's coming from the basement. I move to the basement door and throw it open. It's even louder now. I'm halfway down the stairs when I hear him.

"Bloody hell!"

I reach the bottom and stop dead in my tracks. The washing machine has moved a few feet away from the wall and is shaking uncontrollably. The lid of the machine is flapping up and down, clothes ready to overflow from it. Soap is streaming down the sides, creating a mess on the concrete floor.

"What the hell happened?!" I say to Killian, as I rush forward.

"Swan, this machine is possessed!" he says, gesturing to it with his hook. He's staring at it like I've only seen him look at dragons and monsters.

I turn the dial to off, but it keeps shaking. I finally reach behind and unplug it from the wall. The machine stops moving and finally lays quiet.

He breathes a sigh of relief and grins. "The Savior saves the day again."

I cross my arms over my chest and level him with a glare. "The Savior should not have to save anyone from an appliance."

"Love, it was hardly my fault. I did as you said and it just went out of control."

I lift the lid and gesture to the clothes that are spilling out of the machine and the empty hamper. "Tell me you didn't stuff all of those clothes into the machine."

His face begins to redden. "You said to put the clothes in."

"Until the machine was full. There were a lot of clothes, Killian. The hamper was overflowing. You needed to leave whatever didn't fit for a second load, not stuff it all in."

He cocks his head and smirks. "To be fair, you never said anything about a second load."

"I didn't think I had to!" I snap.

"Apologies, love," he says, as he steps forward, placing his hand and hook on my hip. "What can I do to make amends?"

His eyes focus on my lips and I feel my heart start to race, as his hand moves to my back and he starts to stroke it. Damn him and his charming, gorgeous self. Resist. Resist.

I smile seductively and bring my hand up to stroke the hair at the nape of his neck, as I press my body against his.

"I have some ideas," I whisper.

"Your wish is my command," he says, his hand slipping beneath my sweater to stroke my skin.

I look into his eyes and keep my voice low. "In the corner, there's a mop. Clean this mess up. Then take some clothes out and restart the machine."

I step back from him and his mouth drops open. "Swan, be reasonable. You have magic. I say this is the perfect time to use it."

I shake my head. "As much as I would love to Samantha Stephens our household chores-...

"Samantha Stephens?" he interjects. "Is she a friend of yours?"

I shake my head. "No, she's from 'Bewitched'."

"Bewitched?" he asks, scrunching up his face. "Is that a realm I've never heard of?"

I sigh. Sometimes I forget he's a 300 year old pirate. "It's not a realm. It's an old TV show. Samantha Stephens is the wife and mother, who is also a witch. Her husband doesn't want her to use magic, but she constantly does, sometimes for household chores."

"Sounds like a lovely program. I say we emulate her."

"As tempting as that is, I want us to live as normal a life as possible and that means my magic is only used when necessary."

"Swan, please reconsider. Do you have any idea what lasses, anyone honestly, would give to have your powers and to be able to make their life simpler?" He pauses and offers me another charming grin. "Of course, none of these lasses are as beautiful and amazing as you are."

He tries to kiss me, but I sidestep him and point to the corner. "Mop."

He groans as I head up the stairs. "Swan! Come back!"

Killian's POV

"This is a dishwasher," she says, trying not to sound condescending but failing miserably.

"Aye."

"It washes dishes."

"It's aptly named."

"You rinse the dishes then put them in. Do not overfill or crowd them," she says, giving me a warning look. "Utensils in this compartment. Spoons up, knives and forks down."

I nod as she points under the sink at a bottle. She gestures to the cup in the dishwasher door. "Pour the soap in here. Then close the door. There are a lot of settings, but let's keep it simple. Just press the ON button and you're good to go."

"Sounds quite simple."

"That's what you said about the washing machine," she mutters. She then gives me a kiss. "Can you finish on your own? I've got some vacuuming to do upstairs."

"Don't worry, Swan. I am a rather quick learner."

She raises an eyebrow, but doesn't say anything. She turns on her heel and walks upstairs.

I look at the sink full of dirty dishes and roll up my sleeves. I go about filling the dishwasher. This truly does seem rather simple. When done, I retrieve the bottle of soap from under the sink. I pour it in the cup, but only a few drops come out.

"Bloody hell," I mumble.

I search below the sink, but find no other bottles. I stare at the stairs, the sounds of the vacuum machine filling the air. I detest having to bother Emma. I want her to believe I can do these tasks on my own. I want her to know she can count on me to help.

And then it comes to me. The laundry soap. They both wash things. They look very similar in color and consistency. They even smell quite alike. How different can they be? I'm certain it can get the job done. I hurry down to the basement, get the bottle, and run back upstairs. I finish filling the cup, close the door, and press ON.

All is well for a few minutes. But soon the dishwasher starts shaking and making terrible rumbling noises. Then soap slowly starts seeping out of the sides and bottom.

"What the devil is happening?" I mumble to myself.

I search for a bloody OFF button but there isn't one. Suddenly, I hear the vacuum turn off upstairs and then Emma's voice a moment later.

"Killian, is everything okay down there? What's all that noise?"

"Everything's fine, love," I say, as I scramble to put towels down on the floor. "Continue your chores."

"I'm all done up here. I'm going to come down and clean the fridge. I think we have some science experiments growing in there."

My eyes grow wide with panic as I watch the kitchen floor gradually fill with bubbles. I must stop her from coming in here. Distraction is my only option.

I run into the foyer, stopping at the bottom of the steps, effectively blocking her passage. I grab her by the waist and pull her body against mine, as my lips capture hers. My tongue dives into her mouth and I feel her fingers thread through my hair.

She pulls back a moment later, panting, her hands cupping my face. "Not that I'm complaining, but what was that for?"

"I missed you," I say, offering her my most charming grin.

She lifts an eyebrow. "I've been upstairs for fifteen minutes."

"Even a second is too long to be parted from you, love," I say.

Her eyes narrow at me. "Killian, what's going on? Did something happen to the dishwasher?"

"Of course not. All is well. You look tired, Swan. Why don't you go rest on the couch and I will bring you a glass of water? I will clean the ice box. You deserve a respite."

She eyes me for a long moment and then smiles, placing a kiss on my lips. "Okay, thanks. You're so sweet."

I breathe a sigh of relief and I believe I'm almost in the clear when suddenly a loud popping sound and then a whoosh comes from the kitchen. Our eyes widen at the same time.

"What the hell was that?" Emma screams, as she pushes me aside and runs toward the kitchen.

I stand frozen to my spot until I hear her voice.

"Killian!"

Slowly, I make my way into the kitchen. The dishwasher door is lying on the ground and bubbles cover the entire kitchen floor.

"Care to explain?" she asks, offering me a steely glare, as she crosses her arms over her chest.

"I'm just as bewildered as you, Swan," I say with a shrug. "I followed your instructions perfectly."

I watch as her eyes move to the dishwasher soap bottle and the laundry soap bottle sitting beside each other on the counter.

She shakes her head, as she picks up the laundry soap. "Please tell me you didn't."

I avert my eyes. "In my defense, the dishwasher soap bottle was nearly empty and we did not have anymore. I felt the laundry soap was a fair substitute."

"Why didn't you just call me?" she asks.

I shrug, as I meet her gaze. "I suppose I didn't want to let you down. I want you to know you can count on me, Emma. Clearly, I've failed miserably."

Her expression softens and she comes to stand before me. She brings her hand up to my cheek. "You could never let me down, Killian. I appreciate your willingness to learn new things and help out around here. There are a lot of men centuries younger than you that don't do a thing to help around the house. Just ask if you have a question."

I smile and bob my head. "Okay, love." She presses a kiss to my lips. "Perhaps you could make an exception and we could Samantha Stephens this mess...just this once."

She sighs heavily. "Okay, just this once."

She turns and waves her hand. A moment later, the kitchen and dishes are spotless.

"Brilliant," I say with a grin, as she laughs.

…

Perk: Sharing a life

Emma's POV

We finish making love and I curl up beside Killian in our bed. I rest my head on his chest, smiling at the sound of his heart beating in my ears. I look at the closet. The door is ajar, revealing a slice of what is inside. My red leather jacket is beside his black leather jacket. I smile at the symbolism. Our lives have merged, we are living out our days side by side.

We've been living together for two whole months now and it's been the best two months of my life. We've both been adjusting and learning to compromise. It's certainly had its ups and downs, but that's life. And I wouldn't trade this life for anything.

There is something so comforting knowing that he will be beside me when I wake and when I fall asleep. Everyday. I never knew just how much I wanted that. And to have it with Killian, my true love, is a dream come true.

I hope we get to experience a lifetime of memories in this house. I hope we get to create memories with Henry and our future children. I hope I get to live out my happy ending right here with the man I love.

But if my days are numbered, then I couldn't think of a better way to spend them.

Killian's POV

I trail my hand down her bare back and then entwine my fingers with hers. Her head is resting on my chest and I follow her gaze. She's staring at the closet we now share. More specifically, at our two jackets that now reside beside each other. And I know that's how they were always meant to be. That's how we were meant to be. Together.

I hope we have years and years to spend in this home. Building a family, creating memories. It's the future I fought so hard to come back to.

I feel tears fill my eyes as I know our time together may not be long. That future may never come to fruition. But however long we do have, I will treasure these moments we spend together in this home, our home. The ups and downs, the good and the bad, because they are ours and ours alone. And there isn't anyone else in this realm or any other I'd rather experience them with.

...THE END…

Thanks for reading! I'd love to hear what you thought. ~Steph