Title: A Little Hope
Summary: Various post-series snippets chronicling the life of Emma, Killian, and Hope.
Spoilers: Set post-7X22, "Leaving Storybrooke."
Rating/Warning: K+. Pirate family fluff all around.
Disclaimer: Once Upon a Time and its characters were created by Eddie Kitsis and Adam Horowitz and are owned by ABC. I'm just borrowing them but I'll put everything back the way I found it.
Author's Note: I've been writing these flashfics for Tumblr, little scenelets that I write in twenty or so minutes and post with no editing. Since I'm amassing a little collection of them, I thought I'd start putting them here as well to keep them all in one place. As is typical of me, please keep a toothbrush handy. Feedback is like a Christmas present in a writer's inbox! Enjoy. :)
Emma wakes to soft whimpers, little sounds that are precursors to one of Hope's middle-of-the-night crying jags. A sigh escapes her lips but before she can throw the covers off her legs to climb out of bed, a soft whisper fills the room. "Hush now, little love. Let's not wake your mother."
A reach behind Emma proves that her wonderful husband had gotten up at the first sign of Hope's fussiness. Her heart bursting with love, she blinks her eyes open. Killian lifts Hope out of the bassinet and settles in the rocking chair with her, tenderly singing her a lullaby. To Emma's surprise, he's not singing his usual Enchanted Forest tune. No, this time, it's The Beatles' "Penny Lane," a song Emma isn't even aware he knew.
Little Hope soon drifts back to sleep, comforted by her father's soft voice. And though Hope has stopped fussing, Killian continues to sing and continues to hold her, smiling down at her perfect little face with all the love he has in his heart.
He runs through the song twice. Only then does he chance standing up and settling Hope back in the bassinet. He stands at the bassinet for a long moment before swiping his fingers across Hope's little forehead. "Sleep well, little love," he murmurs.
Only when he turns around does he realize Emma has been watching him. He scratches at his ear, turning a sheepish smile on his wife. "Apologies if we woke you, love. I was trying to let you sleep."
"It's perfectly all right," Emma assures him, her heart lighter than air. God, how did she get so lucky? "You're wonderful with her. Though, I do have one bone to pick with you."
"Aye?"
"When the hell did you learn a Beatles song?"
Killian chuckles, climbs back into bed and wraps his arm around her, settling her down with him. "I believe the gentleman on the radio in the Bug called it an 'oldie.'"
That doesn't exactly answer her question but it's oh-dark-hundred and Emma's too tired to belabor the point. "Mmm. Know any more secret lullabies?"
"Perhaps one or two."
And know them he does, for Emma drifts back to sleep with the strains of Elvis' "Can't Help Falling In Love" murmured into her ear in a soft, accented voice.